Oct 12
Fahad Mustafa
“I always plan ahead and I know that I do not want to do television for the rest of my lifeâ€, says Fahad Mustafa.
If any word defines Fahad Mustafa, its rebellion. With a devil-may-care attitude, he has risen to the top ranks of Pakistani television actors – in a span of just four years – solely on his own terms. This firebrand has stirred things up with his entry in the world of showbiz, and somehow viewers just can’t get enough of him. With a number of new serials lined up, not to mention offer’s from across the border, this outspoken actor talks candidly to HUMSAY about the world of television.
Q — From pharmacy to acting, how did your journey into showbiz begin?
A –I was never really inclined toward studies and initially wanted to do dentistry, but due to some constraints I ended up doing pharmacy from Baqai. It was while I was studying that Iqbal Ansari saw me somewhere and called me for auditions. After I gave my audition, his assistant told me that shooting was starting from the next day! The name of the serial was ‘Raj Hansani’, and I was to play Humayun Saeed and Angeline Malik’s son. As soon as I finished working on that, offers started pouring in. Once I had started making good money, studying and academic books lost their charm, and besides I had a few maulvi-type teachers who resented the fact that I had started acting, which didn’t exactly encourage me to go back to college.
Also, my father is a PhD in chemistry and I barely passed the subject! One of my brothers is an accountant; the other one is an engineer and my sister is a doctor, so I was somewhat of a black sheep of the family. I’m also the youngest, so everyone was always worried as to what would become of me.
When I entered this field and started to do so well almost immediately – youngsters normally don’t fare that great with just three or four serials behind them – and was offered good scripts and roles, I began to toy with the idea of making acting my career. My third serial,‘Wajood-e-Laraib’ had earned me a ‘Best Actor’ nomination, which gave me confidence. I asked my father to give me a year and told him if I didn’t make it in a year, then I’d go back to what I was doing. My father didn’t speak to me that whole year.
I did nine or ten serials during that time – a period which was also quite trying for my family. My father had been going through a bit of a bad patch with his job in those days; my sister was getting married; and my brother was looking to go to Australia. So, I had the opportunity to help out with the finances. Then, it so happened that my father and I were invited on a show,‘Nasal Dar Nasal’, hosted by Bushra apa. It was on that show that my father started talking to me after a whole year.
Q — It must have been a very emotional moment for both of you.
A — It was. Initially, I was quiet, and then he started talking about my studies and people began calling in and telling him to encourage me. That day, my father actually realized that I could do
something. After that he has never objected to what I am doing; I’m not saying he’s completely satisfied with my choice of profession, but he knows I’m secure. But, don’t get me wrong. The moral of the story is not to encourage youngsters to leave their studies and enter showbiz. It was a big risk that I took, and luckily, it worked for me.
Q — Your father, Salahudin Tunio, was also an actor, so why did he have a problem with you entering this field?
A — My father was one of the leading Sindhi actors of his time, but he was basically deputy director anti-narcotics, and acting was a side thing for him. He used to act on-and-off, and in those days only one big serial was done in a year. My father basically wanted me to complete my education; I guess that was the reason for his disapproval initially.
