In an interview with Hassan Chaudhry on Something Haute’s YouTube channel, Farhan Saeed shared why he thinks his serial Mere Humsafar has become such a hit. The actor admitted that, “There’s nothing special, I think, in that drama. It’s a very Cinderella story, everybody knows it.” He went onto to say that the one special thing about the drama, and the reason for its success, is everybody’s performances. Complimenting his fellow cast members’ acting chops, including Saba Hamid (who plays his mother) and Hania Amir (who plays his wife), Farhan noted that no one in the serial was over the top with their acting.

“The best actor is the one who gels into their role,” said Farhan, “and everybody was so into their characters. When there’s such a bouquet of good actors, people get attached to the characters.” Farhan stated that it’s the chemistry between the show’s various cast members that clicked with audiences.

Mere Humsafar revolves around the story of a newly-married couple and the challenges they face. The serial stars a stellar cast, which includes Wasim Abbas, Aamir Qureshi, Samina Ahmed, and Tara Mahmood amongst others. The show was off to a slow start but has taken off ever since Farhan’s character Hamza was introduced. Since then, each episode attracts millions of views on YouTube in both India and Pakistan.

When asked about why it was the character of Hamza that clicked with so many people, Farhan stated that it was just good timing. “I think people were waiting for a savior to come and save Hala,” he said about the success of his role. Farhan reiterated that it’s everybody’s performances that have led to Mere Humsafar clicking with so many people, and not just his.

Speaking about his costar Hania’s performance, Farhan stated that people were not accepting her character at first but she played Hala brilliantly and managed to win audiences’ acceptance. “It’s very important for an actor to be like water,” he said, “In the sense that one should be malleable. They should we able to step out of themselves and be the character. Hania has this (ability).”

Talking about Mere Humsafar’s latest episode, Farhan defended the decision to show a side of Hamza that didn’t take his wife’s side. “I don’t think it was out of character for Hamza,” he said and pointed out that it’s very difficult for a man to believe the worst of his own mother. He further stated that Hamza had taken a stand for his wife in the things that were happening in front of him, but the issue brought up in the last episode was not only a very big deal but something he hadn’t seen unfold with his own eyes.

Farhan revealed that Hamza was initially written as being very harsh, going as far as hitting Hala during earlier episodes. While this side of him has been toned down so as not to alienate audiences, the character still has temper issues and that side of him showed in the last episode. Jokingly, Farhan stated that Hamza doesn’t only have to keep his wife and mother happy, but also the whole of Pakistan. Since audiences are now so attached to the character, it’s important to portray him in a way that doesn’t put them off. He also pointed out that audiences criticized Hamza for not listening to his mother when he was sticking up for Hala, and now they’re criticizing him for the opposite.

Talking about Mere Humsafar’s unprecedented success with audiences, Farhan stated that none of the cast and crew saw it coming. “When we started this drama, me, Hania, and Qasim (Ali Mureed) used to call it MDS, short for Mega Drama Serial,” he said. He revealed that they stopped calling it that when it started airing and was not successful at first. “Now we’ve started calling it MDS again,” he laughed. “We’re trending, that’s what we talk about on set all day,” the actor joked.

For Farhan, the biggest compliment about his performance is being told that it doesn’t look like he’s acting when he portrays Hamza because it feels so real. “I never thought people would say this. I’m really enjoying it, this is my main motivation.”