Echoes: 10 Pakistani Performances That Deserved Far More Attention

Despite financial and infrastructural challenges, Pakistani industry has produced some truly extraordinary performances, both in film and TV. Some of the actors deserved far more appreciation than they received when they first went on air or hit the big screens.
And that is why these 10 Pakistani performances have stolen the show and left a lasting impression even after years.

Zahid Ahmed as Sameer in Ishq Zahe Naseeb (TV, 2019)

Zahid Ahmed's Sameer was one of the most demanding performances ever in TV and film combined. Not only because the role was never played before, but it was a double character played by a single person whose alternate personalities affected others.

He played a successful businessman, Sameer, living with dissociative identity disorder and transformed into a feminine persona at night, shaped by traumatic childhood experiences. Ahmed essentially had to construct two different personalities between whom he had to switch every now and then. It was not about changing clothes and putting on makeup every night; it was about changing his entire posture, gestures, walk, facial expressions, voice, and overall temperament. These transitions certainly required hard work.

What worked well with this character, who is a businessman, is that he didn't want to become a conventional antagonist. He still managed to make the audience empathize with him, a vulnerability he could transform within seconds as the character gave way to Sameera, his female alter ego.

Sarmad Sultan Khoosat as Saadat Hasan Manto in Manto (Film, 2015)

Sarmad Sultan Khoosat has something eccentric about him that has been explicitly noticeable in his acting and direction. He recreated one of the iconic writers, Saadat Hasan Manto, who was critically acclaimed due to his bold writing. Khoosat embodied one of the most challenging performances, like a pro, with all the contradictions, self-destructive thoughts, wit, and emotional turmoil, regarded by critics as the film's greatest strength, as per Dawn.

Khoosat was deemed to be doing justice to the role due to the flawless capturing of Manto's conflicting personalities. It was unusually difficult for Khoosat to direct as well as act in a film where he had to carry an immense emotional weight for the story, still regarded as a commendable performance to date.

Arif Hassan as Rahat Khwaja in Zindagi Tamasha (Film, 2019)

Arif Hassan has returned to his private life and non-media pursuits after the breakout performance in Zindagi Tamasha (2019). His performance was lauded because of the emotional collapse beneath the layers of a respectable societal person; he was considered a symbol of shame.

His isolation was evident in his suffering, communicated through his face, silences, posture, and an increasingly defeated presence. Though his presence brought warmth, his pain was still undeniable. This authenticity won hearts; despite the film facing criticism from certain segments of society and undergoing rigorous censorship battles, his symbolic character of someone who is simultaneously religious and fond of secular entertainment will be unforgettable.

Gohar Rasheed as Shaukat in Digest Writer (TV, 2014)

Gohar Rasheed played the role of Shaukat, the husband of the lead character Fareeda (Saba Qamar), who likes writing fictional stories. He initially stops her from writing but later accepts it when he sees the money she earns.

His performance remains a standout since he is a deeply flawed, controlling, and dismissive husband who does not take his wife's passion seriously. His abrupt change in attitude when he sees the financial value of her work turns into possessiveness and insecurity. He cannot be assumed to be a one-dimensional villain, as he can make the audience laugh in one moment and instantly dislike him later because of his irritating, selfish, and emotionally abusive behavior, expressed through subtle expressions, pauses, and mannerisms.

Hajra Yamin as Falak in Jindo (TV, 2023)

Jindo is a drama series set in rural Sindh where Hajra plays Falak. She is the second wife of Hasrat (Gohar Rasheed), who is already married to another woman. Falak is brought into the Haveli largely because the family wants an heir. Though a submissive role was expected of her, she came out as a fierce and bold woman of the tribal family who likes being oppressive within a large feudal system.

Not only has she been seen in such a daring role before, but she is also the sheer portrayal of women confronting patriarchal oppression with all her might. Her voice, tone, facial expression, and body language were a loud expression of female resilience and strong survival, which, despite being a part of the ensemble rather than a protagonist, give her a strong reason to be on this list.

Nimra Bucha as Batool in Churails (TV, 2020)

Even while listening to the kind of role Nimra Bucha had to take on in Asim Abbasi's Churails (2020), it was a heart-stopping experience in itself. She played Batool, also known as Badi Amma, a woman who has spent 20 years in prison after killing her husband when he attempted to sexually assault their daughter. It is inarguably the most intensely powerful performance on screen.

With a restrained exterior, the show's quietest character, Bucha, did not let go of any scene without adding meaning. Even if it meant doing so with her piercing gaze, rigid posture, and controlled movements, which were intimidating at times. With her hardened appearance, she is a deeply wounded woman, and this is the very beauty of her role that holds her character's toughness along with her fragility.

The newfound devastating performer of the Pakistani landscape is Kiran Malik. A model-turned-actor who appeared in Pinky Memsaab (2018) as well, but wasn't as powerful as in Jaisay Apki Marzi, where she played a confident sister of a narcissistic brother.

Her dramatic outbursts were the result of a woman who has learned to survive by suppressing her own emotions; her loudness shows her deterioration, which didn't appear overdone at all. She even made her silence feel like a dialogue in its own daunting way. The smooth transition between fear, disappointment, and resentment without having to verbalize it was where the actor nailed it.

Amr Kashmiri as Saifi in Bol (Film, 2011)

Amr Kashmiri stepped away from the media spotlight after his role as Saifi in the 2011 social drama Bol (2011), directed by Shoaib Mansoor, for which he won accolades like Best New Talent. He currently works as an art educator, musician, and organic farmer based in Lahore, after giving us one of the most indelible characters of Lollywood.

He played the intersex child of Hakim Shafaatullah (Manzar Sehbai), born into a conservative household where a son was desperately wanted. His quiet, vulnerable, and deeply tragic portrayal of the queer child was a bold cinematic move in Pakistani cinema. The audience is still captivated by his innocence, hesitation, and fear, which was an open declaration of such a child's questioned existence in the family and society that refuses to accept him.

Yasir Hussain as Shafiq in Taxali Gate (2024)

Yasir Hussain gives a hair-raising performance as Shafiq in Taxali Gate (2024). He portrayed a pimp operating in Lahore's Taxali Gate/Heera Mandi, showing a very different side of his acting. He is unapologetically shameless and sometimes hurtful with his words, but utters the bitter truth about society, which is impossible to ignore.

He naturally inhabits the environment through his demeanor and outrageous language that normal people in that area use in everyday life. He has the casualness of someone who has spent his entire life seeing people coming from every area of the world. His accent and behavioral traits that he specifically practiced for days brought nothing but magic on screen.

Though his performance in Javed Iqbal (2022) was equally haunting, Hussain had the advantage of playing the lead in that film, whereas his supporting role in Taxali Gate was never brought to the forefront. Nevertheless, his presence remains one of the highlights of this list.

Namra Shahid as Noor Bhari in Aik Aur Pakeezah (TV, 2026)

It was unbelievable to watch Namra Shahid playing two different roles in two different dramas at the same time, airing on television. A girl we have seen playing soft, delicate female roles burst onto the screen as a stereotypical victim from a rural background; it was an impressive spark.

Her speaking of Siraiki was the show-stealer, bringing authenticity to the village character. It is reported that she actually learned the language for the role, showing her commitment to the role. Noor Bhari became particularly memorable for her dignity in the face of injustice, refusing to be reduced despite belonging to a backward area. Her character's warmth and a sense of solidarity were still intact. Though she was a woman who was wronged but did not let go of her rights, with all the ferocity that made her character lived-in.

Echoes is an opinion column on film and television from the perspective of a writer based in Pakistan.