By now viewers have realized that Yumna Zaidi is a powerhouse of talent. Her innocent aura, acting chops and complete lack of vanity are traits that are indeed one-of-a-kind and though she has been in the industry for quite some time, with powerful performances in Inkaar and Ishq Zahe Naseeb (IZN) in 2019, Yumna has cemented her position in the entertainment business. Something Haute got hold of the star recently to discuss the mysteries surrounding Shakira in IZN and her upcoming interesting projects.
The actress calls her role in IZN a ‘piddu sa (small) character’ but we know its significance in the story line and we were eager to find out how she prepared for it.
“I refused to play Shakira after recording for one day as initially I thought I won’t be able to handle it. Zahid Ahmed and director Farooq Rind were very supportive; then I explored and lived the character while playing it. There is no preparation or formula to play a role. I have just started living my characters more than my own personal life,” Yumna said.
Read: 2019: Recapping the year’s most impressive, inspirational female actors
Yumna as Shakira in Ishq Zahe Naseeb
After playing pivotal roles in Dil Kiya Karay and Inkaar, how did she accept a role like Shakira?
“It is always a treat for me to work with Farooq Rind and Kashif Nisar so when I was approached for Shakira, I didn’t question it. However, later I found out it is not a leading character in the play. I also found that Ayeza Khan and Neelam Muneer were also offered the same role and they refused it for reasons unknown. So I became more cautious because I really admire Ayeza and Neelam, but Farooq Rind told me that together we will make it special and I am so proud of it now,” she said.
“I created Shakira’s look which had to resemble Sameer to an extent and then Farooq bhai introduced this new concept of her interacting with the viewers by looking in the camera. That was new and more striking!” she added.
Watch the complete interview to find out what Yumna has to say about Shakira’s relation with Sameer, how many episodes are left and more about her upcoming project with Bilal Abbas, Pyar Ke Sadqay:
