Valmiki of Mirzapur i.e. Lucky Khan of Indore.
Azhar Qureshi aka Lucky Khan from Indore is also seen in Mirzapur Season 3, released recently on Amazon Prime. Azhar, who lives in Sapna Sangeeta area of ​​Indore, is seen as a UP STF officer in this season of the series. valmiki yadav is playing an important role.
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One of his dialogues in the series- Come on, we have to go to Mexico… hey Mirzapur guy…Lucky is becoming quite famous. In a discussion with Dainik Bhaskar, Lucky narrated many stories about Mirzapur Season 3 and his life.
Lucky, who comes from an ordinary family, has done many films, but for some reason he could not come on screen. Lucky believes that after struggling for 15 years in Indore and Mumbai, luck favoured him with the Mirzapur web series.
This series is also special for Lucky because he considers Pankaj Tripathi i.e. Kaleen Bhaiya and Guddu Bhaiya i.e. Ali Fazal as his role models and he got the opportunity to work with them in the famous series.
Scene during shooting of Guddu Bhaiya i.e. Ali Fazal in the web series.
Know about Indore The story of Azhar becoming an actor from a tattoo artist…
Lucky, who started his career as a tattoo artist in Indore, started his career in Bollywood with this web series. Because all the films he did before this could not be released on screen.
Q. How did you get the role in Mirzapur-3
A. I auditioned for Mirzapur-3 in late 2021. In those days, I used to keep long hair and beard. Then I was shortlisted for some other role. During the same time, I changed my look for the movie Katthal.
When I met the Mirzapur-3 team again, everyone was shocked to see my new look and asked me to audition again for a new role. Within 15 days of the audition, I was selected for the role of police officer Valmiki.
Q. After how many years of struggle did you get your first breakthrough?
A. I worked in 3 films during my 15 years of struggle but none of them got released. Maybe it was not my time. So after a struggling career of 15 years, my luck worked here. But I never backed down. I kept trying whatever role came for my age group.
Q. How is the life of actors different in OTT and Bollywood?
A. There is struggle in both the places. But the advantage of OTT is that many struggling artists have started getting this platform. At the same time, many times films in Bollywood get shelved. But after the arrival of OTT, this problem has now reduced.
Q. Is the level of language falling in most of the series and films on OTT?
A. There is hardly any person in real life who does not abuse. Abuse is like an expression! A person definitely abuses either in anger or in expression. Reality has to be shown in films or OTT. Abuse in any story is a demand of the story.
There are many web series that you can watch with your family. They include stories like Gullak, Panchayat. Every story has its own audience base.
Q. You did many films which could not be released. How did you feel then?
A. It happened two to three times when I did films but they did not release. Then my fellow artist Manoj Joshi jokingly said that Lucky either you are unlucky or I am. Because whatever film I did, it was not coming on screen. Then many times the thought came to my mind that whether I am really unlucky or not. But then I kept positivity in mind and kept working.
Q. What things should new artists keep in mind in any audition?
A. Try to get into the same age group for which you have got the audition. Nothing comes easily, therefore it is very important to teach the work you want to do. Always do your best in your intro and audition for any audition. Because your talent is seen before your looks.
Q. How can new artistes choose better acting classes and theatre?
A. Learn acting from a good institute, do theatre and be patient and stay in your home town. All the big brands are now moving out of Mumbai and reaching the whole country and giving opportunities to the local talent there. If you go straight to Mumbai, you might get rejected in the first attempt itself, this will lead to disappointment.
Q. Many films/web series are being shot in the state now. How many opportunities are there for the artists here?
A. Bhopal is the hub of theatre in Madhya Pradesh. After Delhi, the best artists come from here. Marathi theatre in Indore is talked about even in Mumbai. New artists will have to learn theatre. There are theatres in places like Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior and Sagar. There are a lot of opportunities.
Azhar Qureshi aka Lucky Khan getting ready for the famous shot Valmiki Yadav on the set during the shot.
Compassionate appointment was received in place of father
Lucky tells that his father Sheikh Usman Qureshi died on duty when he was just three years old. He was a dog trainer in the Special Armed Force in Bhopal. In 1995, at the age of 14, he got a compassionate appointment in the Special Armed Force as a child constable.
After working for about nine years, he got bored and quit his job thinking of doing business. After this, he also worked as a DJ and event management in Bhopal. But he did not feel that this work was enough to establish himself. So he left all that and came to Indore and started a new work by opening a tattoo studio here.
In 2005, I went to Mumbai at the behest of my friends.
On the insistence of friends I reached Mumbai in 2005 to work in Bollywood. Then I met famous singer late Ravindra Jain and he called late Ramanand Sagar for work. After a brief conversation he said that you don't know acting. First you will have to learn the work. So I came to Bhopal from there and joined theatre in Bharat Bhavan. I learned acting here and also worked in a few plays. During this time, in 2008 in Bhopal, I worked in Paresh Rawal, Pankaj Tripathi, Randeep Hooda starrer film Kusar Prasad Ka Bhoot… but it could not be released.
Connection with the casting team made through tattoo artist
After doing theatre for many years in Bhopal, I opened Madhya Pradesh's first tattoo studio in Indore's TI Mall and made my mark across the country. Through this, I kept meeting the casting team of films. Then in 2015, I got a chance to work in John Abraham Production's film 17 Ko Shaadi Hai…. This too was not released.
Got this role during the shooting of Kathal movie
Lucky says that he got a chance to do the movie Katlaal with film actress Sania Malhotra in Mumbai in 2021. For this, I cut my waist-length hair which I had grown for 17 years. Auditions were going on for Mirzapur Season 3 in May 2022. During this time, I met their casting team and gave the audition. Just 15 days after this, I got a call that you have been selected and its shooting started from August 2022.
self taught period
He tells that the way of speaking of police officer Valmiki in Mirzapur 3 is Awadhi. Being born in Bhopal and living in Indore, he did not know Awadhi language. For the role, he learned the language from YouTube in two and a half months. In the entire one hour series, Lucky's role is of about 20 minutes. Shooting for this went on for more than 15 days.
Web series on Bhopal mafia will come next year
Another web series by Mirzapur director Gurmeet Singh will be released next year. It is based on Bhopal mafia. He has also got the role of gangster Rizvi in ​​it. Its shooting has been completed.
