Pakistani Actor Disowns Meera

Pakistani actor Mikaal Zulfikar, who plays the lead in filmmaker Jagmohan Mundhra's ready-for-release 'Shoot On Sight', says his colleague Meera has brought disgrace to artistes from the country.

"She isn't someone I'd like my name to be associated with at all. She has no standing back home. All of us Pakistani actors with some sense and sensibility would cringe at the statements she made in India. All of you must've thought all the actors from Pakistan are like Meera. I'd like to correct the image of Pakistani actors in India," Mikaal told us.

The actor has been visiting India regularly since 2001. "I came then to Delhi for modelling."

After auditioning over a hundred hopefuls, Mundhra selected Mikaal for the role. The film is about an Asian-Muslim cop (Naseeruddin Shah) in the British police force whose loyalty to his service is questioned after the subway bombings in Britain.

"I consider myself very lucky to have shared so much screen space with an actor of Naseer's calibre so early in my career. I play his nephew, a seemingly innocent boy from Pakistan in Britain in whom we discover a dark side as the film proceeds.

"It was a very challenging role for someone who has only done lots of Pakistani television and one other India-Pakistan feature film 'Godfather' (based on Coppola's film) directed by Hriday ('Pyaar Mein Twist') Shetty. It featured Vinod Khanna in the Brando role. I was paired with Preeti Jhangiani. It was released in Pakistan, but not in India," says the young Pakistani actor.

'Godfather' also starred the Mahesh Bhatt discovery Meera.

Mikaal is currently in Mumbai shooting a music video directed by Anu Malik's brother Abu, which will promote 'Shoot On Sight'. The singer-actor, who intends to release a music album in Mumbai shortly, wants to cut a niche in the Hindi film industry.

"I want to be a Mumbai-based actor-singer. I'd love to work from Mumbai. I'd like to record it in India. The music companies here are reliable."

Mikaal has a problem relating with the entertainment industry in Pakistan.