In the unlikely spot of his small car-service center in Lahore, The Express Tribune met actor Irfan Khoosat to discuss the state of comedy in Pakistan.
His off-screen personality is grounded, but his insight on the traditional aspect of comedy performances is very valuable in tracing how comedy came to be in the country. His own work has evolved as he has managed to be type cast, Khoosat sees his career today as a space where he can experiment with new characters.
“I disagree with the term ‘comedian’,” says Khoosat. “The distinction between comedian and serious actor as it is portrayed, doesn’t actually exist. Any work which is done with thought and nuance is difficult, so comedy done in that manner is also difficult.”
Today, he says that the scale of work has meant most actors are being prompted in their performances. To contextualize, various forms of comedy have developed in Pakistan. One may begin with Khoosat’s father, Sultan Khoosat, who on Radio Pakistan, hosted a show alongside famed radio personality Nizammuddin, which would take an educated and aware individual, and sit him across a common man. The format had been used before by Om Prakash on Lahore Radio. Today, the format is used on several television channels.
“My father’s fame was based on his comic plays and acting, but he was a very serious man. I think it is very important to be a serious person outside of your role, in order to play heavy comedic roles,” says Khoosat. His own reputation as professional actor seems to transcend the need for attention or stardom; instead, the satisfaction of performance itself and the attempt to convey aesthetic is important.
Recently, two form of his comedy have become popular; one that uses of word-play, as enacted by the likes of Munawwar Zareef and the other, farcical comedy by individuals such as Rangeela. Khoosat himself is well-known for his eighties role of Hawaldar (officer) Karamdad in Ander Ujala, which was based on a low-ranking police official.
“This was meant to be a two-scene character, but those two scenes seemed to click because the police was known as an entity that neither catches the badmash (crook), nor leaves the average person alone,” says Khoosat.
“A writer can write a dialogue, but the attitude is something that an actor has to provide, and that’s the artists own creation.”
While the shift towards Gandasa film-making meant Khoosat would stay away from the film scene, he says his focus has been on finding the right roles. More recently, he signed up to play the lead role of Kites Grounded, an independent film. He will also be appearing in commercial film projects such as The System, Ishq Positive and other projects as well.
“I am in search of a challenging role, I think I approached Kites Grounded not because its an independent film, but more because of the character, because all art can become commercial. In acting, you do your work according to the character, I acted according to the role, I made sure it did not look like the actor is playing a character, rather the character is in the actor,” says Khoosat.
Interestingly, his children have also taken to the arts. Sarmad Khoosat, his son, is also one of the most sought after television directors and is making his acting debut in Manto. His daughter Kanwal Khoosat is also closely associated with theatre and television. He says his kids have had to struggle and like any other artiste, he made sure that they paved their own path.
“Without struggle you don’t get anywhere, this is probably one of the few professions where you actually have to do it yourself. Sarmad has done well because of his own hard work, but it’s not because he is my son or Sultan Khoosat’s grandson. If that was the case, then everyone who had money or clout could buy success,” says Khoosat.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 3rd, 2014.
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