Iqbal Khan’s last show (he played a spy in it) fared poorly. But he is confident that Waaris which is based in the heartland will score big
After playing a spy in his last urbane show Pyaar Ko Ho Jaane Do, Iqbal Khan returns to TV with a rural drama Waaris. Based in Punjab, the show is about a girl, whose identity is hidden and has been raised as a boy. The actor plays the father of two girls and is a peace-loving land owner who wants to work for the betterment of the village. Here, he talks about his upcoming show, the reason his last one didn’t do well and more...
What’s with the new look you have sported for this show?
(Laughs) I can now proudly say that I have experimented with my look on TV. Actually, I was growing my beard before I signed the show. I kind of wanted to keep it for some time. When the makers approached me for the role, they liked the look and asked me to keep it. However, I wanted the greys to be there and didn’t want to colour my beard. To my surprise they agreed. As for my hair, I had just come back after shooting for Fear Factor and it was too hot. So, one fine day, I just took the machine and cut my hair from the front and asked my wife to cut it from the back. I did not do it specifically for the show but sanjog se, it all fit in. (Smiles)
You are saying your real look worked for the reel look....
Yes, the only homework I had to do was learning Punjabi, since I am not one. The show is based in Punjab, so I went there a few days ahead of the schedule and stayed there. I have a lot of friends there as I have studied there. My friends and I went to Punjab University, the Rock Garden and would sit with people to hear them talk. We would get weird glares from them, but it was all in good fun. Of course, in the show, you won’t get to hear a lot of Punjabi, but whatever bits you do, I have tried to make it authentic and done my best.
What drew you to the show?
It’s essentially about a girl child and I myself have a four-year-old daughter. I have two sisters too and there has been a strong influence of women in my life. I feel there is need for a certain section of the society to see the mirror, only then will they realise where they are going wrong.
Do you think this happens in our society?
All I can tell you is that at the place where we were shooting, there was a small child dressed in a police uniform. The family used to call him Fauja, though she was a girl. She had older sisters and brothers, but if their father had some work, he would tell Fauja and not his other kids who were scared to go out in the night. But Fauja would go. I don’t know what the father was thinking! The point is, this kind of thing exists.
Your last show Pyaar Ko Ho Jaane Do in which you played a spy wrapped up in four months because it did not do well...
It did not garner ratings, but it’s the best show I have done. It was creatively fulfilling and is the closest to my heart. There’s always this Islamophobia in the world and as a practicing Muslim, I am sick of this phobia. There are many out there who use religion as a weapon and brainwash people. Besides, these kind of roles happen only in films. So, when I got it on TV, I jumped at it.
What do you think went wrong?
There are a whole lot of things involved in it. Nobody knew this show was coming. Also, the TV audience from where right now the TRPs are generated is not ready for a show like that. They are watching bhoots.
Besides your role in Pyaar Ko Ho Jaane Do, which other role has been close to you so far?
I did a show called Waaris earlier. That time the saas-bahu soaps were at their peak and suddenly this show about the underworld came on air. It was about gangsters, but not in a Western way. It was about a mother who felt ‘maa janam deti hai, kya uske baad kuch kar sakti hai’. She felt that even though her son lived with her, she had lost him because he had become a gangster. The show was ahead of its time. In fact, today is also definitely not the time to make that.
Do you think the new Waaris will have a viewership?
Yes, this show definitely fits in with the viewers because a) This is an earthy show and will work with the audience from where the TRPs are generated and b) It’s a universal story. I don’t think you can go wrong unless you screw up. Yeh show maths se banaya gaya hai.
Do you think the audience has changed?
TRPs are generated from different sections and it depends on your luck — when you are producing your show, where the TRPs are generated, etc. A show like Bade Acche Laggte Hai, which did fantastically good a few years ago, will not do well now. At that point, it was a modern show for modern people, and I don’t mean Page 3 people. But today, it will not have that audience.
After staying away from reality shows, you did Fear Factor. Will we see you in any more such shows?
Fear Factor is something else. There is no voting, it’s safe and you keep going forward. You do things you would never do in your life. As for other reality shows, ‘never say never’. I might do a dance show someday, but right now, I am happy with what I am doing — a time-consuming daily show. I like to spend time with my family and don’t want my daughter to start calling me uncle because she hasn’t seen me for days!
You’re paired with Aarti Singh for the first time. How is it working with her?
She’s lively and has a lot of energy. Only thing is, she bursts into fits of laughter. Once she starts laughing, even I do and it goes out of control. But it’s fantastic shooting with her.
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