In Conversation with Rehan Sheikh

Rehan Sheikh plays his characters with incredible ease, be it that of a humorous Punjabi uncle from Akbari Asghari, of a rigid feudal lord from Sammi or of a doting father from Inkaar. Even during the initial days of his career, Sheikh gave us memorable roles to cherish, including that of a mentally challenged young man from Zulfikar Sheikh’s The Castle: Aik Umeed and of a betrayed, US-based RJ from Mehreen Jabbar’s Pehchaan. Although twice awarded as the best actor, once by HUM TV and once by Kara Film Festival’s international jury for the year 2005, Rehan Sheikh wears many hats. He hosts, he directs and has recently ventured into vlogging as well.

The Friday Times caught up with the versatile artist to ask him a few questions.

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Muhammad Ali: How do you look back at the start of your career, a phase which was not PTV’S “Golden Era”, but was still progressive and producing variety content?

Rehan Sheikh: Yes, it was an era which marked the ending of the “golden period” of the 1970s and ‘80s and there was a degree of chaos as a result of producers working both independently and for PTV. Before the onset of private productions, everything was state-owned and produced. When that didn’t remain the case, the crew for making drama serials also started diminishing in number. However, compared to the current times, there was a diversity of content, an innocence and a sense of togetherness also. I remember doing my first serial, Aghosh, like a family picnic with rehearsals, read-throughs and recordings with the cast bringing iftaris during Ramadan on the set. The atmosphere was relaxed and easy-going in those pre-digital and pre-social media days.

M.A.: How did you enter the drama industry?

R.S.: I was studying for a Drama degree in London, also acting on stage and running my own theatrical group along. While spending summer vacations with my family, I wrote, directed and acted in a theatre performance in Rawalpindi after which Sarmad Sehbai introduced me to PTV producer Syed Shakir Uzair, who first interviewed me for a youth show on PTV, then later offered me a serial which I declined – since I was studying in London. Later, Shakir Sahib offered me the lead in a feature-length tele theatre from PTV ‘s Islamabad Studios which led to the role in Aghosh, a story of a woman whose husband dies and her children get taken away, eventually growing up with different destinies. Shakir sahib allowed me to choose the character I wanted to play from the four brothers. I opted for the boy who becomes the taxi driver since I thought it would be the least cliché-ridden and I could develop it. I spent time observing taxi drivers for the role but when the time finally came to start shooting, both Shakir sahib and the late writer, Adeem Hashmi, asked me to play another character as the focus of the story-line was moved to one of the other brothers whose character had become more prominent and heroic. After much discussion and argument, I still didn’t opt for that character as I found it clichéd but went for the role of the youngest brother, Aizaz who had some great lines. They initially said that I don’t look like the youngest brother. I asked them to give me one hour during which I shaved my taxi driver moustache and had a haircut. They liked my transformation and I was chosen as the youngest brother. Funnily enough, my sister Savera ended up playing my twin sister, Izzat in the serial. That is how I did my first serial for Pakistan, Aghosh and then went back to London. A few years later, I was approached by Salman Shahid to do a theatre play for British Council and PNCA, Backstrokes in a Crowded Pool in Lahore. Asghar Nadeem Syed was involved in adapting the British play. He was also writing PTV’s first serial that was going to be shot in London. I went back to London and was casted in that serial titled Awaazein by director Zaheer Khan. It was PTV’s first co-production that was shot in England. I was still living in the UK so I continued to work both inside and outside Pakistan, appearing in the popular British series, The Bill as a guest lead in one episode and in a number of theatrical productions, especially with Tamasha Theatre Company and a few short films that included an award-winning short film, Drive.

“Talking about my characters, I have always been very choosy - sometimes to my own detriment”

M.A.: Having worked both inside and outside Pakistan as an actor, what professional differences have you observed? 

R.S.: Initially, what would affect me was the production management, which was mostly extremely professional in the UK and people would take utmost care of details and time-keeping, also focusing on their respective tasks instead of interfering in other people’s work.

We, here, are a bit laid back in this area, to say the least. I would get reactive and frustrated initially, but with time and maturity, I stopped comparing Pakistan with England. I realized that people in Pakistan were, and still are doing their best to produce quality work amidst some tough conditions.  There are amazingly talented people here who keep giving us some good work despite production management issues or even problems that are beyond their control. Of course, we need to evolve and improve our work ethics and working conditions for all (from the spot boy to the actors to the producers ) but our industry is also our society’s reflection in general. While our population and technology are increasing at a fast pace, education, etiquette and ethics are sacrificed at the altar of commerce. It cannot be just about money. We need to think and work collectively, train people and build the industry and the institutions which also serve and protect the people in it, instead of just thinking of petty interests and maximising profits for the few.

M.A.: You wrote, directed and produced a film called Azad. Why did you feel the need to take up all the three jobs in your own hands? Do you have other directorial works to your credit?

R.S.: I wrote, directed and acted in Mohabbat Ki Pehli Kahani that ran on GEO TV many years ago, and had great feedback. Since then, I always wanted to make a low-budget “indie” film. I was back in Islamabad around 2012 and started working on a TV pilot with a dear friend of mine, Hasan Naeem who is a movie buff and a producer. I always loved Woody Allen’s cinema where he writes, directs and acts in a simple yet layered storyline. That also works well in indie cinema as you do not have a big budget and you need to multitask. So that was the model we had in my mind; a small intimate film which materialized in the form of Azad. I wrote it, directed it and co-produced it along-with Hassan Naeem who was the executive producer and the Art director. It got delayed for various reasons but eventually when it came out in 2018 – we generally received good reviews. The Pakistani films being released at the time were getting harsh reviews like 1 or 2 stars out of 5 so we were pleasantly surprised that we got 3 or even 4 stars from major critics. It was an alternative film – not for mass consumption, but it was original and came from the heart. As for more films, I have made a short film recently and some scripts are in development.

M.A.: While our content today is criticized for being monotonous, you are someone who even in these times has variety roles to his name. What do you yourself have to say about the content? Are you selective about the roles you do or do you accept anything that comes your way? 

R.S.: I do have problems with the content, as it is not as experimental or diverse as it used to be in the 1990s, as decision makers were more influenced by Literature, Art and Philosophy while now it’s all about ratings and marketing, commerce and consumerism. Now that we do not have things in the hands of creative people, our subject matters are suffering.  I guess the volume required is also far greater, so we have created drama-making factories cloning formulaic drama rather than original voices. Luckily, web-content is promising novelty and hopefully we shall see more of that.

Talking about my characters, I have always been very choosy - sometimes to my own detriment. There was a time when I transitioned into more character roles than the archetypal leading man, and that I always found exciting as an actor. I have turned down far more projects than I have done, including some plum roles as well. But a serial called Sanjha which I had initially turned down repeatedly made me change my approach somewhat. The director and producer both convinced me to do it and it turned out to be one of the most joyous acting experiences of my life. Farooq Rind, the director allowed me to improvise and I ran away with it – and had an amazing time! Sometimes our logical mind does not see everything. But the director’s vision, ultimately is everything. A lot of people see the director only as a technician. Technical knowledge is good but one can hire that. Vision cannot be bought or rented. Good directors have it innate and create a space where actors can come and shine or play in a relaxed manner.

M.A.: If you were to choose a role for yourself, what kind of a role that would be, and which director would you choose to execute it?

R.S.: I found roles like those of Brando or De Niro exciting to watch in films like Godfather and The Deer Hunter or Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society or Fisher King or recently Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker. But your role is only as great as the film or again the director’s vision. We categorise a character as a hero, a viillain or a hero’s father etc. I would rather like to explore out of the box ideas and not ratings-driven formula soaps. As for directors, Farooq Rind, Shahid Shafaat, Kashif Nisar, Ehtesham ud Din are all great. Nabeel Qureshi also has a special talent. I have also always admired Jami’s work and Ahsan Rahim’s great sense of comedy. Yes, comedy is another thing I want to explore more.

M.A.: On PTV, you used to do a popular show by the name “Travel Guide of Pakistan”. Tell us about the work that went into the making of it.

R.S.: I had gone to meet Khawaja Najam ul Hassan for a serial, instead of which he offered me to host for PTV World transmission. Initially, I did it but finding it boring, I presented my own idea of a show about travelling around Pakistan in a very informal manner and forgot about it. I had also signed a film as a leading man during those days which I was focused on primarily.

One day, I got the call from Khawaja sahib that my idea of the travel show had gotten approved, and I thought that I should do it until the film work begins. I did this travel show and had tremendous fun. I would sometimes incorporate my own ideas in the script. Little did I know that it would become a phenomenon. The film never happened for me but I learnt a big life lesson; that sometimes what you don’t focus on gives you so much more than what you are chasing after! Looking back, “Travel Guide of Pakistan” was truly a special project, where I discovered the beauty of our country. I wish I get an opportunity to do more of that one day.



M.A.: You worked in two taboo projects, 27^th Street and Aakhri Baarish, both based on prostitution. Do you believe that it was a good start for dark Pakistani dramas, which unfortunately lost track even before developing properly?

R.S.: Stuff like that has been around in written literature like that of Manto and Ismat Chughtai, but not on the screen. I remember Manto the film resulted in a stunned silence (from the audience) by the time it came to an end. 27^t Street similarly got repeated multiple times on TV only because audiences appreciated it. So there is room for content like that. In television, we worry due to prime time audiences and families watching it. Perhaps darker and risqué stuff should have some content warning or a certain time allocated, but surely watching the news these days and social media has become even more hazardous with graphic pictures of violence etc! Mobile phones are our children’s toys these days, so we do have double standards in this regard. Taboo subjects need to be addressed so that we make progress in solving them rather than brushing them under the carpet. An artist’s job is not always to entertain, but to show the mirror to the society as well. We definitely need to allot space and time to such subjects, even if we do that late at night with notices of parental guidance while airing them.

M.A.: You have recently stepped into vlogging. What has been the inspiration behind it and what are the main challenges that come up while preparing for a vlog?

R.S.: There has been no inspiration but the heart. People who were close to me had been asking me to make a vlog for a long time. I kept thinking on whether I should make a travel vlog or a comedy vlog or something else. Being locked inside during the gloom of early Covid-19 days, I was online when I came across a letter, that of Irfan Khan in which he had foreseen his death. It touched my heart so much that I read it on camera and sent the video to some of my friends and family who liked it and the vlog was born. It’s still in the initial stages and I am exploring new forms to work on.

I am not commercially driven so my audience might be limited. One also has to be regular in order to increase the number of admirers. Up till now, I have made a total of nine vlogs, in which I have just shared an experience or conversation or poetry or prose . Sometimes it’s a conversation and sometimes a small performance or rendition. In preparation, it is mostly mental work that comes into play. That may take either three whole days or even a few hours. Technology is still a work in progress for me. I am learning from the youngsters, as they understand the digital world better than us.

M.A.: Of all the Urdu drama writers you have worked with, whose script writing appeals to you the most?

R.S.: Zafar Mairaj has a distinct progressive sensibility. I did three serials with him, Dozakh, Qurban and Inkaar all being memorable projects. I also loved doing the single play Dharo written by the great Sindhi writer Ali Baba, Sammi by Noorul Huda Shah, a few single plays of Ashfaq Ahmad, Mohlat by Ali Moeen and Mustafa Afridi’s Mukti from “Partition Stories”. As a viewer, I love Anwer Maqsud’s wit but never had the pleasure of working with him.

M.A.: Tell us about your upcoming projects.

R.S.: I just finished a serial for Hum TV and now am reading scripts of a few projects. Apart from that, I am just following my heart wherever it takes me and dreaming of finding better ways to touch the sky and conquer the world!

Muhammad Ali is an M.Phil scholar and a former visiting lecturer at GCU, Lahore. His interest lies in indigenous literature, the specific research areas being the Partition novel, Environmental Literature emerging from South Asia and classical and contemporary Pakistani television drama. His research on Sahira Kazmi’s “Zaib un Nisa” which was a part of his graduation thesis has been presented on various platforms including Olomopolo Media. The writer can be reached at m.ali_aquarius85@yahoo.com.