LAHORE: A Pakistani actor by the name of Shahid Naseeb has had numerous TV serials to his credit but has lately been forced to become a house painter to make ends meet, while he sleeps on the streets of Lahore.
“I eat only once a day. I don’t have a home here in Lahore so I sleep on the roads; my budget doesn’t allow me the luxury of renting something,” Naseeb claimed.
Naseeb has worked in serials such as Dulhari, Jab Usse Mujh Se Mohabbat Hui and Iltaja. He has gone from riches to rags and forced to become a painter because of lack of role opportunities in these tough times.
“Things are extremely tough for me right now but I know that there are many others in Lollywood and Bollywood who have faced such adversities before making it big,” Naseeb was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune.
Now earning a basic salary of Rs 20,000 a month, Naseeb is looking for new opportunities in the music industry. “I have been trying to save some cash so I can release a song of my own now,” he said, adding “I’ve met with some musicians in Lahore who are asking for Rs 100,000 to help me compose the track and my mission is to collect that much.”
Naseeb further added, “I cannot go back to my village because everyone will laugh at my failure there. Even the labourers I work with taunt me by calling me names like ‘Shahid Rungwala’ and that makes me feel very sad.“
Asserting the fact that he had devised the entire written script for the 2016 action-thriller, Whistle, Naseeb commented, “Whistle seemed like a solid opportunity to me back in the day; I thought it would open a lot of doors for me but unfortunately, I was wrong. Now I paint strangers’ houses to earn some bread.“
