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Person to person with Mikaal
Full of glitz and glamour, the fashion world attracts many people towards it through its visually appealing charms. There are many wannabe models who aspire to enter this field. Some wish to pursue their career in the showbiz world while others just give it a shot to earn some quick bucks. In the end there is literally a handful who leave a solid mark. Mikaal is one such bright young model who seems to be going places these days.
Young, charming, tall and charismatic, Mikaal has successfully created a niche for himself in the Pakistani fashion world within a span of just three years. Though he did not get everything smoothly, still he is one of those few lucky guys who have left a solid mark in an industry which is still in its budding stage.
He looks more like a gora than a typical Pakistani (thanks to his British mom), add some charming boyish good looks and there you have a model to watch out for. But the real strength of this guy lies in his inner self. His inner likability is projected instantaneously on the camera. His offscreen charm can be easily captured by the photographers, which is quite evident in his appearance on screen. But he believes that he has a lot more to offer than just a good looking face and wishes to bring out the talent, which is deep inside him. He is not one of those who came and were history in no time. His recent career graph explicitly shows that he is here to stay for quite some time. After starting off with printshoots, commercials, music videos, etc. he had a steep turning point in his career when he was offered a role in a TV serial.
After breathing the fresh air of acting, he started catching everyone’s attention. The easy going and very flamboyant boy has some really worth mentioning projects in his hand at present including Sakina Sammo’s mega drama serial with Reema and Humayun Saeed. Now he is all set to make his name in the world of drama with his future assignments.
Modelling is not a lifelong profession in Pakistan. People do not seem to give esteem to this profession as they may give to say an officer or a doctor. People still raise eyebrows when they hear anyone’s plans to enter the fashion world. So how does Mikaal feels being a part of such a business?
He says that this is because of our society where this kind of job or anything connected to showbiz is not considered good. He further adds, “we stand no where in terms of fashion industry. It is not at all a thriving business here mainly because most of the people do not accept us at all in the first place”. He wouldn’t be doing photo shoots and stuff for a long time from now on. However, he admits that it has taught him a lot of things specially when, he meets different kinds of people and most of all it has proven to be a solid platform which has transported him to the world of acting. His ultimate goal is to settle down as a good actor. If he gets good offers even in films then he wouldn’t mind. For him this is just the beginning.
Mikaal somewhat feels shy to talk about his qualities. “I don’t want to tell people that I am a model or an actor because it sounds a little vein. There is nothing that great about being a model it’s just the superficial glamour, which makes people, think that we are kind of different people”, he says as he lights up a cigarette. “We are normal people living life the way we want.”
Behind this glamorous face there is another face which reveals the upheavals which Mikaal has faced in life up till now. According to him his teenage years had been a little disturbing mainly because of the separation of his parents. He unfolds his personal feelings in a soft and convincing way and shares thoughts, which are quite common to those hailing from broken families. One instantly gets a been-there, heard-it-before kind of feeling. A complete deja‘ vu.
Although he is very busy with a tight schedule, he feels very lonely and is so eager to tie the knot that he can’t wait for it longer than a year. “I just want somebody to be with me all the time. To hold my hand and give me assistance throughout my life. My relationship with the other person would be the only relationship I ever enter,” says the groom to be.
He also thinks a lot about life, people and different things connected with it. Despite the fact the he did not have anyone to stand beside him to give him warmth and security he doesn’t emerge as a loser at all. No matter how his life has turned out still he is enjoying it to its fullest. He wishes to enjoy certain things later in his life, which he couldn’t get in the former part of his life. It is this happy-go-lucky attitude which makes him such a lively person.
He was quite miffed at a certain award ceremony held recently when he lost the best male model award to the newcomer Ahmed. His reaction was highly justified though. He did maximum number of commercials and print shoots in 2002 and had been the apple of the eye of most of the fashion people of Pakistan but still the winner was someone who had just stepped in on the ramp. He makes a childlike face who has lost an athlete race or the first position in class.
He is reported to be the most expensive male model in town. But he says that models are sometimes not paid what they deserve. He thinks that he is competent enough and can easily dictate the terms. If he feels that he is not being adequately treated then he doesn’t mind walking off that project like any other self respecting person.
If Pakistan has to carve a niche for itself on the global level then all the artists and models need to be first recognized in our own society. Promoting our fashion would be the promotion of a positive and a more accurate image of our country abroad. We need to tell people that we are not an extremist nation but have a lot to offer — a rich culture and heritage.
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