I replace Hamza Ali Abbasi not Shah Rukh Khan, says Fahad Mustafa

It’s refreshing to meet a star who knows his worth and is honest yet down to earth about it; it works even better when that star has a building body of work to validate his stardom because there’s nothing worse than a senseless diva. We’ve had the pleasure to chat with Fahad Mustafa on more than one occasion, in various settings, and it wouldn’t be wrong to say that he is an Awami superstar; he is someone the masses recognize and relate to, thanks to his hit drama serials, super hit films and of course, Jeeto Pakistan. What’s even more delightful is that he doesn’t mince his words or worry about being politically correct when talking to people.

Exactly that came forth when, in a recent interview with Instep, he was asked whether he felt the pressure of replacing Hamza Ali Abbasi in Jawani Phir Nahi Aani 2, especially since the first was a super hit film.

“Firstly, I play a different character, but it’s Hamza Ali Abbasi, not Shah Rukh Khan and I know what I’m doing,” he replied. “I’m not one of those actors who change his mindset after a film has concluded. I recently sat down with Ahmad (Ali Butt), Vasay Chaudhry and Humayun Saeed with the script and we connected on a completely different level and had an absolute blast.”

Also read: Nabeel Qureshi reveals the real reason for only working with Fahad Mustafa

“I feel Hamza should’ve done (the sequel),” he continued. “We don’t create cinema for an Iranian audience. I want to enjoy what I’m doing. I am not a political person neither do I like to speak about politics. I am an entertainer. At the end of the day, people will like a film if it is good and to make it good, I know I’ll have to work hard.”

He will have to work hard but he is also very aware of the value he brings to the film.

“I guess they wanted to play it safer this time, adding on value of the star that I’ve become, getting on somebody who is popular,” he spoke about the makers of JPNA2. “It was simply a win-win situation because I know the kind of marketing the producers do; they make a mediocre project a huge hit and I know that promotion plays a vital role now. I saw JPNA, and I loved every bit of it. Now that I’ve read the sequel, I feel yeh uss se bhi zyada mazaydar hai.”