While the Coronavirus lockdown phase was tough for people around the globe, Ali Fazal found solace in comedian Russell Brand, his co-star from an upcoming Hollywood film. Ali will be seen in the murder mystery Death On The Nile, which features an impressive ensemble cast. Ali says, “It was nice to get to know everyone’s take on acting. It was dream come true to be working with such a great cast — Armie Hammer, Gal Gadot, Kenneth Branagh and Russell Brand to name a few. Russell kept me sane during the lockdown last year. Interacting with him virtually was great… I even told him that.”

Talking about his other co-stars in the film, Ali shares, “Gal is wonderful to work with, and I had met Armie before. Yes, I had to work on my British accent for the film, but that is not something I want to boast about. An actor has to do whatever it takes to get into his character. It’s expected of us.”

Recalling an interesting incident during the shoot, he says, “Working on this film felt like a party, but no one ever lost focus. Ken (director Kenneth Branagh) made sure we got along well and got to know each other. For the shoot, we were on our way to the cruise in a small boat. It was a 20-minute journey, and on the way, he made these chits. And we played a quiz, which helped us to get to know each other. That was such a nice gesture.”

Having wrapped up the shoot of Gal Gadot starrer Death on the Nile, Ali Fazal on how filming the Hollywood project has been a learning experience for him
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; March 5, 2020)

It couldn't have been a better start to the year for Ali Fazal — he spent the last two months shooting for Death On The Nile that also features Wonder woman (2017) star Gal Gadot. The actor, who recently returned to the bay, admits that facing the camera for the seasoned actor-director, Kenneth Branagh, has been a "learning experience".

"When you shoot with people are who are masters of their craft, you end up learning a great deal. I have come back with a greater understanding of an actor's job. In this day and age, actors need to expand their skill sets. I aspire to work on different platforms and in different countries, regardless of the language. I want to seek parts and not projects; that's my blueprint going forward," says the actor, who is rumoured to have bagged another international project based on the Iraq War.

The latest screen adaptation of the Agatha Christie story boasts a glorious ensemble cast that includes Armie Hammer and Annette Bening, among others. Ask him about holding his own in front of reputed Hollywood stars, and he quips, "We were a diverse group who were making valuable contributions [to the final product]; it almost felt like the Olympics."

On home ground, rumours suggest Fazal will rub shoulders with Deepika Padukone and Rishi Kapoor in The Intern. He remains tight-lipped on the film, only willing to say, "I am taking my time to [find] projects that I truly want to be a part of. Amazon [Prime] has also announced that the second season of Mirzapur will arrive this year."

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; January 22, 2020)

Not someone to mince words, Richa Chadha says it like it is. Ahead of the release of her next, director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s Panga, she talks to BT about her film career, relationship with actor Ali Fazal, casting director woes and why freedom of speech is important. Excerpts...

You feature in Panga alongside Kangana Ranaut. Given the fact that you have never been a conformist, your choice of this film is quite apt...
Not just me, I think it holds true for every independent, opinionated woman. When you voice your thoughts freely, even normal things are perceived as ‘yeh toh pangey le rahi hai.’

Don’t you think women are often conditioned to not take pangas, be it at home, workplace or society at large? Even putting across your point can sometimes be misconstrued as being rebellious...
We are not sheep. Sheep need shepherds. We should not be confused about who we are. Everybody is entitled to an opinion and we should be able to express it. This is what democracy is all about. If an issue is troubling your heart, you should be able to say it.

What is it like to work with people who may have contradicting political ideologies? Does it have any bearing on you as an actor?
Vivek Oberoi (her co-star in a web series) and I have discussed everything — from the Trump presidency to India to Brexit, and we never agree on things, but at least, I feel comfortable to have that discussion with him. It is perhaps because I have worked with him longer. Kangana and I, we never discussed politics. We just didn’t. Also, ours is a democracy. You work with people you may or may not agree with.

With the kind of diverse content that we are seeing in our movies and other platforms, isn’t it an exciting time for actors like you, who have always been experimental?
The boom in the digital space has helped a lot of actors. Shefali Shah, Neeraj Kabi, Amit Sial.. these actors are finding good work and their visibility makes me happy. They deserve to be stars in their own right. I have done a lot of supporting roles in my career and I have no issues with that. I didn’t come into the industry with the news of a big affair or a famous boyfriend that the media won’t stop talking about. I didn’t have a producer dad. I had to start somewhere, and I feel that I have done well for myself. I haven’t done one naach gaana film and it’s a miracle that I exist. I am glad to have proved a lot of people wrong.

While a lot is changing in the industry, stereotyping still happens. For instance, we have rarely seen you in glamorous roles. Do you agree?
Does stereotyping happen? Of course! The casting directors need to know that. I feel certain casting directors are more destructive to outsiders than producers. They have their prejudices. Barring Honey Trehan who insisted that I should be in Fukrey (2013), I have never been cast by a casting director in any of my films. Honey pushed me to do Fukrey when other casting directors told me not to do it as they wanted to plug their own people. Writer-filmmaker Kanu Behl auditioned me for Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye (2008). He was Dibakar Banerjee’s assistant director (AD) then. He saw me in a play and wanted to cast me. Filmmaker Vasan Bala auditioned me for Dev D (2009) through someone’s reference. He was also an AD with Anurag Kashyap. From that audition, I got Gangs Of Wasseypur (2012). As far as being glamorous is concerned, I’ll be that off the screen. That’s my motto. Because on screen toh mar jayenge na log. Saavli ladki? Glamorous?

Your first attempt at stand-up comedy was well received. It also revealed that you are good with imitating people’s voices. Many wondered why you haven’t been approached for voice-over opportunities yet?
I did stand-up for fun as I wanted to do something that was scary. As far as voiceover is concerned, again, that’s the problem of casting directors and how myopic the industry is. I wonder why they haven’t seen that side of me. Recently, I was dancing at a party and some film colleagues asked me, ‘Wow, you can dance! Since you did Fukrey, we weren’t sure if you could.’ People still come to me and ask if I can speak English as I did Gangs Of Wasseypur. I don’t care about what these people say anymore.

Your actor-boyfriend Ali Fazal was in the audience for your stand-up show. Was it comforting or unnerving?
Ali is a sweetheart. He was expected to reach at 8 pm for the show, as I was to perform at 8.30. He showed up at 6.30 with coffee and cookies for everyone. He is extremely supportive. I couldn’t have asked for a better man in my life. Our relationship is a great creative partnership. No one that sees us together feels like it’s a mismatch. It wasn’t unnerving to have him in the audience at all. My friend, Ali and my brother Pranav were all sitting together. I made jokes about my family, too. It was nice that people liked it and were pleasantly surprised by my comic side.

You said somewhere that it was a miracle that Ali and you found love in each other...
I said it’s a miracle because it’s rare to find like-minded people who share certain core values and have similar interests like poetry, music, films and literature. Ali is also progressive and liberal. To find someone like that in your industry is rare. Also, we never expected to end up together. It happened organically.

Have the two of you thought about marriage?
We don’t have time. If we were to talk about marriage, it will be like... I don’t have dates in March, May is too hot, we are shooting a film in June, it rains too much in July... It will become like a line production job. We are waiting and chilling, and we are in a happy space.

Ali is working with Gal Gadot. Was there even a pinch of jealousy to see your man working with one of the hottest women in the world?
Not at all. That film has such a great cast. It has Armie Hammer and he is also hot. Ali and I never get jealous about these things. We are partners who are excited about each other’s careers. I am so happy that he is getting such good work abroad. People are seeing what an incredible actor he is.

As an industry, aren’t we gradually overcoming our bias for fair skin?
Why don’t you ask Bhumi (Pednekar) and me? Yes, the situation is better now, as we do have duskier actresses, but just observe this. An actress who gets launched at 20, look at her skin tone at 34. It’s completely different. What happened there?

Diljit Dosanjh is gearing up for a new film after the last few didn’t work; says his fascination with Kylie Jenner, Gal Gadot is over but refuses to reveal new crush
Hiren Kotwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 23, 2019)

When one meets Diljit Dosanjh at a suburban five-star where he’s promoting Good Newwz, he’s a picture of humility. Quiz him on reports of a collaboration with filmmaker Karan Johar much before he signed this Raj Mehta directorial, which also features Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor and Kiara Advani, and the Punjabi singer-actor concedes that every actor wants to work with KJo. “Karan called and narrated another idea to me, too. We spoke a couple of times, but then, he cast someone else. I wasn’t disappointed, whoever suits the role best.”

Talking of his comedy of errors, Diljit says he liked the screenplay and his role. “Plus, there are good actors like Akshay ji and Kareena ji, whose work I’ve admired,” he points out. By his own admission, he’s a Kareena fan and this is his second outing with her after his Hindi debut, Udta Punjab. Given that Akshay, Kareena and Kiara have worked with each other in the past and this is his first outing with them, did it take time to break the ice? “It’s a big thing when you’re working with someone you’re a fan of. I don’t believe in trying hard to forge a bond,” he states. “Akshay ji would speak in Punjabi, so it was easier to communicate with him.”

After Udta Punjab and Soorma, the biopic of India’s former hockey captain Sandeep Singh, did Diljit lose way with films like Welcome To New York and Arjun Patiala? “You have to try different things. In Punjab, we make the films we want to but I didn’t have much idea of Bollywood. Depending on what comes my way, I pick the best options,” he says, adding that he started as a singer, then, Punjabi films happened. “When I understood them, Hindi films came my way. I’m still trying to understand Bollywood.” So, what does he consider his base? “Since I travel wherever there is work, my base is hotels and flights,” he jokes.

Buzz is, he opted out of Ramesh Sippy’s production which was to mark Haroon Mirza’s (veteran filmmaker Aziz Mirza’s son) directorial debut after Arjun Patiala bombed. “That’s just a rumour. If a film is not good, then it won’t work. If a bad film works, then you should be disappointed because you don’t know what’s happening. Uss film ke saath kissa hua tha but there’s no problem with Ramesh ji. My first Punjabi hit, Jihne Mera Dil Luteya, was with his company, after which we did Ambarsariya. But this film is not happening,” he shrugs, saying after Good Newwz, he has signed a couple of Hindi films, but he’d rather the producers make the announcements.

Diljit has been a vocal fanboy of international stars like Kylie Jenner and Wonder Woman Gal Gadot on the social media. “That’s over now, change hote rehti hai,” he laughs. So, who is his latest ‘crush’? “Pehle bata ke pange liye hain, I don’t want to embarrass anyone now,” he demurs. Considering that he’s married, what does his wife have to say about his crushes? Refusing to discuss his personal life, Diljit says, “The problem is that when people are disappointed, they get personal and attack the family with maa-behen gaalis. I’m in public domain, you can say what you want about me, but I don’t want anyone talking about my family. If I choose a wrong film or sing a song wrong, it’s my fault. Why should my family be targeted?”

The co-stars are uniting on September 30 to kick off new retelling of Death On The Nile, which will be directed by Kenneth Branagh
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 28, 2019)

After sharing screen space with Academy Award winning veteran actress Judi Dench in the 2017 biographical comedy-drama Victoria & Abdul, Ali Fazal is gearing up for his next Hollywood outing. Also featuring Wonder Woman breakout star Gal Gadot, the film is a modern-day adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel Death on the Nile and will be directed by another British heavyweight, Kenneth Branagh, who has earlier helmed the Chris Hemsworth starrer Thor and Murder On The Orient Express, featuring Johnny Depp and Penélope Cruz.

A source close to the project informs Mirror that Ali will start filming for the project on September 30 in the Queen’s City. “Ali left for London last week and has been prepping for his part with the rest of the actors ever since. The film will be shot across the United Kingdom and Ali will be there for around two months before returning to Mumbai,” the source adds.

Death on the Nile was previously adapted for the screen in 1978 with Maggie Smith, Mia Farrow and Bette Davis, among others, and won the Oscar for Best Costume Design at the 51st edition of the award ceremony. When Mirror reached out to Ali, the actor said, “I’ve read the novel and had watched the earlier adaptation a long time ago. It was a great ensemble and now we are revisiting that great masterpiece. I feel blessed because it’s in Sir Kenneth Branagh’s hands. Also, for me the most essential prep is to get to know my costumes and look, once that part is sorted, everything else will follow. I have been focussing solely on that for the past one week.”

The film, which also features Call Me By Your Name actor Armie Hammer, is part of a series which earlier saw the highly successful Murder on the Orient Express. “Since I don’t play an Indian in the film, there is a dialect teacher on the set to train me and a bunch of others. I cannot reveal just yet what kind of accents we’re doing. All I can say is that I’m excited as there is a lot to look forward to and some big shoes to fill in. We’ve got an amazing cast,” Ali signs off.

With the lead role opposite Gal Gadot in Death On The Nile under his belt, Ali Fazal shares his Hollywood dreams
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 23, 2019)

"I did a look test for the film a year ago," begins Ali Fazal, when he connects with us over a phone call from London. B-Town was taken by surprise last week when it was announced that the actor has been chosen to play the parallel lead opposite Wonder Woman (2017) star Gal Gadot in Kenneth Branagh's Death On The Nile. "It was finally earlier this year that Kenneth told me that he wanted me to be part of it. When we met for costume trials, I knew I wanted to do this film." Branagh, who helmed The Murder On The Orient Express (2017), has put together an equally impressive cast — that includes Armie Hammer, Annette Bening and Letitia Wright — for the adaptation of the Agatha Christie book. The actor's excitement about meeting Gadot is understandable. "Gal is sensational. I am yet to meet her; she joins us next week."

With Indian actors frequently earning a place in Hollywood projects, the stereotype around them is fast fading. "The ethnicity of my character is not key to the plot here. The guy could pass off as a man of Indian origin, but that's not instrumental to the events. The language is a challenge here, but only as much as it is in, say Mirzapur, where the diction is key to the plot. I am hell-bent on changing the clichés of what an Indian actor in the West should be like."

Crediting Victoria & Abdul (2017) for altering his career trajectory, Fazal hopes to strike the right balance between Bollywood and Hollywood commitments hereon. "The shoot of Bhoot Police had to be shifted because of this film. Juggling projects takes a toll, but I am not complaining. [The two worlds] can co-exist. I don't have to shift to Los Angeles to be in Hollywood. I can live in India, and fly in and out for shoots. I want to create a difference [with my films]."

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; September 12, 2019)

After working with Dame Judi Dench in Victoria & Abdul, Ali Fazal has bagged another biggie. The actor will be seen in the film adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1937 detective fiction novel, Death On The Nile, which will be directed by Kenneth Branagh. The director, who has previously helmed movies like Murder On The Orient Express and the Thor series, will continue to play detective Hercule Poirot in the film.

Like Victoria & Abdul, Ali’s next, too, has a stellar cast, including Wonder Woman Gal Gadot and Armie Hammer, to name a few. The film explores Poirot’s investigation of a murder that takes place in a cruise on the Nile. As the probe begins, a handful of suspects emerge, but later, several of them meet their demise, further deepening the mystery.

The film is part of the detective series, which earlier saw the star-studded Murder On The Orient Express (2017), starring the likes of Penelope Cruz and Johnny Depp. Death On The Nile has previously been made in 1978, starring legends, including Bette Davis, Maggie Smith, Mia Farrow and others. The film is slated to go on floors later this month in London and parts of Europe.

Confirming the news, Ali told Bombay Times, “Yes, I am a part of this wonderful journey and I am looking forward to it. My mother and I have always been huge fans of Agatha Christie novels, so this is special.” About working with director Kenneth Branagh, he added, “Kenneth is a master of his craft and I’m excited to be directed by him. And what a stellar cast to join hands with on this project!” 

Diljit Dosanjh talks leaving effusive comments on reality TV star Kylie Jenner and actress Gal Gadot’s social media profiles, promises to do a Punjabi film every year, says playing a cop should be a cakewalk now
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 13, 2018)

Diljit Dosanjh who is just two films old in Bollywood has plenty on his plate this year. Welcome to New York with Sonakshi Sinha is gearing up for a February 23 release while his sports biopic Soorma, on India’s former hockey captain Sandeep Singh is ready and Arjun Patiala, a romcom with Kriti Sanon, kicks off on Valentine’s Day. He’s also busy with the second season of his singing reality show. When he isn’t making news at work, his social media grabs eyeballs. Over to Diljit…

Your comments on Gal Gadot and Kylie Jenner’s social media posts have grabbed a lot of attention.
I am quite active on Instagram and just because I’m an artiste myself, there is no rule that I shouldn’t follow others. Not just Gal Gadot and Kylie Jenner, I also comment on Sonakshi Sinha’s profile, the only difference being that she knows me personally, unlike the other two. If I like a picture posted by an actresses and mann mein baat aati hai, toh likh deta hoon. And whatever I write on a girl’s profile becomes famous while my comments on guys go unnoticed. I don’t have a publicist in Mumbai so I have to thank Gal Gadot and Kylie Jenner for keeping me in the news.

What did you think of Gal’s film, Wonder Woman?
I watched it in the theatre and frankly didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. The film was set against the backdrop of a war which made it interesting as I was also shooting for a war film, Rangroot, then.

Now that you are busy with Hindi films are you still open to Punjabi offers?
I will be doing one Punjabi film every year. This year it’s Rangroot, which is based on World War I. I don’t want to lose my fans in Punjab, they want to see me in movies and singing songs.

Your Arjun Patiala will be filmed in Punjab from this month. Tell us more?
Well, I play a police officer. I’ve already played one in my Punjabi film Jatt and Juliet as well as my Hindi debut, Udta Punjab, so it should be a cakewalk. I just need to focus on the body language and learning my lines well.

That must be a relief after the tough prep for Soorma?
I was lucky I got to train with the legendary Sandeep (Singh) paji who taught me the game in minute detail. He was very patient, knowing I was new to hockey. Honestly I had never played any sport in my life and learnt hockey for a month from him. Both of us spent our Diwali break last year with hockey sticks, sacrificing on family time. Films like Soorma demand massive prep, I can’t look unprepared on screen.

I was living with paji at his Shahabad home for a long time and observed the way he speaks and even figured out how he thinks which helped me in my performance. His brother Bikramjeet also offered suggestions on how I could improve. Being offered a biopic in my second year of Bollywood is a big deal and with Shaad Ali as the director, I was ready to go the extra mile. There is a lot of pressure on the back as you have to stay bent over for hours at a stretch while playing. I had to get used to it.

How’s Sonakshi Sinha, your Welcome to New York co-star?
Sonakshi is a fabulous co-star, so normal in her behavior. She doesn’t behave like the daughter of a star of the stature of Shatrughan Sinha. I play a Punjabi boy and I hope fans love my conversations with her Gujarati fashion designer character in the film.

Why did you agree to a second season of the singing reality show Rising Star?
I don’t take up any other work on the weekend when I’m doing Rising Star since it’s a live show but I only shoot for two hours. I don’t listen to the contestants sing before the shoot because I believe I won’t be able to rate them accurately hearing them the second time around. So I watch the performances live, along with the audience.

How’s your rapport with co-judges Shankar Mahadevan and Monali Thakur?
I never imagined I would work on a film with Shankar Mahadevan but he has given music for Soorma. Monali is a National Award winner. She started out as a reality show contestant and now she judges one. She sure has come a long way.

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 4, 2017)