Ahsan Khan’s name has been synonymous with good plays, and with Aangan the list gets longer.
The actor who won all the awards from different award ceremonies for his performance in Ehteshamuddin’s Udaari is back with the director’s next and he gets to play not one but two roles in the drama.
Adapted from Khadija Mastoor’s classic novel, it has Ahsan Khan in the role of a father and a son, with Sonya Hussyn playing wife to one, and mother to the other.
Both the actors loved their characters as well as the setting, terming it a great experience. They spoke about the many challenges they faced playing characters that were nearly 100 years old; what made them say yes to the drama and how was the experience of working with an ensemble cast.
‘It was a challenging experience, to say the least’, Ahsan Khan says about Aangan, as we sit down for a chat in a restaurant.
‘I had to play two generations – first the father and then the son, and as they both belong to different eras, they have different looks. It was a learning experience for me because I hadn’t done anything like that before, neither in films nor on TV. Even though both the characters don’t meet onscreen, they had to look apart and that’s a challenge I didn’t want to miss.’
For Sonya Hussyn, it was a fulfilling as well as learning experience, considering she had wanted to do something on the lines all along.
‘As an actress, I not only study the character but end up living in the zone while projecting it on screen’, she explained as she joined Ahsan Khan in the chat.
‘This was interesting because I had developed an idea in my mind about the era from what my maternal and paternal grandmothers told me, so yes I had a clear idea of all the nuances of that era. Director Ehteshamuddin and writer Mustafa Afridi then polished those ideas while on set and since the script was excellent, I had no trouble in shifting from the present times to the living style of the 1920s’.
For a period drama, the most important aspect is to become part of the era which is quite difficult considering people in 2019 can’t live without electricity, mobile phones and cable TV.
Ahsan Khan disagrees and rightly so since he is the only person to be a part of Aangan and Dastaan, the other MD Productions period drama that now has cult status.
‘Both Dastaan and Aangan are the kind of plays that have repeat value and are made in decades. For me, period plays are a chance to prove myself since as an actor you have the margin to perform and outshine. They are much better than the drawing room dramas that we do, despite knowing that they aren’t going to be dubbed as classics. The credit must go to Momina Duraid and her team for opting for something out of the ordinary and that alone will help people watch the play and remember it for a long time.’
Sonya Hussyn had a different idea from the actor who played her lover and son in two different time zones of the play. ‘Working in Aangan was a transition, not only of mannerisms and clothes, but of mindset too. It’s a chore to get into a character that lived a 100 years back and then to snap out of it, and thankfully I was able to carry the look designed for the character.’
Although the TV audience hasn’t been able to forgive Ahsan Khan for playing Pa Imtiaz in Udaari, they were anxious to see what magic the director of Udaari creates with his frequent collaborator.
‘My characters in Aangan are different from my other dramas where I play twisted characters’, Ahsan Khan says as he explains that in Aangan he has multiple heroines, unlike his last few characters. ‘Here the characters are simple and romantic and it was fun to play someone that from your time. The atmosphere, the costumes, the dialogues, the hairstyle and even the way you speak comes out well when you understand the psyche of the character.’
Unlike Ahsan, Sonya has less presence on screen in the drama as her character dies within the first three episodes. However, the actress dismisses the length of the character as something unimportant, claiming that the quality of the character matters more.
‘There are no small or big roles, it’s the character and its importance in the story line that matters. After that comes the content and finally the acting that makes an impact and leaves an impression on the audience’s minds.’
Aangan, with its ensemble cast, is currently ruling the airwaves and both Ahsan Khan and Sonya Hussyn can’t be happier. ‘You have no idea how great a learning experience it was to share the screen with legendary actors like Zeb Rehman and Abid Ali. They are one of the finest actors our industry has produced and we can learn a lot from them; the way they act, deliver dialogues and perform onscreen has taught me a lot and I am sure was helpful to others as well.’ Ahsan Khan says as we concluded the chat.
Sonya Hussyn also agreed with Ahsan and felt lucky to have shared the screen with the legends. ‘I have been blessed to have worked with such great performers and professionals involved with the project. Every day was an experience and constant learning from all sides.’
‘On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate the experience as 11 and the audience’s feedback for my character made it even more special’ added Sonya.
from HUM TV – Watch Dramas Online http://bit.ly/2BIRgrF
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