By Asif Khan
Discover the passion of budding star Farhan Ahmed Malhi as he talks to Social Diary Magazine about his love for performing arts.
How did your journey in the show business begin?
I quit my job and applied for an audition at a private production. It went really well and met the expectations of the director. From there, I kept growing. My skills in memorizing lines and delivering dialogues helped me carve my own niche and consolidated my position as an actor.
I had always been sure about one thing that I looked good and could easily pull off lead roles provided I worked hard. So I did, and soon enough, by the grace of Almighty Allah, directors started considering me for lead characters.
Did your family support you when you divulged your plans of joining the entertainment industry?
I belong to a Jatt family and literally no one could have ever imagined that someone from our family could join the media. They didn’t like the idea initially but with my hard work and dedication, that too without any support or backing, I convinced them and things got easier thereafter.
As a newcomer, how much support and help came your way from our legendary actors?
They are very supportive and helpful to a certain extent but acting is a game of focus, and you are always in it on your own.
What has been the most challenging role of your career so far?
I played a negative role of Sherry for the first time, that too opposite our veteran, crafty actress Ayeza Khan in the drama serial Shehrnaz. Despite all odds, I somehow managed to pull off that character really well, and to me it was very challenging at that point in my career.
What are your prerequisites before signing a project?
I make sure that the character must not be too basic and shallow. There must be room to add volume through acting. It is also very important that other cast members should be competitive. After all, acting is about action and a reaction.
With a number of projects under your belt, how do you avoid being typecast?
You can’t avoid being typecast. If you portray a character nicely, people will try to repeat you in similar roles for a certain period of time. But in my case, I am lucky enough to have had the chance of playing diverse characters with the freedom to choose. I make sure that I do one project at a time and don’t go on a spree of signing multiple projects.
Why are our writers not so keen in trying out different subjects for television dramas?
I think they face certain restrictions by production houses and their in-house content departments. They primarily evaluate scripts through a business perspective.
Do you agree that rave ratings are the only measure of popularity for a drama serial?
Not as such; all that glitters is not gold here!
Do you plan to leapfrog your contemporaries with a big screen project?
Yes, I do have plans but I am in no rush. I will explore that side when I am fully ready.
