Lately, Pakistani cinema, in addition to producing diversified films, has produced diversified faces as well. Names such as Kiran Malik, Sonya Husein and of course, Hajra Yamin have given aspiring actors and actresses the much needed hope for their future. At the same time, it is, indeed, great to see so many theater and television actors entering Lollywood. Amidst this massive transition that the industry is currently going through, there is a new name that has arrived on the scene; Hajra Yamin. The frizzy haired actress of Man Jao Na fame (even though hardly 20 people know about the movie), sat down with us for a candid conversation and here’s what we found out about her previous and upcoming projects including ‘Pinky Memsaab’.
Hajra Yamin isn’t thinking too far for now. She is happy soaking in the adulation, for the time being. Articulate, passionate and intelligent, Hajra’s candour and belief in herself are refreshing and inspiring, to say the least.
Hajra is the youngest among her siblings. She majored in Communications and Media studies and then came to Karachi for a theater play. Later, she stayed back to try out her luck in TV and films. She was quickly noted on TV for her role in ‘Tau Dil Ka Kia Hua’. Soon after, she succeeded in bagging her first film with Aabis Raza – ‘Maan Jao Naa’. The film, unfortunately, failed to engage the critics and audience on account of its pitiable storytelling and sloppy performances, backed by poor dialogues and forgettable music. Despite everything, however, Hajra is determined to remain versatile as a performer, instead of just being recognized by one particular genre.
While talking to Galaxy Lollywood, Hajra Yamin also revealed some rather juicy secrets on ‘Maan Jao Naa’ biting the dust, “it wasn’t my best work as an actor. It happened all of a sudden, I was approached by the makers so I just went with the flow and said yes.While filming, however, I felt terribly lost, having no clue whatsoever as to how things are done in the industry.”
Hajra is a trained theater actress. According to her, even though her transition to cinema has been organic, she still feels at a loss from time to time.
As our conversation steered towards her work portfolio, I asked Hajra if it was a conscious move on her part to take up unconventional projects like Pinky Meemsaab to which she replied, “Yes, it was a bit of a choice on my part. My work is sacred for me and I have fought my entire life for it. The idea has always been to do roles that have a unique voice and perspective. I try not to walk the beaten path and have always tried to do things in a way that suit me and what I feel is the right thing to do. And it’s always good to keep challenging yourself, and pushing your boundaries.”
“I have transformed myself on-screen for Pinky Meemsaab. One cannot see any traces of Hajra in Pinky. It’s important to be real and be truthful with your work. Screw the fact that you should look beautiful, just be real. For any actor, that’s the biggest achievement and I hope the audience will appreciate the diverse work that I am hopefully going to do in my career here onwards,” added Hajra.
The 26 year old Hajra is of the view that our approach towards cinema has transformed a lot over the years. Times are changing. Gone are the days when small budget projects were neglected and films with lavish profiles, item songs and eye catching foreign locations used to attract people.
“I feel that parallel cinema and commercial cinema have their own spaces and it’s unfair to compare the two. Lollywood is going through a transition phase and is still experimenting with its content. In the last couple of years, we have seen some good parallel cinema films come out that have been applauded both by the audiences and critics,” said Hajra.
Towards the end, Hajra mentioned that there are two things that Pakistani industry really needs to work on; their pre-production work and their discipline. She believes that her upcoming film ‘Pinky Meemsaab’ will cater to people from all walks of life.
Galaxy Lollywood wishes Hajra and the entire team of ‘Pinky Meemsaab’ the best of luck! It releases in Pakistan on December 7, 2018.
