“I can't play bold characters on screen...” -Falaq Naaz

Shafaq Naaz and Sheezan Khan's sister Falaq Naaz were not interested in acting, but she used to learn dance and on the advice of her master, Falaq Naaz reached Mumbai from Meerut. While struggling, in 2010, she acted in the serial 'Gunahon Ka Devta' starring Ashish Sharma. She started her acting career by playing the role of a sister. In 2013, she got the opportunity to act in the serial "Sasural Simar Ka", in which she continued to play the character of Janhvi Bhardwaj till 2017. She was followed by her elder sisters Shafaq Naaz and Younger brother Sheezan Khan also reached Mumbai. Today all three have made their place in the industry. Falaq Naaz later worked in 'Dekha Ek Khwaab', 'Doli Armaano Ki', 'Laal Ishq', 'Radha Krishna', and ‘Ram Siya Ke Luv-Kush'. Along with many TV serials, she has also shown her acting talent in Kumud Chaudhary-directed film "Chhote Nawab", released in 2020. These days she is busy shooting for the web series "Guilty or Not Guilty".

Here are excerpts from the conversation with Falaq Naaz...

You had no one of your own in Bollywood, and because of this, you had to struggle a lot.

-To be honest, when I first came here, I had no direct connection with the film or TV industry. Yes, Master Ji encouraged me to try it. After reaching Mumbai, I visited production houses, looked up numbers in the telephone directory, went straight to the production house, introduced myself, gave auditions, and slowly started building relationships. I wanted to work on the strength of my talent, so I happily tried to prove myself through auditions, in which I was successful. I believe that networking and references do not matter much here. If you have talent, no one can ignore it.

In the opinion of some people, good relations with the producer and director help a lot.

-I don't believe so. In my opinion, here you cannot become a long racehorse based on relationships. Ultimately it is a matter of art as well as meaning. Every producer also wants to earn by investing money, in such a situation he does not make a person lacking talent a part of his serial or film. Ha! When talent and strong references or relationships come together, great potential opportunities arise. However, I have observed that even with a powerful reference if one lacks the required talent, they are not able to meet the demands of the industry. Without the ability to perform concisely, having impressive contacts cannot lead to success in the acting field.

There is a lot of discussion about the Nepotism issue in the industry.

-In which industry is there no nepotism? So this is common. But I believe that today's audience is quite intelligent. He gives importance to talent. As shown by actors like Ranbir Kapoor, who despite being from a filmy family, gained worldwide recognition for the strength of his acting talent. It is not fair to put the entire blame for failure solely on nepotism. Because many counter-lingual actors come from strong families. Family ties play an important role in many fields, such as having a family of doctors or lawyers. It is easy to criticize nepotism in the entertainment industry. But in my personal opinion, success entirely depends on individual talent.

Many times it happens that you do not get the opportunities you want. There are instances when you are interested in something, but are unable to proceed further. However, there are times when people say that perhaps God has something even better in mind. He advises you to wait patiently. Good things will come. In reality, what we think is good for us may not always be the case and there may eventually be something better. It's just a matter of time and it requires patience. I believe that if you find a strong character or opportunity that you like, it's worth taking a little risk. I have experienced this myself. Sometimes, actors face budget constraints or uncertainties. But if the character is attractive, I don't let him go even if the money is less. For example, in the serial ‘Sasural Simar Ka’, I was offered only a small cameo for two months only. But I liked it and did it. After two months, my track moved forward and I played the character of Jhanvi for four years till the end of the serial. So many times this also happens. So every artist should trust his conscience. Evaluate how strong the character is, and your performance can turn it into a great opportunity.

According to you, does the way an artist works affect their success?

- Hundred percent…See, if you reluctantly agree to play a character, then you will not be able to give your hundred percent to that character. So that character cannot make its place in the hearts of the audience. The artist will have to suffer the consequences of this. I think when you have passion for your work, and passion to perform better, only then do you focus on the performance-oriented aspects. It is important to maintain enthusiasm for work. Some people come here with a certain kind of mentality that I will work only in this particular way. I will not work for less money than this…etc… In such a situation the artist himself becomes ‘zero’ from ‘hero’. Secondly, if the artist handles his success with humility, respects others, and does not throw tantrums, then he does not become a zero. The key to achieving sustained success is to stay grounded. Everyone has to be treated with love and respect. In this industry or anywhere, being down-to-earth matters. When people ask about your dealings with previous production houses, how you work becomes important. Even a single negative comment can impact your career. Therefore every artist should always keep his character and attitude correct.

What are you doing these days?

-These days I am shooting the web series “Guilty or Not Guilty” under the direction of director Vipin Pandey. This is a murder mystery, whose story revolves around Samaira. And I am playing the character of Samaira in it. This is such a web series in which I do not need to expose my body. I want to do only a clean web series. I can't do bold scenes. Shadman Khan is also with me in this, who is its producer. Apart from this, Varsha Rakate and Manu Malik are also there.

Are you not doing TV now?

-I am not allergic to any medium. But now I want to do only the main lead on TV.

- Shantiswarup Tripathi

Tags : falaq-naaz | sheezan-khan | ashish-sharma | sasural-simar-ka

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