Actor Pawan Singh opens up about giving up his cricketing career owing to a medical emergency

MUMBAI: As Zafar Ali Mirza in &TV's Aur Bhai Kya Chal Raha Hai?, Pawan Singh has managed to captivate the audience with his perfect comic timing and acting prowess. While Pawan is extremely thrilled with the tremendous response, many are unaware that acting was not his first career choice! It was cricket. Being a professional cricketer in his teens, Pawan always dreamt of playing for his country one day. But a medical emergency in the family led him to give up this cricket dream and pursue his passion for acting. 

Revealing his reason for quitting the sport, Pawan Singh, aka Zafar Ali Mirza of Aur Bhai Kya Chal Raha Hai? says, "Cricket was always my favourite sport, and I always dreamt of playing cricket for the country. I was a part of my school and college cricket teams and participated in several inter-school and college tournaments. I was a Batsman and practised daily at Delhi’s Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. However, towards the last semester of graduation, my father was detected with severe liver damage and urgently needed a transplant. It was quite a worrying and challenging moment for the family. I immediately decided to donate a part of my liver, owing to which I had to limit my physical activities for three years. My father responded well to the transplant and recovered fully with God's grace. I then decided to quit cricket altogether and instead focus on academics and acting. When I look at it now, I feel that maybe I was destined to become an actor.” 

Shedding light on his journey in acting, Pawan adds, “I had earlier never thought of becoming an actor. But during a college event, a friend suggested that I give it a try as I was good-looking. And fortunately, I got selected for the role. But soon developed an interest in it and decided to pursue it professionally to hone my skills and understand the various nuances. In 2009, I joined the Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts in Delhi, and in 2013, I moved to the city of dreams, Mumbai. Initially, my parents were quite disheartened that I had sacrificed my career and passion for cricket. But at the same time, they are extremely proud of me and my success in acting today. &TV’s show Aur Bhai Kya Chal Raha Hai? has made me a household name, and the immense amount of love and affection from fans towards me makes me and my family extremely grateful for the blessings. Nothing satisfies you more than your family's happiness and well-being, and I feel blessed that I could give that to my family. In fact, I recently got to relive my passion for cricket when we had a special track on the sport in our show. I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it and played cricket with the entire cast.” 

Watch Pawan Singh as Zafar Ali Mirza in Aur Bhai Kya Chal Raha Hai? at 9:30 pm, airing every Monday to Friday only on &TV!