Ali Fazal recalls slipping into depression after 3 Idiots, he reveals what happened

Ali Fazal was getting interview requests to speak about students killing themselves by suicides
Ali Fazal revealed slipping into depression after 3 Idiots
Ali Fazal revealed slipping into depression after 3 Idiots

The last few years have witnessed the rise of Ali Fazal not just in Bollywood but also in international cinema. The actor, who returns to OTT with Netflix original anthology, Ray, saw massive success in India as well as abroad with projects like Fukrey (2013), Happy Bhag Jayegi (2016), Furious 7 (2015), Victoria & Abdul (2017) and Mirzapur (2018 and 2020). In fact, one of his most sought-after projects is crime-thriller Death on the Nile (2020), which also features Wonder Woman’s Gal Gadot. 

But years ago, when he made his Bollywood debut with a cameo in Rajkumar Hirani's blockbuster hit 3 Idiots (2009), things didn't work out well for him emotionally. The actor played the role of Joy Lobo, an engineering student who dies by suicide after he fails to deliver his final year project on time. Although small, his role caught the attention of everyone, including the media who soon started approaching him to talk about suicides by students in India. 

Also read | A man of many quirks: Ali Fazal on the importance of costume design

"I slipped into depression when I started with 3 Idiots. I played a small role in it. Do you know what happened? Suddenly they were doing some news pieces, not to sound morbid or anything but at that time, some college students had harmed themselves, and then I got a call from some news channel saying, 'Sir, you've played this role and this is exactly what has happened. How do you feel about it?' I was crushed at that point. I was naive, I was in my second year of college. I went into depression," Ali told an online portal, adding that he also reached out to Hirani who asked him to stop agreeing to such interviews and instead direct them to the producer.

Thankfully, he has come a long way. While on the personal front, his relationship with Richa Chadha is going strong, professionally, he has quite a few films in store, including Happy Now Bhag Jayegi! and Fukrey 3.

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