Ali Fazal: ‘Something nostalgic about picking up the guitar again’

Ali Fazal in Metro... In Dino

Metro… In Dino is a first for Ali Fazal, as far as his collaboration with filmmaker Anurag Basu is concerned. But to the actor, the movie feels like an extension of his journey. Fazal says playing musician Akash in the film took him back to his maiden Bollywood offering, 3 Idiots (2009), in which he portrayed a guitar-strumming engineering student.

"It feels like life has come full circle. I started my film career with a small role as Joy Lobo, a young man chasing his dreams with a guitar in hand. It not only gave me my first big break, but also allowed me to tap into the artiste within me. To play Akash, a musician in Metro... In Dino, years later, feels like a poetic continuation of that journey," he shares, before adding, "There is something deeply personal and nostalgic about picking up the guitar on screen again."

The actor had a brief role in 3 Idiots

A sequel to Life in a Metro (2007), the July 4 release explores relationships through the lives of four couples - essayed by Neena Gupta and Anupam Kher, Konkona Sensharma and Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Roy Kapur and Sara Ali Khan, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Fazal. Being directed by Basu has been a cherished experience for Fazal. He reflects, "There is something magical about how Anuragda builds emotional worlds. There is intimacy and chaos, love and heartbreak, but he tells it all so gently."