Ahad Raza Mir becomes first South Asian to play Hamlet

Pakistani actor Ahad Raza Mir, who is known for his work in several successful Pakistani shows including Yeh Dil Mera and Hum Tum, is now experimenting with live theatre in Toronto. The actor is presently in the news for his take on William Shakespeare’s classic novel Hamlet. He plays the titular role in the play, becoming the first South Asian actor to play Hamlet.

The actor has shared a bunch of pictures from his upcoming project, which has piqued audiences’ interest.

Speaking about his new venture, Ahad said, “I think many actors will agree that getting the chance to be on stage, especially if you have spent some time doing film and TV, is grounding. It is an opportunity to get back to your roots and what you love about acting. And of course, it’s also Hamlet. Every actor dreams of playing the role just once, and so to get a second opportunity is amazing.”

Ahad Raza Mir on stage

The 30-year-old further added, “I did not anticipate almost three years of delays. I am just happy I could make it work to fly back here and do the rehearsals.”

The live performance of Hamlet was due for release in 2020 but the coronavirus pandemic threw a wrench into the works.

Though the future of his dream project seemed bleak once, the actor did not lose hope and kept himself busy with other projects.

“I did spend the first few months of Covid at home, getting a chance to be with my family, which doesn’t happen often, but then things started to get busy again. I shot Resident Evil with Netflix in 2021 and then World On Fire with the BBC in 2022 as well as some projects back in Pakistan. I think I have taken around 700 PCR tests. That may be a record,” he concluded.