Working on a particular look doesn't make you a serious actor.
— Ali Fazal
Movies have been great, but theatre is home. I've never been able to compare the two because they are different, special worlds. I'm just lucky to have a place in both.
I have never really had a goal to be a true blue movie star, unlike a lot of my colleagues.
Judi Dench, apart from the name and fame, is the most genuinely hilarious, sophisticated, and loving person I have known. And I mean all of that together at once. That's something.
I think every filmmaker has his way of working, and I respect that.
I am the first one in my family to become a part of Bollywood.
Hollywood has realised that we do have actors and are not just mad about song and dance.
Doing less films is sometimes intentional, but sometimes things just don't work out.
The first thing that I see in a woman are her eyes. Sorry, it sounds shallow, but eyes say a lot about a person.
My first preference is Bollywood and will always be.
One has to get rid of his inhibitions, being an actor.
It is very nice to have good actors with you.
It was great working with Paul Walker and Vin Diesel.
I return to the stage time and again to see if I am worth anything.
The cast of 'Fukrey' will remain the same in the sequel. But the story is more of a fresh one.
In Bollywood, the film's stakes are as high as the actor. In Hollywood, they are way above, and the day we realise this in our industry, we will start appreciating actors.
Cinema has evolved, and it is high time we stop policing it so rigorously.
With every project, I have to grow.
I was offered a role in the series 'Homeland,' which I couldn't do because the dates clashed with my film with the Bhatts - 'Khamoshiyan.' But I wish I had done it. Look at how much notice the series got Nimrat Kaur.
I have stepped into a bigger league with 'Khamoshiyaan,' and I am grateful to Mahesh Bhatt sir. I am also grateful to myself for being patient.
As an actor, your job is half done when your co-star becomes your friend, especially when it's Judi Dench.
I am learning the grammar of acting on the sets. And I am happy that way.
I was doing theatre when somebody noticed me and referred me to Raju Hirani. And Raju saw me on camera, and there, I was a heavy guy with long hair. But I got selected for the role of Joy in '3 Idiots.'
I never thought I would do something in Hollywood after I started with a series in the West, which was a small stint.
When you first meet someone, it's always about one-upmanship. The couple tries to impress each other.
I don't see a full-fledged career in Hollywood. I am happy with the cameos. Even Tom Cruise will only do special appearances in our films; he wouldn't do a full hero movie. But it's good to act in different cinema.
I don't regret leaving 'Homeland,' because I wanted to work with the Bhatts. The dates were clashing, and I had to make a choice.
I have always felt that just to show love, you don't have to make two people do intimate scenes. That is not the idea of 'I love you.'
I am in love with stories of underdogs.
I have looked up to Emraan Hashmi from day one.
Theatre is like an actor's nectar, like how cinema is a director's medium.
I love 'My Beautiful Laundrette' and 'Dangerous Liaisons.'
We have to keep pace with changing times.
'Fukrey' was a major turning point of my career because it was post this film that I started getting lead roles in films like 'Bobby Jasoos.'
I know where I am headed and how will I evolve. There's nothing stopping you. I don't have a family background on films, and I will need to work for it.
I'm living my dream.
Hollywood has got technology, method, and discipline.
I don't believe that you can learn acting in a classroom.
Goa isn't just about tourism and happy faces.
In the beginning, I was doing whatever came my way. But that's how life is. I am not sitting around calling a 'daddy' to make a movie for me.
I am a diehard romantic, and I shamelessly accept that. I love writing letters.
'Fast & Furious' is Hollywood's 'Dabangg.' It is that big there, so it obviously feels amazing to have played a part in it. The role is small but very interesting. People will see me in full Hollywood accent, and the character is not like typical Indian character.
'Fast And Furious 7' was quite random. I remember that it was the first holiday that I took in the entire year. I was in Mussoorie for two days with my friends when I got a call from my international PRs asking me to audition for 'Fast And Furious 7.'
Actors are dumb when they get insecure of their co-stars. A lot of actors do. When there is a good actor, they're like, 'Oh, he's eating up the part.' That's stupid.
The better the actor I am acting with, the better my performance gets.
People think that theatre helps, but in my case, it slowed me down. I had to unlearn everything when I went on to a film set.
Theatre gives me a different high.
I see myself and my contemporaries being part of some good work in Bollywood.
I have a great connect with the city, and I know the streets of Pune by heart. As a college student, I came down to visit friends. It is a great place to chill and hang out.
