Mirzapur fans can rejoice for two reasons- A. Their favorite show is coming up with a third season and B. the hot tempered but much loved Guddu bhaiya will now be a bona fide Broadway star. Broadway is the stuff of dreams for all aspiring and already established actors, for it is the real test of an actor skill, beyond all the Sturm and Drang that surrounds the general chaos of a movie set, as Laurence Olivier personified, playing both Shakespeare and other memorable characters like Archie Rice, in the cult classic movie The Entertainer.
So it is indeed a proud moment that Ali Fazal who has already added Hollywood to his curriculum vitae by starring in movies like Victoria and Abdul, Death on The Nile, both adapted on classic premises and making waves appropriately, for they had solid premises and a star studded ensemble.
This comes off as a trial by fire and an equal blessing for Ali’s acting chops and charisma which has helped his popular appeal over time. From the old school, nawabi heritage of Lucknow, further personified in La Martiniere College where he graduated from, as did a close personal friend of mine who got featured in both the Times of India and television for his rifle shooting skills to the glitter infused, heady air of New York, Ali has come a long way and this is this the end of one glorious journey which now heralds another.
The play, whose rehearsals begin in October is The Seagull by the eminent Russian playwright Anton Chekhov which has been readapted to suit the current scenario and in its zeitgeist spirit, it fits well. Ali is understandably excited and also tight-lipped, for there is a lot to expect and while there are no further words for now, the man’s journey is.