Photography: Shahbaz Shazi | Hair & Make-up Nabila’s | Coordination: Faisal Quraishi
There is, incidentally, another project that is currently on TV, where Sana stars opposite actor Imran Abbas. The drama Dar Khuda Say (DKS) is airing at the same time as Ruswai, on another channel, but hasn’t managed to create as many waves as the latter. “I suppose DKS may have been more noticeable if it had aired at a different time from Ruswai,” Sana points out.
I let her comment pass, although I have my doubts that DKS, with its generic look, could have instigated any excitement even if it had been slotted for a different time. Like Ruswai, though, this drama also tackles a social issue: work place harassment. Does Sana feel that, after this spell, she needs to take on a role that is completely different? “I’d love to act in a light-hearted love story,” she says, “but I wouldn’t mind a serious role either, as long as there are shades to it. I used to get very frustrated when I would be offered roles of pretty, innocent girls. I started refusing all such offers and, fortunately, now I’m usually asked to play strong characters.”
Her acting prowess also enables her to do justice to these characters. Did it never worry her that she would be without work if she kept refusing scripts? “Of course, no actor wants to sit at home, waiting for work,” she admits. “But I knew that I had to be resolute in order to eventually get the sort of work that I wanted.”
It’s all worked out. Sana’s last critically acclaimed performance was in Khaani, opposite Feroze Khan, where her acting was praised and she had got nominated in the Best Actress category at the Lux Style Awards. Now, a year later, she is making headlines with Ruswai. There have been other ‘speed bumps’ on the way — certain forgettable dramas and a cinematic debut that wasn’t quite at par — but Sana’s career is running strong.
“I’m going to be acting in a movie next year,” she tells me.
And knowing Sana Javed, it’s likely to be one where a powerhouse female protagonist takes over the screen. It’s something that she does well.
Published in Dawn, ICON, November 24th, 2019