Hard works pays dividend for Rawalpindi artist

Rawalpindi

Arslan Raja, a resident of People’s Colony, Rawalpindi, is an emerging artist and has been gaining popularity in the country’s thriving drama industry at its hub, Karachi.

In 2012 he was nominated for the award of Best Model of the Year for Islamabad Fashion Week.

Out of his passion for becoming an artist, Raja has struggled a lot and has been through thick and thin in the last nine years. Finally, he is now becoming a cordial part of Pakistan’s show biz scene.

In a short discussion with ‘The News’ about his career and recent situation of Pakistani artists in India Raja has to say “it is not a loss for Pakistan but India as Pakistani artists have an edge when it comes to talent but what Adnan Sami did is an embarrassment for the whole patriotic artist community”.

Coming back to the emerging talent Raja, his foothold in Karachi showbiz industry and the way he started off, he is quite a prolific guy who remained engage in all forms of entertainment industry from a Radio Artist to program host, fashion model, TV and stage actor.

Talking about his early days, Raja told this correspondent that he started from Radio Pakistan Rawalpindi where he used to perform audio dramas and host radio shows. However, his passion kept him driving through all domains of this industry and he got roles in state run channel in Islamabad. “My first play for was a sitcom ‘Miss You Kabhi Kabhi’ and then ‘Jinnah K Naam’. In my struggling days I never left any opportunity go unattended. In Rawalpindi and Islamabad, I was doing Radio, TV, stage and modelling”.

For better opportunities Raja went to Lahore in 2010 and there he started getting work in TV serials. He has been regularly featuring in Geo TV’s well know comedy programme, ‘Hum Sab Umeed Se Hain’. In Lahore he also worked in state run TV channel drama ‘Lamhon Ki Bhool’ and Geo TV serial ‘Tashnagi Dil Ki’.

After Lahore, now the youngster moved to Karachi two years back where he did a TV serial for Geo TV ‘Mil Kay Bhi Hum Na Mil Sakay’ and different more for other TV channels. About his Karachi experience Raja told that the drama industry there was quite huge and professional. An artist needs to be very hardworking and gutsy.

In various TV serials Raja got roles of side heroes and villains.

“Right now I am getting negative roles and those are good hits. But I am hopeful that I will soon get main lead in a drama”, he said.

There is big competition in Karachi and one has to keep himself up to the mark. You need to get your body in shape, to spend a lot on your clothes and your overall appearance. About films Raja said that “I have offers for the films as well and I will definitely go for it once I feel the appropriate time has come”. To all those who want to become TV or film stars, Arslan has to say that they must think that if they got enough passion and patience to bear all the odds, then they must come.

About ban on Pakistani artists in India, Arslan said that India is at loss in this situation because Pakistani talent is superior to their own artists. All those artists who headed for India including Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Imran Abbas and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan were leading artists in Pakistan. They earned huge fame in Pakistan and then they headed for Bollywood, not as struggling artists, but in lead roles. In Pakistan there is huge quantity of work and these artists will have great opportunities in Pakistan as well.