Abid Ali

TV Actor
There are very few actors who have that charisma which can inspire the young and old alike. Abid Ali belongs to this rare breed of actors because of his incredible performances and mesmerising personality. Abid reigned over the silver screen during the '70s and '80s and has scores of hit serials to his credit. But, he has not yet resigned from the shiny world of glamour and fame and is still going strong.

In a candid interview with Tview, he came out not only as a superb actor but also as a sensitive person with a thoughtful mind. Talking to Abid Ali was more than a pleasure. Looking as dashing as ever, he spoke in a humble manner and made us feel that we were never strangers

He says about himself: Since my school days I was inclined towards writing, and then I started painting. Acting wasn't on my mind. I just knew that I wanted to do something creative. Between 1968 and 1969 when I was in college, Ata Shad from Radio Pakistan spotted me and told me that I had a good voice. I went for an audition which I passed and in this way I started to work for radio while I was also studying in college. Then in '73, I came to Lahore and tried my luck at PTV, and after going through many auditions, I eventually got myself entered into the electronic world or as you say silver screen.

When we started, there wasn't much money in this field, but in spite of that, people were committed and professional. Now times have changed. There is much more money involved - thanks to private channels and productions; nowadays actors want to become rich and famous overnight, they are more interested in minting money than to concentrate on their work, they accept every offer that comes their way. Another major difference which I've noticed is that in the past, actors were prone towards reading and learning so that they could emerge as good actors. Whereas today despite having access to books, computers and above all internet, our performers seems little interested in learning or reading. Sadly, in our country, there is no institution which can edify young actors. These days everything is going on. Nobody is noticing what is good and what is bad. I also feel that journalism is also responsible in shaping actors. These days even journalists also do not play their part effectively. They only report, they don't analyse.

Work should be judged. Safdar Mir, one of the good critics, used to write so well. But now that era has also gone. We are hardly left with any good drama critics. I personally believe that we need to give training in every sphere - be it script writing or acting abilities. Not only that we also need improvement in technology - visual/audio/sound quality, recording equipment, transmition quality etc. Getting old is a reality so it's better if you face it with dignity.

For me it's a part of life and the best part about aging is that you learn a lot - if you want to. Look at today's high-tech life; things are growing fast; improvement can be seen in every sphere of life -- drama has improved with the coming of computer effects. So, if one has the desire to learn, one can always benefit oneself from latest technologies, no matter what his age may be.

As an actor, you find yourself working sixteen - may be eighteen hours a day, and doing nothing you would put your name to. In a twelve hour day, you kill ten hours just waiting, in a particular state of half-alertness, waiting to go on. It's not satisfactory. Its' a slog. I love acting - and I hate it. I despise it because I despise falsehood. You feel fraudulent, all the time, every day!