I make a conscious effort to pick roles that challenge me: Bilal Abbas Khan

The actor says that he doesn't pick projects that don't excite him

Bilal Abbas Khan, in a recent interview with BBC, talked about his role in the latest local web series Ek Jhooti Love Story, shedding light on his career choices as a whole. According to the actor, every role he selects is a conscious effort to test himself in a new way.  

"Whenever I have to sign a project, I make sure that the character I’m about to do is different from my previous one. After I did Cheekh, I was on the lookout for a light-hearted character, opposite of what I did before. This is how I ended up doing Pyar Ke Sadqay," Khan said. "I do make a conscious effort to ensure that every character I do is different and challenges me in a new way."

At the same time, Khan maintained that his character in Ek Jhooti Love Story, unlike all the previous ones he did, is relatively simpler and more relatable for him. "The character I did for Ek Jhooti Love Story is not something very demanding or out of my comfort zone. It’s not something I can’t relate to. I’m playing a Karachi boy and I am from Karachi."

For Khan, the series was more of an opportunity to work with renowned director Mehreen Jabbar and be a part of a well-crafted story. "The reason I wanted to do this series is because of its story. I got an opportunity to work with Mehreen Jabbar and I always wanted to work with her. The script was written by Umera Ahmad and the story was so good I couldn’t say no to it," he said. 

Additionally, Khan also shared his feelings on doing two projects set to air on an international OTT platform. “I have mixed feelings. I am nervous yet very excited and hopeful for both the series that I am doing. Obviously, they'll reach out to a wider audience through Zee5 but I feel they will also end up touching people's hearts. At the same time, I try not to think too much about these things. I just do my job as an actor and then I leave it to Allah," he said. 

On the difference between working in a television serial and a web series, Khan stated, "Everything was completely different, including script, story and execution from our dramas since it is designed for the web portal. It is an opportunity for me to explore my craft, work with different people and learn from them." 

Elaborating further on this, the rising star said that picking such projects allows him to explore acting. "As an actor, you always have this hunger and desire to branch out. I also want to push boundaries and step out of my comfort zone. Majority of the dramas we do in Pakistan are women-centric. For a change, I did a series, apart from Ek Jhooti Love Story, called Abdullah Pur Ka Devdas, which is a male-centric story. It was interesting and I really enjoyed doing it.” 

Among other things, Khan said that he always tries to pick projects wherein the male and female leads have equal relevance. "I have always been extremely picky. Whenever I pick a project I make sure that the heroine and hero are on an equal standing. I am personally more inclined towards projects that have something to offer as an actor. Something that doesn't excite me I don't do it," he said.

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