Having been absent from the cinematic spotlight since 2014 release, 021, Shaan Shahid has three films coming up including a love story (Arth 2), an action-thriller (Zarrar) and a war saga (Yalghaar).
InstepInterVIEW
Cinema’s biggest star, Shaan Shahid talks to Instep about writing and directing movies,
being opinionated and future goals.
Shaan Shahid, unlike so many faces in the post-revival cinema movement, is an experienced hand when it comes to all things movies. His energy is infectious while his commitment to the tradecraft of cinema is both sincere and laudable. Often considered the most established film-star in and across Pakistan, Shahid is relentless in his pursuit of the cinematic dream.
The son of late film-maker, Riaz Shahid and veteran actress Neelo, he appeared on the horizon in 1990 with the film, Bulandi and never looked back. One only has to take a close look at his extensive body of work to be reminded of his creative growth.
BTS image from Shaan upcoming film Zarrar.
From stealing hearts with his appearance in Fuzon’s spectacular music video, ‘Khamaaj’ many moons ago to starring in edgier and somewhat experimental new-age films (Shoaib Mansoor’s Khuda Kay Liye, Bilal Lashari’s Waar and Jami’s 021) that deliberately deviated from the ethos of typical Lollywood, Shahid is playing a strong part in adding texture to the growing days of contemporary cinema.
A seasoned actor, he was last seen in the spy-thriller Operation 21 while his absence from the spotlight can be attributed to the fact that he’s been working on several films in multiple capacities. Having taken on the role of writer/director for at least two films (Arth 2 and Zarrar) Shahid is definitely gearing up to return to the big screen in spectacular style.
In both films, Shahid is starring with a combination of actors, many of whom have a background in TV and/or theatre while others are new to the game of cinema. It’s a statistical fact that is not lost on the actor. “It’s very difficult to work with people now because a lot of people are coming from television and other areas. I’m purely from film and it’s difficult to make them understand myself as a film-actor. My drive, however, has more to do with what I have to say,” Shahid explained in a telephonic conversation from the set of Zarrar in Lahore. “My father was a writer and I too have been writing for a very long time but I’ve always been very shy about it. I went through a lot of brilliant scripts when I wanted to make a film but I couldn’t find what I was looking for and that’s when I decided to give it a try.”
Though Shahid refused to reveal much about the plot, he explained that Zarrar, which is tentatively scheduled to release this fall, is closer to The Bourne Identity and will present a different take on action films in Pakistan.
“It’s more on the Western lines; we’re shooting in different parts of Pakistan, London, Turkey and Bulgaria. It is a huge film and is widespread. It also felt great getting back in the director’s chair. One gets to enjoy what one’s making, you get more space and I feel that it’s also very important for me, as an actor, to be aligned with the director and the writer, and by juggling all three myself, I know where I stand in all capacities.”
Zarrar, an action-thriller that will enter its final leg of shooting later this month, is scheduled to wrap up by the middle of next month. It mostly stars debutants such as Kiran Malik, who is the female lead in the project and is also the owner of UAE-based high-street online store, Style Berri. British-Pakistani actor, Adnan Butt is starring in the film as the antagonist and also happens to be the co-producer on the film.
For Shahid though, more than star-studded casting, its character development that is a focal point.
“Cinema is more about characters then the cast,” he shared. “We don’t have institutions in Pakistan so we don’t have trained actors. I also feel that it’s better to have a newer cast because they’re fresh and people haven’t already typecast them in a certain genre. With Zarrar, I wasn’t looking for a weeping girl-next-door but a woman who is on the top of her and I felt that Kiran fit the bill perfectly. She’s brilliant and she has a bright future ahead of her.”
Shifting the conversation to his other project, he reminded us that Arth 2 that will (tentatively) release later this summer, is the first love story he has indulged in over a decade.
“I haven’t done a love story in over a decade and even though I wanted to do one, I was already committed to other projects. As an actor, I wanted to go back and it was actually very challenging, because Arth 2 is a very mature love story. Its DNA comes from a beautiful film and I had to shuffle the screenplay and adapt the characters. It was actually fun playing around with a classic.”
While Arth 2 inches towards completion of its post-production phase at Pinewood Studios (known for having worked on the James Bond franchise), Shahid pointed out that the film industry in Pakistan has a long way to go in terms of technical stability.
“I knew the requirements of my films and I didn’t want to settle for anything less than the absolute best. I went to London and I was just more comfortable with Pinewood Studios because the quality control they have is brilliant.”
Speaking on matters of trade of talent and whether his views have changed, Shahid told Instep: “I have been against talent working internationally but if anything isn’t available, I will have to look at options. We don’t have an infrastructure yet and we have flown a British cinematographer for Zarrar, but at the end of the day, he is working on a Pakistani film – so that’s completely different.”
Expanding on his views, he further stated, “I am happy to see Fawad Khan and Ali Zafar making films in and for Pakistan. Pakistan only has a handful of heroes and it needs them at this point of time. It’s incorrect for me to judge anyone, and that’s something I’ve learnt from life, I have a right over my opinion just like anyone does To be honest, I am not even concerned anymore; it’s difficult to make people look at the bigger picture, so I don’t want to waste my time clarifying myself. I will work the way I want to, and to decide what values and principals others have in life is entirely up to them.”
For now, the writer, actor and director is in the process of developing three more scripts for feature films and will make his way to the big screen on Eid-ul-Fitr with the all-star war saga, Yalghaar which also features actors Humayun Saeed, Adnan Siddiqui, Ayesha Omar, Sana Bucha and Bilal Ashraf.