New Delhi: Working on Mirzapur brought Ali Fazal closer to his grandfather’s legacy, as the actor underwent rigorous physical training to prepare for his character, Guddu Bhaiya.
Returning to an akhada for a conversation with an Instagram creator, Fazal described the traditional wrestling arena as a place where “ego dies.”
Fazal’s grandfather was a wrestler who lived on a diet of yakhni, almond milk and lavish breakfasts. The actor, however, did not grow up wrestling and only took up Jiu-Jitsu later in life.
“I have only heard his stories. Then we grew up and life happened. But something always pulls you back. Of course, I got pulled into Jiu-Jitsu,” Fazal said in the interview.
The actor admitted that while preparing for the first season of Mirzapur, he did not fully understand what the role demanded, so he relied on intensive gym training to prepare for the role of Guddu Bhaiya. This time, however, he turned to Jiu-Jitsu.
“Jiu-Jitsu helped me move like an animal,” he added.
Also Read: CBFC ordered 9 changes to A-rated Mirzapur. Fans say cuts will ‘dilute’ film
Back as Guddu Bhaiya
Fazal is all set to reprise his popular character Guddu Bhaiya in Mirzapur: The Movie, the upcoming theatrical release from Excel Entertainment and Amazon MGM Studios. The film is set to release on September 4.
The CBFC has granted the film an ‘A’ certificate. The makers were asked to mute cuss words at four places and replace abusive language with “appropriate” alternatives at six others. The dialogue “Galey se lag ja” was also modified.
In the first half, the CBFC directed the makers to replace a particular word with “kamar”, while in the second half, the word “lanth”, meaning idiot, was changed. A caste-related reference was also modified following the board’s instructions.
The CBFC further asked the makers to increase the duration of the film’s disclaimer and add a voiceover to it. Anti-alcohol, anti-drug, and anti-smoking messages have also been mandated wherever applicable.
Following the changes, Mirzapur: The Movie has a final runtime of 197 minutes and 19 seconds.
Directed by Gurmeet Singh and written by Puneet Krishna, Mirzapur: The Movie brings back key members of the franchise, including Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal and Divyenndu. The film also introduces Jitendra Kumar and Ravi Kishan to the cast.
(Edited by Maryam Hassan)