Nadia Khan - Fussy & Ziddy
1. How did you enter into showbiz?
I made my TV debut through NTM. My first cousin and my bhabi were working with NTM which was, in those days, introducing a lot of youngsters as compares and announcers. I was, at that time, a student of class VIII and wanted to become an announcer. I sought my father's permission to appear on NTM - as an announcer - as he thought that young, good-looking and decent girls were appearing on the hannel, which was comparatively different to PTV. One day, I went to meet my cousin at the NTM who was,unlike my father, hesitant at first to allow me to work on TV. I had my screen test done and it was there when a director spotted me.
The next day, I was asked to do some announcement and got a breakthrough. After that I was asked by the director to talk while looking in the camera. I started to talk and talked and talked and did nothing but talked. The program went on air and was well received. Later, my bhabi asked me to work in Farooq Qaiser's Daak Time.
Initially, there were two compares, myself being the second one whose main aim was to look attractive and deliver just five to six sentences.But later on, was asked to do the program with Uncle Sargam only and that program made ran for 63 episodes. I learnt a lot from Farooq sahib during DT and that can be judged from the fact that in the latter episodes, we did the announcements without even a script!
Daak Time was a hit.
2. Why did you then go to radio later on?
After DT, I did some work at radio because experienced people advised me to do so. They thought that my voice was good for radio. My vocal capability did get better after working for FM.
3. What brought you to acting…who offered you role in a drama serial…?
Haseena Moin. One day, in 1995, I got a call from Haseena Apa. I was not at home so I couldn't believe it at first but when she called later and offered me a role in Pal Do Pal, I was simply stunned. I couldn't believe my luck as everything was happening so fast. She came to my house and got permission from my parents. That is how I entered acting. For six months, I shot for PDP and when the play got aired the next year, people liked it.
4. How would you rate your debut performance?
My debut was better than expected. I was very lucky to have had Mohsin sahib (Mohsin Ali) and Haseena Apa in my very first serial as director and writer respectively. I was not very sure if I could act. But after doing a couple of episodes, I showed sign of improvements.well that is what the seniors told me. I was also lucky to have Asad, Adnan Siddiqui Qazi Wajid as my co-stars.
5. You first did Daak Time, then Pal Do Pal, so why did you compare Lollywood Top Ten - a completely different program. At that time you were travailing in the three directions?
Well, I did Lollywood Top Ten because it was a good, established program and helped me to gain experience. Later I did Bandhan for Tariq Meraj and Manzilain for Faheem Burney and all liked both plays. I also worked in Rauf Khalid's Laag while I played the female lead-in Haseena Apa's Des Pardes.
6. You don't work in long plays. Why?
Mujhe interesting nahin lagte hain kiyun ke un me character establish nahin ho pata hai. I did a long play, Mahrakh for NTM which was a classic-back-in-time sort of thing with songs but now in retrospect when I think of it I simply laugh over it.
7. Lollywood Top Ten was a trendsetter for film-based shows. It was the first of its kind so how would you rate the experience?
For Lollywood Top Ten, I used to go to the stars on the sets, before the shooting, and discuss with them the questions we were going to ask them.Initially, they didn't know what we were doing but when they learnt that we were promoting them, they started to co-operate and it was their co-operation that greatly contributed to LTT's success. Interview lene ka jo art hai woh maine wahin se seekha hai. All the stars have, since that program, respected me and have always helped me. LIT is now Box Office and I work even harder to make it a hit.
8. Which director, in your opinion, has taken the best out of you as an actress?
I never had to struggle for a role because my base was very sound. Mohsin sahib and Haseena Apa discovered my talent and I owe them a lot.They have been very helpful just like Tariq Meraj sahib who gave me a free hand. I even changed the dialogues while working with him but he stayed cool. And the director who managed to take the best out of me was Rauf Khalid . . . he is, in my opinion, a genius. In Laag, he kept telling me, "Nadia, I am not satisfied with your work" and every time I tried my best and he was still not satisfied. My role demanded me to cry my heart out he made me do so and for the first time I felt that I am a director's actress. He is an excellent director and I would like to work with him in the future.
9. You have worked for PTV and for private production houses. Who do you think is doing better PTV or Private production- whom do you feel comfortable with?
I think there is no comparison between the two. PTV is nowhere near the private production houses. In terms of quality private productions are doing much better work. But Bandhan was a hit and it was a PTV project ..... . . Us main PTV ka koi kamal nahin tha. Woh sab artists' aur directors' ki wajah se hua tha. PTV's shooting style is really pathetic . . . red comes out as orange, green comes out in totally different color . . . The crew members look as if they are out to kill you. They look sick and fed up of their jobs. The atmosphere too is depressing there. They know that they would get their salaries on time every month and nobody is going to fire them. So they care a damn about quality .
10. Why does PTV not make drama serials like Tanhayyian, Ankahi Waris etc any more?
Because when these plays were produced, people had no choice.They had to watch PTV and that is what they did. People, with the PTV, worked hard to earn a good name and really put in their best. But now those who work for PTV have a choice - the private productions. They would get big salaries for the same work so why would they work for PTV- What would they get for being loyal to PTV- So most of them now want to work for private productions and who don't succeed in doing so get stuck with PTV.
11. It is said that the younger lot has started to charge too much from PTV and it is also said that their increment has resulted in the increment of the senior's fee as well. Is it true?
I am MashaAllah the highest paid actress and compare on PTV. Why, because I have experience as an actress and am respected by whoever I work with. Also, people watch a play because of me, not because of the director or the producer so I should be paid what I deserve. If I would, suppose, get 2 lakhs for a play, then the director would get 10 lakhs and the producer in millions. So we artistes are justified ourselves in raising our fees.
12. You have worked in many serials shot on locations abroad. How was the experience good, bad or indifferent?
It all depends on the team. Sometimes either the director is bad or some artiste is not co-operative. If the whole team, the director, artistes etc is good, then the product would be a success. But nowadays, if a director makes a play in Dubai, then every other director would go there as it is cheap, you get visas easily and it is not very far away.
13. Have you received any offer from Lollywood?
Yes from nearly every director I have come across. The most persistent of them have been Syed Noor, Nasir Adeeb and Sangeeta. They said that on one hand, I talk of a change in Lollywood while on the other I don't want to work in a film. Noor sahib even offered me a decent, without cheap dialogues and no dances role but I did not accept because first of all,my family would kill me and secondly, I will never feel comfortable working in movies.
14.Your opinion about Lollywood lolitas?
I think that Reema is very nice, intelligent shrewd and according to the demands of showbiz. She knows how to handle you and doesn't let her success and problems get to her head. Meera is a fine model, excellent actress but very immature person. She has taken success to her head and has failed to handle it. Resham is a very nice person being wasted by the industry. She is very photogenic, talented and hardworking. She deserves a lot more than whatever she is getting. Saima is not at all co-operative, us ne jidhar hona tha woh udhar hi hai. . . she is OK but camera shy. The heroes on the other hand are very cooperative be it Babar, Shaan or Momy.
15. Do you think our movies are improving?
No. The cycle continues.after every 100 movies, one good movie is made. Syed Noor is doing a good job despite the tantrums of artistes and less facilities.
16. Which program you have enjoyed the most in your career?
I enjoyed drama serial Manzilain the most and these days enjoy Box Office.
17. What do you think about the PTV awards?
Pakistan main awards nahin hone chahiyen. People are so corrupt that the sole purpose for which awards are given here is to get commercials. If you want to make a fool of yourself, then go and attend the so viewer's awards. It is nothing but a cartoon show. Chahe who film ka ho yah TV ka ho.
18. Do you feel that awards are not authentic?
They have never been authentic. I never attend these poorly managed programs!
19. Do you think that satellite is good for us?
It is very bad for us. Nearly every other program is copied from across the border. I think that we shouldn't lose connection without values and traditions. Music fashion shows, catwalk and glamour is not our piece of cake. We should strengthen our dramas which are our weapon and which has always been our specialty.
20. Do you ever regret joining showbiz?
I would never because it has made me a much better person. You get to know the world, which you wouldn't have had you stayed at home.
21.Why is it that a girl leaves showbiz after getting married? You would do so as you have said it yourself?
If you are getting married to an artist family, then there is no harm but if you aren't, like myself, then you have to because yourresponsibilities increase after marriage. You'll have a house to manage and will have no time for TVs.
22.Who do you think is the best artist around?
I like Reema and Shaan.
23.What kind of food do you like?
Junk food
24.Describe yourself in one line?
I enjoy life and let others live.
25.What are the positive and negative points in Nadia Khan?
I am an easygoing person and not at all shrewd. I hardly fight with any body. In the negative sense, I don't know, but am a little fussy about food and ziddi.
26.What is the difference between Nadia of '95 and Nadia of 2002?
An artist keeps on growing. I think that I have matured with the passage of time and will try to improve with every scene I act in.
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