While Peter Dinklage who plays Tyrion Lannister in the hit TV series Game of Thrones has made a name for himself around the world, his lookalike has been spotted in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK). He has been found by none other than ace film-maker Imtiaz Ali, reported Mumbai Mirror.
Tariq Mir is a 30-year-old actor who was living a life of anonymity till Ali turned him into an overnight celebrity. Ali was in the IoK valley for a film festival in February when his relative Khawar Jamshed introduced him to Mir. The Jab We Met director then snapped a picture with him and uploaded it on social media with a caption, “With Tyrion Lannister” – bearing an uncanny resemblance to Dinklage who plays the character in Game of Thrones.
Director-cum-producer Wajahat Rauf also shared the image of the man on his social media account and asked Dinklage to acknowledge him.
Tyrion Lannister in Pakistan! @Peter_Dinklage Please say to him. His name is Roza Khan pic.twitter.com/KphpBrVo6Q
— Wajahat Rauf (@wajahatrauf) February 12, 2019
However, a while before his viral photo broke the internet, Mir had already started earning a living as a Lannister lookalike. And it was Jamshed who gave him the big break. He said, “I first met Tariq when he was auditioning for a clown’s role at a children’s event. I instantly realised that this guy looks exactly like Peter Dinklage. He struck me as a happy, innocent man … all he knows is how to make people laugh. I suggested that we take him on for the event as a Dinklage lookalike instead of a clown. People went crazy when they saw him.”
While Pakistanis are excited to finally get their own Tyrion Lannister, others cannot help but gape at the eerie likeness between the two.
Some have even hilariously commented that they now have a local Tyrion Lannister from House of Pekhawar.
Here’s how the internet world has reacted to the image:
He was falsely accused of murdering his nephew, King Joffrey, so he ran to peshawar. 😂 Season 8
— Danish (@fictionalshad0w) February 12, 2019
You vs the guy she told you not to worry about.#peterdinklage pic.twitter.com/RjMmkYU22i
— Pat_Han (@Pengestani) February 12, 2019
Wow 😮 almost same
— IMRAN JANJUA. (@imranjanjua338) February 12, 2019
He is the spitting image of tyrion, amazing
— Muhammad Sohail (@Sohailzzz) February 13, 2019
Mir continued that he spends about three hours everyday watching Dinklage’s video and trying to imitate his style, stating that he was an inspiration for every dwarf. He also admits that he’s grateful for everything he has gotten. Mir explained, “We are God’s gift, people love us. We entertain them and they pay us for making them laugh.”
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