Entering the premises of producer Rafay Rashdi’s house, one is greeted by the man himself. While a welcoming smile ornaments Rashdi’s visage at 7:15 PM – fifteen minutes past the allotted time for the curtain-raiser for his upcoming venture, Badshah Begum – the underlying apprehension of managing an ensemble cast seems to find its way to the surface every now and then. Truly, the cast of this upcoming drama – penned by Saji Gul, and directed by Khizer Idrees – seems to be as promising as it does stellar. However, one wonders if the mix of people works well off-screen as well.
Even by the end of the curtain-raiser, the jury may just remain out on that query.
As the Galaxy Lollywood team is seated in a room adjacent to one with inviting meals, a conversation about the age-old rivalry between the entertainment industry in Karachi and Lahore bleeds into frequent greetings by various members of the production itself.
Actresses Tania Hussain and Hibba Aziz are often spotted together at the event – dressed impeccably – with traces of polite grins on their faces.
Komal Meer, who plays Roshan Ara in Badshah Begum, strolls in at a certain point as well, donning a stunning saari (I told her then, and I’ll say it now – three hours in a saari, with heels – major props).
Filmmaker and media strategist, Shahzad Nawaz, is found conversing with Saji Gul, alongside other members of the media. Newcomers Hamza Sohail and Abul Hassan are periodically seen engaged in conversations, or preparing for their interviews as part of the press junket.
Amongst all this, Zara Noor Abbas, who plays Jehan Ara, walks into the room, meeting every individual, looking absolutely radiant in a black-and-white saari, complete with a gorgeous black blouse.
Though every social gathering may not necessarily need an ice breaker, the abrupt and sudden breaking of a lamp serves as one at this particular meet-up, and chirps of nervous laughter ring through the house. Despite this, the absence of actors Farhan Saeed, who plays Pir Shahzeb, and Yasir Hussain, who plays Pir Qaiser, remains a lingering question for an ample amount of time.
Regardless, ease seems to sew itself into the fabric of the night, and between all the banter, walks in Ali Rehman Khan, who plays Bakhtiar.
Badshah Begum has apparently been a work in progress for years. The perfect vision had to be realized, and despite a tussle behind the scenes with regards to its release and casting, the show is ready to air on March 1, 2022 on HUM TV, in the slot that belonged to the beloved Parizad.
Discussions with the cast shed more light on intimate details, with both Zara and Ali divulging information about the characters, including the character that they would have loved to play, had they not been roped in for their respective roles. Yasir Hussain’s Pir Qaiser, with its shades of gray, seems to be a common favorite.
Momin Ali Munshi begins the line of questioning with Ali Rehman Khan, digging deep for information about the role and the decision to align with the project itself. For Ali, the role of Bakhtiar seems to be an element that pulled him in for the project, where he states that he chose the role himself.
“I like Bakhtiar’s journey,” Ali explains. “He has a lot of shades, and the layers keep coming off and are applied back on. I think that is his strength.”
The generally tired line of questioning during such events takes a back seat as Momin provides Ali with a list of possible statements that actors utilize to justify working on a particular project. Instead, a preferential ranking method is used to better understand Ali’s decision. For the actor, the script drew him in first, followed by Khizer Idrees’ directorial craft. Rafay’s vision, the choice of role, and the HUM TV factor follow respectively.
Zara, who tries to ask Momin beforehand about potential questions that can be asked, seems to be indecisive about wanting to be asked intelligent queries, or fun ones. However, when it comes down to the discussion, she parks herself in front of a table laden with food, leans against it, and answers each question in a seamless flow.
When asked about how difficult it was to portray a character as unabashed, with nerves of steel, as Jehan Ara’s, Zara laughs and states that it wasn’t too far difficult, to begin with.
“It was not very difficult,” Zara begins to explain, “because I love the entire thing with the dagger and the guns.”
“Mujhe hamesha se bohot shauq tha action karne ka, par action toh nahi zyada kar sakti,” she states with a chuckle. “However, I thought, this is the closest to action that I will ever get – probably right now.”
Talking about the experience, Zara mentions that “work didn’t feel like work,” with her being particularly close-knit with Komal – whom she refers to as her child – and Hamza, in whom she sees a brother.
Momin asks her whether it was difficult playing a character as gray as Jehan Ara, where, in the past, the roles have been more in line with the aura built around the conventional, good woman that many would argue is a worn-out trope. Zara seems to agree, as she states that she was able to portray Jehan Ara due to the fact that she, herself, does not find those purely white characters convincing.
“She’s cuckoo in the head,” Zara states about Jehan Ara, as Momin laughs.
“Sometimes, she does the right thing. Sometimes she does the wrong thing. And sometimes, she doesn’t regret doing the wrong thing,” reveals Zara with a latent smirk.
Tackling the question about ranking the various aspects that led to her playing Jehan Ara, Zara is candid about her preferences. She ranks her role as the first thing that drew her in. Solid script, and Khizer Idrees’ direction are ranked second and third respectively, with Rafay Rashdi’s vision and the HUM TV factor following.
As Zara urges people to watch the drama when it airs, the conversation comes to a close. The air is fraught with equal parts excitement and anticipation, as members of the team wonder out loud about the eventual fate of the show and its reception.
Rafay seems braced for critique, joking about potential headlines with members of the press. However, despite all individuals in his home carrying the weight of varying, diverse opinions, there seems to be a collective agreement on the fact that, if nothing else, Badshah Begum is different.
Perhaps, it is that very element that eventually makes all the difference in the long run. If one is to hope for the best, perhaps Badshah Begum sends reverberations down the spine of the industry, shaking things up for the better. The only way to know with certainty is to experience the show, and as March 1 inches closer, the answer seems to linger on a horizon riddled with possibilities.
