No Interest for Acting: Zeba Bhaktiyar

Panaji (PTI): Zeba Bhaktiyar, the Pakistani actress who stormed Bollywood with her beauty and acting skills in the early 1990s with Randhir Kapoor’s ‘Heena’, says acting does not interest her anymore.

“After ‘Heena’, I did a couple of films and later gave up acting to concentrate on direction and producing TV serials. I am more into producing and directing content for television in Pakistan. Television is more thriving back home and is more creative. I do act in television serials occasionally,” Zeba said.

“Television is more open, creative and message driven. My serials are focussing on cultural, traditional issues involving women,” she said.

The actress is here in connection with the South Asian Film Festival (SAFF) being held in Goa for the first time.

Speaking about films, she said that the Pakistan film industry went through a bad patch in the last two decades but is now recuperating fast.

“The revival process has begun and one can say that it is breathing now. The filmmakers are welcoming new ideas,” she said.

Bakhtiyar was all praise for Mahesh Bhatt, considered as a pioneer for beginning a new phase in Indo-Pak film ties. “He has given chance to several Pakistani talents to showcase their capabilities to Indian audiences,” she said.

Responding to a question on whether the new government is helpful to the cause of promoting cinema in Pakistan, she said the present government in Pakistan has not set in as yet.

“We are all waiting to see the difference,” she added.