Actor Mohitt Maalik is riding high on the reaction to his appearance in the Mirzapur-The Movie teaser while candidly reflecting on losing Force 3, “You win some, you lose some, and that’s the nature of our work.”
Talking about the missed opportunity, he shares, “I was about to be part of Force 3; I was almost in the project. Things were almost locked, I was there on board, but then Harshvardhan (Rane) came in. The makers made their choice and it’s absolutely okay. But I really wanted to be part of it, especially just to work with John Abraham. We have all watched the prequels, and they are remembered for clean action and storytelling.”
While the role ultimately went to someone else, he adds, “The outcome has been that John has been recommending me everywhere (laughs); it’s really amazing to know him personally now. We will be doing something soon; I have been manifesting it.”
Mohitt views his recent departure from a television show as a necessary step. “OTT has taken over urban audiences. Mujhe jin logo ke saath kaam karna hai, woh waha nahi hai, and jin logo ko apna kaam dikhana hai, sadly woh bhi waha nahi hain ab, though it still pays the best in the business and offers a huge comfort zone. I remember pre-COVID, people used to watch television largely; now, the time isn’t there, so actors have to branch out.”
The actor was last seen in the film Azaad. “A project’s success is necessary. For example, with Azaad, I worked really hard, and it was because of that effort that I got Mirzapur. The same was true for Chamak 2—I put all my efforts into it, but logo ne dekha hi nahi, promote hi nahin hua . So, it’s important to the audience. Kaam acha hone ke sath film ka chalna zaroori hain.”
The actor is happy, currently riding the wave of anticipation surrounding his next project. “I am happy with the reaction to the Mirzapur teaser, and it has made us restless; in a few hours, it broke the internet, we were everywhere. The praise coming my way feels amazing.”
Recalling his first day of shooting, he notes, “It’s funny that the last scene of the film was my first scene, and that too with the OG, Pankaj (Triapathi)ji. It was just magical to share a frame with him and Ali (Fazal). That scene with Pankaj ji was a game-changer for me.”
