From tutti frutti to different line of duty

Ayesha Omar on role in ‘Yalghaar’ and new crop of talent in local film industry.

KARACHI: Ayesha Omar may be known for her comedy stints in the local entertainment industry but she means business. Although the release date of her upcoming action-epic Yalghaar is yet to be finalised, its fiery storyline and ensemble cast have kept us on the edge of our seats. As one of the female leads in the movie, Ayesha is ready to show her fans a side of her they’ve never seen before. Divulging details about her character, she shares she portrays a ‘serious’ character in the movie, reported Roznama Express.

“I play a serious girl named Zarmeena in Yalghaar, which will come as a real surprise for my viewers,” she said. “Prior to this, they’ve only seen me depict comic and modern roles,” she added. This isn’t the first time Ayesha will be seen on the big screen.

She made cameo appearances in Main Hoon Shahid Afridi and Love Mein Ghum before making her full-fledged feature film debut in this year’s runaway hit Karachi Se Lahore. “Although Karachi Se Lahore received a brilliant response at the local box office, Yalghaar is an entirely different film,” she stated.

Reposing faith in the local audiences, Ayesha takes pride in how they are open to watching films of diverse genres and lauding quality content. “Audiences are now watching all kinds of films, which is evident in how recent movies have fared at the box office,” she noted. “Movies that were a little different from the usual ended up performing better and were also critically appreciated.”

Ayesha credited the influx of new talent in the film industry with improvement the local film industry has witnessed. “The new crop of talent has breathed life into a cinema industry that was nearing death. The amount of effort and hard work they have put into their movies can be seen by everyone.”

The actor-singer added that in order to maintain this upward trend, filmmakers need to continue making films that are different. Having made a name for herself both as a singer and a model, Ayesha wants to continue pursuing projects in these fields. On the film front, she already has another project, Waar 2, in the pipeline that she’ll soon start working on.

Yalghaar, which is currently in post-production phase, is expected to hit cinemas by year-end. The film boasts an ensemble cast including Shaan, Ayub Khosa, Humayun Saeed, Adnan Siddiqui and Sana Bucha.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 24^th, 2015.

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