Actors are like land mines. Wahaj Ali is carefully choosing his path.
Over the past two years, he has been the talk of the town as a professional footballer. Wahaj is testing a variety of waters, from an angry lover to a righteous journalist, from a troubled childhood to a serious chocolate hero. The fact that all the different models are very well received is a testament to its ability. Now, he wants to be careful about the role he will play next.
At one point during our conversation, I asked Wahaji what character do his fans associate with him? He thinks. “To be honest, if I leave my house three times a day, I will meet people who know me by three different names.” It’s amazing.
Amazingly, Wahaj is a modest man, even though he tried to be one of Pakistan’s most coveted young actors. Thank you for taking the time to contact me at the beginning of the interview. Wahaj has completed the day’s work and we are talking at night, and the Coalition took a few days back and forth. Wahaj laughed and said, “That’s right. I did not do much work! ” Says.
Wahaj Ali has become one of the most sought after actors in television, following a number of popular performances and a wide range of fans. Still, he remained humble and willing to accept criticism. So why did he start opposing scripts?
This is not entirely true. The actor is currently working on two different projects that he describes as ‘unusual’. However, it has developed a work schedule and, more recently, is rejecting scripts that it feels are too distorted or opaque.
There was nothing exciting about it, he tells me. Unfortunately, I point out that most Pakistani dramas are not so fun and repetitive. But not accepting scripts means staying home for months without doing anything and can cause financial hardship.
“Yes,” he agrees. “For now, that’s all I need to choose scripts carefully. My fans now have some expectations of me and I do not want to upset them.
They include dramas against the upcoming Green Channel against his good friend Maya Ali and another Harim Faruk. The Zee5 series is being developed for OTT Platform and co-directed by Zara Nur Abbas and Haseb Hassan.
How did these special projects go through the process of active screening? “The stories are unique and I am also working with some of the best directors,” Wahaj said.
“Early in my career, I realized that the role of the drama director was crucial. There are very few historians, and I am fortunate to work with a few. The actor develops a certain style, but it is the director’s job to make sure it is not repetitive or boring.
“And as actors, we sometimes do not have time to think before we set out to develop a character. But the director is already well-researched and has an understanding of the body language, dialect and general personality required. If you ask me, the directors are the real heroes of every successful project. ”
cut out
Wahaj went on to describe how various directors helped him to perform nude shows. Director Wajahat Hussein Fitoor told him not to do it again during last year’s popular Ramadan drama Ishq Jalebi. Wahaj: “He saw my work in Fitor and wanted to make sure I didn’t do the same show.
She cried a little while working with Director Haysam Hussein. The director told him to try again without weeping. “It’s good to have someone waiting for you to make sure you do everything you can,” says Wahaj. “Similarly, when I worked with Shahid Shafat, I was told that some lines would look fake and that they would have to be shot again.”
Now that he has proven his acting skills, does he not feel like he is being dragged down the aisle in front of his attachments and the plane? “On the contrary, I tell my coworkers if they feel I am doing something wrong!”
Does he tell his co-stars when they are upset? “I really, really want to get my scenes right!” He confesses. But yes, if something happens to me, I think there is nothing wrong with pointing it out.
While Wahaj’s simplistic and modest approach was still in its infancy, Naaman Ijaz was a good start to the screenplay. The veteran actor has a unique talent and is known to never say a word when he does not like someone’s performance. When Wahaj ‘Nomi Bhai’ turned his attention to his work, he told me that he did not feel intimidated at first.
“I was shooting my first show and it ended for the day. He decided to watch my show. It bothered me a lot but it helped me, it gave me advice.
“Later, when he shot a scene with him, he told me he would ask to be taken again until I could speak with my eyes!” He laughs. “I really learned a lot from him. He taught me how to walk and use my lines and improve my body language.
“By Dil Na-Umaid Tau Nahin has made adjustments to the script and improved my discussions. Sometimes he thought it would be useful for the narrative, so he reduced his own line and increased my lines.
Waha’s memories are refreshing when most young actors say that Numan Ijaz is scary and very important. “It’s not like that,” Wahaj said. “When a person sleeps, he gets angry. If I’re still young and I love my work, this young actor says he must wake up!
“Also, I would rather have two people who insult me later than those who insult me,” he laments.
Early in my career, I realized that the role of the drama director was crucial. There are very few historians, and I am fortunate to work with a few. The actor develops a certain style, but it is the director’s job to make sure it is not repetitive or boring.
Soap making was also part of the Wahaj Actors Training Camp. “The space between 7pm and 8pm is good for improving your acting skills,” he explains. It helps to build strength and you make mistakes and then you can improve on them knowing that you might not get caught because not many people are watching.
Was it difficult at first to mark oneself in the water of the earthquake? “But first,” he admits, “but luck plays a big part in overcoming you. Talent is like water. It makes its own way.
Here and now
In that philosophical note, I wonder if Wahaji will soon have a different path from TV to cinema screens.
“No,” he said very confidently. “I now enjoy acting on TV. Cinema is a completely different media, and it is still one of the most dangerous in Pakistan. TV, for its part, holds viewers in its arms. I would rather play with my strengths than focus on my weaknesses. ”
One of the highlights of the drama two years ago was Ehadi-Wafa, a collaborative effort of the Hume Network-ISSR. Some felt that he and his partner, Ahmed Ali Akbar, had been drafted into the drama for the rest of the cast. Did Wahaj feel that way?
“The drama was written in a certain way and I felt that the character in it was very interesting,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if one character has more or less scenes than the other. The whole story was meaningful. I think one of the most popular dramas to date is Ehidi-Wafa.
He is currently working on another project related to ISPR, and it is hoped that communications within the military will help him achieve these roles. Is there a truth to the story?
“I really listened to my role in my new drama. They have seen my work but still want to make sure the character fits me. I think this shows that he is a good candidate, ”he said.
In terms of acting, he enjoys pushing himself to the genres that are not in the comfort zone. “In terms of performance, I enjoyed acting in Ishq Jalebi. I had never worked in romantic comedy before and I really wanted to work with director Wajahat Hussein.
Wahaj went on to say, “Hamza was a character I knew to play in Fitoor. There for a while, even in my own home, I began to feel like a jerk, rude and arrogant. It was hard on my family!
“Dil na-Umed Tau Nahin had a great collection but I had the opportunity to work with Kashif Nissar. At the time I was offered only heroic projects, but I chose to work in Dil… ሚና It was a role I really played with my heart.
Why is the media so shy despite its huge success? He does not comment on social media and does not give interviews. He thinks, “I think TV is the best way for me to connect with the audience.” “If I start pushing my own person forward and commenting and appearing in an interview, people will not see me as a character. Instead of believing in the story I am trying to tell, I personally know who I am.
This means that the social networking site will remain relatively undamaged in the trolley. “Yeah, so far so good,” he laughs. “If I am criticized, it is my acting and I try to improve myself based on it in a healthy way. But no, you are going to force me. ”
One reason for this is that Wahaj is a member of his family. His pictures are occasionally filtered with his little girl. Even the interview with this icon has been delayed by some urgent family responsibilities.
“Yeah, maybe, but I don’t want to spend my personal life there. If I start sharing my pictures with my child today, it may help me to travel miles, but I do not want to have surgery this way.
However, the feudal bond and emotional connection connected him to his home in Lahore, although most of the recreational fraternity floated the caravan and settled in Karachi. “It is not as though I had no intention of going to Karachi,” says Wahaj. “I’m going there [Karachi] I always thought about how easy it would be to change jobs and cities.
“I grew up in Lahore. My mother is here, my daughter is growing up here. When I returned home, I could only feel this inner love for this city. I think it strengthens me as an actor and helps me do better.
This means that all Pakistani private channels have regular headquarters because their headquarters are in Karachi. As a result, most of the actors fled to Karachi. Intimacy with headquarters can lead to greater opportunities for actors. Wahaj, however, is willing to take this risk. He points out, “Many scenes in my recent dramas have been shot in Lahore, Islamabad, or the north, and because I choose my projects carefully, I can easily describe my shooting plans.
“Also, you have seen my roadmap. I want to do a good job and improve my craft. But I am not in a hurry. ”
Wahaj has no doubt to stay here. Numerous successes, various performances and a huge fan base make this very clear.
Published on Dawn, ICON, December 5, 2021
