A still from ‘Raakh’
| Photo Credit: Prime Video
For a face tailored for romantic comedies, actor Ali Fazal constantly resists typecasting by leaning into gritty, morally ambiguous characters, where circumstances keep the audience from falling for his charming appearance. The latest is Raakh, where the actor plays a junior police officer investigating a double murder, stripping away the stereotypical crutches of Dalit identity in Jaiprakash Jatav. “The identity is right there on his uniform nameplate, but I understand that, unfortunately, the real people who are living out those lives are not allowed to underline their existence. Somewhere it has been beautifully written into the script and comes through seamlessly through his relationship with his father, food, and the system.”Having grown up in Lucknow, where his grandfather was a seasoned politician, Ali has not only imbibed the language and culture of the region but also come to understand the trenchant social divisions. “It definitely found reflection in the character. I mean, what an entire generation of people has gone through.” He comes up with “zapt karna,” the precise phrase in Urdu that explains how men in marginalised societies are expected to control or restrain their emotions. “They play to the gallery, but deep inside, they carry a lot of angst. I find myself privileged, but I have tried to bring it out in little things like how JP takes extra care of the last crease on his uniform on what could be his last day on the case.”
