Newbie cast of drama serial ‘Jugnu’ talk big breaks and nepotism with Ahsan Khan

Sana Nadir, Shiraz Ghazali and Yasir Alam detail the struggles of newcomers on ‘Time Out with Ahsan Khan’

The cast of Express TV’s latest offering Jugnu, made up of industry newbies, recently sat down for a candid chat on Time Out with Ahsan Khan, detailing their breakthrough moments as well as their views on nepotism. Actors Sana Nadir, Yasir Alam and Shiraz Ghazali play the lead in the romantic drama serial.

The daughter of Hina Ki Khushboo actor Farah Nadir, Sana explained that while she did not face much resistance when it came to a career in showbiz from her family, her mother urged her to complete her education first. “My mom had one condition. She told me that I needed to get a degree and then I could do whatever I wanted. So, I gave her that gift and then continued on the path I wanted to pursue. That way I’d be happy and so would she.”

Sana, who has previously played a role in the drama serial Badnaseeb, explained that while her family was open to acting, it is not the preferred career option of most parents for their kids. “Majority of the parents in our society do not prefer that. Even if a journalist tries to talk to their kids, parents pull them away from in front of the camera because they don’t want their children to be on TV.” 

She added, “It’s very likely that a doctor’s child will grow up to be a doctor as well. It’s because of the kind of environment you have at home. The parents are more comfortable with their child’s career choice that way as well since they are familiar with it. When you look at families that don’t have any actors, they rely mainly on hearsay that the media is such and such. So they end up staying in their bubble.” 

With Jugnu marking his debut performance, Shiraz, who had previously only acted in commercials as a child, shared his love of the job and the struggles of being typecast so early on in his career. He said, “I just want to act. It doesn’t matter to me if I’m the hero or not. I enjoy negative roles. Mainly because when people look at my face, they tell me I don’t look like the type who could pull off a negative role. So, it’s a point to prove.” 

On the newness of it all, he added, “My first day of shooting, I didn’t know anything about camera angles or where to stand, so I’d always be out of the line of the camera’s vision. So, the director helped me a lot.”

Previously playing a role in the drama serial Ruposh, Yasir reflected on how his education was his first priority, “I had support from home, but they needed me to graduate at the very least. You need to have a degree because you don’t know what you may face in the future. If you can manage to make it or not. So, graduation was my first priority. If I didn’t have the support of my family, I wouldn’t be here.”

When asked to reflect on how it was relatively easy for her to bag a role, given her mother’s connections in the industry, Sana did not deny that being an actor’s daughter helped her along the way.  However, the young actor was quick to explain that the high expectations that come with being Farah Nadir’s daughter may at times serve as a detriment to her success. 

She shared, “There was more pressure on me in that sense. People say, ‘Oh, she’s Farah Nadir’s daughter? Then she must also be a good actor.’ So, if my performance doesn’t end up living up to their expectations, I also have to go through the entire audition process. People get disappointed easily. That pressure has always been there.”

Sana added, “Even if people end up scheduling meetings with me because of who my mother is, even if I don’t have to struggle outside of the meeting room, if I don’t give my best during the meeting or during the shoot, no one will cast me, regardless of whose daughter I am.”  

After Shiraz was asked about his feelings on the issue of nepotism, he responded, “I didn’t have to struggle as such. When I got the call for Jugnu, I had my ACCA exam the next day. So, it was very much out of nowhere. The director had seen a picture of me on Facebook, and he felt that it would fit very well with the character of Guddu. That was already in his head.”

He continued, “I was very lucky I didn’t have to struggle even though I am not from a filmy background. As far as nepotism is concerned, I feel that you do get the upper hand. There’s nothing wrong with having contacts because afterwards, it's about how well you perform.”