Video: ‘It’s lonely at the top, which is why I’ve never been desperate to be there,’ says Azfar Rehman

TV host, model turned actor Azfar Rehman, who has been part of the industry for long, but he wasn’t very actively working since a few years. However, he has given back to back dramas in 2021 including Dour, Aakhir Kab Tak and Bisaat. With countless dramas and three movies to his credit, the actor views the industry from a different perspective because of his experiences.

In an interview with Aamna Isani of Something Haute, Azfar shared a lot about the menacing characters that he has recently played, what he defines as a “non upgraded existence” and a lot more.

In Aakhir Kab Tak, he is playing Zafar, undoubtedly one of the most negative character of his career, and it has become the most-talked about character of recent times.

“When I was approached for this role, the first question that came into my mind is ‘why do you want me to play this?’ So, they told me that predators are very relatable and you cannot judge them by looking at them. If a person looks negative or cunning then it won’t be as effective. The challenge for me was that he was 50/50 like either he is so good and kind, or he is so menacing. Very consciously, I wanted to do something related to this social issue. I want to give this message to all the parents that you cannot completely trust relatives, teachers, tutors, servants, friends or anybody. You have to monitor your children yourself and please be open to have discussion with them,” he said talking about his role.

Azfar Rehman with Aamna Isani

“It wasn’t easy, living in a joint family, to walk in and out as Zafar the terrible, who’s assaulting women left and right,” he also added talking about the questions he faced in the family.

Harassment in the industry

Azfar is the best friend of Ayesha Omar, who has spoken publicly about the harassment she has faced in the industry. “The victim is the sole decider of what to do with the criminal or the circumstances. Because there is too much pressure, fear, shame attached to it. There is no sure shot way to deal with it because there are rarely proofs. I didn’t face sexual harassment but rather professional kind where people harassed me when I didn’t do their projects; it was more like power play,” he said.

Favouritism in the industry

“Selection criteria for actors has become better with time as nowadays acting skills are usually preferred. However, PR skills matter the most and favouritism is the a part of the industry. Take last five projects of any production house, you will see favouritism clearly.”

About calling himself a “non upgraded existence”, he believes: “As they say it’s too lonely at the top and stepping down is the toughest. I love being an actor; I think it is very important to have your definite spot and you should be able to sustain it. I have worked for 15 years and these are 15 years of relevance. I am not desperate to be at a place from where it is difficult to step down,” he shared.

Watch the full interview: