Pakistani actor Fawad Khan opened up about his childhood, early diabetes diagnosis and road to success in a recent interview with FreeStyle Middle East.
Early years
Born in Karachi, Khan attests his peripatetic childhood to his father’s job, which led them moving from place to place.
“I was in Athens for two years after which I moved to Dubai, Riyadh and Manchester during the Gulf War, after which we returned to Pakistan and settled in Lahore,” he explained.
After attending Lahore Grammar School (LGS), he acquired admission in a computer college.
“During that time I was part of an underground band, and actually it was during my first year in college when I began my acting career. Although infrequent, I tried it as a hobby. I would earn maybe Rs 12000 and thought I was the richest guy in school.”
“I have fond memories of my school and college life, and I am here where I am because of it. That’s the Fawad you see today,” he said.
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The diagnosis
“When I was 17, my body went through an auto-immune response, and I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes”, shared the actor.
“Following a fever one night I shed 10 kilos of body weight, going down to 55 kg.
I have been managing diabetes for 24 years now.“
As a result of the diagnosis, Khan, who had remained very active at school playing every sport, saw a decline in that interest due to persistent exhaustion.
“My interest in sports veined altogether,” he shared.
Citing the illness as a “constant inconvenience”, he shared how on a trip back from Rawalpindi he broke down about it, wondering “why did this happen to me.”
“I levelled with myself thinking there is a lot of pain and sadness in the world, and worse diseases.”
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Road to success
A big believer of “silver linings”, Khan stated that he considers himself a very fortunate and lucky person.
“I think I did pretty well for myself,” he said.
When asked what advice he would now give to his 17-year-old self, Khan responded saying, “Always follow your gut.”
“Your first instinct is always right one.”
Sharing his personal philosophies that have shaped him and his career so far, Khan is a strong believer in the power of will, pointing out how one has to create opportunities for oneself.
“There is a way forward always, he shares, “if you handle something with care and love, you will always come out ahead.”
“When you are faced with difficulties, that is when you succeed the most. Adversity breeds creativity, innovation and ultimately, success,” he added.
“If you don’t know the downs in life, you will never appreciate the ups.”