Syed Jibran is a known television actor and performer and his choice of roles in the past has been quite intense and powerful. In plays like Ghairat, Khuda Mera Bhi Hai and Chup Raho, Jibran experimented with various shades of black. In the currently airing play, Ranjha Ranjha Kardi, he plays a handsome, mysterious shopkeeper who is attracted to the character of Noori, played by Iqra Aziz.

Though much isn’t revealed about Jibran’s character yet, we were very, very intrigued about his role and his career path thus far so we caught up with him for a quick chat.

Tell us about your character in RRK and how you feel about it. We know that it has some negative streaks but is the character really negative?

Syed Jibran: I don’t know if I can talk much about the character right now, based on how far the story has gone but I can tell you that the character has so many layers, so many shades that I thought to myself, when I read it, ‘I gotta do this.’ This is not a straight arrow guy and there’s a lot of mystery to him. So the story will reveal itself, how and why those shades exist within him.

You have done a lot of negative characters in the past, do you feel you are typecasted?

SJ: Yeah I have done a lot of negative roles. No, I don’t think so. I chose to do those roles. If you look at the characters I’ve done, those characters are driving the story ahead. The performance margin is also plenty, so that attracted me to them.

What have been your favorite performances in the past, negative or positive?

SJ: There have been many. I enjoy doing all of my work– whether other people enjoy them just as much is the real question (laughs). My role in Ranjha Ranjha Kardi– now this is a role I really enjoyed. I loved shooting in Lahore, for a change. It’s a very mysterious character, like I said, and portraying the mystery element is something I really enjoyed.

Is there a particular role you wish to do in the future that hasn’t been offered to you yet?

SJ: I don’t know what isn’t offered to me until it is offered to me. But I look forward to a lot of characters. I haven’t played a lawyer for example. Or a serial killer. Or an intense romantic guy. Or a split personality guy, a schizophrenic. Maybe a guy who has multiple personalities within one track. Let’s see if I get a good script backing that character. I’d love to do that.

How do people respond to you in real life, soon after you’re done with a negative role in a drama?

SJ: There have been instances where people come up to me and are really passionate about what I’ve done and demand why I ‘did’ a certain thing in a drama. And I talk to them and tell them and help them calm down about it that hey, it’s just a character. Though many times, people do come up to me and love the way that I have done a character in particular, so they know it’s me behind the negative person I’m portraying. I have to say that I do get a lot of love from people, whether it is when I do a positive or a negative role. They come up to me and appreciate my work and that matters a lot to me.