On selecting roles, discovering secret talents and family

The versatile actress has become a household name as she conquers our television screens with powerful performances one after the other. Mehek Raza Rizvi sits down for a candid chat with Saboor to find out more about her aspirations and life in quarantine

You seem to be indulging in old passions in quarantine, including cooking and painting. Are there any talents of yours people may be unaware of?

I make sure I keep my fans aware of my activities during quarantine, so any talents I may discover are shared with them. This is a nice time to explore one’s abilities and indulge in hobbies there wasn’t time for earlier.

Congratulations on Sajal’s wedding. How has you relationship with your sister evolved after she tied the knot?

Everyone knows Sajal and I’ve always been super close, but preparing for her wedding together has strengthened our bond even further. They don’t exaggerate when they say sisters are irreplaceable. Family is everything.

“WE NEED TO BREAK THE TABOO, BECAUSE DEPRESSION IS SOMETHING ANYONE CAN EXPERIENCE AND THE CONSEQUENCES CAN BE EXTREMELY DAMAGING IF NOT DEALT WITH CARE”

What are the pros and cons of having a sister in the same industry as yours?

The pros are evident: you have constant, unconditional support. We comfort each other during tough times, are each other’s number one fans and cheerleaders and always have free, honest advice to offer. On the contrary, I can’t think of a single con. There is no concept of competition amongst family.

You recently posted a note on depression on Instagram. How important is it for public figures to speak about mental health and why is the topic close to your heart?

I think mental health is an important issue everyone needs to take more seriously. There needs to be more conversation centered around it, particularly by individuals of influence to create awareness amongst the masses. We need to break the taboo, because depression is something anyone can experience and the consequences can be extremely detrimental if not dealt with care.

“THIS IS A NICE TIME TO EXPLORE ONE’S ABILITIES AND INDULGE IN OBBIES THERE WASN’T TIME FOR EARLIER”

You’ve proved your mettle as an actress by playing a wide number of characters. What kind of roles and genres excite you most?

Characters that have the potential to leave an impact on my audience excite me the most. I try to take up different roles so I can explore and better my craft with each project. My intention is to bring something different to the table every time I perform. I’m not too fussed about playing a protagonist or antagonist, to me what’s important is that anyone watching my performance should leave with some sort of positive message.  I believe engaging art forms like drama have the unique ability to shape society like no other.

Have you ever found it hard to detach from a complex/intense character?

I’m someone who gets very involved in and immersed into the roles I portray. In order to do justice to my job, it’s important for me to feel each emotion the character may be experiencing, so yes, sometimes it does get difficult to detach from a particularly intense scene.

“I BELIEVE ENGAGING ART FORMS LIKE DRAMA HAVE THE UNIQUE ABILITY TO SHAPE SOCIETY LIKE NO OTHER”

The fame and influence celebrities enjoy, puts immense responsibility on them to use it wisely. Do you ever feel burdened by the constant spotlight?

While the love we receive from fans is extremely heartwarming, it’s also true that being in the spotlight constantly can be taxing at times. At the end of the day, we’re as human as anyone else. From each word that comes out of our mouths, to every occurrence in our personal lives, any decision we make and even the food we eat and clothes we wear—everything is always being judged. As a celebrity it’s important to be careful about how you conduct yourself, because a small mistake can give people a false impression of who you are as a person.

Tell us about your future projects.

There are a lot of interesting projects in the pipeline, but you’ll have to wait and find out the exact details.

SHORT & SWEET

What was the last photo you took?

Of a painting I made

What was the last lie you told?

Told someone I was “on my way” while I was still in my PJs

Last impulsive buy?

Makeup

Your personal style in three words?

Trendy, stylish, minimal

“THEY DON’T EXAGGERATE WHEN THEY SAY SISTERS ARE IRREPLACEABLE. FAMILY IS EVERYTHING”

A habit you have that annoys your family?

Listening to very loud music

Favourite costar?

Kinza Hashmi

Best friends within the industry?

Sadia Ghaffar, Kinza Hashmi and Rubab Ali

Theater, film or TV? 

TV, always

Alternate career choice? 

Painting

Favourite dialogue from a project of yours?

So hard to pick just one

Photography: Jaffer Hasan

Styling: The Emergency Room

Hair & Makeup: Adnan Ansari

Wardrobe: Siddhartha Bansal, Farah Sanjana & Ridhi Sanjana at Vesimi