Video: ‘Sarwar is not a villain in Pyar Ke Sadqay,’ says Omair Rana about his role

Omair Rana is a hidden gem in Pakistani television industry; the actor has been around for quite sometime but unfortunately didn’t get his due. However, Hum TV’s latest offering Pyar Ke Sadqay (PKS) has made us fell in love with more than one actor, including Omair Rana’s wicked portrayal of a step dad aka Sarwar.

Though the drama started on a light-hearted note, it’s gradually moving towards a grim and serious storyline as Mahjabeen has tied the knot with Abdullah, whose step dad Sarwar is in love with Mahjabeen. This is turning out to be an interesting twist but we are curious to know if the drama will have undertones of domestic abuse and harassment. To get the answers for you, team Something Haute sat with Omair Rana. Here are some of his responses:

Is the Sarwar-Mahjabeen track in Pyar Ke Sadqay going to be about harassment? 

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be addressing the above mentioned issues literally but those are some of the elements. I heard it from someone just the other day that: ‘Are you really trying to get your son’s wife?’ and I said hold on… yes, it may sound like a Greek tragedy but it isn’t that that kind of a story.”

So is Sarwar a villain in the story?

“Until last week’s episode, I was telling everyone that Sarwar is a darker character. I won’t call him a villain or I won’t call him a bad guy. I still hang on to this statement but now it’s difficult to say,” he laughingly adds. “Unfortunately, we don’t have back stories in Pakistani dramas  to establish the intentions of a character but in PKS, I worked on it with my director Farooq Rind. We added a few scenes to touch upon Sarwar’s life, even the scenes with his mother (played by Gul-e-Rana) were also increased for the same reason. I don’t know how much of it we will get to see after the final edit but we tried,” he said.

What goes into the development of a character for you?

“Whatever the character is dark or light, antagonist or protagonist;in their own mind the character has to justify whatever he/she is doing. There has to be a very clear WANT and what role is he playing in the super objective (purpose) of the play i.e. what is his contributing in the twists and turns of the plot. These are the most significant things I keep in mind when signing or preparing for a role.”

Watch the complete interview to know more about Omair’s views on glorifying bag guys in Pakistani dramas and how we can change it: