Since the success of Death On The Nile (2022), Ali Fazal has been on a signing spree. From Kandahar, co-starring Gerard Butler and helmed by American director Ric Roman Waugh, and Khufiya with filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj to Life In A Metro 2 with director Anurag Basu and the third season of Mirzapur — the actor has his hands full. Ask if it’s a conscious choice to be seen more and Fazal admits that he’s been “too brash in rejecting a lot of offers”.

He says, “Over the last few months, I have been told that I should be seen more and that I should say yes to everything that comes my way. People tell me, ‘Baad mein nahin aaega’. But, I crave good stories. And by that, I don’t mean those tailor-made for me, but just projects that are made well, so that I can find myself in them.”

Working with some of the biggest names in India and Hollywood could be intimidating, but not for Fazal. In fact, he admits that collaborating with big names from the film fraternity helps him hone his craft.

“Working with big actors doesn’t intimidate me. In fact, they make my job easy. For me, it’s like entering a playschool with lots of toys. I feel like a kid and I like to play around. These people give me wings to fly higher. But how to play the game, the right moves to be made and the expectation in audiences’ minds intimidate me, at times,” the Tadka (2022) actor admits.

Meanwhile, the 36-year-old shares that he is looking forward to Mirzapur 3. Calling the series the most “difficult one, because it’s been a different one”, the actor adds, “I say this because I am really invested in it. Also, I haven’t been a part of other shows in this long form. It takes a lot out of me. I admire everybody who manages to do multiple seasons of a show. As for this season, I would say that it has been rather adventurous. But part two was harder and more emotionally draining for me.”