7 actors who are criminally under-rated

The Pakistani entertainment industry has given us a plethora of stars in the last two decades, and many have turned into household names that the fans can’t help but love. However, amidst the many that have now become a part of our daily lives, there are some who have been doing consistently well but aren’t given enough credit for it.

For any industry to grow, the need for talented blood to be at the inventive forefront of it all is critical — something which the entertainment industry in Pakistan is learning – opening its arms to unconventional heroes, judging them based on their talent rather than just looks. This is why we’re sharing with you our pick of artists who we think are criminally underrated and deserve a lot more love, screen-time and lead roles!

1. Samiya Mumtaz
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A strong actress who has been proving her prowess time and again with every project she signs: be it dramas like Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi and Udaari or a film like Dukhtar, or a web series where she played the mastermind behind the biggest twist in Qaatil Haseenaon Ke Naam, she has shined the brightest! The actress has always been very wary of accepting any roles where she feels that the character offered to her is spineless and silently complies with whatever others decide for her. Even in roles where her character is hard done by fate, she has only taken on the role if her character has strength, a set of principles, and the resilience to snub societal expectations and take independent decisions, whatever the cost. And it is with roles like these that Samiya Mumtaz has carved a niche of her own to empower her gender and we love her for it!

2. Saleem Meraj

He’s given decades to the industry and throughout his career, Saleem Meraj has proven he’s an actor par excellence. His range has no comparison, be it in a villainous role or in a heroic side role, the actor has redefined himself multiple times. Meraj is no stranger to the world of dramas, from his stint as Sikander in Pehli Si Muhabbat playing an obsessive lover bent on avenging his love to being one of the greatest villains in web series Qaatil Haseenaon Ke Naam where Meraj weaves a helpless situation for a young girl who he plans to marry to him playing multiple roles in the upcoming web-series Naina Ki Sharafat. Whether it’s his acting abilities or his overall calm demeanour, he’s an actor who has proven his skill set with each stint that he’s done.

3. Junaid Khan

An actor who has quite successfully ventured from music into acting, Junaid Khan has seen his fair share of success, and can most definitely be a great choice for more lead roles! He can act, he can dance, he can sing and he’s got the looks for it! Pair him with any leading actress in the industry and it’ll be a duo audience would swoon over. His acting skills have shined bright in shows like Kashf, Berukhi,  Khuda Aur Mohabbat 3, and now with Kahay Dil Jidhar bringing to light his versatility as a film actor, the man has come a long way and deserves every bit of attention there is out there.

4. Adeel Hussain

Adeel Hussain comes across as one of the most talented actors in the new age of Pakistani cinema, something we witnessed in Asim Raza’s Ho Mann Jahaan and in Mehreen Jabbar’s film, Dobara Phir Se. With a number of remarkable performances in multiple TV serials and two films under his belt, he’s one true star that the local film and drama industry can count on in the coming years. He has easily become an actor whose choice of roles have given him his own niche. Adeel Husain is yet another underrated actor who deserves far more screen-time than he’s given. If his roles in successful shows like Aakhir Kab Tak, Jackson Heights and films like Bin Roye are anything to go by, then we definitely think he has much more to show us and we’re excited to see what he has in store for us!

5. Faryal Mehmood

Faryal Mehmood has proven time and time again that she can act but is yet to get the critical acclaim that she deserves. If her acting in dramas like Raqeeb Se is any proof, we think she’ll have a more powerful future if given the right scripts, from her dialogue delivery to her expressions and her unapologetic self, Mehmood has definitely been an understated actor to recently make it big.

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6. Saboor Aly

She might have a sister whose career chart will always be compared to hers, but Saboor Aly has proven her prowess and has started to carve her own niche with a myriad of roles she’s convincingly played. With a role as iconic as Bubbly in Parizaad, Saboor has proved that she’s just as good as her sister if not better and deserves way better scripts. From making audiences hate her character in dramas like Fitrat and the currently on-air Amanat to the chirpy Bubbly, Saboor is a force to reckon with and we’re hoping to see her shine as an individual!

7. Sarmad Khoosat
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Talent like Sarmad Khoosat’s is rare, and a film like Manto further goes on to prove it. Not only did the actor direct this film, but he also essayed the titular role with all his might. And while he’s a big director, he’s still underrated for an actor who has given a lot to the industry. His acting skills were definitely put to test in the film, and he aced it by giving us a Sadat Hasan Manto that you couldn’t help but love and hate at the same time. His live performance, No Time To Sleep, gave a harrowing and deeply disturbing account of the last 24 hours in a death row prisoner’s life and he nailed it to perfection living every emotion, feeling it all that we think it will go down in history as his most challenging performance ever. His role in the drama Pardes also moved the audience to tears, torn between wanting to be a good husband, a good father and a good son, Khoosat is an actor we would love to see act more!