THE MARTIAL ARTIST -FARAN TAHIR and SHAZ KAHN INTERVIEW

An MMA fighter destined for greatness must face his biggest rival yet: Himself in the new drama, The Martial Artist.

When MMA rising star Ibby “The Prince” Bakran shines in a local fight, the world’s largest promotion company offers him a deal he can’t refuse. Now aligned with the sport’s top developing athletes, Ibby has a clear path to becoming great.

Consumed with the limelight and all it has to offer, Ibby burns the candle at both ends and soon his fighting takes its own hit. As his star begins to fade, he blames everyone else. He becomes withdrawn, pulling away from his family who never wanted him to fight. Desperate to reconnect, his mother reveals the reason for her fear and the long-held truth about his father’s death. With no one else to blame, Ibby travels to his homeland to find his grandfather for answers. In the majestic mountains of Pakistan, he learns that in order to achieve real greatness, he must first face his biggest opponent yet: himself.

SHAZ KHAN (“Ibby”/ Director, Writer, Producer) attended Penn State University majoring in Finance, during which time he secured a job with a Fortune 500 bank. Here he remained for a couple of years before realizing he wanted something more. Khan decided to pursue his dream to act. He attended casting calls while working at the bank, and immediately landed roles in film and theater. He graduated from Actors Studio Drama School with an MFA in Acting. Khan’s interests expanded to behind the camera as well. While visiting family in Pakistan, he randomly auditioned for and was cast in the lead role of the Pakistani feature film MOOR. The film was shot in Muslim Bagh, a village close to the Afghanistan border, and in the port city of Karachi. His performance was critically lauded for his portrayal of a transplant Pathan, and the film became the country’s official Oscar submission to the 88th Academy Awards.

FARAN TAHIR ("Dada") was born in Los Angeles, California, while his parents were studying acting and directing at UCLA. He comes from a well-known theatre family in Pakistan and India. Both parents are actors, directors, and writers in Pakistan. Faran moved back to Los Angeles, California in 1980, when he was 17 years old. He received his Bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and his graduate degree from the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University. He has been nominated and has won many awards for his work in theatre and film. He will be reviving his Marvel Universe characrer from Iron in a new series coming soon!

THE MARTIAL ARTIST IS IN THEATRES ON APRIL 4TH.

I spoke with Shaz Kahn and Faran Tahir about the film. Enjoy our chat below.