‘It's just what happens if you have famous parents’
Since he grew up as the child of famous parents, many tried to say that his fame just came from his family. Though it disheartened him, actor Iresh Zaker moved forward in his own way. Currently he is in Thailand for treatment. He talked to Prothom Alo on different issues including his work right from the hospital.
Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s web film ‘Something like an Autobiography’ released on video streaming platform, ‘Chorki’ recently. Iresh Zaker played the character ‘Tanveer’ there.
When the web film is being heavily discussed among the audience, the actor is in Thailand to undergo a surgery. He didn’t get a chance to find out the audience reaction about his character. However, he did notice that it’s being discussed in different Facebook groups.
He said that a portion of his bone on the left foot has extended a bit. That’s why he’s now in Thailand with his wife to have the surgery done. He talked with this correspondent on Friday night prior to his surgery.
From one charter to another
“What’s the job of an actor?” Iresh started off with this question. He believes it doesn’t matter if the character is big or small. But the character must have a separate layer so that the character can stand out. That’s what Iresh gives importance to.
He said, “As an actor, everyone wants their screen time to have an impact on the audience. I don’t believe that the character has to be long on screen for people to remember. That's just a common a belief.”
“I often get to hear advice on not playing small characters. But if the character is solid I have no issue with moving from one character to another,” he added.
Let people say whatever they want
Apart from his acting career, Iresh Zaker has a business and a production house. Sometimes, he used to be seen in one or two dramas of his own production if he liked the story or the character. But he had to endure taunts for those also.
He said, “If someone works in a project of their own production, a lot of negative comments circulate in our industry regarding that. I used to feel bad. There was a time when I worked in very few projects for I used to feel hesitant. But that doesn’t bother me anymore.”
“My wife once read to me, ‘It’s been going around that you cannot find work if you don’t cast Iresh’, it’s absurd. You cannot avoid these words coming from people. Let people say whatever they want,” he added.
Things that happen if you have famous parents
Iresh Zaker is the son of Aly Zaker and Sara Zaker, two talented actors of this country. He learnt acting in his own way and became familiar among the audience as Iresh Zaker. Yet, he has to endure various types of comment about this achievement of his.
Iresh said, “What happens if you have famous parents is that everybody thinks you are born with a silver spoon. Many people of the industry judge you only from the personal angle or from the surroundings.”
“In that case, both the quality and the surroundings are important, especially, the attitude of the people of this industry. And that’s because nobody will be able to survive here if they are not well received by the audience outside of this industry,” he continued.
Lion’s share for the family
“I have been very close to my family since childhood. Plus, I am a homebody. That’s why I used to spend a lot of time with everyone in the family. Even now, I spend time with my mother, wife, daughter and sister,” said Iresh.
“They are too important to me. Since my father passed away, I miss him tremendously. The family I still have left is important to me now. The lion’s share of my existence indeed belongs to my family,” he added.
He routinely spends a part of his day with his mother now. They discuss about his works during this time. They both love pets and talk about that.
Iresh said, “We talk about what movies we watched or what books we read. And, I discuss issues concerning our foundation with my mother. After the death of my father and grandmother (maternal), spending time with my mother has become very important to me.”
When he’s a father
Unless he has any special business, he spends most of his day with his daughter. He himself drops and picks up his daughter from the school. His daily routine revolves around his daughter after all.
He said, “My whole day just orbits around my daughter. She goes to sleep early so I make sure to reach home before that. Issues concerning my daughter are my first priority. That’s how the last four years have been going.”
“It so happened that I even worked less when I felt that I wouldn’t be able to spend much time with my daughter if I did that project. When I thought that I would be far from daughter, I felt reluctant. I don’t get involved in a project unless I really like it.”
“It’s a complicated age. When my child has grown up a bit more, she would want freedom. She might not be this close to me anymore. It’s important to spend these years with my daughter,” he added.