Fawad Khan is riding high on the success of his Bollywood debut Khoobsurat. With a growing fanbase on both sides of the border, the actor aims at broadening his horizons. He is reportedly in talks for another Bollywood project and this time “it will be something very different from Khoobsurat.”
He also wishes to helm an Indo-Pak cinematic collaboration. “I want to put together a film with like-minded people,” he said. “I’d love to manage at least one project on both sides of the border next year. My friends in Pakistan and I are trying to put together a Pakistani-Indian project with Indian talent. We are looking forward to a collaborative project, but this time, it will be a Pakistani production,” he added.
Fawad is being viewed as a mascot of peace between India and Pakistan. “To be seen that way would be the biggest honour for me. I am a very peace-loving person and if I can promote peace on any level between the two countries, it’d be my greatest achievement,” he said.
Among the contemporary Pakistani actors who have recently tried their hand at Bollywood films, Fawad’s role in Khoobsurat has stood out for many. On why he accepted the role in the film, he said, “When I met Khoobsurat’s co-producer, Rhea Kapoor, I instantly knew we were on the same wavelength.”
Now that his experiment in Bollywood has borne fruit, he aims at diversifying the roles he portrays on the screen. “I want to increase the bandwidth of my cinematic knowledge, so I can do something on my own,” he said. It was his search for more daunting tasks that took him across the border after his successful stints in television dramas, such as Humsafar and Zindagi Gulzar Hai. “After I managed to make a mark, I wanted to move on. There is no variation or challenge in working with the same set of people repeatedly. I needed to get out of my comfort zone,” he shared.
But he acknowledged that it is because of his performances in television that he has been able to garner recognition in India. “I was surprised by the two serials’ popularity [in India] and I am happy that my performance has been appreciated. I have come to be known there for my television shows in Pakistan, I suppose,” said the singer-turned-actor.
He admitted that he never thought he would pursue acting as a career. “My take on acting is a bit of a joke. I never thought of acting as a career choice,” he shared. Despite his fans’ admiring his bearded look, Fawad is all set for change. “I’m sorry if this hurts my audience, but the beard will go off. It must go off. I can’t keep it on much longer,” he commented. “I am trying to take on a completely new look. I was much heftier than I am now. I lost a lot of weight and I have to gain some now.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 1st, 2014.
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