The cast and producers of upcoming drama serial Addan sat together for a press meet at Koel Café recently to share news, experiences and food. Slated to air on Aan TV from 12th February, the drama stars Mansha Pasha, Junaid Khan and Azfar Rehman. It is produced by Shazia Wajahat and Wajahat Rauf under the banner of Showcase Productions.
Mansha and Junaid have previously worked together in many dramas and most recently a film — Kahay Dil Jidhar — but the viewers will get to see the trio for the first time on screen. The three actors consider their first project “a great experience”.
“I have never worked with Junaid or Mansha before, but I would want to now,” Azfar shared at the beginning of our conversation.
Talking about the USP of the story of Addan, Mansha, who is playing the titular character, shared why she said yes to it.
“Addan is the story of a girl, her struggles and the people around her, the twist and turns of the story and her dynamic with Zaid (Junaid) and Faraz (Azfar). There is so much more responsibility when you’re playing a central character. I have done so many dramas where there were two girls or three girls and I wanted to explore this new type of role. Obviously, the responsibility falls on your shoulders and you have to make sure to get the job done. I also loved the story because it has plenty of room for other people. Addan is a character which is incomplete without the people around her.”
Azfar expressed that he loved the shades in his character.
“Faraz is a very erratic person; he is grey and confused which I liked a lot. The drama highlights that people who come from disturbed families tend to have complex personalities. It was quite challenging for me to play this character. I also liked that every situation in this drama was planned and had motivation; it wasn’t just a situation by nature. There was a thought behind whatever is happening in the drama.”
Junaid plays Addan’s love interest, Zaid, in the drama. The actor shared how he got to play a different type of role this time.
“While reading the script, I noticed that all of the characters are very well written. I liked my part because he is a loving person who is passionate about his work. Most importantly, Zaid is a bit loud and I have only done a few loud characters in my career but I really enjoy doing them. Another reason to like the story was that it has elements of suspense, thrill and a bit of action in it too. It is well knit and I think we’ve executed it right as well.”
Written by Shagufta Bhatti and Ateeq Inayat, Addan is a story of two close friends — Zaid and Faraz – who are inseparable despite what life throws at them. One fine day, Addan enters into Zaid’s life and changes it altogether. Unfortunately, their happiness doesn’t last long as Zaid disappears for four years. The story takes a new turn when Zaid returns. Addan explores different sides of friendship, love, longing, loss and deceit.
It appears that the drama is a good mix of a Cinderella story where a damsel needs saving coupled with an empowering character who can take a stand for herself. Mansha also confirms that “the drama has a damsel in distress kind of situation but Addan is not someone who cannot stand up for herself, she can and she has (in the drama). It is closer to life which is a mix of both situations. I believe everyone, no matter how independent, is somehow at the mercy of their loved ones, their love or their circumstances.”
(L-R): Wajahat Rauf, Junaid Khan, Mansha Pasha, Shazia Wajahat & Azfar Rehman
Junaid and Azfar also narrated entertaining yet strange challenges that they faced while filming the drama.
“Our director, Azeem Sajjad, is fond of shooting dark stuff including action. So, we went to a farm house and he made me sit in a dark ditch and there were so many bats around me. I was scared but he assured me that they won’t do anything,” Junaid said.
While Junaid got to film his Bruce Wayne moment, Azfar had to walk out of dust for a dramatic shot.
“In one scene I had to walk through a cloud of a smoke like a hero but the smoke machine broke at midnight. So, there was nothing we could do. As a last-minute adjustment, the spot boys started dusting the rubbles on ground very quickly and I walked in that dust cloud, controlling my sneezes,” he shared while laughing.
Junaid and Azfar are playing close friends in the drama and they shared the same camaraderie on and off set. They also gave credit to their director who was always open to suggestions. “I believe it is always good to have opinionated people around you to have engaging conversations,” Azfar said.
They have worked with Azeem Sajjad for the first time but were all praises for him. “Azeem is a collaborative director who listens to his actors. He is also an actor so I enjoyed that he is quite flexible and approachable,” Junaid said, while Mansha and Azfar agreed.
Is it important for them to consider what channel will air the drama as Addan will be seen on Aan TV?
“I think nowadays everyone watches dramas on YouTube,” Azfar said. “There is a certain viewership that a channel brings, but there is also viewership that a known actor brings to any channel. As actors, we would like to support new productions, new channels who are supporting the industry and providing us more work. It is a win-win situation for both of us if we encourage each other,” Junaid said.
The three of them agreed that critics will always find a good drama if it has potential irrespective of the channel.
The Producer’s Take
Wajahat Rauf and Shazia Wajahat have taken the plunge to produce Addan under the banner of Showcase Productions and this time it is for a fairly new channel Aan TV. The producers have recently given a hit drama like Pinjra and the expectations are high.
“Shagufta Bhatti gave me a one-liner which I really liked but she wasn’t able to write it eventually so a new writer, Ateeq, wrote it for us. Addan is special because it is a project with a new channel. And it is always exciting to start a project with a new channel as people tend to watch it to see what it has to offer. The twists in the drama are quite good and the next best thing is the cast who are great friends,” Wajahat said.
Why they decided to produce for a new channel?
“We are freelance producers and new channels and new platforms are a good opportunity for us to explore. We cannot limit ourselves to one drama on each mainstream channel. With the kind of competition in the market and our economy, we need to work more. If we used to make four dramas every year, now we are aiming to produce at least six or eight to survive. I believe if you’ve a good story and talented cast, you will find your audience,” Shazia said.
Wajahat also agreed that competition is always good for work. “We completed five projects in 2022; two of them – Pinjra and Noor – are on air right now. The other three will air soon. We will start filming for the next two projects soon. I believe it is all about new avenues, new faces, and new writers now.”
Their son Aashir Wajahat along with his friend Hassan Ali have composed the melodious OST of Addan. “Aashir is new blood and I really liked what he did with Parde Mein Rehne Do’s music. So, he is doing a good job with the tracks; he composed for Pinjra in the same way. He comes of out his room and shares lyrics and melodies with me then he sat with Hadiqa and worked on it. I liked Addan’s OST so much that I wanted to hold it for a movie but we eventually decided to give it to the drama it was originally composed for. The song narrates Addan’s story… Ishq sikha ke turr gaya [taught me love and left],” Wajahat explained.
Other than the lead cast, Shehryar Zaidi, Amber Wajid, Rashid Farooqi, Shehzad Mukhtar, Mehboob Sultan, Shazia Qaiser, Sajid Shah, Sabiha Hashmi, Salma Asim and Hina Javed will be seen in the drama. Addan will air every Sunday from 12th February at 9pm on Aan TV.
Listen to the OST here:
