Danish Nawaz says he joined television at a time when the Pakistani drama scene was in a state of transition. After the popular Sub Set Hai he went onto win accolades with Roommate. But that’s not it. Danish also has several serious roles to his credit but his USP remains comedy coupled with tongue-and-cheek dialogues that sends the audience into spasms of laughter.

The actor has also evolved as a mainstream film artiste with his brother Yasir Nawaz’s debut film Wrong No. And now with an upcoming project he also ventures into uncharted territory as a writer-director.

“During my days at an engineering university, Azfar called me for a cameo for Sub Set Hai. The feedback was such that Ghazanfar sahib offered me an entire show called Roommate after which the feedback grew and so did work.”

A chip off the ‘ol block, Danish Nawaz has acting in his blood

Did ancestry matter as both his late father and veteran actor Fareed Nawaz Baloch and brother Yasir Nawaz belong to the same profession? “Being Fareed Nawaz’s son is obviously an honour, but having a sibling in the industry is not always beneficial as people usually start making comparisons and leads to unnecessary pressure.”

So where does he draw inspiration from for his impersonations?

“I draw inspiration from common people, people whom we live around. That is also the basic thought behind a very special project called Extras — the mango people.”

Danish says production is most challenging because his brain is not wired like a businessman. “However, acting and direction get even more exciting when there are challenges in it.”

And just how technical is it to do comedy? “I think Zubeida Apa can best name the ingredients (laughs). It is a well-known fact that comedy is tougher than tragedy. It’s not easy to tickle the brain with mere words.”

He voices his thoughts on the present comedy scene, “We had loadshedding issues in the 1990s and we still have them today; our saas bahu were at odds with each other in the 1890s and are still so. I feel as a nation we are progressing very slowly. This reflects on the issues that we portray on screen be it comedy or not. The work today is fine but our channels should encourage new topics.”

How is mainstream cinema different from TV? “Both are public media. In both we desire that the public watch and appreciate our work. Surprisingly, entertaining is slightly easier in film because you have the audience’s full attention, so even a small gesture works, but on TV you have to do more because the audience’s attention is divided and they can switch channels in a jiffy.”

There were rumours that Danish was slated to appear in a Mahesh Bhatt film, to which he adds, “My jism (body) is not good enough to star in a Mahesh Bhatt film!”

But you are writing? “I’m involved in creative thinking and brainstorming. As a screenwriter, I’m working on a comedy flick by partnering with Crew Motion Pictures. For TV, I am continuing my sitcoms.”

How do you rate Wrong No? “Wrong No was the right decision. It was a great learning experience for everyone. Now we are all boosted up, skilled and equipped to make far better films.

“We are at an amateur level. The best thing is that our films have started to earn business. But it will take time. Like new film-makers, the audience is also new. The current scene is great and needs our full support.”

Finally, as a parting shot, he quips, “So, far people have just seen Danish Nawaz’s promo, the film is yet to come … picture abhi baqi hai, dost!”

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, February 14th, 2016