Singer Haroon Shahid became popular as an actor after his role opposite Mahira Khan in Verna. Primarily, he considers himself a musician and has an interesting take on being an actor. In a recent interview with Something Haute, the actor said that Munir Niazi’s famous poem Hamesha Deir Kerdeta Houn Mein aptly describes his roles as an actor. Justifiably so, because the actor usually plays a quintessential support for a damsel in distress in every drama and doesn’t get the girl in the end.
Here are some excerpts from the interview:
Do you feel that you are being typecast?
“Frankly yes, I believe I do at times feel that way but the reason why I don’t complain about it is that until two years ago, if you would’ve asked me if wanted to act or if I have seen a Pakistani drama, my answer would be NO! I said this to Mahira as well when I was shooting the film k drama kon karta ha [who works in a drama?]. But while promoting Verna, I saw Mahira’s fan following which is basically from her television career. So I was never an aspiring actor,” he said.
“I don’t call myself an actor till date. I don’t think I am capable enough or experienced enough yet to play the roles that some of my fellow actors are doing. There are many phenomenal actors around me, but I want to do such amazing roles. I am not even ashamed to ask anyone — be it a senior or a junior — to learn something. Even though I’m playing a version of the same character every time, there is so much space to add new elements through wardrobe or body language. So, I feel lucky enough to do 7 or 8 dramas,” he added.
What did you like about Jawad in Qayamat?
“I haven’t seen such madness in a family that is there in Qayamat. Jawad to me is the misfit who has returned from abroad and is unable to understand what his dysfunctional family,” he said.
What do you feel about actors turning into singers these days?
“I didn’t say anything on it because a lot of actor can say the same for me. So I think it is better to embrace it because not all of them rely on auto-tune; some are very good singers. Also, I would want to credit both Kashmir Beats and Bisconni Music that at least they wanted to make originals,” he said.
Watch the full interview to find out how he landed a role in Shoaib Mansoor’s film, how he learnt the basics of acting and more about his political tweets:
