There are many Pakistani actors who refused to be part of dramas that ended up being really popular. In the beginning, most actors work in whichever dramas they are offered. As their career progresses and they make a name for themselves, they are in a position to refuse scripts that do not appeal to them. Of course, there must be so many actors who might have rejected different scripts but very few have actually talked about it. Most of the time when actors refuse to play a certain role, they choose not to talk about it in public. However, there have been instances when the production houses themselves informed the viewers that a certain actor was the first choice for playing that role. It is interesting to note how different these dramas and characters would have been entrenched in people’s memories had these actors not rejected these scripts.
Here is the list of those Pakistani actors who refused popular dramas and talked about them. Most often when actors reject a drama, they don’t always talk about it.
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Faysal Qureshi (Hamsafar)
Faysal Qureshi was the first choice for playing Asher’s role in Hamsafar. After reading the script he wasn’t too impressed therefore he decided not to play the role. Faysal Qureshi loves playing challenging roles, he likes variations in the characters he plays therefore he found this script to be too plain. In an interview, Faysal also shared that he finds it really difficult to romance on screen. Perhaps, that was another reason why he refused to play Asher’s role. It was only after Faysal Qureshi rejected the role that Fawad Khan was offered it. Hamsafar went on to become the most iconic dramas in Pakistani drama history. Fawad and Mahira’s on-screen couple also became a massive hit. Imagine how it all would have turned out has Faysal Qureshi accepted the script!
Sonya Hussyn (Mere Pass Tum Ho)
Sonya Hussyn was the first choice for playing the role of Mehwish in Mere Pass Tum Ho which was later played by Ayeza Khan. The producer of the play Humayun Saeed shared in an interview that initially he wanted to cast Aisha Khan in the role but she got married and left showbiz. Sonya Hussyn was the next choice for playing the role. Sonya however refused to play the role because she did not want to play a character that portrayed a female in such negative light. Mere Pass Tum Ho was a massive hit but Sonya does not regret her decision at all. She shared in an interview that her decision was well-thought-out therefore she is happy that Ayeza did justice to the character.
Fawad Khan (Bin Roye and Mata-e-Jaan)
Bin Roye is the only Pakistani film that was also shown in the form of a drama serial on television. After Hamsafar, Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan’s on-screen jodi became a massive hit, which is why Fawad Khan was the first choice for playing the role of Irtiza in Bin Roye. Fawad Khan was busy with his projects in India at the moment therefore he rejected the offer. Humayun Saeed played that role then and Bin Roye turned out to be a popular drama and film.
Fawad Khan was also the first choice for playing the role of Ibad (Aabi) in Mata-e-Jaan Hei Tu. This was another drama written by Farhat Ishtiaq, the writer of Hamsafar and Bin Roye and the producer was the same as well. Yet again Fawad could not be part of the project because he was not in the country and could not get the visa on time.
Feroze Khan (Mere Pass Tum Ho)
Humayun Saeed, who was also the producer of Mere Pass Tum Ho offered Feroze Khan the lead role of Danish in Mere Pass Tum Ho which he later essayed himself. Feroze Khan in an interview clearly stated that he was not very fond of Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar who wrote the script for Mere Pass Tum Ho. Feroze also shared that he did not like the writer because in his opinion he was too proud. When the role was offered to Feroze Khan, he quoted a certain amount he wanted for the role and that hurt the sensitivities of the writer. Feroze said that Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar takes pride in the fact that people beg to work in his drama so perhaps his pride was hurt when Feroze wanted a certain amount for playing the role and did not take the opportunity without any demands.
Hira Mani (Dil Ruba)
Dil Ruba is a popular Hum TV drama that aired in 2020. Kashf is another drama which is aired Hum in the same year and was a big hit as well. Hira Mani played the leading role in the drama serial Kashf and Hania Aamir played the lead in Dil Ruba. In an interview, Interestingly enough, Hira shared that she was given the scripts for both these dramas simultaneously. When she read Dil Ruba’s script, it did not appeal to her therefore she rejected it. Hira said that she wants the characters she plays to be different from each other and they should contain some meaning or message for the audience. Had Hira Mani decided to play the leading role of Sanam in Dil Ruba, Hania wouldn’t have been playing the role.
Mahira Khan (Kankar)
Mahira Khan had the option of choosing between Shehr-e-Zaat and Kankar. Both these drama serials were written by Umera Ahmed and were being produced by MD Productions. Mahira Khan wanted to do something entirely different from Hamsafar therefore she asked the producer Momina Duraid who is also her friend to help make this difficult decision. Momina Duraid advised Mahira Khan to do Shehr-e-Zaat and that is how Sanam Baloch got to play the leading role of Kiran in Kankar. Otherwise, it could have been the other way around perhaps, who knows. Mahira Khan definitely had a tough choice ahead of her but she made the right one.
Sajal Ali (Khuda Aur Mohabbat)
Khuda Aur Mohabbat 3 is one of the grandest dramas we have seen in recent times. Iqra Aziz is playing the leading role in the drama alongside Feroze Khan. Many people might not know that Iqra Aziz was not the first choice for playing this role. Sajal Ali was offered this role initially but she refused to do it. In a live session on Instagram Imran Abbas revealed this and Sajal merely remarked that she would have taken up the role had Imran Abbas been playing the lead with her in the drama. We are all well acquainted with Feroze Khan and Sajal Ali’s past relationship therefore it is highly likely that Sajal refused to be a part of the drama due to that reason.
Ahsan Khan (Haiwan)
Ahsan Khan is one of those actors who are seen playing all kinds of characters. Ahsan took experimentation to a whole new level when he starred in a negative role in the drama serial Udaari. Although this role was pure evil the viewers were captivated and impressed by Ahsan Khan’s remarkable performance. This is the reason why he was offered to play another similar character in the drama serial Haiwan which was later played by Faysal Qureshi. In a recent interview, Ahsan Khan revealed that he did not want to be typecast therefore he refused to be a part of this particular project.
Ayeza Khan (Ishq Zah-e-Naseeb)
Ayeza Khan’s name guarantees ratings. Every drama she is a part of is an instant hit. However, it would be safe to say that Ayeza Khan has barely taken up any challenging roles. Perhaps that is the reason why she refused to play Shakra’s character in the drama serial Ishq Zah-e-Naseeb. Ayeza Khan, herself never talked about the offer but Yumna Zaidi in an interview revealed that this drama was offered to Ayeza first but she refused to be a part of it. This was a difficult character to play and perhaps one that Ayeza did not feel comfortable translating on screen.
Neelam Munir (Ishq Zah-e-Naseeb)
Neelam Munir joined the drama industry at a young age and she has been part of many popular dramas. She has also lately done films. In an interview, Yumna Zaidi revealed that the character she played in Ishq Zah-e-Naseeb was offered to Neelam Munir as well. When Yumna found out that Neelam had refused to play the character, she was more conscious than ever since she believes that Neelam is a phenomenal actress. Ishq Zah-e-Naseeb was one of the most liked Pakistani dramas and Yumna’s character kept everyone wondering right till the end.
Mohsin Abbas Haider (Khaani)
Mohsin Abbas Haider is a singer, poet, and actor who has done quite a few challenging roles in his career. He is definitely not the kind of actor who believes in playing stereotypical roles. Surprisingly enough, Mohsin Abbas was the first choice for playing Mir Hadi’s character in Khaani. This character was later played by Feroze Khan and the drama itself was a mega-hit. Mohsin Abbas shared in an interview that he refused to be a part of the project because he had prior commitments.
Osman Khalid Butt (Dobara)
Osman Khalid Butt has a huge fan following and he tries his best to choose the dramas he is a part of really carefully. After being a part of Ehd-e-Wafa, Osman Khalid Butt chose to do a comedy Ramazan special drama Chupke Chupke. While he was shooting for the drama, he was offered to play Mahir’s character in the drama serial Dobara opposite Hadiqa Kiyani. In a recent interview, he shared that he regrets his decision now. Dobara has been a massive hit and the role that was initially offered to Osman is now being done by Bilal Abbas and the viewers are loving him as Mahir.
Ali Zafar (Sang-e-Mah)
Sang-e-Mah is one of the most unusual yet appealing dramas produced by the Pakistani drama industry. Hilmand’s character played by Atif Aslam in the drama has been the center of attention right from the beginning. The director of Sang-e-Mah Saife Hassan shared in a recent interview that Ali Zafar was the first choice for playing the role. After reading the script he refused to play the character. Atif Aslam was on the other hand quite excited to play the role.
Usama Khan (Sinf-e-Aahan)
Usama Khan is one of those actors who polished their acting skills with time and right now he is acting in the drama serial Dobara is being liked by the viewers. Usama Khan does not accept every offer that comes his way. He was also given the opportunity to be a part of Sinf-e-Aahan but he refused. Although he did not mention which role was offered to him, we are guessing that he was offered to play Kamil’s role in the drama which is now being played by Junaid Jamshed.
What do you think about the decisions which these actors made? Share your views.
