From theatre to Siyaah and from TV screens to producing a film, Hareem Farooq’s career leaps are all about following her heart....

You may have seen her in one of the many commercials she’s featured in. She has also shared screen space with the star-studded cast of Diyar-e-Dil. But Hareem Farooq didn’t quite waltz into the acting just like that. She helms from a family where acting wasn’t considered a career. Her passion for acting didn’t let her pursue a law degree and make a mark in a court room, but she definitely captivated audiences on stage. In person, the damsel is vivacious, optimistic and kind. She mingles quite amicably with everyone and loves her work. She has a notable quality – the power to connect instantly! In a free-wheeling chat with MAG, Hareem confesses how her career is just sailing windward. Excerpts:

You have been a part of showbiz since 2013. Are things going the way you anticipated them to go in your career?

Well… they are better actually. Initially I thought there would be just an average amount of work offered to a newbie, hardly one project at a time. But I’m so happy that my work has been appreciated so much and in almost no time things have progressed like I had never imagined.

You had acted in theatre plays for five years, then you got your first indie movie – Siyaah. What made you make such a leap?

Azfar Jafri, the director and I are really good friends. He had been working on the film for about three years. Since it was an independent movie, unfortunately, he didn’t have many choices. It was hard to convince people to work on it so he had to choose from those who weren’t as experienced. He knew I had done a few plays and approached me with the project. We didn’t take it as a formal movie project; it was just a couple of friends coming together, working on something they were really passionate about.

How challenging do you think it is to act on big screen or television as compared to performing on stage?

Both mediums have their strengths so you can’t compare. Theatre is obviously difficult. You can practice as much as you want but the performance is live. You have to be so expressive that the person sitting in the last row can easily feel what you are feeling. However, television is also no child’s play. You have to give re-takes and bringing those emotions in every scene can get hard. But the biggest advantage theatre has is that it opens up a person physically and vocally. Everyone who is serious about acting should perform at theatre at least once!

In your very short career, you have already played a protagonist and an antagonist. Which type of characters do you prefer?

Can you believe it? (laughs) My very first role was a negative one and a lot of people told me not to start my career with something like that. They thought I’d be typecast. But I think it’s almost impossible to avoid the seedhi saadhi mazloom girl characters in our industry so I knew I could always get my hands on them later. I definitely want to experiment but I’d really love to try a strong, bold character. But I’m afraid that our audience isn’t very receptive to such characters.

Do you plan every aspect beforehand to make the role believable or are they tailor-made?

Yes… the roles have been quite tailor-made for me so far. There isn’t much room of character building for a female lead in our dramas. But I do consider if alterations are needed in my appearance, body language or manners. Also, I readily agree if a director asks me to do something for the role.

Tell me about your experience working on Siyaah and Diyar-e-Dil, your biggest projects yet.

Siyaah was more like a friendly venture. Osman Khalid Butt has written the screenplay and Azfar worked on the script. I was doing a play at that time so we would gather at a friend’s house to shoot where his mom would be feeding us all the time! We never took that film as a ‘working project’. For Diyar-e-Dil I was in Skardu for about three months. It was surreal! The place is so beautiful… I’m short of words. Sometimes I would just stop in the middle of the scene to look around in admiration (laughs). There was no cell reception, no internet or television, but we survived. It was just nature and one-on-one interaction – extremely rejuvenating!

What other projects do you have in the pipeline?

I am extremely busy these days with the production of two movies as Reham Khan has joint ventured with my company, IRK Films. As for my acting projects, I’m still choosing. For now, I just want to focus on producing the first movie. But in the second one, I do have plans to act.

Any message for your fans, your followers?

Just keep your intentions pure and be honest to your work no matter what or who you are! Hard work, consistency, positivity and honesty are the main ingredients for success! Never let anyone tell you that you can’t! Because if you decide that you can, you will! And yes please, have faith in God!

ONE-ON-ONE

The scariest moment? When I did Angan Terha and found out that Bushra Ansari was in the audience!

First celebrity crush? Rahat Kazmi (blushes)

Favourite co-star(s)? Adnan Siddiqui, Fahad Mustafa & Ahsan Khan

Favourite actress? Madhuri Dixit

You won’t mind getting stuck in a lift with? Anyone. I’m a curious person!

If you were stranded on an island? I would want to keep listening to music and maybe want my friends to visit.

Craziest fan encounter? I went to this distant relatives wedding and as soon as I finished meeting the family, I noticed the stage was empty and all the aunties had gathered around me asking ‘tum Mausam wali ho na?’ (laughs)

Your most annoying habit? I’m bad at texting and using the phone in general

If you could change something about your appearance or personality? I need to have more patience and I definitely want to fix the bump in the bridge of my nose

Fool proof way to win your heart? Make me laugh

Ideal man? Tall and honest, with a good sense of humour

You would get married once… I have done enough work for television.

You would never forgive? If someone tries to take advantage of me and cheats on me

You’re superstitious about? I believe in negative energies. Whenever I share my plans with someone, it gets jinxed.

A project you wish you were a part of? Queen

The secret to those lush locks? Regular oiling

How do you manage a good skin? I take off the make-up as soon as the shoot ends.

What’s your workout regime? I read one of the books from Rujuta Diwekar, Don’t Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight, which was a great help as it taught me that the amount and timing of the food matters.

Someone you’d never refuse a project with? Hassan Haseeb (Dir of Diyar-e-Dil), Azfar Jafri (Dir of Siyaah)

If you were not an actor, you’d be? A lawyer