“I believe, more strongly than ever right now, that what is destined for you cannot be snatched away by any force in the world,” Pakistani actor Imran Abbas Naqvi says as he begins to talk about his journey in Bollywood before and after his debut, Creature 3D opposite Bipasha Basu.
Looking forward to his next release, Muzaffar Ali’s Jaanisar, the actor talks about how welcome the film industry has made him feel.
“I think it was worth taking a chance to come to Bollywood. Working here has been a very enlightening experience. Back home in Pakistan I tend to only take up projects that intrigue me and ordinarily, I complete shooting for any Pakistani show within 40 days.
Here, investing over 100 days for a single project and not getting bored at all along the way was exhilarating for me.”
Ask him how his experience in the industry has been besides just the work he has been doing here and he says, “Bollywood is a global arena and I have found everyone here to be welcoming of talent, no matter where it comes from.”
Considering how difficult it can be for even an new Indian actor to find his feet in Bollywood, what has his own experience told him about the dynamic for actors from outside the country?
“It is difficult for anyone to break into this field without a filmy background, but if you’re passionate and want to give it your 100 percent, you can always find your way.
But you need to be diplomatic in your dealings,” he says. While the actor’s Bollywood debut came in the form of India’s first ever creature-feature, the role he yearns to do at the moment is that of a true-blue romantic hero.
“I want to do a multi-layered romantic hero once, where I get to explore the simultaneity of love, guilt, fear and more. I’m looking to experiment with my performances and at the same time I also feel that the commercial aspect to a film is extremely important too.”
Imran will next be seen in Muzaffar Ali’s directorial comeback, Jaanisar set in Lucknow in 1877. He says with considerable excitement, “I feel honoured to be working with the impresario behind Umrao Jaan. I hope my fans will like seeing me in a different genre.”
