FARAN TAHIR

FARAN TAHIR, you do us proud!

Recently we have seen a boom in Pakistan’s local entertainment industry. Be it TV dramas, films, theatre, there is a new breed of actors and directors venturing to revive entertainment in Pakistan which has long been taken over by neighboring countries.

Unfortunately in the past, where our neighbors were celebrating their actors crossing borders and venturing in to Hollywood, we have been oblivious of one such actor who has been working in Hollywood for over two decades. Faran Tahir, the 51 year old Pakistani-American actor was born in Los Angeles as his parents pursued degrees in acting and direction at UCLA. He was raised in Pakistan till the time he decided to return to America in the 80s to pursue a graduate degree in theatre from UC Berkley. Faran then went on to earn a graduate degree from Harvard’s institute of Advanced Theatre Training.

Faran started his stint in Hollywood in 1994 as he played Nathoo in Disney’s Jungle Book followed by big movies such as Picture Perfect, Anywhere but here, Charlie Wilson’s War and more recently Raza in Iron Man and Tarfleet Captain Richard in Star Trek.

With a career spanning over 2 decades in Hollywood it is sad that back home we do not know much about Faran and neither do we celebrate that he is one of us, while his parents and brothers are very much a part of the local film and theatre industry. His father Naeem Tahir is a veteran actor and director, one of his most memorable roles for our generation in Khuda Kay Liye where he played the protagonists father. His brother Ali has been life of many sitcoms and most recently a part of the successful Pakistani feature film Chambeli.

While talking to The Diplomat in an interview Faran described his journey as an actor in Hollywood:

I have to admit that it has been a hard road. I had no role models, no mentors, no guides, no connections. All I had was my resolve and determination not to give up. I do want to make clear that I did this not by relying on luck, but by getting all the training and tools that I could to face these challenges. Along the way, I have had the honor and privilege to work with some of the best in my field. I would have never been able to do this without the love and support of my family. They have always been a beacon in my deepest, darkest hours.

We are super proud of Faran, and of course would love to see many more actors from Pakistan taking the leap and working internationally, but the burden also lies on us, as Pakistanis and as their audience to appreciate and celebrate our actors. For 2 decades Faran has been secretly making Pakistan proud, it’s time we praise and acknowledge our own people doing brilliant work outside the country and show support for our local industry. SiddySays hopes to see Faran Haroon Tahir in Pakistan soon!