'My insides don't accept...': Ali Fazal on 'Mirzapur's violent scenes
What's the story
Ali Fazal, a leading star of Amazon Prime Video's blockbuster series Mirzapur, recently opened up about his unease with violence on-screen. Speaking to film critic Sucharita Tyagi, he revealed that he had a hard time with the violent elements of his character Guddu Bhaiya in the show. "Mirzapur is half of that. It's violent, and I'm not violent. My insides don't accept that," he said.
Coping strategy
Fazal's coping mechanism for on-screen violence
Despite his discomfort, Fazal has found a way to deal with violent scenes. He said that acting in front of the camera is a form of meditation that requires extreme focus. "There's no other way, and this is the most cliched line...For me, there are two times in my life that are meditative. When we're sitting in a hall and watching a film, or when we're shooting. The noise around the shoot, before and after, that's noisy to me."
Changing views
Fazal's evolving perspective on violence
Fazal admitted that he had a hard time watching Mirzapur at first because of its violence. But his outlook has changed over time, partly because of what's happening in the world. "It's also because of the news you're watching. I better be able to handle that violence, because there are real people out there who are going through s**t. Our films are obviously going to reflect a part of that," he explained.
Taking a stand
Fazal's stand against excessively violent scenes
Further, Fazal also revealed that he once objected to an excessively violent scene in Mirzapur where his character was scripted to kill someone. He found the execution of the scene unnecessary and believed it would prevent his character from redeeming himself. "I thought it was just wrong, like why would you write that?" he questioned, expressing his moral dilemma over such scenes. Notably, Fazal reprised his role for Season 3, and will now appear in its theatrical spin-off film.