It was quite a star studded evening that saw the television industry come out to celebrate the success of tele film Ruposh. Aired in January on GEO Entertainment, Ruposh has amassed over 100 million views on YouTube and was also trending on Twitter a day after the event. Anyone ever associated with a 7th Sky project – and that’s a LOT of stars – was there to join Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi in celebration.
Imran Ashraf, currently starring in drama serial Badzaat, stayed till the very end and kept everyone entertained with his hilarious banter. Amar Khan, who we last saw in Qayamat and will soon see on the big screen, flew in from Lahore just for the party. Feroze Khan, dressed casually in jeans a t-shirt, came early but then had to leave for a shoot. Zara Noor Abbas Siddiqui came with hubby Asad Siddiqui, best known as Dayi from drama serial Aye Musht e Khaak these days.
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Affan Waheed, Faysal Quraishi, Hiba Bukhari, Arez Ahmed, Saboor Aly, Muneeb Butt, Madiha Imam, Nimra Khan, Ali Abbas, Momal Sheikh, Usama Khan, Sehar Khan and a whole lot of media was present along with several writers and directors that make hit serials for 7th Sky Entertainment. The leading couple of the hour, Haroon Kadwani and Kinza Hashmi, beamed on the red carpet as they joined guests for the hundreds of pictures taken.
It was great to see established artistes support and encourage these two young starlets on their success.
“Haroon is a fresh face and he certainly is hero material,” Imran Ashraf spoke to Something Haute on the sidelines of the event. “Ruposh was a big opportunity for him but also a big risk. If there was a chance that it would do well, there was an equal chance that it would flop and he would be trolled. The risk was also high. But Haroon worked hard for it; he lost weight, changed his hair and style and even acting style. Given the OST, the direction, the production…Ruposh was a complete package.”
Zara Noor Abbas echoed the thought.
“I wish Haroon a lot of love and success but I also wish him a lot of luck because he’ll need it,” she said, speaking on the pros and cons of having the kind of family support that Haroon does have. “This is a big platform on which he’s been launched but it’s family and he’s getting a lot of love and affection. Outside is not family. I’ve met Haroon a couple of times; he’s a hard working boy and he’ll make it. My only advice to him would be to take criticism constructively and not take it to heart. That’s the key to keep on going.”
As a drama, Ruposh received mixed reviews when it released, with a lot of critics and viewers calling it out for promoting toxic behaviour. The hero, played by Haroon Kadwani, is introduced as an angry, young man; an entitled brat with no moral compass. His behaviour was explained with a back story that revealed a lot of neglect and estrangement from his parents. It was obviously a story millions related to and enjoyed watching, case in point the numbers and fandom that has followed. It also proved that both Haroon and Kinza could act and that they worked very well as a couple.
“We all were very dedicated, everyone – all of us and even the support cast – we were all very passionate about Ruposh,” an elated Kinza Hashmi said. “Everyone’s hard work went into this project which is why I feel it touched peoples’ hearts. It was such a big production. Telefilms are rarely made on such a grand level, with so much detailing going into everything from the OST to the looks. We really had a lot of fun working on this.”
“I’m very passionate about what I’m doing,” Haroon spoke to SH and shared how invested he was in his acting career. He may be Abdullah Kadwani’s son but he wasn’t taking anything for granted. About to graduate from Toronto Film School, he has also done acting courses and is returning well-equipped with the education to start off. “We used to be on set for 20 hours at a stretch and I could never have done it unless I was passionate about it.
“I wouldn’t say I’m scared but I am anxious to deliver on peoples’ expectations now,” he said. “I really want to work hard and make my father proud, make my fans and audience proud. I’m really excited about what I’m doing next.”
Haroon has already signed up for his next project, which will go on floors once he returns from Toronto. He says he wants to experiment and try out all genres before he commits to one.
