I have always received the best advice from women: Gohar Rasheed

Gohar Rasheed and Kubra Khan discuss acting, family and camaraderie on ‘Time Out with Ahsan Khan’

Actors Kubra Khan and Gohar Rasheed, all set to grace the silver screen with their upcoming film London Nahin Jaunga, sat recently down for a chat on Time Out with Ahsan Khan. The pair, known just as well for their friendship off-screen, reflected on their relationship and why the two have gotten so close over the years. Speaking about her friendship with Rasheed, Khan explained, “I am going to be very real about this. Everybody has a time in their lives when they go through hard times. It just so happens that in my hard times, Gohar was there and during his difficult times, I was there. So that’s what made our bond grow even stronger.”

Sharing details of upcoming projects, Rasheed explained that the pair has been busy filming London Nahin Jaunga, which was delayed considerably due to the pandemic. “I was shooting for a film which was unfortunately delayed due to covid. Kubra and I are both in it, it’s called London Nahin Jaunga. Around 50% of my work is done and about half is still left,” revealed the Mann Mayal actor. He also shared tidbits about an upcoming project that he is looking forward to, saying, “There’s a script that I have been waiting on for a while now. It hasn’t kicked off yet. There’s some facial transformation involved in that.”

Reflecting on why she isn’t seen on screen as regularly as fans would like, Khan explained that she prefers fewer projects. The actor, who debuted in the serial Sang e Mar Mar, gained widespread praise and recognition for her performance in Alif. She elaborated, “Alif, apart from the appreciation I received, the role encouraged so much growth in myself because I felt like after I dove into the character of Husn e Jahan, it took me a long time to come out of it. Whenever Pehlaaj [child star] would get hurt, I would feel like he was my own child. I was very engrossed in everything.”

On neglecting television for film, the Khan shared, “That’s my choice. I prefer to do it once a year only. There is actually a script that I am interested in working on, so I have been waiting for that.” When quizzed about which performances of his he was particularly proud of, Rasheed explained, “None. Over time, the one thing that I’ve learned the hard way is that all you have is your hard work. You give 100% to your projects. After that, don’t wait for results or expect anything in particular. Just let it go.”

When it comes to future projects, Rasheed explained that he would prefer to take a step back for a while. “I’m not interested in direction or production. I think I might take a step back. Take a break from all this, mainly because I don’t feel inspired these days."

He further elaborated, “This work is based solely on inspiration. My criteria isn’t that something should be a hit or flop. Whether it clicks or is a hit is beside the point. It’s secondary. This work is based completely on passion. You can’t handle the insane hours and timing if you aren’t passionate about it. So, if you don’t have that drive, then it’s better that you wait things out for a bit.”

While Rasheed playfully brushed off any questions of a potential romantic relationship, Khan provided an in-depth explanation for her choice to remain on her own. “Honestly, the one thing I have realised is that the maturity and independence you gain and the self-growth you undergo on your own, you can’t get that from being in a relationship. I’m a firm believer in what my mother says, that unless the foundation is strong, you can’t build anything on top of it.”

She continued, “Unless you’re strong or you feel like you are ready to involve yourself with someone else, you shouldn’t be with somebody. I am on my journey of self-growth. When I’m done, we’ll see about a relationship. But for now, there’s time.”

On family, Rasheed explained that he shares a great bond with his mother. “You can’t define our relationship, but for me, my mom is everything. Her happiness means a lot to me. I go to her for advice and to discuss things,” he shared.

The Rangreza actor continued, “In our society, we have the concept that we shouldn’t discuss work-related matters with females because they think the women won’t understand. ‘What do they know about our work? They are always at home.’ It’s just an idiotic concept. I have received the best and most beautiful advice from my mother, or those women who have been around me. My friends, sisters and my mother.”

Khan cited her mother’s strength as the main reason for where she is today. The actor revealed, “I am very close to my mother. She is the hero of my family. She is our pillar and a warrior. If she wasn’t as strong as she was, then my family wouldn’t have been able to survive considering the circumstances we were in.”

Elaborating on her familial circumstances, Khan explained, “My mom, for me, is everything. My mother isn’t a single parent, but my father suffers from dementia. He was diagnosed when I was 16, so ever since then she has taken care of everything.”

Reflecting on the delays brought about by the pandemic, Khan chose to highlight a silver lining. “You always feel like it’s necessary for you to go out and socialise, but when we went into isolation we realised that we don’t give ourselves enough credit,” she shared. “We can be alright on our own, we can depend on ourselves. It’s a huge weight lifted off your shoulders. We’ve all grown a lot over covid.”