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SPOT LIGHT: Sincere as can be
Ayaz Ahmed has an attitude! An attitude that endears him to all and has friends vouching for his sincerity. But is sincerity really enough for him to make a place in the cutthroat world of TV land?
“Honestly, I have no plan as such, you know, like a strategy or something. But one thing’s for sure; whatever I do, be it compering, doing road shows for radio, drama or even directing Sunday brunch for PTV, I do it with utmost sincerity and passion. You can say that I have a passion for all things connected with showbiz. Now that I have been here for quite a while, I cannot imagine doing a nine-to-five desk job. This is my career now.”
So in which field does he aspire to make a name for himself — acting or directing?
“That’s a tough one. I like both the roles really — in front of the camera as well as behind it. You see, we have no academy where we can learn the basics and hone our skills. Everything here is on-the-job, whether it is acting or directing. Everyday I learn something new and by the grace of God, viewers appreciate whatever little I do. Actually, it’s a very humbling experience.”
Ayaz explains his stance at being labelled ‘a funny man.’
‘I have to be surrounded by music as it has a creative influence on me. I do not listen to the latest chart busters. They sound so contrived. These Ricky Martins of the world have a very synthesized sound’
“It’s true that I have a very lively persona on screen but please, I am not a comedian. I am an actor first and hate to be typecast at such an early stage in my career. I have done serious roles as well. In fact, once on FM 100, I was in a reflective mood and my callers wanted me to be myself. Respecting their wishes I did perk up a bit. Now that was some acting. I also know that the viewers like this style, so I have no problems as such, but it is not fair to bracket me in the funny roles department only. I really enjoyed my role in Mehreen Jabbar’s play Park main nangay paon. I think Mehreen is a superb director.”
A graphic designer from the Karachi School of Art, Ayaz is a devout Nusrat Fateh Ali fan and sometimes listens to Bruce Springsteen and Diana Ross.
“I have to be surrounded by music all the time. It has a very creative influence on me. I do not listen to the latest chart busters. They sound so contrived, if you know what I mean. All these boy bands and Ricky Martins of the world have a very synthesized sound. I like raw talent. I listen to Elvis, the Carpenters, Shirley Bassey, Abba, Elton John, Whitney Houston and Olivia Newton John. My all time favourite, apart from Nusrat sahib, is Mukesh and Kishore Kumar. Even when I used to study for my exams, my stereo would be on. My parents thought it was weird but they never gave me a hard time. As long as I got good grades it was all right with them. My family is my strength really. I would not have been here if they were not supportive of what I was doing. You know how irregular and socially questionable our working hours are. And I have never let them down. I live by my rules and know what I can do and what I will never do.”
These days Ayaz has his hands full with Sunday brunch for PTV and Road show for ARY and FM 100. “I will also be directing a sitcom. We are planning for it now.”
How different will his sitcom be from the many we are seeing on air these days? I quiz him.
“The sitcom is a relatively new genre for PTV. And it’s not really fair to talk disparagingly about some of the not so good ones. You must realize that locally, we have no precedence to look up to as far as sitcoms are concerned. In the West, they had the Lucy show and many others to develop their ideas and take notes from. What did we have? Sona chandi and Alif noon? They may be dramatic masterpieces but sitcoms they are not. We need time. Our writers, directors and actors, with the passage of time, will come up the curve and those who won’t will get sidetracked. So you see, we do need our teething period. Despite this, there are people who are doing good work. As far as I am concerned, it’s too soon to blow my own trumpet but I have a very creative and dedicated team so it won’t be that awful.”
What does one need to make it in this field?
“Luck and talent,” comes the reply.
“It is a very harsh and competitive field. Payments are erratic and irregular. Everyone expects you to work for free, and professionalism is scarce. So if you want to join it, you had better come prepared.”
A bachelor, Ayaz calls eating out his biggest predicament.
“It’s a wonder really that I am not fat. But considering the way in which my friends and I pig out, we should all have 40 inch bellies.”
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