Did you know these Pakistani actors turned down the chance to be in popular dramas?

Did you know that actors have the authority to refuse scripts they don’t find appealing or profitable? Over time, many Pakistani actors have used their authority to turn down scripts of dramas only to see these dramas make it big in the entertainment industry.

Actors do not like speaking about the chances that they missed. However, there have been instances they have opened up about rejecting certain scripts. Do you think they regret their decisions, or it’s water under the bridge when the drama attracts significant love and attention?

Here is the list of famous Pakistani actors and the blockbuster dramas they refused:

1. Feroze Khan refused Mere Pass Tum Ho

Humayun Saeed, who was also the producer of Mere Pass Tum Ho, offered Feroze Khan the lead role of Danish in Mere Pass Tum Ho, which he later essayed himself. Feroze Khan, in an interview, clearly stated that he was not very fond of Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar, who wrote the script for Mere Pass Tum Ho. When the role was offered to Feroze Khan, he quoted a certain amount he wanted for the role, and that hurt the sensitivities of the writer. Feroze said that Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar takes pride in the fact that people beg to work in his drama, so perhaps his pride was hurt when I wanted a certain amount for playing the role and did not take the opportunity without any demands.

2. Sonya Hussyn refused Mere Pass Tum Ho

Sonya Hussyn was the first choice for playing the role of Mehwish in Mere Pass Tum Ho, which Ayeza Khan later played. The play’s producer, Humayun Saeed, shared that initially, he wanted to cast Aisha Khan in the role, but she got married and left showbiz. Sonya Hussyn was the next choice for playing the role. Sonya, however, refused to play the role because she did not want to play a character that portrayed a female in such negative light. Mere Pass Tum Ho was a massive hit, but Sonya does not regret her decision. She shared in an interview that her decision was well-thought-out; therefore, she is happy that Ayeza did justice to the character

3. Mohsin Abbas Haider refused Khaani

Surprisingly enough, Mohsin Abbas was the first choice for playing Mir Hadi’s character in Khaani. Feroze Khan later played this character, and the drama itself was a mega-hit. Mohsin Abbas shared that he refused to participate in the project because he had prior commitments.

4. Ahsan Khan refused Haiwan

Ahsan Khan’s remarkable performance in Udaari was why he was offered to play another similar character in the drama serial Haiwan, later played by Faysal Qureshi. In an interview, Ahsan Khan revealed that he did not want to be typecast; therefore, he refused to be a part of this particular project.

5. Hira Mani refused Dil Ruba

Dil Ruba is a popular Hum TV drama that aired in 2020. In an interview, interestingly enough, Hira shared that she was given the scripts for dramas Kashf and Dil Ruba simultaneously. When she read Dil Ruba’s script, it did not appeal to her; therefore, she rejected it. Hira said that she wants the characters she plays to be different from each other, and they should contain some meaning or message for the audience. Had Hira Mani decided to play the leading role of Sanam in Dil Ruba, Hania wouldn’t have been playing the role.

6. Fawad Khan refused Bin Roye

Bin Roye is the only Pakistani film shown in the form of a drama serial on television. After Hamsafar, Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan’s on-screen jodi became a massive hit, which is why Fawad Khan was the first choice for playing the role of Irtiza in Bin Roye. Fawad Khan was busy with his projects in India; therefore, he rejected the offer. Humayun Saeed played that role then, and Bin Roye became a popular drama and film.

7. Fawad Khan refused Mata-e-Jaan Hei Tu

Fawad Khan was also the first choice for playing the role of Ibad (Aabi) in Mata-e-Jaan Hei Tu. This was another drama written by Farhat Ishtiaq, the writer of Hamsafar and Bin Roye and the producer was the same. Yet again, Fawad could not be part of the project because he was not in the country and could not get the visa on time.

8. Sajal Aly refused Khuda Aur Mohabbat 3

Khuda Aur Mohabbat 3 is one of the grandest dramas recently. Iqra Aziz is playing the leading role in the drama alongside Feroze Khan. Many people might not know that Iqra Aziz was not the first choice for playing this role. Sajal Aly was offered this role initially, but she refused to do it. In a live session on Instagram, Imran Abbas revealed this, and Sajal merely remarked that she would have taken up the role had Imran Abbas been playing the lead with her in the drama. We are all well acquainted with Feroze Khan and Sajal Aly’s past relationship; therefore, it is highly likely that Sajal refused to be a part of the drama due to that reason.

9. Faysal Qureshi refused Humsafar

Faysal Qureshi was the first choice for playing Asher’s role in Hamsafar. After reading the script, he wasn’t too impressed; therefore, he decided not to play the role. Faysal Qureshi loves playing challenging roles. He likes variations in the characters he plays; therefore, he found this script too plain. In an interview, Faysal also shared that he finds it difficult to romance on screen. Perhaps, that was another reason he refused to play Asher’s role. Only after Faysal Qureshi rejected the role that Fawad Khan was offered it. Hamsafar went on to become the most iconic drama in Pakistani drama history. Fawad and Mahira’s on-screen couple also became a massive hit. Imagine how it would have turned out had Faysal Qureshi accepted the script!

10. Mahira Khan refused Kankar

Mahira Khan had the option of choosing between Shehr-e-Zaat and Kankar. Both these drama serials were written by Umera Ahmed and were being produced by MD Productions. Mahira Khan wanted to do something entirely different from Hamsafar; therefore, she asked the producer Momina Duraid who is also her friend, to help make this difficult decision. Momina Duraid advised Mahira Khan to do Shehr-e-Zaat, and that is how Sanam Baloch got to play the leading role of Kiran in Kankar. Otherwise, it could have been the other way around, perhaps, who knows. Mahira Khan had a tough choice, but she made the right one.

11. Usama Khan refused Sinf-e-Aahan

Usama Khan was given the opportunity to be a part of Sinf-e-Aahan, but he refused. Although he did not mention which role was offered to him, we guess he was offered to play Kamil’s role in the drama, which Junaid Jamshed later played.

12. Ayeza Khan refused Ishq Zah-e-Naseeb

Ayeza Khan’s name guarantees ratings. Every drama she is a part of is an instant hit. However, it would be safe to say that Ayeza Khan has barely taken up any challenging roles. Perhaps that is why she refused to play Shakra’s character in the drama serial Ishq Zah-e-Naseeb. Ayeza Khan, herself, never talked about the offer, but Yumna Zaidi, in an interview, revealed that this drama was offered to Ayeza first, but she refused to be a part of it. This was a difficult character to play and perhaps one that Ayeza did not feel comfortable translating on screen.

13. Neelum Munir refused Ishq Zah-e-Naseeb

In an interview, Yumna Zaidi revealed that the character she played in Ishq Zah-e-Naseeb was also offered to Neelam Munir. When Yumna found out that Neelam had refused to play the character, she was more conscious than ever since she believed that Neelam was a phenomenal actress. Ishq Zah-e-Naseeb was one of the most liked Pakistani dramas, and Yumna’s character kept everyone wondering until the end.

14. Osman Khalid Butt refused Dobara

Osman Khalid Butt has a huge fan following, and he tries his best to choose the dramas he is a part of really carefully. After being a part of Ehd-e-Wafa, Osman Khalid Butt chose to do a comedy Ramazan special drama Chupke Chupke. While shooting for the drama, he was offered to play Mahir’s character in the drama serial Dobara opposite Hadiqa Kiyani. In a recent interview, he shared that he regrets his decision now. Dobara has been a massive hit, and the role initially offered to Osman is now being done by Bilal Abbas, and the viewers love him as Mahir.

15. Ali Zafar refused Sang-e-Mah

Sang-e-Mah is one of the most unusual yet appealing dramas produced by the Pakistani drama industry. Hilmand’s character, played by Atif Aslam in the drama, has been the center of attention right from the beginning. The director of Sang-e-Mah, Saife Hassan, shared in a recent interview that Ali Zafar was the first choice for playing the role. After reading the script, he refused to play the character. Atif Aslam was, on the other hand, quite excited to play the role.

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