Landing on the wrong side of the thirties makes you doubt yourself even more: Osman Khalid Butt

The star talked about how he never wanted to be known as ‘just an actor’ as he discussed his career and aspirations

Heartthrob and actor Osman Khalid Butt shot down the hopes of anyone dreaming he would be announcing his own wedding plans any time soon in a recent appearance on Voice of America. Despite his wedding shoot with friend and colleague Maya Ali in February, Osman, 38, says the hunt for a partner continues. 

“I have no such plans yet,” said the Chupke Chupke star with a laugh. “I don’t think my family values are such that I will be under any pressure to do it. When you know you know. I’ve come very close to it, though, and maybe in an alternate timeline, I might even have been a father of three or four.” 

The man who nursed a childhood dream of becoming a dancer and had already written his Oscar acceptance speech at the age of “six or seven”, Osman has racked up an impressive film and television CV. With his late father screen veteran Khalid Said Butt able to open doors, Osman started his career in theatre with Moulin Rouge in 2005 After a packed 2019, where he appeared in the television dramas Surkh Chandni and Ehd-e-Wafa, as well as the film Superstar, Osman said that journalists had started asking him why, indeed, he was so prolific. However, after the hit drama Kala Doriya, the actor has been largely absent from the small screen. 

“Kala Doriya was a difficult project,” recalled Osman. “It took nine or ten months from start to finish, and that takes a lot out of you. I had to take time off to focus on my mental health. Working on something that intense brought about a shift in my thought process. Going forward, I’ve told myself that if a project is going to take that long, it really has to be worth it. The character has to be really exciting for me. You need to look very hard at the dynamics of the small screen.”

For Osman, his learning curve in the world of showbiz has by no means stopped. “I’ve been in the industry for 11 years, but I still haven’t figured out the ins and outs. I’ve started writing so many things but then abandoned them.” In a vow to himself, he added, “Now I have decided that I won’t abandon projects.”

With the majority of his cohorts naturally progressing onto directing and producing, Osman has bucked the trend and taken up writing and choreography. He may still be waiting for the perfect film script, but said he wants to be remembered for more than just his acting. 

“I don’t ever want to be categorised as just an actor,” he stated unequivocally. “From the beginning, I wanted to do everything, whether it’s writing or directing or choreography or makeup - I wanted to do it all, although if I hadn’t entered this profession, I might have become a teacher or a writer. I’d have focused more on my writing. Maybe I’d have gone into hardcore writing and written a book.”

Flying in the face of his do-it-all persona, Osman’s laid back visage gave off an aura of sublime approachability as he went on to add, “I really need to stop procrastinating. I didn’t realise but when you enter the wrong side of your thirties, you start to procrastinate and doubt yourself. People always wrongly believe that the older you get, the closer you get to self actualisation and the more mature you get.”

Weighing in on the widespread impact of social media, Osman remarked, “For sure the effects of social media are in between positive and negative. Nothing is hidden anymore. It has become our mode of information, more so than traditional news channels.”

In Osman’s view, the regulation of social media is of utmost importance. “Free speech devolves into hate speech. It has given an opinion to those who shouldn’t have shared their opinion on such a public platform.” 

Despite his self-proclaimed procrastination, Osman is well-placed to dish out advice to aspiring actors, and he revealed that if he could go back in time and talk to his theatre self, he would have said, “Never second guess your gut instinct. Listen to your heart. Don’t suppress your vision in the name of commercialism - or at least try to find some balance.” 

With his promise to himself to no longer abandon writing projects, fans can eagerly await what the versatile Osman can bring to the table in the coming years. 

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