Ruslan Mumtaz, son of actor Anjana Mumtaz, tells CT that his roots lie in KolkataDIPANNITA GHOSH BISWAS Times News Network
Yet another star kid joins the Bolly brigade. But what Ruslan Mumtaz asserts is that he never used mother Anjana Mumtaz’s identity to get work for himself. “It was all because of my hard work and the auditions. But I knew from the very beginning that I’d never be a one-film wonder,” says the seemingly confident 24-year-old. With already two films under his belt, MP3 (Mera Pehla Pehla Pyar) and Satish Kaushik’s Tere Sang, Ruslan has surely got off to a quick start. “Though I graduated from NM College with commerce, I always knew acting was my calling. In order to train myself, I did a lot of Hindi theatre. It did come as a shock to my parents initially since I was a studious kid with a keen interest in sports. But eventually they agreed.” So was theatre the stepping stone to films? Says he, “In a way, yes. I wanted to be comfortable with a live audience but then, I did a lot of ads, so that gave me the feel of being in front of the camera. Subsequently, I joined Shiamak Davar’s dance school.” One common strand that runs through his roles is that Ruslan plays a 17-year-old in both. “Believe me, it was very tough because the first thing I was told was to stop working out,” he recounts, adding, “But I knew that I was heading for a chocolate boy image.” Yet, Ruslan has no qualms about it. “In Bollywood, it’s not before 30 that a male lead is considered to be a hero and success comes his way.” How much has his mother’s films influenced him? “Her role in Khuda Gawah was fabulous and I just can’t forget her long monologue in the film.” And is there any actor or director he’s dying to work with? “Aamir and Salman. It’ll be a dream come true for me to be able to share screen space with them. The list of directors is really long.” But Ruslan is rooted to reality as he accepts that making a mark in Bollywood these days is quite a task. “There are so many newcomers that a film or two doesn’t really matter. Acting is a serious competitive profession.” This handsome youngster has a strong Kolkata connection too. “My dad’s from Kolkata. That’s where my roots lie. I’ve been to the city too. I’ve a model friend there with whom I hang around when I stay at our Park Street residence,” says Ruslan, who confesses to being single and ready to mingle with ‘someone really beautiful’. “I need beauty and creativity around me,” he says, with a mischievous chuckle.
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