Fawad Khan swooped into Bollywood, perfectly characterised the handsome Disney prince and conquered – the female faction of the audience, at least.

Ask him why he thinks Khoobsurat has been exceptionally popular amongst women and Fawad comes up with the generic reply: “It’s a film that is very well-produced and aesthetically beautiful. The producer, Rhea Kapoor, has a great sense for presentation. I think the movie has been appreciated by all audiences but perhaps women have enjoyed it more because it is a quintessential Disney fairytale.”

His telltale blush, though, shows that he’s just being modest. For Fawad Khan is well-aware of the cataclysmic, hormone-ridden effect he has on women and he plays upon it well.

As Khoobsurat’s Prince Vikram, he smolders on screen, appears shirtless for an itsy-bitsy few seconds (more on that later) and effectively, turns on the charm so well that he leaves his audience weak in the knees.

Here in Pakistan, we were already well-aware of Fawad’s many attributes and now that he’s made it to Bollywood, we’re cheering and lining up at the cinemas. A lot of us also went and bought the pricey tickets for Khoobsurat’s special screening, organised by Fawad in both Karachi and Lahore, in order to raise funds for the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital.

The women jostled and screamed and resorted to fisticuffs for a selfie with ‘apna hero’. Later, at an exclusive red carpet dinner hosted by Lux – a brand currently featuring Fawad in advertisements – the society sirens decked in their diamonds and gowns lined up for a picture with the Khan of the day. ‘Fawadfever’, quite literally, at an all-time high!

But Fawad even has India floored. Surprisingly, the majority of reviews by the Indian press have lauded Fawad’s acting prowess and looks while criticising one of their ‘own’ actress Sonam Kapoor. That’s a first for any Pakistani actor debuting into India. He prompted Shobhaa De to take notice and declare him, in a column, to be “the yummiest, most sinful treat in town”.

How did Fawad manage to win over the Indian press?

Or are they just smitten by that artfully cocked eyebrow?

Khoobsurat’s extensive pre-release promotions led to Fawad being interviewed umpteen times by Indian journalists, a first for the normally reticent actor.

“I think it has a lot to do with how I was very respectful to everybody there. Of course, the journalists there had just seen the drama serial Zindagi Gulzar Hai, only recently aired in India. Perhaps this made them favourably inclined towards me.”

“Now that I am back home, I hope to remain accessible to the press, both here and there. I do give interviews but I am generally media-shy because I am an introvert by nature.”

He doesn’t look it, as he rides the crest of his success – suited in designer-wear, uber-confident, posing with fans, thanking them graciously and exuding absolute star-power.

One hears of Imran Khan having inspired the same sort of hysteria back when he was the young, dashing cricketer. The new, younger Khan in town is just as charismatic.

Amongst his many admirers, though, Fawad has his few detractors – mostly heterosexual men who can’t fathom what the big deal is all about – pointing out that Fawad Khan’s enacted the brooding romantic hero far too many times now.

“Almost every story has a romantic angle to it,” points out Fawad.

“I may have played romantic roles but each character has been different, with his own personality. I played a bumbling idiot in Akbari Asghari whereas Prince Vikram is utterly sophisticated. I have developed my own brand of acting and fortunately, people like it. This doesn’t mean that I have slipped into a rut at all.”

He does, though, look forward to diversifying into newer avatars. Quite the film buff, he talks at length about actors that have inspired him.

“Jake Gyllenhaal lost more than two stones for his role in Nightcrawler; Christian Bale completely transformed himself for The Machinist and then again, for American Hustle. While I can hardly compare myself to such veterans, I do want to go the extra mile in order to personify a character. If this means learning how to dance, I’ll overcome my two left feet and get proper training. If it means gaining weight, I’ll do so. For Khoobsurat, I hit the gym and worked out until I had reduced my body fat down to 4%. I wanted to be very physically fit for the movie.”

So that’s really him, shirtless for a few seconds or is that, as rumours allude, Photoshopped imagery?

“Of course, it’s me,” he says.

It shows too. In sharp contrast to the lean leading man of Humsafar, Fawad Khan today looks broad-shouldered and healthier. He could have easily held his own should the shirtless scene have extended for a longer time – it would have helped at the box office too! – but for the rest of the movie, Fawad remains fully-clothed, albeit in some very fine, suitably princely rags.

“Raghavendera Rathore created the regal wardrobe and he is a stickler for details, much like myself. Abhilasha Devnana handled the more casual clothes. Even Rhea Kapoor was very involved. They styled my look, from the beard to the hair to details like achieving the right fit for my sherwani or adjusting the color of my pocket handkerchief.”

From the styling to the actual shooting, Fawad’s Bollywood tryst was an enjoyable, learning experience. The movie was predominantly filmed in scenic but deserted Bikaner where the caste and crew lived in the hotel that posed as the on-screen royal home.

“We would be together all the time, from having breakfast together, to shooting during the day to playing cards or shooting pools in the late hours of the night. I may have been from Pakistan but the team always made me feel comfortable,” he recalls.

To show Indo-Pak solidarity, he visited the Wagha border along with co-stars Sonam Kapoor and Kirron Kher right before the movie’s release.

“It was an unforgettable experience. Kirron Kher facilitated our route and everybody, from the Indian masses gathered there to the security forces of the Indian army were very friendly. It shows that the rivalry between our two countries is just contrived and doesn’t really exist.”

On that very cordial note, one has heard rumors of him signing on to a big budget Indian movie. Does this mean that he’ll be heading across the border again, very soon?

“I am in talks with many people both in Pakistan and India but nothing’s confirmed yet. I think Pakistani cinema is going through a very exciting time right now, with a new wave of young talent streaming into it and an enthusiastic audience eager to support them. I’d love to be part of it.”

And we’ll be there, queuing up to see him. As the song goes, ‘Abhi toh party shuroo hui hai…”

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Maliha Rehman is a fashion and lifestyle journalist with a penchant for writing, all the time! Log on to Twitter for more updates @maliharehman

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