Talented, determined, and a heart throb; director /actor Usman Mukhtar is making a million hearts melt, with his amazing performance in drama Anna.
Usman Mukhtar was born on 27 July 1985 in Rawalpindi. Usman Mukhtar began his career as a filmmaker in 2006 and as a theatre actor in 2007, directing music videos and short films as well as acting in many plays before getting his break as a film actor with a role in the 2016 Janaan. He then had a role in the 2018 Parchi, a movie for which he was also the cinematographer. In 2019 Usman starred in the Hum TV drama Anaa, written by Samira Fazal and directed by Shahzad Kashmiri, which marked his acting debut on television.
He loves watching boxing (MMA) and eating doughnuts. He plans to write a book someday about himself, which he thinks he will be calling “Filmmaker the Heartbreaker”.
Playing street cricket and eating the wonderful desert made from roti by his grandfather everytime when he returned fom his borading school are some of his treasured memories.
Simple and honest by heart and soul, Usman Mukhtar admits he has no ideas what ‘LOVE’ actually is. “I don’t think I have ever fallen in love but a strong kind of infatuation does exist. But I’m still waiting.” he admits while talking to PMR.
PMR (ZP): What attracted you to begin a career as an director/actor?
UM: I was in boarding school and there was a trick shop on mall road, where I got witch makeup and stuff like that, so I get those and put them on my face. There was no proper plan to do filmmaking. When Window’s Millennium came, there was a software called Window movie maker, which I used to edit wrestling videos. In 2006 there was Dawn film festival happening. A friend of mine said you should make a film. So from there I started filmmaking.
PMR (ZP): What, in your opinion, is the most important quality in a Film Director?
UM: Creativity, director is the captain of the ship. His job is to take every department of the film together. He has to bring his vision to life. He should know cinematography, sound, and how to work with actor.
PMR (ZP): What was your first movie watching experience as a child in a theatre?
UM: My first movie as a child was Jurassic Park (the first one) My mother took me & cousins to watch the film. Before that I have never seen a movie in cinema.
PMR (ZP): Do you find the process of working with other collaborators difficult or essential (or both)?
UM: I found it essential not difficult.
PMR (ZP): What are you currently working on? Your upcoming projects?
UM: I’m doing some directions, I’m currently working on certain things which I cannot reveal right now.
PMR (ZP): Who is your favorite actor/actress?
UM: Manoj Bajpai, Rahat Kazmi, Zia Mohyeddin Sahab.
PMR (ZP): Which character was the toughest for you to change into?
UM: I did a theatre play back in 2009 called “The Producers” and I had to deliever dialogues in a high pitched voice in a New York accent. That transformation was little difficult.
PMR (ZP): Thinking back over your career to date, what has been your greatest achievement as an director/actor?
UM: As an actor I think “Anaa”. And as director I would say my short film “Aasiqui”.
PMR (ZP): What sort of acting roles will you be seeking in the future?
UM: I would be choosing roles that kind of challenge me and that are different from each character that I have played so far. Also I’m looking to do some serious stuff rather than comedy right now.
PMR (ZP): In which area would you like to improve as an actor/director?
UM: I would like to improve as both. To succeed in any thing in any field, you have to keep learning,the more open you are to learning new things, the more successful you became.
PMR (ZP): Who is your role model, and why?
UM: My grandfather, he was a lawyer. He stopped practicing law and started giving free legal advice to people who couldn’t afford it. That really thought us compassion.
Usman Mukhtar’s recent Pakistani Drama Anaa is being aired on Hum TV EVERY Sunday at 8pm PST. Anaa is produced by Momina Duraid under the banner MD Productions. Anaa also stars Shehzad Sheikh, Hania Aamir, and Naimal Khawar.
The interview was conducted by Zaianb Pervez on behalf of PMR
