Despite having a steady acting career, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for actor Ruslaan Mumtaz. That was when he decided to go slow and focus more on himself.
“Initially, I used to take stress to make things right any way. It was always in the back of my mind how my mother, known Bollywood actor Anjana Mumtaz, deterred me from joining the industry. Maybe, at that time, I didn’t realise it, but her reasons were very valid, seeing what followed. She didn’t want that work pressure to build on me, so she suggested I opt for another career. I was more than adamant ki hero toh banna hi hai. But, once in the business, I understood my mum,” says Jabariya Jodi and Yeh Saali Aashiqui (2019) actor.
Ruslaan has eventually learnt to let go of pressure. He adds, “Till a few years ago, things were different and I was learning how to take it easy. I will not lie, I had become choosy; I was like, ‘Yeh nahin karna hai, it’s not my type’ and that amounted to a lot of stress and depression. But things don’t always go the way you want them to. This is what I was warned of earlier!”
For now, the Yeh Rishtey Hain Pyaar Ke actor is focusing on health and peace of mind. “I have realised the importance of mental peace — work is important, but so is life. It should be more about us and our loved ones. Also, as my fitness inclination has been my biggest asset, I have decided to keep my health and happiness foremost. Baki sab toh chalta hi rahega.”
Last seen in a web series and an indie music video, the actor finds it nostalgic to be able to be part of songs once again. “There was a time when I used to do a lot of music videos, but then the scene changed. Luckily, indie music is back with a bang, and so are music videos. I had two videos out in recent times, the last one being Ghodi Leke Aaja…with singer Senjuti Das, along with season three of my web show A.I. SHA: My Virtual Girlfriend. For now, I am taking it easy and shooting for another project,” he concludes.
