'Absence makes the heart grow fonder' but then there is also 'out of sight, out of mind' to contend with, says Pakistan's ever popular Fawad Khan, tongue firmly in cheek as he addresses his time away from Indian audiences.

Fawad, who became a favourite with Pakistani dramas and was briefly seen in Hindi films, the last appearance being "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" in 2016, now stars in the supernatural show "Barzakh".

"I have always been very thankful to fans who have waited for me and I apologise for making them wait for so long. But it was not in my hands," the actor told PTI in a Zoom interview.

"I'm a firm believer that everything has its own time... You say that 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' but we also have another saying, 'aankh ojhal, pahaad ojhal' (out of sight, out of mind). This also happens," the actor told PTI in an interview over Zoom.

"Barzakh", which sees him back with his "Zindagi Gulzar Hai" co-star Sanam Saeed and created a stir with its trailers, started streaming from Friday on Zindagi's YouTube channel and ZEE5.

The actor's popularity in the subcontinent has been growing since viewers discovered him in "Dastaan" (2010), "Humsafar" (2011) and "Zindagi Gulzar Hai" (2012). Then followed Hindi films "Khubsoorat", "Kapoor & Sons" and "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil". The promising Bollywood career could not take off at the time because of fraught India-Pakistan relations. However, Fawad, amongst Pakistan's most recognised actors, did international projects and several Pakistani shows and films.

The stardom has been exciting but also challenging and increasingly competitive.

The actor said he is not very active on social media -- out of choice.

"To be able to hold on to your position of being a renowned actor has become more difficult, especially in the age of social media... There are performers and talented people everywhere." What next? "I can only say that the coming time is going to be very interesting. If you are waiting for my work, there is a lot that's going to come out next year. I feel that everything should happen at its own pace and in a good environment... Hopefully, 2025 will have a lot more content coming from my end," he said.

The 42-year-old also featured in Marvel Studio series "Ms Marvel" in which actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar played a prominent role.

The two met on the set and chatted briefly.

"It was very nice to be in touch again. We had earlier met briefly during my time in India," he said of his meeting with Farhan.

"Barzakh", produced by India's Shailja Kejriwal, chief creative officer, special projects, Zindagi, and directed by Asim Abbasi, who shot to fame with film "Cake" and show "Churails", was an interesting project to be part of, the actor said.

"I'm always up for a good narrative. I had seen Asim Abbasi's work in the past and he is a talented writer and director. I read the script and I have to say this: it was love at first sight. I'm always interested in family dramas when they are told in such a realistic fashion but the twist in this one was the magic surrealism and the supernatural aspect, which attracted me to it even more." A lot of buzz around the show is driven by the fact that it is the first time since "Zindagi..." that Fawad and Sanam will be seen together. The other much talked about and liked was his pairing with Mahira Khan in "Humsafar".

Agreeing that the two shows brought him to the mainstream Fawad said, "Fans liked the pairings so much that it stuck with them for a long time and the shows became, amongst many things, modern classics. Whenever there is such a pairing that leaves such a lasting impact for such a long time, people start to wait for your next work together. I am aware of that." After "Barzakh", his next two projects are with Sanam. Besides, he has two projects lined up with Mahira as well.

"I hope the audiences enjoy them as well. Obviously, the nature of the characters will be different in these projects but I think it will be a new era of our reunion," he said.

Asked if he has become more selective in the kind of projects he boards, Fawad said he was never someone in a rush to do a lot of stuff. But he said he did take a back seat for a while when he was preparing for "Maula Jatt", the 2022 film that became the highest grossing Pakistani film of all time.

His co-production "Neelophar" ran into some hurdles because of Covid but after that he has "resumed work more frequently".

"I am selective but to the extent that I get involved with stuff that I understand. I had projects that I worked on but unfortunately things slowed down a bit during the pandemic period. Everything is coming out now," he said.

Fawad recently saw Manoj Bajpayee's "The Family Man" and found it "attention grabbing". In Pakistan, he caught up with "Meray Paas Tum Ho" and "Khaie".

With streaming space opening up more cross-culture collaborations, Fawad said "these are exciting time for artists". "I have always been open to collaborations wherever they may come from. I have a hunger as artist. We are very fortunate that we are a part of an industry that allows us to be exposed to one another's cultures.

"(It's) an education you have while having fun working. It is not just about script because people come to a project with different backgrounds so we have the luxury of getting to know and see the world in a different way and at our own pace... So that hunger of mine gets rewarded in that process," he said.

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