Getting to know the younger cast of Badshah Begum

Badshah Begum has already generated quite a buzz, which is truly a great start for any TV serial. The trailer of the upcoming production by Rafay Rashdi and Momina Duraid has captivated audiences because of its female-empowered storyline, historical premise, star-studded cast and picturesque locations.

But tensions are high, as could be seen at a press meet and greet between the cast and members of the media fraternity in Karachi earlier this week. High expectations aren’t always a good thing; the show already has a lot to live up to. But Zara Noor Abbas, Farhan Saeed, Ali Rehman, Yasir Hussain and Shahzad Nawaz have put their best feet forward and all they can now do is wait for people to watch the show and react to it.

We do feel that Badshah Begum is in safe hands. Other than the strong names involved in the production, what’s even more exciting is that along with established actors, there is an entire team of young and upcoming names who are bursting to bring their energy and enthusiasm to the small screen.

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Komal Meer, Hamza Sohail (who we last remember from Raqeeb Se), Abul Hasan, Tanya Hussain, and Hibba Aziz are all set to see how their hard work culminates. Something Haute got a chance to have a conversation about their experience with this production.

“Most dramas that we see on TV are usually set in a few households. The story moves from one house to another house. But for this serial, there was a lot of room for us to explore the locations,” said Tanya, referring to how the show has been shot in Larkana. But she was also thankful for the production crew for making the shooting process a fun one. “The food we got to eat during shoot was too good!”

One of the biggest wins for these upcoming stars is that the script has margin for all actors to shine, whether they were cast in a major role or not. Since the story is spread out in a grand manner, all characters have a reason for being there. They aren’t simply filling out space. And according to the cast, all characters in Badshah Begum have a memorable arc. They all go through changes as the show moves along; no character is the same at the end as it was in the beginning.

“It’s also fun that you get to say things that you wouldn’t normally say or think, and make it look believable; that’s what our job is as actors,” says Komal when discussing what makes their job so rewarding. “And I think reading a script helps us adopt those characters. For instance if I’m playing Gulnar in the show, then I have to understand why she’s saying these things, what’s she thinking. You have to let the character take over your mind,” adds Hibba.

The younger cast is also ecstatic about how well everyone got along, that there was no intimidation between the senior actors. “I’m like water; I adjust anywhere,” jokes Abul. “But on set, there was no star behaviour there. Everyone was like a family. And we had so much fun! When we came back from Larkana, we all were missing the shoot days so much!” That makes sense because the cast shot the show over a span of four months, undoubtedly spending a lot of time together.

With the show set to release soon, we hope to see this chemistry and friendship translate well on the small screen!