While Indian cinema boasts numerous stars across various languages, the number of artistes who have earned widespread acclaim, recognition and reverence purely for their acting abilities is far smaller. Among that significantly shorter list are Malayalam’s Fahadh Faasil and Bollywood’s Alia Bhatt, both widely regarded as two of the finest actors in contemporary cinema. While Alia’s husband, Ranbir Kapoor, has previously expressed his deep admiration for Fahadh, the Jigra actor herself has now shared her dream of working with the Malayalam star one day.
“Fahadh Faasil is someone I really admire; his work [as well]. He is such a fantastic actor. I think Aavesham is one of my favourite films, and he was just unreal. I would love to collaborate with him someday,” she shared during a conversation with Brut India when asked if there were any regional filmmakers or actors she wished to work with. Alia also heaped praise on her Darlings co-star Roshan Mathew. “There are so many actors and there’s so much talent out there. I had the good fortune of working with Roshan Mathew on Darlings. He’s, of course, a wonderful actor, who’s done a lot of Malayalam content. He is also making waves in Hindi now.”
Commenting further on regional collaborations, the National Award-winning actor said, “The one thing that pandemic taught me is that we’re actually one unit, and with now content sitting on one platform – the global platform that everyone gets to view – is a huge exposure. You can watch any kind of content,” she said.
Often referred to as one of the finest actors in the country now, Fahadh Faasil is the son of legendary filmmaker Fazil. Though he made his debut in his father’s Kaiyethum Doorath (2002), the movie was severely panned by both critics and the audience alike. Following this setback, Fahadh took a hiatus and moved to the US.
He eventually returned to the screen with a key role in a segment of the anthology film Kerala Cafe (2009), which marked the beginning of his resurgence. He soon began receiving more opportunities and showcased his renewed potential in films like Chaappa Kurishu (2011) and 22 Female Kottayam (2012). Since then, Fahadh has been part of several notable films, including Annayum Rasoolum (2013), Amen (2013), North 24 Kaatham (2013), Artist (2013), Oru Indian Pranayakadha (2013), Bangalore Days (2014), Maheshinte Prathikaaram (2016), Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum (2017), Joji (2021), Kumbalangi Nights (2019), Malik (2021), Vikram (2022), and Aavesham (2024). His performances in all of these films have earned widespread critical acclaim.
