The word fawad means ‘heart.’ And Pakistani actor Fawad Khan is stealing many hearts indeed with his debut Hindi film Khoobsurat. Divya Kaushik sizes up the latest subcontinental sensation
He is not an incredible man. There are certainly many of the handsome variety. More embody the brawny rawness and some come with an intelligent poise. So why is it that women, from 16 to 60, are going weak-kneed and wide-eyed about Pakistan’s elegant import to the Hindi film industry called Fawad KhanIJ Is it because he has bombarded our homes via TV as the complex, misogynist sub-continental man, flawed to bits but man enough to admit to them and porous enough to make amendsIJ Or is it that he has touched our chords as the musician Sarmad of Khuda Kay liye who is torn between identity, rootedness and the global perception of a post 9/11 worldIJ Well, while promoting his debut Bollywood film at The leela, he was suave, charming and khoobsurat, both in attire and behaviour the Rajput prince that he plays. While that is flattering, what we like about this Khan is his effortless ease and a sharp understanding of reality. And, of course, the skillful art of conversation. Add to that his intensely engaging eyes that will not let you drift. If you look away, he fixes his gaze, often in an intimidating way, and asks, “You know what I meanIJ” He is a man who can read your mind in seconds. Excerpts of an interview with him:
After a few modelling assignments, you started your career as a singer. It seems you were serious about singing since you learnt drums, bass and guitar. Why did you shift to actingIJ
I was never a model. I just endorsed a few brands at a very early age. I started my career as a musician. Music was more like a hobby. We formed an underground band in 2000 in college called Entity Paradigm. We played underground, metal and in those days we used to perform gigs for anything between Rs5,000-15,000. We were a set of six people and as a band we did over 100-250 shows in the span of two years. I was very comfortable doing that. We used to play to the packed audience and whenever I was on stage I felt a certain energy that empowered me. Singing is something that has been close to my heart. But now, as I am promoting the film, when people ask me to sing on stage, I am jittery. It is because they mostly ask me to sing mainstream songs that people like here but I am not used to singing those. It is like asking a person who doesn’t know French to converse in the language. I continued with music for a long time and in the first semester of college I started acting in a sitcom and that’s when my affair with acting began.
What drove you to disciplines that easily get you fameIJ
I think it was boredom in my studies. I didn’t like what I was doing. I was always ambitious as a kid but I landed up in a mess when it came to making choices. After I completed High School, I tried to get into conventional curriculums. I wanted to be an astronaut so I thought of applying for aeronautical engineering. I felt it will bring me closer to achieve my dream of becoming an astronaut. But the academy was far away from home and I had to knock down the option for two reasons. By then I had met my wife and I have always believed that long distance relationships don’t work, especially when you are young. Second, I was a mama’s boy so living away from home was not possible. I went by my father’s decision to study Computer Science. The first semester was a disaster and I thought I would either drop out or flunk. I needed some distraction, some form of entertainment, to keep me hooked to the classes. That was when I discovered my interest in music and later acting. I was so serious about music that I quit acting for a long time, while I was in college. When I graduated, our band had a fall out. I decided to do nine to five jobs but soon realised I was not cut for that. I went back to acting in 2010 and realised that it is my calling.
Pakistani dramas are known for their intense storytelling and you got to play a variety through them, how do you think they shaped you as an actorIJ
Television dramas helped a great deal. But the funny thing is that I never wanted to be a part of Pakistani dramas. I never wanted to do TV, though TV and music were thriving then in Pakistan. After falling out of the band I thought what should I do as there was no film industry and I had done a film called Khuda Kay liye. I did couple of other things. I had a project studio at home and for a very long time I made ad jingles. I did 35 jingles in a year for different brands and then I thought that this will not sustain as I was planning to be a one-man army and running a studio. I realised that not many brands and MNCs turn to a city like lahore for their ad jingle. I thought getting into TV will be an easy bet. I found TV as an opportunity to improve myself. Through TV, I could see myself in an environment of actors and observe what I was doing right and wrong. I kept on doing that to reinvent. That is how TV has played an integral role in making me what I am today. I have learnt valuable lessons on life and profession from three directors. One is Shoaib Mansoor, other is a friend who directed Daastan, Haissam Hussain, and Qasim Raza. We had arguments and debate on how should we go about with things on the sets. But these were the people I listened to and I am someone who is not in a habit of listening to people or taking their suggestions. It’s been a great learning phase but I still feel that I am not well-equipped. I have to learn more to attempt anything and everything.
After doing a thought-provoking role in a film like Khuda Kay liye, why did you sign up for a frothy romcom like KhoobsuratIJ Wouldn’t it have been easier to work with our path-breaking new-age filmmakersIJ
Post 2008, I was offered around three-four films from Bollywood. They were not A lister films but from reputed production houses. They were not performance-oriented subjects, all were some social message based films. I looked at them seriously and zeroed down on one project. I was planning to come down to India to meet the producer but then the unfortunate killings of 2008 happened. It had a serious impact on the diplomatic ties of the two countries. People were still flying in and out but there was chaos on streets. So I could not come and that ended there. Then there was another Hollywood film I auditioned for. The wait and the process took around one year and unfortunately again, I didn’t get that. Before Khoobsurat, I was reading a few scripts but none made sense to me. So I decided to go along with Khoobsurat. I realised that Rhea Kapoor as a producer has a very developed sense of aesthetics. For me that is very important. I believe that no matter you are shooting a rich man’s bungalow or presenting a low income household, things should be shot in a certain, beautiful, appealing way. Going by Rhea’s earlier work, I trusted her on that. I felt that Khoobsurat would be a safe subject for me to sense the environment here. I do play safe at first. I am testing waters with Khoobsurat. I would only dive further when I gauging depth of the pool and the temperature of water. (Smiles) Also you should keep in mind that Bollywood was not a gradual progression but a thing that happened by chance, so I never got a chance to plan.
How easy or difficult is it for you to relate to mainstream Bollywood, considering drama in Pakistan is akin to our indie film projects and arthouseIJ
It’s like two extremes. I felt that may be I can introduce a different brand of acting here and find what suits me in the long run. As far as categories like mainstream and parallel in Bollywood are concerned, I think we should be more happy about the fact that these divisions have helped a vast pool of talent from across the world collaborate and work in Bollywood. There are filmmakers from South India, Bengal and other regions interacting with each other and experimenting and it’s resulting in hybrid filmmaking. It is this collaboration that’s bringing amazing films in Bollywood and some of them rightly deserve international recognition. There is an audience for every kind of film here, therefore on one hand we have a film like Gangs of Wasseypur running to full houses and on the other we have entertainers like Kick and Chennai Express earing crores at the box office. I would definitely decide on my future films but before that I need to explore more. I will take one step at a time. I would like to get be part of projects where acting is involved rather than herogiri.
Keeping in mind the protest the creatives from the subcontinent often face, how difficult it is to find ground in BollywoodIJ
As far as music is concerned it is Bollywood that calls the shots. I have been told that indie music is not very popular in India, everything is playback. So Bollywood becomes the ultimate goal for the singers who come to try their luck here. Even in acting, everyone who comes here dreams of attaining the top position, which is not wrong. But there is resentment on social forums. I think it is because in Bollywood there are already so many talented actors who have been trying their luck and unfortunately nothing happens. So when someone from outside comes and gets good opportunities, questions are raised on why someone who has just come in from somewhere else is getting opportunities over others who have been struggling here. The resentment is understandable that it is not only India where it happens. In fact, I am not in the big star sweepstakes in India because I understand my outsider status and its limitations. This can even happen in Pakistan that why someone coming from other country is being offered a chance when there are talented people trying their luck for so many years. But why not everyone should be given a chance to competeIJ There should be a fair competition. There was a time when Turkish dramas were being translated and played in Pakistan. Suddenly the TV industry went berserk and said that they should be banned, it is killing their business. But I ask whyIJ We should rather learn from them and improve our production standards. One should learn to better the performance while facing the competition. I never limit myself to one thing. There was a time when I used to look at platforms where European films advertise for roles.
How much do you credit your popularity in India to a show like Zindagi Gulzar Hai and others on Zindagi channelIJ
It has really worked to my advantage, I can feel that while promoting the film. Promotions play a big role in the success of films here. But expectations also scare me, if I will fail to impress, I will be washed down.
Are you a spontaneous or a method actorIJ
I don’t believe in any school of thought of acting but I would like to think I am a spontaneous actor. I have been lazy to prepare for my roles. Be it Zindagi Gulzar Hai or Humsafar, I have never prepared for any role. It was only for Akbari Asghari that I met with some Siyalkotis to figure out the accent.
Do you look forward to production or direction in the futureIJ
Surely at some point of time. I had written a screenplay and have helped out a friend with a screenplay. But right now I am taking the advantage of other people’s sets and learning behind-the-camera tricks. I am observing things but in future I would execute something of my own.
photo Pankaj Kumar