From a small stint in 3 IDIOTS to a small yet significant role in Hollywood biggie FAST & FURIOUS 7, Ali Fazal has come a long way. Recently, the charming actor visited glamsham office to promote his film FAST & FURIOUS 7 and spoke in length about his maiden step in Hollywood, his experience working on FAST & FURIOUS franchise, what to expect from the film and much more. Here are the excerpts:
How FAST AND FURIOUS 7 happened to you?
FAST AND FURIOUS is significantly important role. It happened very randomly because when I was shooting for BOBBY JASOOS I got a call. I was chilling around with my friends in the mountains, up trekking there and that’s when my agent Purvi called and said why don’t you just try it out it being FAST & FURIOUS franchise? I took it in all fun because I didn’t even have an idea that it’s not an Indian part and that it’s a different nationality with different accent, a different kind of walk. But yes it was good fun.
Were you always keen doing Hollywood films?
It’s a one off offer that I did but I always love Bollywood. We have got great content and cinema happening and that is evident from last 2-3 years. There are some beautiful movies coming in and I am too doing some nice work. I am very happy with my progress in Bollywood. Hollywood is Hollywood. It’s a good fun.
What can Indian audience expect from FAST AND FURIOUS 7 this time around?
There was a race which was supposed to happen and we were even trained for it on cars but it didn’t happen because mid-way actor Paul Walker passed away and then there were few changes. We added another scene instead of that. So, more than racing and just cars, this part is about lot of drama this time around. It’s good. There are huge 10-10 minutes action sequences of plain fights and then of course there is Abu Dhabi. The whole team is coming on this side of the world. My part, you will probably see somewhere mid-way in the film. I have got a sweet special appearance and there are lots of actors. It has Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, who is playing the villain. So this one is quite power-packed!
With actor Paul Walker’s sudden demise, how much it affected the film? How his absence was filled in? Did you feel his absenteeism?
After Paul Walker’s death, there was a lot of support from everyone in Hollywood. His absence was quite weird. I mean, I remember the first time I went and shot at Atlanta. My scenes were with Paul, in fact with the entire gang of FAST & FURIOUS 7. There was Paul and Vin with me…It was just great… We also celebrated Paul’s birthday on the sets. We also had fun shooting that particular scene where every one of us was together. It was really funny as we took about 7-8 takes to finish it because we were just laughing incessantly. We were repeatedly doing this scene. And then when I was filming BOBBY JASOOS, I remember I came back from a late night shoot at 5 in the morning, I got a call and switched on the TV only to discover that Paul was no more. It was horrible! Then when I went back in April for the second schedule, literally two months from his demise, it was really hard to face that fact. You could see it with everyone. Though I didn’t even know him that well, I just met him on the sets, I teared up when I saw what they were doing it with his role. The whole VFX team was working on creating Paul Walker again in the film.
But was it difficult to cover the part in his absence…
It was of course difficult. It took double the time but I guess Universal was very good at it. Everyone was kind of very co-operative because every scene that had him, had to be kind of done again inside the VFX room, and Cody Walker, his brother, was also there, Caleb Walker, his second brother, and another actor, who is imitating his dialogues, were there to cover up his part…Mere toh upar se gaya (giggles), but it’s going to be fabulous. I was recently dubbing the movie in some other languages and I saw some footages also, it’s simply unbelievable and unreal. You can’t even make out that he is not there. Paul is there but he is not there!
What all things you could learn while working on this film, since it was your debut Hollywood venture?
I will tell you very honestly, we have a great content in India, and I think we are at par if not better in content. We are just 15 to 20 years behind in terms of technology and that’s the reason why we lack there because technology is what consumes money. So, Hollywood films have huge budget. They rake in huge moolahs as well at Box-office.
Why Indians are so crazy even for a small role in a big Hollywood venture?
I will give you an example, it’s like, you have any Hollywood actor in India. How would they enter Bollywood? We wouldn’t have space for them, though we like them, we have grown watching them, but we probably have them doing a special appearance for us, or have a tailor-made script for them. But not a full-fledged role. They cannot gel in here. Nevertheless, we can gel well there because we are an English speaking nation apart from Hindi and Urdu. There are roles for us and we are breaking into that market now.
Further, technically Cinema started in Hollywood. All the cinematic history lies there. The earliest cinema that we saw was of ‘Charlie Chaplin’. So, it’s like our museum and it’s always nice to be a part of it. And it’s not just about Hollywood; I am open to World Cinema as well. In fact, I have been in talks with someone in Italy for European Cinema. They are making some great films. As actors we are supposed to gel in other places.
Even in a recent interview, you have revealed that you have 3 scenes in the film.
Yes but why pito dhindora (propagate) regarding it? It’s a sweet part in the film which is actually a turning point of the film. They need something from my character and how they get it…It’s just three scenes why talk about it? Let’s keep it surprise and let people figure out. I haven’t seen myself like that ever. It’s totally a different get up, complete madness!
So working there has change your mindset in any way?
Not it didn’t change my mindset. But yes it just made wider because you see a larger scale now. FAST & FURIOUS is like DABANGG of Hollywood and Vin Diesel is like Salman Khan. So, its huge, everything is larger-than-life and especially after Paul Walker’s death it just became about actors. It became about how you treat people. I have never seen so much money used up on one set or on one film and so very organized. James Wan, who has done CONJURING and INSIDIOUS before this film, is also very different. He is just amazing and bloody ball of energy. Vin Diesel is like a personification of family. More than about cars, FAST AND FURIOUS is about family. At the end of the film, you will always see them sitting near a Barbeque and having a good meal. That’s exactly how we chilled and that’s exactly how we left every day from the set. So, Vin was like a daddy on the sets.
Have you followed earlier parts of FAST AND FURIOUS also or is it that you gained interest now?
No I used to always love it. I mean FAST AND FURIOUS and all these others have been my ideals. I have been a movie buff and we have grown up watching FAST & FURIOUS series. They are making episodes now. It was fun to be in 7th part.
From 3 IDIOTS to FAST & FURIOUS, what do you have to say about your journey? Do you think it’s believable or just a dream?
I don’t think it’s a dream. It’s believable what I have done. I have grown as an actor from ensembles like FUKREY to solo lead in BOBBY JASOOS, although it was a Vidya Balan film, than finally KHAMOSHIYAAN came, where everything was running on our shoulder, Sapna and me. It got thrashed by the critics but it was great, it was fun, though you like or dislike. I am looking forward for my next film. It’s nice to know over the years from 3 IDIOTS to this film, my producers sit across the table and say I can bank on you. The movie can run on you, that’s a big thing in Bollywood. Especially, when in Bollywood people usually have Godfathers, where you need some validation, some faith or someone holding you otherwise you are just hanging. But in Hollywood, they don’t really care about that. There you will see people randomly doing cameos. Like Tom cruise would do a role which you won’t even recognize, yet it’s beautiful and remembered.
Do you agree that Hollywood regards cameos, whereas in Bollywood we still look down upon it?
I think we are gradually coming out of it. We are too much bothered about guest appearances or character roles. But today if you ask me to do another 3 IDIOTS type of role, probably I will say no because at this stage in my life, I am doing lead roles and it’s great. It’s great to have another level of responsibility and that’s a challenge in itself. I am happy with that. I wouldn’t take my chances at it right now.
