'You never know which door opens for you'

TV actor

Iqbal Khan is the reigning Khan of the small screen. But his accidental, or as the 36-year-old actor puts it, “desperate” foray into the world of television turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

He started his career in Bollywood with forgettable films like Bullet Ek Dhamaka and Fun2shh... Dudes in the 10th Century and went on without work for almost a year till the television show Kaisa Ye Pyar Hai happened. “My first TV show really made me popular. But before I said yes to it, I had to convince myself that I have to do television. I had to pay rent and other bills... I had no option that time,” Khan tells Metrolife.

“So, my shift wasn’t calculated. Looking back, I can now say that the move worked for me. This also reinforces that you never know which door will open for you,” he adds.
Khan, who has featured in serials like, Kahiin Toh Hoga, Chhoona Hai Aasmaan and Tumhari Pakhi, is now seen in a new TV series Waarsi on &TV in which he is essaying the role of Charan. “He is the head of the family and is very compassionate. He is a nice human being and will always walk on the right path, even if that path is full of trouble,”
he says.

Unlike his contemporaries, Khan has consciously stayed away from taking up roles that stretch for a lifetime. And because of this, he has been able to portray different characters, experiment and build an image of a dependable and fine actor.

“You need to do different roles to stay in the business. If you are seen in the same role, people won’t like you after sometime,” says the actor who won the best actor (critics) at Lions Gold Awards for Pyar Ko Ho Jaane Do.

Irrespective of the ups and downs, Khan feels TV industry is a good place to be in. “I have always tried my level best to get along well with people because if there is positivity, things will work out in your favour. I am here because of this profession and I owe a lot to it.”

Khan dismisses that he is a workaholic. “I love my work, but I also have a family— my wife and three-year-old daughter to take care of. So, I make sure that I never take up work outside Mumbai as a lot of shows are shot outside the city these days. I try to have at least one meal of the day with them,” he says.