One remembers meeting Ahsan Khan earlier this year at an orphanage called SOS Village in Islamabad.
“ As a citizen, I think we all have some sort of responsibility on our shoulders,” says Khan.
The actor speaks to Instep about returning to cinema, social responsibility and future plans.
Islamabad
One remembers meeting Ahsan Khan earlier this year at an orphanage called SOS Village in Islamabad. He was visiting for a day’s shoot but took out the time to drop by and meet the children before he began shooting for his now-on-air production Dukh Sukh – a series of short films that mirror our day-to-day social issues. The actor, who received tons of applause for portraying a difficult character in Udaari, has his hands full with commercial projects yet somehow manages to find time to focus on his philanthropic work.
A seminar on violence against women brought him to the Capital again, giving us an opportunity to meet for an interview. And he was in the hotel lobby at 5pm sharp, seated comfortably while sipping his coffee, while looking regal in a royal-blue suit.
“Not everything’s done for the camera,” the actor said when we began our conversation. “My most recent campaign is about raising awareness for violence against women therefore it has to be advertised, but at the same time not all of my off-camera work is.”
One would wonder how was it possible to work the way Khan does. “It’s an effort one needs to make. My schedules are planned in a way that I am able to take out enough time. As a citizen, I think we all have some sort of responsibility on our shoulders. In a society, all sorts of people exist and it’s important for all of us to support each other in whatever way we can.”
“It is our job to motivate and encourage people to play their part in improving the society,” he added.
Reminiscing the moment when it all hit him, Khan remembered that it was his video of a homeless, elderly man - who he found on the streets of Karachi – that went viral, helping the homeless man in building a successful career today. It motivated Khan to do more.
As commendable as his philanthropy is, Khan is primarily an artist, whose film debut happened in 2001 with Ghar Kab Aao Ge alongside Shaan, Babar Ali, Saima and Meera.
“I have no regrets whatsoever. I own what I’ve done and I have learnt from each one of my projects; they have made me who I am today,” he shared. However, Khan was quick to turn to TV soon afterwards.
“I found sensible scripts and directors on television. Television offered me the kind of acting assignments I wanted to do. And now that some great films are being made, I have indeed signed a few.”
Khan will be seen returning to the big screen (as an actor) in February 2017 with Chupan Chupai. Co-starring Neelum Muneer, Faizan Khawaja and Talat Hussain, the film focuses on the lives of wannabe-gangsters. Khan has also signed Amin Iqbal’s Rehbra opposite Ayesha Omar, which he describes as “an intense romantic film, with hints of satire.”
Khan has also ventured into production with his partner, Meraj-ud-Din, who won the Lux Style Award for his production, Mar Jaen Hum Tou Kya. “Very few people in Pakistan make short films and that is when I decided to co-produce a series of shorts (Dukh Sukh) and a short on the visually impaired, Chashm-e-Num that aired on the Disability Day. I want to produce a feature film in the future, and after producing short films, I’ll have an idea of how it’s done.”
Khan’s primary motivation for venturing into production is to help the industry. “We are the ones who must play our parts in reviving cinema. We need to bring more business by supporting each other, so that people follow, respect and invest their time and money,” he added.
His first cinematic production is slated to begin early in 2017. The film will be a Mohsin Ali directorial and Khan labels it as an “entertaining extravaganza, narrating a situation that occurs in a village, and how a man from the city is hired to help.”
The actor has already started working on his second venture, which will be a period film penned by Amna Mufti of Jahez fame. Both films will star Khan as the male lead.
Surprisingly, all of his forthcoming cinematic outings will see him playing a conventional ‘hero’, which is in stark contrast to his role in Udaari.
“I did an intense negative character that I put my heart and soul into and I wanted to break from the zone that I was in and that’s when Chupan Chupai came to me. I also believe that an actor needs to be diverse in his selection of work. I wanted to show people that if they’ve seen me play a pedophile, they will now see me in a complete opposite role.”
However, despite having three entertainers lined up, the definition of ‘commercial’ films to Khan is not all about fun and games, but substance as well. “Commercialism in a film to me means entertainment with a good story, nice music and great acting. It doesn’t mean Bollywood or vulgarity. Even if there is an item song, it shouldn’t be the focus of the film. There should be some sort of sensibility.”
In conclusion, Khan tried to sum up his true focus as an actor. “All I truly want to do is enjoy my work.”
