I play a rich philanthropist orphaned early in life: Rizwan Ali Jaffri dishes on debut film
Having debuted in Sarmad Khoosat's TV serial Paani Jaisa Piyar (2012), model Rizwan Ali Jaffri is ready to dole out his acting talent on the big screen.
In conversation with Images, Rizwan tells us about his latest project Thora Jee Le.
"It's a film about relationships and friendship," he says. "I play the role of Kaizaad, a rich philanthropist orphaned early in life."
The actor didn't need much convincing when it came to the script, he shares.
"A friend of mine has a talent agency, she called me up and hooked a meeting with the director. I heard the script and liked the story."
Since then it has been a "roller coaster ride" for Rizwan.
"It might sound a bit cliché but the whole shoot was a roller coaster ride I'll never forget. Plus, it's my first feature. I put a halt on all other projects to focus on this. We shot for long hours and had a lot of fun. Traveling together and cracking jokes was always fun, we became a small family. The whole experience has been memorable," he says.
Director Rafay Rashidi expands on the storyline of the film. "The story of Thora Jee Le revolves around six friends and how their lives transition from college to practical life. It's a coming of age story. You see them coming back together to catch up and from there go on a journey to relive their friendship and bonds. It's a youth-based heartwarming story that a lot of people will relate to with lots of comedy and entertainment."
When it comes to styling Rizwan's character, much of the input has been the actor's own. "We hired a stylist but luckily for me my director let me have a strong say in how I wanted to portray my idea and vision of Kaizaad in the film. Being a model really helped style my character," says Rizwan.
Speaking of his upcoming projects, Rizwan reveals that he just released his first single 'Mann Jhoomay Jaye' from his second album and has concerts lined up in Houston, New York and D.C. mid-December. He also has another film offer, but he's waiting to see how his debut film does before venturing forth with another film.
Does this mean he'll transition to films? It's too early to say, says Rizwan.
"Our film industry is raw and needs time and investment to grow," he says. "Corporations and governments can play an important role in strengthening this industry. Films are being made and yes, I am getting offers but to say I want to pursue a career [in film] right now would be premature. However, I would love to do more films, explore more of my acting skills. I have done dramas but film has its own joy. I've never seen myself on the big screen and it's something I'm looking forward to."
He has no objections on working across borders, in fact he feels it's a learning experience and would love to be a part of international projects.
"A couple of Bollywood producers are interested in using my songs in their films (sorry I'm not allowed to give details). Let's see how that goes. Hollywood is where I would love to work," adds the model.
As of now the film has completed post production and Rizwan discloses that the release may be in the first week of February. The film also features first-time actors Ramsha and Fatima who will be playing the lead roles in the upcoming project. It has been shot in Karachi and the music of the film has been produced and directed by Suhaib Rashdi, the vocalists are Royal Law and Midhet Hidayat.