'Never thought people would pay to watch me'
Brother of famous Bollywood actor Huma Qureshi Saqib started off as a model and made his acting debut in 2011 with Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge
Being born into a middle-class family in Delhi to making a name in Bollywood, actor Saqib Saleem, who has been in the film industry for seven years now, says he never thought he would be someone who people would pay to watch on-screen.
Saqib, 30, started off as a model. He made his acting debut in 2011 with the romantic comedy Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge, a box-office success. He then featured in Mere Dad Ki Maruti, Bombay Talkies, Hawaa Hawaai, Dishoom, Dobaara: See Your Evil, Dil Juunglee and the Salman Khan-starrer Race 3.
Asked how fame has shaped him, Saqib said: "I don't take this too seriously because I come from a middle-class family in Delhi. For me, cinema was going to Paras (in south Delhi) to watch a film. My father would pick me up... That was my understanding of cinema. I never thought at that point that I would be that person that people would pay to watch on-screen."
Now that he has become an actor and has done a few films, Saqib, who is the brother of Bollywood actor Huma Qureshi, says knows that nothing is permanent.
"I just feel that nothing is permanent in life – all your successes or failures. One film changes everything. So, let us not take this seriously. Let us just enjoy the process. If someone had a formula, everybody would have been successful," he added.
Saqib believes the focus has shifted to talent and content, rather than looks, in Bollywood.
"Looks are important, but they are not the only parameter that people judge you on. There are many examples where people have solely stood out for their talent." "Yes, there has been a shift and it is a positive sign. I love the fact that people are considered good or bad on their talent and not on their visual or physical appeal, which is very interesting," he added.
