I perform wuzu before I start working: Naumaan Ijaz reveals the secret to his success

Actor spoke about working in a ‘religious’ manner and losing parts of himself in the characters he plays

Actor Naumaan Ijaz, who is currently winning praises for his performance in the webseries Mrs and Mr Shameem, in which he stars opposite Saba Qamar, recently sat down for an interview with a local publication, reflecting on how he once considered leaving acting and revealing the coveted secret to the his enduring success.

Forgoing all secrecy, Naumaan openly shared that the reason behind his ability to bag great roles and give critically acclaimed performances is simple: He always performs wuzu [ablution] before he starts working. Speaking about his ability to delve fully into character, the Khan actor shared, “We have all these characters present inside us. Our actual job is to allow them to come to the surface at the right moment, which a lot of people are unable to do. I have the quality, which God gave to me, to let that person out.”

Expanding on his “God-given” abilities, he explained, “I do my job in a religious manner. Honesty naturally follows. I perform wuzu before I start working. This is God’s blessing. My method of acting is entirely, completely, totally different [from], I believe, the rest of the world.”

When asked to share something that he had not previously spoken about in an interview, Naumaan revealed that, due to his religious devotion, he once considered leaving acting. “Some 16-17 years ago, I became convinced of the fact that I should leave this line of work. That maybe God would not be pleased with it.”

Explaining how he'd pray for a way out of the acting profession, he added further, “I’d stand on the prayer mat and plead to God to get me out of this profession.” Naumaan recalled how, after three to four years of this, an encounter with someone changed the way he perceived his profession. He said, “I met someone who asked me, ‘What’s wrong? You look upset.’ I told him that I’ve been praying to leave this line of work. He was a spiritual man, and he asked me why. I told him how I felt, and he responded saying, ‘Who are you to decide? Maybe, staying in this line of work, you send a message to somebody, they may actually listen. If you leave this line of work and try to spread a message, they won’t listen. Use this profession as a tool.’”

Speaking about the importance of his pre-work ritual, Naumaan added, “So, if my work is flourishing, it’s not because of me. It’s because of the fact that I work ba-wuzu. This is something I tell all the youngsters I work with.”

After the interviewer inquired why he had claimed he would not teach his acting methods to his son, Zaviyar Naumaan, the actor boiled it down to the “painful” nature of the way he does things. He explained, “My method of acting is painful because living in that moment, in which your character is, getting into that moment is not an easy task. It is a blessing from God that I manage to delve into that moment, and at times it’s one that is particularly painful. The pain shows on my face.”

On having lost parts of himself in the characters he has played, he shared, “I’m trying to explore myself as an actor. What are the things that are making me different from the rest? Sometimes, I feel as though a part of me has disappeared in a lot of the characters I’ve played.”

Despite his three-decade-long career, the Parizaad actor revealed that he still suffers from jitters on the first day of shooting. After the interviewer asked whether his success comes down to luck or wisdom, Naumaan shared that it was a little bit of both. He reflected, “The day I started this work, almost 32 years back, I didn’t find anything easy. I found everything difficult, different and in layers. So, I was lucky in the sense that I continued to get a variety of characters.”

He continued, “I’m wise because I tried not to repeat them… I think every type of character I’ve played, I’ve tried not to repeat it. That is what I’ve always striven for. For that, you need to learn how to say no to work, which is something most people don’t have.”

On the anxiety that comes with starting a new role, he shared, “I go on set with a fear over whether I would be able to do justice to the character or not… I still get jittery. When I first go on set, I am very fearful and anxious. It’s very difficult for me to do the first scene.”

When asked how he deals with “controversies”, Naumaan said, “In my career, I don’t believe I’ve had many controversies. If someone twists my words to mean something else, then that’s another thing. If you can’t understand my joke, then it’s not my problem. The issue is with you.”