Imlie actor Sumbul Touqeer Khan: Grab what’s in hand, learnt it the hard way

TV show Imlie’s (2020) protagonist Sumbul Touqeer Khan has learnt the hard way to believe in what one has in hand, rather than hoping for something bigger to turn up.

“Now, I am very clear that if something is offered to me, and I like it, and it’s starting, then I’ll grab it. This I have learnt from my experiences, as you never know what the future has in store for you. What’s in hand is of utmost importance,” says the actor on her visit to Lucknow.

She recalls, “In 2018, I said no to a big TV show because I had a film in hand, but the project never took off. After waiting for a while, I took up another TV show, but in the meantime the earlier film went on the floors, and I could not be a part of it as I was already committed to the TV show. So, it was that moment when I decided that I won’t say no to any project if I have the time and I am convinced about it.”

Hailing from Katni, Madhya Pradesh, the actor says that the medium doesn’t not matters.

“For me, as an actor, it was not much of a difference. Shooting with (actor) Ayushmann Khurrana and Anubhav (Sinha; director) sir in Article 15 (2019) was a big thing for me. Of course, a film’s canvas is big, and the process is very elaborate, but the basic structure is the same,” says the Waris (2016) actor.

After her debut film, she recently shot for her show in the state capital.

“For our show Kavya, we shot for a few days in Lucknow at the Residency and in a bungalow in the old city. Thereafter, we shot for a few days at the Methodist Church and other locations in Kanpur as well. The show is set in the state capital and now we will shoot on the sets in Mumbai.”

Khan is happy with her experience on TV so far.

“TV has treated me well, be it a reality show (Bigg Boss, 2016) or daily soaps. The only thing is you don’t have any free time at all. When you are shooting throughout the month for 12 hours a day, you don’t get time for parents or even yourself! So, with a daily soap, thinking about anything (doing film or web) is out of the question,” she adds.

She admits that actors don’t have control over the story line. “Thankfully, till now, I have not done anything after which I say ‘yeh maine kya kar diya!’ My biggest satisfaction is that I am convinced with what I do. I am lucky that way. But it’s also true that some content is very regressive, but actors don’t have control over that,” she signs off.