Having attended the Oscar nominees’ luncheon this year as a member of the Academy, actor Ali Fazal says meeting Hollywood creative forces such as actors Tom Cruise and Brendan Fraser motivates him to push himself as an artiste.

“I got to meet such wonderful talent from all across the board, and I have watched all of their work. It was a real honour to just have a nice, relaxed afternoon with everyone,” Fazal tells us.

On Wednesday, the 36-year-old Instagrammed pictures from the luncheon, including happy moments with filmmakers Guneet Monga and Shaunak Sen, both of whom have received nods for their documentaries, The Elephant Whisperers and All That Breathes, respectively.

“There are just too many cherished memories from the lunch. Getting fist bumps from Tom Cruise is definitely top of the list, and so is sharing notes with Martin McDonagh (filmmaker) — whose plays I have performed on stage. It was nice to meet Brendan Fraser and a lot of other people out there, and learn that they know of my work. It is encouraging for an actor like me and has been the biggest takeaway from the luncheon,” says the actor, who has found a fan following in the West after starring in Victoria & Abdul (2017) and Death On The Nile (2022).

Talking about his role as an Academy member, Fazal says, “My responsibilities and that of all Indian members is to be on the global stage. Indian Academy members have a role to play in storytelling across the globe,” Fazal shares, adding that he is rooting for the country at the awards this year.

“I am championing all the nominations. We’ve had a great representation from India. All That Breathes (2022) is one of the best films I have seen — and I am not saying this because it is from India and I know the team,” he signs off.

After playing Aamir Khan and Kajol's son Rehan in Kunal Kohli's Fanaa, Lara Dutta's son Rohan in David Dhawan's Partner and a role in the Shahid Kapoor-starrer Paathshala, six years ago, Ali Haji is set to make a comeback with the Hollywood film, The Field, also featuring The Mummy actor, Brendan Fraser.

“My character, Suraj, is from a gangster family, the youngest of three brothers, with Ronit Roy playing the eldest and Neeraj Kabi the second one. I lost seven kg to look the part with the help of two trainers who guided me through weight-training, crossfit and aerobics in 15 days,“ says Ali who also trained under thespian Nivedita Baunthiyal in diction and body language.

Ali is 16, while Suraj is around 20 so he had to get the posture right and speak like a Dilliwala. “I was asked to watch films like The Godfather and Raajneeti as a part of my prep,“ he reveals, adding that the team shot in June with Brendan in an Oshiwara garage, a dance club in Vile Parle and at the rooftop of a Lower Parel hotel. “When I met Brendan for the first time he greeted me with a warm hug. I'd seen his films but never imagined that I'd get to work with him. He'd insist I sit with him during the readings to get the final take right and shared his acting experiences. It was inspiring.“

The team is set to start shooting for the Delhi schedule by the year-end or early 2017. The 47-year-old Hollywood star may or may not be a part of it.

Next up, Ali is set to appear for his board exams in March but admits that he didn't want to lose out on a Hollywood project. “I have been doing plays and also working on a short film titled Back Road which features four parallel stories with one social message each,“ he con cludes.