I sometimes wonder what keeps him so calm during the recording of a scene. Faisal Rehman is an enigma when it comes to his long and illustrious career. Whether in films, which he regards as “nothing too great”, or in TV serials, he can teach a thing or two to some of the youngsters and even seniors on how to “link” scenes with consistent performances. In recent times, too many actors are totally inconsistent throughout an episode of a serial; they would excel in one scene while totally botching up the other. It’s nothing to do with pasand napasand, though I admit Faisal has been a personal favourite, along with Ayaz Naik, from the day he started his career.

Nazrul Islam’s Nahi Abhi Nahi was not just a trend changing film; it, in fact, changed the course of movie-making in Pakistan. Young stars stormed the industry. That was the first contribution of Faisal and Ayaz to the feild. Then, Faisal brought to our screen another edition of what Waheed Murad was known for: the triumph of love through sacrifice that can be seen in films like Palkon ki Chhaon Mein, which presented young people and their aspirations for peace and love, though the climax had melodrama. On television, Faisal remained as calm and undertone as he was in most films, apart from a few exceptions. That’s where he excels, though good, meaningful scripts are few and far between. For instance, in a duel with the other Faisal in Maney Na Ye Dil, he kept his cool despite the onus on the Ayesha-Faisal pair. Similarly, he portrayed brilliant work in Mera Raqeeb, with Sajal Aly. Nowadays, he can be seen in a very different persona in Gumrah.