Tazeen calls Faisal a ‘riot’ to work with

Actor showers praise on long-standing co-star

What’s it like picking up where you left off with a co-worker from 28 years ago? If your name is Tazeen Hussain and that co-worker is fellow actor Faisal Rehman, then the answer is very simple: it is as if no time has passed by at all.

“It felt not like 28 years, but 28 minutes. Or 28 seconds!” recalled Tazeen about her onscreen husband from Qarze Jaan (2024) in a resurfaced clip from The Rafay Mahmood podcast. Eagle-eyed fans of classics from Pakistani television will recall the pair from Shahpar (1997). But although 1997 may be locked away in the previous century, Tazeen is adamant that the Faisal of today is no different from the Faisal she remembers from almost three decades ago.

“Faisal hasn’t changed much, and he told me I haven’t changed much!” continued Tazeen. “He is a riot to work with. That’s how it was before, and that’s how it is now.”

According to Tazeen, the effervescent energy Faisal brings to the set is rooted in his love for thinking on his feet. “A lot of our scenes have a lot of improvisations. He’s amazing with that,” she explained.

Tazeen is adamant that her long-time co-star is also adept at tweaking a scene before anyone can quash his ideas. “He’s very clever!” admitted Tazeen. “He knows if he tells [me what he is up to], I won’t agree! So he just does it on camera!”

However much she may be taken by surprise during a shoot, Tazeen’s chemistry with Faisal is such that she is able to draw on instinct during her scenes with him. “My reaction to him would be totally natural,” admitted the actor.

Having cultivated this shared history and fun-loving chemistry with her seasoned co-star, Tazeen credited Faisal for allowing her to feel comfortable behind the camera, even when she experienced inner turmoil at the demands of a scene.

“You know my wedding night sequence [in Qarze Jaan]? I was so stressed over it, and I told [director] Saqib [Khan] that I couldn’t do it, it was too awkward. But he got me to calm down and shot it beautifully. And it became what it did because Faisal was with me. It is so important to have a relaxed relationship with the actor you are working with.”

In Tazeen’s experience, the fact that Faisal exudes this air of comfort, coupled with his refusal to belittle anyone he works with, combine together to make working with him a joy.

“He respects all his co-stars, whether they are new or experienced. That, and he owns what he is doing and he is totally shameless and unapologetic about it. That’s what makes him what he is!”