The ‘torrent superstar’ phase was frustrating: Asif Ali

Express News Service

It is always disheartening to see someone consistently putting in their best efforts and yet failing to taste much-deserved success. Asif Ali’s career has seen quite a few such phases. Despite his remarkable growth as a performer, the box office has not always been very kind to him. After a lean patch, the actor is now basking in the back-to-back successes of Rorschach and his latest, Kooman. 

Excerpts:

It has been 13 years since you made your debut. Have you found your space in Malayalam cinema?
I realised very early in my career that there’s no such thing as a permanent position in this industry. People come and go, but cinema keeps heading forward. For example, when Jagathi chettan met with an accident, there was a huge void. There was a question of who will replace him. But gradually, we overcame all that. So I’ve personally seen that nobody is irreplaceable in this industry. If I start thinking that I’ve found a niche or a space for myself, I’ll become complacent and get into a comfort zone. I don’t want to go anywhere near that (laughs).

There was a phase when you stuck to playing similar new-age roles (Honey Bee, Bachelor Party, and Kili Poyi). How has your script selection evolved now?
I’ve always been drawn toward scripts that excite me on the first narration. During my early days, when I had no idea about cinema or how to choose projects, I trusted solely on this ‘excitement’ and ended up doing films that I shouldn’t have or I couldn’t pull off then. I realised it only lately thanks to the experience of working alongside many senior actors and technicians. Even today, I need that ‘excitement’, but I’m also aware of the other factors that make a good film. To be honest, I’m right now trying to follow how my contemporaries select projects.

You had earlier spoken about how you’ve done films purely out of friendship because of your hesitancy to say ‘no’. Has it changed now?
Yes, to an extent. Right now, I try to choose my projects mostly based on the quality of the script. It’s also because, in Malayalam cinema, you don’t always have to work with a renowned filmmaker or an established banner. If the script is good and the director is sensible enough to bring his vision to the screen properly, the audience will be receptive. It has been proven time and again. It is also easier for me when young filmmakers approach me because I can openly express my thoughts. But when senior filmmakers call me, I still get apprehensive. It’s a tricky position to be in. Regarding films for friendship, I’m still open to doing guest roles for them. That’s how I did Ustad Hotel, Vellimoonga, Unda and even Rorschach.

Coming to Rorschach, it’s not often that a mainstream actor does a full-length role without showing his face. Did it ever bother you?
Since the film’s director (Nisam Basheer) and writer (Sameer Abdul) have worked with me before, they are aware of my sensibilities and perspective towards cinema. When they pitched this idea and told me that my face won’t be shown and neither would I be having any dialogues, I was fine with it because they convinced me about the character’s depth. I was also excited about the whole experimental nature of the film. And then there was this incredible kick that I got when I saw people recognising me with just my eyes and body language. That’s an honour for any actor.

While evaluating yourself as an actor, what do you think is your biggest strength?
I guess it’s my commitment. I don’t have any qualms about putting in the extra effort. I’m not an actor who believes in the ‘first-take miracle’. I’m ready for any number of retakes until the director is satisfied because I’m someone who believes in surrendering completely to the director’s vision. Strength apart, I also feel my looks are my X-factor. I don’t have the looks of a conventional actor. If you make me stand amidst a crowd, I can seamlessly blend in. This is also why I was sceptical of doing cop roles for the longest period. Kuttavum Shikshayum changed that perception for me. Rajeev Ravi convinced me that the protagonist in his film is like any other ordinary man who goes through a lot of emotional turmoil. I dug deep into that role and I believe I managed to deliver a reasonably good performance.

Your latest release Kooman has you playing a cop again. How did you manage to steer clear of your previous police roles?
Like I mentioned before about me not having the conventional looks of an actor, Giri Shankar of Kooman is someone who doesn’t have the looks or build of a typical cop. If he’s sitting in a tea shop, people won’t recognise him as a policeman. He doesn’t have any conspicuous body language. While I, Asif Ali, see it as an advantage, it’s different for Giri. It riles up his ego and inferiority complex because he thinks he doesn’t get the respect he deserves as a cop. He carries with him a lot of grudges and he uses his police power to satisfy his ego. It is an interesting character sketch and I enjoyed playing such a complex role.

How was it to work with Jeethu Joseph who has proven his mastery in thrillers?
I was very confident of Jeethu Joseph’s ability to pull off a thriller and that’s one of the primary reasons to sign Kooman. When he along with Krishnakumar narrated the script, I found it to be very gripping. I was intrigued by how Jeethu treated the subject and the extent to which he went for researching it. What was even more fascinating was how the film became more relevant as we got closer to its release. It is purely coincidental that the film deals with an issue that’s a hot topic in Kerala today. I’m still not sure how it all came together at the right time to incidentally make Kooman a socially relevant film.

While going through your filmography, it’s hard to find any pattern. Do you really have any comfort zone as such?
I’ve always tried not to get confined within any ‘comfort zone’. During my early days as an actor, I was locked in the so-called ‘new gen Malayalam cinema wave’ or what they called the ‘boxer generation’. At that time, most of my films were restricted to the youth audience. I then consciously attempted different genres and thankfully, ‘feel-good’ cinema made me familiar with the family audience. Then I tried to break free of that as well by doing Uyare right after the success of Sunday Holiday. Many advised me not to do a grey-shaded role at that point, but I wanted to try it and it paid off.

There have been instances when your performances get spoken about even when the films don’t get the deserved reach. How hard is it to digest such failures?
If you ask me, doing a film is like giving birth to a child. It requires months of patience and hard work. You take up a project carefully and work sincerely on it, but till the day of release, you’re not guaranteed a positive result. No matter how good the final output is, you have to wait for the magic to happen. In my case, there have been several occasions where my films despite getting good talk failed at the box office. It happened so often that people started calling me ‘torrent superstar’. My films that were not doing well in theatres gained appreciation once it was out on DVDs/OTTs. It was frustrating, but I had to wade through it. I approach all my films with utmost sincerity. Sometimes I can sense a film is not turning out well during its shoot itself, but even then, I try to put in my best efforts to save it. So all of it makes failure a tough pill to swallow.

How do you think the pandemic has impacted the sensibilities of the movie-going audience?
I see a drastic change in how people consume content today. It has come to a point where people decide whether to watch a film from a theatre or OTT from its first look itself. This shift in the audience’s sensibilities has influenced how I pick projects. Right now, I’m trying to do films that offer a proper theatrical experience. I’m craving to do a film that’s a complete commercial package, which the audience will enjoy in theatres. B Tech was one such film for me. I’m now reuniting with its director Mridul Nair for Kasargold. We’re hoping to repeat that magic.

<br> It is always disheartening to see someone consistently putting in their best efforts and yet failing to taste much-deserved success. Asif Ali’s career has seen quite a few such phases. Despite his remarkable growth as a performer, the box office has not always been very kind to him. After a lean patch, the actor is now basking in the back-to-back successes of Rorschach and his latest, Kooman. 

Excerpts:

It has been 13 years since you made your debut. Have you found your space in Malayalam cinema?
I realised very early in my career that there’s no such thing as a permanent position in this industry. People come and go, but cinema keeps heading forward. For example, when Jagathi chettan met with an accident, there was a huge void. There was a question of who will replace him. But gradually, we overcame all that. So I’ve personally seen that nobody is irreplaceable in this industry. If I start thinking that I’ve found a niche or a space for myself, I’ll become complacent and get into a comfort zone. I don’t want to go anywhere near that (laughs).

There was a phase when you stuck to playing similar new-age roles (Honey Bee, Bachelor Party, and Kili Poyi). How has your script selection evolved now?
I’ve always been drawn toward scripts that excite me on the first narration. During my early days, when I had no idea about cinema or how to choose projects, I trusted solely on this ‘excitement’ and ended up doing films that I shouldn’t have or I couldn’t pull off then. I realised it only lately thanks to the experience of working alongside many senior actors and technicians. Even today, I need that ‘excitement’, but I’m also aware of the other factors that make a good film. To be honest, I’m right now trying to follow how my contemporaries select projects.

You had earlier spoken about how you’ve done films purely out of friendship because of your hesitancy to say ‘no’. Has it changed now?
Yes, to an extent. Right now, I try to choose my projects mostly based on the quality of the script. It’s also because, in Malayalam cinema, you don’t always have to work with a renowned filmmaker or an established banner. If the script is good and the director is sensible enough to bring his vision to the screen properly, the audience will be receptive. It has been proven time and again. It is also easier for me when young filmmakers approach me because I can openly express my thoughts. But when senior filmmakers call me, I still get apprehensive. It’s a tricky position to be in. Regarding films for friendship, I’m still open to doing guest roles for them. That’s how I did Ustad Hotel, Vellimoonga, Unda and even Rorschach.

Coming to Rorschach, it’s not often that a mainstream actor does a full-length role without showing his face. Did it ever bother you?
Since the film’s director (Nisam Basheer) and writer (Sameer Abdul) have worked with me before, they are aware of my sensibilities and perspective towards cinema. When they pitched this idea and told me that my face won’t be shown and neither would I be having any dialogues, I was fine with it because they convinced me about the character’s depth. I was also excited about the whole experimental nature of the film. And then there was this incredible kick that I got when I saw people recognising me with just my eyes and body language. That’s an honour for any actor.

While evaluating yourself as an actor, what do you think is your biggest strength?
I guess it’s my commitment. I don’t have any qualms about putting in the extra effort. I’m not an actor who believes in the ‘first-take miracle’. I’m ready for any number of retakes until the director is satisfied because I’m someone who believes in surrendering completely to the director’s vision. Strength apart, I also feel my looks are my X-factor. I don’t have the looks of a conventional actor. If you make me stand amidst a crowd, I can seamlessly blend in. This is also why I was sceptical of doing cop roles for the longest period. Kuttavum Shikshayum changed that perception for me. Rajeev Ravi convinced me that the protagonist in his film is like any other ordinary man who goes through a lot of emotional turmoil. I dug deep into that role and I believe I managed to deliver a reasonably good performance.

Your latest release Kooman has you playing a cop again. How did you manage to steer clear of your previous police roles?
Like I mentioned before about me not having the conventional looks of an actor, Giri Shankar of Kooman is someone who doesn’t have the looks or build of a typical cop. If he’s sitting in a tea shop, people won’t recognise him as a policeman. He doesn’t have any conspicuous body language. While I, Asif Ali, see it as an advantage, it’s different for Giri. It riles up his ego and inferiority complex because he thinks he doesn’t get the respect he deserves as a cop. He carries with him a lot of grudges and he uses his police power to satisfy his ego. It is an interesting character sketch and I enjoyed playing such a complex role.

How was it to work with Jeethu Joseph who has proven his mastery in thrillers?
I was very confident of Jeethu Joseph’s ability to pull off a thriller and that’s one of the primary reasons to sign Kooman. When he along with Krishnakumar narrated the script, I found it to be very gripping. I was intrigued by how Jeethu treated the subject and the extent to which he went for researching it. What was even more fascinating was how the film became more relevant as we got closer to its release. It is purely coincidental that the film deals with an issue that’s a hot topic in Kerala today. I’m still not sure how it all came together at the right time to incidentally make Kooman a socially relevant film.

While going through your filmography, it’s hard to find any pattern. Do you really have any comfort zone as such?
I’ve always tried not to get confined within any ‘comfort zone’. During my early days as an actor, I was locked in the so-called ‘new gen Malayalam cinema wave’ or what they called the ‘boxer generation’. At that time, most of my films were restricted to the youth audience. I then consciously attempted different genres and thankfully, ‘feel-good’ cinema made me familiar with the family audience. Then I tried to break free of that as well by doing Uyare right after the success of Sunday Holiday. Many advised me not to do a grey-shaded role at that point, but I wanted to try it and it paid off.

There have been instances when your performances get spoken about even when the films don’t get the deserved reach. How hard is it to digest such failures?
If you ask me, doing a film is like giving birth to a child. It requires months of patience and hard work. You take up a project carefully and work sincerely on it, but till the day of release, you’re not guaranteed a positive result. No matter how good the final output is, you have to wait for the magic to happen. In my case, there have been several occasions where my films despite getting good talk failed at the box office. It happened so often that people started calling me ‘torrent superstar’. My films that were not doing well in theatres gained appreciation once it was out on DVDs/OTTs. It was frustrating, but I had to wade through it. I approach all my films with utmost sincerity. Sometimes I can sense a film is not turning out well during its shoot itself, but even then, I try to put in my best efforts to save it. So all of it makes failure a tough pill to swallow.

How do you think the pandemic has impacted the sensibilities of the movie-going audience?
I see a drastic change in how people consume content today. It has come to a point where people decide whether to watch a film from a theatre or OTT from its first look itself. This shift in the audience’s sensibilities has influenced how I pick projects. Right now, I’m trying to do films that offer a proper theatrical experience. I’m craving to do a film that’s a complete commercial package, which the audience will enjoy in theatres. B Tech was one such film for me. I’m now reuniting with its director Mridul Nair for Kasargold. We’re hoping to repeat that magic.