No doubt, both in Pakistan and Lahore he is already hailed as the best, an unmatched, unbeatable and unparalleled Super Model having modeled for prestigious global products like Coca Cola, Nestle, Polo, Head and Shoulders, Lipton, Brooke Bond, Sprite et al.
Besides being crowned as the No. 1 Small Screen Super Star he has bagged not only the Lux Style Award nomination and trophy but also have proved his histrionic prowess in serials and tele films like 'Umrao Jaan', 'Jannat', 'Love Story', 'Shayad Ke Bahaar Aaye', 'Us Paar', 'Mera Naam Hai Mohabbat', 'Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlaye Ga' etc on PTV. He had made his debut on the big screen too with a film titled Reward and Punishment.
Yet, all said and done, Imran Abbas is more keen to make his debut in Bollywood for which he is not leaving any stones unturned including his constant visit to tinsel ville, "Yes! Having genuinely conquered the modeling sphere and the Lollywood small screen arena my ultimate aim is to conquer Bollywood after hitting the bull's eye at the right time".
Shaheen Raaj caught up with the charming lad, who also turned out to be a self confessed mischievous prankster, at a recent fashion show in Mumbai. There he was scorching the ramp with his igniting persona clad in different designer labels. Tune in for his first person monologue in the close-set starry ambience of his hotel room after the show.
"Janaab, first of all let me clarify that I am not a star son. Neither do I have any familial link either in Lollywood or in Bollywood or in any other global showbiz.
But when I had approached a few top most Bollywood producers their instant reactions were like 'Oh! No not another Zayed Khan, Arbaaz Khan!' Such is my strongest resemblance to these well-known Bollywood actors."
"Never mind but I did get a warm welcome from top filmmakers out here like Mahesh Bhatt, Ram Gopal Verma, Karan Johar, Aditya Chopra, Madhur Bhandarkar et al. So almost everything is finalized for my dream debut in Bollywood but I will tell you more about it after signing on the dotted line. Ok."
"A little flashback about me at this juncture will not be out of place. I am an architecture graduate from NCA college in Pakistan. And the moment I did one fashion show for my college I was lapped up by the ad agencies and I modeled for global prestigious products as I have mentioned earlier.
After this there was no looking back and I was lapped up by the small screen filmmakers and went on to do more than 50 tele serials and tele films for PTV.
Oh! By the way, I have also done Radio at a very young age and also dabbled with a lot of plays which is gaining quite a momentum in Pakistan. But I got the great confidence to act only after doing modeling. I also learnt a lot while acting on the small screen."
"Frankly speaking, I had no craving to face the arc lights and don the grease paint. But destiny had something else in store for me. I took an instant decision when the opportunity presented itself before me.
Honestly speaking again, I am very irresolute with an absolutely restless soul. You can notice that even when I am talking to you I can't stand still in one place. That apart I am a harmless flirt and an equally harmless and mischievous prankster at any given moment of the time."
"I have succeeded in carving a niche as a model and actor purely because of my Muslim background, strong Urdu dialect and diction. In fact, both my father and sister are renowned Urdu poets.
I really exploited this trait of mine with a refined and perfect finesse and really held my fort where other Pakistani models have failed. No wonder, my role of Nawab Sultan in the serial 'Umrao Jaan' can be termed as the milestone of my career.
The next role that I really enjoyed doing was in a serial called 'Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlaye Ga'. The story was about strong male bonding between two close friends wherein they also experiment with serious love, emotional and physical relationship. It is the most daring theme that the Pakistani small screen arena has ever tackled."
"That's also the secret of my fine tuned acting caliber as I believe that acting is a sensitive phenomenon. An actor is like a mirror. The more luminous and clear you are the more you reflect.
Besides, I think that an actor needs to be very insightful about the all the real life characters that constantly keep on wandering around him. Imitating intelligently the day to day characters is what is required to be a perfect actor."
"I also made my debut as a big screen actor in a film titled Reward and Punishment. In fact I have turned down dozens of such other offers mainly because either the director, the set up, the script or the moolah offered to me was not satisfactory at all.
I will never make a compromise on all these aspects. And I have absolutely no hang ups about my co-stars. Alvida kehne se pehle let me tell you that, Insha Allah, five years down the line I will be the most successful Lollywood and Bollywood actor. Aameen!"