Talented, passionate, and downright ready to speak her mind when she wants to. Zoya Nasir is a ball of energy who’s committed to making it big in the industry. However, she already has a lot going on with being a full-time beautician as well as a YouTuber and no plans of taking it slow.
Her zeal and enthusiasm are addictive and Social Diary had a ball talking to this diva of wonders as she shared about her life, struggles, choices and her take on Valentine’s Day. Read On:
SD: What was the major thing about the entertainment industry that attracted you?
Zoya: I grew up where the action was happening – on the sets! I was majorly attracted to the entertainment industry. I just love the freedom of expression actors have.
SD: Were there any setbacks you had to face while entering the field?
Zoya: The only setback I probably faced was my family wasn’t really ready for me to become an actress, despite me growing and showing I have the knack towards it. They tried discouraging me but one day I decided to do it on my own and here we are.
SD: What kind of criteria do you have in mind when choosing projects?
Zoya: I always look for the margin of acting that I have. All my characters that I’ve done so far are quite different from one another. I would say I’m a growing actor and not yet fully experienced, however I always push it further as take on roles that require of me to step outside my comfort zone.
SD: Looking back, how far along do you think the entertainment industry has come in terms of quality work and global appeal?
Zoya: Our industry has seen its ups and downs but we still have a long way to go. I do feel we need to be more responsible when choosing our subjects. We definitely need to focus on our social responsibility; our writers should be able to express more freely and be able to take on more risks. It’ll help to think wider and outside the box.
SD: You are making your mark in dramas effectively, will we be seeing you in Pakistani movies soon?
Zoya: I don’t really have any Pakistani movies in the pipeline because unfortunately whatever was being made has been halted as well, thanks to Covid-19, but why not! Definitely I have that option for anything interesting that comes my way.
SD: As a beautician and having your own YouTube channel, how do you balance it all?
Zoya: I started my YouTube during quarantine as I wasn’t working and I’m a major workaholic and was losing my mind. My friends suggested the same and it’s not as hard to balance as when you have time and aren’t shooting continuously, you just put the camera in front of you and start expressing.
SD: Which among the three would you say is your absolute passion and why?
Zoya: Well, my first profession was being a beautician so it is definitely very close to my heart but my true passion would always be acting. I just love it.
SD:As a YouTuber, do you wish to emphasize certain subjects and themes more than others through your platform?
Zoya: My channel is all about beauty, lifestyle and laughter. There are many other YouTubers out there who are very good at what they do, however what I focus mostly on is my journey, what my makeup and skincare routine looks like, and what challenges do I come across. So, it really is my audience tagging along on my personal journey.
SD: What is the one major stereotype you want to reflect on through your acting chops and why?
Zoya: In our dramas, our positive, negative and even goofy characters are depicting in complete black and white. It’s always how the good characters are complete saints and negative can have no noble thoughts. I believe we can break this stereotype; a good person can have bad qualities and a villain can have good traits too. I really want to hit on that.
SD: Your friend Christian Betzmann’s accepting Islam has been in the news recently and you were subjected to certain online trolling on the same, care to shed your two cents on the same. Do you feel we as a nation are always inclined to focus more on the negative rather than positive?
Zoya: No, I don’t think that at all. I feel we are a proud nation; we are even blindly proud of our flaws as well. But there will always be a tiny number of online trolls working to spew hate behind their keyboards no matter what you do or say, you cannot please them. They find ways to objectify to one thing or the other. And I just happened to reply to one of them because I do feel you shouldn’t be able to get away with it. Though ‘alhumdulilah’ I have always received 95% of love and choose not to concentrate on the remaining 5%.
SD: Where do you see yourself in 5years? And the one thing you wish to have attained by then?
Zoya: In 5years I could be anywhere. The possibilities are endless. Why would I constraint and limit them? Let’s just see where this amazing ride takes me
Valentine 101 with Zoya
Do you believe in the celebration of this day?
Yeah, why not. I don’t see any harm in celebrating Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day… I think it’s really important to dedicate such days to your loved ones.
If so, what’s your perfect way of celebrating it:
My idea of perfection is company rather than the event itself. If it happens to be Valentine’s Day and you are with the right people and you are feeling the right kind of emotions, then that’s the perfect day.
Do you believe in embracing red on Feb14?
I embrace red on any given day as it’s my favorite color.
What do you think makes a couple compatible?
I don’t think there’s a complete formula for that. I have seen the saying ‘opposites attract’ come into complete play among certain couples. What one person lacks; another one completes.
Can you recall the most romantic way you spent this day?
I actually can’t as I haven’t done so in my life yet. I am actually the most non-romantic person you’ll find on this planet.
Any funny celebration of the same too?
Every year a bunch of friends get together and we celebrate it. I spent on Valentine’s day with my mom. We went to the movies and actually ended the day on a fight.
The most precious gift you got on Valentine’s day:
Every Valentine’s Day, my salon staff decorates it with heart balloons and frame my picture all over the salon and give my chocolates and teddy bears. I think it’s absolutely the sweetest.
If you could go back in time, what is the one thing you would like to tell your first crush?
I would like to tell him that I like him before a troll did, that was really embarrassing.
In a Glance:
Favorite Actress:
Sajal Ali
Favorite Designer:
None. I just pick out anything that I like
Favorite Holiday Destination:
Wherever my family is altogether in one room. It could be my living room or my brother’s house in Canada or could even be a shed
Traditional Wear or Western Apparel:
I love western apparel as its more comfortable to wear
One thing people don’t know about you:
I’m a great cook. I love to cook and serve people
The biggest regret in life:
Starting from a debut role. I feel I should have started small to gain some experience
One thing you can’t live without:
I can’t live without my dreams and the possibility of achieving those dreams
Pet Peeves:
Arrogant people and if someone spells my name with an X. I don’t know why they do that.
Morning Person or Night Owl:
Morning Person
Three things we’ll find in your bag:
Lip tint, headphones and these days you’ll find a mask too
One person you look upto:
I really look up to my eldest brother who has always been like a father to me. He is MashAllah successfully balancing his family and corporate life so well and I always have him to fall back on. He is the glue that’s holding us all together.
If you weren’t an actress, you would have been a:
Chef (if I didn’t also decide on becoming a beautician and YouTuber already)
