Top most versatile actors

Read time: approx 15 minutes

What actually makes an actor successful in their craft and noticeable in their skill? Versatility. The art of being able to portray such different characters and leaving a lasting impact on the audience shows an actor's true capabilities. It is often seen many actors who have proven their worth in different projects often go unnoticeable and are questioned about their unique character choices. But this provides scope for creativity within the individual to excel and explore their craft. Let's take a look at the different roles that have proven these actors' worth and versatility...

Imran Ashraf

The latest sensation to rise to fame from the new movie Dum Mastam and Ramadhan drama serial Chaudhry & Sons Imran Ashraf has finally received the recognition he deserves. Imran Ashraf has come a very long way- he's started his acting career from rock bottom and worked his way up the ladder through various impactful performances. He's built himself up to become an all-rounder and is now quite capable of jumping straight into any role. Despite major controversies and backlash about his choice of characters, it is those particular characters that have won him critical acclaim and recognition. Imran Ashraf is now a man skilled at his craft and only working to better his work. Let's talk about just some of his brilliant and iconic roles that have made him one of the most versatile actors of his generation in the TV industry...

In 2017, Imran Ashraf was seen in a supporting role in the blockbuster drama serial Alif Allah Aur Insaan. He played the role of Shammo, a transgender and popular hairstylist. He received the award for best actor in a supporting role at the HUM awards. It's the confidence that Imran Ashraf has in taking on such controversial roles that just makes his work more admirable. Although a supporting role, his impactful performance makes this character appreciated by all. Of course, you must be aware of the taboo nature and Pakistani mentality around transgenders so such a role to take on is challenging in many ways. But we love how Imran Ashraf explored his character with different body language and expressions- his performance is simply a work of art 🎨.

Imran Ashraf rose to stardom when he played the mentally challenged Bhola in the 2018 drama serial Ranjha Ranjha Kardi. His character changed the shape of the Pakistani TV industry- the character was much loved and understood by the audience. At no point did Imran Ashraf step out of character- he absorbed every small detail of Bhola's character and lived and breathed it. The discrimination people like Bhola receive on a day-to-day and the emotional turmoil that such people face was projected perfectly by Imran Ashraf. We felt sympathetic towards the character, he made us cry our eyes out and he most definitely created a lasting impact. Even today, 4 years later in any interview, any guest show appearance, any awards show appearance and any interaction with fans he's always asked to re-enact a few iconic Bhola dialogues. It's phenomenal to see how he slips back into the character of Bhola for a few moments and entertains those around him and then springs back to reality. Did you know Zahid Ahmed was inspired by Imran Ashraf to try something new and so he accepted his role in Ishq zahe naseeb as a character who suffered from split personality disorder? 

Recently, in Ramadhan comedy-drama serial Chaudhry & Sons we saw Imran Ashraf in a fresh and youthful character known as Billu Chaudhry. We loved Imran Ashraf's portrayal of the carefree character who loves to rap and get up to mischief with the University Professor. Billu was often seen roaming around aimlessly in his big yellow jeep and also had a colourful sense of style when it came to his outfits. Imran Ashraf's performance, without a doubt, was enjoyable to watch from start to finish. It's the funny unique dance moves he would come out with from nowhere, the one-liners and dramatic expressions that make the character much loved by the audience.

Imran Ashraf, without a doubt, shows passion to deliver his best work. He is in no way type casted and his new roles are always exciting to see on-screen. He has proven to be a powerhouse of talent by carefully selecting his projects to each appear unique from one another. Despite the fact that he has proven to be a talented actor and deserving of recognition, his name always seems to be under the shadows. We can't help but think this to be because he does not fit the typical physical standards of a "hero". But Imran Ashraf is here to prove that he is an actor and his work is credible and that there should be no bias just because of an actor's looks that all the girls secretly have a crush on... Fawad Khan? Feroze Khan? Imran Abbas? It's the fact that he isn't ordinary like them, in fact, he's extraordinary. 

Yumna Zaidi

Yumna Zaidi has established her career as one of the leading actresses in the Pakistani TV industry. Her projects show how diverse she is in the different roles she has adopted over the years. She's definitely got the title of Queen of Expressions! Yumna Zaidi continues to deliver stellar performances one after the other which have now proven to show diversity in her work. Her work is often critically praised and recognised, in particular, her performance in Dar Si Jati Hai Sila and Pyar Ke Sadqey. Yumna Zaidi is now all set to make her international debut in the upcoming Arabian superhero web series titled Crestar and the Knight Stallion. But first, allow me to bring you up-to-date about some of her roles that have proven her to be a versatile actress in the TV industry...

In 2019 Yumna Zaidi played the character of Shakra in the drama serial Ishq zahe naseeb. Shakra was Sameer's (Zahid Ahmed) maid during his childhood and later his other split personality character. It's been reported that Ayeza Khan and Neelam Muneer had rejected the offer for this role due to it being a cameo appearance with less screen time. BUT the way Yumna Zaidi executed her character despite shorter screen time proved to be powerful which led to her performance receiving critical acclaim. At first, her character does seem pretty scary especially when she moves closer to the camera to speak directly to the audience. However, this technique bought life to her character- she was in the spotlight. The subtle tears that showed past trauma, the sudden animalistic sounds, the click of her fingers even the way she tilts her head to the side slightly all made her performance to be phenomenal. It's the attention to detail if an actor can master then they have won. There are genuinely so many layers to Yumna Zaidi's character which she absolutely nailed and I definitely wouldn't see Ayeza Khan or Neelam Muneer in such a role...

In 2021, Yumna Zaidi was part of a huge cast for the mega-blockbuster drama serial Parizaad. Her character was introduced right at the end of the drama serial and proved to be the most meaningful. She played a blind radio jockey who was a huge fan of Parizaad's (Ahmed Ali Akbar) poetry. The innocence that her character was drawn with was beautifully portrayed by Yumna Zaidi. Her scenes with Ahmed Ali Akbar as a blind character became so impactful on an audience- everyone loved their on-screen chemistry. Yumna Zaidi performed the character to utmost perfection and it was a treat to see her come in right at the end. Yumna Zaidi actually has had experience in radio jockey before so maybe this helped build her character's persona 😅. Her character most definitely tugs at the strings of your heart, especially with her flawless expressions from scene to scene. 

In Sinf e aahan, Yumna Zaidi plays a Pathan girl called Shaista who joins the army to run away from home. She's a fearless girl whose enthusiastic about fighting for her country despite the fact that she comes from a home where women aren't allowed to leave the house or work. Nevertheless, this does not stop her from dreaming big! Her Pashto accent is so on-point and cute! She builds the persona of her character to be so strong amid her co-stars through her body language and expressions. This character has helped Yumna Zaidi to effectively execute her performance in a note-worthy way whilst performing between a huge cast.

Yumna Zaidi has earned herself huge recognition in every role she has played. We can't wait to see her excel even further in future projects- she just creates magic on the screen! Don't you agree 👀

Saleem Mairaj

Saleem Mairaj...a face you've seen multiple times in different supporting roles but whose name you may not be aware of till now! He is capable to play so many versatile roles it's about time he receives the recognition that he deserves. Saleem Mairiaj is a prime example of an actor who knows how to give a memorable performance and be in the spotlight no matter how small the role is. He's been part of big-name dramas such as Mann Mayal, Raqs e Bismil and Alif. Let's take a closer look at two of his roles where he has proven his versatility...

In 2016, he was seen in a pivotal role in Pakistan's highest-rated drama serial of the year Mann Mayal. Saleem Mairaj plays the character of Jameel and greatly showed character development, he went from a "mamooli" assistant to a negative role. His character had so many layers as the story progressed and it was interesting to see how Saleem Mairaj portrayed a change in character during crucial and climactic moments. His character is introduced halfway through the drama with no significance as he's seen to be a stuck-up worker in a wealthy household. His character's attitude towards Salahuddin (Hamza Ali Abbasi) changed as he starts to respect him and eventually work under him as a loyal assistant in his personal and professional life. His character then takes a turn when a girl comes into the equation, Jeena (Ayesha Khan). This character flip was so unexpected but brilliantly executed by Saleem Mairaj. He created such a powerful impact with his character during these scenes where he became brainwashed and selfish in the name of Mohabbat (despite being a married man with children). It is here where we saw a slight negative character in him emerge on the surface of the drama. This intensified the drama because his role became more significant to be a catalyst and game-changer for the storyline. We then don't see his character for a while- and just when you think that's the end of the Jameel chapter- he swoops BACK into the storyline at a crucial moment. His loyalty to his boss Salahuddin (Hamza Ali Abbasi) bought him back as a hero to step in and help when it was least expected. Within this one drama serial, he has been able to showcase his capabilities and excellence in the craft that you can't overlook his performance. Overall, his performance in Mann Mayal did more than any other supporting role has ever done, I just wish his character was seen somewhere on the drama poster...

In 2018, Saleem Mairaj was seen in the Pakistani drama horror series Saaya. Here he played a very unique and interesting role- an exorcist. It's like this role was made for him. He perfectly executed such a role with impact- his character was mysterious and you could really see him trying to express this with his eyes. He recently made a comeback in Saaya season 2 where he reprised the same role alongside Naveed Raza. This is interesting to compare how Saleem Mairaj has developed his acting skills over the 4-year gap and how he can now accentuate his character further.

In future, I'd like to see bigger opportunities unfold for Saleem Mairaj to work with and have head-on scenes with senior actors. For example, I think he could've worked in big ensemble mega-hit drama serials Parizaad and Sang e mah alongside veteran actor Nauman Ijaz. 

Ali Ansari

Ali Ansari has consistently been seen with back-to-back projects in the last 5 years. He seems very up to speed with his work and is keen to be recognised for his skill. He started off back in 2015 as a negative supporting role in Ek this Misaal and is now comfortably seen in main lead roles, notably in Rang Mahal. Sometimes, I feel like he gets more "clout" as being the husband of Saboor Aly rather than fans appreciating him for his versatile work... Let's take a look at just some of his versatile roles...

One of Ali Ansari's first drama serials in 2015 Ek this Misaal shows him in a negative supporting role. It's from his performance here that he immediately caught my eye as an emerging actor. He's known as Saifi who is the foster brother of Misaal (Hina Altaf) and is also interested in her and tries to get close to her in inappropriate ways. His intentions aren't right and he's shown to have a carefree and flirtatious attitude towards girls. Saifi tries to create misunderstandings between Misaal and her mother (Rabab Hashim) when he ends up in Misaal's bedroom with the wrong intentions but flips the situation to go against Misaal in front of his dad (Hasan Ahmed). The character progressively got worse and became a trouble-maker in Misaal's (Hina Altaf) married life later. Ali Ansari used his expressions and body language effectively to really mould himself into such a character that the role felt like a suitable opportunity in his early career to gain confidence in this specific role and help him build upon his work progressively as he was offered roles with more screen time. 

In 2018, Ali Ansari was finally seen in a lead role opposite Kinza Hashmi and Hamza Firdous. He played the possessive and hot-headed Danish but had a very loving bond with his brother Ammar (Hamza Firdous). His acting got better as the story progressed and his attitudes towards Islam and Maria (Kinza Hashmi) changed. Danish and Ammar share a close bond despite being very different to one another. Danish just cannot stand Maria (Kinza Hashmi) who works in their house as a nurse for his grandmother. He's always shown to be argumentative in scenes with Kinza Hashmi but fun-loving with his brother and grandmother. As the story takes a sudden turn and karma finds its way to Danish, the character changes. In the end, he is seen to be a changed man in a loving relationship with Kinza Hashmi. The character undergoes a lot and definitely has our attention. The transition was nicely done as it showed growth in character at a steady pace- the character had perfect scope for Ali Ansari to work on.

In future, I'd like to see Ali Ansari excel in more challenging roles with a whole new look to him. Sometimes I feel like not enough is done to differentiate between his character's physical appearance. I also feel like it would be more beneficial for him to take a step out of his comfort zone and take on more interesting scripts because whilst his performances have been proven to be strong- the actual dramas aren't all that.

Kinza Hashmi

Kinza Hashmi is a young actress who has achieved a huge fan following base and popularity at such a young age. She is now consistently seen on TV with projects rolling out one after the other with different co-stars. At one point last year, we saw two projects on air at the same time Mohlat and Azmaish. It was interesting to watch these two dramas alongside each other as Kinza Hashmi's characters were of 2 extremes- in Mohlat she was seen in a negative role and in Azmaish she was seen in a "bechari" role. Let's take a closer look at some of her versatile work till date...

In 2018 Kinza Hashmi starred in drama serial Seerat where she played the role of Maria, whose father was a Muslim and mother was a Christian and she was on her own spiritual journey to find God. Her inclination towards Islam was almost like the thought process of a revert. Maria's character had a lot to her- she was confident to speak up when she saw something wrong happening, she was helpless living in her paternal uncle's house and she was in admiration of Ammar (Hamza Firdous) whose spiritual connection with Islam awakened her from the inside. All eyes were most definitely on Kinza Hashmi here with her fantastic portrayal of the character-which I don't really see anyone else pulling off to the same level. Maria had so many confused emotions inside of her when it came to religion which Kinza Hashmi portrayed well. Her dialogue delivery and expressions were immaculate in this role.

In 2021 Kinza Hashmi played a very convincing negative role as Maham in drama serial Mohlat. Maham was a selfish and prideful girl who loved to manipulate situations in her favour and neglect the feelings of others around her. She's a self-destructive and materialistic character and it's evident in the way she talks and walks and treats her own family. The role proved that Kinza Hashmi isn't just made for the helpless crying roles and it helped to shape a new perspective on her acting capabilities moving forward. It was great to see Kinza Hashmi try a negative role and I hope to see her again in a negative role!

Kinza Hashmi has a lot of work under her belt from such a young age it's very impressive to see how quickly she has gained popularity. But I do also believe she could further explore other drama genres and scripts and it's about time she attempted something out-of-the-box.

Sonya Hussyn

Sonya Hussyn- a name that definitely deserves more recognition in the industry! It's only within the last 4 years she's managed to work her way up the ladder to bag herself bigger and bolder projects. She's definitely someone who picks her projects carefully in order to present different and impactful characters. She most definitely stays away from the typical saas-bahu storylines and likes to take an interest in working in social issue-based dramas. Let's take a look at some of her best performances that often go underappreciated...

In 2020, Sonya Hussyn played the role of Ulfat in drama serial Mohabbat Tujhe Alvida opposite Zahid Ahmed. Ulfat and Shahan (Zahid Ahmed) share a beautiful married life at the start of the drama...until greed gets the best of Ulfat. She dreams of becoming rich and living a lavish lifestyle. In the chase of her dream, she puts her marital life at risk and in the end is left with nothing. There is a notable transition in her character that quickly becomes the focal point of the storyline. Ulfat is initially seen as a bubbly and happy-go-lucky woman but her greed for money pushes her towards becoming a selfish character where a negative role surfaces. The character was played off perfectly by Sonya Hussyn- when she eventually became rich her body language and way of speaking all changed. In the end, when she realises that she has been left in an isolated state the character has an outpour of emotions. 

At the same time, Sonya Hussyn played a completely different role of a schizophrenic in drama serial Saraab. She received the Best TV Actress (Jury) award at PISA 2021 but called out LSA for underappreciating her work and similar meaningful projects in the past. It's not easy as a female in such a glamorised industry to play off a character with such mental health issues to a Pakistani audience where mental health issues are seen as a taboo subject. Sonya Hussyn's performance as a schizophrenic was emotional and convincing to watch- definitely makes you feel sympathetic towards the character. She played the character so well that the entire topic of schizophrenia was shown in an impactful way for an audience to understand what such a person goes through and how emotionally difficult it is to constantly feel this way.

Currently, Sonya Hussyn is seen as an environmentalist from Cholistan in drama serial Mor Mohran. 

She's passionate to resolve community issues such as water consumption and plantation. This type of drama is very different to typical storylines but Sonya Hussyn is all about working on her versatility as an actress. I'm very excited to see her grow in the industry and hope to see her achieve success and recognition because she's very hard-working and impactful in her character choices.

Hina Dilpazeer

How can we NOT talk about the nation's most favourite and iconic Mumtaz/Momo from the family sitcom Bulbulay! The series has been running since 2009 and it's Hina Dilpazeer's performance as Momo that has led her to international acclaim and recognition. She literally owns the character of Momo- from the way she walks, the way she bobs her head and just doing up the most hilarious and out-of-the-box things😅. This character rightfully takes the spotlight in every episode. It's like Hina Dilpazeer is constantly thinking how can I lift my character's performance further in this scene? I can't help but think would the drama serial still be just as successful if the role of Momo was played by someone else...👀

In stark contrast, we see Hina Dilpazeer in a negative role in drama serial Baandi (2018) by the name of Faiza Begum. Initially, I couldn't even believe my eyes when I realised (very late) that this is the same sweet loving Momo in such a strong negative role! Faiza Begum is two-faced; publically she portrays herself to be a religious scholar involved in charity work but oh my... behind closed doors she's a monster! She absolutely hates the poor and treats her maids in the worst possible manner imaginable- oh she's a murderer too...👀. Hina Dilpazeer's acting here was impactful in the way she used her expressions and body language. The woman had grace one minute and villainous behaviour the next!

There is no way I can critique the work of Hina Dilpazeer and I'm sure you can agree with me there. She is the definition of versatility and strives to go above and beyond with her characters.