Exclusive: Wasim Akram reacts to Javed Akhtar’s 26/11 comment in Lahore: If I was invited to another country…

The former captain of Pakistan National Cricket Team, Wasim Akram is all set to go from field to film with the release of Money Back Guarantee. The film also marks acting debut of the Sultan of Swing’s wife, philanthropist Shaniera Akram. Ahead of the worldwide release on April 21, the couple sat down for an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times to talk about their acting stint.

Money Back Guarantee is a political satire and dark comedy on the corruption of politicians as well as public. Directed by Faisal Qureshi, the film stars Fawad Khan, Hina Dilpazir, Ali Safina, Wasim Akram, Shayan Khan, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Gohar Rasheed, and Jan Rambo. While Wasim Akram appears as the president of Pak Bank, Shaniera plays an international journalist.

Watch trailer here:

Hello, Wasim and Shaniera, welcome to Hindustan Times. Let’s begin talking about the much-awaited acting debut. Did you guys push each other into this?

Wasim Akram: No, actually. (laughs) Faisal is the most talented directed. I have worked with him before for a mobile company in Pakistan. One day he called me out of the blue and said he is making a movie. I said ‘Ok good lucky buddy.’ He told me had a ‘special role’ for me. I said ‘hang on a minute! I am not an actor.’

He told me ‘I know you for so many years, you like acting’. As an actor you have to read the script but I didn’t have the patience. So, he just read me my part, what I will be doing, 9 to 10 days shoot, and of course about the cast. We have our superstar Fawad Khan and of course, my biggest superstar (points at Shaniera). He also roped in her as well.

Shaniera Akram: He told me a little bit about the script and I said let’s do it together. We did it.

Wasim Akram: It was hard work. Kudos to all actors, specially in our part of the world. I love watching movies and not just Pakistani ones, I love Bollywood, Indian film industry. And of course, Hollywood as well.

Doing a TV commercial is an easy job. You can do re-takes, you do it twenty times. But in movies, I had to remember the paragraph, word by word, and then act on top of it. It was bit tough. But, everyone in the movie made me feel comfortable. I got a good laugh as well while filming it.

Shaniera Akram: I think it’s first of its kind. It’s already breaking boundaries, being a trailblazer for films. It’s just being something different for the subcontinent, India and Pakistan. It’s a different type of genre, it’s exciting for us.

Wasim Akram: It is comedy, it’s heist and also comes with a political message in the end.

It is the first Pakistani film to release in Sri Lanka at the same time…

Wasim Akram: I heard Sri Lankans are excited for the movie. With people like Fawad, Mikaal, Gohar it’s a very well sorted movie. Everyone has worked really hard.

Shaniera Akram: Absolutely. In our countries it’s not 30 people behind the camera, it’s 300 people. It takes a whole team to pull this off.

Wasim Akram: Sri Lanka has been close to my heart, always has been. I remember touring Sri Lanka in 1986 as a young kid, since then I have fallen in love with the place and the people.

Shaniera Akram: Also, I think quite a lot of Australians are also going to see the film. Everyone keeps asking when it’s going to release.

While Wasim’s character can do anything to restore his power over people, Shaniera is this journalist who wants to report facts. I am sensing a clash between them. Did you clash on the sets?

Shaniera Akram: Well, we are still married so that’s a good thing. (laughs)

Wasim Akram: For me it was something very different. Being the president of the Bank I had the power, you will see it. I have been doing TV commercials since 25 years. This film is great work done by Faisal and his team. Massive sets were created being a Pakistani production.

Shaniera Akram: I have been to the Kapil Sharma Show. I have seen the huge Bollywood sets. In Pakistan, you go to this very industrial area (to shoot). You get your makeup done in the back, there are cords lying everywhere. Even had so many cats around. But this time, we had this massive sets. When I saw it I was like ‘This isn’t Bollywood or Universal Studio, this is in Pakistan’.

Wasim Akram: 95% of the movie was shot in Pakistan.

People in India love both of you, there’s a lot of fan following. When can we see you back, even for a tour?

Shaniera Akram: I miss India. We stayed in India for 4 years after our marriage, probably more time than we spend in Australia.

Wasim Akram: We would love to come to India. I used to be there for 7-8 months of a year. I miss my friends, people and food, most importantly dosa. We don’t have it in Pakistan.

Shaniera Akram: I miss the way people love him in India. He didn’t play for India but they call him Wasim Bhai. I love that.

Wasim Akram: Inshallah, very soon we would come there. See all the places I have been missing for the last years and the hustle-bustle of Bombay.

One thing Wasim said is that he told Shaniera he was a big deal back home to charm you. But, it didn’t work on her. Later, Sheneira shifted to Pakistan and made it her home. How easy or difficult was it?

Wasim Akram: Who said it didn’t work? It did work, look who’s here sitting, married to me. (laughs)

Shaniera Akram: He had to pull all the stops. I wasn’t interested. (jokes)

I completed ten years, it’s one decade. It’s part of me, my life and who I am. For most of the women, if you are turning 30, you start to identify and learn about yourself. In those vital years of my life I was in Pakistan. I was learning about different culture, women in Pakistan and growing individually. My two sons are from here and my baby girl is Pakistani. But, I would love to bring our children back to where their grandfather was born, Amritsar. It’s really important to me.

Recently Javed Akhtar was in Lahore and he commented on the 26/11 attack. His words were taken very differently in India and Pakistan. What are your thoughts on it Wasim?

Wasim Akram: I would not like to comment on political subjects as I am here to promote my film. If I was invited to another country I would find positive things to say about it.

Have you watched RRR?

Wasim Akram: Not, not yet. I will watch it.

Who is your favourite cricketer from the current Indian team?

Wasim Akram: Virat Kohli. He is an amazing player. I like his leadership quality.