The architect-turned-filmmaker, Asim Raza is a force to be reckoned with and is calibrated to be the man who has steered names like Mahira Khan, Fawad Khan and many more to stardom. He is one who listens attentively, ponders and when he speaks, his modest speech conveys the hard-earned wealth of knowledge and experience, garnered from the span of more than 22 years in the industry. Venturing into the industry in the mid-90s, he has so far extensively worked in all visual mediums from TV commercials to music videos, long plays and feature films. He’s the steering force behind the countless commercials we have grown attuned to on our screens, for big brands like Coca-Cola, Lux, Cadbury etc, to name a few. After the raving success of his first directional debut in the film Ho Man Jahaan in 2016, Asim got consumed with his second big canvas cinematic production, Parey Hut Love for which he garnered a lot of praise. The talented filmmaker joins MAG for a quick and fun rapid fire. Here are 60 seconds from his life. Excerpts:

Career-defining moment?

When I decided to say goodbye to architecture and took the blind leap of faith of getting into filmmaking.

Happiness is…

Sleeping well at night without any burdens and guilt.

The key to success is…

Pure hardwork.

Hardest life lesson…

To have blind faith in people.

Key life lesson…

Do not trust people blindly.

What inspires you?

Any beautiful or heartwarming work, be it a film, painting or dance.

You, in three words?

Emotional, passionate and hardworking.

Advice to your younger self?

Do not trust others, only trust yourself.

Greatest life achievement?

The respect that I get from people and that is what I cherish the most.

Greatest fear?

I’ll let down the people who love me.

Biggest joy?

Seeing my daughters growing up into intelligent beings.

Something you still want to learn?

How to read people right.