infact I was maybe I was told not to welcome it, which I did 2 years ago, when I was thinking of doing Mirzapur
so many good talented people, film makers they said don't do this, this is something it will come later
Shashi Kapoor Sir was like first international star who did movies outside
Om Puri Sir, there was Saeed Jaffrey there was
it is endless, obviously over time we haven't championed them , you know Irfan brother was one of the last one's
I have been in those stages in my life where, people would get up and say, you are only doing certain roles
do this scene like him, so you can do it better, so I said than take him only
I had to really like, I had to walked out I was very , I was even stupid and naive
and even lost lot of projects because I use to insist on scripts , insist on his basic stuff
definitely not in something like two zero's and two 2's
so we will probably wait for the next year
men can be. men are, can be feminist and strong one's at the same time
we support, we would, we just want to be there
he is an actor of caliber, he is an actor is substance and he is an actor who deserves much more than what he's got
and that's my personal view on Ali Fazal is joining us for conversation only on PINKVILLA
How are you? HI, Nayandeep
I am good, I am hanging in there looking forward to Mirzapur and whole lot of other stuff but
as an actor lot of people go through a lot of struggle and rejection
how do you look back at your time when you started off and that time you didn't know what to do
were you clueless at anytime
I think for most part of it , I was very clueless
I was very naive man, when I did 3 idiots and all like I was in college , I was busy faffing around and playing
sports till trying to gage Mumbai and Xavier's and all that and I was studying doing Economics
but yeah slowly I started learning , how it works, how
cinema works, I started reading a lot because I never got to study acting or film
so yeah it's been a slow learning curve for me , of course in middle I've been part of so many films out of tank and
not so many but some, then there was Fukrey and sort of my time was divided with
with my western streams, so that's been interesting eye opener to world cinema and to be able to learn from
some very interesting film makers
Mirzapur has completely completely changed the way people looked at web you know
there was a point when big actors, I have interviewed so many who said it's not the right time for us to do web
we want to still do films and than see how it fans out, today there is a digital renaissau
in lot of more ways than we can imagine
not because of covid, I am saying pre covid too
how do you think that changed, how do you take up to that change
Oh, I mean I welcome it, infact I was told maybe not to welcome it when I did which was 2 years ago
when I was thinking of doing Mirzapur and
so many good talented people, film makers , they said don't, don't do this, this is something that will come later and
and I just had gut instinct, I was glad I could be part of something that I
we actors, and I am not just talking about myself, but so many of my colleagues I feel they are so
we are waiting because there are worlds and universes inside us that are still undiscovered
and when you get a chance , it's an actors dream to do that
I am glad, I am happy that I could bring something to table , hope I can continue to do that but
it's lot of, also it's my first time I did a web , OTT show and it's lot of commitment I mean after a piont you are like
now enough, 3 films you are shooting back to back, it's taxing
but the way Mirzapur has worked out and how much love it has got when it released
I think that validates all kind of hard work and schedules and everything
coming back to season 2 can be more challenging, there are lot of
web series , which have been really loved in the first season and 2nd season people really felt
maybe the actors also felt that, they couldn't do justice to the beauty of the part 1
how do you see that, is there the pressure on that,
oh yeah, there will always be right, we are always competing with somebody or the other
because you're pause button away from rejection , right, essentially
next show, next to you and that icon can be
your destruction, so I think that's fine
of course we've garnered lot of love and lot of support from the fans and hoping there are more people who get attached to this
this show but I won't contest that man, there are some great shows out there
maybe we might fall short on lot of things but
I am still proud of it because, there's lot of heart in Mirzapur and I think it's got
that world is very interesting and once you buy into that world I think
it's like film makers in the west John , I can never pronounce his name
he use to fund his own films and he made some really great Nova films
and he used to be like, I am obsessed with love, so I will tell love stories
people who are looking for everything else in my movies, they will hate it
they find the other problems, this and that
I am trying to be cocky about it but
but yeah it has opened very interesting , it's like love you give , Game Of Thrones right , just very different angle of genre
again I am not trying to compare but just trying to say , it is like that
when the trailer of your international project released
if you noticed or if you known, there is a group of journalist
who had put out an entire story for you
which was basically about how, they written me stuff right you are talking about
yeah and that film that didn't get the amount of viewer it deserved , does that pinch you ever
because we are in a state where we say we need to promote more talent
and than, trailer doesn't get so many views, we stood up for that
No, I think infact I was very overwhelmed after that because the trailer did get lot of love and we got love from everybody in Bollywood and
the film fraternity and everything but that's the part it doesn't affect me because I feel like it's so damn small
this is the sh*t that keeps us from growing, we are in the world stage right now
we are talking, I mean in same breath, we have got a film like The Disiciple just won the Venice Film Festival, it might go to the Oscar
we produced great cinemas in the past , we are now finally coming out with great content
when I work there, I am interacting with not just actors, I am interacting with the individuals I am interacting with
ideologies, I am interacting with personalities and press, and the journalist
we are talking smart journalism, we are talking futuristic thinking, we are talking solutions
this little name calling and this little picking , it's small game
I just feel sad, I almost want to go and hug them and why I don't blame them is because
unfortunately we have in past we had blinking this roles for Indians right
so that's all we know
so we are scared and say it, this is one
that is why, people use to keet telling me why don't you promote Fast and Furious and I said NO, we will not promote
the work will promote it, I don't want to announce it
because if something might get edit or get cut, than this happens
so why, there is another market, there is another sensibility out there
I am not competing for validation from certain sections, if you like the work you like it, if you don't like it also I am actually listen to you
but this little net picking is, I mean get a life man , seriously if I could just tell them
I will sit and watch, I will give you free subscription or something
Indians actually felt that Blood and Gore cannot make for commercial cinema
and when we talk about web series or cinema , I think the amount of normalization that we have done with violence in terms of acceptance
I am not saying , Oh, why are we showing it but I think that, we audience were not even willing to accept it to point
because it was not offered to them at all
today the shows like, Sacred Games and Mirzapur are doing so well and actually they are the most talked about shows
among pithoria the of shows we have in the genre that come on
do you think there is an audience maybe lurking behind and maybe more and more films and cinema can also be made on such subject
oh yeah yeah I mean, the candle just got bigger , the level playing field it just got equal
and it got, I think it's great time for writers an directors and
this is their domain where they can really push the bar and go out there
sorry I am going to keep saying this and I' haven't even messaged the person I am talking about
, but Arjun got nominated for Emmy's the you know for Made in Heaven and
this is the result of these risks,
when was the last time, Indian film industry took those risk , back in the 50's and 60's so we took over this
we have been to Canne film festival, we have won
Shashi Kapoor Sir was the first international like star , who did movies outside
Om Puri Sir, there was Saeed Jaffrey, there was
it's endless but we but obviously over time we haven't championed them enough
you know Irfan brother was one of the last one's
it is there and it will work, it needs to
and next one year itself you will see big in flucks of, or rather out flucks of
Indian actors being part of lot of international projects
for longest time, I have spoken to actors who I think are categorized in certain categories
TV actor, web actor, film actor, theater actor
today do you feel happy, you reached the place, where people just call you an actor
you are an international star, you are an Indian actor , you are acting in web series, you are acting in film
and leading them with equal gusto right, so do you feel just by called actor
I am very happy that you are using really generous words right now
but I mean it, because I feel genuinely feel happy for you
that's very kind, Thank you
I do, I actually never thought of that, I kind of been in those stages of my life
where people would get up and say , you are only doing certain roles
I mean now that you said it, yeah it's nice to be called an actor
do you remember meanest thing said to you during auditions
during audition it can be really tough , actor who are in that struggling phase
somebody told me, to act like an actor in an audition
imagine some other actor who
I won't take his name, he is a good actor but you don't do that man
Sir can you do this scene like him, so you will do better
so I said than take him instead, I really like I walked out , I was even stupid and naive
I even lost lot of projects because , I use to insist on scripts or insist on his basic stuff
which I learned later that no why is not how we do
so you can;t go and say to any big producer , Sir, where is the script
but times have changed now, people are understanding the importance of technicians in our industry
but yeah I have lost lot of parts and than I have ran into really nice films
some haven't worked out because of dates or whatever
of late but even now that happens
I think we are vulnerable people, by nature we're made vulnerable because
very movie that we get is like a promotion in company and every movie we loose is like losing a job
now imagine you multiply into hundred almost every year whatever for different different people
we have to constantly battle that jolting and keep our face up
present and still have a voice
listen this covid has affected your life in much more than it has affected ours because clearly your wedding has been pushed
so is there a plan, how are you planning to do that, have you discussed it with Richa
what have you guys decided
well I don't know, definitely not in something, with two zero's and no two 2's
so we'll probably wait for next year
this year, I think the only good thing that I can see this year is Mirzapur coming up, at least there will be something for people
to keep them away from toxicity on social media and everything
yeah definitely not, maybe I don't know
and lastly you know, I have always known you and Richa as strong voices in the industry
recently something happened with Richa , her name was dragged into particular incident, which shouldn't have happened and you spoke for her
being a partner how difficult was it for you
to anchor her through it because I know, if something would have happened to her , she would ideally come and spoken out
because she's done in segment, we did with her
like it puts an entire moment that has been spearheaded by strong voices and women completely on back foot
I am just glad man can be ,men are, can be feminist and can be strong one at same time
we support, we would just want to be there and hope the society is shaped into something better and positive
so yeah , we are going to beat that and we try and be there for everybody
Richa is close to me and of course ,I would at least try my best to be there
Thank you so much and I hope you go places and I tell this to people I love that you go to places and take us along with you
I will say the same to you and all the best
I would give you big hug, yeah virtual one