If you have watched Pakistani dramas with any regularity, you have almost certainly seen Abu Rohan, even if you did not know his name. The senior actor has become one of the most recognisable faces in the industry, not for playing a hero or a villain, but for the very specific and endlessly repeated role of the Nikah Khuwan, the marriage officiant who presides over the wedding ceremonies that are a staple of Pakistani television storytelling. His face has appeared in nikah scenes across some of the most watched dramas in recent years, including Tere Bin, Siyani, Sunn Mere Dil and Yunhi. For many viewers, his presence on screen has become a kind of shorthand for the moment a drama is about to reach its emotional peak. In a recent interview with BBC Urdu, Abu Rohan finally spoke at length about how this unusual acting career began, and the story is as unexpected as the career itself. It started not in a drama studio but in a jewellery shop. Abu Rohan is, by profession, a successful jeweller based in Karachi. Around 35 years ago, a television channel invited him onto a morning show not to act but to answer viewer questions about gold. He explained what happened next in his own words. “Around 35 years ago, a television channel invited me as a jeweler. The owners wanted me to appear on a show where I would answer viewers’ questions about gold. When I appeared on the morning show, I caught the attention of drama makers. They felt I was comfortable in front of the camera, and that’s how I started acting in television dramas.” What followed was a career that spans decades and more productions than most full-time actors manage. “So far, I have solemnized Nikah in around 80 to 85 dramas,” he said. He also revealed that part of his career unfolded outside Pakistan. “I also lived in Bahrain for nearly eight years, where I took part in dramas.” On the nature of the role itself, he offered an insight that many viewers may not have considered. While the nikah khuwan is often a static presence on screen, drama does not always let him remain so. “There are scenes where fights break out during the Nikah, and I have to give different expressions. Usually, it’s a static character, but sometimes it requires proper acting. Directors and producers also cast me in other roles.” His fame among audiences has also brought some unusual requests, which he handles with thoughtful care. “Many people have invited me to officiate Nikah at their real-life weddings, but I politely refused because Nikah is a matter of religion. However, after the Nikah ceremony, I sometimes offer prayers for the couple’s happiness.” For a man who came to television to talk about gold, Abu Rohan has ended up leaving a very different kind of impression, one measured not in carats but in the countless wedding scenes that have made him one of Pakistani drama’s most quietly beloved presences.
