Even though Hussain’s career in motion pictures has taken flight, he is still not willing to distance himself from theatre. PHOTO: FILE
Last year when the first-look for Karachi Se Lahore was revealed Yasir Hussain’s character, Moti, was positioned somewhere in the background with the focus being on his more celebrated cast mates. Fast forward a year and the thespian has become the toast of the entertainment industry. From hosting award ceremonies and sporting events to starring in the year’s most talked about theatre production, Siachen, the actor has been making news time and again.
“Somebody came up to me a few days ago and inquired about my secret to success to which I said it is important to put in 12 years like I did,” Hussain joked. “But seriously, the real trick is to persevere, hoping your time will come.” Interestingly, for Hussain that time has come as he gears up to star in the Karachi Se Lahore spin-off, Lahore Se Aagey.
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Unlike the first film, which featured an ensemble cast, the latest installment revolves around Hussain’s character only. Where in the first film Moti was used as a source of comic relief, this time around, he will be anchoring the entire movie. “Luckily Saba [Qamar] is part of the cast as well and contrary to popular belief the movie is not just about Moti,” he explained. “Instead it follows the stories of both of our characters.”
While the majority of the cast from the first movie will not be returning for the spin-off, the one person that Hussain will be continuing his long-standing association with is director Wajahat Rauf. Although the duo shared writing credits in Karachi Se Lahore, Rauf has completely handed over the reins for the new instalment to Hussain. Terming his director’s excellent sense of humour as an additional bonus, Hussain said that his collaboration with Rauf was unlike the one he shared with other writers and directors. “It’s not like I write and then wait for Wajahat [Rauf] to give me his approval. We have long discussions before getting down to the script,” he elaborated.
However, Lahore Se Aagey is not the only project that the actor is occupied with these days. After wrapping up work on the road-film, the actor will be moving on to another comedy, Senti Aur Mental, following which he will be appearing in an Indo-Pak collaboration. The yet to be titled project will be produced by Pakistani producer Gulraiz and will comprise a mix of actors from both sides of the border.
Even though the VJ-turned-actor’s career in motion pictures has taken flight, he is still not willing to distance himself from stage. Instead, Hussain insists his contemporaries who work on television to try out theatre at least once. “Right now actors [in TV serials] just walk up to a certain point, face the camera and deliver their dialogues,” he said. According to the Karachi Se Lahore actor the majority of television actors appear to be lacking the vibrancy that thespians possess. “Just look at Gohar Rasheed. His performances are so dynamic because he has spent several years honing his craft in theatre,” he stated.
Comparing the mediums of film and theatre, Hussain feels television actors have a lot to learn only if they try their hand at the latter. “For instance I learnt a lot about improvisation during my time on stage working in plays written by Anwar Maqsood sahab,” he shared.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 9th, 2016.
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