Ali Fazal urges studio to take leap of faith: We can’t keep pushing formula films
Actor Ali Fazal is gearing up for his next big project in alongside actor-writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge in the upcoming film Rule Breakers, that explores resilience and defiance in Afghanistan. While Fazal has been making strides in various branches of the film industry – Bollywood, OTT – he has strong reservations about sticking to the “formula films” that often dominate commercial cinema.
Fazal believes that while big films can succeed with a formulaic approach, filmmakers should embrace creativity and avoid relying on repetitive patterns. He tells us, “Formula works once may be. Not twice or thrice. We can’t keep pushing that. Ki ek cheez kaam kar gayi to uski 5 cheezein niklengi. That eco-system has to diversify. That shouldn’t be the only focus,” adding that the industry needs to move beyond a single template.
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Despite his views on formula films, Fazal acknowledges their occasional success. However, he still urges film studios to “take a leap of faith” and explore new horizons in filmmaking.
Ask if he’s made conscious choices to stay away from formula films, specifically referring to him not being part of Fukrey 3, reflecting on his own career choices, the actor, who is currently shooting for filmmaker duo Raj and DK’s web series, reveals, “I got a lot of flak for not being in Fukrey 3 (2024), but that was not because I wanted to be away from it, I was stuck on (filmmaker) Vishal (Bharadwaj) ji’s film.”
Fazal’s career took off with Bollywood films like 3 Idiots, Always Kabhi Kabhi, and Fukrey. Subsequently, he took on roles in Hollywood films like Furious 7. However, it was his standout role as the titular character in Victoria and Abdul, alongside actor Dame Judi Dench, that truly shifted the trajectory of his career.
When asked if he believes he is making a significant impact for Indian cinema on the global stage, he responds modestly: “I would like to think that I am one of those actors. The groundwork was laid by Satyajit Ray, Shashi Kapoor long time ago. People still talk about Shashi sir. He was one of the first ones who did the leading parts and then suddenly there was nothing and maybe that is why it seems that ‘Ali is the one holding this’.”
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Fazal continues, reflecting on the loss of his friend and fellow actor, Irrfan Khan, stating, “Sadly we lost Irrfan bhai. He would have been beautifully blossoming right now.”
“At the end of the day we want to be better actors and if somebody is giving us that space to work then why not. I’d love to share notes with the rest of the world,” he adds.
Rule Breakers, which is based on the life of Roya Mehboob, the founder of the Afghan Girls Robotics Team, features Fazal and Waller-Bridge in pivotal roles. Though the two don’t share many scenes, Fazal notes that both have “key parts in the film” and are integral to the “core team.”
