Tumbbad’s Phenomenal Child Actor Bags Main Lead In Netflix Series

18-year  old Mohammad Samad who left such a  strong impact in Tumbbad,  plays the  central  character in the Netflix series Selection Day. Based on  the Booker winner Aravind Adiga’s best-selling novel, it is the story of an underprivileged smalltown  boy’s struggle to  become  a  national-level cricketer.

Playing underprivileged  chareacters comes naturally to Mohammad  Samad. He is the youngest of 6 siblings in a family from Roorkee in Hardwar. His father own a  grovery store.

Mohammad who made his acting debut at age 12  in  the National award winning  film Gattu is now acknowkedged as  a  talent of substance.

Director-actor Mahesh Manjrekar who plays a cricket coach in  Selection Day says Samad is  a natural-born actor . “He just takes over the camera. He wants to go to an acting school. I told him not to. It will only make him conscious of  his  skills,”says Manjrekar.

Speaking  about his acting debut in Gattu, Mohammad says,  “When I did Gattu I didn’t know what  acting  was. I am  still learning, I remember they came looking for their  Gattu to our school . I was among  the  20  children who were shortlisted. Finally I was selected. I was happy. I  just wanted to make  my parents  proud. I still do.”

Mohammad Samad’s parents are indeed proud of their youngest born. After  Gattu Mohammad was selected to play a pivotal role in the recently-released  Tumbbad. It fetched the  young actor rave reviews.

Samad was  only 12 when he  shot for this film. He was  18 when  it  finally got released. Now  he divides his  time  between his  hometown in Roorkee and Mumbai.  “I come here to Mumbai only when there  is work. For Selection Day I had to  learn cricket since I  wasn’t much of a cricket player  to begin with.I  put in two hours  of  practice every morning.”

Such dedication at  such a young age comes naturally to this natural-born actor who has somehow been trying to do his  studies while  fulfilling  his acting commitment. “I’ve been attending to my studies  from home, only went to school for  my board exams. Acting is  where my heart is. But I know  I’ve a long way to go,” says  the  young actor citing Shah Rukh Khan as  his favourite.