Ahad Raza Mir didn't know his father was a celeb until he visited Karachi for the first time

Ahad says having actor father opened doors for him but he wouldn't have lasted had it not been for Hamlet star's work

Ahad Raza Mir has had a busy year. The Yakeen Ka Safar star, who boasts an ample fan following in Pakistan, had been testing international waters with Netflix's Resident Evil and later BBC's World on Fire season 2. 

Now, he has decided to pack it all up and has opted to do live theatre in Toronto. Taking on the classic anti-hero, Mir had big shoes to fill, one he had been readying himself up ever since he began his career. Mir has now resumed his take on William Shakespeare's Hamlet. The actor has shared several pictures from his upcoming project, which has piqued the interest of the audience. 

Speaking about his move, Mir told Toronto Live, "I think a lot of actors will agree that getting the chance to be on stage, especially if you have spent some time doing film and TV, is really grounding. It’s an opportunity to get back to your roots and what you really love about acting. And of course, also, it’s Hamlet."

He furthered, "Every actor dreams of playing the role just once, so to get a second opportunity really is amazing. Obviously, I didn’t anticipate almost three years of delays. I’m just happy I could make it work to fly back here and do the rehearsals."

The play, which was initially planned for a 2020 release, was delayed several times due to Covid and unforeseen issues. Even though the future of his dream project seemed pretty bleak once, Mir did not sit idle. "I did spend the first few months of Covid at home, getting a chance to be with my family, which doesn’t happen often, but then things started to get busy again," he said. "I shot Resident Evil with Netflix in 2021 and then World On Fire with the BBC in 2022 as well as some projects back in Pakistan. I think I have taken around 700 PCR tests. That may be a record."

The actor also divulged how he went from a University of Calgary theatre grad to Pakistan’s TV prince. "I was born in Karachi, Pakistan, where my family has been in the entertainment business for generations. My grandfather actually directed the first-ever film in Pakistan, and then my dad was a pretty big movie star who went on to be in some really popular TV shows."

The star added, "When my brother and I were young, he decided to move the family to Canada so that we could have a somewhat normal life. We came to Toronto first, but there were too many Pakistani people here who knew my dad from his work. He wanted something quieter, so he chose Calgary, which is where I went to school. I finished my BFA at the University of Calgary and worked there for about a year."

Mir then shared that he had been planning to move to Toronto. "I actually came and took some meetings and looked at apartments. Then I went to Pakistan for what I thought was just a summer vacation, but my career really took off, and I ended up staying there and working for many years," he continued. "Everyone knows Bollywood for its movies. Pakistan is known for long-form television. I was in a 26-episode series [Yakeen Ka Safar] that changed my life, almost overnight."

The actor was then asked about being labelled as a nepo baby. While this wasn't the first time Mir was asked to elaborate his thoughts on the term, the actor commented, "People are going to say what they’re going to say. I do feel like a doctor’s child becomes a doctor or a lawyer’s kid becomes a lawyer and nobody is giving them such a hard time. It’s not like I grew up in the acting world."

He went on, "I didn’t even understand that my dad was a celebrity until we took a trip back to Karachi when I was a kid. I won’t deny that coming from the family that I come from opened doors, but if people don’t like your work, it won’t last. I have been very lucky to be on some series and build my own fan base. Just to be a working actor is not something to take for granted."

Speaking about dealing with fandom in Pakistan, Mir shared, "Privacy is definitely a bit of an issue. Let’s just say I don’t leave my home much when I’m in Pakistan. That’s part of what’s been so nice about being here in the GTA and getting to interact with fans in a more controlled environment, which is something that doesn’t happen at home."

He shared, "I was in Brampton for my birthday, and the Rose was kind enough to put on a meet-and-greet where people showed up to meet me and celebrate. They brought gifts—chocolate, notebooks, bracelets—which was so kind."

For the unversed, Mir is also the first South Asian actor to play Hamlet in a professional Canadian production. Discussing the same, the Ehd-e-Wafa star shared, "When we did the show in 2019, having a diverse cast felt like a bigger deal. I think we have come so far in just a few years in terms of opportunities and roles for people of colour, to the point where it doesn’t feel like such a big deal. I guess I am happy to be an example."

He continued, "Maybe there is a Pakistani boy in the audience who will see me and think, If he can do it, I can. There is a lot of pressure put on South Asian kids—and all kids, really—to choose a career path that is stable. I was enrolled in business school before I decided that I had to pursue my dream. I’m not going to lie—the arts are a risk. And I understand where parents are coming from when they want their kids to choose something more practical. But, if you’ve come to a country where these opportunities exist, you might as well give them a try."

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