Although his striking resemblance to famous Hollywood actor Peter Dinklage has fetched him immense popularity in the acting world, Tariq Ahmad Mir has advanced in the entertainment industry with a grip over the skill of acting and showcasing his talent.
After receiving appreciation for his key role in Bollywood movie ‘U-Turn’, which was released this year in the month of April, Tariq Ahmad Mir has established himself in the world of entertainment with his acumen of acting.
Narrating his journey, Tariq says it was in winter of 2018 when he along with his team were performing a skit during a tourist festival at Pahalgam in south Kashmir to welcome tourists to the valley, unaware of the fact that the event would turn a game changer in his career.
After completing the skit, famous Bollywood Director Imtiaz Ali ,who was also present among the audience, noticed his performance and shared some moments together with Tariq Mir and his friends.
“Later on, the ‘Jab We Met’ director posted a selfie with Tariq on Instagram under the caption “With Tyrion Lannister at Pahalgam festival”. It immediately went viral. People were confused about Peter Dinklage’s appearance at the event,” Mir said.
The 39-year-old actor grabbed overnight fame and became popular for his resemblance with Peter Dinklage, a popular star of the American television series ‘Game of Thrones’ (GoT) , which has a huge viewership worldwide.
Talking to Rising Kashmir, Mir says until that moment, he had no idea about the Hollywood actor Tyrion Lannister. “I became curious to know about him. I searched for his videos and watched a few scenes on the internet,” he said.
Mir was shocked when he saw Tyrion Lannister for the first time in the Game of Thrones series. From height to facial structure, hair, everything looked similar.
“After three months, I received a phone call from a Mumbai-based casting Director. He offered me a small role in the film “Bharat’ in which Bollywood superstars Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif were performing the leading roles,” Mir said.
“It was a turning point in my life and I went to Mumbai for shooting. It was my first trip outside Kashmir. That time was different and the best time of my life,” he said.
“It was a good experience to work with professionals from acting to dialogue delivery, I tried my best to learn from them,” he said.
Mir says after shooting for Bharat, he received positive response especially for the song ‘Slow Motion Mei’ ,wherein Bollywood superstar Salman Khan can be seen holding him in his arms. The movie was released on 5th of June, 2019.
Hailing from a small village of Bumthan in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, Tariq had an interest in acting from his childhood. “I used to take part in cultural programs in school and was invited by local colleges to perform at their events”, he said.
Mir started acting in 2004 when he was a 10th-class student at Government High School, Yassu, Anantnag.
Two years later he performed the role of a King in skit and bagged many awards for the role. Later he bagged first position in the competition in the school and followed his passion .
“I was lucky that my face resembled a Hollywood actor. That viral picture made me famous across the globe including India. Before that my friends, relatives, and neighbours used to poke and make fun of me, but I was never discouraged,” he said.
Before gaining popularity, Mir was running a grocery shop in his village and was performing smaller assignments in TV serials, and cable television dramas.
Tariq had also worked with the tourism department and Delhi government, ITC Master Chef for promotional advertisements.
“Big Boss’ makers also approached me but I wanted to concentrate on acting , my dream is to carve my own place in Bollywood,” he said.. ” he said.
Tariq Mir who is a matriculate, says after he entered Bollywood, he started receiving more offers and is set to act in another Hindi film ‘Marjavaan’ starring Ritesh Deshmukh.
Recently Mir was seen on the big screen in the remake of the 2016 blockbuster Kannada thriller `U-Turn’.
The movie stars Alaya F, Priyanshu Painyuli, Aashim Gulati, Manu Rishi, and Rajesh Sharma in key roles. The movie is produced by Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor and is the official remake of the 2016 Kannada film U-Turn.
Tariq Mir says that his ultimate dream is to travel to the U.S and meet his doppelganger. Presently he is on a mission to change the stigma around dwarfism in Indian theater and cinema.
“There are many challenges in one’s life and one has to work hard to overcome those challenges and achieve one’s goal. I am happy that my family has always supported me throughout my career,” Mir said.
Reacting to the boom of young artists performing on social media nowadays, Tariq says most of such content is not scripted though shared widely.
“Training is important for every artist. There is a need for a proper script and dialogue, short composition, suspense, punch, and other vital components. Anyone having a YouTube channel makes no sense until there is professionalism,” he said.
Tariq Mir says that youth who are interested in acting should get proper training first and then work hard on the script and observation which attracts people.
“When there is a good script, we can produce good serials and movies. It takes a lot of time to be a competitive actor,” he says.
Tariq says, although there is no dearth of talent in the valley’s new generation, they need to polish their ideas and seek the guidance of professionals.
“Guidance is important. There are always ups till you embrace success, but one should move forward and work hard,” he said.
Tariq’s father passed away in 2014 and his mother died in October 2022, but he didn’t lose courage and continued to explore the world of acting amid difficult situations in his life.
In a message to aspiring artists, Tariq says they should never lose hope and keep doing good work. “There are three things behind the success of an artist: observation, imagination and concentration,” he added.
