KARACHI: Veteran Pakistani actor Javed Sheikh has shared an emotional account of one of the most difficult moments of his acting career, revealing that he was once removed from a film and replaced by actor Faisal Rehman, an experience that, he says, left him in tears.
Speaking during a recent appearance on a private television program, Javed Sheikh reflected on the challenges he faced in the early years of his career and how setbacks ultimately shaped his success.
The senior actor said that after his film Dhamaka failed at the box office, he struggled to find work as a leading man.
“After Dhamaka flopped, I stopped getting roles as a hero,” he said. “During that period, I worked in the automobile business and occasionally accepted small acting roles.”
Recalling a particularly painful incident, Sheikh said he was later offered a supporting role in the film Biwi Ho To Aisi.
Initially, he hesitated to accept the offer because he had previously played lead roles and feared that taking a secondary character might negatively affect his career. However, he eventually agreed and began filming in Karachi.
According to the actor, production continued for five days before he was unexpectedly informed on the sixth day that he would not be required on set. He was instead invited to a meeting at a hotel later that evening.
“At the meeting, I was told that the film’s distributor had refused to buy the movie if I remained in the cast,” Sheikh recalled.
He said the distributor allegedly described him as a “flop actor” and suggested replacing him with Faisal Rehman, who was enjoying considerable popularity at the time.
“They apologized to me and offered me a different role in the film,” Sheikh said. “I refused because I had already been removed from the original role. I was deeply hurt and cried a lot.”
Despite the setback, Sheikh said he continued working and remained determined to rebuild his career.
His fortunes changed several years later when he was cast as the lead in the acclaimed television drama Ankahi.
“About five years later, Ankahi came along and I was cast as the hero. The drama became a huge success and even gained popularity in India,” he said.
Following the success of the television serial, Sheikh said he returned to films and gradually re-established himself in the industry.
He also shared what he described as a remarkable twist of fate.
According to Sheikh, roughly a decade after he had been removed from the earlier film, the same producer and distributor were preparing another movie titled Choron Ka Dushman.
When the distributor learned that Faisal Rehman had been cast in the new project, Sheikh claimed that he instead insisted on replacing Faisal Rehman with him.
“They told the producer to apologize to me and convince me to join the film,” Sheikh said. “They all came to me, apologized, and I eventually agreed to do the movie.”
The veteran actor said the experience taught him the importance of perseverance, adding that temporary setbacks should never discourage artists from pursuing their goals.
Javed Sheikh is regarded as one of Pakistan’s most accomplished actors, with a career spanning several decades across film and television. His remarks were made while reflecting on the ups and downs of his professional journey during the television interview.
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