Dark knight? I'll embrace the dark side only for a truly grand role, says Adeel Husain
After conquering the hearts and minds of television viewers for nearly a decade (the suspicious hubby of Mora Piya, the angry young man of Jackson Heights or mature performances in Daam or Mataa-e-Jaan), Adeel has emerged as one of the most versatile actors of the current generation.
So it was all but natural that he eventually channel his energies towards working in films and after a guest appearance in Bin Roye, he is poised to make his full-fledged debut through Asim Raza’s Ho Mann Jahaan on New Year’s eve alongside Sheheryar Munawwar and Mahira Khan.
“Ho Mann Jahaan just happened,” Adeel says as he explains his decision to sign a film. “I opted for the film because of many reasons; a gut feeling, working with Asim and an opportunity to do something new.”
"Asim Raza was the first director to come to me with a complete script and that’s why I gave it a shot," says Adeel of his role in Ho Mann Jahaan
But the question remains: why this late?
“I didn’t do films before because films simply weren’t being made in Pakistan. As soon as films started getting made, my debut happened almost simultaneously,” Adeel explains without the slightest hint of regret. “It was just a question of time … not that I didn’t have offers. They were there but not in concrete form; Asim Raza was the first director to come to me with a complete script and that’s why I gave it a shot.”
When asked whether he had any apprehensions about working with a director who was also making his film debut, Adeel replies in the negative. “We are in an evolving market where well-prepared directors who pay great attention to detail are hard to find. Asim Raza is one of the best we have and he is respected by all. He is very open to suggestions and concerns as an actor which is great. Once a director hits all those notes, the process becomes enjoyable.
“I believe that acting is a problem-solving exercise; you solve a problem in every scene. With Asim and his team, the best part was that the actors just did their job and he was there for everything else,” he says praising the HMJ team.
Is he a director’s actor? “Yes, very much so because I have been behind the camera and know how difficult a job it is. It is not that I don’t question authority but when the trust level is high, I give in to the director’s vision. There have been instances on television when the director has tried to impose his authority but found me to be a tough, creative individual.”
“To sport a goatee just to stand out isn’t acting; that’s what Naseeruddin Shah told me when he came to Pakistan. He said that if you serve the story well enough your part is projected as unique. Going through a makeover should be a decision between an actor and/or director and should serve the story.”
Adeel is a Masters in marketing from Dublin, Ireland but seems quite at ease playing a local university student a decade later. “We all have the experience of being college students so the recall played a big hand; exploring music was also part of the script which is something I enjoyed. Mahira, Sheheryar and I gelled well during the preparation cycle ahead of the shoot and learnt to respect each other while sharing a sense of humour. By the time we were on sets, there was a very good balance between fun and doing our job.”
Adeel had a blink-and-miss appearance in the song 'Ballay Ballay' in Bin Roye, which his detractors term an item number. “Appearing in Bin Roye for the song was good exercise as I got to work with Asim and Mahira. I don’t care what people say because I enjoy dancing and that’s exactly what I was able to do in 'Ballay Ballay'.”
He also doesn’t consider TV and films too far apart. “They are both methods of storytelling; it’s like preparing dinner — you can either make it this way or that. The scope of stories in both are however different. On TV, you have the margin to develop your character and to experiment while staying within that character whereas in films, the stakes are high and your overall lines are less. You are easily caught if you make a wrong move in films but television tends to be more forgiving.”
From an RJ on CityFM89 to a model, Adeel Husain says he doesn’t believe in changing appearances unnecessarily. “To sport a goatee just to stand out isn’t acting; that’s what Naseeruddin Shah told me when he came to Pakistan. He said that if you serve the story well enough your part is projected as unique. Going through a makeover should be a decision between an actor and/or director and should serve the story. My fans think that I am different in whatever roles I have done, and I agree with them.”
Our drama industry may be on a winning streak but Adeel has his reservations, “We are in a state of evolution constantly but are afraid of ratings; television producers don’t want to move away from the tried and tested recipes. They forget that the audience is smart and intelligent; and innovation requires bravery on the part of the producer.”
Adeel looks like an action hero, not a romantic one. “I pray the day comes soon when I can shoot fight sequences. I am very fond of action but the genre will take time to develop here. When it does, I just might produce an action film.”
The actor who almost always plays the good guy on television says he doesn’t have issues playing the bad guy either. “The only drawback is that most bad guys aren’t well-developed in our scripts. I’m excited by an antagonist that has grander concerns and I don’t want to waste myself by stopping marriages, plotting friends’ downfall or divorcing my screen wife. I will embrace the dark side only for something truly grand!”
Adeel doesn’t like to talk about his private life and even then he says that until the release of his first project, he would rather not talk about his other ventures — he is one of the lead actors in Mehreen Jabbar’s Dobara Phir Se. When asked whether he has anything to say to his growing fan base, Adeel smiles and says: “Let’s hope I never disappoint them.”
Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine November 22nd, 2015