Bollywood actor set to win over Hollywood
In India, it’s rare for Ali Fazal to get through a meal at a restaurant without being approached by a fan. Though he’s had a girlfriend for years, he’s kept his relationship private, lest his female admirers revolt. In other words: He’s kind of a big deal.
But while the 30-yearold is a household name in Bollywood, he has only recently been introduced to U.S. moviegoers, as he stars opposite Judi Dench in “Victoria & Abdul.” Based on a true story, the film follows the unlikely 19th-century friendship between Queen Victoria and Abdul Karim, a Muslim servant from India.
The following is an edited transcript.
Q: Did you always aspire to be an actor?
A: No, my family wanted me to go into a profession that was more financially secure, like engineering or becoming a doctor. We were a middle-class family. My father was in marketing working with this oil company in the Middle East, and my mom was a painter. Acting just wasn’t a thing; it wasn’t an option as a career. I wanted to be a pilot, and I got refused. I think that’s why the second time I didn’t let them make the (career) decision for me. I said, “You’ll have to live with it.”
Q: Growing up in India, what was your idea of Hollywood?
A: The first damn story I ever heard in my life — and this when your mother is supposed to tell you fairy tales and Aesop’s fables — I’m told this story about this wonderful Italian family in New York gunning people down. And guess what? It’s in two parts! This is “The Godfather.” Years later, I see the film, and I’m, like, “Did you really tell me that as a bedtime story?” And she’s like, “It was a nice story. You were always on about stories.” But, yes, I was obsessed with a lot of (Marlon) Brando and (Robert) De Niro, “Gone With the Wind,” “Ten Commandments,” all the classics. Once, I had a layover in New Jersey for eight hours, so I took the train to Penn Station just to see it. I knew everything, the Empire State Building, all the tourist spots, because I had a visual memory from the movies.
Q: At what point did you meet Judi Dench?
A: I was cast before I’d even read with Judi. But me and Judi met for lunch. We chilled.
Q: You chilled?
A: Oh, God, she’s chill. She is so cool. She is a child inside. I think she’s like a 16-year-old kid having fun. She broke the ice. She just came and hugged me, and I was having this sort of fan moment. I said something in Hindi for some reason, it just kind of came out. She just smiled through it. She’s in love with India; they shot the “Exotic Marigold Hotel” films there.
“I wanted to be a pilot, and I got refused.” — Ali Fazal