Mizna Waqas shared her journey, the hurdles and the bitter truths she’s faced in the industry as a supporting actor! Read on for the exclusives.
Mizna Waqas is a Pakistani television and theater actress known for her supporting roles in several acclaimed drama series. She is recognized for her natural and effortless performances. Starting her career as a teacher at a language center, with a masters in linguistics, she always wanted to be an actor and now has achieved that feat with having spent 12 years in the industry.
Currently starring as Fazeelat in Mannat Murad, a Geo Entertainment drama, Mizna Waqas’s breakthrough came with her role as Billo in Hum TV’s popular series “Suno Chanda” in 2018. Her portrayal of a simple yet wise and compassionate woman resonated with viewers, establishing her as a prominent figure in the Pakistani television industry. She reprised the role in the sequel, “Suno Chanda 2,” further solidifying her popularity.
She has played strong female characters in dramas like “Bechari Qudsia” and “Dil Kya Karay,” showcasing her powerful performances. She has also excelled with her characters in dramas such as “Lamhay” and “Aik Thi Rania.”
The Story Of Her First Portfolio & Her Interaction With Saba Qamar
While she came in for an exclusive conversation with Editor, Rabia Mughni – she spoke about her journey, hurdles and the bitter truths she has accepted. She recalled a funny incident of giving in her first portfolio which included a print out of her wedding pictures, “we were so clueless yet I did it with it such confidence but they took it, which they probably wouldn’t in today’s time”
She also reminisced about the moment she saw her inspiration, Saba Qamar in real and worked with her: “ek director tehseen hain, who directed baby baji. He was friends with my husband. He said we need an actor for one scene and its contingent upon the fact that she can speak and do it well. When I went to the shoot, Saba Qamar was sitting there and she was my inspiration and reason for coming on tv.
There sat Fahad Mustafa and Saba Qamar, and Mizna says she was awe struck! She remembers saying as Fahad left the shot, she was left confused who to say the dialogues to and remembers how Saba Qamar helped her. “Bohat achi hai woh!“
What Pushed Her To Learn The Craft Of Acting
Then when she did khushbo ka ghar, she replaced an actress who had left, so for a scene where she had to cry alongside her father, in that scene, she shared the actor who was playing her father’s character was angry: “Unko bohat ghussa aya aur unhay kaha ab mai aisay logo kay samnay acting kero ga?”
“I started crying and after so many years of teaching, it was difficult to digest that disrespect. So Tehseen, the AD for the drama – came home and suggested if you really want to do it, you should go to NAPA. Wo jo expressions aur cheezou ka game hota hai, wo seekhna parta hai.“
Her NAPA Audition With Zia Mohyeddin
She remembers how she went to her first audition to NAPA for an Anarkali monologue
“I donned a pink Anarkali thinking I will look just like her and just narrated the monologue with no movement or expressions and I was rejected but Sir Zia Mohyeddin stopped me, asked what were my qualifications and why I wanted to act – So he agreed to give me a chance as he wanted educated people to come and he said I will polish her skills, he also liked my Urdu. Unka ehsaan hai kay unho nay mera admission kerlia.“
Mizna Waqas
The Bitterness She Survived At NAPA
There was a still a long journey of hurdles post her admission at NAPA. There were many times she was left disappointed, she remembers having heard one of her teachers in NAPA say: “Tumhari stage presence achi nae hai, tum gracefully nae roti.” Later she also suffered due to the prejudices by teachers and says was expelled thrice.
She remembers initially her father-in-law used to go with her to shoots and sit with her and remembers covering her hair because when she used to go on a bike, her hair would get frizzy. So people would even judge her for covering her hair, she even heard things like “bike pay nae aya kero, production house kay agay bike hoti hai tou acha nae lagta.“
She says:
“it’s the bitter truth, but there is no appreciation or recognition for supporting actors as there is globally and I have not once been recognized for my work”.
Mizna Waqas
The People & Organizations She Remembers For Their Support
She credits Director, Aehsun Talish and his wife for helping her change her image and grooming her. She remembers his wife advised her to always spent 10% of her cheque in buying clothes and taking care of her appearance because she is the one who appears on screen. She says when you have someone grooming you, your path gets a lot easier.
She says many people are relating to her role as Fazeelat and she also appreciating the director for highlighting her role in the drama so well. When it came to her journey as a new mom, she remembers 7th sky really supported her as a new mother, the most. “My baby was really small, so they did give me leverage to have him on set with my mother and feed him or tend to him if he cried with breaks”
Are you watching her drama, Mannat Murad on Geo Entertainment? How are you liking her performance as Fazeelat?
