Business
Mohit Malik on Playing Birju in Mirzapur: The Movie and Moving From TV to Films
The actor, praised for his quiet turn as Birju, explains how he landed the role, prepared for it, and weighs the creative trade-offs between television and cinema.
Desh Flash desk7 November 2026, 9:55 pm IST2 minUpdated 7 November 2026, 9:55 pm IST
Actor Mohit Malik is drawing praise for his performance as Birju in Mirzapur: The Movie, and in an interview with Filmfare he traced the path that brought him to the role. He said he first met writer Praneet while discussing another project, and was told that a new film in the Mirzapur world had a younger character who might suit him. He began growing his beard before any formal audition, and the look reportedly impressed director Gurmeet Singh when he auditioned.
The role posed a particular challenge. Birju has few lines and appears on screen for only about 15 to 16 minutes, so Malik said most of the character had to come through body language and stillness. He built out Birju's backstory, upbringing and emotional state so that the character's trauma would show in how he moved and carried himself, rather than in what he said.
Joining an established franchise brought its own pressure. Malik admitted to nerves close to release, wondering whether audiences would register a character who arrived in a crowded ensemble. He said the director, writer and senior cast members, including Pankaj Tripathi and Ravi Kishan, reassured him that Birju had a distinct place in the story, and he felt that became clear once he watched the film with an audience.
The interview also covered his scenes with Rasika Dugal, which he described as among the most nerve-wracking parts of the shoot. Malik said an intimacy workshop and the presence of an intimacy coordinator helped both actors feel secure, a practice he said he now sees as essential on set. He also spoke warmly about the cast, who he said welcomed him into a team he had once approached with caution.
The conversation's business undercurrent is what makes it worth a second look. Malik framed television as steady income, close to a salaried job, while films offer the chance to rotate through different characters rather than staying with one role for years. For performers weighing where to put their energy, that trade-off between financial stability and creative range is becoming a central career decision, and his comments offer a candid view of it from someone who has worked on both sides.
For the full conversation, including his remarks on his wife Aditi Malik's reaction to his performance, read the original interview at Filmfare.
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