Empathy and the Art of Acting with Hollywood Star, Faran Tahir

Stories of Transformation

Faran Tahir has acted on the stage, on TV, and on the big screen. Starring in major Hollywood blockbusters like Iron Man and Star Trek, as well as countless other acclaimed productions, Faran is as accomplished an actor as they come. But despite all of his success, Faran stills describes himself with a genuine air of humility - a “student” by his own account - always eager to learn and improve, not just in his craft but in the art of being human. Faran’s true character - off the stage, that is - speaks for itself when he shares that his favorite part of acting is the exercise in empathy that comes with stepping into someone else’s shoes.

A beacon of light for an underrepresented community in Hollywood, Faran is of Pakistani-American descent. Having spent time living and working in both regions of the world, Faran holds a unique and insightful perspective on the dual-misunderstanding that affects the perception from both sides of his citizenship. The similarities - the connections - that make us all human are greater than the sum of even our greatest differences, Faran says. And similar to the empathy that he channels when he gets into character, Faran believes that practicing empathy is the key to living beyond the myopic lens of cultural conditioning and stereotypes, and expanding our worldview into a more global, inclusive perspective.

In this episode of Stories of Transformation, Faran Tahir shares the story of how he followed his heart to decide to pursue a career in acting; why he took one of the leading roles in his recent film I’ll Meet You There, directed by Iram Parveen Bilal; the differences between the filmmaking industries in America and South Asia; and how film and the arts can be used as tools for highlighting our shared human connections rather than our inconsequential differences.

For full show notes
https://www.baktashahadi.com/podcast

Connect with Faran Tahir
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faran.tahir/?hl=en
Facebook:

Faran Tahir

Resources
More information on Faran:

Faran Tahir

More information on I'll Meet You There:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4578102/

Faran Tahir's IMDB:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0846687/

Listen to the Stories of Transformation Podcast featuring “I’ll Meet You There” director, Iram Parveen Bilal:
https://www.baktashahadi.com/shownotes/moving-forward-by-facing-the-past-a-conversation-with-ill-meet-you-there-filmmaker-iram-parveen-bilal

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Stories of Transformation

Credits
Hosted by: Baktash Ahadi
https://www.baktashahadi.com

Produced by: Joseph Gangemi
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-gangemi-audio/

Digital Marketing & Media by: Katherine An
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-a-91081b56/

Theme music by: Qais Essar
www.therabab.com

Artwork by: Masheed Ahadi
https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/masheed

Episode Music Credits
"Willow Wood" by Alon Peretz
"Merry Go Round" by David Charrier
"Stay" by Yotam Agam