Actor Muzammil Ibrahim, who made his Bollywood debut in 2007 with Dhokha, recently revisited his early years in the industry and the recognition he feels was denied to him. The model-turned-actor believes his performance in his debut film merited the Best Debut award over Ranbir Kapoor’s role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya, which released the same year.‘If a star kid did the same thing…’In an interview with Filmibeat, Muzammil said the industry hasn’t been fair to him. According to him, had a star kid delivered the same performance he did in Dhokha, “he would have been somewhere else.” He claimed he did not find Ranbir Kapoor’s performance in Saawariya particularly remarkable, adding that he “deserved the Best Debut award” and still feels he hasn’t received his due.While Muzammil admits he has begun to receive some recognition over the years, he maintains it’s far from the level he earned. In his view, if he had been a star kid, the media and industry attention would have been “crazy.” He recalled the buzz that followed his debut, with many saying India had found its next superstar—though he stressed, “I am not saying it.”‘A threat to A-listers’The Special Ops 2 actor also alleged that top names in Bollywood have actively limited his opportunities, claiming they see him as a threat to established male stars. He said producers have even removed him from parallel lead roles in the past to protect “their own assets.”
Missed opportunity in Yeh Jawaani Hai DeewaniThis isn’t the first time Muzammil has spoken about being sidelined. In an earlier chat with Siddharth Kannan, he revealed that director Ayan Mukerji had originally written a role for him in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani but eventually cast Aditya Roy Kapur instead.
