'I was never a star kid': Ahad Raza Mir on having a famous father and nepotism

Ahad Raza Mir has been spending time in the UAE, as we know from his social media feed. He did some posing, some jet-skiing with the wife and he admired the architecture.

He then made time to appear in an interview with Emirati YouTube host Anas Bukhash on his show ABtalks.

Here are some of the main takeaways from his chat:

He's in a floating state of mind

"I'm floating. I'm going with whatever is happening; instead of things being planned out and organised, whatever is coming my way, I'm like I'll just float with it," said Ahad when asked about his current state, especially in the backdrop of the pandemic.

"I'm usually someone who likes to know what is going on, likes to know what I'm doing next week [...] but everything right now is so fluid, you don't know about tomorrow [...] or the next few months."

Identity was an issue growing up

"I don't think anyone has ever asked me about my childhood," started the actor when questioned. "It was hectic in some sense because I moved a lot between Pakistan and Canada, a lot of travelling in the middle. Sometimes identity is a big challenge."

"Most of my childhood was spent in Canada. My father [Asif Raza Mir] was an actor but he kept me away from all this stuff. So when I moved back to Pakistan in 2009, I had no idea what that world was," shared the 27-year-old. "So identity becomes a confusing thing to grasp."

He was never a 'star kid'

On why his father shielded him from showbiz while growing up, he said: "I don't think he wanted me to feel special; he wanted me to live my life, not be influenced."

"There could be a 100 reasons why he did that, maybe so that it doesn't get to my head.

"People back home have this idea that I'm a 'star kid' but no one can say that to me. And no, I'm not an actor because my dad was an actor. A) I didn't know my dad was [an actor], B) I went to university, I studied, I worked professionally in Canada for many years and I was fortunate when I came to Pakistan that my career started doing well.

“There are doctors whose kids become doctors, there are generations in the army and generations in politics, no one says anything but as soon as a kid starts doing a little well, they say nepotism."

"Not really man," he said in disagreement. "I'm working hard."

He wants parents to let children chase their dreams

"I never understood why a lot of parents from the Asian community put pressure [on kids] to become lawyers, doctors, engineers — and that upsets me. Because the people who want to be artists, actors, singers, painters, dancers [...] you're taking them from the world.

"Those could be gifts you're giving to the world, you're not letting them pursue what they want to do."

"I went to business school for a while and then I said no, I want a drama degree and that changed my life," revealed Ahad.

He's super close to both parents

"I think one of the most important relationships in my life is the one with my parents. Maybe I'm too close to them," he said laughingly. "My mom is my best friend [...] it's not formal with my dad but there is that respect. I'm good friends with my dad too."

Love is acceptance

"Love is not forced, it just is," said Ahad when asked about love. "Part of it has to do with acceptance; people are they way they are. For example, your direct family, there is nothing you can do to change them. Love is that acceptance of who somebody is."

When asked to describe Sajal in one word, he answered "feisty". We have a feeling she'll be fine with that!

You can watch the whole interview below.