Pakistani actor Mikaal Zulfiker migrating to Mumbai to join Bollywood 
By Subhash K. Jha, October 28, 2008 - 11:58 IST
One more Pakistani star is making a move to Mumbai. Lahore-based Mikaal Zulfiker who has made quite an impact in England as the young closet-terrorist in Jagmohan Mundhra's Shoot On Sight, is all set to move to Mumbai in January 2009.
And it's partly to do a breakup with his long-standing girlfriend Zaira Sheikh who's known as the Kareena Kapoor of the Pakistani film industry. "I'm coming to Mumbai to look for a girlfriend. I was in a relationship with Zara, a very big actress. We were known as the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie of Pakistan. We had come to a point where we either needed to get married or part ways. When I got busy with my career and we split. Showbiz relationships are very tough," says Mikaal.
Also... "Jag (Mundhra) is doing another film Room Mates, a love triangle featuring me, Neha Dhupia and Sneha Ullal...have I got the actress' names right? It's an erotic thriller with lots of sexy raunchy scenes. I want to a full-on masala cinema. I've also signed a three-film deal with my Shoot On Sight producer, Arun Govil."
Mikaal has stopped all work in Pakistan, Another reason for quitting Lahore is the banning of his film in his country. "I'm unhappy with the way Shoot On Sight got banned. The reason given was that I was shown as a terrorist. I guess the condition in our country is such that they don't want any trouble. But Shoot On Sight states harsh facts. Initially, I was hesitant about playing the terrorist. But when I went through the script about the way Muslims are seen in the world. There're so many suicide bombers who believe they're soldiers in a war. These are innocent kids who're misled and brainwashed."
Mikaal is glad he did Shoot On Sight. "Sadly my friends and family haven't been able to see it. But I've seen it in England with my friends from Pakistan. Naseerji has made me his son. He has told me to stay with him in Mumbai. It's important to have a godfather in Bollywood. Ironically, the only other film that I've done so far The Godfather (featuring Vinod Khanna) was released only in Pakistan and not in India. So things have evened out."
Mikaal's family is all for his move to Mumbai. "It's the largest film industry in the world. So they're all for it. My father is Pakistani and my mother is English. So, I'm half-gora half-Pakistani. I was born in London and I got my goraa-pan from my mom. But I am more Asian. My parents are separated. So I keep moving between Lahore and London. My sisters are in London. So I sort of identified with Naseerji's family in Shoot On Sight."
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