Iqbal Khan: My decision of doing TV was out of compulsion, I had to pay my next month’s rent

Actor Iqbal Khan talks about what made him leave films and do TV. He also adds that now working on the web he is happily exploring the medium to the fullest.

Before making it big on TV, Iqbal Khan tried his luck in films. While his Bollywood stint didn’t work, the actor was well compensated on the small screen, with a number of hit shows coming his way. Now, with opportunities on the web, he’s happy exploring it to the fullest.

Actor Iqbal Khan made his web debut with The Bull Of Dalal Street.

Though working on films is still a desire, over the years, Khan has become more “practical”, and understood how difficult it is for outsiders in the industry. “I started my career with films but my first two projects (Fun2shh... Dudes in the 10th Century; 2003 and Bullet: Ek Dhamaka; 2005) didn’t work. I just didn’t know how to deal with the failure, it got me worried,” he admits.

And at that point, it was a matter of survival in Mumbai, which mae the actor look towards TV, to channelise his craft. “It’s not that I regret doing TV; I completely enjoyed the journey, but the dream was to become a film actor. So, my decision of doing TV was out of compulsion. I had to pay my next month’s rent at that time and I was ready to do anything that was offered, and thankfully things worked,” he says.

 

Asserting that it does take time to firm your feet in Bollywood, the 39-year-old points that it’s even more difficult for outsiders.

“For us, the only way to get noticed is through our performance. Also, for the film to do well at the box office, you need to work with right actors, producers and directors. Getting that break is also a struggle for us,” he says.

While audience praised Khan’s work, he feels bad that his films failed to make a mark. Khan recently made his web debut with The Bull Of Dalal Street, and is busy looking for more work on the web and is open to doing films, too. But this time, he’s being extra cautious.

“Unfortunately, the filmy crowd doesn’t look at TV in a positive way. But, the change is slowly happening. Big filmmakers still don’t give TV that much importance. So, this time around, I want to take it slow. Meanwhile, web is satisfying my creative urge. I love the medium that’s redefining the way we look at content and talent,” he concludes.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

Author tweets @Shreya_MJ