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BBC News
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Black Country actor aims to inspire South Asian community
A 19-year-old who landed his dream role in the TV series Man Like Mobeen says he is "proud" to help break down barriers for South Asian Zafar, from the Black Country, plays the character Moped in the BBC comedy's fifth and final did his audition on a Zoom call from his bedroom and said landing the part took him "one step closer to the dream I had when I was eight years old".Mr Zafar said he believed the success of programmes like Citizen Khan, Man Like Mobeen, Virdee and Ackley Bridge showed there was a growing appetite for South Asian television series. He believes it is important for series like these to break down barriers."I'm from the Pakistani community, so acting is very looked down upon in my community of South Asian people," he said."It's a cultural hangover, where doctors and lawyers are seen to be proper jobs." Man Like Mobeen, which was filmed in Birmingham and Coventry, has been described as a launch pad for young acting Zafar said he had been "chilling out" at home after finishing at his acting BTEC Halesowen College when he saw the invitation on Instagram to a casting call in Birmingham and thought to himself, "why not".He said his college course had prepared him well for auditions and added: "You're quite confident in yourself when you're doing them regularly."Appearing on set was a different matter though and he admitted to feeling a bit starstruck when he first met the star of Man Like Mobeen, Guz Khan."A few years back I was just watching the show with my friends," he said."It was just seeing someone you only see on screen in real life." Mr Zafar has recently filmed a small part in the upcoming film I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning and said his preference would be to do more television and film he said: "If I just get to perform and I like the role and I like the script, I'll do it."He also said he hoped his story could encourage others from his community to take up acting."If I can inspire anyone to just follow what they want to do when they dream, honestly that would be the best feeling on earth," he said. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Birmingham show Man Like Mobeen made to inspire pride
A TV comedy set in Small Heath, Birmingham, was made to make the people of the West Midlands proud, its creator has Man Like Mobeen, Coventry comedian Guz Khan plays the starring role of a former drug dealer trying to live a good life as a Muslim, while raising his younger said he wanted to portray the experiences of second-generation immigrants and hinted the fifth and final series would provide "closure" for show returns to BBC Three on Thursday. Khan said all actors in the Bafta-nominated comedy were from "very working class backgrounds"."Instead of trying to manufacture what that's like and what it feels like to be from those communities, we knew it straight away," he said he felt happy the team had been able to show there was room for different types of comedy, with more realistic, grounded characters viewers might have met at school, on the bus, or in a factory."The aim was always to make a show that the people of the West Midlands, Birmingham, Small Heath, and the surrounding areas would be proud of," he said. Khan said the programme had enabled him to "highlight issues that have affected us growing up".He also said he realised, after filming the first series, that it was the first time he had done "serious acting".He described the experience as "emotional and a little bit serious and a little bit dramatic".The latest series came about because everywhere he went people asked him when there would be more episodes, he said, adding: "We had to make some closure for the fans." Now he plans to spend more time at home with his wife and five children, to "stay at home and just be a dad"."Five kids is a lot of kids. I love them. We have a laugh, but it's a lot of work," he said. The fifth series of Man Like Mobeen is available to watch on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer from 1 May. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Metro
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
BBC fans have hours to binge 'phenomenal' series before final season drops
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video TV lovers need to catch up on all four seasons of BBC's 'fantastic' comedy Man Like Mobeen ahead of the season five release. The fifth season will also be the swan song for the Bafta-nominated series created by and starring Guz Khan. Man Like Mobeen is set in Birmingham and follows the titular Mobeen (Guz), a former drug dealer attempting to be an upstanding Muslim and member of the community in 'the ends' (aka Small Heath). He gets up to plenty of antics with his friends, Nate (Tolu Ogunmefun) and Eight (Tez Ilyas), and has a sweet and protective relationship with his younger sister Aqsa (Dúaa Karim). As the synopsis reads: 'All Mobeen wants to do is follow his faith, lead a good life and keep his little sister on track. But with his dodgy past chasing him, can he stay on the right side of wrong?' The first season aired in 2017 and quickly became a staple British comedy with the fourth season coming out in June 2023 and ending on a nail-biting cliffhanger. Almost two years later fans will finally get to see the epic conclusion to Mobeen's story with a whopping six-episodes, and there's still time to catch up ahead of the premiere. Although it seems like a big undertaking it's only a total of 17 episodes, with each one coming in at a modest 20 minute runtime making it a bite-sized binge. One anonymous reviewer on Rotten Tomatoes said: 'Highly underrated. It's easy to love and root for the ensemble in Man Like Mobeen. There's comedy, there's drama, and there's great chemistry. A must-see.' Another fan, Thimal D, echoed: 'Man Like Mobeen's fourth season is phenomenal. Guz Khan's and Tboy's chemistry is fantastic and hilarious with brilliantly-written moments of comedy ever-present throughout the 4 episodes, even during the most devastating of scenes.' Over on X, user bob_bajwa shared: 'Just watched season 4 of Man Like Mobeen – hats off brother, that was sik!' 'Man Like Mobeen has me in tears,' Rubzzzz1 said. 'Rewatching Man Like Mobeen before the new series starts this week, so good! Guz Khan, we've spent the weekend in hysterics,' lynsey dickson added. And even co-star Tez (who may or may not appear in later seasons), celebrated it as a 'manic, fun, self-contained story.' More Trending As for the new season, there's plenty to look forward to with the description reading: 'In the final series, Mobeen must save Aqsa but can he even get a passport or a plane ticket to the UAE? And will he convince his friends to join him?' Announcing the return of the show in October, Guz joked he couldn't even 'shop at Aldi without someone popping out from behind the bread aisle' and asking about another season. He added: 'So for you, and only for you, here's one, final, very last, never to be done again season of Man Like Mobeen. P.S Please don't make me make anymore, I got loads of kids to raise and that. Love you.' View More » Man Like Mobeen returns on Thursday May 1 at 9pm on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer. The first four seasons are available to stream now. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Doctor Who is fixing its biggest mistake – but it might be too late MORE: EastEnders confirms special episode for return of show's biggest ever legend MORE: Strictly Come Dancing pro sparks quitting fears after announcing new career move
