Interview with Imran Abbas

"l think I made the transition from a model to an actor at the right time. Male models who have stuck to modelling are now gradually fading away. I don't know what other alternatives they have because it's too late for them to start acting now," says Imran Abbas candidly while stretching his legs comfortably on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon in Karachi.

Imran was the proverbial boy-next-door who had no idea that his first shoot with Khawar Riaz would catapult him to fame and popularity within a very short span of time. Everything fell in place perfectly and with it some bankable acting assignments also started coming his way, bringing him the opportunity to display his capabilities as an actor.

So was it a lack of scope in modelling that led him to change careers? "If a model has to make a transition into acting then why wait? It is risky when people typecast you as only a model. I never wanted that to happen to me. Even some of our most sought after model-turn-actresses like Vinnie and ZQ, after acting for so long, are still looked upon as models and not actresses," he says.

Contrary to common belief, Imran feels that there is no need for new entrants to get admission in any of the fashion camps to make it big in the industry. "Many models have been launched in style this way and have quickly disappeared from the scene. I don't want to take any names here but it's not important for a model to look like a Greek god or to be on the cover of every other magazine. What counts in the end is the overall personality and the ability to communicate effectively in public, have an attitude and above all, brains.

"Being launched by Khawar Riaz did help me initially, but I don't owe my entire success to him. One's mentor has a limited role in one's success and I think he can just take you to the starting point of the race. You have to run the rest of the marathon entirely by yourself and I was no exception," he says.

Referring to the new crop of models, Imran makes a point to say that they have no clue where they are going. They try to outdo each other by lowering their fees to rock-bottom level in exchange for C-grade work. "Male models have always been taken for granted in Pakistan and the newcomers are spoiling the market for the senior lot who have worked so hard to defy this trend."