Basically, I am a melancholic, depressed person: Rahat Kazmi

Veteran artist on books, music, and wishing the world was a better place.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

There is no such thing as perfect happiness, if there was, then Buddha for one wouldn’t have left the pleasures of his palace and gone off into the forest!

What is your greatest fear?

I am not afraid of anything. The worst that can happen is that the world will one day cease to be, but at that time I hope I won’t be around.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

My indecision about devoting myself to writing.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

When they fail to differentiate between art and entertainment.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Buying too many books and music CDs.

What is your current state of mind?

My current state of mind is that I have grown old and that the creativity which used to be there is no longer there.

On what occasion do you lie?

When I want to be alone.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

Everything, particularly now. I don’t want to see an old face in the mirror!

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Creativity. It fills me with wonder to know that you are creative.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

The same.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

I overuse the word ‘creativity.’

When and where were you happiest?

Never. Basically, I am a melancholic, depressed person.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I wish I could be wittier, funnier and a more likeable person.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

I was occasionally fortunate to be able to do what I wished to do.

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

I’d Iike to be myself.

Where would you most like to live?

In Scholberg, where I once attended an orchestra performance in an open-air theatre in the mountains near the river.

What is your most treasured possession?

My books and music collection.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

I think that is when you are continuously forced to do something which you just don’t want to do.

If you didn’t do your current job, what would you choose to do?

Something else, that is creative… or die!

Who is your hero of fiction?

No one.

Who are your heroes in real life?

In many areas there are different kinds of people, they can be in the field of performing arts, music or acting. Many different people doing different things are all real-life heroes.

What’s your favourite quote?

Jean Paul Sartre: “Everything that exists, exists by chance, prolongs its existence by fear and dies by accident.”

What kind of super powers would you like to have?

I wish I had the power to make this world a better place.

If you had a time machine, where would you go?

I would like to go back to Scholberg and enjoy the orchestra again.

If they made a movie on your life, who would you want to play your role?

I would like to play the role of the character who is trying to play Rahat Kazmi.

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, May 15^th, 2011.