'I was starstruck': Ali Fazal recalls meeting Al Pacino
What's the story
Ali Fazal, who has worked with Hollywood stars such as Dame Judi Dench, Vin Diesel, and Gerard Butler, recently opened up about his childhood obsession with legendary actor Al Pacino. In an interview with Variety India, the actor revealed, "The buck stops there. I have chased that man since I was a kid." Fazal also spoke about meeting his icon in London a few years ago.
Starstruck encounter
Fazal's obsession with Pacino
Fazal recalled how he would list every film of Pacino's he wanted on the wall in his hostel room. "I remember that in my hostel, I would list every film of his I wanted on the wall because it was not available. So, I would somehow get them and watch these films." Fazal further revealed that their meeting was a chance encounter at The Irishman premiere in London, where he was shooting for Death on the Nile.
Unexpected encounter
A 'filmi' moment
Fazal realized at the last minute that he had mixed up the dates for The Irishman premiere. "I was in London, and there was the premiere for The Irishman. And I mixed up the dates," he said. "I realized 20 minutes before the opening of the gates, and I ran. I couldn't get a cab... Luckily, it was in the vicinity." He added, "I wore my suit, and I ran. It was so filmi!"
Shared passion
'First time I was really starstruck'
Fazal continued, "The doors open. I go straight to the bar because I needed water. I stop there, I turn to my right, and he's right in front of me. He's just looking at me...smiling." "That was the first time I was really starstruck by someone. When you're working with somebody, it's fine. It's enriching. It's like, 'This is me, and I take whatever you're going to give.' But here, I wasn't working with him. I was just a fan."
Conversation
Fazal and Pacino spoke about theater
Recalling their conversation, Fazal revealed, "I told him what I was doing. And he was like, 'Oh!' because he's also very big on theater. He's always been a big champion of Shakespeare and has a big body of work (in theater) apart from the cinema he does."
Career highlights
Fazal's upcoming projects
On the work front, Fazal is currently seen in the Amazon Prime Video true-crime series Raakh, where he plays a rookie Dalit cop. He will soon be seen reprising his role as Guddu Pandit in Mirzapur: The Movie, directed by Gurmmeet Singh. The film releases in theaters worldwide on September 4. It also stars Pankaj Tripathi, Ravi Kishan, and Jitendra Kumar.