Ali Fazal still remembers how he felt scared to step into the world of Mirzapur , the hinterland crime drama series which became a cult of its own and is now all set to explode on the big screen in a movie version. The actor, who reprises his role of Guddu Pandit, the bodybuilder-turned-gangster in Mirzapur: The Movie , is excited for the buzz surrounding the show's cinematic extension. The movie will explore an untold chapter from the first season and also bring back key characters. “It's the first time in India that a show is being transformed into a film. It's a national level experiment that we are doing. The story and the characters are all good. We are excited to share every (promotional) asset," Ali told PTI recently. Launched in 2018, Mirzapur emerged as one of India's most popular streaming shows with its gritty portrayal of crime, politics and power struggles in Uttar Pradesh. It was followed by two more seasons, which were equally praised by the critics and fans. Fazal starred alongside an ensemble cast of Pankaj Tripathi, Divyenndu, Shweta Tripathi, Rasika Dugal, Vijay Varma, Isha Talwar, Harshita Gaur and Shriya Pilgaonkar in the series, created by Puneet Krishna and Karan Anshuman. The 39-year-old actor said he recently got to know that his Fukrey director Mrighdeep Singh Lamba recommended his name to makers of Mirzapur. Fazal, who was establishing himself in Hindi cinema and had also appeared in a couple of Hollywood films, said he was advised by many to stay away from the project. “I was scared at that time. I did not know what the format would be. It was the first time that the first few shows were being made (in India).

 

The filmmakers were telling me what was I doing (by saying yes). They said, 'do films'”, he said. Having worked in the West, Fazal said he could see the industry was evolving and that helped him in saying yes. “I saw this changing era of OTT and shows. I felt a revolution was about to come. The way the script was written by Puneet Krishna, the world he has made of Mirzapur, it was really commendable. We had an idea about the hinterland and we would listen to stories, but I had never seen that place this way." Looking back, Fazal believes the show gave him the space to play on his strengths. "Nobody could picture me as that character. It has been quite the journey," he added. The official teaser of Mirzapur: The Movie was unveiled earlier this week and it promises to continue the saga on a larger cinematic scale. Besides Fazal, actors Divyenndu and Pankaj Tripathi are returning in their fan-favourite avatars of Munna Tripathi and Kaleen Bhaiya. They are joined by Jitendra Kumar, who takes over the role of Bablu Pandit, who was played by Vikrant Massey in the first season, while Ravi Kishan has been introduced as another important variable. Asked whether Mirzapur has spoiled hinterland dramas for others with its sweeping popularity, Fazal said that's always the case with something that clicks. He gave the example of filmmaker Anurag Kashyap's two-part crime epic Gangs of Wasseypur. "Gangs of Wasseypur was cult cinema. Many people took it from there. They made great characters. I met my wife (Richa Chadha) but that's a different story. That's what happened in Mirzapur. The canvas was like that. People got attached to the characters. While he awaits the release of Mirzapur: The Movie on September 4, Fazal is currently receiving praise for his performance in Raakh, directed by Prosit Roy. n