KARACHI - The word actress can never be fully explained without understanding the nuances that go into the performance, and that’s what The ‘Act’ in Actress tried to clarify at the ZAB Media Festival.
Marina Khan, Amar Khan, Mansha Pasha, Sonya Hussyn and Ayesha Omar joined the panel discussion with journalist FifiHaroon.
During the discussion, they spoke about the intricacies of being an actress in Pakistan’s budding entertainment industry.
It was Amar who literally took the plunge and surprised all by her wit and charm… Read on to know more.
Voicing her opinion about safety on sets for women who work in the industry, she said: “I am doing my first feature film and surprisingly, amongst sixty men I am the only girl who has traveled all cross Pakistan and felt the safest on set. She further stated: I was a film student when I entered the industry; after being on the set, I realized that it’s the crew who should feel safe more than us. Why do they get so intimidated when an actor comes on sets? She questioned. We are humans not crocodiles” (laughs)
Amar highlighted the importance of taking formal education before joining the industry: “I did filmmaking from Beaconhouse National University and intensive screenwriting course from New York Film Academy. I feel it’s very important for our upcoming generation to study their craft properly. Otherwise we won’t be able make meaningful cinema; this is as important as any other education. I’ve written my first feature film; if I can do it, anybody can”.
On copying Bollywood and Indian trends, she said: I went to (FTII) Film and Television Institute of (Pune) India. One of their modules had Marina Khan’s, Shehnaz Sheikh’s, and RoohiBano’s work as benchmarks for their students to learn from. I felt so proud and can safely say that Indians are well aware that television is undoubtedly Pakistan’s most progressive medium, which isn’t borrowed or copied; it’s our own creation. Amar set the record straight by giving her own example: I was so inspired by KanganaRanaut’s performance in Queen, but when I watched Shehnaz Sheikhs body of work that had so much of exuberance and that too decades ago. I was bowled out; I want to say that do watch Bollywood but also see our own classics as well”
She gave tips to aspiring actors from the audiences’ on how to make it into the industry: “One should have the hunger to achieve his/her dreams. I was six when I used to lock myself in my room and dance on loud music. It was my passion; I didn’t earn anything through it. This fire should be enacted; you do explore different avenues once you step out of college. She further advised to stop following anybody on social media handles and follow veterans like Marina Khan”.
The young starlet won a lot of hearts with her talk at the festival, as we saw a very different Amar Khan from what we see on the screens. It was interesting and enlightening to hear her opinions at the panel discussion.