Liza from 22 Qadam AKA Dur E Nayab shares her journey, experiences and learnings in an exclusive!
The starlet from 22 Qadam is off to a great start in her acting journey. By education and profession, a criminal lawyer, luck had her venturing into acting, never having played cricket but truly acing the role of a professional cricketer. Though she loved to dance and express herself through it, Dure Nayab never imagined ending up on the TV screen. Tracing back her roots to a village in Multan, she revealed how her mother brought her and her siblings to Rawalpindi because she wanted to educate her daughters, her mother wanted her and her sisters to be capable of talking about religion or any worldly matters with confidence. Dure Nayab’s siblings comprise of a total of 3 sisters and one younger brother.
She sat down for an exclusive, detailed interview with FUCHSIA Editor, Rabia Mughni. Dure discussed her very first drama project, the exploitation, bullying and harassment in the industry for both genders and her advice to fellow actors and newcomers as a lawyer.
22 Qadam – Her First Drama Project & Why It Was Tough!
She said 22 Qadam as her first project was a tough one. “It was physically, emotionally and spiritually very tough.” Appreciating her co-star Alina who plays the role of Kiryana, she said: “I used to go to Alina. I would like cry my heart out. If I had any problem, or I didn’t understand anything. If I did something wrong, got scolded a lot, didn’t know what to do, if I was feeling very lost – So Alina was there for me, she understood, she would be guiding me. I got really weak I was getting dry lips, dehydrated I couldn’t eat properly.”
“It was tough, very tough. Tough is actually a small term to describe it. I have always been the kid who used to be out on the first ball, who didn’t know how to hold the bat properly, never used to catch the ball, never used to play because I had the fear everybody would make fun of me. But I started playing for 22 Qadam. I didn’t know anything. I always used to think that if I do my first project, I don’t want to just be myself. If you are playing a character, you should put in some effort. So I learnt how to play cricket. It was tough but I enjoyed it a lot.”
Harassment, Exploitation & Bullying In The Industry
While delving into the subject of harassment in the industry, she said: “They try to exploit you, a 100% they do. They also bully you, there is also harassment but its not the matter of harassment – the thing is they try to justify it as a joke, something normal but I take it seriously.
I start talking and people think, that I’m a very nice person. So, what I generally do on set is that, I greet people, or I talk to people but I’m a little formal. I’m not very frank. Because I’ve learned that you should keep your distance.” She added: “To be honest, not everyone is nice to you in the industry when you are new. I used to get so awkward in the beginning, because I thought I am so new, why would anyone have a problem with me, be jealous from me, insecure from me but you would be surprised. Yes, there are supportive people but if you don’t know anything they would not help you or guide you about something you don’t know, but exploit you because you are naive.”
She revealed that yes, girls face adversity, “in society larkiou kay sath bhi bura hota hai, larkiyan generally apnay guard pay rehti hai aur rehna bhi chahye, achi baat hai. But I have a lot of male friends in the industry who have faced a lot of bad stuff. The kind of things they have heard, faced harassment, I would think being a girl even I have not faced such things. We think because it’s a guy, its easy, kuch nae hoga, actually unkay sath zyada horaha hota. Unko bhi dehaan rakhna chaye. Insaano ko Insaano say dehaan rakhna chahye.”
Has She Been Bullied, Faced Anything Inappropriate? What Would Be Her Advice To People Joining The Industry?
“Meray saath hua bhi hai, mainay dekha bhi hai. I was still older when I came in the industry but I also talk to my family about everything. Yes, apko exploit karnay ke kohshish kartay hain, bully bhi kartay hain. Jisko jahan mouqa milay harassment bhi hoti hai aur phir usko justify karna mazaq mai and gaslighting the other person taking it too seriously. I have to keep a distance, log apsay bohat chummy honay ke kohshish kartay hain.“
Dur E Nayab
They will make you feel like it’s a very normal thing, that you are over reacting … but you realize it’s not just being informal, you tell yourself to wait a second, as you realize this is bullying. If anyone passes any such remarks, anything indecent I have to put my foot down.”
She also revealed she will soon be seen playing a small part in the drama Neem. While sharing the above, she appreciated the Director, Shehzad Kashmiri for the way he manages his set. “Except for him no one has the right to talk about you, your acting. Once, some one passed weird remarks on a co actor disguised as a joke. She came to me and I suggested her to let the director know. She told the Director and he came and gave everybody a warning! It was so nice to see him taking action so also, har jagah har tarha kay log hotay hain.”
Being A Lawyer, What Would You Suggest Production Houses, Actors As A Set Code Of Conduct?
Sharing her personal habits she has set:
“I read each and everything in a contract! Actors should be very conscious of it, always read your contract, go into the details of it. Humaray yahan payments kay bhi bohat issues hotay hain. But being a new comer don’t be afraid of asking for what you think you are worth or questioning something – what is yours, you will get it! But know to not tolerate anybody’s misdoings.”
Dur E Nayab
A Fun Fact We Don’t Want You To Miss: Dur E Nayab Didn’t Know Who Wahaj Was The First Time They Met
What was your reaction when you met Wahaj Ali the first time:
“Mujhay honestly, nae pata tha, log kahay gay khud ko kya samjhti hai but Wahaj knows this mujhay nae pata tha Wahaj kon hai. A day before I started working with him, I started researching him. When I saw the huge list of dramas he is in, I watched Ishq Jalebi and said oh he’s very good! She says she’s officially a Wahaj fan!”
Want to listen in to the full interview? Then head to the You Tube link below and listen in to the full Gup Shup with FUCHSIA Ft. Dure Nayab aka Liza in 22 Qadam!
