For many out there, Hajj has more to do with profession rather than personal affinity and love for God. A star like Fawad khan, used to the spotlight and adulation was caught in the net of media-hype when spotted in Makkah. But for Fawad Khan himself, it was spiritual revival as well as childhood. Talking to Arab News, the khuda kay lye Actor expressed his emotions when he circumambulated among millions of pilgrims:
“Being one among 2.4 million people is the easiest thing on earth.”
Speaking exclusively to Arab News, Fawad gave a thoughtful interview at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Jeddah.
“You feel comfortable because you are in the same space with other people who bare their hearts to God. You feel just like any other person among them. And you are not under media scrutiny as you are on normal days.”
#Hajj means many things, such as a show of devotion and a demonstration of solidarity with #Muslims worldwide. And for award-winning #Pakistani actor, model and singer #FawadKhan, it also offered a rare chance to escape the spotlight. @thefawsadkhan https://t.co/TWy9MIL08v pic.twitter.com/dUX0LkLzmn
— Arab News (@arabnews) August 27, 2018
The experience of Hajj this year made 36-year old Superstar more humble. Used to being stalked and mobbed by Indian and Pakistani admirers, Fawad khan in-fact felt just like an ordinary person:
“It feels nice to be a face in the crowd.”
Extending further his gratitude for these simply peaceful moments, he told Arab News:
“But I enjoy the anonymity now and then,” he said. “In a way, it is very refreshing. People during Hajj are so busy and caught up in what they are doing that they don’t have time for these things. They are very considerate. They are very careful about what they are doing.”
When asked about the highlight of this relatively different experience from his day to day stardom life, Fawad khan said:
“The whole experience was very spiritual,” he said. “I remember on the night before the trek to Arafat, there was a wind blowing and it suddenly started raining, and lightning was streaking the sky. It was humbling and it felt like someone from on high was talking to us.”
Fawad is not relatively new to Saudi Arabia. Although this time he was invited by the Saudi’s Media ministry for Hajj, he has actually spent his childhood in Riyad, owing to his father’s job.
“I was in Riyadh from 1986 to 1992 as a child,” he said. “My mother is a very pious woman and when my father was posted to Riyadh, she would say, ‘I will never miss an opportunity to perform Umrah,’ so we used to perform Umrah every year.”
When asked about what sort feelings the Hajj experience gave him, he told the Arab News about sweet memories of the Holy Makkah:
“It reminded me of my childhood,” he said. “I really enjoyed the time when I was growing up. When I left Riyadh, I was sad because those were my formative years. I had a feeling of nostalgia. I remember as a child when performing Umrah, there wasn’t much rush or traffic. The running between Safa and Marwa as part of the ritual was more like a game because I would race with my sister at that time and being there again brought all those memories back”
“I cherished my childhood, so I think I got my childhood back this time.”
