LLF 2018: Riz Ahmed - On visiting the ex, defiance and activism
From sharing stories from the time he was held up at an airport to hilarious tales of his mother's 'thapparrs' over his roles, Ahmed kept the audiences mesmerised throughout the hour-long session. Photo: Aroosa Shaukat
By Aroosa Shaukat
For 35-year-old Riz Ahmed, visiting Pakistan after 13 years, and Lahore for the first time, was much like visiting your ex. “I am nervous about it. Do we care about each other? Can we keep in touch? Would it be weird?”
One of the most anticipated sessions of the Lahore Literary Festival 2018 featuring the Emmy award winning actor, Riz Ahmed, in conversation with novelist Mohsin Hamid and Shahid Zahid kicked off before a large audience at the Alhamra.
The session titled ‘MC activist’ followed an organic progression as the conversation remained largely between Hamid, author of the 2007 novel ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’, and the multi-talented Ahmed as they shared their takes on the creative process and how personal experiences shaped their work.
Speaking about the creative process, Ahmed said he felt that sometimes the creative act was an act of defiance, and even helplessness. “As a person of colour, whose heritage belongs to this region, on issues of social justice, refugees, Islamophobia, I feel I don’t have any choice about engaging with these because they touch me so personally,” he said. “It’s an act of survival.”
Building on the conversation, Hamid spoke of his writings sharing that ‘making stuff up’ actually makes one more honest. He also recalled the first time he heard Ahmed perform live in London adding that the ‘magical’ experience stayed with him for long. For Hamid, the powerlessness Ahmed spoke of was something far more powerful. “There is that powerlessness that we all are helpless…but we all have a capacity to connect with each other and when we connect, something transformative happens,” he said adding that when Ahmed performs he sees that desperate desire in him to connect.
As Ahmed shared incidents from his naughty childhood and through school, the audiences broke into laughter. But there was more to those stories than just a run down memory lane. “I was a very naughty kid at school, always on the edge of being expelled,” recalled Ahmed ‘but my grades were good’. It was what one of his teachers said at school that stuck with him. “I was told, ‘Listen, if you want to mess around do it on a stage where you get an applause and not an expulsion’, which is where I started performing.”
His time at Oxford was marked by a sense of alienation and even depression. “But when you feel alienated, there’s the opportunity to bring something different, something unique,” he said.
For both Hamid and Ahmed, the work that one does and the roles that one plays changes the person.
And for those aspiring young performers, Ahmed had one advice to give. “One myth I would like to dispel is about creativity ‘possessing’ you, and that it’s some sort of magic.” Though it is hard to simply switch it off, Ahmed said showing up enough is major part of the creative process.
From sharing stories from the time he was held up at an airport to his experiences of preparing for his role in The Road to Guantanamo to hilarious tales of his mother’s ‘thapparrs’ over his roles, Ahmed kept the audiences mesmerised throughout the hour-long session.
As for typecasting, he said the issue was not playing your race. “The issue of typecasting is when you don’t bring complexities to the role,” he explained. “If there’s a story where you can bring nuance to the conversation, why not do that?”
Time and again the conversation was steered back to how Ahmed felt being back in Pakistan, with the crowds breaking into applause in anticipation to hear from him. “It’s been quite emotional to be here and roam around freely,” said Ahmed in response to Hamid’s continuous inquiry. The actor-rapper-activist pressed on the need for better communication while highlighting the disconnect between the Pakistani diaspora, especially in Britain, and Pakistanis here. “There’s an amazing opportunity to join hands and produce some amazing work. I would love to collaborate with artists here,” he added.
“So, what did the ex look like to you?” asked Hamid towards the end of the session.
“The ex is looking good. Changed a lot…really changed. Kinda still playing hard to get, ever mysterious and a little schizophrenic,” quippedAhmed.
“Maybe, let’s give it another go,” said Ahmed as the hall echoed with applause and laughter.
The request which was made at the start of the session was entertained towards the end by Riz Ahmed as he performed ‘Sour Times’ before a packed hall at the Alhamra.
Riz Ahmed performing ‘Sour Times’ at the LLF 2018.
