Rickshaw puller directs and stars in new movie

Lucknow: He dreamt of the stars and is on his way to becoming one today.

Waqar Khan, a rickshaw puller from Uttar Pradesh, has turned actor, producer and director in the Hindi film industry with his just released maiden feature film Ishq Ka Karna (The Work of Love).

"I always wanted to be a part of the Hindi film industry and for this, I struggled for years. I worked as a rickshaw puller in cities like Lucknow, Kanpur, Meerut and Gorakhpur and when I went to Mumbai, I worked as an auto-rickshaw driver. I would work as a driver during the day and go around studios at night.

"No one took me seriously and even the watchmen would shoo me away but I would manage to sneak in again. I watched directors and cameramen do their job and quietly learnt the tricks of the trade," he told this newspaper over telephone.

Waqar Khan, who hails from Shahjahanpur district in UP, is proud of his humble beginnings.

"I am not ashamed of saying that I was a rickshaw puller. I even sold clothes, vehicles and dabbled in construction business in Mumbai to earn money but I failed miserably in all my efforts. As an auto rickshaw driver, I worked hard and I am now the vice-president of the Navi Mumbai Auto Rickshaw Drivers Association," he says.

This 33-year-old man then started selling auto-rickshaws and earned a handsome commission.

Lucknow The film stars Waqar Khan as the hero, and newcomer Urvashi Choudhury as the heroine.

"The banks refused to give me a loan because I had nothing to offer as guarantee. Then about 600 of my auto driver friends pooled in their resources so that I could realise my dream of making a film. We finalised the script and started making the film which was completed on a shoe-string budget of Rs65 lakhs (Dh500,000),"Waqar said. "It is a love story with a difference and has a strong message for the youth."

"I want my story to serve as a lesson for all those who dream big. If they have the determination and the perseverance, they too can realise their dreams."