Anjuum Faakih, best known for her memorable roles on television, has never shied away from speaking her truth. In a candid chat with The Free Press Journal, the actress got real about her emotional highs and lows in recent years, her love for the medium of television, and why she believes in staying positive despite professional setbacks.
Despite her passion towards acting, the past couple of years haven’t been easy as she faced many rejections. Anjuum confessed, “I know staying relevant is a little hard in today’s time, but God has been kind. I’ve been wanting to do something good, but I haven’t had work for the past two years. I did audition for projects - some I rejected, and some people rejected me. My height and personality are such that I don’t end up fitting into a lot of roles. But I’ve never given up. I’ve always had a positive attitude towards my life and career. I’ve only learnt to keep moving ahead and never stop and that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
Anjuum also touched upon the emotional toll rejection can take on an actor. “Look, it’s our first time being human - every one of us. So to say I don’t care anymore would be a lie. I do care. When I get rejected in auditions, I start doubting myself, wondering if I’m not good enough. Maybe I’ve played a character for so long that I can’t break out of it. Maybe I’m doing the same thing again, or trying something new but not pulling it off. And then there’s the stress, the anxiety of not working for all these years. Of course, it bothers you. But I choose to keep a positive attitude because I believe in fate, I believe in destiny, I believe in hard work. I believe in all good things."
She further continued, "That said, I don’t want to act cool and say, ‘Oh, I don’t care.’ Of course I care. I get disheartened. But I don’t have any other option except to stay positive. That’s what I’ve been doing, and honestly, that’s what’s brought me this far. I’m sustaining it. I’m thankful to God and my stars for not letting me down. It’s a journey, a process—sometimes good, sometimes bad. I’m learning to accept and embrace it all as it comes.”
Anjuum also expressed unwavering loyalty towards the medium that made her a household name - television. “I’m very proud of whatever I do. Since the beginning, I’ve wanted to excel in one medium. So if I’m doing TV, I want to excel in television. I may transition into web shows or films later in life, but TV is my bread and butter. It has given me everything—name, fame, money. I run my household because of television, and I’m very loyal to it. I would never say I got bored doing TV or that I didn’t vibe with it - never. I am a TV personality, and even if you see me on the big screen someday, you’ll still see me on TV. People tend to put artists into categories, and I feel we shouldn’t do that. It makes me feel bad. I would really request people not to categorise us.”
