Tariq Mir, Jammu and Kashmir’s Tyrion Lannister lookalike, dreams of Bollywood stardom

Curious to know more about his lookalike, Mir went online and watched the GoT series on his cellphone. He saw his resemblance to Dinklage — their facial structure, their hair, and, as actors with dwarfism, their similar height.

A month later, Mir received a surprised phone call — a Bollywood casting director in Mumbai was offering him a small role in the film “Bharat,” a drama based on the 2014 South Korean film “Ode to My Father,” starring Indian superstar Salman Khan.

Mir accepted the offer and flew to Mumbai in July 2018 for a month of filming — it was his first trip outside his home state.

“It was a surreal experience to meet the superstar Salman Khan for the first time on the sets and dance alongside him and other actors,” said Mir.

“Even without makeup, many people on the set told me that I resembled the American actor (Dinklage) more than any other lookalike,” he remembered with a smile. “That made me very happy.”

More roles and offers followed — Mir’s star was on the rise.

Early struggles

Born the youngest of four brothers and two sisters, Mir grew up in Bumtham village in the Mir Bazar area of southern Kashmir’s Anantnag district. His father, a farmer, passed away after a brief illness in 2014 and the 36-year-old actor now lives with his mother and elder brother, who is a teacher.

Mir started acting in high school and won awards for his stage performances and skits. But work was hard to come by. He earned a small amount of money performing at college function and cultural events.

While Mir says some people in his village made fun of his height, it didn’t stop him from acting.

In his early 20s, he won minor roles in dramas aired by state-run television channels in Srinagar, the largest city in Jammu and Kashmir. But it was nothing compared to the fame he found from his resemblance to Dinklage.

After the Bollywood film, he became well-known in his village and locals swapped videos of him on their cellphones. Young people recognized him in public parks, at weddings, and other functions, he said. Everyone wanted a selfie.

But in the past nine months, his work has dried up.

It also issued a warning for tourists to leave due to a “terror threat” in Kashmir, one of the world’s most contested regions, claimed in parts or in full by India, Pakistan and China. Several countries — including Germany, Britain and Australia — issued travel warnings to stay away.

“Had I got that role, it would have benefited me,” Mir said. “I’d not done any villain’s role till then and it was also a bigger role. It would have given me more work and publicity.”

Mir was confined to his home, again, without work.

And then the internet found another Peter Dinklage doppelganger.

Competition for Dinklage fame

When Mir’s slow-speed 2G mobile internet service was restored at the end of last year he saw the images of Khan and Dinklage. While Khan is the same height as Dinklage, Mir thinks he’s a better match.

“My facial features, hairstyle and beard is more similar to Peter Dinklage,” he said. “If you put our two photos alongside photos of Peter, I think you’ll find me resembling him more.”

Sadly for both Mir and Khan, the final GoT episode aired last year, wrapping up eight seasons and 73 episodes of the award-winning fantasy drama, potentially limiting their appeal — and work — as Tyrion Lannister lookalikes.

Mir hopes that after the coronavirus restrictions ease, he’ll be offered more work. He wants to act in more television dramas and take on bigger Bollywood roles.

He also has another dream — to meet Peter Dinklage in person. Just once, he said. “If I ever get a chance to meet him, I will just hug him first,” he said with a wide smile.

“Then, I’ll thank him from my heart and tell him that I got more work and respect because of him.”