Sumbul Touqeer’s father Touqeer Khan‘s all set to make Bollywood debut
Actor Touqeer Khan is back on screen after a break, and will be seen in a Bollywood film soon. The actor, who is actress Sumbul Touqeer’s father and has been seen in shows such as Crime Patrol, will he part of the film Mumbai Score, directed by Alok Shukla and produced by Shuktha production house. “This is my Bollywood debut. Before this, I had done Crime Patrol and a few serials, but this is my first proper film. When I came to Mumbai, I started working in acting through Crime Patrol just to survive because we didn’t have much money. Later, when Saniya and Sumbul began getting steady work, I quit acting to manage their schedules. Handling both of them, especially when their shoots were at different places or at the same time, took up all my time. Now that they’re both independent and told me, “Papa, now it’s your time to start again,” I decided to give acting another shot,” he says.
He adds, “The film is currently being shot in Nalasopara, where an entire slum area has been recreated for the shoot. I play the role of a local MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) who goes to people asking for votes. The film also touches upon the serious issue of drug addiction among youth in that area.” Meanwhile, he says that he feels proud when he sees Sumbul’s journey. “I feel extremely proud and emotional seeing Sumbul’s growth. She is not only a brilliant actor but also so loved by her fans. Watching her journey unfold so beautifully fills me with happiness. Not every parent gets to witness such success and recognition for their child, so I truly feel blessed,” he says.
However, ask him if he wants to share the screen with her, and he says, “Honestly, no. I would never want to play Sumbul’s father on screen. She’s such a powerful actress that I would feel completely overshadowed next to her. I genuinely believe she’s so talented that I wouldn’t be able to match her energy or presence on screen.” As for more work, he says, “I definitely want to take up more acting assignments. I feel my look suits negative characters, so I’m open to playing villains. I also enjoy comic roles, so ideally, I’d like to work in either the negative or comedy genre — both excite me equally.” In fact, he will be resuming choreography too. “I actually came to Mumbai as a choreographer and even won a dance reality show back in the day.
Many of my students have performed on platforms like DID and India’s Dancing Superstar. So I feel it’s time to restart choreography along with acting. Now that my kids are managing themselves, I can finally focus on my own passions again and give them the time they deserve,” he says.