Written by: Muhammad Suhayb
Posted on: September 02, 2024 | 
| 中文
Tazeen Hussain with Talat Hussain on her marriage day
In the early 1980s, Karachi was a very different city: peaceful, with a vibrant cultural scene. While cinemas were in decline, theaters still offered quality productions. At the Pakistan American Cultural Centre, a play about Helen Keller was in the works, but the director faced a challenge: finding the right girl to portray the lead role. The trained children struggled to embody a character who was both deaf and mute, especially in a cast that included seasoned actors like Talat Hussain and Yasmin Ismail. Eventually, the director persuaded his daughter to take on the role, requiring minimal training. Her performance received praise from both the press and the public, with her talent unmistakably inherited from her father. The same Tazeen Hussain we see in television dramas today, began her acting career long before many of us even understood the art of theater, through a drama that was also directed by her father.
Tazeen in tele theatre play with Nabeel and Latif Kapadia
Tazeen is the eldest daughter of the legendary actor and Professor Rakhshanda Hussain. Like her father, she ventured into acting but soon followed her mother’s example by becoming a teacher. As a child, she was seen singing alongside the Mona sisters and Anwar Ibrahim in Sohail Rana’s Sung Sung Chalain (Lets Walk Together), which aired on Pakistan Television from 1986 to 1988. She made her mark as a lead actress in Raqeeb, and stayed on the scene for a couple of years. Took a break from acting, only to return to screen after a twenty-year hiatus. In this interview with ‘Youlin’, Tazeen Hussain reflects on her early days, life, her break from showbiz and what lies ahead.
A: ‘Not all star-kids are drawn to acting. My father put me on stage when I was 8. He had started a theater group with Rahat Kazmi called Theatre Wallay, and they were staging a play on Helen Keller’s life, Andhera Ujala (Darkness and Light). I played the title role, which was quite challenging for me as she was ‘sight and hearing impaired.’ Yasmin Ismail (late) played my teacher, and Shehnaz Ismail played my mother. My father acted in and directed that project. I also did some plays on Pakistan Television (PTV) as a child artist, Sung Sung Chalain came later, where I learned singing from Sohail Rana. He was an institutional figure who blended music and education long before terms like ‘fun-learning’ became well-known. My career as an adult began with the telefilm Raqeeb (Rival), directed by Atiya Khan for Network Television Marketing (NTM). That led to another telefilm, Aurat (Women), written and directed by Mohammed Ahmed for Combine Productions.
Many still recall her pairing with Faisal Rehman in Mustansar Hussain Tarrar’s Shahpar (king of Birds or Royal Bird) (1996), a Pakistan Air Force version of Top Gun, where she played the hero’s love interest. Among her notable projects are the serials Mohlat (Respite) (2001), directed by Owais Khan, Itni Si Baat (Such a Small Thing) (1995), and Anjanay Rastay (Unknown Paths) (2003), both directed by Misbah Khalid.
Tazeen with Faisal Rehman in Shahpar
A: There are so many. My father, of course, tops the list. Among my contemporaries, I admired the work of Sania Saeed, Nadia Jameel, Huma Nawab and Savera Nadeem. I grew up watching and admiring Khalida Riyasat, Saba Hameed, Bushra Ansari and Rubina Ashraf. Today, we have fantastic talents like Sajal Ali, Maya Ali, Saba Qamar, Nimra Bucha and Samiya Mumtaz, and they are doing amazing work.
Internationally, I’m a fan of Tabu, Rani Mukherji, Vidya Balan, Shefali Shah, Shabana Azmi, and Smita Patel. These women are phenomenal.
Tazeen Hussain and Uzma Gilani in Mehreen Jabbar's Shaam Se Pehlay
A: I got married and had kids, and my family became my top priority. It was a choice I made, and I have no regrets. I joined academia in 2009, and that consumed most of my time until recently. I believe that there is a time for everything, and things will happen when Allah wills it. My return to acting happened by chance. I was tagged by Mehreen Jabbar on an Instagram post about her play Chalo Phir Sey Muskuraien (Lets Smile Again). Nariman Ansari, the daughter of Bushra Ansari, commented on the post, asking why I hadn’t acted again. Feeling nostalgic, I wrote back that I was thinking about it. Moments later I was offered a role in Mehreen Jabbar’s Jurm (Crime or Offense), a four-episode thriller, to which I agreed.
A: No, I don’t remember any film offers. The film wasn’t really a happening field in those days.
Tazeen did make her feature film debut in 2024, playing a scheming ‘Phupoo’ in Daghabaz Dil (Deceitful Heart). Had she debuted in the 90s, she might have been paired with Saleem Shaikh or Babar Ali, but in the movie, she played the sister to these former leading men.
A: Working on the film was both interesting and challenging. The character in Wajahat Rauf’s movie was quite different from what I’ve done before, and I wanted to break out of my mold. The cast and production team were great to learn from.
A: Technically, things have improved. I don’t have to wear as much makeup anymore, which I love, as makeup was never my forte. The lights, lenses and cameras are so good now that everyone looks beautiful! Previously, we had a few dramas on diverse topics, currently they tend to be monotonous. While some are experimenting with different storylines, the majority still revolve around romantic involvements. The roles I did back then were quite varied: one was of a child from a broken family, another was a woman with a failed marriage, and another was about friendships. People still remember me for those dramas but the current viewers are less involved, while audience interaction has increased. Social media bashing is new to me, as people become critical without even watching a full episode. Even casting now seems to depend on how many followers an actor has on social media. I believe these changes have influenced the content.
Tazeen Hussain in drama serial Yunhi
A: We have some great examples in the industry of actors who managed both jobs and acting, like Raju Jamil Sahib, Durdana Butt, Rahat Kazimi and Mohammed Ahmed. I love teaching, and I love acting, so I will find a way to manage both. I believe there should be more connections between the industry and academia, for it would be beneficial for both.
A: I find many commonalities between acting and teaching. Both require you to engage your audience, understand them to communicate effectively, and observe keenly to portray a character or give relatable examples in teaching. As a teacher, the skills I learned as an actor were invaluable. But the most important element for me is passion, whether it’s acting or teaching. I need to feel passionate about something to give it time and space in my life.
A: He was a very encouraging and positive father. I don’t remember ever being criticized or chastised by him. In fact, whenever I got bad grades, it was ‘Abu’ I would go to because I knew he would cheer me up! The pain of losing him is immense, but he has left us with so many beautiful memories that will stay with me forever. His legacy will live on, not only through his work but through the lives he touched, mine being one of them.
Tazeen Hussain with her father Talat Hussain
Tazeen Hussain's versatile career mirrors the breadth of her father's contributions, spanning theatre, television, film, radio and even voice-over work. Her talent and dedication continue to uphold the legacy of her parents, promising a future filled with more memorable performances. As she carries this legacy forward, one can only hope to see and hear even more of her work, ensuring that her parents’ pride in her achievements only grows stronger with time.
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