Ali Zafar: Collaborations great for both countries

Stating that hersquos ldquoalways in pursuit of wisdomrdquo Ali Zafar effortlessly quotes the likes of Rumi and Bulleh Shah whose words have been guiding lights for many Unshaken after a controversy of sexual harassment involving him shook the Pakistan entertainment industry Zafar in an exclusive chat with midday says ldquoTruth shall prevail eventuallyrdquoHis first home production Teefa In Trouble which released last Friday marks ldquoa historic partnershiprdquo with Yash Raj Films He discusses what collaborations across the border signifyCan you tell us how did a collaboration with YashRaj Films come aboutWhen I was working with Yash Raj Films on their projects I shared a rapport with Aditya Chopra Wersquod often discuss cinema apart from talking about his works and how he created Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge Hersquos an inspiring person and also among the most respected in the industry So when I was working on Teefa In Trouble I told him that I wanted his company to release the film He was forthcoming Once completed I showed the final cut to YRFrsquos international team in London They saw it and said This is going to be the gamechanger for Pakistani cinema Adi also told me that when he saw Munnabhai MBBS the first time he said the same thing to Rajkumar Hirani Indeed the film did turn out to be a gamechanger That was a compliment for me He also said YRF is choosy when it comes to film distribution Besides wersquove never picked a Pakistani motion picture But this one is an exception because of you as well as the quality of the filmrdquoWas it YRFrsquos plan to showcase Teefarsquos trailer in 1200odd screens worldwideYes The film has been released in 25 countries which is a first for a Pakistani feature Although our films are regularly screened in cinemas abroad with Teefa we are exploring new territories like Russia Kenya Tanzania Zambia Fiji Poland and IndonesiaWhat kind of response are you expecting from countries like Russia where Pakistani entertainment stars might not be well known Or are you only targeting the desi diasporaNot necessarily I was in Turkey recently and happened to show the rushes to natives they loved it I was pleasantly surprised by their reaction So itrsquos not just the desi diaspora that we are targeting We are going to dub or add subtitles to the film so that it is consumable for the nonUrdu and nonHindi speakersDoes being a producer writer and musician on Teefa give you more control over the projectWe were conscious of the fact that we must give every actor hisher due which is why each characters look had been revealed properly So itrsquos not just about Teefa Zafars character In fact if I were to use the word lsquoprotagonistrsquo for a character it would be Billu Butt Sometimes actors try to make a film about their characters which is where they go wrong It often doesnrsquot work for the film My philosophy is that jitna dau ge utna milay gaCan you talkabout the filmrsquos music and how similar or distinct it is when compared to your previous workThe music has been created to suit the filmrsquos varied emotional palette This was challenging because I was creating music after a long time Jhoom 2011 was my last album that released in Pakistan Also when creating music it must be noted that the scale of cinema is different from that of a pop album We tried to make the music sound suitable for the big screen Also the songs are catchy Irsquom glad that Chan Ve crossed 8 million views on YouTube I donrsquot think a Pakistani film track has done this wellYou invited your Kill Dil director Shaad Ali to attend Teefa In Troublersquos music launch in Lahore Are you in touch with your former colleagues in BollywoodYes I am In the film therersquos also a surprise appearance if I may call it so by Ranveer SinghHow was it to work on Dear ZindagiI am not sure how many people know this but my scenes had been shot and we were ready to start promotions when relations between India and Pakistan soured So my portions were reshot with another actor But Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan took stood up for me I had a great time working with themYour last few acting projects in Bollywood didnrsquot see you play the lead character What prompted those career choicesI believe that if you are a good actor yoursquoll leave an impact even with one scene Screen time or solohero projects arenrsquot important Look at Fawad Khan in Kapoor amp Sons He makes his presence felt every time he appears on screen Aap apni cheez theek kar lo that should be your aimWill you take your association with YRF forward coproducing films with Indian companiesI have always maintained that coproductions should happen theyrsquoll do wonders for both countries I stand with those who favour peace and collaborationsDo you think the film fraternity in India is open to the ideaIt has to do with the political climate Having said that I believe that there are all kinds of people in the world some will oppose you some wonrsquot You have to see which side you are on I would like to stand with those who are in favour of love and peace and collaborations Irsquom sure there are many out there on both sides of the border who think the same wayYour brother was supposed to debut in a YashRaj productionYes In fact his film was about to go on floors But it depends on destiny There is only so much that you can do you canrsquot alter Godrsquos plans Whatever happens happens for good Thatrsquos the way to deal with itYoursquove been through the mill in your struggling days and then saw immense success Lately again you faced distress following the sexual harassment claim by Meesha Shafi How do you look back at your journeyI look at my life as a cumulative experience of various emotions Itrsquos about being aware of why you experienced them and knowing that if you embrace each emotion with grace then itrsquos only meant to make you stronger and show you something yoursquod never otherwise understand Once you know why it is happening you have nothing to worry aboutOn a serious note Irsquod say that I am always in pursuance of wisdom all I know is that I donrsquot know everything Bullah ki jaanan main kaunYou often share your free verses on social media where you come across as a sensitive and vulnerable person somebody who was wronged by those you trusted How fair is this analysisIn the words of Rumi ldquoThe wound is where the light enters yourdquo The world is a reflection of how you are from the inside My problem is that I canrsquot judge anyone because I am constantly reminding myself that the other person is also a product of hisher own environment upbringing gene pool etcDo you believe people are generally harsher towards men in sexual harassment casesTill there is a balance things remain good The minute the balance swings one way or the other naturersquos system causes disruption Unfortunately instead of doing research we followed trends and hashtags We think that if we join in the voices on social media wersquoll become cool We shouldnrsquot see things in binariesWhat are your views on socialmedia propelled feminist movements like MeTooEverything boils down to intention The movement has a certain sanctity that must be maintained People are intelligent enough to understand things They just need to be given time Truth does prevail I have taken the course of law things shall become clear in time I just have to be patientDo you resent the fact that media starts its own trialThe media has always done that Not just in Pakistan but everywhere in the world If a case is sub judice they should ethically not discuss itHow do you deal with trollsIf you are a public figure you should be prepared for trolling But for somebody like me it takes a lot Thatrsquos where your inner strength comes into play You canrsquot let it pull you down or affect your work because then the evil wins As the old sages said ldquoForgive them for they do not knowrdquoAlso ReadSalman Khan Sangeeta Bijlani Katrina Kaif and others suit up for Poorna Patels receptionCatch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates