After establishing himself in the television industry, Zuber K Khan is all set to announce his arrival in films. In this interview, the actor talks about his journey from being an engineering student to an actor, struggle and the desire to make it big in films.
You seem to be taking a big leap into films this year.
Yes, I completed shooting for three films last year. One of them was called ‘Paagal Kar Diya Toone’ which released recently. It was a thriller. We shot for the film pretty quickly. The second film is called ‘Dosti Ke Side Effects’ which has Sapna Choudhary, Anju Jadhav and Vikrant Anand. It is a college based film about youth and friendship. There is another film which will come out soon.
You started your career with ‘Lekar Hum Deewana Dil’ in 2014.
Yes, I had a cameo in the film. I played a naive, prospective groom who had come to see Karishma, played by Deeksha Seth. I did a couple of more films. Then, I shifted to television and worked a lot there. I did ‘Kasam Tere Pyaar Ki’ for two and a half years.
You have studied engineering. How did you get into acting?
My parents wanted me to become an engineer. My family has always been serious about academics. My brother is a mechanical engineering who studied in the UK and my mother is a professor. My mother was keen on me taking up a secure job. Initially, she was not supportive of me wanting to become an actor. After I finished my engineering, I gave my degree to my mother and then, I requested her to let me follow my dreams. I did very well as an engineering student but I was always focussed on making a career in acting.
Did you have to go through a lot of struggle after you landed in Mumbai?
Yes, initially there was a lot of struggle. I got my first ad eight months after I came to Mumbai. I was really heartbroken as I was also not getting any support from my parents during this phase. But, the difficulties I faced made me a stronger person.
You have acted in television and films. Do you want to restrict yourself to films now or are open to working across different mediums?
Doing films was always my priority. I have always wanted to romance a heroine, sing songs and dance around tress (laughs). But, I got a lot of recognition on television. I used to get paid on a regular basis. Having said that, as an actor you want to grow. Films have given me the platform to experiment different kind of roles and subjects. In television, you shoot twelve scenes a day and in films, you shoot one scene a day. At the moment, my focus is on doing films but if I get a very good character to portray on television, I will definitely lap it up.
Do you want to explore the digital medium as well?
The kind of stuff that is being made on digital is a little bold and provocative. I am not comfortable doing intimate scenes. If I get some project where there such scenes are weaved organically and not forced into the narrative, I wold like to explore it but for the moment, I am not keen on doing something on the digital platform. I recently said no to a film which had certain bold scenes.
Is there any actor you have grown up admiring?
I admire all the actors who came from outside the industry and made it on their own. Shah Rukh sir, Akshay sir and Joh sir are three people who have inspired me the most. As an actor, I have always been inspired by Shah Rukh sir. During our modelling days, all of us used to look up to John sir as he was somebody who made a very good transition from being a model to an actor.
Is there any role you wish you had played?
I would have loved to play Mohan from Swades. I would have also loved to play an anti-hero like Shah Rukh sir did in Darr.
What are you doing next?
I have shot for a film called ‘Mystery’ with Diana Khan. There are two more films I have signed. I will be able to talk about them as soon as the makers make a formal announcement.