Khawar Riaz is known as a star-maker par excellence and has been instrumental in making several careers Zara Sheikh, Farooq Mannan, Ahmed Butt, Arooj, Imran Abbas, Amina Shafat, Danial… the list of stars made by this star makers is endless. Having the Midas touch must make him feel ten feet tall!

“I love unconventional faces - faces that most other people wouldn’t consider exceptional. I sometimes get fascinated by a particular face and imagine how I could go about transforming it. For instance, when Ahmed and Zara came to me, no one would have thought that they had it in them to become models, but I saw their potential right then and there. I immediately knew that they would become the king and queen of the industry. But I had to work on them. I had to give them time, patience, and the right kind of environment. And then they just blossomed and these seemingly ordinary individuals became head-burning beauties. Stars need to be made into stars; there’s always a creator behind them”.

In a place like showbiz where careers are quite short-lived to procure numero uno status is difficult, but what is even more difficult is to sustain it. There is this general impression that Ather Shahzad have managed to keep the fire going, while Khawar’s work, on the other hand, is fast losing its edge.

How would you defend your decline?

“I think I am very successful in my own way. I am still surviving. Success does not lie in people’s praise but in your body of work - what you deliver. If you are satisfied from within, I believe you have achieved it. And this inner satisfaction is far better than keeping others happy, you have to be true to yourself and do what feels right. If you go against your inner being just for some worldly attainment, you will never be happy in the long run. People who play diplomatic games lead very disturbed personal lives. But that’s not the case with me. Thank God!” says Khawar with sheer confidence.

Meeting Mikaal was not easy, what with his many shoots, dramas, commercials and personal business. This hunk is busy, but FC got the opportunity to catch him at his leisure in Karachi where he had come to shoot for a private channel.

Mikaal in a candid tete-a-tete answers all the questions behind the veil about him.

So how was it that you entered show biz?

Kismat mein tha (grinning). Got an opportunity for a commercial and then felt that this is what I want to do or am meant to do, so I took it up.

Your love story with Mehmood Bhatti seems quite puzzling. A few months back you were screaming from your rooftop that you were tying the nuptial knot, but then recently we heard that you have backed off. Is the party over?

Marriage is not just a word; it is a sentence. It’s a lifetime commitment and one should not make hasty decisions. There were certain cognitive factors like age difference, my permanent settlement in Paris etc. that made me change my mind. And I have no regrets.

1. What is on your mind?

That I have to go for shopping, go to studio for voice dubbing, make a few phone calls, see my designer, get manicure and pedicure done… Ah! I am out of breath!

2. If you had to make an apology, what would it be for and for whom?

My mother! For not giving her much time because of my hectic schedule.

3. Where’s the best place to be?

Home.

4. What scares you most?

Bad karma.

5. What keeps you sailing in a crisis?

My willpower.

Yousaf Salahuddin’s Haveli oozes cultural magnificence on this cold wintry evening. An unassuming façade, which could easily be missed from the road, opens into a wonderland of history and tradition. Cradled in the glory of the brilliantly lit-up Fort, it basks in the wonders of two worlds: the traditional, which encourages the use of old oil lamps in a power breakdown as opposed to a generator and the modern, which inspires him to build a comfortable living area in his bedroom and bathroom both. His rooftop springs color for Basant and his basement has become the breeding ground for many well-known musicians today. His courtyard is open to public, whether to host a mohallah wedding or shoot a Zille Huma music video. And he’s incomparable as a host, the courtyard becoming an impressive welcome mat to dignitaries from all over the world-Mick Jagger, Madhu Jaffery, Aamir Khan and Boney M included. Yousaf has led many celebrities to stardom, especially musicians and though he as won a bit of inevitable infamy on the way, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that Mian Salli embodies the Power of One.

Fuzon is one of the very talented bands in Pakistan. Recently band has released video of song “Khamaj” which is worth watching. Director Saqib Malik come up with very impressive video this time featuring Shaan and Zara Sheikh. Do watch out this video on Indus Music. The band is all set to release their new album next month. Their debut album “Sagar” got great response and we hope that this new album would also do good business.

What is power? Who has it? How can you tell? These are questions that have no easy answers. Ask an assertive journalist, and you’ll hear a vehement dismissal of all glamour types and the list of powerful people whittling down to a stodgy industry bigwigs. Ask a starry-eyed showbiz fanatic and you’ll hear a bubbly eulogy for all the hot starlets who in reality would not even have the clout to wangle a solo project. So the dilemma remains.

Aladdin had a magic lamp and he could make his genie do everything, but that was centuries ago. Khawar Riaz doesn’t have a magic lamp but he has a mind that works far better than that. No wonder he picks up people from the streets and turn them into Greek gods and goddesses.

“Khawar grooms his models in such a way that no one really believes that they have been picked up from the streets” designer Deepak Perwani recently commented. The only problem is that at one stage the demi gods and goddesses think of themselves immortals and become too big for their own boots. Case in point: Zara Shiekh and Ahmed Butt, Two people KR took under his wings, spent money, groomed them and presented them to the world of fashion as his discoveries.

The next best things are not some secondary alternatives to the real things. These are the real things! They are the next generation of superstars. Perhaps the term “generation” would not be applicable here since the world of showbiz seems to lie in another dimension where time moves a lot quicker and a “generation” often passes in a matter of seconds. After all, as everyone knows, fame is fickle! Not so with this talented bunch. Though they might not be household names yet, each and member of this chosen elite has what it takes to make it in the big bad world of showbiz. Their staying power is exemplified by their accomplishments so far - accomplishments which might not have been vast in scale, but were definitely ample in quality. We predict great things for them, and don’t hesitate to tell you that they will soon graduate from being the next best things, to the best of the best.

“Success comes to those who wait”- the ideal case in point could well be this cutie-pie Ahsan Khan. Born and raised in London, this gorgeous guy made way to his soil to carve a niche for himself. Set the ball rolling as a film actor, he later drifted towards the tube. From the most talked about film actor to the most in-demand TV actor, it hasn’t been too long a trek by most standards.