Bollywood actor Ali Fazal's breaking new ground, but remains grounded

Ali Fazal joins us over Zoom. He's calm, collected, and has, so far, survived Bollywood, breaking into Hollywood, producing films (with his wife, Richa Chadha), and becoming a father — all in the same breath.

“It’s been a great year,” he says with a smile. “I wouldn’t complain.”

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He’s talking, of course, about Metro... In Dino, the melodic romantic anthology helmed by Anurag Basu that released in early July and still continues its theatrical run in select cinemas. It's the kind of soft, sincere story that audiences don’t often get from mainstream Bollywood anymore, and it gave Fazal the chance to work with a filmmaker most actors hope to work with.

And if that isn't enough, Fazal’s also made noise overseas. He recently starred in Rule Breakers, an offbeat indie feature alongside Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The film released across cinemas in US in March, but an international release is due.

“I remember Bill Gutentag (the director) was very keen,” he recalls. “It was a very indie project.”

They filmed in Morocco and a few other places, drawing from a real story — the life of a woman from Afghanistan who teaches young minds to dream. “It’s a very inspiring story,” he adds.

“We’re lovers of cinema first”

In an era where screens are shrinking and attention spans even more so, Fazal’s love for cinema remains unshakeable. Among his upcoming projects is Mirzapur: The Movie, India’s first-ever OTT-to-cinema franchise film.

“It’s such a blessing, I love it,” he says. “We are lovers of cinema first — so turning Mirzapur into a film is the best thing that could happen.”

Still, Fazal is cautious. He calls the move an “experiment,” but points to international examples like Peaky Blinders that have made the transition from series to screen. “So why not us?” he states.

He teases a surprise for long-time fans of the series. “The clue for that is going to be in the film,” he says. “There’s a bunch of things that will take shape. I guess we’ll have to wait for the next year when it comes out.”

Juggling scripts, slates, and fatherhood

With so much happening at once, you’d expect some form of burnout. But Fazal takes it all in stride. As both actor and producer — and now, a fairly new father (to a one-year-old daughter) — his days are packed. He and Richa Chadha have been building their production banner from the ground up, developing multiple stories and carefully choosing the ones that make it through the funnel.

He’s currently involved in several titles — both in front of and behind the camera. One sees him play a paparazzi. In another, he’s a kleptomaniac.

But there’s still a genre he’s craving.

“I am a big sucker for love stories,” he admits. “I haven’t found it yet, or maybe that good old love story script hasn’t found me.”

For now, balance remains elusive.

“Time is a struggle these days — I can’t always balance it,” he says. “But I think it’s fine, I will find a way.”

So what keeps it all from becoming mechanical? Fazal doesn’t hesitate.

“That honesty,” he says. “It can only come out of pure joy, a joy that a six-year-old would have entering a toy shop.”

Then, with a slight grin: “The moment I grow up, I’m done for.”

Why he’s still in India

Having worked in global projects like Victoria and Abdul, Furious 7, and Death on the Nile, Fazal has had multiple chances to cross over to the West. But he’s stayed rooted, choosing India as both his base and creative playground.

“I’ve had opportunities to move to LA or New York,” he says. “But I have a lot to tell here, in India. That’s why I’ve stayed.”

And while Western projects are evolving in their gaze, he’s quick to note the shift in perspective.

“The gaze is shifting — we’re no longer stuck in that colonial lens,” he explains. “We’re one of the most diverse countries on the planet. And I can see in the West, there are Indian stories being championed.”

'Do your own thing'

The industry has changed since Fazal entered it (in 2009 with 3 Idiots), but when asked how he’d rewrite Bollywood’s rulebook, his answer is sharp and simple.

“Stop peeping into everybody’s business,” he says. “Do your own thing.”

And what’s next?

“Peace,” he says, with that same quiet clarity. “And good scripts that can do well at the box office.”

Husain Rizvi

husain@khaleejtimes.com

Husain Rizvi is a Senior Features Writer who covers entertainment and lifestyle stories and has a profound interest in tech (games) and sports. When he’s not working, you can find him at the gym, or finishing a boss fight in a video game.