Veteran producer Rashid Khuwaja has shared behind-the-scenes details about the casting of the drama Main Mar Gayi Shaukat Ali, revealing that acclaimed actor Nauman Ijaz had one strict condition before agreeing to join the project, that writer Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar would not be present on set.
During a conversation on Vasay Chaudhry’s talk show Gup Shup, he talked about several things about the Pakistani media industry, from payments delay to his career as an actor and a producer.
On a question about his drama Main Mar Gayi Shaukat Ali he revealed an interesting fact. “Nauman had read the script and said he loved the character,” Khuwaja recalled. “But he had one condition: he needed a guarantee that Khalil-ur-Rehman would not come on set.” Ironically, it was Qamar himself who had initially recommended Nauman Ijaz for the lead role, believing he was the perfect fit.
Khuwaja said he conveyed Ijaz’s condition to Qamar, who surprisingly accepted it without objection. “Yes, I told this to Khalil, and he agreed. He didn’t come to the set at all,” he confirmed.
The drama Main Mar Gayi Shaukat Ali’s cast includes Mona Liza, Nauman Ijaz, Kamran Mujahid, Kiran Haq, Farah Shah, and Kashif Mahmood. The story revolves around Rakhi and Shoka, a couple living in a rural village, and explores themes of love, the feudal system, and deep-rooted social structures in Pakistan’s countryside.
Addressing the often headline-grabbing personal lives of actors, Khuwaja commented on the phenomenon of celebrities making news off-screen. “Those who are intelligent know how to stay relevant. If a romantic hero doesn’t have any stories of affairs or scandals linked to him, then he’s not really ‘happening’. This is something that happens everywhere, not just in Pakistan,” he remarked.
Khuwaja also shared his love for cinema, mentioning that he enjoys both Pakistani and Indian films, with his all-time favourite being the cult classic Maula Jatt.