Cengiz Coşkun, the actor who plays Turgut Alp in the Turkish series Diriliş: Ertuğrul (Ertugrul Ghazi) which has broken all records in Pakistan, came live on ARY News on Monday and answered anchor Waseem Badami’s questions.
The candid interview started with Waseem Badami and Cengiz Coskun exchanging Eid greetings after which the conversation drifted towards the Turgut Alp actor’s personal life upon which Coskun revealed that he is still unmarried but yes, he is committed.
As Badami asked him about the huge success of Ertugrul in Pakistan after Prime Minister Imran Khan recommended it and the subsequent decision of dubbing it in Urdu for local audiences, Coskun thanked PM Imran Khan.
As Waseem Badami asked him if he ever thought Ertugrul will be such a massive hit in Pakistan that he and all the other actors and their characters will be household names here, the Turgut Alp actor said that when the series’ team started working on the project, a number of people said that you cannot finish this project but the project not only became a reality but a massive hit too.
About its success in Pakistan, Coskun said that he expected Ertugrul to be a hit in Muslim countries but the success in Pakistan was more than something he ever expected.
Answering one of Badami’s signature Masoomana Sawal, the actor revealed that he learnt about his popularity in Pakistan through Instagram where he received a number of “marriage proposals”.
The revelation brought smile on the faces of both Waseem Badami and fellow host, former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi.
Coskun, whose character in the Turkish series is that of one of the early warriors of the Ottoman Empire and a close friend of Ertuğrul Ghazi, also revealed that he has plans of tasting traditional Pakistani dish ‘Biryani’ if he gets a chance to visit the country.
Answering a question many fans asked, the actor maintained that he will happily work in a Pakistani project if offered.
Towards the end of the interview, the Turgut Alp actor also said “Dil Dil Pakistan, Jan Jan Pakistan” to express his love for Pakistan and his fans in the country.
The popularity of Diriliş: Ertuğrul (“Resurrection: Ertuğrul”)- the Turkish TV series which centers around the life of Ertuğrul, the father of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Khilafat- is all time high in Pakistan, but this is the first time Coskun, a popular actor playing a pivotal role in the series, was interviewed in Pakistan.
