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He’s the dude you are well acquainted with by now, courtesy his myriad television appearances. Even if you do not know him by name you know him by face as he is a permanent fixture on one or the other local channel. Kunwar Nafis is no rookie in this business; he’s had his initiation in his teens via his debut appearance in TV serial Aanch. It was then that he got his first taste of success. Prior to that, “I used to sing in a children's programme on PTV in chorus with many other children. That’s how I got an offer for Aanch as the producer was looking for some kids for his serial.”
However, after the completion of that project we rarely saw the lad again and we wondered where he had disappeared? Here’s a MAG exclusive with the actor who’s back after a hiatus.
was completing my higher studies but I never lost track of acting and stayed in touch with it by making sporadic appearances in TV serials and plays. In between I had a few modelling stints as well till the time I completed my MBA. Once I had my degree, it was time to fork out - get back to my passion - acting. I had always harboured a love for acting and was waiting for the right time to make a comeback. Even after completing my Masters in business, I realised my heart was in showbiz and so I decided to make it my full-time career. However, that certainly does not mean that I take on all the offers that come my way; I am quite choosy in the characters I portray.” says Kunwar.
Having been away from mainstream showbiz for the last few years, MAG queries if the experience was any different from his earlier days? “Well, there was a huge difference in both the eras as by the time I made my comeback it was a different ballgame altogether. When I had acted as a child, I had observed that that was the time when directors ruled supreme. However, this time around, it’s the actor’s call. Celebrities are now dominating the scene completely. At that time it was just one government-run channel, and exposure for the celebrities was limited. If you got a good offer you were lucky. There wasn’t much talent around either as showbiz was not considered a profession in itself. It was not a stable source of income rather, it was just a hobby. Things have moved on since then; today, an actor or a singer has a lot of scope and growth prospects with unlimited local channels. The international market is another avenue for our talented lot as actors and singers are now being exported from Pakistan by the dozens, making our land a source of raw talent.”
After a pause Nafis continues, “The media boom has given endless opportunities to our people to pursue their dreams and today many are opting for showbiz as a career. If you ask me, our work requires a lot of physical and mental strength as well as expertise and is undoubtedly better than any other field of work. Everyone wants to be a part of this business, as we say there’s no business like show business. With technologyadvancement and new markets opening up, it has become quite viable for an actor of today. What we lack is institutions and people here are working on their own initiative; hats-off to the people in this field for being great improvisers. We have a long way to go still. On the other hand, cinema culture is on the verge of revival and we should now focus on improving that genre as well,” reveals Nafis.
Navigating back to his television appearances, we ask the man of his portrayal of many an intense character as witnessed on the celluloid. “It’s true that besides my regular roles I have done some offbeat

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