Actor Ali Fazal is better known as ‘Mir Fateh’ in the core interiors of Banares and Lucknow off late, and no, that is not because it is the name of one of his characters from a film.
The actor has recently taken up fighting real underground matches for Amazon Prime Original series Mirzapur and so he had to register his name in as Mir Fateh.
Ali Fazal sure knows how to take his on screen roles rather seriously.
The youngest Academy member from Bollywood, gets immersed into his roles, and it is a 'practice' he follows religiously.
Ali Fazal plays the role of Guddu Pandit, a gangster set to take over a lawless land where trade of arms and drugs is normal life.
For months, to play the role convincingly and to look the part, the makers of the film made Ali go through an intensive physical transformation, bulking up to look like a convincing and intimating gangster on screen.
Never having essayed a grey character on screen, Ali submerged with utmost dedication into the filming of the series.
So much so that apart from a gruelling physical transformation to adapt to the fighting sequences of the show and to do his stunts right, Ali took to discovering underground fight clubs or ‘clans’ as he puts it, in Banares, old Delhi and Lucknow.
He with the knowledge his friends had, spent time in utmost secrecy to attend these gatherings and adapt to understand the fight techniques of raw underground fighters.
He even participated in two such matches and landed up with multiple bruises on sets, leaving everyone rather concerned with the changes in his physical appearance.
Speaking about it, Ali Fazal said, “I had to change my name to be able to enter these places. It's been the most scary time shooting for Mirzapur, yet adventurous. I am not saying this proudly and would not recommend this to others. To others I’d say , try acting for a change and forget method. I just chanced upon underground fight clans in Banares and Badohi during my research, where I picked up some tricks of the trade. It helped."
Looks like, it all did pay well as Ali Fazal looks an innocent man turning into the most menacing bloke in the town of Mirzapur.
The series is set to release during winters this year, is produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar.
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 "Ali Fazal changes name to 'Mir Fateh'")
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