Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; March 29, 2018)

Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Milan Talkies in Lucknow, Ali Fazal wrapped up the shoot of Lojikal, the short film directed by Richa Chadha. Set in 2025, the project is said to be a satire on environmental abuse and sees Fazal as the antagonist.

What added to the actor’s excitement was Chadha’s brief to him about his character — “a spoof of typical Hindi film villains that you have grown up watching.” A source close to the actor says, “While writing the script, Richa realised that Ali would be a perfect fit for this role — a typical Hindi film villain. Since he has mainly essayed positive characters so far, she wanted him to experiment with a totally new character. Ali jumped at the opportunity of being part of a socially relevant film with the bonus of being directed by her.”

Fazal, on his part, considers it “a compliment” to be part of his ladylove’s vision. “I am blessed that Richa thinks I am good. It’s a big compliment for me to be doing this little piece with her. My character, a fun take on Hindi film villains, is different from what I have done so far. I had a great time doing it. Even the look was very quirky and that added to this wholesome experience."