I think I was a very suitable choice for Jindo: Humaima Malik on returning to TV after 12 years

Actor Humaima Malik recently opened up about her return to TV after twelve years with the drama series Jindo where she plays a fierce woman opposing patriarchal norms and customs. In a candid interview with BBC Urdu, Malik discussed what led her to play the unconventional heroine in the show, citing director Anjum Shahzad as a major influence on her decision.

“I was approached at the last minute by Anjum Shahzad. Before me, the role was offered to Aamina Sheikh who had to decline due to some personal commitments. I think she had just had a baby and honestly, it’s a matter of fate,” the actor revealed. Reflecting on playing such a powerful character as her first TV appearance in years, Malik shared, “I think I was a very suitable choice for Jindo, for a role that embarks on so many journeys, faces so many struggles in not just one relationship but simultaneously as a sister, a mother, a wife, an independent girl, a self-sufficient woman, a voice of courage, a woman who stands for everyone. It’s very rare that such a role can be undertaken by someone who has never met such challenges off-screen.”

The actor also spoke about the prevailing ‘saas-bahu’ genre of dramas and what it means to commit to a project like Jindo, “When I started shooting this drama, I received another offer at the same time. I even visited their set and filmed with the production team for three days. And for three days, I was only acting in ‘dining table scenes,’ revolving around the same old themes of saas and bahu enmity.”

Malik revealed that people around her tried to caution her against projects like Jindo with characters speaking “those different languages” in stories set in “faraway deserts and all that,” but she refused to buy the excuse that the audiences will not enjoy well-made content. “All our dedication and effort gave this project its distinct flavour and people can see that. This is why the reception has been incredible,” she added.

Playing such an emotive character also challenged The Legend of Maula Jatt star as an actor, particularly owing to the harsh filming conditions of the project. “All of us had to live in the desert. The production started in winter and wrapped up in the sweltering summer heat. It was shot entirely in one spell and Anjum Bhai wouldn’t even let me go home.”

The actor confessed that there were many personal situations she had to navigate while shooting Jindo that caused much discomfort. “While I was filming, my father had a paralysis attack but I wasn’t told about that for two days.” Malik also recalled having undergone an appendicitis in Turkey and starting Jindo immediately upon return. “In many scenes, I would be running with bandages on,” she said.

While the series has been a gripping watch for fans, chronicling abuse and repression under a rural patriarchy, one episode, in particular, has proved a massive tearjerker, featuring Jindo carrying her husband’s dead body on her shoulders across the desert.

“It was very emotional for me to see a woman and to see in her myself because I was playing that role of a wife hauling her own husband’s dead body all the way home. A husband with whom she never particularly had good memories but there was still hope. You know, he promises her that one day she’ll be proud of him. So to lose him to a painful death was very hard for me. I cried a lot watching that episode,” the actor expressed, revealing the body she was carrying was not a prop, but in fact, another person with a smaller build.

She further explained that she enjoys performing her own stunts and required no body doubles for her performance as Jindo, “I did all the fighting scenes myself because I had already been trained in sword fighting and horse riding for Maula Jatt.”

The actor was all praises for her co-actors, calling Samiya Mumtaz a “woman of exceptional composure” who is “just as organic as her diet,” nodding at Mumtaz’s love for vegan foods and morning yoga.

Commenting on her screen reunion with actor Gohar Rasheed, with whom Malik previously starred in Maula Jatt, the actor laughingly shared, “I used to forget my role every time I shared a scene with Gohar because we had done Maula Jatt together where he played Makha and I was Daro. So whenever I used to see him, I would become Daro.”

On fan reactions, Malik offered, “They are taking to the series so well that I can’t believe it. To really grasp Jindo’s story and setting takes some time but once people got past that, the reactions have been very powerful.” She added, “Our team has poured a lot of effort into set design, costume, jewelry, our language, so how could people not enjoy it?”