In Conversation with Mohd Khaliq
Actor Mohd Khaliq spoke to Explore Screen about his career in theatre and cinema over a Zoom meeting. He shared some fascinating stories about his journey in the acting profession. He nurtured his love for theatre from his college days and as of now, he is about to complete 15 years in the industry. Today, he is best known for his convincing roles as Chille khan in Bade Miyan Deewane, Qazi in Phir Se Shadi, Pandit, Manoj, and Commentator in Ek Rpuya. He also showcased his performance in the feature film Majaz-Ae Gham E Adil Kya Karu as Badruddin.
Mr. Khaliq as Chille Khan in “Bade Miyan Deewane”
As Qazi in “Phir se shadi”
Manoj in "Ek Rupya"
Mr. Khaliq graduated from Aligarh Muslim University. He has taught Urdu diction in FTII. He also gives Iqra (diction) classes in Mumbai. He shared an interesting fact about it that his purpose to start the Iqra classes was to pay his rent and survive in the dream city.
He repeatedly stressed upon the importance of diction, especially for an actor. After all, it can make or break their career. A bad diction can ruin an actor’s reputation and may cost them their admirers. Diction is the actor’s tool. They require it to preserve their character’s believability. Besides this, diction is synonymous with credibility and creativity. It has a wide impact upon the audience. So, these are necessary in order to fulfill the administrative and organizational aspects of the acting process.
HP Pavilion x360 11th Gen Intel Core i7 14-inch Elaborating further on his theatre experiences, he mentioned that he worked with Rangbaaz Production House for quite some time and that gave a boost to his entertainment career. He also acted in plays like Pagla Ghauda and Aseer - e – Hirs. Pagla Ghauda is originally written by Badal Sircar, and it focuses on loss and pain. Mr. Khaliq’s performance in the plays was stimulating and thought-provoking.
He grew up to love art. He emphasized the value of art in cinema. Cinema has become commercialized now and does not stress reality. By focusing on music and romance, it blurs the line between right and wrong. Therefore, it is the responsibility of an actor that they choose stories which are socially relevant. This maintains their authenticity. Continuing with the interview, Mr. Khaliq gave some useful tips to the young actors regarding the selection in the auditions. Today, a number of workshops and theatres have been established for grooming young actors. The most important thing is one should be equipped with the readings of literature of Indian culture such as Ghalib, Manto, Premchand (to name a few). This helps them study human psychology, beyond the study of individuals and society.
He went on to talk about his keen interest in watching Hindi cinema. Artists like Girish Karnad, Naseerudin Shah, Om Puri have brought about a radical change in the film industry. Filmmakers like Ritwik Ghatak, Satyajit Ray, and Bimal Roy concentrated on socio-political ideology. As compared to the past, these directors made the audience think about particular issues. According to him, Cinema should be historically and culturally rich.
Mr. Khaliq is happy that he has finally discovered the style and manners of the age. He is content to find life in acting. Talking more about his philosophy, he said that he wanted to do emotional roles that are twined with laughter and irony. He likes to continue to serve the society with his creativeness and an optimistic attitude. Explore Screen wishes him good luck!
Please watch the full conversation here.
Author Biographical Note: Inderpreet Kaur is pursuing a Ph.D. in Cinema studies. She is currently based in New Delhi. She is associated with Explore Screen: The Cognitive Dialogue as an Editor.
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