Syra Yousuf — Pakistani entertainment’s major discovery!

By Saira Agha

I remember watching a couple of ads not so long back when I was awed by this girl who was quite prominent in those. She had something to her. Like a drive, a look, a smile, a laugh, something to do with prospective stardom. My intuition proved me right when some time afterwards, I saw that same girl starring on the silver screen. She was like a breath of fresh air. She was not your typical ‘drama serial powdered girl’; the ones who make your eyes sore. She was Syra Yousuf. My other intuition says Syra is the future superstar of Pakistani entertainment. Syra talks to Daily Times about stepping in showbiz, her inspiring sister, ‘Bilquees Kaur’ and how she is easily entertained. Isn’t she lovely?

Q. How is the showbiz industry treating you?
A. Showbiz is treating me pretty well to be honest. I see people respecting and appreciating the kind of work that I do and that itself is an amazing feeling.

Q. How much can you relate to your role in the hit drama serial ‘Bilquees Kaur’?
A. I can relate to it to quite an extent. Soha has her values and morals set and nothing can move or change her mind. She has got a happy-go-lucky nature but knows how to take care of a serious situation if need be. That is pretty much me. Though I do not see myself settling for marriage just to get myself out of a situation (smiles).

Q. Tell us in detail about your current projects?
A. With ‘Bilquees Kaur’ on air, I recently finished shooting for a very interesting project directed by Mehreen Jabbar. And then there are a couple of projects in the pipeline as well. I try not to take up too much work at once.

Q. What fashion brands are you modelling for these days other than the Ahsan Khan label?
A. I am the face of Alishba’s and Palwasha’s clothing line called Kaasni and I recently did a shoot for Sheep for their Eid collection. I don’t do many fashion shoots unless the concept is out of the ordinary.

Q. What is your definition of entertainment?
A. I am easily entertained. I love to hang out with friends, watch movies and I like to go to the beach as well, but most of all I enjoy cooking or even try out new restaurants sometimes!

Q. Name one showbiz personality who really inspires you?
A. I am proud to say that the one showbiz personality who really inspires me happens to be my own sister Alishba Yousuf. She has done really well for herself with whatever she’s taken up, be it hosting, designing or acting. People love her for how well she has played out each and every character of hers. Most of all, I respect her for the balanced life that she leads, with all the responsibilities, she excels at everything and is living a happily married life.

Q. What are your future projects and how excited are you about them?
A. Like I said I have got a few projects in the pipeline. I am working on them at the moment and because I try to take up different projects every time, I am usually excited about my work.

Q. Would you say yes to a Lollywood film offer?
A. Our industry has made successful films like ‘Khuda Kay Liye’ and ‘Bol’. Anything along those lines I would love to be a part of.

Q. Do you think you have successfully made a niche for yourself in the drama industry?
A. I believe I have. I am mostly approached for projects that are different and out of the ordinary, considering my look is very girl-next-door, yet everyone who works with me wants to experiment rather than stick to that.

Q. What is your dream project?
A. My dream project is to be on the cover of Vogue Italia. Now that would be something!

Q. How has life changed for you ever since you’ve stepped into the world of entertainment?
A. I would say in a positive way. I have learnt to prioritise. And with work keeping me so busy its family that I constantly want to spend time with.

Q. Which was the last film you watched?
A. ‘Wanderlust’.

Q. What acting genre are you most comfortable in while performing?
A. I am comfortable in most genres, probably except the one that is more around the emotional theme. Because as it is I prefer not to show my emotions and I believe that is where the actor in you kicks in.

Q. Any message for our readers?
A. Life is full of risks, so why not take them? Because if you were to observe all the rules, you would probably never get anywhere. ***

"Life is full of risks, so why not take them? Because if you were to observe all the rules, you would probably never get anywhere."

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