THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT AHAD RAZA MIR

His take on destination weddings, romantic letters and more

What's the most common daily activity for all Pakistani girls these days? Yes, you got that right! Drooling over Ahad Raza Mir. From mommies to grannies, if you’re a female, Dr.Asfandyar makes your heart go all mushy. Some of us are even jealous of Zubia, who’s going to end up having him forever in another episode or two of Yakeen ka Safar. Basically, this Canada-return hunk is doing to us what Fawad Khan did when we saw Hamsafar. If you are glued to the TV screen at 8 pm every Wednesday, holding your heart and wiping off your drool, know that you are not alone.

Want to send him a perfume or run into him at his favourite restaurant? Then scroll down without wasting another second. Light a few scented candles, grab some chocolate and get to know ARM a little more closely.

WO: If you weren’t an actor you would be?

Ahad: A chef or a director

WO: Hollyoood or Bollywood?

Ahad: Depends on what I am in the mood of watching.

WO: Favourite restaurant (s) in Pakistan?

Ahad: In Karachi my favourite restaurant is LOCO.

WO: Chocolates, flowers or jewelry – the best present for a girl in your opinion is?

Ahad: A meaningful letter.

WO: Destination wedding or a big fat Pakistani wedding?

Ahad: I’d love a destination wedding but I think I will end up having a big fat Pakistani wedding and then some functions abroad since my family is spread across the globe. I do hope I am financially stable enough to afford all of thus though (haha)!

WO: Favourite perfume?

Ahad: Euphoria by Calvin Klien

WO: The beach or the mountains? Your favourite holiday destination?

Ahad: I like both actually – the beach since I have grown in Karachi and the mountains since that’s what I enjoyed in Canada.

WO: Favourite desi dish?

Ahad: My mum’s chicken karahi

WO: Favourite Bollywoood actor? Actress?

Ahad: Ranbir Kapoor and Madhuri

WO: What’s the last song you listened to?

Ahad: Since I’ve been loving you by Led Zeppelin

WO: The last person you texted?

Ahad: My mum.

WO: A country/city you are dying to visit?

Ahad: Japan.

WO: Do you read, watch a movie, or sleep when on a plane?

Ahad: I do a lot of writing! And I am working on a few scripts.

WO: What’s next after Yakeen Ka Safar?

Ahad: Well, Parwaaz hai Junoon is releasing this year and I will start shooting for my next drama in November. I cannot reveal the details but I can say that it will be epic in its scale.

WO: The one thing that made you say yes to Yakeen Ka Safar?

Ahad: Asfandyaar’s transformation.

WO: Cake or steak?

Ahad: Steak.

WO: Your weirdest childhood habit?

Ahad: Well, I still have the habit of wearing hats – come summer or winter. I used to wear them even when it was -40 in Canada!

WO: Have you ever done something you wish your parents never find out?

Ahad: My mum reads/watches all my interviews, even the ones I try she doesn’t. So, I cannot if I do answer the question , she will find out!

WO: One thing you’d like to tell your parents?

Ahad: That I love them!

WO: Who’s the most influential woman in your life?

Ahad: My mum for sure.

WO;:. What comes to your mind when we say feminism?

Ahad: Equality.

WO: Laundry or cleaning – what did you hate more during your time in Canada?

Ahad: I didn’t hate either of them actually. Sundays were reserved for these activities. I’d light some candles and make the house smell nice while doing home chores. It was quite therapeutic.

WO: The three things your ideal girl MUST have?

Ahad: She should respect herself and other individuals, she should be able to argue cool headedly, and she should be active.

WO: When you are not working you are..?

Ahad: I am still working. Or sleeping!

WO: Mum or dad – your go to person in a time of crisis?

Ahad: My dad.

WO: One thing you were pleasantly surprised by on the sets of Yakeen Ka Safar?

Ahad: The team work and how well everybody gels in together.

WO: One gadget you are dying to own?

Ahad: I am a musician so there is this guitar I really want to have.

WO: Are you a saver or a spender?

Ahad: I save for some time and then go and spend it all together! So a bit of both I guess!

WO: You indulge in?

Ahad: Desserts.

WO: Eat out or cook at home?

Ahad: Home.

WO: One thing you love about following:

Kubra Khan

Ahad: She’s a beautiful human being

Sajal Ali

Ahad: One of the most charming girls I have ever met.

Mawra Hocane

Ahad: That she’s incredibly driven.

Realisation #5: If Bano was able to talk, this is what she would say to me.

Entangled between a mess of crumbs on the floor, over-cooked rice on the stove, a shoe I could not find and the clock on the wall that said it’s time to go pick Minha up, I saw Bano sitting on the floor, with a clump of those crumbs stuck to her hands and a few in her mouth. There was a devilish smile on her lips, a cheeky twinkle in her eye. The mountain of frustration that was making me hyperventilate melted as her saw her cute little face shine even brighter in the light that peered through the window. Her pair of teeth sparkled as she grinned. In the quiet of the apartment that was currently inhabited by just her an I, here’s what I heard her say:

“Hi, my name is Bano and I am not a grown up. I like to sit in in different corners of my home and scream rather than play peacefully in the nice play pen my parents have bought for me. I'd rather eat the kachra on the floor or the crumbs my sister drops while she has her meal than the yummy food my mama makes for me. I like to be very noisy in public and demand milk just when my mama desperately needs to go to the bathroom. You know…that’s just how I am. I'd rather bang my head in the wall or fall flat on my face than sit securely in my high chair and play with blocks. I like to have more food on my bib than in my tummy when it's eating time. I like to wake my mama up several times in the night just because I want a hug from her.  I am 14 months old…but that’s just how I like my nights to be. If my mama decides to undergo the brave process of travelling with me to Pakistan, I give her such a hard time that she swears she will never repeat the heinous act again. Recently, I have developed an aversion to showering and an affinity for making a mess of my hair as soon as my mama makes a little ‘fawara’ pony on the top of my head. I like it messy, you know. I don’t like the stroller anymore. I like being wild and free…yes…even when I am on the roads. But mama, I am just a baby. Please let me be me. Before you and I know it, it will be time for me to go to school. Soon enough I will have to deal with the pressure of studying, maybe fitting in or sometimes not being good at things too. I will have to deal with the issues of life, with heart break maybe, with losing friends. I will pass sometimes, at times fail. You know the drill mama. I will have to go to university, perhaps live away from you, find a job and one day become a mama just like yourself. Juggling between my kids and my home and work, I will be so busy that you will wait for me to call. If we end up in different cities or countries, you will have to wait for months before you get to see me. Ask nano. And dadi. They know. So mama, enjoy me. For I will be a grown up soon and then you will have ample time to sleep or just be with baba. I know how you like to just be with baba. Then you can have your leisurely coffees in cafes and watch your favourite shows in peace. I will not be there to annoy you on your trips or scream for you in the background as you try to clean the house, frazzled and pressed for time. There will, for sure come a time mama, when you will have all the time but you will not have me. So, for now, let me be and don't let me wear you down. For I will not be this tiny person for very long.”

As I stood there, watching my little girl crawl towards me, hold my pants and stand up with their support, I said to myself that a few months ago, she wasn’t even able to sit. Today, she’s standing up. Tomorrow she, with her sister, is going to run far away, making her own life. I will be left with nothing but an empty nest. With perhaps a few albums that will take me down my memory lane. A home that’s tidy, a to-do-list very short. Just like Minha grew up in the blink of an eye, she will too. I stood there, realizing that the chores can wait. There will always be chores…but will me baby be a baby forever? No, she won’t. And as I realized that, the tense muscles in my body eased. The mess became less visible, the dust seemed unimportant. I bent down, picked up my little nut, and we kissed and hugged till it was time to go pick my elder chatty parrot.