Ali Fazal: There’s a certain freedom in playing a lover boy again

After playing intense characters such as Guddu Bhaiya, Ali Fazal is set to explore a softer side in the Lust Stories anthology’s third instalment. The actor will be seen in a romantic, layered role, marking a departure from his recent screen outings.Ali was last seen in Metro... In Dino, where he portrayed a musician navigating love and vulnerability. In Lust Stories 3, he appears in an intimate, contemporary story opposite Radhikka Madan, directed by Shakun Batra.Speaking about the project, Ali says, “Lust Stories 3 came to me at a time when I was looking for something emotionally honest and personal. There’s something freeing about playing a lover boy again, but in today’s context flawed, sensitive and emotionally aware.

I think audiences will see a very different, softer side of me, and that’s what excites me the most about Lust Stories 3.”On collaborating with Shakun, he adds, “Shakun has such a rare way of observing human behaviour. He doesn’t direct scenes; he lets them breathe. Working with him was incredibly fulfilling because he pushes you to be truthful rather than dramatic. This story explores love, desire and vulnerability in a very real way, and I genuinely enjoyed slipping back into a romantic space after a long time.”

But that’s not all. The actor has also returned to his theatrical roots, this time as a presenter for the stage play Mahanagar Jugnu, written and directed by playwright Amitosh Nagpal. The play was staged at the Le' Chakallas Fringe Festival, a new-age cultural platform celebrating experimental and independent voices. Mahanagar Jugnu explored the pulse and poetry of urban life, offering an intimate yet resonant theatrical experience.

Speaking about the association, Ali had shared that theatre has always been his first love, and presenting the play feels like a full-circle moment.