Shabir wants to rub shoulders with Ramu
By: Joyeeta Basu
August 5, 2004
Shabir bagged the role in Kahin... after playing a role in Hip Hip Hooray
If the Balaji bandwagon has the nation hooked to a chain of soaps, they have also established new faces on the screen.
One of their better finds is perhaps Shabir Sebastian Ahluwalia.
This 24-year-old resident of Lokhandwala says he loves the world of acting and enjoys his space in the industry.
Playing the characters Rishi and Soumil in Kahin To Hoga and Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki, respectively, Shabir says he feels a kinship with both the reel life characters.
"When I was in college, I featured in a few episodes of Hip Hip Hooray. I then auditioned for Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and acted in two episodes. I then got offers for other serials and landed into the roles I'm currently playing."
Shabir, who has also featured in advertisements for Microsoft and Euro Tiles, says he prefers to do something more concrete and fulfilling. "Advertisements are only a few seconds long. People watch them and then forget them. So I would like to act in television serials and films so that I am able to create a lasting impression in people's mind," he says.
A national level baseball player and university level soccer player, the lean Shabir says sports had always been his first love till he discovered acting. "I wanted to pursue a career in sports but that world is seeped in politics and it really got to me and I decided to do something else," he says.
Shabir then headed to Montreal, where he worked with a shipping company for a year. However, he came back to India and pursued a diploma in multi media and eventually got into acting. "I was always interested in theatre and acted in a few plays when I was studying in National College.
When I decided to pursue acting as a career, my parents were extremely supportive, especially my dad. He has always been my inspiration," says Shabir.
Busy shooting seven days a week, he does not get enough time to unwind. "My parents tell me they see me more often on television than in person," he says. But whenever he gets time off from shoots, Shabir says he unwinds by going on a long drive and listening to his favourite music — Enya and Robbie Williams.
'Al Pacino is my inspiration'
Shabir says life has been kind so far and stretching it far would mean acting in a film directed by Ram Gopal Varma or Karan Johar. He reveals, "Al Pacino's role in Scarface is the kind of character I'd like to play."
Speaking of competition Shabir says he has to face everyday he says, "Competition is good. It brings out the best in people. I am a very hard working person, and that's my USP," he says.
joyeeta@mid-day.com
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