Ashkar Ali, who will make his debut in Jean Paul Lal’s Honey Bee 2.5, says acting was no cakewalk for him. The brother of Asif Ali, Ashkar will be seen playing an aspring actor in Honey Bee 2.5, a movie that has been shot along with Honey Bee 2.
“I have always wanted to be in movies and was a student at Rajiv Menon’s Mindscreen Film Institute when actor-producer Lal Sir called me, three weeks before the shoot began. He said he had this unique idea, that of a zero-budget movie that will be shot along with Honey Bee 2. Initially, the plan was to shoot it, like making a video, but then it evolved into a separate film,” says Ashkar.
Honey Bee 2.5 has all the cast of Honey Bee 2 and the actors, including Asif Ali and Bhavana, play themselves. The movie will hit the screens almost two months after the release of Honey Bee 2. On playing the hero, Ashkar says he was a bag of nerves. “I never thought it would happen so quickly. I wasn’t that confident too but I decided to give it a try. My only solace was that it was a zero-budget movie,” says the actor.
Ashkar will play Vishnu, who lands up on the sets of Honey Bee 2 seeking a role. “The character befriends Bhavana’s make-up woman, played by Lijimol. The movie is about how he gets bullied by the cast of Honey Bee 2. The movie was shot using hidden cameras and will see me running around on the sets of Honey Bee 2,” laughs Ashkar.
Any advice from his brother on his debut? “Asif asked me to behave well and be humble. He didn’t give me much of an advice otherwise. But, when we were shooting he wouldn’t come anywhere near me. He would hide somewhere, take a peek, and leave,” says Ashkar. Ashkar has also signed a new movie Chemparathipoo, that will go on the floors next month. “The director is a debutant Arun Vaiga and it will be a comic ride,” he says.