Ahead of the release of their web series Mirzapur actors Ali Fazal and Vikrant Massey spoke to The Quint about the process of making the Amazon Prime show. The cast apparently stayed in Mirzapur prior to the shooting, roaming on the streets, trying to understand the vibe of the place. Ali even happened to cross a few gun shops and spent time outside the shops. “It’s one of the best places get the feel of the places. All kinds of conversations happen there from politics to drugs to sex, even the local mafia,” says Ali.
Ali and Vikrant play these two good boys, who get embroiled in the world of crime because their lawyer father decides to take on a case against the don who rules the town. The show has a fair bit of violence and abusive language, and often films and TV shows romanticise it. Talking about that Ali said,
Yeah you have to be a little careful, that these are the boundaries and you better stay within them. People often laugh at such stuff because they’re uncomfortable and don’t know what else to do.Ali Fazal, actor.
For Vikrant this is a new medium after having worked on television with Balika Vadhu and Dhoom Machao Dhoom and in films like Lootera, A Death in the Gunj and Dil Dhadakne Do. “I rely mostly on my gut, and my primary aim is to do good work and work with talented people and I’m very lucky in that respect,” says Vikrant.
Both of them attribute their diverse body of work to the change in cinema and the image of leading men. “It’s no longer about the banner, or the heroine or the songs, people are like where’s the content?” says Ali.
Mirzapur starring Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Vikrant Massey, Divyenndu, Rasika Dugal, Shweta Tripathi and Shriya Pilgaonkar is streaming on Amazon Prime India now.
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