In an interview on a local talk show, Alishba Yousuf addressed her acting break and whether or not actor-sister Syra Yousuf forces her to make a comeback. Laughing, Alishba said, “We don’t force each other to do anything, we just suggest. So, I have been on the receiving end of these suggestions a few times, but back then I wasn’t ready for it. Some element or the other would make me feel that way.”
Alishba announced that she finally feels ready to return to the small screen. “I think everything has its time,” she said. “I’m the kind of person who makes decisions based on how I feel. It’s usually not influenced by what’s happening in my head.”
The Ek Nazar Meri Taraf actor admitted that she has left projects that didn’t feel as significant to her. “Sometimes, we get a little dramatic over our craft. At some point, I knew that I had to find a balance. So, I have faced a few difficulties in that regard,” she said.
Eldest of the three Yousuf sisters, Alishba was the first to enter showbiz and has been on a career break for a decade now. “It’s actually been ten years,” she said. “I started working as a VJ about 19 years ago and began acting in commercials some 23 years ago. I was 16 when I started appearing in commercials.”
Recalling the beginning of her career, she said, “I wasn’t sure whether I even knew how to act. When I was offered a role, I was like, ‘I don’t know.’ But that was just the next thing to do at the time.”
Alishba shared that she didn’t have anyone to guide her into the industry. Instead, she was scouted for her first commercial by an Iranian makeup artist. “She got in touch with me, and asked me if I would like to pursue it. So, I said, ‘I don’t think I’ll get the permission.’ Because my father was strict. But when I asked him, he was fine with it, which confused me. I asked him if this would result in weird confrontations with the extended family, but he said, ‘I’m your father. I’m giving you permission. Just do it.'”
The Main Abdul Qadir Hoon actor used to feel as if she was struggling on set. However, her crew’s praise and encouragement helped her recognise her talent. “I had no experience with acting. I hadn’t learned it from anywhere. And it just happened.”
