His entry into Bollywood is stuff that dreams are made of. Pakistani heartthrob Fawad Khan managed to accomplish what no other actor from his country could in the Hindi film industry " become an overnight star. The success of Khoobsurat has established him as a name the industry would want to gamble on. So it's hardly surprising to see leading filmmakers wanting him to be a part of their projects. And Fawad is far from being complacent. He says he is no hurry to attain stardom and attributes that to his "lazy, laidback" nature.
"All the love I have been receiving in India is very humbling but I won't rush and sign everything that comes my way. Not for any other reason but just that I am very lazy. I don't think I've ever given myself that extra push. I've been lucky that good things have come my way and with it, all the love and appreciation. I have been meeting up with some filmmakers and actors from Bollywood, like Karan Johar, Farah Khan and Sanjay Kapoor. Very casual meetings, nothing about work. Everyone's been nice and maybe we could work together in the future."
The actor never forgets to thank Anil Kapoor for launching him in Bollywood. He says he'd love to express his gratitude by giving him a gift, but he also confesses that he's bad at gifting.
"There are a lot of people I want to thank but the thought of buying gifts for them scares me. Like I wouldn't know what to gift Anil Kapoor and Salman Khan. And I don't want to even ask Sonam about what I can gift her. I fear that I wouldn't be able to afford that," he says with a laugh. Salman is another person Fawad is grateful to. Salman had many nice things to say about him after watching Khoobsurat, including that he's a "promising actor".
Unlike most newcomers in Bollywood, Fawad has never hidden his marital status. The actor says he's proud of his wife Sadaf and would like to spend more time with his young son. "I can't speak for others, but I don't know why one would hide his marriage. I consider myself lucky that at a very young age, I found the woman, who I knew could manage my moods and me (laughs). She successfully manages work and family and sometimes I feel I should be spending more time with them, but she never complains. She's always been my biggest support and I try to take her along to shoots whenever possible," says the doting husband.
Fawad's good looks and his impeccable style statement has become a talking point in the industry. But he doesn't take the compliments too seriously. "I don't consider myself the most good looking actor here or anywhere else. I think looking sexy is all about the attitude you wear. People have said they appreciate my expressions and mannerisms. It's about how you choose to present yourself really, not just about looking good," he says.
The actor also adds that kissing on screen is not something he would be comfortable with. "My fans won't be comfortable either with the sudden change. Intimacy for me, is not all about kissing, even a hug and a conversation could be a gesture of love. Ultimately, it depends on the story, you can never say what happens in the future, but for now I'd just like to romance the heroine and leave the rest to the imagination of fans," he says with a smile.
Fawad is reading a lot of scripts right now and there are a few that he finds interesting. "Right now I want to work on films that don't restrict me to a certain image." He has been compared to several legends including the veteran Dilip Kumar. "To be appreciated for my work is one thing but to be compared to a legend like Dilip Kumar is extremely daunting. Dilip sir is the face of Hindi cinema and I take immense pride in saying that I am inspired by the legend. There will never be another Dilip saab. Since I've grown up watching Hindi cinema and actors like Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor and many others " that's the level of perfection one aims to achieve. I know that it'll take a lot of years of hard work, dedication and sensible moves to sustain in the industry."
While Fawad is being considered for some big projects in India, the actor refutes the claim that he won't do Pakistani films or TV. "Pakistani cinema in fact is going through a very exciting phase at the moment. I wouldn't like to miss out on it." Speaking about his plans for his next visit to the country he reveals "This time when I visit India I want to go to all the most talked about holiday destinations like Goa and Kerala. I don't think I get overwhelmed by the Bohemian or the Westernised culture that the Indian youth has adopted. I feel it's all about the kind of exposure that one has had."