One thing the Pakistani drama industry is abundant in is its TV dramas and as much as we love the plethora of dramas hitting our screens every season, we can’t help but be more impressed with the ones which aim to break stereotypes. One such drama is Khuda Mera Bhi Hai which talks about raising intersex children and how they are treated in our society.
The drama and its reviews took the social media by a storm as for the first time, the taboo topic of this marginalized group was being talked about.
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Recently, Something Haute got into touch with Furqan Qureshi, the boy who plays the role of an intersex character. The star gave an insight into his role and how he feels about.
Furqan used to come in a show called Dreamers where he played a problematic young adult. And now, he plays the character of Noor, the intersex boy in Khuda Mera Bhi Hai.It would be an understatement to say that he has acted well because, in fact, he has acted brilliantly.
While talking to Something Haute about his transformation from the problematic youth in Dreamers to his role in Khuda Mera Bhi Hai, Furqan had to say:
“I was the cool boy, I thought looks didn’t matter if I could act…but in reality it’s the wrapper that sells in our industry, even if there is shit inside it.”
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Furqan apparently got involved in actind due to financial troubles:
“I had no money back then to look good, but the struggle and hunger made me realize how important looks are in my career.” He added that “acting is a cheap escape for people like me,” and “When actors say they do this to make people smile, it’s a lie.”
Furqan also expressed his initial thoughts regarding the consequences he would face for playing an intersex boy:
“I thought I would have to act like a stereotypical khusra; I refused to cross-dress or act like a woman.I was worried about the stereotyping that would come with this role, people questioning my orientation etc, but I had nothing to lose, I’m not Shahrukh Khan!”
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Furqan also highlighted that he feels that this might be his big break but his previous good performances have gone unnoticed because they were not associated with big banners like ARY.
While speaking about the message and cause behind a drama like Khuda Mera Bhi Hai, Furqan had to say:
“I was too cool to care about their (the trans community’s) problems.”
Upon researching on the topic later, he got to know and realize the seriousness of the identity crisis faced by these people in our society. He discussed the marginalization they face and are given no chances to improve their situation.
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“When it comes to gay people, they are still more accepted at least in our industry. Like no one would care if I was gay and I was the boss and had someone working for me. But these people aren’t even given the chance to work anywhere.”
When questioned about the preachy style of the drama, Furqan had to say that the show is message oriented instead of being preachy and that the content needs to be outright so that the masses understand it.
Furqan Qureshi surely sounds like an enlightened actor and we can’t help but become a fan!
