Ever since his acting debut with Bollywood film Tere Bin Laden in 2010, popular Pakistani voice Ali Zafar has had a distinguished place in the cinema industry which continued with multi-starrer projects such as Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, Kill Dill and Dear Zindagi, to name a few.
Ali is in the news all over again for his debut into Pakistani cinema with Teefa in Trouble, where he’ll be seen alongside debutante Maya Ali who plays the female lead Anya.
Maya is quite well known for her appearances in different TV shows of Pakistan. Releasing on July 20, the film is an action-romantic comedy which also has Javed Sheikh playing a pivotal role of Bashira who’s also Anya’s father. Earlier, Javed played Shah Rukh Khan’s father in 2007 Bollywood hit Om Shanti Om.
Ali, who has performed action earlier, calls Teefa in Trouble a milestone: “For me it’s not just about career. It’s bigger than that.”
On his character, Ali says, “I play Teefa, an ace enforcer, collector, and lovable rogue; trouble is his middle name! It was quite a roller coaster ride sort of an experience. I would say probably the best experience of my life in ways more than one.”
The Chashme Baddoor actor is also the writer and producer of the flick.
“The film required a lot of action and stunts that needed intense fitness training, including kung fu and other fighting techniques. But I would say I was lucky to have a director like Ahsan Rahim who is more than a friend and a mentor, and I had a great team on board. It’s eventually a team work,” says Ali.
While the movie is his first home production, Ali seems to be in no hurry to wear the director’s hat. He says, “I would love to direct at some point, but for now I am happy singing and acting.”
Earlier seen romancing Aditi Rao Hydari in the 2012 release London, Paris, New York, Ali affirms the movie also has a love-angle. “Although it’s an action comedy of sorts, it has a soul of a love story. You may have seen some of the romance brimming in ‘Chan ve’ and item number songs,” he reveals. Both songs have rocked the internet since their release last month, with more than four million and two million views respectively.
Moreover, the film is releasing across 25 countries and is expected to be the biggest global Pakistani release till date.
To make his native film a grand success, the five-film old has also collaborated with Yash Raj Films (YRF). “I feel lucky with our association with YRF. It’s a first of sorts. Again, the intention to come together was mutual respect and admiration, and most importantly, our faith in the film and each other.”
The actor has been a part of two YRF productions.