The Rising of Wahaj Ali

Had he stopped acting in 2020, Wahaj Ali would be a distant memory by now, maybe even forgotten. Five years into a career that began in 2015, with the somewhat forgettable Ishq Ibadat, Ali’s career was dangerously close to parking itself in a gallery of stock artists. The cast of 7pm slots, you see, rarely makes it to prime time. So even when he did make it to bigger productions, little roles here and there were cutting Wahaj out to be the reliable side kick but nothing earth moving. Ehd e Wafa’s Shariq and Ghisi Piti Mohabbat’s Riz were noteworthy but quite short of positioning him as prize horse. They weren’t riding on his back.

Fast forward to March 2023 and he’s not just prize horse, he’s the grand prize, trophy reincarnate.

What happened in just two years to elevate 34-year old Wahaj Ali to that particular height of fame that has him trending as one of Pakistan’s most highly billed actors today? He’s picked up a loyal army of fans in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and for that matter, anywhere Pakistani dramas are watched in the world; his fans call themselves ‘Wahajians’. Tere Bin’s Murtasim Khan and Mujhe Pyar Hua Tha’s Saad Hussein are characters that generate millions of views, thousands of Tweets, memes and dedicated fan pages week after week. He’s the ‘Good Guy’ and everyone wants to either be with a Saad/Murtasim or be like a Saad/Murtasim. Google Trends indicate that Wahaj Ali’s online popularity, in the last 90 days, has risen to par with Fawad Khan.

Wahaj Ali and Yumna Zaidi sizzle as Murtasim and Merub in Tere Bin

Unsurprisingly, it was Hamza – an aggressive and violently passionate character in Fitoor – that was Wahaj’s first brush with mass popularity. Blood shot eyes, heaving dialogues and aggressive retaliation in response to an unrequited romance is what defined Hamza and it certainly wasn’t Wahaj’s most sincere performance. But as his ice-breaker with 7^th Sky Entertainment, it earned him lead role in the Ramazan favourite, Ishq Jalebi, and eventually the game changing Tere Bin. Mujhe Pyar Hua Tha, which was shot side by side and also aired at the same time, just gave audiences a double dose of what they had fallen in love with, or rather who – namely a boy named Wahaj.

Much to his credit, he has chosen his scripts very carefully since the problematic Fitoor. His choices, and the credibility they have amassed, have played a pivotal role in positioning him right at the top of the artistic food chain. One had witnessed this kind of fame previously follow Feroze Khan (post Khaani) or Danish Taimoor (post Deewangi or Kaisi Teri Khudgarzi) but Mir Hadi, Sultan Durrani and Shamsher were toxic heroes, glorified criminals and their popularity was frankly troubling. Wahaj Ali may have gotten noticed with a Hamza but he has arrived with Murtasim. In between, art house drama serials like Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahin and Jo Bichar Gaye established him as someone with love for the craft, not just commercial acclaim.

The very versatile Wahaj Ali added another gradient to his acting career with his portrayal of the Bengali activist, Rumi

Wahaj portrayed DNUTN’s Jimmy, a troubled boy with a broken childhood, with sensitivity and sincerity. Jo Bichar Gaye’s Rumi, a Bengali freedom fighter, was a romantic and revolutionary rolled into one. The attention and dedication that he gave to developing these characters helped showcase his finesse and sophistication as an actor. This wasn’t a one hit wonder we were talking about; Wahaj Ali needed to be taken seriously.

Murtasim Khan, as popular as he may be, wasn’t an easy character to portray. Wahaj talks about him in a casual conversation we have. He shares how, in his head, Murtasim Khan walked the very thin line between acceptable and unacceptable. Wahaj didn’t want him to be toxic, but neither could he be weak. So the stoic body language had to be balanced out with a softness in the eyes and affection in tonality, especially when romancing Merub. The fact that he had a critically acclaimed co-star like Yumna Zaidi by his side made the process simpler. The fact that he had worked with Nadia Jamil and Yasra Rizvi in previous projects, and they were now his ‘mentors’ on character development, helped fine-tune his skills.

Discussions on the internal politics of the character helped develop it in his head. Wahaj went under the skin of Murtasim Khan, even in the styling. He didn’t want the usual portrayal of a feudal lord, he wanted a mix of western and eastern aesthetic, for which he consulted and roped in Omar Farooq of Republic. With the right support system, for skill and style, Wahaj Ali was all set for success.

It helped that the character was portrayed as a successful humanitarian and a passionate romantic; one would go to the extent of calling him a feminist if he hadn’t unnecessarily slapped Merub in one scene. But good looking, strong, well dressed and confident, he was Alpha all the way.

FUN FACT

Tere Bin and Mujhe Pyar Hua Tha were shot side by side and Wahaj had to constantly keep the look consistent. Murtasim and Saad’s wedding scenes were filmed two days apart and he remembers how he had to fake Murtasim’s moustache for that shot!

 

Wahaj is quick to credit Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi for trusting him with this role. He acknowledges Siraj ul Haq, the director, for sharing and discussing his vision, and his co-stars for creating the kind of dynamic that ensured magic on screen. His comfort level with the brilliant Yumna Zaidi allowed the chemistry to sizzle without ever tipping over.

Talking to Wahaj Ali, you realise that it’s hard work and karma that is rewarding him with this insane level of success that he enjoys today. An introvert and extremely shy in nature, not many people get to witness his wicked sense of humour when he lets his guard down. He stays off social media, limiting it to sharing everything he’s tagged on these days. He is ostensibly uncomfortable with interviews, but that doesn’t come from having nothing to say, as is evident when the cameras are off and he’s just talking about his work. That he isn’t everywhere, exhibiting online shenanigans that are frankly exhausting to witness, makes him more attractive as a star.

The future looks good for this young actor, who has landed his big break almost eight years into his career. And he’s choosing his scripts just as carefully as he did pre-Tere Bin stardom. We can expect to see him in sports drama 22 Qadam, with Hareem Farooq, for Green Entertainment. And then on ZEE5 with Sajal Aly, in a Bee Gul/Kashif Nisar serial. Needless to say, they both sound intense and progressive, two words we hope we will continue to associate with this star.