The revival of films in Pakistan is on the cards but the cards are in the hands of some very good looking, talented and enterprising young actors. Instep chooses the top four actors who will play a big role in drawing people (especially the ladies) back into the cinemas this year.

Adeel Hussain

FILMOLOGY: HO MANN JAHAN

He may have ventured into the showbiz industry quite late but Adeel Hussain made his mark as The Lawrencepur Man a long time ago. With hits like Mata-e-Jaan, Mora Piya, Muhabbat Subh Ka Sitara Hai and Jackson Heights to his credit, Adeel is no more the struggler he was a few years back. For trivia hunters, it will be worth mentioning that this lad looks like a 20-something but he isn’t … and his career predates that of all other actors mentioned here. He made his debut way back in the 90s but to maintain himself in top form is an art for which he must be commended; Adeel’s single status just adds to his charm. Director Asim Raza’s decision to cast him in Ho Mann Jahan opposite Mahira Khan and Shehryar Munawwar seems to have gone down well with both his fans and critics because everyone is looking forward to the trendy movie scheduled to be released over Eid this year.

Fahad Mustafa

FILMOLOGY: NA MALOOM AFRAAD, MAH-E-MEER

Fahad Mustafa has the soul of a filmstar and that was untapped till Na Maloom Afraad came along. The longest running Urdu film this century featured him in the leading role of a Karachi-ite who wants to get rich overnight (don’t we all!). During the day he is acting on TV (has been doing so for quite some time now) or producing plays with his Big Bang Productions; by night he hosts of one of the most successful TV game shows in the country. For an actor who has had countless hits to his resume including Wujood-e-Laraib, Main Abdul Qadir Hoon, Mera Saeein 2 to name a few, Fahad believes he still has a lot to offer. Being the son of Salahuddin Tunio, veteran actor of Sindhi and Urdu plays, makes his cautious of his biggest critic at home and he respects his father’s critique the most. His upcoming film Mah-e-Meer is currently in its final stages and will feature him in a double role, not like the Raam/Shyaam type but something that will stun the audience. The Anjum Shehzad-directed flick will also reunite him with his TV co-star Iman Ali, as well as stalwarts Alyy Khan, Sanam Saeed and Manzar Sehbai (of Bol fame).

Hamza ALI Abbasi

FILMOLOGY: WAAR, MAIN HOON SHAHID AFRIDI, JAWANI PHIR NAHI AANI, KAMBAKHT, MAULA JATT

He was the valiant soldier who laid down his life for his country in Waar; the Pathan cricketer who bowled and batted with a vengeance in Main Hoon Shahid Afridi and made women fall in love with him in Pyarey Afzal … he is Hamza Ali Abbasi whose heartthrob status has scaled new heights in the last two years. He will be seen in Nadeem Baig’s Jawani Phir Nahi Aani later this year as one of the three youngsters living their lives fully (the other two being Vasay Chaudhary and Ahmed Ali Butt) and later in his directorial venture Kambakht as a middle-aged man who forms as unlikely alliance with a youngster. He is also scheduled to play Maula in Bilal Lashari’s take on Maula Jutt which is currently in production for a release in 2017.

But that’s not all … among all the newcomers, Hamza Ali Abbasi is the most famous; not just because of his TV and film roles but because of his off screen antics. Whenever a trailer of a Pakistani film is released, it has become a norm to wait for Hamza Ali Abbasi’s moral brigade to fire up. His outbursts over item numbers apparently cost him his political career with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf as he resigned from the post of Cultural Advisor after he himself was seem coming out of a swimming pool with women in bikinis going about - on screen of course - in an upcoming movie trailer!

Shahzad Sheikh

FILMOLOGY: KARACHI SE LAHORE

Acting literally begins at home for Shahzad Sheikh; his father Javed Sheikh is a superstar; his uncles Behroze Sabzwari and Saleem Sheikh are household names; his sister Momal and cousin Shehroze as well as his wife Syra are famous TV personalities. When he made his first appearance in a Beverage commercial, many were knocked out by his looks but since then, he didn’t do much to make his family proud - until Main Hoon Shahid Afridi where he played Humayun Saeed’s son and his own father’s on-screen grandson. He has since then polished his acting skills on TV and will be making a comeback to the big screen as the leading man in Wajahat Rauf’s Karachi Se Lahore. The road-trop flick will be released on 31st July this year and Shahzad will be paired with the beautiful Ayesha Omar, the extremely talented Yasir Hussain (the film’s writer), veteran Rasheed Naz, Ahmed Ali, Eshita Syed and Javed Sheikh himself. The trailer has already been released and people have loved Shahzad’s performance as the jilted lover, who seems to support the age-old saying of Yeh Shaadi Nahi Ho Sakti!

Shehryar Munawwar

FILMOLOGY: HO MANN JAHAN

He came, he saw and he conquered … Shehryar Munawwar arrived from nowhere and gave the leading men a run for their money because of his youthful looks and ability to take up challenging roles. After delivering hits like Meray Dard Ko Jo Zuban Miley, Zindagi Gulzar Hai and Aasmanon Pay Likha to name a few, this lad took a break to assist Asim Raza in his TV projects because he wanted to learn as he moved ahead. It was a good move because now he is part of Asim Raza’s Ho Mann Jahan as one of the leads opposite Mahira Khan, where he will be pitted against Adeel Hussain. He is also producing the film along with his father Munawaar Siddiqui (brother of Hum TV’s Sultana Siddiqui) who will also be seen acting in the movie. Shehryar will also be leading the pack in Hamza Ali Abbasi’s directorial venture Kambakht where youngsters Gohar Rasheed, Sohai Ali Abro and the director himself will be part of the cast.