Actor Ali Abbas’ acting career kicked off with director Amin Iqbal’s drama Meri Dulari opposite Yumna Zaidi on Geo TV. He weighed 86 kilos before stepping into TV and lost around 9 kilos to look the part.

However Ali revealed on Nida Yasir’s morning show that on the first day of his shoot, the veteran director slammed him. According to the Meherposh star, Amin told him that he doesn’t look like a star and will never become one, also that he doesn’t have the qualities in him to be a leading hero. This incident dampened his confidence.

Now in an exclusive interview with The Current while promoting his movie Rehbra, Amin Iqbal responded to Ali’s allegations. The Ishq-e-Laa maker said, “The judgement could be wrong at times as I am a human too but whatever I have said about someone, it has become true. There is a difference between being a star and being an actor.

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“I have introduced artists like Yumna Zaidi, Saba Qamar and Sameer Sohail from Lahore to the showbiz fraternity, even recently when I casted Azaan Sami Khan in Ishq-e-Laa, people scrutinised his casting in the play but respect and disrespect is in the hands of God.”

“I know his father and grandfather personally and have had good terms with him.”

Iqbal concluded by saying that now that Ali is in a better space career wise, it could be because of the remarks that Amin gave him early on his career as Abbas must have improved himself after it.

Earlier this year Abbas appreciated his contemporary Ahmed Ali Akbar in an interview with Maliha Rehman.

The Mere Apnay star stated that Ahmad has given a superlative performance in Parizaad and it makes him happy that underrated actors like him are now getting leading roles in mainstream projects.

He added that at the time of Ehd-e-Wafa there was noise about him being sidelined in the play which starred bigger names like Ahad Raza Mir and Osman Khalid Butt alongside him.

Ehd-e-Wafa emerged as a blockbuster in 2020 and starred an ensemble cast.

The Fitrat star mentioned that he is the biggest fan of Naumaan Ijaz and takes inspiration from him while performing, especially from his performance in Mera Saeen.

S1. Mera Saeein Episode 1 | Sunita Marshall | Noman Aijaz | Faysal Qureshi  | ARY Digital - YouTube