Video: “Haissam Hussain is like a godfather to me,” says Talha Chahour

Talha Chahour who is currently playing the role of Captain Farrukh in Jo Bichar Gaye is not new to acting. He has 4 years of theatre experience, and has given 400 plus satisfying performances in Pakistan, India and the USA. However, this drama can easily be called his breakthrough project which brought him in the public eye.

In conversation with Aamna Isani of Something Haute, Talha spoke at length about his passion, career so far, and how he got to play the central character in Jo Bichar Gaye. 

Jo Bichar Gaye talks about revolt, riot and rebellion, and is based on real events from 1971 Indo-Pak War, including the Fall of Dhaka. The story is taken from author Col Z. I. Farrukh’s novel and he is shown as the protagonist.

Talha Chahour and Aamna Isani

“I was at the shoot of a TV commercial in Sialkot. I got a call from Shoaib Idrees Bhai who is the same guy who used to be with me at the set of my first TV project Farz. He invited me to give the auditions,” Talha shared revealing that he was initially asked to give an audition for a different character.

Talha added that the audition somehow did not reach Haissam Hussain for almost a month. “When he saw the audition, I got a call from Shoaib Bhai explaining that I’m being offered a very good character of a captain.”

He got a part in the project and he started working on the character he was asked to play. “I had been working on that character for around 15-20 days . But later Haissam Hussain probably liked my work and God was being kind to me that I was asked to play Captain Farrukh instead.”

“Haissam bhai helped me a lot,” Talha shared adding that he is like a godfather to him. “He did not treat me like an artist. He treated me like a younger brother and I will always be grateful to him.”

Talha who believes in hard work was committed to his passion and craft but he kept praying for guidance.

“I would hardly sleep. I would study the script and wear the costumes as I wanted to live in the character,” he said explaining that he’s a method actor.  “I’ve felt the pain in the script and the characters.”

“I have also met the original Captain Farrukh on whose life and book this drama is based on,” he shared, clarifying that he added his personal touch to the character as well. “There was also a time when the original captain Farrukh and I, the actor have discussed the pain and the  past and have cried together.”

Watch the interview here: