Zoha Rahman is a new face on Pakistani television but the British-Pakistani actor has achieved so much internationally that many of us didn’t know about. Zoha has played the first hijab-wearing character in a Marvel film, Spiderman Far From Home. She is also a part of a Netflix and Apple TV series, and has appeared in Kabir Khan’s ‘83. With such diverse work experiences, she can be currently seen in Geo Entertainment’s drama serial Dil e Momin, in which she is seen as Annie.
Zoha has studied law and she lives in London. In an interview with Aamna Isani of Something Haute, the budding actor spoke at length about the opportunities she has gotten so far and her experience in Pakistani industry.
Her Hollywood experience
“My modelling agency sent my profile to Marvel/Sony when they were hunting for actors. Later, I got an NDA to sign and that’s when I realized that this is some big project. When I got the script, there was a line in it ‘what’s Spiderman doing in London’… that revealed it to me that ‘Oh, this is Spiderman’, but I told myself that this is not the time to be nervous; just do my best in the audition. Once I got the role, I made sure to take the ownership of it and tried my best to represent the community respectfully,” she explained.
Her work in Pakistan
“If you have to work in Pakistan, you need to know someone in the industry. Dil e Momin is a decision I made because the cast, director and production are amazing. The first person I spoke to was our director, Sheherzade. She knows how to bring characters out of actors. She is the reason why my first experience was so professional. I learnt a lot from all the senior actors,” she shared.
“I wanted to work in Pakistan since I have started acting because I love the dramas we make. I was in talks with many good projects and had to fly to Ireland to shoot when Covid happened. There was an absolute havoc in England and all over the world. So, I had two options either to go to LA to search for work or come to Pakistan. I messaged everyone around me to get me in touch with any one in the industry and that’s how I connected to Sheherzade. I had no projects but I landed in Karachi. Within three days I shot for a Coke Studio video and then I auditioned for Dil e Momin. Surprisingly, it was easier for me to learn lines in Urdu,” she added.
Watch the full interview here to find her experience of working in a Bollywood film: