Anusha Sharma
Tariq Khan a youngster from Bufliaz area of Poonch district used to dream about Bollywood but nobody knew that this dream would come true very soon. Tariq and an acclaimed filmmaker from the same district Rahat Kazmi are school time friends and they used to share the common dreams about Bollywood during school days, and they went to Mumbai with another friend Zahid Qureshi for struggle when they were studying. In Mumbai they had to do odd jobs but could not survive for long, so they came back soon. Here is a brief conversation with the actor and one of the producers from internationally acclaimed feature film Mantostaan
Q: How did the journey start?
A: I had a dream of working in films that did not let me sit silent and so I kept on making attempts again and again, from trying to get a small role in a local Doordarshan program in Jammu to travelling to Delhi and Chandigarh to find some work for TV or in advertisement… years passed by but I could not get even a chance to even attend a single shooting. Journey continued and slowly me and my friend Rahat Kazmi started working for Television in year 2002-03, still the hurdles did not end up there but increased.
We managed to have a programme for DD METRO, which was to be produced by me, while Rahat was writer director. But before it could be produced, the channel was stopped and with it stopped everything for us.
Q: Your investors backed out and you were again packing to Jammu from Mumbai, again struggling to start from somewhere… how was it?
A: It was really hard, that was the time when I thought it is not easy to make it, but we did not give up.For everyone around us it was useless idea to keep trying for years for something, which seems to be impossible. But today I can say nothing is impossible.
Q: How did you become a producer, this is something unbelievable
A:I went to Mumbai to become an actor, and Rahat wanted to be a director. Even I don’t believe how I became a producer, maybe we did not have any Godfather in industry and so we had to dig the well to get water; we kept on making project proposals and try for investors, TV channels, film proposals everything, we used to go to Mumbai again and again and meet people with confidence that we can make a show or a film. When you try consistently for something that means its something which has a spiritual connection with you and that’s the reason that this keeps intriguing you for a long period. So it took almost ten years and a long journey when Rahat called me and said he had got his first feature film as writer and director back in 2008; that gave us a hope that almighty has something in the box for us. Our reunion and a fruitful journey began in 2012 with our first production Identity Card which was hugely acclaimed and very well received internationally. That film got us best film, best director, best supporting actor award in USA and then one award in IFEFA Australia, best film award in ZEE Cinema’s Rajasthan International Film Festival in 2014. Film trailer was officially shown in European Parliament while discussing Kashmir issue on international front.
Q: And journey continued to Cannes film festival, which is a dream even for bigger
Film stars in Bollywood?
A:Yes,Mantostaan; our third feature film together jointly produced by me Rahat Kazmi, Aaditya Pratap Singh and co produced by Zeba Sajid. This film is based on controversial and the most sensitive short stories of legendary Urdu writer Saadat Hassan Manto back in the era of partition of India and Pakistan. The film is very gritty and hard hitting, it premiered at Cannes film festival this year where it was very well received and reviewed by international media as one of the finest films from south Asia in recent times. Now the film is official selection at Festival of Globe USA, Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (Australia) and London Asian Film Festival. We are also hopeful for its wider reach in the world in many more festivals before its theatrical release in India.
Q: Tariq, what is the future plan?
A: We will shoot two more films these years Insha Allah. Luckily we are again planning to shoot in Jammu and Kashmir and both the subjects are international. This way we are able to bring our culture to global audience.
Q: What is your message for youth
A: Believe in yourself and do what you love to do, no matters what it takes to achieve your goal but when finally you are there you have a feeling which no one can even imagine before he achieves something. And the most important thing is while you do anything, strive for it but never forget to love yourself, be calm and just keep trying and leave everything else to Almighty.
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