‘Actors are just puppets’

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He is from the crop of actors who got into acting business ‘by accident’. Had it not been a broken arm, Ali Fazal would have been somewhere else, doing something ordinary. But now after starring in four Bollywood films, Ali feels he belongs here. Ready with upcoming film Baat Bann Gayi and after having shoot for a cameo in Hollywood project The Fast and The Furious 7, the actor feels his career is finally taking shape.
“Five years down the line, I was just like an ordinary college student studying economic Honours and playing basketball in the grounds of St Xavier’s college, Mumbai. I did not plan anything. And then I met with an accident and broke my arm. I was free and many advised me to do something. I thought why not try theatre. I started doing plays and that was when 3 Idiots happened. Post college, I did couple of TV ads and films with substantial roles. Finally I realised probably this is what is planned for me,” says Ali.
A nondescript cameo role of Joy Lobo in blockbuster 3 Idiots opened many doors for Ali. He was later signed by Red Chillies Entertainments for Always Kabhi Kabhi before landing a role in Fukrey.
And what is particularly noticeable in these movies is Fazal’s penchant for romantic roles and his love for guitar, as he is seen strumming one in each one of them. “I don’t know why but I was offered such kind of roles only. Thankfully, I am not beating the strums in Baat Bann Gayi, in which I am playing double roles – one that of a plain professional and other a Bihari don. It is an out and out commercial film based on comedy of errors. With this I will certainly want to change the sort of roles I get. Now I wish to do action and psychological thrillers,” he says.
However, he didn’t have to wait for this as Ali is already a part of Hollywood action series The Fast and The Furious 7. He has already shot a cameo sequence for the film and will be seen sharing screen space with Vin Diesel.
Ali says he did not speak about it earlier as it wasn’t worth mentioning. “It is just a guest appearance and not a consequential role. I didn’t want to go painting the town red about something, which is probably worth one minute of screen space. Still it was great working for a day with such an ensemble star cast. I have been signed for three days and may go back on shoot in January,” he explains.
For now, the young actor wants to concentrate on his Bollywood projects and take up direction some day. “After being a part of a Hollywood project, I would never devote all my time and attention there. My first love is Bollywood and I’ll continue being here. And maybe couple of years down the line, I would direct a film. I dream to go behind the camera because films are director’s medium, actors are just puppets,” ends Ali.

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