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Ahsan Khan has been at the forefront of Pakistan's television industry for a while now and he's showing no signs of slowing down.

The actor's next, directed by Ehteshamuddin (Udaari, Preet Na Kariyo Koi), is Hum TV's upcoming drama about life in the time of Partition. Reportedly, the serial, which is based on Khadija Mastoor's award-winning novel of the same name, is all set to have a star-studded cast. We already know that Mawra Hocane will be a part of the project but rumour has it, so will Sajal Aly and Ahad Raza Mir.

"I have no idea! I signed the project after reading the script and because of Ehteshamuddin. I don't/didn't know about the rest of the cast, I found out about Mawra through the news myself," laughs Khan when we ask him to give us the scoop on the project's star power.

"What I do know is that it's not going to be story just about one hero or heroine, it's an ensemble cast so it will follow the stories of six to eight people (or maybe a couple more) and every individual character will have their own integral role to play."

Talking about why he took some time off after Udaari, the actor shares: "I feel like now I don't want to associate myself with everyone and everything and I don't want to just take up whatever is coming my way. I've had that phase too and I'm over it. Since the past two years, I've become selective and I've been focusing on doing things that are unique, that challenge me. I may work less now but I'm doing work that satisfies me."

"I think period dramas are story-telling in the most beautiful form. Of course it's tricky to do but done right, they look stunning visually. Dastaan is still one of my most favourite plays to date. Aangan will have a similar feel in the sense that it will be very much our own, not influenced by Bollywood or Hollywood, not highlighting just saas-bahu issues and extra-marital affairs but giving us a peek into what life was like back then, our cultural values, our languages, our traditions," he reveals.

Will Aangan also tackle a social issue the way Udaari did?

Not exactly.

"That being said, not every show can be or even should be issue-based. There's nothing wrong with dramas that are just about entertainment either! You must cater to all genres," he adds.

The show will begin its shoot soon under MD Productions. An official announcement about the play has not been made yet.