Ali Fazal is having a good time in his career. The actor has seen acclaim for work in both India and overseas, and his most recent film, is doing well upon release.
Metro In Dino, the romantic drama, has earned ₹25 crore at the box office and is earning praise. In a chat with HT, Ali calls the positive feedback “the feeling we all live for”. The actor addresses the reactions to the film, focus on box office returns, and even criticism.
On reactions to Metro In Dino
“Receiving so much love and good word of mouth makes us really happy. The film is growing at the box office and gathering so much love, purely on word of mouth. I spoke to a couple of theatre owners, and I went to one as well. They are saying that after a long time, there is a family film that is drawing audiences of all ages. What more could we ask for?” says Ali, while talking about the good word of mouth for Metro In Dino.
There has been buzz about the film’s box office collections, particularly in relation to its budget. Some portals have claimed that the production budget of Metro In Dino is ₹85 crore. “I keep seeing some numbers about the film’s budget. They keep saying it’s this and that, which is an obnoxious number,” says Ali, while talking about people’s obsession with box office success. “If you say all that, then the film won’t appear to be working at all. It gets demoralising. And then, a common man sitting somewhere also starts doing the math in his head.”
On the ‘cheating’ track in Metro In Dino
Metro In Dino, directed by Anurag Basu, is an anthology love story, made up of four interconnected love stories set in metro cities. While the film has been praised by audiences, some tracks have come under criticism on social media. Many viewers have complained that the film glorifies, or at least normalises, infidelity and emotional cheating. “I never came across that,” says a surprised Ali, adding, “I don’t think there is any glorification of anything. What Anurag Basu has done is show a picture of what is there. It could be from a slice of something he has seen himself. He has depicted it here.”
Comparing Metro In Dino with Life in a Metro, its spiritual predecessor, Ali adds, “The first Metro came at a different time. The conversations around love were different at that time. We have incorporated those things as time has progressed.” He adds, “There is no judging these characters (in the film).”
Metro In Dino also stars Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Konkona Sen Sharma, Pankaj Tripathi, Anupam Kher, and Neena Gupta. The film is currently running in theatres.