Faran Tahir became a famous name in Pakistan after he played the bad guy, Raza, in the first part of Marvel’s Iron Man in 2008. He may be the first Pakistani who bagged a major role in a renowned movie franchise. Faran belongs to a family of artists, was born in USA when his parents were there studying theater. After being brought up in Pakistan, he moved to California in 1980, when he was 17 years old. In 1985, he started his professional career as an actor and in 1994, he starred in Jungle Book. In his acting journey he has been part of major movies like Star Trek, Elysium and Escape Plan. While in an interview with The Nation, Faran told us about his journey in Hollywood and discussed other aspects of his life.
On the question of his passion for acting he said that looking back he did always want to be an actor. “To me, whether it is in Pakistan or US is not the focus. I hope I can keep finding interesting projects to work on.”
“What is it like having a personality who is a scholar, researcher, public speaker, columnist, teacher, trainer and a dramatist as a father?” We asked to which he replied, “It is an inspiring humbling, gratifying, educational, and amazing experience.”
"The basic purpose behind shifting to the US was education but acting has always been my fundamental goal and above all I was never pressured. My family has always been supportive of us doing something we love,” Faran said while answering queries regarding his family and the reason behind shifting to America.
On the experience of working with actors like Robert Downey Jr., Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, Faran replied that simply put, the experience was great. “They all are great actors and wonderful human beings,” he added.
When asked about his fondest memories while residing in Pakistan, the actor simply replied, “Family, friends and food” which shows he is still in love with his roots.
While talking about Pakistani TV and the film industry Tahir told The Nation that his favorite actors are obviously from his family, “But Qavi Khan is definitely my favorite actor because he is a highly talented actor,” Tahir added. “About the Pakistani film industry, I have watched Moor, Manto and Shah and loved them all, great things are coming out of Pakistan in terms of both TV and film.”
About the future of Pakistani film industry, Tahir said, “I think we have a bright future. There is some wonderful work coming out of Pakistan and it needs to continue. These people need to be given the utmost support for their endeavors.”
Faran has acting and working experience in Hollywood of almost 30 years and his advice to newcomers from Pakistan is, “Never let go of your dream but be willing to work hard for it. Be smart. Be patient. Never stop learning.”
