Matrix Media
Junaid Khan is a Pakistani film actor, singer-songwriter and television actor. The lead singer and composer for the band named CALL, a model and an actor, Junaid khan has been associated with the entertainment industry since 2003. Started off with CALL as the lead vocalist/composer and took the industry by storm by his magical voice and performance full of energy. With two albums under the name CALL,and super hits like ‘sab bhula k’, ‘shayad’, ‘hojaane de’ and solo hits like ‘so close so distant’, Junaid khan is continuing to mesmerize the industry with his creative musical sense and a humble personality.
He has also enthralled drama industry by his heroic charms and remarkable acting in innumerable Pakistani dramas and still ruling the hearts of many.
MM: In many plays, you are given a similar kind of a role in which you have two wives and you are stuck dealing with both. Do you pick and choose characters or accept anything that comes your way?
JK: No, it’s nothing like that, I play different types of characters and probably the characters where there is one man and two wives are probably watched commonly. But if you pick you up ‘Hania’ it was a completely different character where I played a negative role. In ‘Silsilay’ there was a different character similarly in ‘Yaarian’ there was a different character and many other plays where there are not two wives but just one also negative and positive character in plenty of dramas’. Probably such characters where there are two wives and one man is noticed more.
MM: Media is becoming a “monster’. Particularly social media is becoming difficult to handle. What are your views in this regard?
JK: Yes of course, media has become a monster since a while now. Our news has been used to manipulate or to put forward a fabricated opinion and impose it, change ideologies. Media is playing quite a part in such monstrous atrocities since long. But yes since social media has become mainstream now every person has the authority that only news channels and print media had to create news. Now everyone has that tool to create an impact so yes it has become a monster. To handle it, the only way is to do your own research and do not believe everything you see.
MM: Has any controversy ever been created vis a vis you in the media? If not, how have you managed to keep that clean image?
JK: No, not at all because I am not the kind of a guy who would actually cash on to controversies. Controversies do exist and are rather created, they put you up on the forefront, you get noticed. So about a lot of big stars anywhere in the world even in Pakistan controversies are created or forged and because of that a lot of excitement is created, eye balls meet and they become stars. Stars reciprocate in popularity, in money and projects. So, me as a person as an artist I never wanted to make my name big as a brand but to me, art is a form of expression, for me either it is music, television or film it’s a medium of expression. It’s not a medium to make excessive amount of money, it’s not a medium that I would use to take my brand to a next level. According to me making a brand is not important but expression is important. So since making a brand is not important for me, I would really do not want to engage in controversies or create them.
MM: Do you have any fears? What is your strangest fear?
JK: Yes of course everybody have fears. People that you are attached to, your friends, your family, fear of losing them is my fear and of course cockroaches.
MM: You started off as a vocalist and ended up doing acting and modeling. Which one do you like better?
JK: Yes publicly I was a vocalist but I had done theatre as well in my college and university. After that my music band ‘Call’ started and it is still active, we’re making music videos, we’re doing shows. Acting came in between around 2010 and of course both are different form of expression but I personally prefer music because that is my own expression, my own feelings, my own words. In acting you have to adapt somebody else’s written character, somebody else’s direction that is also fun but I enjoy music more.
MM: Are there any chances that you may revert to singing?
JK: Oh yes as I said earlier that singing is not over for me and I am still making music, I do solo projects as well as projects with my band ‘Call’ which is pretty much intact.
MM: Which actor is your “ideal” in the industry- local or international? Why do you like him/her?
JK: I am more of a personality person not just stars or actors I prefer mix. Tom cruise is just that one mix who is an ok actor but have a good personality who is a good mix of both. I’d prefer him because one need acting, the skill and that off screen persona I think he has a bit of both.
MM: Actors carry a big responsibility while they are playing a character since a lot of people get influenced by them. Are you aware of that responsibility? What then do you set forth as “limit” for yourself?
JK: Of course we are influencers and no matter how much we say that it is only a project of the television and we should only take it as a tv project why do people take it so seriously. That’s wrong because we are the content producers and when we produce it we try that it must leave a big impact on the audience and we also want as much people to like and follow it. To do so we have to make the content very much impactful so that audience would absorb it and feel it. So we can’t really say that people shouldn’t take it seriously. Because we want them to take it seriously, it is of course a responsibility and we try to stay in the limits of that responsibility and I feel that because there have been times when I did some characters which I did not feel that people should watch those but my character in ‘Hania’ I wanted people to know and watch that there is not a good end of bad or negative people.
MM: Is there a character that you would like to play in future? What would that be?
JK: I really like wrestling and I would really want to play a wrestler, a fighter.
MM: What is your favorite song to sing in the shower?
JK: Well in the morning I would list up rather and would play a couple of fired up tracks mainly rock because rock boosts up my adrenaline and I feel really fired up, motivated and I start my day with some pumped up kick ass rock tracks.
MM: Have you ever worn a disguise in public?
JK: No not as such but yeah sometimes when I went alone to the cinema I just wore a hat and shades and would just walk in the cinema but not necessarily a disguise.
MM: How conscious are you about wearing/using “brands”? Are there any favorites that you would like to share with your followers?
JK: Not at all conscious whatever fits well I wear it whatever looks good I wear it but with better quality. It’s not really necessary for me that I would really need an expensive badge on my shirt to show that I dress well no if an ordinary label has made a good shirt with nice fitting I would wear it it’s about comfort not about brand.
MM: If you had a personal perfume collection what would it be called?
JK: Amm I don’t know never thought about it but the perfumes that I frequently use are 212 and Chanel de bleu these two are my go to perfumes.
MM: What is your guilty binge food?
JK: I think nuts that I usually munch on.
MM: If a truth serum was given to the following people, what question would you ask them?
a) Meera
b) Veena
c) Rabi Peerzada
JK: I think I would ask only one question to all of them that are you really that person who you claim to be? Means the way you are in front of the media are you the same in reality?
MM: Which female actor in Pakistani media industry do you rate as the best? Is it their looks or their acting potential?
JK: As I said earlier an actor is a mix of two things not just acting but personality, image and aura as well so it’s a bit of acting and a bit of persona. If you cater to both the best mix I think in Pakistan would obviously be Mahira Khan because she is a mix of act performance and persona.
MM: Which of your female co-stars do you like the best so far? Why?
JK: I worked with most of them and I’ll name a few of them. Hira mani, Mansha Pasha, Momal Sheikh and Ayezah Khan.
MM: If there was a Lollywood version of “Game of Thrones” then would you be willing to star in it? Who would you pick as your co-star if given an option?
JK: Well I am one of the unfortunate ones that haven’t followed GOT because I am very occupied with work and my personal life but I do have watched a couple of episodes it was a huge project obviously any artist would be lucky to be a part of such project, well produced, well written so yes why not? Co-star? I guess you would have to hire the entire industry for this project.
MM: What is one thing that your fans don’t know about you yet? Would you like to share it?
JK: Well everybody pretty much knows everything about me, people know that I love to eat; I love to workout they know I do not mix my personal and professional life. I am a very quiet kind of a guy but they might not know that I am actually quite fun when I am around people who know me. Mostly people think that I am a very serious guy I usually am but not in front of people I am comfortable with.
MM: What message do you want to give to youngsters who are yearning to become actors?
JK: I think the formula is very simple first identify what exactly you want to be a star, an actor or to be a mix of both? I think ideal is a mix of both. Also you need to figure out about your aim you either you want to make money out of this profession or are you just passionate about expression? So there are different tools if you want to be a star there are different tools, if you want to be an actor you will have to play different characters you have to practice more you have to have good command on your skill you have to be more observant in life. You usually have to adapt those characters in real life so that you can deliver it perfectly on the screen. If you want to be a star you have to create an image around you then you have to work on your image building, hire PR agencies, and work with starts and star directors. you can work on your skills also work on your PR and make yourself visible as well in order to become an artist.
