The Promising Young Actor Zain Iqbal Embraces Indian Heritage
Zain Iqbal embraces the attention he got for representing a South Asian character in a mainstream production.
Iqbal, an emerging actor from Manchester, UK, got his breakthrough role in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (2024).
Highlights
- Zain Iqbal is known for his role as Ravi Singh in the Netflix series A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.
- Iqbal is of Indian heritage and expresses how people of color are not treated fairly.
- His father introduced him to cinema through Western classics, and when he began acting, he looked up to people like Riz Ahmed and Dev Patel.
Premiering internationally on Netflix on August 1, 2024, the British television series helped him enter the spotlight.
Born on May 28, 1998, the 26 year-old actor has been praised for his outstanding performance as Ravi Singh in Netflix’s series.
Iqbal’s debut role was as Boris in All Crazy Random, followed by his portrayal of Kyle in Why Me?
Zain Iqbal Says People Of Colour Are Treated Unfairly
The upcoming young actor, Zain Iqbal, has a British nationality but embraces his roots, tracing him to India.
Zain is of Indian heritage. Growing up in England, he relates to the people of his background, whom he mentions are being mistreated.
In an interview with Vogue, he expressed that
he does when asked if he connects to his character, Ravi.
Moreover, he discusses a scene from the series where Ravi’s brother is accused of mur*** and how unfairly his family was treated because they’re people of color. The actor added,
I’ve not experienced it to that extent, but I know what it’s like to go through life and have people mistreat you.
Zain Iqbal
Likewise, when he started acting, he looked up to people similar to him (having Indian ancestry) and expressed that only a handful were.
Iqbal also mentioned,
So then I started to look at people like Riz Ahmed and Dev Patel and how they’re going about in the industry, and I can relate to them the most.
Zain Iqbal
Although Iqbal has experienced some setbacks due to his ethnicity, he is happy he could represent his Indian heritage globally.
He thanked his Indian fans for their patience and hoped they would enjoy the series.
Zain Iqbal’s Father Got Him Hooked Into Cinema
Zain Iqbal has remained private about his family details, and his parents’ names have not been publicly disclosed.
Growing up in Cheadle village, near Stockport in north-west England, Zain’s family had a strong interest in film and TV.
His father had a passion for classic Westerns, filling their house with the stock sound effects of cicadas.
Notably, his father took him and his younger brother to the cinema for the first time to watch Spider-Man 2.
After this, Iqbal became hooked on cinema, and due to his father’s influence, he grew up watching films like The Godfather trilogy and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
He also said,
My love for the film began when I was a little kid when my dad played classics around the house. People like Clint Eastwood, Marlon Brando, and Steve McQueen quickly became my favorites.
Zain Iqbal
Although little is known about his parents, his father’s love for classic Western cinema eventually inspired his acting career.
Additional Information
- Standing 6’2″, Zain Iqbal developed acting skills at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester.
- The actor said he wants to play a villain and would like to play Batman someday.
- In addition to acting, Iqbal is passionate about boxing, and he is a fan of Manchester United.
