Anika Zulfikar, nicknamed Faryal from Qarz e Jaan, is well-known for her authentic portrayal of foreigner Pakistanis in the drama industry. The starlet began her career in Canada with theatre and has performed in YouTube videos with Shahveer Jafry. She began her drama career with the film Namak Haram, starring Imran Ashraf and Sarah Khan. She gave an interview to Something Haute and discussed her story.
Anika Zulfikar was born in Karachi and then moved to Canada. She returned to Pakistan at the age of ten and again when she was fifteen. She has lived there with her family ever since, and she recently returned to Karachi to pursue her acting career. She claimed that she worked in multiple music videos in Canada for singers such as Karan Aujla and Jazzy B, as well as in theatre, but she felt stereotyped there and wanted to pursue her acting career further.
Anika Zulfikar stated that she identifies more with Nashwa in Qarz e Jaan. She claimed that her own mother resembled Bisma. She was married at the age of 21 and went to Canada. Her mother had to live in Canada with her mother-in-law while her husband was working in Dubai. She never stood out for herself, so Anika and her sister became her voice. As a result, she feels a stronger connection to Nashwa than she does Faryal.