Nasirr Khan, son of veteran actor and comedian late Johnny Walker, is currently seen in the TV show Shubh Laabh-Aapkey Ghar Mein. He spoke to us recently about his journey in showbiz and his long absence from the entertainment industry a few years ago. Excerpts...

Talking about the current phase of his career, he says, “Indian TV is basically dominated by women. So, if I am getting a meaty role at the age of 53, I think I am lucky. By the grace of God, I am getting good shows with good roles and money now. I can say that whatever I have achieved in life, I did it on my own. Whenever I faced failures, it was because I didn’t make the most of opportunities that came my way, my mistakes, and some wrong decisions that I took.”

Nasirr, who always wanted to be an actor like his father, has done movies like Baghban, The Lunchbox and Wazir. Later, he moved to doing TV shows. He says, “Becoming an actor was my childhood dream and I was born and brought up in a filmi environment. But I knew that my father wouldn’t call any director to recommend me. He was a very simple and real person, and had struggled, too. Out of six brothers and sisters, I was the only one who became an actor. My father always encouraged me, stood by me and guided me. But he told me that he wouldn’t call any of his friends in the fraternity to recommend me. He would say, ‘Beta, na koi bolega nahi, aur kaam koi dega nahi. ’ So, it’s better to choose your own path.”

Despite a good start to his career, somewhere things didn’t shape up the way he had expected. He shares, “It’s true that I got good projects, but due to some reason or the other, I couldn’t make the most of it. I never pushed myself hard enough as an actor and accepted whatever was easily offered to me. I didn’t fight to get what I wanted or deserved. There was a time when I was sidelined and replaced at the eleventh hour by other actors, or my role got edited, and I kept mum. But I have no regrets at all. I don’t sit and cry over spilled milk. If I could do it when I had nothing, I can do it now when I have something in hand. That’s what I believe in.”

Nasirr tried his hands at anchoring and worked as a dubbing artist, too. But due to lack of good offers, he left the industry and worked for an MNC. “From 2008 to 2015, I was out of the entertainment industry and worked with a US-based technology company. I was completely disassociated from the entertainment industry. Suddenly, the company crashed and there was a fallout among the investors. I was left high and dry with nothing in hand. But I never cried or slipped into depression. I am very positive and headstrong. I was prepared for a new beginning. So, returning to showbiz was the only option I had. My second innings in the entertainment industry began in 2016,” he says.