Huma Nawab, a veteran actress who gave us many masterpieces like ‘Aahat‘, ‘Nijaat‘ and ‘Chand Ghiran‘ in the golden days of PTV, took a 14 years hiatus leaving us deprived of her utter grace dominating our tv screens. However, she came back to give us more hit projects like ‘Mah e Mir‘, ‘Deedan‘, ‘Yakeen Ka Safar‘ and currently we are watching her in ‘Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay‘ as Aswad’s (Usman Mukhtar) mother.
We had questions and in an exclusive interview with FUCHSIA magazine, she answers all of them! Here’s what we asked her.
What Prompted Her To Leave The Industry?
According to Huma Nawab, she never took acting too seriously, in the sense that she did not want to act as a necessity. She wanted to do it for her passion, as something that comes from her heart and not as a job.
“I left because I wanted to enjoy my independence which I couldn’t in Pakistan.”
Secondly, she chose to go to the US because she wanted to enjoy her independence which she felt she couldn’t anymore in Pakistan. There were a lot of security concerns in the country and she felt she couldn’t even step out of the house with her friends without people staring. She felt unsafe.
She went on to say that she was also a little disheartened by the scripts being offered to her and the industry situation at that time.
Why Did She Feel The Need To Go On A Strike For Privatisation?
Not many people know that Huma Nawab was one of the first people to go on strike for privatization.
“Actors were bound to one project for 3 months and they couldn’t work anywhere else.”
When asked why she felt the need to do so, she said that there weren’t many actors in the industry, which contributed to the fact that they had to commit to one project for 3-4 months, which she wasn’t very thrilled about.
Moreover, she stated that the salary during that time wasn’t too bad but, it also wasn’t enough for an actor to survive in comparison to today’s day and age.
Has The Content Changed?
Huma Nawab feels that all content nowadays has become quite similar. She urged writers (especially female writers) to stop writing scripts that involve women being abused. Nothing positive comes out of it, she said.
“This is negativity affecting our content. What’s the point of showing abuse? There is no point.”
Moreover, she stated that our content is cliched now. From uttering the same dialogues to showing the same breakfast table in every drama, there is no context!
“What is the point of saying ‘aap fresh hojayein, mein chaaye lekar aati hoon‘ in every drama? How long will this go on for?”
How Were Things Like Before?
She told us that before privatization, directors and assistant director were required to have an M.A degree, it was one of PTV’s rules. However, things started changing when the industry started moving towards privatization, people stopped hiring old directors.
Moreover, she stated that directors would ask the writers’ permission if they wanted to change any lines. This, however, is not the case anymore, she feels. Huma Nawab thinks dramas nowadays have unnecessary lines and do not fit the context of the story. She wishes actors today could travel back in time and witness how things were before. It used to be a learning experience, and the overall attitude was very positive as well.
Why She Never Got Married
Those who don’t want to get married, it is not a necessity. Every person is different.
Huma Nawab never married and has no regrets. She says she values her independence too much and if she had married, it would’ve been unfair to her husband, her kids, and herself. When asked if she ever feels lonely, she said everyone feels lonely sometimes but she wants to be free and prefers living alone.
Was There Enough Awareness About Women’s Rights In The Past?
“Uss zamanay mein itni awareness nahi thi.Bandh sa mahol tha aur na itna gandh tha. Abb sab advance hogaya hai lekin mahol aur bandh hogaya hai.“
According to Huma Nawab, there wasn’t enough awareness about women’s abuse in the past, however, more awareness in the present has exacerbated the problem. She feels that the issue of women’s abuse is being highlighted in the media a lot nowadays but, it hasn’t been garnering the attention it should. “What’s the use? Is there an end to it?” she asks.
Why Did She Choose To Do HKKST & How Was It Like On Set?
“It was my dream to do an Umera Ahmed play.”
Huma Nawab had always wanted to do an Umera Ahmed play. Before HKKST, she hadn’t worked for 1.5 years because of covid. She was offered the role via a phone call, she read the script and agreed to do it. According to the veteran actress, she hadn’t anticipated that her character would get so much love from the audience.
She went on to tell us that she and Mahira Khan bonded the most over food on the sets of HKKST because they are both foodies. She also got along well with Usman Mukhtar and Kubra Khan. Huma Nawab had nothing but praises for Farooq Rind, who is the director of HKKST. She says working with him was a great learning experience and reminded her of the old directors of her time.
Catch The Full Interview Here
That brings us to the end of the article. Isn’t it a treat to watch Huma Nawab on screen? Are you enjoying her character in HKKST? Tell us!
