When your film doesn’t work, you have limited choices, says Zaheer
Zaheer Iqbal made his acting debut last year with Notebook, but unfortunately, the film wasn’t received well at the box office. The actor admits it was somewhat difficult, but is quick to add that his mentor, Salman Khan, who also produced the film, prepared him well about dealing with such a situation.
“Salman sir has mentored us (he and Pranutan Bahl, who also made her debut with the film), and trained us not just in acting but also how to be prepared for everything. He has seen both ups and downs, and he sat us down and told us that despite all the hard work, sometimes the outcome may not be in our favour. But we can’t take it to heart and sulk about it for months,” shares Zaheer.
The actor also reveals that he took 15 to 20 days to get over the film’s failure, and after that, there was no looking back. “I was ready for the next one. There’s no point wasting the valuable time of your life. We’ve to pull up our socks and move on, hoping for the best. One film is not everything. You’ll have multiple opportunities to prove yourself,” explains the actor.
However, Zaheer does admit that it becomes slightly harder if a film does not perform well, especially in terms of getting future work.“The struggle is more now than it was before my debut. Once the first film doesn’t do well, it’s harder to get another offer. I must add a good film. When a film does well, you can choose what you want to do. You can say, ‘Mujhe yeh karna hai.’ You’re also offered a lot of things. When your film does not do well, you have limited choices,” he says.
But 2020 is looking up for Zaheer. He has signed two films — one an action comedy and another a romantic comedy — both of which will go on floors this year. “Meanwhile, I’m also looking at doing a couple of projects on the web. There’s one script that I really liked and I know it’s a sensitive subject, and won’t get a theatrical release. So, a lot of interesting things are happening,” concludes Zaheer on a positive note.