Engin Altan doppelganger spotted in Pakistan

Turkish television serial Diriliş: Ertuğrul, which recently shot to fame in Pakistan, has now brought the spotlight on a doppelganger of the show's leading role on social media.

Mustafa Hanif, a Pakistani YouTuber, could easily qualify as the Ertugrul of the country, bearing uncanny resemblance with the Turkish actor Engin Altan.

"My name is Mustafa and many people in my office had watched Diriliş: Ertuğrul before it even came into Pakistan or started airing on PTV. I was often told that I resemble the leading character of the serial but I never paid much heed to it. Then when my own family started watching the show and said the same, I watched it too and was baffled," Hanif said in an online interview.

Before being deemed the "Pakistani Ertuğrul" on the video streaming platform, Hanif would often post videos promoting tourism in Pakistan on his channel. Hailing from Karachi, he also holds a degree in International Relations and is currently employed at a private firm.

Following his recent discovery, however, Hanif has started uploading reviews of the serial on his platform. He also shared a video riding a horse and donning an Ertuğrul outfit on his social media, which ended up garnering immense compliments from users.

Narrating his experiences of this sudden surge in popularity, Hanif shared "A few days back I went to the market without wearing a facemask, a few people recognised me and started talking to me.” Hanif added that he desires to visit Turkey to meet the cast of the show, including the leading role, who he shares immense resemblance with. However, he expressed no desire to meet Esra Bilgic.

“Several disputes on the personal lives of the cast of dramas often emerge on social media, but we should view their personal lives differently from their roles,” opined the Pakistani Ertuğrul. On his YouTube channel, Hanif is often seen redirecting the attention of the viewers to the central message of the show, rather than spurring gossip and hate mongering.

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