Actor Ali Fazal has stepped into a police uniform for the first time in filmmaker Prosit Roy’s latest crime thriller Raakh, inspired by the infamous 1978 Ranga-Billa case. The actor says playing Sub-Inspector Jayprakash Jatav was a gradual process that took time to find its rhythm.

“It’s a cop role, vardi hai, which was a great lead-up because I kept asking, ‘Costume trial kab hoga?’ Then the first day arrived and I realised, ‘Fit nahin aa raha… Maybe Prosit won’t like this’. It’s been a slow and steady puzzle arriving at it,” Fazal tells us during a visit to Delhi.

While Raakh sees him explore new territory, Fazal’s next outing will bring him back to familiar ground as he reprises his fan-favourite role of Guddu Pandit in Mirzapur: The Movie. Asked to compare the two characters, he says, “Guddu has a very flamboyant world. Everybody’s right in their own story. I just finished the Mirzapur film, and it’s another kind of a thrill.”

Fazal is also among the few Indian actors who have successfully built an international portfolio, with projects such as Victoria & Abdul (2017), Death on the Nile (2022) and Kandahar (2023) to his credit. 

Asked for advice for actors hoping to break into Hollywood, he says, “It works differently from India. Don’t be shy of giving auditions. It’s one of the most humbling experiences. A lot of actors have this misconception that they’ll go there, find an agency and life will start. It’s actually the other way around. You have to get through auditions, land one part and then the agencies come to you.”

Everyone had a funny line and comic timing down to the beat, but Dibyendu Bhattacharya’s character had to keep a straight face. So, while he was excited about joining Maamla Legal Hai Season 2, he was unsure how audiences would perceive his serious turn in Netflix’s madcap comedy. But since the second season dropped on April 2, the compliments haven’t stopped.

“I didn’t understand how people would take this character because everybody is doing comedy except me. But now, I [feel] people have liked my character a lot. They didn’t expect such a twist,” says the actor, who plays a newly-appointed judge in the Patparganj district court.

For Bhattacharya, the role may not have been big, but its layers made it tempting. “It was tough because I had to be precise as there is a certain dignity and sanctity attached to the position of a judge. [My character] also had to balance between how much to tell and not. The character was written in a way that you can’t tell whether he is positive or negative. I couldn’t project a lot in this performance because he shouldn’t be seen. If you see him, you  will find out that something is fishy.”

The actor’s calendar is packed this year. In July, he will be seen in Alpha, starring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari Wagh, and directed by Shiv Rawail. Bhattacharya, who plays a key role in the upcoming instalment of the YRF Spy Universe, has previously worked with Rawailon The Railway Men (2023).

While the actor refuses to divulge details about Alpha, he says, “It was a fantastic shooting for Alpha. Shiv is a young director. He is dedicated and passionate. He leaves no stone unturned to achieve what he wants. The film boasts of good actors and technicians,” he says, adding that he also enjoyed sharing screen space with Bhatt. “She is a good actor. It was during Poachers [2024] promotions that I met her for the first time.”

After ‘Maamla Legal Hai 2’, Dibyendu Bhattacharya will be seen in Prime Video’s ‘Raakh’, directed by Prosit Roy. The series also features Ali Fazal and Sonali Bendre. “I love the subject and the director. Prosit is a talented man. I have a long association with him,” he says.

Very few actors in the country can boast of a comic timing as good as his. He's witty, multi-talented and unlike most celebrities, not always politically correct. On a good day, you might even catch him trolling his detractors online (and how!), with Yo Mamma jokes and puns. For Vir Das, comedy is serious business. Whether it's films or stand-up, he has proved his mettle in comedy. But now he wants to widen his repertoire. In a conversation with BT, the actor talks about being pigeonholed as a comedian and why he is trying to break the mould.

In 31st October and your short film Raakh, you've experimented with serious as well as negative shades. Are you trying to break the stereotype of a funny guy?
Yes, it's a conscious effort. But the comedy isn't going to stop anytime soon. I want to try things that I'm not an expert at. I'll stumble but learn something new. I also want to show people that I'm a diverse artiste, who can make unpredictable choices. I took the decision to break out of my comfort zone and do different kinds of roles, a year ago. In fact, in the last five days, I've been offered seven villainous roles! I'm definitely going to choose one.

Do you think the audience will accept you in such roles?
I don't concern myself too much with my reputation because it isn't in my control. I have learned this the hard way - my talent belongs to me but my reputation belongs to other people. If I want to increase my arsenal as an actor, I have to keep experimenting. Luckily, I've got a good response for Raakh. 31st October didn't do well at the box office because it was stuck for a year-and-a-half and about 30 per cent of the film was butchered by the Censor Board. But I got the best acting reviews for it. It's going to be many more years till people completely accept me in different kinds of roles. But it's a good start. Having said that, whenever a high-concept comedy is written in India, I am one of the first five actors to read it. It's a privilege that I don't want to give up.

How do you juggle your stand-up shows and films?
In 2017, I will probably do six months of films and six months of stand-up. Thankfully, I enjoy both. Stand-up is humbling. No matter how big a star you are, when you go on a stage, you better be funny. The audience will give you only two minutes and then judge you.

Given the current scenario, do you restrict yourself while writing for your shows?
I don't believe in censorship. I trust my judgement. I am an intelligent, patriotic guy and have a decent moral compass. I assume whatever I write will fall within the boundaries of what is acceptable. I don't make fun of sick people or the elderly. I think the worst thing that can happen to a comedian is when the audience doesn't laugh at his jokes. You don't need the government or the Censor Board to punish us for bad jokes.

Do you think we've become too sensitive as a society?
You could put a picture of two roses on stage, and even that will offend someone. You can't censor comedy; it will find its way out. The only solution is to do more comedy. You have to keep doing it till people understand that you are not supposed to take it seriously. So, I'm not afraid of the consequences.

You're the first Indian to have his own comedy special on Netflix...
I'm nervous. I just want to say the right things because I don't think such a large audience across the world will have ever seen Indian comedy before. This is the first time 120 countries will be watching humour from the Indian perspective. I want to get that right, so I'm rewriting and rehearsing. This has been the best year of my career as it has allowed me to make unpredictable choices.

Unlike most celebrities, you don't take kindly to trolls on social media and often get back at them.
Once every three months, I take a day off and have a nice fight on Twitter! If people can have fun at my expense, I can also have fun at theirs. It's the only free stand-up show I will ever do. I reject the notion of being a celebrity. I'm an artiste. So, I will say what I want to say on social media.