As they say, nothing quite succeeds like success. Coming fresh off the heels of the mammoth popularity of Meray Paas Tum Ho, Humayun Saeed recently was in Multan for one of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches when he created a mini-stampede being mobbed by fans as they showered their love and adulation on him. The incident demonstrated the tremendous power of local cinema and television, showing that we now have a legitimate superstar in our midst who not only commands star-power over the multiplex audience but is also the awami hero the hoi-polloi relate with.
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Interestingly, the Punjab Nahi Jaungi star’s assent to unmatched fame is not something that has taken place overnight. Humayun has been working on television since the mid-90s, and since the initial sparks towards revival shown by the Pakistani film industry around a decade back, he has actively worked towards producing films having all-round appeal, bringing in both masses and classes. And as the profile of his films and Pakistani cinema has concurrently risen, so has his star-power.
The career-high the superstar is currently witnessing has been the result of steady work of over two decades – a lesson for many in the field who despite having all it takes to succeed, tend to take their talent and the fame achieved for granted.
A star is born
Not a lot of people know this, but Humayun Saeed began his career in the mid-90s, during a period when there were only a few terrestrial channels in the country. Initially starring in a few plays including the musical Yeh Jahaan, he later found success in Mehreen Jabbar’s Ab Tum Ja Saktay Ho, co-starring Sania Saeed, and Khalida Riyasat, in 1996. Humayun later partnered with Abdullah Kadwani for his own production company. He then went on to star in multiple successful dramas, including Mehndi, Doraha, Kaafir, and Uraan– to name a few.
Humayun’s luck with the film industry
Humayun entered the film industry in 1999 with Samina Peerzada’s Inteha. His negative role as the feudal cousin of the leading lady won him acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Since Lollywood was going through a rough patch, he focused more on his acting and producing career. When the local cinema started showing signs of revival, he produced his first film Main Hoon Shahid Afridi, which was well-received. He later went on to star as the lead in Bin Roye, Jawani Phir Nahi Aani, and Punjab Nahi Jaungi, all of which turned out to be blockbusters. Jawani Phir Nahi Aani and Punjab Nahi Jaungi became two of the highest-grossing films of Pakistan. In 2018 he produced and starred in Jawani Phir Nahi Aani 2, the sequel to Jawani Phir Nahi Aani. The sequel went on to become the highest-grossing film of Pakistan.
Meray Paas Tum Ho
For the first time, Humayun was cast opposite Ayeza Khan in Nadeem Baig’s drama, Meray Paas Tum Ho. The first episode of the drama went on air on 17th August 2019. Though the drama started rather slow initially, it gained momentum after a few episodes and went on to become one of the most discussed dramas of Pakistani history. While the show received its fair share of criticism, one thing that almost everyone appreciated was Humayun’s acting.
His role as the naïve husband-turned-stock-broker earned him unanimous approval from drama enthusiasts all over the world. The show’s finale was released in theaters nationwide where it ran to full-houses over the weekend, and videos showing fans reacting with tears upon the death of the character enacted by Humayun went viral.
A case study
Humayun’s career is a two-decade-long case study in not being complacent and taking the stardom and fan-following he received in Pakistan for granted. This is one star who after working diligently in the industry did not opt for different career prospects to fulfill his personal goals or move on to foreign film-set ups, for which he has been rightly rewarded with even greater stardom. Another factor hugely contributing to his success is his somewhat unique (for a film-star) lack of condescension towards television and most importantly, his grasp over the ground realities of modern show-business, where television, digital, and cinema have almost merged into a new hybrid medium.
Humayun Saeed is set to collaborate with Nadeem Baig, Kubra Khan, and Mehwish Hayat once again with London Nahi Jaunga, set to release in 2020. Needless to say, we look forward to catching our very own homegrown superstar once again.
