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Arab News
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Pakistani actor Yasir Hussain says ready to put career on hold for wife Iqra Aziz
KARACHI: Pakistani actor and director Yasir Hussain has said he is willing to pause his career and stay home with his young son if his wife, acclaimed actress Iqra Aziz, required him to, highlighting his support for her flourishing career in the entertainment industry. Aziz and Hussain, one of Pakistan's most talked-about celebrity couples, tied the knot in December 2019 following a public proposal at the Lux Style Awards that year. The couple welcomed their son, Kabir, in July 2021 and have since carefully balanced their personal life with demanding professional commitments. Aziz is currently starring in the television drama Paradise, while Hussain is performing as the director and male lead in the theater production Monkey Business, running at the Karachi Arts Council. Despite their shared background in showbiz, the two have taken different routes, with Aziz focusing largely on television dramas and Hussain leaning toward theater and directing. 'Today, if she [Iqra] tells me to leave everything and take care of Kabir because she is doing a film, I'll leave everything,' Hussain told Arab News in an interview this week. 'Obviously, my child comes first for me.' He said fatherhood and marriage had brought a noticeable change in his temperament. 'I was very hyper before marriage,' he said.. 'It's a good change and I am liking it.' Hussain said being part of the same profession had helped him and his wife better understand each other's demanding schedules. 'If I was married to a doctor, maybe, so I don't know her profession, she doesn't know mine,' he said. 'So, maybe there would have been some issues in between us like what are these shift timings or it's not fair that you go to the theater everyday all day. So, there would have been issues perhaps. But now we know how it works.' Still, Hussain said he made a conscious effort to maintain professional boundaries, including not seeking roles opposite his wife on screen. 'I think there is a gap of 10 or 11 years between Iqra and I,' he added. 'I want her to work with actors her age. I don't want her screen age to increase for no reason because of me.' Hussain also said he didn't seek to share the small screen with his wife just because she was a famous actress. Previously, though, the couple have worked together in the drama serial Jhooti while they were engaged, and later in the mini-series Aik Thi Laila, which Hussain directed. He has also produced Paradise, which Aziz is currently starring in alongside actor Shuja Asad. 'Marriage is a very personal thing and I don't want to show that chemistry onscreen in a TV drama at least.' And though they were both part of the entertainment industry, Hussain said they maintained clear professional independence. 'We have a life as individuals as well. We don't influence each other on the career choices we wish to make,' he said. That said, he expressed a preference for Aziz to avoid dark or gritty roles. 'I don't want Iqra to do films like Javed Iqbal or Taxali Gate or the series Khatarnaak that I'm shooting in Lahore,' he said. 'I don't want her to get into such dark content. She is a very lively person and has the image of a happy-go-lucky individual. I don't want her image to be dark or political.'
Arab News
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
‘Monkey Business' thrives on stage, but Yasir Hussain warns survival through theater is no joke
KARACHI: Pakistani actor Yasir Hussain has returned to his theater roots with 'Monkey Business,' a farcical comedy currently drawing crowds to the Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi, though he says it remains nearly impossible for artists to survive on theater alone in the country. The actor, who rose to prominence through iconic roles in Anwar Maqsood's plays before moving into television and film, is now back on stage after years. His return comes at a time when Pakistan's theater scene continues to struggle with limited commercial viability, high production costs and little state support. 'I don't think an artist should solely rely on theater [in Pakistan]. They should do TV and film too,' Hussain told Arab News on Tuesday. 'Even today if I am offered a project like 'Badshah Begum,' 'Baandi,' 'Jhooti' or 'Aik Thi Laila,' which were all great scripts, I'd still do it,' he added, naming some of the television productions. Hussain stars as Wasim in Monkey Business, a satire about aspiring actors who get involved in phishing scams. The play opened on April 5 and runs through April 21 in Karachi, before heading to Lahore and Islamabad. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ 'He is a fraud,' he said while describing his character in the play. 'It's all about actors, new actors and they are into some kind of phishing business. It's a farce comedy.' Known for his early work in Anwar Maqsood's 'Pawnay 14 August' and 'Half Playt,' Hussain transitioned to television and film over the past decade, also producing and directing for screen. His latest TV drama 'Paradise,' which he produced under his banner LO IQ Films, premiered earlier this week, starring Iqra Aziz, his wife, and Shuja Asad. 'I really want to pitch good scripts to my wife,' he said, adding: 'In Paradise, if you see the first episode, you'll see that it's a custom-made character for Iqra.' Hussain and Aziz, a renowned actress in her own right, previously appeared together in Jhooti and later in the mini-series Aik Thi Laila. But Hussain said he avoids working opposite her in lead roles post-marriage. 'Marriage is a very personal thing and I don't want to show that chemistry onscreen in a TV drama at least,' he explained. 'I don't want her screen age to increase for no reason because of me. And I don't want to share the small screen with her just because she is a famous actress. I have no interest in appearing in dramas nor sharing the small screen with my wife.' Though he's focused on stage shows and direction at the moment, Hussain doubts theater can thrive in Pakistan without institutional support. 'How will theater in Pakistan rise? This place where we are performing theater, the rent is 1.5 to 2 lakhs rupees [$357 to $713] in addition to lights, sounds and other expenses. Theater [setup] for a day costs a lot, equal to the amount it generates,' he said. 'Unless the government plays a part in [promoting] theater or film, no one can do it. It cannot flourish.' Hussain also drew a distinction between commercial theater like Monkey Business and the work staged at institutions like the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA). 'It's good for NAPA but it's not commercially viable,' he said. 'There is no hype around the city for such kind of theater.' Asked about his future plans, Hussain said he wanted to venture into film production under LO IQ Films. 'I am enjoying production. LO IQ Films is producing theater as well as TV so now I want to produce films,' he said.
