Ali Zafar as Tutu in Kill/Dil

Ali Zafar was on his way to the Bigg Boss set in Lonavala when t2 dialled in for a chat on his Friday film Kill/Dil. As the Shaadi Ali film’s latest number Nakhriley — sung by Ali — played on the car stereo, the Pakistani actor chatted away.

You have sung a number in each of the five Bollywood films you have done. How is Nakhriley, that’s really caught on, different?

Nakhriley is perhaps the biggest song of the Kill/Dil album. Production-wise, it’s huge… it took three weeks to construct the sets for this song. There were about 120 dancers. It was lovely to sing that song with Shankar Mahadevan and Mahalaxmi (Iyer). It’s the song that really brings my character Tutu to the forefront. It’s a huge Bollywood thumka-type number and this is the first time as an actor that I have gone item numberish, so to say (laughs).

Ali Zafar as Tutu in Kill/Dil

Was it tough to be so completely out there given the brooding and reserved image you have had?

It was, in a way, because I have never really been so over-the-top in my performances. But even though everything in Kill/Dil is very vintage ’90s-style Bollywood, the treatment is quite contemporary. The idea was to bring the old Bolly soul back, but in a new body. All the actors in the film have done so in terms of our looks, our mannerisms, our dialogue delivery….

Tutu as a character is a first for me. It will completely change and reinvent the image I have had so far, which has been either the brooding hero or the romantic chocolate boy-next-door. I have gone very rustic and raw… even dirty… for this role. Tutu is very quirky, almost bordering on the crazy. Unlike Dev (played by Ranveer Singh), Tutu is someone who isn’t swayed by emotion… he’s a pure, hard-core shooter. It allowed me to play a lot with my looks. Tutu’s texture is very much like the texture of Kill/Dil… very earthy, very real. The entire tone of the film is an amalgamation of the East and the West: it’s very international looking, but has very desi dialogues. Dev and Tutu are basically cowboys from Kanpur! (Laughs)

What have been the biggest challenges for you working on this film?

I think the biggest challenge has been to maintain that look (long hair, goatee) for over a year and do all my stage shows and endorsements in that look. You can’t imagine how tough it’s been for me to maintain long hair! (Laughs) When we talk about the film, I found the action sequences tough… there was a scene in which we had to jump off the roof of a building and I was petrified. The climax required me to balance a lot of action with heavy-duty emotional scenes and that was a challenge.

But things were good because being on a Shaad Ali set means it’s a full-on boys’ party! (Laughs) He’s very serious as a film-maker, but equally serious when it comes to food too! And very, very serious when it comes to partying after pack-up (laughs).

Ali Zafar as Tutu in Kill/Dil

For Ranveer, Kill/Dil has been a high because of the presence of his idol Govinda. Have you been a Govinda fan too?

Oh, absolutely! Who hasn’t ever been a Govinda fan? (Smiles) The way he delivers dialogues, the way he dances… is epic. He was signed on after I was, but the moment I heard he would be in the film, it was pure joy. I used to look forward to the shoot everyday because it’s such an honour to just share the frame with someone like him.

Your character may not find love in Kill/Dil, but your chemistry with Ranveer in the promos and songs is being talked about!

(Laughs) From the first day we met, we have shared a great rapport and chemistry. We’ve become very close while shooting this film and that’s been cemented further as we are travelling the country promoting Kill/Dil. He’s an amazing guy… so warm, so friendly, so full of energy…. It’s tough to match up to his energy (smiles).

Will Kill/Dil be a turning point for Ali Zafar?

I am seriously hoping it will because it will present me in a new light and hopefully, broaden the range of films I am offered from now on. I hope I am given edgy roles. Plus, I am looking to come up with an album here soon and also plan to do a film for the Pakistani audiences.

I am happy with how my career in Bollywood has gone so far. Of the five films I have done, two (Mere Brother Ki Dulhan and Chashme Baddoor) were box-office hits. I don’t take up films just for the sake of it… I am not greedy for superstardom. When I started out, there wasn’t really the concept of having a Pakistani as a lead in a Bolly film and I think I have been able to achieve that. After that, many more Pakistani actors have come to Bollywood. I have always wanted to be a bridge between the two countries and I feel I have achieved that.

Fawad Khan is the latest Pakistani import into Bollywood. Have you watched Khoobsurat?

Yes, I have. In fact, I saw it with him at the special screening in Lahore where I had gone to support him and the film. He’s a great guy... a great actor and I wish him well. I support anyone who tries to build a bridge between India and Pakistan.

Finally, you’ve been a huge Amitabh Bachchan fan and a few days ago, you had a fanboy moment on the sets of Kaun Banega Crorepati with him…

That was surreal and the biggest moment of my life. Lucky are those who get to meet their icons on such a level. I have sketched a few portraits of his and have always wanted to sketch him live. I got that opportunity on the sets of KBC… I not only sketched his portrait, but also sang a song for him. I won’t ever forget his kind words and the way he hugged me. It’s a moment I will cherish forever.

ALI’s FAVE WESTERNS

Django Unchained (2012): A classic spaghetti Western with the unmistakable (Quentin) Tarantino stamp.

The Magnificent Seven (1960): Though a remake of (Akira) Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, it brings in a lot of new elements. I loved the action sequences.

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly (1966): Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood at their best. The climax in the cemetery still gives me goosebumps.

Sholay (1975): Bolly’s very own Western. There hasn’t been a better one since.

Priyanka Roy