Rekhachithram’s Asif Ali says he grew to become an actor ‘solely due to Kamal Haasan’

How does it really feel to have two back-to-back hits?

Lastly, it occurred, I used to be dying for it! (laughs)

You went by way of a tough patch in 2022 and 2023 the place your movies didn’t do effectively, however you continued to work relentlessly. And it paid off in 2024 and 2025. So, how do you select your scripts?

Within the preliminary days of my profession, I had an issue with my script choice. I couldn’t management my pleasure with the tasks I received, and I jumped into so many scripts that I couldn’t pull off. However 2025 is my sixteenth 12 months on this business, and I’ve performed round 82 movies now. However one thing occurred within the final three years. I used to be working with so many nice administrators, and I started working with so many good actors. All this affected my script choice. Even my private life modified as a result of I had all these folks round me. So, my script choice and the sort of movies I began choosing received higher – all this occurred due to the folks round me.

All through your profession, you’ve performed movies the place you’re the lead and likewise multi-starrers. What’s the thought course of behind this?

It’s all about my characters – my pleasure to do a movie comes from the character I’m to play. I don’t select my movies from a hero’s perspective however from the character’s. I ensure after I do a multi-starrer that my character has significance, display screen house that’s impactful and I can relate to it ultimately. As an example, I did Uyare in 2019 with Parvathy Thiruvothu. All my so-called well-wishers had been in opposition to me doing the position of Govind (Parvathy’s boyfriend) because it was a destructive character. At the moment, I used to be comfortably doing a little feel-good films, and I had this subsequent boy-next-door picture. Individuals requested me why I wished to play a destructive character in a female-oriented movie. However I wished to try this movie as a result of the script by Bobby-Sanjay was so sensible. I had seen associates in poisonous relationships like this, and I discovered it very relatable.

Your father is in politics, however you selected to turn out to be an actor and never comply with in his footsteps.

Once more, that’s due to my father. My father is a giant film buff – he’s a hardcore Mohanlal fan. We used to look at each single launch as a household. So, from my youthful days, I used to be a movie buff. I used to be, and I’m, a Mohanlal fan. I additionally used to look at Kamal Haasan films. The truth is, I wished to be an actor simply due to Kamal Haasan. The best way he chooses his characters and the way in which he offers an identification to his characters – that was my kick. I wished to stay so many identities like him. For those who watch Kamal Haasan in a single film, you may’t see the identical Kamal Haasan in his subsequent one. That received me excited, and I wished to do that. I wished to expertise residing completely different personalities and completely different life. And undoubtedly, I wished this celebrity picture and a fanbase. However after I did my first movie, Ritu, with director Shyamaprasad, he utterly modified my perspective. He confirmed me a distinct perspective on cinema. He confirmed me a distinct manner of getting satisfaction from a movie.

You stated you wished to be a celebrity. Have you ever achieved that now?

Now, I’m not bothered in regards to the stardom. The one factor I’m bothered about is the satisfaction I get from enjoying a job and the appreciation I get for taking part in these roles. I don’t consider on this stardom anymore.