Location — a multiplex, where a group of teenyboppers are exiting the theatre after watching the Asif Ali-starrer Vijay Superum Pournamiyum. There is a lot of giggled gushing and hushed whispering going on among the girls: ‘Did you see how young Asif looks? He looks about 20 now!’
Relating this incident to Asif brings on the guffaws. “My wife is from Kannur and she is a very good cook. Food is a weakness, and I put on some weight. Then I realised that I had to get back to shape. I am not one to diet and so I decided to pay more attention to my fitness regime!” What also prompted his weight loss process was the role in the 2018 film Iblis that required him to play a 20 year old.
So, a new year that has begun on a right note with Asif, who is notorious for not picking up calls, answering the call right away. The voice at the other end is pulsating with happiness and, why not? Vijay… is a hit! Asif has admirably slipped into his character Vijay, who bows down to his parents’ wishes to become an engineer, but secretly yearns to be a chef. Reminds you of a real life scenario? Asif agrees. “We all know of so many people who, like Vijay, have studied a particular course not because they liked it, but to appease their parents. Take me for instance. I was always passionate about films, but I had to study. I remember telling my parents, ‘Instead of sending me for tuitions, why don’t you let me attend dance classes?’ I feel Vijay resonated with a lot of young people.”
The rapport that Asif shares with director Jis Joy, with whom he has worked in two earlier projects, also stood him in good stead. Asif explains, “Jis has a very good idea of what he wants. So, right from the pre-production stage, there was a lot of clarity which helped me.” Vijay… talks about the relationship between children and their parents and about family values. “The dialogues are so realistic that everyone would be able to identify with them — a factor that attracted me to the project,” Asif observes. There was also the freedom to assent and dissent. “Jis was open to suggestions from everyone. That comfort zone brought out the best in all the actors involved,” he humbly observes, and continues, “Jis is a man with a lot of ethics and that reflects in his films as well, which is why the family crowd throng to see his movies.” Asif says that it was a new experience for him. “To see parents, grandparents and children watching my film is a good feeling,” he adds.
It’s also good that Asif has learnt from his mistakes. The actor with his share of box office misses has turned those debacles into life lessons and is now a bankable actor. After all, there was no godfather to hold his hand and lead him. Asif instantly replies, “I never had a plan B! I have not thought of a life without cinema. Even while I debuted or gave auditions, my belief was always that I would become an actor. That drive has propelled me so far.” Ten years and 60 films later, Asif is still surprised by those figures. He says, “I believe in miracles. There is no technique that guarantees a hit, so I am lucky.”
Asif’s choices of films are eclectic — commercial, comedy, antagonist, serious, romance. “What has changed over the years is that I now have the luxury to pick and choose. Today, only if a script interests me will I say yes or else it is a no. That freedom is also because I do not have a godfather nor am I answerable to anyone. That is also why I can act in a variety of out-of-the-box scripts.” Films like Iblis and Kaatu, he points out, were not commercial hits, but he derived immense satisfaction from acting in them. “I am not locked in any pattern!” he remarks.
Yes, patterns are being broken and Mollywood is moving on to king size budgets and as a producer, Asif feels that is only natural. Cinema is no more confined to just one state or country, he feels, but is enveloping the world. “A huge budget should translate to more visibility and business.” As a producer, he reveals that deciding on a right script is the biggest challenge.
Move over the actor/producer; what does the brother have to say about his sibling Askar Ali foraying into films? There is a hearty laugh. “I have still not come to terms with me being an actor when he surprised me!” On a serious note he says, “I have not advised him about any aspect of cinema. All I tell him is that there is a struggle that every actor has to go through and just because he is my brother will not take that away!”
The different stages of his life have influenced him. He is a father of two adorable children and he says, “I am trying to be more careful about my choices and I am cutting down on films. I have never been diplomatic and I don’t plan to, though that nature has landed me in a soup!”
Kakshi: Amminippilla, Underworld and Mera Naam Shaji are his forthcoming films.
