I would like to be remembered with fondness: Atiqa Odho

On completing 30 years in the entertainment industry, actor looks back and shares how it all began for her.

KARACHI:

In the 1990s, she was an attractive young woman who made us curious about who and when she would get married to on STN’s Sitara aur Mehrunnisa. Later, in the PTV classic Nijaat, she made us feel the agony of failing to change her husband’s chauvinistic mindset.

And then came Humsafar, in which her schemes as a strict mother-in-law became a cathartic experience for bahus on the other side of the idiot box. Despite many crests and troughs, Atiqa Odho has managed to keep a stable frequency in the media industry. As she steps into her 30th year in entertainment, we look back at how her journey began back in 1985.

“When I was approached by Anwer Maqsood sahab to act in Sitara Aur Mehrunissa, it felt like I had been waiting for that phone call for many years. It was more like a call of life, to perform and bring different characters on the screen,” Odho tells The Express Tribune.

Her 30 years in media industry have been exciting, to say the least. There have been times when she had to work hard on her roles but along the way, she made lifelong friends — people she wouldn’t give up for anything.

“I realised very early in my career as an actor that we connect so deeply with our public that it becomes our social responsibility to convey the right message. The world has been my stage and I have loved every minute of it,” she states.



But how different is the industry now? “The entertainment industry has evolved in many directions. Technically, it has become stronger and easier. Unfortunately, scriptwriting has become limited as the channels are in a rat-race for ratings and this has been very damaging for the end product.” She believes that the volume of content being produced currently should churn out more Humsafars, but this is not happening due to weak scripts and poor production management in general. “It seems like we have had a boom that we were not prepared for.”



Odho opines that, when serious money is pushed into any field, the stakes are higher. The entertainment industry in Pakistan is still in its embryonic stage. It is everyone’s responsibility to help it grow in the right direction. The current generation of actors, writers, producers and channel owners should play a parental role for the product. It must be protected and nurtured to become a well-rounded global product. “This doesn’t seem to be happening, as there is very little understanding on the governmental level regarding the global value of Urdu drama. We are the only country in the world that is producing this product and it has the ability to earn massive revenue for Pakistan from across the world, while reflecting our social and national values to a foreign audience.”

To commemorate her 30 years in showbiz, Odho will put her professional archives on display at an art gallery. She will also host an exclusive event on February 14 at Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS), where people who have been a part of her journey will also be invited.

“I thought this would be the best way to share my work with anyone interested in what my career-graph has been like. A person’s achievements are never acquired alone, as there are many others involved in the process. I have been blessed with a lot of love and support from many.”



In the hope to give back to the society, she made a Facebook Page called ‘Power to Empower’, through which she has been promoting breast cancer awareness campaign for the past eight years.

Odho urges youngsters to avoid shortcuts in life and do whatever they wish to with commitment and focus. “Years don’t come back and time is the most valuable asset we have. What you decide to do with your time is how you will be remembered in history. People die and leave us, but their deeds are left behind for all to remember. I would like to be remembered with fondness and respect when I am gone.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 8^th, 2015.

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