I wouldnt call that acting. That role was just a value addition to Bol, Atif said. There was a lot of editing as well, a lot of my scenes werent included in Bol. The role wasnt really fleshed out, given the subject of the story, he explained.                                                          The shoot started on August 13, 2021 and finished by December 6. The entire series was shot in 77 Days in villages around Bughadh Mang and Sumn in Azad Kashmir, including a 12-day shoot in Islamabad.

Did Atif take up any acting classes for the roles, or were his experiences of doing music videos enough to take on such a diverse character?

I was actually watching a lot of Netflix. When everyone was hit by Covid-19, there was nothing else to do, Atif replied.

Its a strange way to attune ones senses as an actor, but to each his own, I guess.

The fact that I didnt adopt any acting pattern is what made me act naturally as Hilmand, Atif elaborated.                                                 Yes, it was a challenge, and I wont say I was ready for it. I was anxious. There was anxiety. Kya hoga, kaisay hoga. Director kaisa hai, loag kaisay hain. Saamnay jo actors hain, woh kitnay barray barray giants hain, loag kya kahengay [What will happen, how will the project pan out. What is the director like, what are the rest of them like. How will I perform in front of giants of the medium, what will people say], he said, listing off his apprehensions. And then, you know, there would be inevitable questions such as your singing career is still in its prime, why would you take the panga [unwarranted challenge] of acting?                                                              But playing Hilmand of Sang-i-Mah wasnt a panga for me. I wanted to do it, and I have thoroughly enjoyed doing it, he said. Actually, it was very easy for me, because everyone made me comfortable. I had heard a lot of things about Noman [Ijaz] bhai being difficult to work with and all that. I found him to be a thorough gentleman. He complimented me a lot, and told me to continue acting. He has been acting for years now, so coming from him thats something.                                                                                          Hilmand was a bit of a novelty as a character, so we were not looking for actors one often sees in television, Saife said.

Casting eventually settled on Bilal Ashraf, but the production couldnt start on time and Bilal had other commitments. Then Momina came up with the idea of Atif Aslam doing the role, he said.

When they first met, Atif told Saife that he knew of the directors amiable nature but that, when it came to his performance as Hilmand, Saife should be as blunt as possible, if need be.

Atif is a very concerned actor. In fact, he is still hounding Saife to dub a scene he may have fumbled in. Saife cant recall the scene Atif was referring to as we speak.                                                                     One can see Atifs dedication on the big screen  but Sang-i-Mah is bigger than Atif Aslam, the pop star-turned-actor who, as he himself confesses, is now bitten by the acting bug.                             https://www.dawn.com/news/1669773/spotlight-shooting-for-the-moon

Atif shared that fans could expect to see more of him on screen if the script is good.

I waited many years to pick up the right script and this was it!                                         https://www.khaleejtimes.com/music/whatever-i-am-today-because-of-fans-says-atif-aslam-ahead-of-dubai-concert