Adnan Siddiqui: Art bridges distances, unfair to make it victim of politics

Adnan Siddiqui: Art bridges distances, unfair to make it victim of politicsJuly 25, 2023New Delhi, July 25 (IANS) Pakistani actor and producer Adnan Siddiqui, who has worked alongside late star Sridevi in the 2018 Indian film ‘Mom’, said arts sports and entertainment bring a sense of solace, an escapism for people, and it’s unfair to make them a victim of politics. Adnan, who has worked with Hollywood star Angelina Jolie in the series ‘Homeland’, and with Irrfan Khan in ‘A Mighty Heart’. In an interaction with IANS, Adnan talked about the boundaries for an actor, and how arts or sports can bring that one connection between the two nations- India and Pakistan.”I have always maintained very vocally and vociferously that art, sports and entertainment are neutral grounds and they should never be mixed work politics. These fields bring a sense of solace, an escapism for people. It’s unfair to make them a victim of politics. Art bridges distances and should be allowed to do so,” he said.The 2019 Pakistani romantic drama, ‘Mere Paas Tum Ho’, produced by Humayun Saeed has created waves in Pakistan. The show is now set to release in India.If he is feeling the jitters about the response in India, Adnan said, “I can feel it in my bones that the show will be as big a success in India as it was here. The fan mail that I received, the frenzy the drama created which even saw a rip-off in China, all are indicators that the show is phenomenal.””Plus, Zindagi when it was first launched with Pak dramas, the response to all of our shows was commendable to say the least. The way we garner millions of views on YouTube too is proof that our dramas are loved on the other side of the border too,” said the 53-year-old actor.On what makes this show relatable that it will have a recall value in the Indian audiences as well, Adnan said: “Most of the films are male centric, we have a hero around whom the entire plot revolves. Dramas, on the other hand, are women-dominated.””This was one drama that maintained a balance between both. Its focus was more on the intricacies of human relationships, the nuances of a marriage tethered to different desires and expectations, and infidelity. What stood out in the show was how a husband deals with it when the wife steps out,” he said.Adnan further said that men enjoyed the drama more than women, and they had received a lot of feedback from male audiences that they loved the concept.He said the biggest pressure he faces is of his own self.”I am always in a self-appraisal mode. Challenging myself in a new role. It’s important that I put myself under pressure; it makes me want to do better than my last performance,” said Adnan.Admiring his friendship with the co-star Humayun Saeed, Adnan said they both have a very healthy competition, and share a great camaraderie.”I and Humayun are close friends. In a field like ours, friendships are hard to come by. The best part about both of us is that being contemporaries, we have a very healthy competition, not the ugly rivalry that’s typical of the entertainment industry. We have great camaraderie which is why we are also partners in ‘Cast and Crew’, our fashion brand,” he said.Adnan is also assured that the show will create the same waves in India as it did in Pakistan.”Though, I have a bit of a regret that it didn’t get released at the time it was done in Pakistan,” he added.Directed by Nadeem Baig and written by Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar, the ‘Mere Paas Tum Ho’ also stars Ayeza Khan in a pivotal role.The story revolves around an honest middle-class guy madly in love with his wife struggles when she leaves him because of moneyIt will be airing on Zindagi DTH from August 2.–IANSsp/prw