THE Alchemist

From starring in Kenneth Branagh’s Death On The Nile this month, alongside a sublime cast, to bagging the lead role in the prestige project Codename: Johnny Walker, Ali Fazal is officially Hollywood’s favourite Indian actor. But the Lucknow-bred, Doon-educated artist remains deeply connected to his roots, with the hotly anticipated second season of Mirzapur - in which he plays the lead - ticking ominously around the corner

- NIDHI GUPTA

If you scroll deep down Ali Fazal’s Instagram page, a place saturated with selfies and strange dramatic monologues for captions, you’ll find this sweet photo of him, his partner Richa Chadha and three other actor friends huddled on a Goa beach. Fazal has just wrapped Kenneth Branagh’s Death On The Nile. He’s left London’s punishing cold behind, but kept the chevron moustache. Their faces are lit up by warm late-afternoon sunlight. It’s the first day of 2020.

His Mirzapur fans call for Guddu’s vengeance in comments; like they’ve done for over a year on everything he posts, ever since the web series broke through. Fazal will continue to be mildly amused, mostly perplexed by this. But there, sitting on that sheet embroidered with the words “I’m Marvelous”, with “some of the most gorgeous women, goddesses and travellers in my life,” he appears content. “Look up guys, hope lingers,” he wrote.

2020 had been building up to be a landmark year in Fazal’s life and career. Three years ago, with his performance opposite Dame Judi Dench in Stephen Frears’ critically praised Victoria & Abdul, his actorly capabilities came into relief in a manner they hadn’t done before. Then, in 2018, he proved he’s got range with his turn as the swole, hulkish Guddu in Mirzapur.