Juggun Kazim

Juggun Kazim also known as Jay Kazim, is a
very talented and ambitious young woman. She has worked in numerous Pakistani
telefilms and even embarked on the Canadian film scene. Not only is she an
admirable actress, she is also a model and TV host for various shows airing on
Pakistani channels. Read on to learn how she got into acting and what her future
goals are…

How would you introduce yourself to our readers?

I would like to think that I’m a rather multifaceted personality. From
modeling to hosting to acting and lately the random bit of journalism; I seem to
want to do it all. I just love the arts, and more specifically the media. I’m
one of those people that wake up in the middle of the night because of having a
dream that could be converted into a scene. For me, this line of work is more
than a passion, it’s an obsession.

Tell us about where you grew up, your family and
education?

I grew up in Cantonment, Lahore with an elder sister and a younger brother.
My mother is still alive, but my father passed away 5 years ago. His murder was
one of the most traumatic experiences of my life. My own tiny family unit is
comprised of my two year old son, Hamza Ahmed and myself. I am a single mother
and adore my son to distraction; he is my motivation to do everything and truly
makes me want to be a better person.

I went to Lahore Grammar School, and then to Kinnaird College for my FA.
After completing that, I went to Canada to attend the University of Western
Ontario where I did my BA Honors in Media Information Technology and Sociology
with a minor in Psychology. One summer while in college, I also did my CCNA 2.0
just for fun. I guess I was bored and computers aren’t exactly rocket science,
so I decided to have fun and educate myself at the same time. After college, I
took a variety of courses in acting and commercial modeling. I am also now
planning to do my LLB privately. I have to admit, I miss college and I love to
constantly educate myself; it makes me feel like I’m still a kid.

You are an actress, a TV host and a model; how
did you get involved with working in the media?

When I was four, someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. My
reply was “mein bara ho kay actor banu ga.” At that age, I obviously hadn’t
quite realized that I was a girl, which of course came along as a rude awakening
at the age of thirteen.

My first commercial play was when I was fourteen years old and the director
was my best friend Mashal Peerzada. I must say, it was one of the most fun
theatre projects I have worked on till date. However, I started my professional
acting and modeling career under the name ‘Jay Kazim’ in Toronto. I was
approached by Sutherland Models in Canada to work as a ‘petite’ and ‘commercial’
model; because obviously I am way too short for the ramp. I did two music videos
with them and then was approached my current Canadian Agents, The Newton Landry
Management. Sandie Newton and Yanick Landry took me under their wing and started
sending me to auditions. I ended up doing a Diet Coke Ad which ran for 2 seasons
because it was so popular. I also then did a few more commercials and theatre
work, and in the process also auditioned for the movie Pink Ludoos. Never in my
wildest imagination did I think I would be chosen as the lead in this movie; but
Allah Mian was very kind to me and after only the 2nd stage of auditions, I was
offered the part. (You can google me under ‘Jay Kazim’ and the rest of my stage
and acting work in Canada will come up.)

Did your family support your decision to enter
this industry? What obstacles have you faced by entering this profession?

My family didn’t really approve of this line of work initially, but now I
think they have come to accept it and are secretly a little proud of me. I had
no major obstacles because I have always been very independent in my behavior
and thought process. Also, once I had finished my degree from college, my mother
was pretty much okay with whatever profession I chose to pursue.

Out of modeling, acting and hosting, what do you
enjoy most?

I have never really considered myself to be a model. I am essentially an
actress and enjoy hosting. Hosting is something I just fell into while I was
pregnant, and now I have to say I love acting and hosting just as much. Though,
I do have the soul of an actor. I host predominantly to change people’s
narrow-minded perception of the media industry and to promote positive social
change.

What type of modeling have you done? Have you
participated in fashion shows? If so, when and where?

I am mainly a print model, if you can call me a model that is. Modeling is
something I do just for fun; I have never participated in fashion shows despite
being trained by Sutherland Models to walk the ramp. I just think that at 5 feet
4 inches, I’d look rather stupid walking the ramp. One should learn to work
within the limitations of one’s body rather than make of fool of themselves.

Tell us about the shows you host on TV.

A.My career in hosting started with the program Beanbag, which I wrote and
conceptualized for Business Plus. After that, I hosted: CEO for Business Plus,
Aaj Entertainment Tonight for Aaj TV, Fashion Stop for Ary Digital, Sunday
Brunch for Aaj TV

My current programs on air are: Morning with Hum Weekend Edition for Hum TV,
Aik Din Juggun Kay Saath for Vibe TV (Celebrity and Media Personalities kay
interview.), Honestly Speaking with Juggun Kazim on PTV (Program deals with
social issues within Pakistan)

You have acted as well; what shows you have
acted in and what is your most memorable role in acting?

As of late, I have acted in various projects in Pakistan. The ones I was most
noted in 2007 were: Manosalva in the character of Sheena for
Hum TV, Sitam in the character of Kiran for PTV and
Piyasi in the character of Dolly for Hum TV. I have also acted in a
variety of series and telefilms. Just recently my new serial aired on ARY
Digital by the name of Sher Dil, on which I play the character
of Neelum. I am now working on 3 serials, Momal Productions ‘Saiqa,’
Shahid Zahoor’s ‘Chaat,’ Talking Filmein’s serial and a
television soap that has yet to be titled. The most favorite character I’ve
played was Maya in ‘Aik Pal,’ a telefilm which I producted and
which was directed by Mashal Peerzada. The film has been selected by Hum TV for
their telefilm competition.

They say there is a lot of competition in
modeling, what has your experience been? Would you recommend this profession to
the youngsters who want to enter this field?

Thank god I’m not a professional model! I just model for fun. If you are tall
and skinny, it’s easy to become a model in Pakistan. However, it’s a lot tougher
to be as good of an actor as Nadia Jamil or Faisal Qureshi. Twenty years ago I
wouldn’t recommend this profession to anyone, but now things have changed for
the better and that’s allowed a lot of people to enter this industry on a more
positive note.

You recently appeared in the latest Jal video,
tell us where that video was shot and how was the experience?

The video was shot in Lahore at Bari Studios. It was amazing to work with a
team of such talented professionals like DOP Neil Lisk and director Bilal
Lashari. Within the limited amount of technical facilities, they did a fabulous
job. The hair and makeup was done by Maram and Abaru, and the wardrobe was
provided by Rabya Butt and Munib Nawaz. Basically, there was no way that things
could’ve gone wrong. It’s the team that makes the production, not just the
talent!

To a lot of people, being a model means having a
glamorous lifestyle, hundreds of fans and traveling; how true is this and what
are the drawbacks?

People say that success goes to your head, but I wouldn’t know since I am not
even one hundredth as successful as I aim to be eventually. Of course the fans,
traveling and glamour are all part of the package that comes with acting,
hosting and modeling. But it’s not quite as glamorous at it may seem. It’s a lot
of hard work and effort at the end of the day. The drawbacks included constant
exhaustion, constant criticism and the fans that sometimes decide to start
stalking and harassing you. All in all, I love it because I don’t get caught up
in the issues.

What are your goals for the future? Where do you
see yourself professionally in the next 10 years?

I will hopefully have my book published and be working on the next few. In
terms of acting, I hope to be recognized as the Shabana Azmi or Meryl Streep of
Pakistan. As far as hosting is concerned, Oprah is my idol! And of course, I do
plan to start producing feature films. Those are the goals… I hope I can
supersede them.

Lastly, what is your message to the readers of
The Saturday Post?

Learn to love yourself. When you can honestly love yourself, only then can
you love others unconditionally. Learn to respect yourself and the opinions of
others. Be a good person; a clean and pure soul goes a long way. And ALWAYS
follow your dreams. One always gets those things that they want the most in
life… but you have to really have to want it.

Courtesy: The Saturday Post