I want to start with a little recap of her achievements over the couple of years. She featured in Pakistan’s biggest comic sitcom ‘Dolly Darling’. Drama serial ‘Kam Zarf’ further proved her versatility as an actress. Her game show ‘Cororon Mein Khel’ perfectly balanced education and entertainment. Subscribers at outsyle.com are going bonkers every day. Her morning show on PTV is a mega success. As I see it, she is on top of her game; dominating in whatever she does.
The rule-breaker, the trendsetter like no other Nadia Khan gets candid with ‘The Daily Beat’ and shares the secret of her success. Read on…
The Daily Beat (TDB): Who is Nadia: an actress, anchor, influencer or all rolled into one?
Nadia Khan (NK): I am a born artist; I had an artistic instinct since my childhood. I was very clear about my aspirations in life. I was meant for all I have achieved in life; nothing was accidental. I am talented; I can multitask and most importantly I love my job.
(TDB) You’re a great host; no question about that. When did you first feel comfortable in the morning space?
(NK) In 2003, I decided to resume work after a long break. My daughter was one month old; I was hesitant to rejoin; I wasn’t in good shape post delivery. I managed to overcome all my fears and started work. During this tenure, the duration of the show was one hour based on medical and nutritional content. After two years, I resigned and came back to Islamabad. That’s when the channel realized that my show was a big thing. People started missing my presence and the channel was flooded with calls, emails, and letters; wanting me back on the show. This came as a surprise for me, as I had no idea that my show such a big hit within the first year. The channel contacted me, offered me a premium package of my choice; a package and perks which at that time were unheard of. I realized that I must be doing something right. I learned that one should be well aware of the success ratio of their work. It uplifts your confidence. So yeah, this entire scenario was the beginning of my comfort zone.
(TDB) ‘An empty vessel makes more noise’. Your contemporaries went all out to fool the nation with typical practices of fake weddings, fair complexion recipes, exhibition of expensive apparel, makeup competitions, discussions over the supernatural phenomenon, hurting religious sentiments, weird celebrity dances and the list goes on and on. To be heard, you need to shout. Do you agree?
(NK) A wrong formula works temporarily and dies down shortly with a terrible death. During that era, the channels that followed the footsteps of my show using the correct formula did well. Unfortunately when this circus of ratings and TRPs surfaced; it was the beginning of an end. Adding more to the horror was the recession, but I feel the morning show slot shouldn’t have got affected. A lot could have been done but sadly, viewers stopped watching and respecting the content. Resultantly the big brands stepped out and the shows weren’t profitable. Today, all are resting in peace, but still, a bit of a circus is going on. The audience has given their verdict by not watching such content.
(TDB) What makes morning @ home so special an achievement for you? How do you manage to stay relevant and true to your content?
(NK) Morning at Home is different as it airs on the National TV which gives preference to policy, not ratings. I was in talks with a couple of other channels who were confused with ratings. During my first meet up with PTV, I fell instantly in love with their vision; I was super excited with their proposal and signed on the dotted line. At Morning at Home, my main objectives include education, the upbringing of kids, strengthening family relations, and improving mental health. As a morning show host, I have a big responsibility, I can’t take those two hours for granted by exhibiting designer clothes, makeup, latest trends, or how beautiful I look and showcase fake marriages. These are the least of our concerns; in fact, we should be worried that how should our marriages work. Children are growing up either with their mothers or fathers; we need to prevent single parenting.
Men and women are lost and the sad part is that even our elders aren’t playing their due role in strengthening relations. They are either stuck into their own problems; in fact, some portray a dirty role of home breakers. I want to guide people with the realities of life, when is the right time to get married, when to have a child, or how to get rid of an ugly marriage. Amid all the chaos, they need a friend, sister, and mentor by their side. I have a spiritual connection with Allah, I am meant to educate people; listen to their problems, uplift their moods, and help them with my respectable order of guests on the show. PTV, despite of having limited facilities and resources as compared to private channels gave me so much respect and margin. I am gifted at putting my thoughts into good words. I utilize this power to the maximum when a channel doesn’t pressurize me for rating and letting me be myself.
(TDB) Have you ever been subjected to social media trolls?
(NK) No, I have never been trolled; thankfully, my fans and followers respect me a lot. I am very watchful and don’t compromise on my ethics. I believe one should be conscious about their image. Celebrities who are desperate for attention face such issues.
(TDB) Comedy must have been a source of comfort for you.
(NK) Yes, I love doing comedy; I don’t find emotional dramas interesting. It is satisfying, effortless, and doesn’t feel of being at work. I find it easier and it comes naturally to me. Having said that, I got this opportunity much later in life with a project like Dolly Darling i.e. experimenting with my expressions and gestures. I would also like to mention Kashif Saleem of ‘Fun Factory;’ he is one of my favorite people to work with. Its crazy teaming up with him every year for an Eid telefilm.
(TDB) What should be the next step for the entertainment fraternity of Pakistan?
(NK) I want to do projects for Netflix and Amazon Prime. I want to fulfill their production criteria and make original and fresh content. Moreover, I would love to be part of such productions where the resources and facilities are of high quality. I feel it is the right time for us to tap into the digital sphere.
For the unversed, Nadia Khan recently got married to Wing Commander Faisal Mumtaz Rao. Scroll through to check out their wedding album.
A quote that is my bible: “I never lose. I always win or I learn.” Doing something new everyday excites me, keeps me going. “Who am I?” is a question that I like asking myself every now and then, making a deliberate effort that I have a new answer for it every time. Therefore I constantly strive to surprise the industry with facts and truth through meaningful writings.