INSTEPINTERVIEW
Actor and writer Yasir Hussain discusses venturing into
television, writing for cinema and future projects.
Actor, writer and former theatre superhero, Yasir Hussain generates curiosity without trying too much. From starring in Wajahat Rauf’s debut feature film Karachi Se Lahore (and stealing the limelight from his co-stars) to making the entertainment industry laugh out loud with his appearance at the Lux Style Awards while sharing the stage with the likes of Ayesha Omar and Ali Zafar to his easy-going demeanour, Hussain is flying high and scaling new heights. Exuberant, unapologetic and forthcoming, Hussain is neither your conventional hero nor is he reticent about expressing his thoughts.
Our conversation resumes from where we left it the last time when he was in Dallas promoting Lahore Se Aagey, the spin-off to Karachi Se Lahore and was feeling distressed with the lukewarm response the film had received.
“Yes, I was disappointed initially,” he says about the eventual fate of his last release. “But it was mainly because I wasn’t active on social media. I am still not on Facebook, so I didn’t know what sort of reactions usually follow. But having spent some time understanding it, I’ve realized that anybody can write anything anywhere at all. People will always have something to say and I’m very calm about it now.”
(From left to right) Yasir Hussain, Sohail Abro, Ayesha Omar and Mohsin Abbas Haider backstage at the Lux Style Awards, circa 2016.
He also squarely places the blame for the lackluster response to the film on the unofficial ban that was placed on Bollywood films. “Without the ban on Bollywood films, I’m sure a lot of films would’ve done better at the box office, even Lahore Se Aagey,” Hussain notes. “Now that the ban has been been lifted, I’m sure our films will benefit from it. More than anything, there’s a certain sense of achievement to see Lahore Se Aagey run at cinemas for over three months at such a crucial time.”
After the release of his last film, Yasir was conspicuous by his absence but he maintains it had nothing do with the response to his film. “I’m a theatre actor so after a play ends, the curtains closes and you change into your everyday clothes and even the audience fails to recognize you upon leaving,” maintains Hussain. “So it’s something I’ve always done and I’m used to. I didn’t want people to recognize me; I even trimmed my beard after the film released. I just like to escape from the chaos and return only when I have something substantial to offer.”
Looking towards the future, the big news is that Hussain is entering the world of television, which is new territory for him in some ways. Though he has a number of telefilms to his credit, Hussain will be seen in director Wajahat Rauf’s return to the small screen. The untitled romantic-comedy is slated to go on floors this March, and the serial also written by Hussain.
“There are a lot of people who don’t go to the cinemas and it would be incorrect if I don’t work for them. I believe it’s important to cater to all sorts of audiences,” he states with a sense of responsibility. “Apart from that, I always wanted to do TV but initially I wasn’t getting any offers and later, I didn’t get projects that would intrigue me. Wajahat and his team are like family to me, so when I was offered to write and do the part, I couldn’t say no.”
Though television is on the cards, Hussain will also resume working in movies soon. He is geared up to return to the silver screen with a film called Senti Aur Mental alongside actress Yasra Rizvi and designer Yousaf Bashir Qureshi. The film is also Rizvi’s directorial debut.
“I’m just an actor, so I can’t comment much on that,” Yasir asserts when pressed about the delayed film. “However, Yasra had to get married due to which the film got postponed. I remember when I first heard the story I knew I had to do it. It’s a very contemporary film, something along the lines of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara or Dil Dhadakne Do. It’s about finding yourself and I play a very normal guy based in today’s time and age, which is a first for me of course.”
In addition, Hussain will also be seen in a guest appearance in Shaan Shahid’s highly anticipated upcoming film, Arth 2, which is a remake of Mahesh Bhatt’s critically acclaimed yesteryear hit, Arth. “I got a call and was asked if I was interested in doing a certain scene in the film and all I wanted was to meet Shaan. Instead I got an opportunity to share the screen with him,” Hussain reveals. “So I flew to Lahore for a day and surprisingly found Shaan to be extremely humble and somebody who knows how to give actors artistic freedom to experiment with their characters.”
Aside from his many acting assignments, Hussain has several writing gigs in the pipeline as well. He has written Anjum Shahzad’s upcoming film, Band Tou Ab Bajay Ga which will feature Fahad Mustafa playing a bandwala who is caught in hysterical situations. He is also working on scripts for Anjum Shahzad and Wajahat Rauf’s next – both of which will be comedies.
“I work less and travel more and I think that’s the main purpose of my being. Most of the money I make, I spend on vacations,” he responds with a laugh. “But on a serious note, I just get to learn something new every time. By travelling I get to understand different cultures and their point of view of looking at life. I like meeting new people, experiencing something different and that’s where I get my inspiration to write.”
Hussain, however, also admits that the scripts he’s written so far reflect the requirement of the makers. “All I think of while writing is the requirement of the makers,” he confesses. The genre, explains Hussain, that he would like to explore is that of action, which is not his forte and would love to cast Shaan Shahid as the male lead. On a parting note, Hussain lays out his perspective on heroes.
“I like heroes. I like Amitabh and Salman Khan. But I might not be a hero and that’s because of the general perspective or image of heroes that we carry. Tom Cruise might not be as good of an actor, but is a global heartthrob. Bilal Ashraf is a hero and I know I’m not Bilal Ashraf.”