THE INDEFATIGABLE MR FAZAL

There is never a dull moment with Ali Fazal. The actor, who claims his fear for boredom to be his driving force, has Bollywood and Hollywood movies along with the third season of Mirzapur lined up for release. He has also just announced a 5-film slate under the banner of the production house he runs with his wife and fellow actor, Richa Chadha. And the duo is gearing up for their biggest joint venture yet-they are making their debut as parents.

- ANANYA GHOSH

There is a LOT going on in the life of the assiduous Ali Fazal. He is part of the lead cast of Mirzapur, that is scheduled for a third season this year. As a movie star, he is successfully straddling Hollywood and Bollywood. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and is often seen hobnobbing with the likes of Gerard Butler, Gal Gadot, Dame Judi Dench, Jerry Bruckheimer, Tom Cruise, and Robert De Niro. The debut film of the Pushing Buttons Studios, the production house he runs with Chadha, is already a talking point in the festival circle, having won two awards at this year's Sundance Film Festival. He has just unveiled an exciting 5-film slate under the banner.

Earlier this year, he ventured into 'anime-wood' - a term coined by Ali himself as the Hindi voice of Song Chiyul in the highly anticipated anime adaptation of Solo Leveling! He is planning to make his off-Broadway debut soon. AND he is all set to embrace parenthood.

During our last interview in April 2023, right before the release of his Hollywood movie Kandahar, I still remember feeling exhausted just by hearing the number of projects he was involved in or was planning to take up in the following months. One year on, things seem to have gotten even more hectic. If then he had blamed his 'greed' as an artiste, this time he points towards his fear of boredom as the main culprit behind this over-industriousness.

"I am easily bored, and this is my way to escape boredom!" guffaws the 37-year-old, who was last seen in Vishal Bhardwaj's Khufiya. It seems aboulophobia can be a great motivator, at least Ali's version of it. "Also, I feel there is space for so much and we have so little time. Maybe someday I will be more mature and find a great way to slow down and be more efficient. But till then I am running after whatever I can grab," he adds.