Yasir Hussain – Standing tall

With an acting career spanning many years, Yasir Hussain has always been in the news for good and bad reasons. He had a knack for acting since his childhood and made ways for himself to the place where he is today.

“I will not say that I wanted to become a doctor and accidentally became an actor or some senior actor saw me performing and my life changed after that. I always wanted to be an actor. I loved to perform and act; from school plays to theaters, I would not miss anything.”

The skilled actor remained closely associated with Kopycats production who produced some extraordinary plays that too written by an ace writer Anwar Maqsood. The plays in which Yasir performed included one of Anwar Maqsood’s best plays – Half Plate, Pawney 14 August, Sawa 14 August, Siachin, and Aangan Terha.

Yasir’s performance was always electrifying and engaging. The best of his theater performances remembered until now is his role of Akbar which was originally played by the late Saleem Nasir. It would not be wrong to say that the actor actually won hearts with his stellar performance.

The understanding of craft and excellence came not as a gift but it speaks volumes of Yasir’s patience and belief. “There was an NGO where I wrote scripts and directed plays but never got the credit. From designing a complete set with devotion to getting a minor role of a statue that even you would not notice, I have seen it all.”

“I learned from these experiences and never lost heart. I believed in myself and so gradually ways opened and I started making TV appearances.”

Like any other actor, Yasir’s marriage with the actress Iqra Aziz also garnered a lot of attention and criticism as well, but he responds to it aptly by shrugging off what the media has been saying about their marriage. “Now I only have to swear upon GOD that it was neither staged nor Iqra ever knew that I would be proposing her at the award ceremony. I am very happy with her and see everything being positive in my life since she has come in.”

He never shied away from responding to reality and has been courageous to establish a headstrong stance that aims to decry him. I doubted if Iqra has ever asked him to stop commenting on people or their personal life. Yasir disagreed and said that it was never anybody who dictated him to begin or stop writing. “Iqra is never in the picture. Although she has come to defend me quite a few times but I have always asked her not to. She has never asked me to stop or initiate anything. I do what I feel is right. Now since I have stopped responding to social media trolls is because I now don’t care and feel like letting things be as they are.”

Many actors do put their children’s pictures on Instagram and share them on social media with their fans, however, some people don’t welcome it at all and grind their children too while trolling. As now that Yasir and Iqra have an adorable son, Kabir Hussain, I asked him how is his strategy going to be if ruthless people pass comments on him too.

“To be very honest, people have always showered love towards my son. I don’t know why. They might have shown hatred or passed harsh comments on us but when it comes to Kabir they have always loved him. And he is my son, when the time comes he will give it back to him the way he will receive it.”

I first met Yasir Hussain at a movie’s premiere where in between the hustle-bustle of media and celebs we couldn’t talk properly. It took me some time to bring the courage to go to him and initiate conversation as his image has always been of an angry and rude actor who seems to don’t like journalists and anyone around him, basically has a problem with everyone on social media and real life.

“I don’t know why people think of me like that. I might have a straight face but that anyone can have. My image as an arrogant actor is made up by the people who find every act of mine a controversy.”

I seconded Yasir as he is one of the down-to-earth, approachable, and pleasantly garrulous. Upon talking about past controversies, The Lahore Se Agay actor denounced them and called them the truth of the moment which was stirred unnecessarily by the social media and keyboard warriors.

“I have only one controversy to my name and no one speaks about it ever. It was when the Turkish actresses were being hired as models in commercials or brand shoots. I was the one who spoke about it and raised my voice on behalf of all female actresses in my country. This has never been talked about as my other posts become a highlight of the day.”

The versatile actor made his Lollywood debut as Moti in Wajahat Rauf’s film Karachi Se Lahore which was also written by him. He acted in the sequel of the movie Lahore Se Agay. Yasir shared that he has a very good relationship with Wajahat and he loved working with him. However, he is not seen in his upcoming movie Parde Mein Rehen Do.

“Wajahat is a visionary director and producer. He has produced brilliant movies and I have acted in two of them. I also have a guest appearance in PMRD. We all work as a team and that is what matters.”

He also sheds light on the banning culture of the industry and how this is sabotaging the creative freedom that the industry should have “Censor policies should be improved now. We are not living in Zia Ul Haq’s ear. The process should be easy and smooth. Producers are making movies on their own without Government’s support because art is the last or maybe of no concern to them at all. But how long will the producers stand if there is no support from the authorities? Javed Iqbal has been banned in Pakistan but it has reached the UK film festival. I don’t understand what they found in the film that the previous government banned it. But I strongly hope that it will release soon in Pakistan.”

He also said that writers should have the freedom to write and execute their stories. There shouldn’t be any halt or dictation in the creative process. “This stifles the voice of the writer and also brainwashes the audience who then become used to watching Saas Bahu and witchcraft dramas and don’t understand the ideas and stories above those lines, such as Javed Iqbal. It’s not their fault if they say that they will say that Javed Iqbal was tedious and boring because this is how their minds have been trained on TV.”

The actor has headed back to the direction and one of his projects Koyal is currently on-air while the other starring Faysal Quraishi and Zuhab Rana is under the post-production process. Explicating his directorial experiences, he said that he finds it quite fun to direct. “The first thing I like about being a director is that I don’t have to dress up or wear make-up and I am not in a character. But one thing I would like to mention is that there should be an increase in the production value.”

Giving us great scripts such as Chalawa, Yasir is working on a few new scripts which he will share soon. He also joyously tells about his friends in the industry and how blessed he feels having them. “I am friends with almost everyone but to name a few I would like to mention Wajahat Rauf, Sonya Hussyn and Asad Siddiqui.”

From dramas Dareecha to Baandi, Jhooti to Badshah Begum, he has been proving to be a prodigy without concern for the feedback and what the critics are writing. He is true to his word and headstrong that is what makes him cherish every moment of his life without regretting a bit.

Self-effacing, bold and crape demist, Yasir Hussain continues to grow as an actor as well as a person, he is a force that keeps going stronger.

List Box

Yasir Hussain dramas

Coke Kahani

Dareecha

Kiya Life Hai

Shadi Mubarak Ho

Baandi

Jhooti

Badshah begum

Yasir Hussain’s Telefilms

Family Man

Arranged Shadi ki Love Story

Tum Milay Ho Yoon

Dilwali Dulha Le Jayegi

Aisa Bhi Hota Hai

Dildarian

Zor Laga Kay Haiyya

Photocopy

Band Toh Baje Ga

Help Me Durdana

Yasir Hussain’s films

Karachi Se Lahore (2015)

Lahore Se Agay (2016)

Up-coming movies

Javed Iqbal

Peechay Tou Dekho

Chaudhry