Tariq Mir, Jammu and Kashmir’s Tyrion Lannister lookalike, goals of Bollywood stardom
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Bollywood film director Imtiaz Ali, known for well-liked movies “Jab We Satisfied” and “Rockstar,” had dropped in after attending a regional film competition.
The two satisfied and snapped a photo with each other, which Ali posted to Instagram with a caption that would adjust Mir’s life. It mentioned: “With Tyrion Lannister at Pahalgam pageant.”
Until then, Mir experienced in no way read of Tyrion Lannister — much much less Peter Dinklage, the award-successful actor who plays the character in Activity of Thrones (Got), the popular American fantasy drama tv sequence.
The image went viral and tales appeared on leisure websites declaring that Peter Dinklage’s doppelganger experienced been identified in Jammu and Kashmir.
Curious to know much more about his lookalike, Mir went on line and watched the Got series on his cellphone. He noticed his resemblance to Dinklage — their facial structure, their hair, and, as actors with dwarfism, their identical height.
A thirty day period later, Mir gained a surprised cellular phone phone — a Bollywood casting director in Mumbai was giving him a little position in the movie “Bharat,” a drama based on the 2014 South Korean movie “Ode to My Father,” starring Indian celebrity Salman Khan.
Mir recognized the offer you and flew to Mumbai in July 2018 for a month of filming — it was his first vacation outside the house his residence condition.
“It was a surreal knowledge to meet up with the superstar Salman Khan for the 1st time on the sets and dance alongside him and other actors,” claimed Mir.
“Even without having makeup, a lot of people today on the set instructed me that I resembled the American actor (Dinklage) additional than any other lookalike,” he remembered with a smile. “That built me very content.”
More roles and features followed — Mir’s star was on the increase.
Early struggles
Born the youngest of four brothers and two sisters, Mir grew up in Bumtham village in the Mir Bazar spot of southern Kashmir’s Anantnag district. His father, a farmer, passed away immediately after a transient illness in 2014 and the 36-12 months-previous actor now lives with his mother and elder brother, who is a teacher.
Mir started out acting in significant faculty and gained awards for his phase performances and skits. But function was tricky to arrive by. He gained a little amount of money of income executing at higher education operate and cultural situations.
Even though Mir suggests some persons in his village made pleasurable of his height, it failed to quit him from performing.
In his early 20s, he won insignificant roles in dramas aired by point out-run television channels in Srinagar, the biggest city in Jammu and Kashmir. But it was almost nothing as opposed to the fame he uncovered from his resemblance to Dinklage.
Soon after the Bollywood movie, he turned well-recognized in his village and locals swapped video clips of him on their cellphones. Young people today recognized him in public parks, at weddings, and other features, he said. Everyone required a selfie.
But in the previous 9 months, his do the job has dried up.
It also issued a warning for travelers to depart thanks to a “terror risk” in Kashmir, 1 of the world’s most contested regions, claimed in components or in whole by India, Pakistan and China. A number of countries — including Germany, Britain and Australia — issued travel warnings to stay away.
“Experienced I got that job, it would have benefited me,” Mir claimed. “I’d not performed any villain’s role until then and it was also a greater part. It would have given me additional function and publicity.”
Mir was confined to his household, all over again, with no get the job done.
And then the internet identified an additional Peter Dinklage doppelganger.
Competition for Dinklage fame
When Mir’s gradual-speed 2G cell online support was restored at the conclude of very last year he saw the photographs of Khan and Dinklage. Whilst Khan is the identical peak as Dinklage, Mir thinks he is a superior match.
“My facial functions, hairstyle and beard is more related to Peter Dinklage,” he claimed. “If you set our two shots along with images of Peter, I think you may locate me resembling him much more.”
Unfortunately for both Mir and Khan, the ultimate Received episode aired previous calendar year, wrapping up eight seasons and 73 episodes of the award-winning fantasy drama, possibly limiting their charm — and perform — as Tyrion Lannister lookalikes.
Mir hopes that after the coronavirus limitations relieve, he’ll be made available far more get the job done. He desires to act in more tv dramas and take on larger Bollywood roles.
He also has one more aspiration — to fulfill Peter Dinklage in human being. Just once, he stated. “If I at any time get a likelihood to meet him, I will just hug him very first,” he mentioned with a large smile.
“Then, I will thank him from my coronary heart and convey to him that I bought much more work and respect simply because of him.”
