Mimoh will soon be seen in films like 'Jogira Sara Ra Ra' with Nawazuddin Siddiqui and 'Rosh'. He made his Bollywood debut with a lead role in the 2008 film 'Jimmy' and later appeared in films like 'Haunted – 3D', 'Rocky' and 'Ishqedarriyaan', among others. However, the films didn’t impress the audience. The Free Press Journal caught up with him for an exclusive chat.
Mimoh reveals that he had never thought of taking up the profession of acting like his father. “When I was a kid, I was always bullied in school for being too fat. I never thought that I would ever have those good looks or the confidence of being an actor. I was a very under-confident kid, and my friends in school never left a stone unturned to make me realise that. But of course, destiny had a different plan. When I was around 16-years-old, all the star kids were being launched one by one; Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai was also released at that time, and Hrithik (Roshan) became a huge star. I got an offer at that same time. I actually wanted to study for NASA and become an astronomer,” he says.
Elaborating further, he adds, “I started going to acting classes and worked on myself; I started to lose weight. So one thing led to another. I got the offer for Jimmy and then for a Hindi remake of a Telugu film. However, I never thought that I could make it.”
Despite being a star kid, Mimoh says that it wasn’t easy for him to get into the film industry. He recalls, “Dad had said, ‘I will show you the way but how to walk is completely up to you’. He told me that I would have to go through my own difficulties and enjoy my own successes.”
The actor says that he was ‘shattered’ when his films didn’t do well. “I thought my life was over. Nobody likes failure, and everybody wants to succeed. I was broken, and I had no idea what I would do because I had nothing else to live. But then I picked up the pieces one by one, and I understood this is life, and you have to keep going and going and going. I always believe that if you love something, you have to fight for it,” he says.
Mimoh is aware of the constant comparison with his father that he has to deal with. “Dad never stops. To fill his shoes will never be possible. Even if I take seven births, I won’t be able to be half of the man he is and to be able to match the success that he has earned. He has his own destiny, and I have my own. So yes, I know that people are not going to like me, I know that people are going to always compare me, and I also know that some people are going to appreciate me for who I am. So I need to focus on myself, I need to focus on my craft, I need to make sure that I am giving my 100 per cent. I am very lucky to be his son. I know that I can never be who he is,” he avers.
The actor will be seen on the big screens after nearly three to four years. Revealing the reason behind staying away from films, Mimoh mentions, "I couldn't do anything for the last two years because of the pandemic. Also, I've been very selective about my work. I've been going to every audition, trying to get a good break but I think it's all about luck, destiny, and the right time. In fact, I got both Rosh and Jogira Sara Ra Ra through auditions. I've earned them through my own merit."
He is all praise for his 'Jogira Sara Ra Ra' co-star Nawazuddin. “It was a jolly ride. Nawaz sir is a very giving actor. He always wants to make sure that the scene and the film look better than individual performances. So working with him was a blessing for me because I’ve become a better actor because of the kind of actor he is. There was never a dull moment when we were shooting together,” he concludes.
