When the one-film wonder, Zara Sheikh was 15, her father gave up on her in despair.  An education officer by profession, he wanted all his daughters to be well-educated, to land proper jobs and to earn a good name and respect in society.  But Zara, with her passion for romantic novels, gossip and Charga Chicken – the one only to be found at Lakshmi Chowk – hardly seemed a likely candidate for any of the above.  However, in a strange way, fate has made all of her father’s wishes come true; thanks to the phenomenal success of her first film Tere Pyar Main, in which Zara played a Sikh girl in love with a Muslim boy.  Today, no one can doubt Zara’s qualifications even if they are restricted to the ‘art of setting heartbeats aflame’.  She certainly has a better paying job than most twenty-somethings, and if respect is equated with fame, she has a generous helping of that too.

            But the girl who has it all is not the happiest woman in the world.

            “I hate the pretence and the lies.  I wish I could just be myself all the time,” says Zara.  But it isn’t just the feeling of being “forever on display”  that bothers her.  It is more about “not doing anything worthwhile.”  That is why, remarks her mentor Khawar Riaz, after Tere Pyar Main she went on to refuse films continually till the charmingly hilarious script of Shahzad Gul’s Chalo Ishq Larain came along.  The fact that her second film is also under the Gul banner, has set many a tongue wagging, but Zara is not unduly perturbed.

            “Why shouldn’t I accept more films with Evernew?  Shahzad Gul ranks as the number one producer right now. His team was extremely helpful the last time I worked with them and he himself treats me just like a family member.  This film has a great script and Gul sahib has enough faith in me to entrust the entire music of the film to me.  In the face of all this, what reason could I have for saying no to him?”

            As far as gossip is concerned, “Nothing will ever stop people from wondering and whispering.  If it isn’t Gul sahib, it is Khawar I’m having an affair with, if not Khawar then Imran (the lead in my next film) or Shaan or any other man I’m seen talking to.  I’ve long since given up letting all this get to me.”

            But it isn’t just petty talk that Zara is unaffected by; fame runs a close second.  Considering that she received the biggest honour Pakistan can confer on any actress – the NAFDEC National Film award – barely a year after her entry into this industry while old-timers like Reema are still pining for it, Zara remains reasonably level-headed.  She still gets regular scoldings from her mentor, Khawar.  She arrived on time for the Newsline interview and what’s more – she, once again, treated us to an impromptu rendition of one of her favourite ghazals. Over to Zara Sheikh.