Tariq Mir grew up in the Anantnag district of southern Kashmir and has three brothers and two sisters. Tariq took up acting in high school and used to perform at cultural events and college functions. Soon, he started acting in dramas in state-run channels in Srinagar in his 20s.
Tariq is set to star in Ekta Kapoor’s U-Turn which features Alaya F in the lead and he has earlier acted in films like Salman Khan-starrer Bharat and Sidharth Malhotra-starrer Marjavaan. However, the actor also has another claim to fame– he is Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage’s doppelganger.
Tariq went viral after director Imtiaz Ali posted a picture with him on Instagram with the caption, “With Tyrion Lannister at Pahalgam festival.”
In 2018, Tariq was performing in a comedy skit in Pahalgam and Imtiaz attended the event. Tariq had never heard of Dinklage or even his Game of Thrones character Tyrion Lannister.
While his picture continued to circulate on social media, a casting director called him with an offer– the role in Bharat, directed by Ali Abbas Zafar. Talking about his experience on set, Tariq told CNN, “Even without makeup, many people on the set told me that I resembled the American actor (Dinklage) more than any other lookalike.”
He wishes to meet Dinklage in person soon, “If I ever get a chance to meet him, I will just hug him first. Then, I’ll thank him from my heart and tell him that I got more work and respect because of him.”
