Latest news with #HumayunSaeed
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Humayun on another high
With the release of Love Guru last month and Main Manto Nahi Hoon airing this Friday, Humayun Saeed reflected on what keeps him motivated to entertain the Pakistani audience. The actor appeared in an episode of Geo Podcast with Mubashir on Friday, where he talked about his love for cinema and how he acted in his first drama while working at a factory. "I was a general manager and made sure shipments were released on time. My brother was paralysed at the time so I needed the money. That factory really taught me how to work hard," said Saeed. "At the same factory I once acted in a play at a celebration party and my boss, who was a part time model, suggested that I act in TV dramas. He referred me to a couple of places and I did my first drama, Karoron Ka Aadmi in 1995." "My father was a religious man. He would not have approved of acting so I hid my first TV drama from him." he laughingly recalled. "Eventually people started telling him, 'Your son looked good on TV', and my secret was out!" Saeed moved on from it after his first project. "I forgot about acting after my first job, I thought that was it. But after a few days, I started getting more offers." said Saeed. "I left my job at the factory then and shifted to acting." Launching local films Saeed was one of the first actor-producers to give Pakistani feature films a try. His films Main Hoon Shahid Afridi and Jawani Phir Nahi Aani were released in 2013 and 2015, respectively. "They were a risk at that time," he shared. "I invested PKR700,000 in the first film and did not make as much in return. People were quizzical about this decision but I kept creating more." "And I was right," he added. " I put in PKR600,000 into making Jawani Phir Nahi Aani and it made around PKR5 million at the box office. The film was not dead. People were interested in watching if given the right content." The actor was nervous about making another feature hit after the first one."Jawani Phir Nahi Aani had four male leads so it had more chances of being a success," Saeed remarked. "I had to do a solo male lead film after that and people challenged me. 'Let's see if you can make this work,' they said - and I did make it work. Punjab Nahi Jaungi then released worldwide in 2017 and it made even more than the first two." The producer shared his two cents about recent India-Pakistan tensions as well. "It was really upsetting that Sardaar Ji 3 did not release in India just because it had a Pakistani actor. Hania Amir was casted when relations between the two countries were good. Imagine the financial loss it must have been for the producers, it's extremely sad," he said. Insights on Pakistani TV Regarding his three-decade experience in TV, he said, "Pakistan makes some of the cheapest dramas cost wise around the world. Yet they are still watched so much." Saeed played Lady Diana's love interest, Dr. Hasnat, in UK based Netflix series The Crown, in 2022. "While I was working for the team, I saw that the show was directed by five different directors. Each director came with their own team that had people to research and make the creative decisions. That takes money," noted the actor. "Pakistan does not currently invest on that big of a scale on TV dramas. Imagine how far our TV shows will go if we put in that much money too. And we aren't short of talent," added Saeed. Talking further about his role as Dr. Hasnat, the star recalled, "I had COVID-19 when I was asked to audition for The Crown. They gave me the script and told me to record myself playing the scene. I was asked not to tell anyone else about it." "They really loved my work," he continued. "I gave a second audition but then didn't hear back for a while. I thought the role was given to someone else. Twenty days later, I received a call. I had bagged it!" Saeed smiled and shared, "While I prefer to work in my own country, I was really proud to play a Pakistani character. Moreover, working in Hollywood was an experience of its own. I was really nervous because my part had a kissing scene too. But the team was really confident in my skills and it ended up going well." Saeed is all set to appear in Main Manto Nahi Hoon alongside Sanam Saeed and Sajal Ali. His film opposite Mahira Khan, Love Guru was released on June 6 and is playing successfully in cinemas worldwide. For future, Saeed eagerly revealed, "I have a couple of dramas lined up that will be completed soon. I am also aiming to release at least two movies this year, one romantic and one action. I want to play the lead in both."
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Pakistan makes cheap dramas and yet they are widely watched: Humayun Saeed
With the release of Love Guru last month and Main Manto Nahi Hoon airing this Friday, Humayun Saeed reflected on what keeps him motivated to entertain the Pakistani audience. The actor appeared in an episode of Geo Podcast with Mubashir on Friday, where he talked about his love for cinema and how he acted in his first drama while working at a factory. 'I was a general manager and made sure shipments were released on time. My brother was paralysed at the time so I needed the money. That factory really taught me how to work hard,' said Saeed. 'At the same factory I once acted in a play at a celebration party and my boss, who was a part time model, suggested that I act in TV dramas. He referred me to a couple of places and I did my first drama, Karoron Ka Aadmi in 1995.' 'My father was a religious man. He would not have approved of acting so I hid my first TV drama from him.' he laughingly recalled. 'Eventually people started telling him, 'Your son looked good on TV', and my secret was out!' Saeed moved on from it after his first project. 'I forgot about acting after my first job, I thought that was it. But after a few days, I started getting more offers.' said Saeed. 'I left my job at the factory then and shifted to acting.' Launching local films Saeed was one of the first actor-producers to give Pakistani feature films a try. His films Main Hoon Shahid Afridi and Jawani Phir Nahi Aani were released in 2013 and 2015, respectively. 'They were a risk at that time,' he shared. 'I invested Rs700,000 in the first film and did not make as much in return. People were quizzical about this decision but I kept creating more.' 'And I was right,' he added. ' I put in Rs600,000 into making Jawani Phir Nahi Aani and it made around Rs5 million at the box office. The film was not dead. People were interested in watching if given the right content.' The actor was nervous about making another feature hit after the first one.'Jawani Phir Nahi Aani had four male leads so it had more chances of being a success,' Saeed remarked. 'I had to do a solo male lead film after that and people challenged me. 'Let's see if you can make this work,' they said - and I did make it work. Punjab Nahi Jaungi then released worldwide in 2017 and it made even more than the first two.' The producer shared his two cents about recent India-Pakistan tensions as well. 'It was really upsetting that Sardaar Ji 3 did not release in India just because it had a Pakistani actor. Hania Amir was casted when relations between the two countries were good. Imagine the financial loss it must have been for the producers, it's extremely sad,' he said. Insights on Pakistani TV industry Regarding his three-decade experience in TV, he said, 'Pakistan makes some of the cheapest dramas cost wise around the world. Yet they are still watched so much.' Saeed played Lady Diana's love interest, Dr. Hasnat, in UK based Netflix series The Crown, in 2022. 'While I was working for the team, I saw that the show was directed by five different directors. Each director came with their own team that had people to research and make the creative decisions. That takes money,' noted the actor. 'Pakistan does not currently invest on that big of a scale on TV dramas. Imagine how far our TV shows will go if we put in that much money too. And we aren't short of talent,' added Saeed. Talking further about his role as Dr. Hasnat, the star recalled, 'I had COVID-19 when I was asked to audition for The Crown. They gave me the script and told me to record myself playing the scene. I was asked not to tell anyone else about it.' 'They really loved my work,' he continued. 'I gave a second audition but then didn't hear back for a while. I thought the role was given to someone else. Twenty days later, I received a call. I had bagged it!' Saeed smiled and shared, 'While I prefer to work in my own country, I was really proud to play a Pakistani character. Moreover, working in Hollywood was an experience of its own. I was really nervous because my part had a kissing scene too. But the team was really confident in my skills and it ended up going well.' Saeed is all set to appear in Main Manto Nahi Hoon alongside Sanam Saeed and Sajal Ali. His film opposite Mahira Khan, Love Guru was released on June 6 and is playing successfully in cinemas worldwide. For future, Saeed eagerly revealed, 'I have a couple of dramas lined up that will be completed soon. I am also aiming to release at least two movies this year, one romantic and one action. I want to play the lead in both.'
UAE Moments
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- UAE Moments
The First Teaser for Humayun Saeed's New Drama is Out
The first teaser for Pakistani stars Sajal Aly and Humayun Saeed's highly anticipated drama 'Mein Manto Nahi Hoon' was released on Friday, June 20, revealing an emotionally-charged story and a star-studded cast. Alongside Aly and Saeed, the drama features Asif Raza Mir, Sanam Saeed Mirza, Azaan Sami Khan, Nameer Khan, Saba Faisal, Saba Hamid, and many others. The director of 'Love Guru', Nadeem Baig, has directed this drama and the writer of 'Meray Paas Tum Ho', Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar. The teaser revealed teary moments, angry confrontations, and a magical wedding. The teaser does not reveal much about the plot, but fans are anxiously waiting for the premiere of the drama. The drama is set to release after the release of Humayun Saeed's hit film 'Love Guru', which premiered on Eid Al Adha and featured Mahira Khan as his leading lady. After playing the charismatic, romantic hero, fans are excited to see Humayun Saeed in this new avatar.
Arab News
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Pakistani films attracted ‘biggest' Eid collections in 5 years, says largest cinema chain
KARACHI: Pakistani films that released on the Eid Al-Adha last week attracted the highest Eid box office collections in five years, the sales and marketing head of the country's largest cinema chain said on Friday. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ Pakistani romantic comedy 'Love Guru,' starring acting powerhouses Humayun Saeed and Mahira Khan released in cinemas worldwide on Eid-ul-Adha. The other prominent Pakistani movie that released in theaters across the world was 'Deemak,' a horror movie with A-list actors Faysal Qureshi, Sonya Hussyn and Samina Peerzada starring in lead roles. As per official figures released by Love Guru, the Pakistani film collected Rs 12.8 crores [$457,143] in Pakistan during the first three days of Eid Al-Adha, making it the biggest ever Eid weekend opener in the country. 'If we look at Eid [film] business since Covid, we did the biggest business this year [on Eid],' Adnan Ali Khan, the sales and marketing head of Cinepax Cinemas, told Arab News. 'Meaning highest in five years.' He said this does not include The Legend of Maula Jatt film, which enjoyed record-breaking box office business but was not released on Eid. 'Love Guru got 50 percent of the shows and that is why it generated huge numbers,' Khan explained, adding that Deemak was the second-best performing film on Eid while Hollywood flick 'From the World of John Wick: Ballerina' secured the third-highest collections. Khan said since Love Guru was released worldwide, the international box office collections for the opening weekend were clocked in at Rs15.4 crores [$546,000]. This means the film raked in a total of Rs28.2 crores [$999,186] in the first three days of the release. After the first five days of its release, Love Guru has collected Rs19.10 crores [$676,500] locally while Deemak has generated around Rs4 crores [$142,000] at the box office, Khan said. However, there have been speculations around the authenticity of these figures, particularly at the local box office. There hasn't been an official detailed division of box office collections in cinemas across Pakistan. Pakistani film critic Kamran Jawaid, however, brushed aside claims these figures were fabricated. 'ONLY FOR THE DELUDED' 'When the audience comes out of cinemas in droves at seven in the morning — and that too from multiple shows — then countering claims about fabricated figures is only for the deluded,' Jawaid told Arab News. He said the high footfall in cinemas across the country puts to rest the opinion that attendances at cinemas are too low due to expensive ticket prices or that audiences no longer harbor interest in Pakistani movie. 'One just has to make movies that people are willing to shell money out on, whether it is Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning, which also ran shows till morning two weeks before Eid, or Love Guru,' Jawaid said. The Pakistani film critic broke down the numbers based on the number of screens and seating capacity of Pakistani cinemas. 'Although not big, counting all 91 screens, Pakistan's total seating capacity is a little above 21,000, which equates to 21 million in ticket sales per show/slot, with an average ticket price of a thousand,' he said. 'An average of four shows per day leads to 84 million in gross income. Depending on the number of screens a film like Love Guru gets — which is roughly between 30-40 percent of the country — per-day estimates range between 25 to 33 million in gross receipts,' Jawaid explained. 'Given that the tickets are selling hot, one cannot refute the legitimacy of the quoted figures.' Khan said the movies garnered the highest numbers at its cinemas in Packages Mall in Lahore, followed by Jinnah Park in Rawalpindi. 'We are running late night shows every day,' Khan said, adding that the coming weekend was also expected to feature 'packed' theaters as the cinemas have bookings in advance. 'We need four Pakistani movies like Love Guru every year,' he said. 'However, Deemak has started gaining momentum now alongside Love Guru.' Deemak distributor Nadeem Mandviwalla said the film has collected Rs5.58 crores [$197,200] in six days while it is expected to cross Rs7 crores [$248,000] by the end of this week. 'It is a very encouraging figure for Deemak,' Mandviwalla said. Jawaid, however, looked toward the future of Pakistani cinema. 'Pakistan's cinema needs one Love Guru a month to revive audience's interest,' he said.
Express Tribune
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Humayun doesn't care if you think he is too old to be a hero
Men in their fifties need not worry that they are past their prime, because as A-lister Humayun Saeed has proved in his latest film, any older gentleman can play a love guru if he really puts his mind to it. Or at least, he can if he has occupied the shoes of a leading man as long as Humayun has, regardless whatever naysayers may have to say about his age. "I've been a hero for a very long time, and I've been around for a long time," remarked Humayun during a recent appearance on Vasay Chaudhry's show as the pair discussed the former's new release Love Guru, with Chaudhry, incidentally, also serving as screenwriter for the Eidul Azha rom-com. In his own defence about consistently nabbing the coveted 'hero' role despite the wealth of younger actors in the industry, Humayun also pointed out, "My movies also have Fahad Mustafa and Hamza Ali Abbasi." Radiating a relaxed confidence, the star mused that since he has been in showbiz for so long, any criticisms fans (or trolls) have about his age have little to no impact on him. "Let them target me if they want to!" declared Humayun with spirit. Keeping his ego in check, however, the star exuded an air of surprise when faced with a compliment on his dancing in the film. "Did that look like dancing to you?" he asked wryly. Humayun may remain unbothered by those who feel he is too old to play a hero, but he did concede that he found it tiring when filming had wrapped up and the time had come to put in the hours to promote Love Guru before the world. "Promotion is harder than filming. It looks as though I'm enjoying it, but it's a lot of hard work!" admitted the actor. "There was so much travelling involved, as well as changing outfits – sometimes two or three times in a day. It takes its toll. Before this film, when I would be promoting anything, I would spend the whole day in one outfit, but when the heroine [costar Mahira Khan] is changing outfits, I have to keep up and change as well!" Despite the physical toll of dancing and promoting, however, there was a moment of lightness that Humayun said would remain with him: the sense of humour of Love Guru cast member Ahmad Ali Butt. "Ahmad Butt kept the laughter rolling on set," noted Humayun. Lavishing praise on his fellow actor, hinting that this was the reason he continued to work with Ahmad in the first place, the star added, "Not only does he have talent, he also keeps me entertained!"
