Superstar Aamir Khan's brother and Mela actor Faisal Khan helms action thriller, Factory
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; August 28, 2019)

Only months ago, reports surfaced that Faisal Khan — brother to superstar Aamir Khan — will be seen in the action thriller, Factory. Now, it has come to light that the actor will make his directorial debut with the movie. Faisal says, "Direction was always on my mind, but this happened organically. We had another director [Sharique Minhaj] on board, but due to date issues, he couldn't continue. That's when I decided to step in. What is interesting is that my brother and mother [Zeenat] are aware of the film, but they don't know that I have turned director. I wanted to surprise them after finishing one schedule. I am waiting to see their reaction."

Having forayed into movies in 1994 with Madhosh, Faisal struggled to find a foothold in the industry. Aamir's attempt at boosting his career with Mela (1999) was met with little success. Since then, Faisal has been seen sporadically in films. The thriller also marks his singing debut. "Sharique insisted that I sing the song. I had no qualms about turning singer."

BOMBAY TIMES (January 16, 2019)

For the first time in his career, actor Faissal Khan will be singing for a film. He will make his debut behind the mic with a song called Ishq Tera for the upcoming movie, Factory. The new romantic track features a soulful melody and his unique rendition adds fresh appeal to the song, too.

Talking about his tryst with singing, Faissal says, “Factory is my dream project. I was pleasantly surprised when my director Sharique Minhaj suggested that I should be singing this song. He insisted that my voice was required for this number and I had no qualms about singing at all. In fact, growing up in and around films and cinema, the ability to sing just came to me smoothly. Since Ishq Tera is a soft, romantic track it was easy to croon. Having heard the final number, I feel quite proud.”

Faissal, who is most remembered for his role in Mela (2000), adds that today, content is the king. He shares, “2018 was all about content. From Bollywood biggies to filmmakers, everyone in the industry is taking risks with good content and the results are phenomenal. It’s heartening and is a sign of evolving times as far as the cinematic preferences of the Indian audience is concerned.”

About Factory, he says, “This film has powerful and attractive content and we are hopeful that it will appeal to the audience, too.”