Ahmed Ali Akbar likes to keep private life private, wants his work to speak for itself

Star spoke in great detail about previous and current projects

Ahmed Ali Akbar and Ahmad Ali Butt recently graced the Talk Talk Show couch, facing a line of questioning from host Hassan Choudary. Akbar, ever the enigmatic star, was asked about why he doesn't prefer media interactions. Denying the same, he said, "I just like keeping my private life private, and in my professional life, I want my work to speak for itself. There isn't much space in between."

When asked how he deals with the limelight, despite being such a private person, he joked, "People recognise me in a mask and shades too now." He added that he was "blessed" and had "no complaints whatsoever." "Whenever people meet me, appreciate me, criticise me, I like it," remarked the star. 

Dabbling in sports like tennis and cricket, the Choudary highlighted Akbar's multifaceted nature. He questioned the star as to why he didn't play professionally, to which Akbar responded, "I went to a trial with nearly 3000 people. I saw the situation there and vowed never to attempt this again." The actor was also part of a band, the host reminded, and sang for a period of four to five years, as pointed out by Akbar. He's also done theatre and is a "fantastic dancer," as per Choudary. 

When asked what he would do if he could do one thing, Akbar surprisingly chose music. "Acting, too. It's rewarding, it's great, it's my bread and butter. But music, for the soul. Music has given me that which nothing else has." The duo also spoke in detail about Parizaad, calling it a milestone for all those involved in the project. When asked about his consequent disappearance, Akbar said, "Firstly, I was attempting to shed Parizaad. It was embedded, it took a toll on me." He added, "But then, Gunjal happened. After that, a film was offered. It was quite a promising script. The director was great, I got great vibes from him. The issue was great. So I started preparing for that." He explained that he did Gunjal before Idiot, despite the latter showcasing first.

When asked why he felt the need to "shed" Parizaad, he said, "To understand a character, you must get into his shoes. You must understand the state of his heart, mind, you must repeat his past again and again, and because of that, it becomes a part of your personality. If you want, at the end of the day, you can discard that and go to bed, as yourself. But I didn't want to do that. I wanted to live as (Parizaad). I kept walking in his posture for quite some time. I had back pain and many knots. But the spirit of Parizaad, it will never leave. It became a part of my personality to such a huge extent that in order to justice to my next work, I had to get rid of Parizaad."

He continued, "There were aspects of Parizaad that were always in me. It was the only script which I read and tears started flowing from my eyes. His ideology, his philosophy, his outlook on the world - I resonated with that a lot...In fact, it was quite metaphysical for me to play Parizaad. He learned how to play on a small piano, as did I. He was also a shy, intimate artist, poet at heart, a sensitive person, and, as a kid, I think I was also quite sensitive. I had trouble expressing. I had an artist inside me. As Parizaad started getting famous with the audience, since the shoot was taking place alongside, I also started getting famous. It was very surreal."

The host then pointed out how stars opt for grand ventures after delivering a global phenomenon like Parizaad. However, Akbar opted for a film being helmed by a first-time director, with a serious matter divorced from the typical "masala entertainer" genre of film. "I tried for Parizaad's fame to not affect me or my approach. I always give weightage to the script, and Gunjal had a phenomenal script. I love working with new people. (Parizaad) was a high in my career. It's not necessary that the high remains. There are lows. And I'm riding the wave. I'm enjoying it. There will be good, there will be bad. Doesn't matter. It will always teach me something or the other. My job is to pick work sincerely, and look for sincerity in that work, alongside those executing it, which I saw in Gunjal."

Talking about how Gunjal happened, Akbar shared, "I received a call from someone. It felt good speaking to him. We went out to eat, he said he's making a film. Firstly, I like his vibe, his honesty, his sincerity." He continued, "Shoaib Sultan met me. he said he's making a film and it's inspired by Iqbal Masih's story, who is our globally renowned hero. He's won awards, performed activism, and passed away at a young age. My interest developed from there, but I do not agree without reading the script. After a few months, he shared the script. When I read it, it was powerful, it was very unique. It's a different kind of take on a story. And I like the character. It's releasing on December 15."

He continued, "(Gunjal is) an excellent story. People always complain about making films about heroes. This is about a hero. They say it should be entertaining. It is. They say it should be based on true events. This is based on true events. It has everything, alongside an exceptional cast. There are huge stars whom you'll see in a new avatar. For example, Resham. You'll be thoroughly surprised by how well she's performed. You'll even see Ahmad Ali Butt in a completely different avatar. Amna Ilyas, too. Very picky, very choosy with the kind of work she does, and a phenomenal actress, I'm very lucky to have worked with her."

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