Sadaf & Fawad Khan Creating Their Own Bliss While In The Eye Of Millions
EVERYDAY LIFE PARTNERS
You are both deeply involved in your individual projects this year; Sadaf, you with your design line and Fawad, you with your film/s. How do you make time for each other and family?
Sadaf: I’ve currently set up my office at home so that I can manage to juggle between work and mom duties. Fawad’s working on a Lahore based project so we are around each other often and it works out well for the family as a whole as well. We’ve had a daughter after a gap of nine years so everybody’s life is circling around her these days and we all focus on finding time together to enjoy her.
Fawad: Working in my hometown has had its benefits. I get to come back home every day and spend more hours with family then I would get when I was working outside of Pakistan.
How important are your individual goals? What is that sacrifice you have made that impacts your family, to pursue these goals?
Sadaf: Very important. I don’t think there have been any sacrifices involved as yet for me. I gave up on a corporate career which I was thoroughly enjoying, but immediately jumped into a personal venture which had been of equal interest to me. Fawad was and is a very supportive husband and he pushed me to following my dreams with it.
Fawad: I’ve sacrificed a lot of time away from home and my family. But that’s how life is.
Do you feel one partner does more than the other in your marriage journey? How do you strike a balance, or do you think that balance is an overrated term?
Sadaf: I think nature has defined the roles for the two genders and an overall balance has been identified already. As long as there is happiness, it doesn’t bother me if either party is doing a bit more or a bit less at a given point in their life.
Fawad: Both of us have had our share of taking the lead on different responsibilities in the past twelve years of marriage.
What are a few of the few core life values that you’d like to impart to your son and daughter to make them resilient humans?
Sadaf: I just want our kids to be open-minded and tolerant.
Fawad: I don’t think kids should be resilient. They need to be essentially vulnerable to be ableto grow up to be human beings with a sense of empathy.
What is something you would never compromise on as far as good behaviour is concerned? Is there a particular kind of behaviour in current times that you really do not like?
Sadaf: Being derogatory.
Fawad: We all slip here and there but breaking the law is what I find most difficult to do. I try my best to abide by it.
What is your equation with your in-laws – what is the most emotionally satisfying thing they have said or done for you? (The question is for you both).
Sadaf: The same as I have with my own parents and sisters. Never a day when I thought I couldn’t fall back on them for support. They’ve invested their time and energy into my children when work has kept me away or busy.
Fawad: My father-in-law has been a great support to me and my career to date. He has brought up four accomplished and successful daughters and is a role model for me. All four of are extremely confident and independent women.
What do you both love most about living in Lahore?
Sadaf: I haven’t lived outside of Lahore so I can’t really compare its advantages over others but Lahore has always been my idea of being in a safe place. Naturally it’s my hometown since forever, so most people that matter are here.
Fawad: Home is where the heart is and my heart is in Lahore.
Which one of you is the more social one? And which one of you is the ostrich? Or are you both on the same wavelength?
We can both be ostriches depending on the crowd. Generally prefer to stay amongst a close knit group of friends.
THE HOME FRONT
Fawad, do you help around the home; are you involved in the interior decor, daily running of the home, babysitting, household logistics?
Sadaf: I’d like to answer this one. Fawad definitely has more homemaker qualities compared to me. While I do enjoy shopping for the house, the entire look and feel of our space is created by Fawad. He is pretty awful at all the other things you’ve asked. No daily chores and household logistics can be assigned to him. On the babysitting front, he is happy to babysit the little one. He was very eager to take care of our son as well when he was a baby.
Are you fond of cooking? Are you particular about what you like to eat? Any favourites – and something you can’t live without?
Sadaf: Fawad probably can have an alternate career as a chef one day. I am not the least bit interested in cooking.
Fawad: I like to get into the kitchen sometimes. Not very often but when I do, I put my time and effort into it. I am not picky about food. Any cuisine which is cooked well and tastes good is welcome in my stomach. However, I think if there were no ketchup in our world, my son Aayaan and I would go bonkers.
If you were to travel around Pakistan as a family, what would your itinerary be like?
Sadaf & Fawad: We’ve done quite a bit of travel South as a family recently, so definitely up for both this time.
On an evening you both are relaxing at home; what do you usually do?
Sadaf: Watch the kids. And eat pakoras.
Fawad: Eat more pakoras than Sadaf !
And if you’re vegetating in front of TV, what are you most likely to be watching?
Sadaf: I’m not a very TV person, so it’ll probably be forcefully lending an ear to whatever Fawad’s watching – mostly cartoon series.
Fawad: Archer, Rick and Morty, F is for Family, BoJack Horseman and Big Mouth.
With a new baby at home who has just turned one, what do you find most joyful about spending time with her?
Fawad: Her babbling and her rolling and tossing in bed.
Sadaf: It was a long gap so we had almost forgotten what having a baby feels like. Everything is literally new and in a way totally different with a girl child. She’s totally obsessed with her father, so he gets the best of her attention and cuddles.
THE PERSONAL DETAILS
In an interview once, Fawad, you once said that you would have hit on anything that moves if you weren’t married. In retrospect, a couple of years later, were you serious?
Fawad: Will never really know now, will we? (Smiles)
You also said marriage is an addiction and you get to learn the deepest darkest secrets about another person. And you love it. Do you both still have secrets?
Fawad: Shhh! I need to be careful about what I’d like her to read.
Sadaf: I don’t think there are any more secrets to explore. As years pass by, we are making memories and smiling at them when we look back. We still reminisce about the good times spent and look forward to many more.
Sadaf, the inevitable question you must be so tired of – Fawad the heartthrob – of course, you take that in your stride. Do you find that in 2017 there is still a lot of hysteria around your husband, and do you think it important for his career?
There’s been hysteria around Fawad ever since I was 16! So I don’t think I quite notice it anymore. If anything, it’s become so routine that it’s just something I smile about now. Fawad’s never attempted to stay in the news with anything. His work and credibility keeps him afloat in the industry. So I can’t really say if his career requires it or if it’s good for anybody’s career. I think a bit of exclusivity and staying out of the news is better.
If you both got an opportunity to start over in life, what would you do differently?
Travel a lot more together.
FAWAD KHAN: THE LEADING MAN
Do you think the transformation of your physical self for the Maula Jatt role has made you a little laid back this past year? Has it been a positive time?
It has definitely made me lazy and laid back. Any character starts to reflect in your personality if you are in it for a very long time. And as fun as it has been shooting for my role, I am looking forward to moving on to losing the weight and the hair on my face.
What’s the next role for Fawad Khan? How do you see yourself in your next avatar? Do you want to return to your Romeo charisma?
Yeah, I think a romantic movie might be on the cards. Having said that, I am not sure what tomorrow will bring. I guess I can only say when the next script is in my hand.
What about music? The Entity Paradigm reunion was fun. Any more plans?
Not as yet.
Acting goals for Fawad Khan in the next two years – or five…?
Every day brings a new goal. I can’t predict. Who knows if I’d even be acting in a year? I’ve realised over time, that planning years into the future only exhausts you and takes the pleasure away from living life a day at a time.
THE SARTORIAL LIFE
You both create or make an image for a living? When you’ve created a beautiful outfit, Sadaf, or when you are totally dressed on point, Fawad, what are the thoughts and feelings that go through your head?
Sadaf: It gives a boost to selfworth, of course.
Fawad: I feel confident.
Fawad, you are known for your impeccable sartorial choices. How far has Sadaf influenced your choices? And Sadaf, how much does Fawad advise you on your career path?
Sadaf: Fawad has always had good insights to offer. He doesn’t advise me as such. I’m always taking my own independent decisions, making my share of mistakes and learning.
Fawad: She’s got a good taste. We usually shop together and I hold her opinion in high regard.
Sadaf, why is your brand called Silk by Fawad Khan? What was the concept behind getting Fawad to endorse Silk?
When we launched the brand we wanted to bring something different to the market and concentrated on using just silk fabric for the collection – printed and embroidered, with simple, chic and classic styles that we intended to stand out from the heavily laden outfits that were popular at the time. We could’ve simply called it ‘Silk’ but added Fawad’s signature for two reasons. One, because he was to be the fashion icon/ambassador for the
brand; and second to translate both our ideals into Silk designs – classic, bold, simple and stylish fashion. Fawad and I both have a say in the designs that go out under Silk and having him sign off on the brand was our way of demonstrating that the brand showcases the values and design aesthetic that Fawad is known for.
CINEMATIC SENTIMENTS
Have you seen any good films lately or something that has totally blown you away?
I haven’t been watching too many films lately, been glued to Netflix more. I’ve been watching series ranging from The Ranch to Better Call Saul and a bunch of cartoon series. These days just watching lighter feel good stuff.
What kind of script are you waiting for?
The right one!
If you were to make a film, what genre would it be, who would you get to write the script, direct the movie, choose the location? Or is this too loaded a question!?
There’s too much on my mind right now. I don’t think I’m in a position to answer this. When I do think about it, I’ll let you know. (Smiles)
Another inevitable question, but an important one; what do you think of the growing Pakistani film industry? How would you like to continue to contribute to it?
I think it’s getting better and stronger and bigger every day. I will always wish our film fraternity the very best.
How do you think we can get international fame and recognition as an industry?
There are many ways to achieve fame and recognition. But if you ask me the way I would adopt, it would be to make films we truly believe in and not just a product to profit from.
FAWAD KHAN: THESE ARE THE TIMES WE LIVE IN
What bothers you most about opinionated media? What are the red flags that alert you to lie low?
What bothers me is that media is overly opinionated and has a verdict about everything. I’m not looking for red flags. I feel I don’t have anything to say besides the work I do. It should speak for itself.
As an artist, part of the expressive medium of art; how can the positive side of pop culture have an impact on society? How do we progress?
We can only progress if we learn to be tolerant and that, no pop culture is teaching that these days.
INTERVIEW : AMNA R. ALI
Photography (Family photos): Irfan Younas
Main shoot:
Photography: Abdullah Haris
Makeup: Hannan Siddique for Fawad
Makeup and hair: Shameen Hasan for Sadaf
- Tags: children, Exclusive, Fawad Khan, interview, Sadaf Khan