Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj's 'Haider' won wide praise from both audiences and critics, with Shahid Kapoor's performance in the lead role drawing special appreciation. But a teenage actor who appeared in the film for barely 15 seconds, Sakib Bilal Sheikh, later took a very different path. He joined the ranks of militancy and was killed in 2018 in an encounter with security forces in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.
A Brief But Memorable Role in Haider
Sakib Bilal Sheikh was overjoyed when he landed a part in Shahid Kapoor's 'Haider'. According to his family, acting in films had long been his dream. His role in the film lasted only about 15 seconds, yet audiences noticed and liked him. His uncle, Aasim Ejaz, said the character was a small one, describing it as a chocolate boy type of minor role. Ejaz explained that in one scene, a bomb blast takes place at Amar Singh College, and Sakib's character is shown as the sole survivor left alive after the explosion. That moment turned out to be his biggest and most memorable appearance in the film.
He Vanished From Home in August 2018
In August 2018, Sakib Bilal Sheikh suddenly disappeared from his home along with his 14 year old friend, Mudasir Rashid Parray. Multiple reports say he had joined the militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba around this time. On 31 August 2018, Sakib's mother had sent him to a nearby market to buy meat, but he never returned home. Some time later, the family learned that he had joined a terrorist organisation.
Killed in the Srinagar Encounter
In December 2018, a fierce gun battle broke out between security forces and militants in the Mujgund area of Srinagar. Three militants were killed in that encounter, and Sakib Bilal Sheikh was one of them. His friend Mudasir Rashid Parray was also killed in the very same operation. The teenager once praised for his brief appearance in 'Haider' had, within a few years, ended up on the wrong side of a gunfight with security forces.
A Deep Interest in Theatre Alongside Acting
Sakib had a genuine passion for acting from an early age, and his interest went beyond films into active theatre work. According to his uncle Aasim Ejaz, one of the plays Sakib performed in was staged not just in Srinagar but also in Odisha. This shows his love for the arts was not limited to a single film appearance but was something he kept pursuing consistently.
A Family Still Searching for Answers
Sakib's family says they have never been able to understand what pushed him toward militancy. They have repeatedly asked what exactly forced him to pick up a weapon. His case is not an isolated one. Decades of radicalisation in Kashmir have torn apart many families that once lived ordinary, happy lives, and Sakib's family became one more name added to that list.
