enticing, we circle back to how far the onus for pushing social boundaries and bringing taboo topics to light falls on the actor and director of a drama series. Khan claims that in our current industry actors and directors, every now and then, push the envelope a little further than before but these stories are hard to come by because of a lack of strong plotlines. Khan views the situation as a failure on the part of scriptwriters, who refuse to pen layered characters.“ Our scriptwriters need to understand that even an evil character won’ t be evil in entirety; there has to be some human element to them, something redeeming and relatable. The scripted character is so one dimensional that there is no room to maneuver. I feel like our strongest suit is romances but the second you add an extra element to the romance even some of our most acclaimed writers balk at creating a more rounded characterization. We have to learn to explore the shades of grey and only then will we be able to engage the audience better. And beyond that we need young, modern writers who understand the trials and tribulations of contemporary times,” she states. Beyond the writers though, there is a certain lens through which the audience always views their favourite actors. Each actor amasses a loyal following based not only on their onscreen persona but also on their real life avatar, which in itself can be restrictive because toeing the line means that you’ re possibility affecting your fan base. Does Khan, who generally has a very conservative image and chooses to dress modestly, ever feel restricted because she can’ t explore alternate options that might lead to a backlash or drop in popularity?“ It’ s very diffi cult to have to do the same thing repeatedly because you know that’ s how the audience wants to see you. It takes a very courageous actor to refuse to succumb to the pressure and take a stand for roles you believe in. As an actor you have to eventually push the boundaries for the sake of your own growth as an artist. For nearly 14 years I’ ve played characters that I know people have wanted to see but it’ s time now that I portray women that speak to me. I’ m now at the point where I want roles I am passionate about, whether they go with my sweetheart persona or not,” Khan reveals. However, the pigeonholing isn’ t just restricted to the characters you portray onscreen. In Pakistan there’ s backlash even for photos shared on social media or editorial shoots published in magazines. Female actors, more so than males, are subjected to harsh and sometimes even violent responses online.“ I feel sorry for people who lash out at me because they’ re unhappy with who I am playing on screen. As far as being careful about my personal image is concerned, I can afford to play it safe because we do belong to a conservative society and people don’ t really have a progressive mindset. But I fi nd that too less restrictive than having to play it safe on screen,” she opines. The conversation eventually turns to our fi lm industry and its current revival. Is the direction our fi lms are taking ex-
COVER STORY
citing for Khan?“ I’ m very excited,” she says.“ There’ s a lot of passion and energy being invested into fi lms right now which is only natural because we’ re working to rebuild the industry. But you see with fi lms there comes a great responsibility. When people criticize a drama I’ m in I don’ t mind; they can simply fl ip the channel and fi nd a program they fi nd more palatable. But when it comes to fi lms, we owe it to the audience that they walk out of the theatre feeling like their time and money was well spent. So I take my fi lm roles very seriously because people are investing resources to view it,” is Khan’ s stance on the matter. Lastly, before she has to return back on set and continue shooting, we briefl y talk about the rise of a new breed of fashion police facilitated by social media and technology.“ First of all, for a lot of these bloggers and self-proclaimed style critics, they don’ t know me or my story. Just because I wear jeans and speak in English doesn’ t take away from the fact that I am a conservative person coming from a conservative background and I’ m not comfortable exposing myself on camera or in real life. If someone doesn’ t think I do justice on the red carpet, I really don’ t care for their opinion. These are my values and I will not compromise on them just to make it to a best dressed list. I’ ve been happy with all my red carpet looks so far and I also understand that my style puts certain constraints on designers themselves because there’ s only so much variation they can inject. A repeated criticism I’ ve faced has stemmed from the embellished ensembles I wear to events. Why can’ t I wear embellishment? It’ s what our region is famous for and just because Charlize Theron wore some plain, red gown to Oscars doesn’ t mean that that’ s pinnacle of style. Plus my question is: who are these people sitting behind their computer screens passing judgment on my outfi ts? What are their credentials? Where have they studied style or worked in terms of fashion before stating that my aesthetics aren’ t up to par? It’ s a very single minded approach where we’ re constantly pandering to Western ideals of what is fashionable, whether it ties in with local craft or not becomes irrelevant. I dress for myself, for my body type and honestly for me that’ s what style is about. Furthermore, I’ m not here to be judged on my style; I’ m an actor, judge me on my body of work rather than what I wear to some award ceremony. Social media has given a voice to every idiot – that doesn’ t mean I’ m going to take their words to heart and change who I am over it. For me these judgments by bloggers are trash and that’ s exactly where they go,” she answers. Despite reaching what can only be called veteran status now, Khan still appears to be an unstoppable force; opinionated with a strong sense of direction and an irreverence that is refreshing. We know Jeena will only serve to strengthen her credentials as an actor instead of marking it as her highest accolade.
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