Dawn Newspaper

When I first met Farhan Ali Agha, the model-cum-actor, he looked like he had just stepped out of the pages of Gentleman's Quarterly, so chic was his ensemble and so well groomed his appearance. One couldn't help but wonder if he always looked like he'd just come from a fashion shoot. In fact, even in television plays Farhan is hardly ever seen playing a character that would require him to look unkempt or shabbily dressed. Both on screen and off, he exudes an aura of innate confidence and poise with a naturally refined sense of casual style. Consequently, most people opine that he made a better model than an actor.

Farhan's roots lie in Quetta, but he's lived most of his life in Karachi. His academic history and professional work experiences manifest a restless temperament with an inherent need for continuous change. He completed his B. Com from the Karachi University after which he did his Articleship for Chartered Accountancy. He's interned at a reputed foreign bank, managed his own set of clients at an advertising agency and worked as a Sales Executive at a wireless communications company. Farhan agrees that he experimented and explored with a diverse range of occupations because he had trouble finding a direction.

"Actually the problem was that I didn't quite click with the nine-to-five routine. I found it extremely mundane and restrictive and switched a couple of jobs to find something I'd enjoy doing but ultimately realized that I had to take up a profession that wasn't so monotonous. But maash'allah, I'm very satisfied because I thoroughly enjoy what I'm doing right now."

Farhan is not a fitness freak but working out regularly at the gym is a habit that goes way back to his teen years. A couple of years ago, while exercising at the gym he was approached by the instructor with a proposition for modelling. His first assignment was a commercial for a biscuit company. Commercials gave way to photo shoots, modelling on the ramp and finally acting. This suited Farhan just fine. The associated perks of being an actor appealed to him.

"Acting has three elements: creative, commercial and monetary. I'll be absolutely frank with you. The most important element for me is the monetary one. At the end of the day, you need to be paid well to survive and to maintain a certain lifestyle. That doesn't mean that I don't enjoy what I do. I love my profession but at the same time I'm practical about the returns I get for my effort," Farhan's candidly explained.He asserts that previously payments were a major problem in television but things are looking up now. He signs a contract before taking on any role which makes it mandatory for him to be paid within a specified period. With this issue no longer posing a problem, Farhan feels acting is the ideal profession because it allows him to travel extensively. "I've visited four countries within a period of two years."

Farhan feels that he has definitely brushed up on his performances over the years. "I was horrible when I started acting. My personal opinion is that on screen I looked stiff and uncomfortable. But I don't mind criticism. I learn from my own and others' mistakes. I guess all my hard work paid off because people really appreciated my performance in Doosri Dunya," he says.

Farhan has recently taken up a project that has nothing to do with his career as an actor. He has set up a primary school called Al Bahria which started functioning in March this year. Farhan feels that his academic and professional work experience will finally be utilized in a manner that will do some good for society. When asked if his celebrity status will in some way aid him in his project, Farhan replies, "I don't think so. Fame isn't really an issue with me. As far as I'm concerned, it's not even a part of my life, only a by-product of a profession which I enjoy and which happens to pay well."

There's only one thing in the world that Farhan is truly passionate about: Islam the religion. Not only does he practice it religiously but also makes it a point to read the Quran everyday. He quotes lengthy Suras in Arabic with amazing fluency and supplements them with translations in Urdu and English to make his point.

"There was a time when religion didn't mean anything to me. I based my life on my own rules and did only what gave me pleasure. One day, out of sheer curiosity, I just picked up the Quran to see what it had to say. One of the Suras defined the characteristics of the perfect man. I didn't have any of those qualities and I found myself to be in the group of hypocrites as described by the Quran. I've never looked back since. Following God's will as stated in the Quran has made my life so peaceful and given me an incredible sense of stability. I don't live with conflicts anymore. I do what is right by God, not what is right by the world. Even Sura Baqara (Ayat 185) says that the Quran is a guide for judgement between right and wrong. So whenever I have a problem, I just open the Quran and do whatever Allah has decreed a Muslim to do."

Farhan defies the cliched notion that leading a progressive lifestyle means living against the boundaries set by Islam. Looking at his obviously worldly countenance, who would have ever thought that the good looking actor had a faith so strong that he could talk about Islam with such conceptual clarity and conviction? The revelation undoubtedly came as a pleasant surprise