Showing posts with label Gary Oldman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gary Oldman. Show all posts
I don’t believe in banging drums all across about my work-Ali Fazal
8:07 AM
The actor is happy with whatever recognition he has received in India, says that he can’t force people here to appreciate him for his international laurels
Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 9, 2020)
He’s among those few actors from Bollywood who’s consistently doing noteworthy work in Hollywood, and Ali Fazal is quite content with how his career is shaping up in both the Hindi film industry as well as the West.
Asked if the thought ever crosses his mind that he remains less celebrated in Bollywood and Fazal says, “That’s fine. We’ll come around that. We’re artistes at the end of the day. I’ll not stop doing the work.”
The actor, who’ll be seen in Kenneth Branagh’s Death On The Nile, cites the example of late actor Irrfan, who juggled Bollywood and Hollywood projects. Calling the late actor an inspiration, Fazal says, “Irrfan bhai never pito-ed dhindhora about his work. His Hollywood film Puzzle (2018) is so good. And even I had the same question that why don’t people talk about his work more.”
But Fazal, 34, isn’t one to dwell on the negatives, and is looking forward to breaking the boundaries with each of his roles in Hollywood projects. “Yahaan par we celebrate all my other work and that’s beautiful for me. I think we don’t realise that the world on the other side is very different and I don’t believe in banging drums all across about my work,” he reasons.
The actor has faith in the audience and hopes that they’ll see the hard work that he has been putting into his craft. “My film Victoria & Abdul (2017; with Judi Dench) was nominated at the Oscars and the BAFTAS and I got to hang out with Gary Oldman and likes. I can’t come back to India and say, ‘please appreciate me’,” he says.
Fazal notes that whatever may be the case back home, nothing can take away the fact that Indian actors are breaking boundaries internationally. “Right now, I’m at a stage where blind casting happens for me. We’ve always been typecast in roles for Indians. In Death On The Nile, my origin isn’t defined. I’m totally British in that. That’s the beauty of this world. We get to tell stories and dissolve ourselves in that,” concludes the actor.
Ali Fazal to share the stage with Gal Gadot, Jessica Chastain at 7th Annual Hollywood Contenders
7:55 AM
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 4, 2017)
In the last couple of months, Ali Fazal has been rubbing shoulders with
Hollywood bigwigs at film festivals and gala dinners while promoting
Stephen Frears’s biographical comedy-drama, Victoria & Abdul, in
which he plays Abdul Karim, an Indian clerk who forges an unlikely
friendship with Judi Dench’s Queen Victoria. Today, the 31-year-old
actor will be delivering a speech at the 7th Annual Hollywood Contenders
where the biggest film studios come together to discuss the best of
the year’s cinema.
His 82-year-old co-star won’t be accompanying him as Judi is busy with her next film. But Ali is confident of holding his own, overwhelmed by America’s reaction to their film which is what earned him an invite to this prestigious event. “Films which are contenders for prestigious awards are invited and their cast offered a platform to talk about how they landed the role and made it their own. I will be speaking about diversity in Hollywood and how actors like me get a chance to grab the spotlight,” an excited Ali told Mirror before he flew out to Los Angeles early on Friday.
Many Hollywood A-listers, including Gary Oldman representing Joe Wright’s war drama, Darkest Hour, in which he plays former British PM Winston Churchill, Jessica Chastain for the crime drama Molly’s Game and Wonder Woman’s Gal Gadot will also be speaking at the event. Ali admitted that his will be a short speech about how the global stage is becoming bigger with major players coming to India.
“We have a big stake now and though Hollywood is in a mess right now with this Harvey Weinstein exposé and other skeletons coming out of the closet, cinema is evolving. There is major reshuffling happening everywhere and it’s important to respect everyone, starting with women,” asserted Ali.
Other films represented at The Contenders this year is the Ryan Gosling starrer Blade Runner 2049, Battle of the Sexes with Emma Stone, Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk and Baby Driver with Kevin Spacey, among others.
Meanwhile, Ali has signed another international project, a biopic, which will take off in 2018. For now he is “mingling” with Golden Globe winner Jessica, American actors Sam Rockwell and Vince Vaughn, British-Indian sitar player Anoushka Shankar and Pride & Prejudice director Joe Wright. “I’ve had some interesting conversations with them and wonderful ideas were exchanged,” he said.
He is rooting for Judi to win a second Oscar for Victoria & Abdul. The actress has been nominated six times and bagged the award once for Weinstein’s Shakespeare In Love in 1998, in which she played Queen Elizabeth I. “Main seeti marunga, yes, I will whistle,” Ali promised with a laugh, admitting that they have spoken just once since the release of their film when he congratulated her on Murder on the Orient Express.
Does he plan to move West to pursue his international career? “Last month I was in Varanasi and now I am off to LA. I’m trying to juggle both worlds for now but one thing is for sure, I won’t be moving there permanently,” he signed off.
His 82-year-old co-star won’t be accompanying him as Judi is busy with her next film. But Ali is confident of holding his own, overwhelmed by America’s reaction to their film which is what earned him an invite to this prestigious event. “Films which are contenders for prestigious awards are invited and their cast offered a platform to talk about how they landed the role and made it their own. I will be speaking about diversity in Hollywood and how actors like me get a chance to grab the spotlight,” an excited Ali told Mirror before he flew out to Los Angeles early on Friday.
Many Hollywood A-listers, including Gary Oldman representing Joe Wright’s war drama, Darkest Hour, in which he plays former British PM Winston Churchill, Jessica Chastain for the crime drama Molly’s Game and Wonder Woman’s Gal Gadot will also be speaking at the event. Ali admitted that his will be a short speech about how the global stage is becoming bigger with major players coming to India.
“We have a big stake now and though Hollywood is in a mess right now with this Harvey Weinstein exposé and other skeletons coming out of the closet, cinema is evolving. There is major reshuffling happening everywhere and it’s important to respect everyone, starting with women,” asserted Ali.
Other films represented at The Contenders this year is the Ryan Gosling starrer Blade Runner 2049, Battle of the Sexes with Emma Stone, Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk and Baby Driver with Kevin Spacey, among others.
Meanwhile, Ali has signed another international project, a biopic, which will take off in 2018. For now he is “mingling” with Golden Globe winner Jessica, American actors Sam Rockwell and Vince Vaughn, British-Indian sitar player Anoushka Shankar and Pride & Prejudice director Joe Wright. “I’ve had some interesting conversations with them and wonderful ideas were exchanged,” he said.
He is rooting for Judi to win a second Oscar for Victoria & Abdul. The actress has been nominated six times and bagged the award once for Weinstein’s Shakespeare In Love in 1998, in which she played Queen Elizabeth I. “Main seeti marunga, yes, I will whistle,” Ali promised with a laugh, admitting that they have spoken just once since the release of their film when he congratulated her on Murder on the Orient Express.
Does he plan to move West to pursue his international career? “Last month I was in Varanasi and now I am off to LA. I’m trying to juggle both worlds for now but one thing is for sure, I won’t be moving there permanently,” he signed off.
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