Love to play roles that satisfy

Actor Aasif Khan has a few career dreams. While one dream of sharing screen space with late actor Irrfan Khan remains unfulfilled, he is hopeful his other dream of working with Anurag Kashyap will come true someday.

Currently Aasif will be seen in an upcoming Hotstar series — a medical suspense thriller Human — that drops from January 14. Aasif was earlier seen in movies India’s Most Wanted and Pagglait and web series Jamtara, Panchayat, followed by his debut in OTT platforms in series likeMirzapur and Paatal Lok.

As a child, Aasif got into acting to escape Mathematics and Science in school. He shares, “I was very weak in these two subjects. Even when I was not taking part in extracurricular activities to escape the subjects, I would be made to stand out either because I had not completed my homework or missed bringing some book. I was the happiest when it was time for the school’s annual function, when students who had signed up to participate in various activities were exempted from attending classes.”

Hailing from Nimbahera, a small town in Chittorgarh district, Rajasthan, Aasif and moved to Mumbai in 2010 to try his hand at acting. The die-hard fan of Shahrukh Khan who arrived in Mumbai with starry dreams, recalls, “The period of 2010-2012 was the hardest for me. Having faced disappointments, each day of those two years, I would think of giving up. My mother kept me afloat. Eventually, I took up acting in theatre where I improved my craft; until then I was a novice. I simultaneously did a few odd jobs to make ends meet and continue living in Mumbai. Finally, in 2019 when India’s Most Wanted happened, my hope in my acting career rekindled.”

Yet the actor moved back to his hometown and only visits Mumbai for work. “I have just started my career so living in Mumbai doesn’t make sense. Plus I miss the calm and quietness of my hometown. Mumbai is a bustling city; it is beautiful and big but there, I cannot see the sky at night,” he smiles.

After playing negative roles, does Aasif fear getting typecast? “Every role comes with a different character. So even if I am playing a negative role, I am not repetitive. Also, as an actor I would rather play a hatke role and make a mark, even with less small space. After all, every artist looks for that satisfaction.”