C H I T C HAT
Pakistanis are not
villains: Sanam Saeed
A
s an actor, singer and model, Sanam Saeed has
indeed walked the walk. Her road to fame has pitstopped almost everywhere, from fashion weeks
and Coke Studio to stage plays like Grease and Chicago
and of course, the television sensation, Zindagi Gulzar
Hai. And just when we thought she might finally have
arrived at her destination, she changed gears for the big
screen with Nasir Khan’s romantic comedy, Bachaana.
Talking to BOOM, she shed light on her very first feature
film experience. Refuting the idea that her character in
the film, Aliya,
was
stereotypically gullible, she
said, “If you have
watched the film,
you will know that
there were many
instances in the
movie where she
actually
saves
Vicky’s
[Mohib
Mirza] life.” While
Aliya may have
come across as a
naïve girl caught in
a tricky situation,
Saeed
claimed
there was more to
her, for she eventually
emerges
as a strong, independent woman.
And that was precisely what convinced Saeed to take
on the project. “I loved Aliya’s curiosity and childlike
fearlessness,” said the actor. “She is funny, confident
and endearing. She may not be the sharpest tool in the
shed but she was spontaneous and brave.”When asked
about her co-star Mirza’s catchy line from the film, “Larki
Pakistani ho ya Hindustani, larki larki hoti hai [A girl is a
girl, whether she’s Indian or Pakistani],” Saeed agreed it
sounds a tad bit confusing if taken out of context. “When
taken out of context, it’s a confusing statement I suppose. But it makes perfect sense when Mohib says it in
the film as Aliya is in trouble at that moment and is being manhandled by kidnappers,” she said, “That’s when
Vicky comes in to save her, tackle the bad men and teach
them some manners.” She said the idea was to convey
that no matter where a woman comes from, she should
be treated with respect. Saeed feels Bachaana also depicted Pakistani men in a positive light, showing them as
reliable and respectful. “Mein Pakistani hoon, aur hum
dhoka nahin dehtay [I am Pakistani. We don’t betray
people],” Mirza says at one point in the film. Reflecting
upon this, Saeed said, “We wanted to convey that Pakistanis are good people. I believe we are and if we don’t
reveal the truth about ourselves, who else will? We are
not the villains the
world perceives us
to be.” Saeed went
on to praise Khan,
saying, “He was very
clear about what he
wanted from us and
how he wanted to
execute the scenes.
With someone as
focused, organised
and passionate as
him, it’s best to focus
on your acting and
let one man paint the
picture.” Not being
involved in the film’s
creative
process,
she hence solely focused on brushing
up her acting skills.
And now, just over a
month after its release, Saeed is already planning her
next move forward. “I will sign up for more stage, films
and TV projects in the future. Although it’s hard to make
time for theatre at the moment, I will continue to do dramas from time to time if the scripts get me interested,”
said Saeed. From the looks of it, it is films that she in
most inclined towards. “Right now, it is a very exciting
time for films,” she concluded.
The daily grind: Sanam Saeed
Deeming Bollywood as the biggest film industry in the
world, Saeed is not hesitant to take on international projects. She will, however, wait until the time feels right.
“Yes, as an actor, I would look into Bollywood but only
when I feel the time is right,” she said.
15 | BOOM