Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; September 15, 2019)

Known for his signature messy hair and boyish charm, Ali Fazal is disarmingly honest, just like his ladylove Richa Chadha. His talent and earnestness were noticed even in his brief, but significant appearance in 3 Idiots (2009), and the lead role in Oscar-nominated Victoria & Abdul (2017). Ali’s career trajectory took a massive leap recently, when he bagged an Agatha Christie thriller with Hollywood stars like Gal Gadot and Armie Hammer. However, the actor says that he hasn’t yet reached where he should have. In a chat with BT, he opens up on his career, relationship, the culture of political correctness in cinema and his upcoming film, Prassthanam. Excerpts...

You worked with Dame Judi Dench (Victoria & Abdul), and was part of Furious 7 (2015). Now, you are a part of Prassthanam, which seems to be an out-and-out commercial potboiler. Isn’t it great that you are getting opportunities to juggle films that belong to different schools of acting and filmmaking?
I am a sucker for being pushed out of my comfort zone. That gives me a kick. Fukrey (2013) was a cakewalk for me. Any Tom, Dick and Harry can pull that role off. Victoria & Abdul was different and I am hungry for working with different directors, who take that risk. I have never fallen in that category of being the go-to guy for an art film or a certain type of role. I have had a mixed filmography.

But the lack of an image may not always go in your favour. Today, people can define a Rajkummar Rao or an Ayushmann Khurrana film, which hasn’t happened with you so far...
So many times, it has gone against me. I grabbed whatever work came to me. I am getting good opportunities now, but when I look back, I regret some of the choices I made. I never had a set image. I admire people like Rajkummar and Ayushmann. Raj has been doing back-to-back incredible films with Hansal Mehta. A lot of his earlier films were a washout, but he has slowly and steadily worked towards building a certain image for himself.

In Ayush’s case, from hosting shows to doing movies like Vicky Donor (2012), his choice of content-driven films have helped him build an image. On the contrary, I am constantly trying to break away from an image, and it has worked against me at times. I don’t know how to do this. There was no planning in my career. TV kiya nahi, uss mein bohot paisa hai. All these principles go against you.

You are known to speak your mind and are quite critical of things. Is such outspokenness appreciated in an industry where being diplomatic and politically correct is almost a norm?
A lot of directors appreciate honesty, but you can’t stick your nose everywhere. You also need to know where you stand as an actor. I am critical of things, and I can be shameless in getting my point across. If some things are tacky, they are. Why should you not say it? Films are, after all, a creative, collaborative process. Everything has become so protocol and hierarchy-based and this happens everywhere. Even when I used to correct the Urdu lines written for me in Victoria & Abdul, they had to be routed through the BBC UK. In fact, we have more freedom in India when it comes to voicing our point of view as actors.

Surprisingly, there’s a perception that actors in the West have a bigger say...
Actors in the West enjoy more benefits and some have that clout. They have unions and pensions. For the rest of my life, whenever Victoria & Abdul is played, I will get a certain amount of money. You need that support. Studios are more powerful there. In fact, I am reading a book — Easy Riders, Raging Bulls — that talks about the change in Hollywood’s cinema culture and how the studios came into power. It’s quite informative.

Coming back to Prassthanam, what is it all about? And, how did you become a part of it?
This film came to me at the right time. Baba (Sanjay Dutt) called me for it and I am his huge fan. I play his son in the film. It has politics, action, thrill, songs bhi hai… it has an interesting mass appeal. It takes you back to the 90s, but also reflects today’s political structure in Uttar Pradesh and interpersonal relationships. It’s a testosterone-heavy film about the alpha male image that we have on the outside. Manisha Koirala plays a central role. I don’t know how that will be received because she doesn’t have too many dialogues, but her voice echoes through the entire film. Feminists are going to have a field day writing about our film and I fear that it could be for the wrong reason because we are actually trying to show how messed-up toxic masculinity is. Gharon mein aaj bhi agar bhai-behen khaana khaane baithte hai toh bhai ko plate pehle jaata hai. Even the mother doesn’t realise that. So, sexism exists and it’s deep-rooted in our culture.

While this dialogue is essential, isn’t excessive scrutiny and moral policing detrimental to cinema, as filmmakers will get conscious?
Question it, but don’t form an opinion on it and say, ‘Don’t watch it’. Let people watch it and decide for themselves. Here, everyone wants to decide for others. You are okay watching Western web series, but an Indian hero hamari sabhyata ko nahi maar sakta. Technically, we are still hero worshipping. While paying attention to all of this, we are missing out on cinema because everybody is scared. I couldn’t smoke in one scene of Milan Talkies because Tigmanshu (Dhulia, director) didn’t want that anti-smoking disclaimer to pop up. The whole point of that scene was to tell someone that smoking is injurious, but we deleted that scene as people may not see it in the right context anymore. We are now forced to play it safe and that’s bad for art. Art and politics have to go hand in hand. Politics has power, but art shapes society. You can’t ignore it.

Richa and you are amongst the few couples in Bollywood, who are outspoken. Did that aspect of your personalities bring you closer?
Richa has a lot of knowledge and has a spiritual outlook towards life, and that attracts me to her the most. She is very centered and focussed. I am not. I don’t want to grow up. Adulting is not my thing. I hate it. Mujhe har mahina electricity bill, gas bill, yeh bill, woh bill nahi bharna hai. No matter where you are, you get those bill reminders. By the way, Richa is equally goofy. She is a clumsy woman. All that serious hoity-toity image she has, I don’t know what that is (smiles). She drops food every time she eats! That’s her USP.

Why do you say that you are not centered? Do you mean that you struggle to stay in the moment?
I am only peaceful at two places — on a movie set and in a movie hall. That is why I watch movies on my own a lot. I walk in alone, buy my ticket and popcorn, and find myself in a meditative state. That’s bliss for me. I am like that even on a movie set. Apart from that, bheed hai mere dimag mein. My mind is brimming with ideas all the time and that perhaps takes the focus away. I want to create something new, and manage work in the West as well.

Since you hate adulting, have you given marriage a thought or do you perceive it as too much of a responsibility?
I believe in the sanctity of marriage. I think it’s beautiful, but work is a priority at the moment. Somewhere, we all stumble upon it, I guess. I am happy in the space that I am in right now. And maybe, I have thought about marriage, but I won’t speak about it yet. Is it unmanly for a man to be shy about certain things? I am extremely shy when it comes to talking about my personal life. I find it weird.

Other than acting, filmmaking has been on your mind for a while now...
Yes, it has. I have been writing a magnum opus. I am writing two things actually — a mini series and a film script. I don’t know if I’ll be directing these, but writing is my life’s purpose, I think. The film script is my Mughal-e-Azam. It is a period epic. It’s not about the Mughals, though. There are instances and stories that have lasted over generations in my family that I will capture in it, but it isn’t biographical.

Actors Kubbra Sait and Ali Fazal discuss treading the line between films and web shows
Dhara Vora Sabhnani (MID-DAY; August 7, 2018)

When actor Kubbra Sait walks in wearing cutesy bejwelled cat ears on her head, actor Ali Fazal is quick to tell her, "You are too posh." The two reminisce about days of low bank balances; it's tough to miss the chemistry that lights up the room. "This friendship goes back to his first movie. I remember interviewing him on the red carpet and telling myself, 'Wow! What a good looking boy'."

"I remember reaching out to her when I wanted to try anchoring as it is good money," recalls Ali, referring to Kubbra's popularity as a host. "In a broad sense, we are each other's cheerleaders. He does something good, I text him. And he does the same thing," is how she summarises their friendship.

The two quickly pick their dishes at JLWA in Bandra, and carry on from where they left of.

Dhara: You have worked on web shows before Sacred Games and Mirzapur (Ali's forthcoming series produced by Farhan Akhtar). Do you regret doing any of them?
Ali: Everybody has regrets. I remember sitting in a cafe in Bandra and going through a script this one time. I was desperately trying to find one reason to do it. But sadly, not the content, but my low bank balance made me do it.
Kubbra: I have had my share.
Ali: But what's the next step for you, movies or web shows?
Kubbra: I want movies. I think one movie a year, banta hai. I want to be a filmwala too.
Ali: The good part is that it's not downmarket anymore. Like earlier, you would be labelled if you worked on TV, 'You have three houses, but no life.' But quality content on the web has changed the perception.

Dhara: Right, but did you still have doubts about acting for the web?
Kubbra: There is an audience for the kirana store and for a gourmet food store. I am fine being part of both.
Ali: I respect the celluloid more than any other platform, but the quick access to content that the Internet provides is amazing. You cannot live in a shell today.
Kubbra: I have never put all my eggs in one basket, since the time I came to this city. I have also done shows that I am not proud of.
Ali: Actually when the web platform first came in India, filmmakers thought, 'let us put as much sex as we can in these shows'. We were so frustrated with the censor board, that the first few shows showed everything! You could say f***t**d and get away. Slowly, people came to their senses. And that's how cinema should be too, unaffected. But you can't watch it with a five-year-old and then say you are offended.
Kubbra: He's right. After Sacred Games, people constantly asked me about the nudity. I feel, don't dictate what somebody should watch or not. Don't belittle the beautiful thought. There is gravitas to it.
Ali: And we never question English films for it. Only our women shouldn't do it.
Kubbra: But web series are giving us that power now to say what we want; it's a blank canvas. The good thing is that the audience will write you off if you produce sh*t.

Dhara: So is it better or are we still producing sh*t??
Ali: It's going to take some time, but the web is going to be huge.
Kubbra: We have a better audience, smarter technology and better content now.

The food arrives — mutton rogan josh arancini, bhuna ghost mini sliders, nimboo kali mirch chicken and ghee roast chicken steak roll.

Kubbra: I love the arancini, and the meat in the sliders.
Ali: The arancini is my pick too.
Kubbra: But I really miss my south Indian food in Mumbai. I want a good dosa place and Andhra joints to open here.

Dhara: What about the Udupi restaurants in Matunga?
Kubbra: They are not like the ones in Bangalore.
Ali: Since I am from Lucknow, I will never find authentic North Indian food here. But the rest of the food culture is great here.
Kubbra: Okay, now Ali it's my turn to ask you, when did you finally know you were famous?
Ali: I got calls from a television channel after 3 Idiots about people committing suicide because of the film. I went into depression for two months because I thought I was responsible. On a global scale it happened with Victoria & Abdul, during promotions. People in Venice who knew me and wanted my autographs.
Kubbra: How did you deal with it?
Ali: I had Judi Dench, Daniel Day-Lewis and Gary Oldman travelling with me to keep me grounded. What about you?
Kubbra: When I hit 100k followers on Instagram. [both laugh]

Dhara: With followers also come the comments...
Ali: You've got to make light of it, but also face them. Because it can turn into harassment, I have received death threats too.
Kubbra: I call them out in a sarcastic way, so it's rude but funny.
Ali: Many are paid trolls, people get paid `10 per tweet to troll and drive certain ideologies.

Quick takes

One thing you miss about your hometown?
Ali: Gulli cricket.
Kubbra: Dosa.

An actor you would like to work with?
Ali: Tom Hardy
Kubbra: Shah Rukh Khan, and a full feature with Ranveer Singh.
Ali: [Staring hard at Kubbra] Bahut sahi hai!
Kubbra: And Lisa Edelstein, I think we look alike.
Ali: Oh shut up [both laugh].

A web show you are currently hooked to?
Kubbra: Fauda.
Ali: Fauda is insane! I was hooked to Sacred Games last month, and Godless right now.

As told to Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 9, 2018)

The 2017 British biographical comedy-drama Victoria & Abdul (above), which was nominated for two Oscars, came to me unannounced. I was told about it by an agent in Mumbai and went through multiple auditions in London studios and readings with director Stephen Frears. After I landed the part, a month-and-a-half before the shoot, I locked myself up in my hotel room in London with 12 history books spanning the last 200 years.

Abdul Karim, the young prison clerk from Agra who sails to England for Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887 to present her with a gold coin and strikes an unlikely friendship with the Queen had got lost in time. In the 18th century there weren’t too many photographs taken and no video footage, so we had to build him up from the few that existed, mathematically map out Abdul’s life through his clothes and suchlike. The books only helped me 10 per cent in fleshing out the character, but thanks to the film, I brushed up on my history.

Abdul had lived in London for 15 years and served as the Queen’s munshi. An Urdu scholar who knew the Quran well, he was also her Urdu and spiritual teacher. During their time together they had fallen in love, even though he was 30 and she 80. But from the way the screenplay was written, it seemed like the story had unfolded over five days and the only way to track the timeline was to be attentive to the costumes which changed with the years.

I’d lied saying I’d read the book on which the film was based, only doing so after the shoot. The screenplay wanted to create a fantasy in the midst of chaos and I didn’t want to burst that. But I did brush up on my Urdu and even taught it to Judi Dench. She in turn taught me table manners, in particular how to eat lobster. Both of us come from a theatre background and we’d chat for hours. The friendship that blossomed was real.

For my other Hollywood film, Fast and Furious 7, I learnt to drive sports cars because in the initial script I had a race with Vin Diesel. I practised on an Audi R8 and Bugatti but by the time we reached the second schedule, we lost Paul Walker and the script turned into a tribute to him. So the race didn’t happen but another scene was added as compensation. The film was the Dabangg of Hollywood and I was playing royalty but royalty today wears Versace and not a crown. I knew a few princes from Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia, observed how they spoke and thought and even acquired a Middle-Eastern accent.

Back in Bollywood, the Fukrey (left) franchise has become a crowd-puller but I admit, the first time I heard it, I didn’t think much of the role I played. Zafar, the struggling musician, seemed too easy and I thought if he were mute, I would be more impactful. The filmmakers eventually convinced me to come on board and I developed a great chemistry with the other boys (Pulkit Samrat, Varun Sharma and Manjeet Singh). I also got to play some amateurish guitar which I’d learnt during 3 Idiots (right). I hadn’t got much time to prep then so I used a few common chords while singing “Give Me Some Sunshine” live, full out. But the guitar became a part of me.

More recently, for Mirzapur, a story of two brothers, I put on 12 kg of muscle and shaved my head to play this medieval character in a series which is a mix of Narcos and Godfather. It has hi-octane action sequences which required training. But since I come from a family for whom hunting was a game once, though I don’t promote it, I know my guns.

Actor Ali Fazal on his ‘insane’ night-out with stars at the recently concluded Oscars
Shravan Shah (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 7, 2018)

Ali Fazal, who was in the City of Angels to represent his film Victoria & Abdul which was up for Oscars for costume and make-up at the 90th Academy Awards, had a fanboy moment when he ran into his idol, Hollywood actor Samuel Jackson. “It was insane! He congratulated me on Victoria & Abdul and told me that he watches a lot of Bollywood films, the last one being Baahubali which he really liked. We were sitting at the same table with Smokey Robinson, a music legend, and it was nice spending the entire evening with him over a four-course meal,” the actor reminisces, admitting that he was taken by surprise when Darren Aronofsky came up to him to say that he liked his work. Ali was also overwhelmed by all the love he got on the day of the Oscars. “Even though I wasn’t nominated personally, it was one step closer to living the dream and I really hope to bring the statuette home one day,” says the 31-year-old actor.

He goes on to reveal that Hollywood’s perception of Bollywood is fast changing with the realisation that Hindi cinema is much more than just song and dance. “Song and dance is ingrained in our culture and I’m proud of it, but we also have another kind of cinema happening here which is at par with international cinema. Victoria & Abdul was a different take on an Indian and I was careful not to turn it into the caricature that unfortunately Russell Peters has created. He has ruined the Indian accent for everybody and I tried to change that and people bought it,” he says.

The actor also recorded a podcast joining the winners at the Oscars afterparty. “It was crazy, everybody was there,” he says. “Some I knew from before, others I had long admired. Sam Rockwell, Kendal Jenner, Kobe Bryant, Steven Spielberg, you name them, they were present. Richa (actress-girlfriend Richa Chadha) and I chatted with Frances McDormand, this year’s Oscar winner (for the Martin McDonagh-directed crime-drama Three Bilboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri). She is badass and super cool. I also had a great conversation with one of my favourite directors, Ron Howard. We were literally party-hopping.”

And did rapper Drake really stare at Richa as he mentioned in his tweet? “I was just fooling around,” he says. “We met and said hello. There was no drama involved.”

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 25, 2018)

"The honour is well-deserved,” beams Ali Fazal with pride, after his film, Victoria & Abdul, bagged Oscar nominations in two categories — Best Costume Design, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. “Consolata Boyle [designer] has worked so hard on the costumes. Her work is intricate and detailed.”

The actor, who played Abdul in the film that traced Queen Victoria’s unlikely friendship with her servant, says that Boyle was adept at creating ensembles for Judi Dench’s character. However, it was Fazal’s outfits that posed a challenge. “Most of the work went on my clothes — from the gold-plated buttons on the kurta to the fabric of the attires. With this film, we put our culture of opulent costumes out there for the world to see."

Fazal is optimistic that with the West appreciating the exquisite designs associated with Indian clothes, there will be increased interest in Indian designers. "They need to pull up their socks because the world is taking notice of Indian designs.”

Ask him if he’ll head to the Oscars and he says, “I will be in Los Angeles. If all goes well, I might get to go for it.”

The iconic American photographer has clicked Queen Elizabeth II, Demi Moore, Miley Cyrus and the late John Lennon
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 12, 2018)

Soon after wrapping up Prakash Raj’s Tadka with Taapsee Pannu in Goa, Ali Fazal flew to New York earlier this week for a photoshoot with iconic American portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz. The 68-year-old lenser has earlier worked with Queen Elizabeth II, Demi Moore, Micheal Jackson, Miley Cyrus and Mark Zuckerberg, and had memorably clicked John Lennon just five hours before he was assassinated.

“They wanted to shoot in December but I was busy with a project. I was crushed. But then they called back informing that the date had been shifted to January. So I landed up in New York on January 8 in minus 15 degree Celsius and headed to the set,” informs Ali, adding that he took a flight home on January 9 to resume work.

The 31-year-old actor says that he had first heard of Leibovitz from his friends in college who were studying fashion but had never imagined that he would get to pose for her one day. “I couldn’t imagine I was shooting with her. Even as kids, we had heard about her incredible portraits. I spoke to her about the Lennon photo but didn’t press much for details as it’s a sensitive subject,” says Ali.

The photoshoot concept revolved around Indian actors who have migrated to Hollywood. Ali who grabbed eyeballs for his performance in Stephen Frears’s Victoria & Abdul, sports a more contemporary look in the pictures. “She wanted me to break away from my look in Victoria & Abdul and capture the simplicity of my being. It has a candid, bohemian touch with me in a suit,” informs Ali, saying Leibovitz didn’t want him to pose or even look into the camera. “Two people were clicking me simultaneously and I was confused about who was actually taking the pictures little realising that it was Annie who was secretly shooting in the middle of it all. She is always in search of some truth and that’s what sets her apart.”

Leibovitz loved Victoria & Abdul and congratulated Ali when they met. She had never shot with an Indian before and offered to stop the shoot if he was feeling too cold. They even spoke about the photography master class that Leibovitz conducts online. “She had just finished shooting for it and was telling me how with her experience she wants to give back to people. It was truly a once-in-alifetime shoot and I hope I get another opportunity,” says Ali, who will soon be joining Sonakshi Sinha, Jassie Gill and Diana Penty on the sets of Aanand L Rai’s romcom Happy Bhag Jayegi Returns.

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 25, 2017)

After Victoria & Abdul, Ali Fazal’s Hollywood career has got a new lease of life with two new international projects that kick off next year. “One is a biopic again and I have the titular role. I was the fi rst one to come on board. There’s another project that will be announced later,” the 30-year-old actor informs.

Back home, he’s gearing up for the Fukrey sequel in which he reprises the role of the mild-mannered musician, Zafar. “It’s been three years since Fukrey released. It rarely happens that people who meet on film sets stick around after wrap-up. In this case, we have been constantly in touch,” Ali says, adding that his role will be far more interesting this time around. “That was one of the first questions I asked my director (Mrighdeep Singh Lamba) as my character was boring in the first film. This time, the story is fastpaced and there’s a lot of action. Fukrey took time to introduce characters, now the audience knows us so this time it’s 10 notches up. Let’s see if it works,” he adds hopefully.

Ali recounts a particular sequence with co-stars Pulkit Samrat, Varun Sharma and Manjot Singh. “Every day was an adventure, but the highlight was 300 people chasing us on the Old Yamuna Bridge in Delhi. In that shot, we had to run with a three-camera setup following us and then jump into the river. The water was very dirty but we managed to pull the sequence off in one take,” he says at the memory.

Speaking about his rumoured girlfriend Richa Chadha, who is also part of Fukrey Returns, he adds, “Richa is an impeccable actress who’s the most pivotal part of the film. But working with her is like working with anyone else for me. We are two professionals who understand the space we are in regardless of our personal equation. The sets of Fukrey Returns was full of energy and the entire cast has developed a strong bond over time. Working with Richa, which I’m sure everyone else would agree with, is fulfilling as she’s a talented actress and it’s always great to be around such individuals,” Ali explains.

Ask him about his post-Hollywood life and the actor admits that he has had to make some major sacrifices on the personal front. “I feel so guilty, I missed one of the most important weddings in my family. I haven’t seen my mother in three months. It does take a toll on you. That said, I’d never thought I’d have a full-fledged career in the West. Now, I have to balance it with Bollywood because this is home,” he says.

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 4, 2017)

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; October 19, 2017)

Victoria & Abdul may have received mixed reviews upon its release last month, but Dame Judi Dench holds the film close to her heart. The beautiful storyline exploring the unlikely friendship between Queen Victoria and her servant aside, the Academy Award-winning actor believes it gave her a talented co-star in Ali Fazal. Dench, who has worked with some of the brightest talents of Hollywood including Cate Blanchett, Daniel Craig and Gwyneth Paltrow, feels that Fazal shows tremendous promise as an artiste.

In a chat with mid-day, she revealed that she finds similarities between Fazal and her Chocolat (2000) co-star Johnny Depp. “I think if I had to peg Ali as someone, he would be a younger version of Johnny Depp.” Dench, who recently shot with Depp for Murder On The Orient Express (2017), added that the Indian export was gifted with a great sense of humour — much like the Hollywood hottie. “Ali is a beautiful boy, very gentle and intelligent. And he’s really funny.” Understandably, Fazal was beside himself with joy to be compared to the Oscar-nominated actor.

Not only is he an ardent admirer of Depp’s work, a compliment of such magnitude coming from Dench makes him all the more confident about his craft. He said, “To be compared to someone I have admired for a long time means so much. Judi and I hit it off instantly. We shared numerous laughs, and we often discussed her experience of working with Depp on Murder On The Orient Express. I guess I don’t need to compliment her in return, she is more popular than Queen Victoria would have been today.”

CHEF IS A DISASTER AND HOW!

In the last few years, there have been several high-profile disasters that shocked trade with its extremely poor collections. Noor, Mirzya, Rock On 2 and Fitoor are some of the recent examples. Bombay Velvet is the ultimate disaster. But nobody was prepared for the fate that awaited Chef. It was never expected to open big but the previews had begun three days before release and the response was positive. The industry was hopeful that the film might pick from Saturday as it always happens with such poorly opened but well received films. But shockingly, Chef earned just Rs. 85 lakhs on Day 1; it failed to even reach the Rs 1 crore mark. Still some were hopeful that if the film’s collections double from hereon, it would still be a ‘respectable’ flop as such! But alas, that never happened. The Day 2 collections were Rs. 1.15 crore and on Day 3, it collected just Rs. 1.35 crore. On Monday, the collections dropped to Rs. 50 lakhs. The first week collections would be around Rs. 5 crore. And before release, the trade thought that it will achieve the same figure in two days!

The trailers were very poor and just didn’t excite viewers. The theme and feel of the film was not appealing for mainstream audiences. Also there were so many distractions – Judwaa 2, Baahubali 2 on TV, Bigg Boss 11 etc. Moreover, the pre-Diwali has always been a dull period as people are busy in shopping, cleaning their homes etc. But more than these external factors, the makers need to understand that one can’t be making such films that are not just excited and is for niche audiences. And if you do, don’t spend a bomb making your film and then expect viewers to throng to cinemas. Movie-watching is an expensive experience now and people are not going to come out and splurge unless they are absolutely sure.

The upcoming Friday too is going to be a disaster. Ranchi Diaries is the big release, only because it looks fresh and has a good star cast, comprising of Jimmy Sheirgill, Anupam Kher and Satish Kaushik. But awareness is zilch and is all set to be a disaster. Sheitaan, Kaun Mera Kaun Tera and Ishq Ka Manjan will also be out and would be even bigger disasters. In Hollywood, the much-in-the-news Victoria & Abdul would try its luck at the box office. But the hype is very limited and the response is mixed. Hence, it would be another debacle at the box office.

All eyes are on the next weekend when the highly awaited films, Golmaal Again and Secret Superstar, will release!

Actor has also signed on with H’wood talent agency that manages Emma Stone
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 27, 2017)

Ali Fazal is on top of the world. After a premiere in Venice and London, followed by a screening at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), of his Stephen Frears-directed biographical comedy-drama, Victoria & Abdul, co-star Judi Dench’s blue-eyed boy suddenly finds new doors opening for him across the seven seas.

As Mirror (April 4) had earlier reported, the 30-year-old actor had been signed by the London-based talent agency, Julian Belfrage Associates, whose clientele boasts of the three-time Academy Award-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis, BAFTA winner Jude Law and Judi, among others. We have now learnt that he’s been roped in by William Morris Endeavor (WME), the American talent agency which represent artists across movies, TV, music and theatre, including Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer, La La Land star Emma Stone and filmmaker-screenwriter Damien Chazelle.

“After signing up with Julian Belfrage Associates, I am happy to have my own team in the US which manages a lot of people and is very hands-on. We already have two-three things lined up,” confirmed Ali from San Francisco. “There are some great offers from UK too.”

He is unwilling to divulge details but admits that he has met a filmmaker to discuss an international project, a biopic, even before he signed up with WME. “It will hopefully roll in 2018. I can’t elaborate further as I am yet to sign on the dotted line,” the actor informed, adding that the world is becoming a smaller place with the market really opening up. “Filmmakers are experimenting with unique topics and I want to grab these opportunities and not get typecast.”

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 22, 2017)

Ali Fazal’s new film, the Brit-American dramedy Victoria & Abdul, has launched him into quite the jet-setting life.

After screenings at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals, the Stephen Frears directorial, which the 30-year-old actor headlines alongside Judi Dench, is currently in Los Angeles for its American premiere.

Ali recently bumped into Hollywood actors Jessica Chastain and Sam Rockwell. “We were at the Variety studio where Jessica Chastain was promoting Aaron Sorkin’s Molly’s Game, while Sam Rockwell was there with Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. We grabbed a snack and chatted about our respective films.

We hadn’t seen each other’s projects but they knew about Victoria & Abdul and were excited about it,” says Ali, adding that he had loved Rockwell in Martin McDonagh’s 2012 black comedy Seven Psychopaths while Chastain’s 2012 American political action-thriller Zero Dark Thirty, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, is one of his favourite films.

“She has done so much good work. I’ve also seen the video release of her play with Al Pacino which I loved. I told her I admire her work and that it was really nice to be able to tell her that,” Ali smiles at the memory, and the fact that they have all been bumping into each other since Venice.

Ali also utilised the opportunity to share notes on Chastain’s director Sorkin, whose work he admires. “He has created some iconic stuff including The Newsroom. They told me to just have fun as, obviously, it is my first time here, which they said I will always remember. It was really sweet,” Ali says, adding that all the globe-trotting has left him slightly homesick. “I return to Delhi on September 27, after which I will head straight to Varanasi to shoot for a show.”

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 21, 2017)

Ali Fazal’s Brit drama, Victoria & Abdul, has been receiving mixed responses from UK critics, with The Telegraph saying it had reduced the ‘fascinating real-life tale to biscuit-tin proportions’. But, unfazed by the criticism, the actor is enjoying his time in Los Angeles, where he is touring with his film. Fazal has been interacting with the elite of the industry in LA, ahead of the screening of the Judi Dench-starrer yesterday, and even bagged the chance to meet the great granddaughter of Queen Victoria, Princess Cécile of Hohenlohe-Langenburg at a special luncheon organised for the film’s crew.

Recalling his interaction, Fazal tells mid-day, “Cecile was warm and humble. It was great to be in the company of Dame Judi Dench and a real-life princess in the same room. We exchanged notes on cinema and spoke extensively about the film.”

In the film, Dench plays Queen Victoria, who shares a special bond with Fazal’s character, the monarch’s tutor and confidante.

Meanwhile, responding to a British daily’s report of his film grabbing the second spot at the UK box-office, after supernatural horror It, Fazal, said in a statement: “I can’t believe we [are] above such wonderful movies. So, I guess I am happy.”

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; September 5, 2017)

Chronicling the Queen's relationship with her aide in 'Victoria & Abdul', Dame Judi Dench expresses her fondness for co-star Ali Fazal
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 4, 2017)

When the idea of making 'Victoria & Abdul' germinated in producer Beeban Kidron's mind, she couldn't imagine anyone but Dame Judi Dench portraying the role of the British monarch. After all, the Academy Award-winning actor had etched her place in everyone's minds as Queen Victoria in her 1997 outing, 'Mrs Brown'.

Two decades later, Dench has reprised her role in the Stephen Frears-directed drama that explores the Queen's nuanced relationship with her Indian servant, Abdul Karim.

The Queen's fondness for Abdul was a subject of much heartburn in the royal court during those times, and of much discussion in the years to follow. Dench has her own interpretation of the unusual friendship.

"Abdul was someone around whom she could actually relax, all protocol cancelled," Dench tells mid-day over e-mail. Given the loneliness that entails being the Queen, Dench states that she understands why the 19th century monarch would grow on to depend on the Munshi.

"[It was] a real relationship, (where she was) able to speak her mind to somebody. That's what it was more than anything else. It must have been glorious to have somebody to talk to," analyses the celebrated actor.

The film is based on Shrabani Basu's book, Victoria & Abdul: The True Story Of The Queen's Closest Confidant. Besides studying the Munshi's journals, Basu also referred to the 13 volumes of the Queen's Hindustani journals, which chronicled her daily lessons with the Munshi, who taught her Hindustani.

As part of their research for the drama, Dench and Fazal read the Queen's letters that were included in the Hindustani journals. However, their real challenge was to bring alive a relationship on screen, only through undertones. And this is where Dench feels her understated chemistry with Fazal came to the fore.

Besides being a dream co-star, the actor says that Fazal has gone on to become a friend she truly cherishes. "The friendship we struck is so beautiful," she says, before adding, "When Ali would walk in the room, you wouldn't recognise me. I would be a spring chicken, all over the place."