First of many: Ali Fazal visits Ek Tho Chance again

Ali Fazal, who keeps switching back and forth between Indian and international projects, began his career on stage. He eventually switched to films and web series, particularly Mirzapur.

But how did it all start? Here’s what Ali said about the first time he stepped in front of the camera:

1. What was your first acting project? How did the project come to you?

It was my first time in front of the camera for an unreleased film by Saeed Akhtar Mirza called Ek Tho Chance. I don’t remember how he chose me and how this contact came about. Maybe it was through someone who saw me in one piece. But I remember walking into this room and meeting this larger-than-life person who looks a bit like Francis Ford Coppola. Although Ek Tho Chance was never released, you can find his trailer on the internet.

2. What do you remember from your first day on set?

The film had three parallel stories. So I was the main character in one of the stories. I played this brash, rich boy. It also played Purab Kohli and Amrita Arora.

I was very nervous. It was a very dramatic shot. I’m that boy who sit on my bed, take out a gun and point it at my head. I had a dog nearby so I was very aware of another living being in the room. This was the setup.

3. How was your relationship with your co-stars when you met them again?

I was in contact with Amrita and others for a long time. I am in contact with Saeed ji to this day. He’s an amazing guy who has been one of my mentors.

When I say mentor, I really mean it. I never had anyone to look up to. But every now and then there is someone there to keep you from the pressures of the world. Saeed ji and his wife Jennifer were those socialmediagossips to me.

4. If you have the opportunity to go back to your debut role, what would you like to change or do better?

Nothing. Maybe I want to change something in my first published film – Always Kabhi Kabhi.

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5. A movie or role that inspired you to become an actor?

I was obsessed with Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro. The first story I remembered as a kid was of an Italian family who lived in New York. I later realized it was godfather. My mother told me this story when I was little to send myself to bed. Once I asked her why she was telling me the godfather’s story. She said that was her favorite too. So it became one of the things that stayed with me. Dilip Kumar was also a daunting figure. I was obsessed with Raj Kapoor’s Mera Naam Joker. I realized it wasn’t inspiring me, but when I happened to become an actor, I actually copied that.