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I am Pakistan’s answer to Alia Bhatt – Urwa Hocane

By Magazine Desk
Wed, 06, 15

It’s not just her fresh-faced, doe-eyed beauty that bears resemblance to the baby of the Bhatt family across the border; it’s also the fact that both actresses started their careers at a very young age.

It’s not just her fresh-faced, doe-eyed beauty that bears resemblance to the baby of the Bhatt family across the border; it’s also the fact that both actresses started their careers at a very young age.

“Bollywood celebrates Alia all the time for being the youngest actress in the industry at 22,” she exclaims in that distinct throaty drawl of hers that provides an attractive contrast to her girl-next-door looks.  “I am all of 23, the youngest working actress in Pakistan at the moment, but we are not in the habit of highlighting our actors’ achievements so much, are we now!”

Post Na Maloom Afraad, however, the actress doesn’t have much else to complain about. The runaway hit from 2014 kick-started the filmi careers of its cast, whether it was Fahad Mustafa or Kubra Khan, and Urwa is no different. The actress’ portrayal of the simple and bubbly Naina in the film landed her firmly in the big league and it was her that the producers of Jhol approached when the movie’s former leading lady Iman Ali left the project.

Why the model-turned-actress chose to leave midway through the first spell of shooting isn’t something that the politically correct Urwa is willing to dish on. “All I know is that I was the first person they approached after Iman left. When I got hold of the script, I literally went through it in an hour because it was so pacy and interesting. I feel lucky to have bagged another great role.”

Isn’t the actress afraid of being typecast since Jhol also falls into the same genre as Na MaloomAfraad – a comedy?

“Look, our industry is so new right now. One or two films of the same genre will not put me in any category or stereotype. We’ve hit on a winning formula with NMA and why not cash in on it. Plus, my character in Jhol is nothing like Naina in NMA. This girl comes from an elite background, she is an independent and mature woman with a career and she takes life very seriously.”

Reports of the actress turning down Bollywood production Azhar opposite EmraanHashmi have been doing the rounds on social media and we wonder if it’s got anything to do with Emraan’s serial kissing reputation on screen.

“The main reason I said no to the script right now was because my dates have been committed to Jhol. And yes, when I do sign on for a Bollywood movie, I want a role where I am more than just eye-candy. It’s become fashionable now to hop across the border and do a film in India, but I’m quite content to keep working in our industry till the right offer comes to me. I feel NMA has spoilt me – when you get such a phenomenal, out-of-the-box script for your debut movie, your standards become quite high for follow-up projects.”

With sister Mawra Hocane already in Mumbai to start preps for her Bollywood debut – “she’s taking dance lessons and doing lots of photo shoots” – Urwa is confident her time will come sooner rather than later. “Girls like Mawra and Mahira (Khan) will set a new standard of excellence in relation to Pakistani actresses in India, which unfortunately wasn’t very favourable before, considering the work our actresses had done there previously.”

So is dancing around trees going to be on the cards for Urwa any time soon? “I love dancing! Why has it suddenly become such a controversy? It’s really sad that our audiences are so judgmental. I don’t get this hullabaloo over item numbers or dances in our movies. People will enjoy them and then turn around and bad-mouth the actress. It’s art, for heaven’s sake. An actor does what is required of them. What is this criteria of judgment that a girl who dances isn’t shareef? That’s where I feel Bollywood is far ahead of us – they appreciate talent, no matter what form it comes in,” declares the actress in an impassioned tone. Clearly this is a subject she feels strongly about.

“Yes it is. As an actress, this judgmental attitude makes my life really difficult. If, for example, I wear a dupatta on my head for a scene, I’ll get to hear “what is she trying to pretend to be?” And if I don’t wear one, then it’s “just look at her forgetting her values.” I tell you, it’s a tightrope we have to walk every day.”

Navigating the tricky waters of her professional world can be exhausting, but luckily her personal life offers her a welcome respite from the madness. Urwa is refreshingly open about dating musician Farhan Saeed and says that marriage is soon on the cards. “Some blogs have been reporting that we have married in secret but trust me, when we do it, we will do it openly because I don’t believe in double-standards.”