We may not see much iof him on our television screens but Adnan Malik sure has made a mark ever since he made his television debut opposite Mahira Khan in Sadqay Tumharay. The immensely popular drama was directed by Mohammed Ehteshamuddin and written by Khalil ur Rehman Qamar and based on his own life story.

Brother of Baaji director Saqib Malik, Adnan has only a handful of projects under his belt, but each one of them have been meaningful and offbeat – for instance Cake, which was also his last project. Apart from that, the actor is popular for his woke and eloquent comments.

While we wondered why Adnan is missing from the scene, the actor took to social media to pen an emotional note in which he narrated his life story, his battle with low self-esteem, how he ended up doing Sadqay Tumharay and why he doesn’t want to do just any project.

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“I see acting as a way to honour myself, to connect to a deeper spiritual self and a way to confront my own demons. I can’t take it lightly.”

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WHY I DONT ACT THAT MUCH: It’s been a mellow #Decemberistan for me. (Btw link to THAT article in my bio) I’ve spent a lot of this time managing my burn-out, embarking on new kinds of directorial projects, reading, yoga, developing a daily wellness/ spiritual practice, working out and turning my intentions into actions. It’s been very rewarding. However, everytime I have gone out, people just can’t help asking me why I am no longer on “the screen”. This has happened in supermarkets, in elevators, at dinner parties and even when I’m jogging at the park. Although it’s incredibly flattering to feel the genuine love of people who’ve appreciated my work as an actor, I do feel uncomfortable sometimes. In those quick short fire exchanges, I can’t seem to explain the role acting has in my life. Everyone seems to think that because I had a couple of successful projects, that I should pursue this full time. And that money, fame and influence is everything. But it ain’t. Wellness, connecting to purpose & self-care is everything. Here’s my TAKE ON ACTING: I never wanted to be an actor. It was never on my agenda. But I think I had a natural proclivity for it because in one way or another, I’ve been “performing” since I was a kid. I performed for affirmation & validation. Hid many parts of my true self so I could receive love & acceptance from my parents, family & even society at large. For very long, I played the “perfect” son. I didnt feel anywhere near perfect on the inside. In fact, I had very low self-esteem but never shared that Part of me with anyone. (Even myself) For some reason everyone thought I should be an actor when I was in my early 20s. Tall, handsome, smart and well spoken is how people perceived me, but inside I was sad, incomplete, unloved and also full of shame. When through some bizarre, but serendipitous, twist of fate I was asked to play Khalil in Sadqay Tumhare, I decided to take it on because all the elements seemed right (continued in comments)

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