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Actor Adnan Malik featured in a vintage, romantic campaign for Élan and said that the “truly true” reason for his agreement to be in the shoot was his friend, designer Khadijah Shah.

“Khadijah was incarcerated as a political prisoner for over nine months. I don’t think there was a day that went by that I didn’t think about what she was going through in prison,” Malik wrote in a detailed caption on his Instagram that accompanied the campaign video.

Shah, who helms the fashion brand Élan, was arrested after the May 9 riots. The designer was incarcerated on charges of vandalism and rioting, but released on bail in December 2023.

After her release, she asked Malik to be in Élan’s campaign and his response was a “full-bodied HELL YES”.

“Foremost, I implicitly trust Khadijah’s aesthetic but more importantly for me, I was looking forward to spending three days with her listening to her story, what’s alive for her and what may have changed,” the Sadqay Tumhare actor wrote, adding that things would never be the same for Shah after she survived nine months as a political prisoner.

Although the shoot was “grand old fun”, Malik said that the best part was at the end of the day after the shoot wrapped up and he had a chance to talk to Shah.

“I was so pleased to find Khadijah deeper in her convictions. K [Shah], this incredible force of nature, not only survived in prison but managed to grow and thrive,” he stated.

Malik commended the designer for not compromising on her values or beliefs despite being in “uncomfortable, coercive situations”.

“She stood her ground, deepened her faith and stood by what she believed in,” he said. Malik also said he was in awe that Shah didn’t take the easy route out despite it being available to her.

He dubbed Shah “a visionary, a warrior, a queen with conviction and deep emotional reserves and a beautiful, compassionate heart”.

The video was shot and directed by Naveed Amjad and stars Mushk Kaleem alongside Malik.