Malayalam actor Asif Ali
Malayalam actor talks Mirage, Jeethu Joseph, risk-taking roles & why he never had a Plan B
Dubai: By the time Malayalam actor Asif Ali shuffled into the suite of a Dubai hotel for our chat, he was, in his own words, “knackered.”
The star, who has clearly shed a considerable amount of weight, looked every inch the reluctant poster boy for low-carb living. At one point, he was practically sliding sideways into the sofa — proof that ditching rice and bread really does take its toll.
He sheepishly admitted to squeezing in a power nap before facing me, and yet within minutes his humility and candour explained why colleagues swear he’s one of the nicest men in the business. No diva behaviour here. Just hours later, he was due to charm a crowd at a fan interaction in Dubai, but for now, the order of the evening was Mirage — a taut new thriller from Jeethu Joseph, the man behind Drishyam.
The film comes with a delicious backstory: it was originally conceived in Hindi, but no Bollywood leading man wanted to touch Asif’s role. Too murky, too risky. Instead of shelving it, Jeethu did what only a Malayalam filmmaker could — he turned to his home turf, where actors don’t fuss about screen time or billing. Asif put it simply: “We don’t ask how big the role is. We ask what the role is.”
Asif still remembers his first “dream call” from Jeethu. “When he approached me for Kooman, I thought it would be a small part. But it turned out to be the central character — a career-defining role. When I asked why, he said I was apt for it.” That faith cemented a personal and professional bond.
After Kooman, the two became close family friends. Three years later came Mirage. By then, Asif had strung together an enviable list of thrillers — Thalavan, Kishkindhakandam, Level Cross, Rekhachithram — but he insists this one stands apart. “The screenplay was incredibly exciting. And with Jithu Sir, you’re always confident the final version will be tight.”
On set, Jeethu isn’t the intimidating figure you might expect. “He explains crystal clear what he wants. It’s easier for actors with him. He makes sure everyone feels comfortable.”
If Jeethu brings precision, Asif brings risk-taking. His filmography reads like a dare. Early on, he was branded part of the “new generation” wave thanks to Honey Bee. “That audience was mostly young,” he recalls. “That’s when I realised we need all kinds of people in theatres. To do that, I had to try different genres.”
So he did. From Sunday Holiday, a warm family entertainer, to Kili Poyi, which proudly called itself India’s first stoner comedy. “Because it dealt with an adult-oriented subject, it didn’t really appeal widely,” he admits with a laugh, “but I had to try it.”
That refusal to be boxed in explains his trajectory — bouncing between villains (Apoorvaragam, Uyare), small but memorable cameos (Kadha Thudarunnu), and crowd-pleasers. It also explains why, when Jeethu offered him the role of an online investigative journalist in Mirage, Asif didn’t flinch at being technically the “supporting” act to Aparna Balamurali’s lead. “I never saw risk in playing alongside a male or female lead. I focus only on my character.”
Mirage producer Mukesh Mehta calls him one of the hardest-working actors he has ever met. Asif smiles when told this, but the modesty is laced with an awareness of privilege.
“I realise I’m in a position many dream of. That’s why I spend more time on my profession than my personal life — constantly correcting myself.”
With his 40th birthday looming, reflection comes easily. “The decisions I made at 39 are far more mature than the ones in my 20s,” he says, almost sheepishly.
For an actor often juggling multiple releases a year, it feels like an earned perspective.
Not every year has been charmed. He calls 2014 his lowest point, when even his lead roles flopped while his cameos earned applause. What got him through was sheer stubbornness. “Keep trying and believe in yourself. I never had a Plan B. I always believed I’d be an actor. Only after becoming one did I realise the risk of not having a backup. That confidence has stayed with me, and it’s the advice I’d give anyone entering this profession.”
That grit, paired with his appetite for risk, has made him one of Malayalam cinema’s most bankable yet unpredictable stars.
Ask him about reviews, and you won’t get the usual “ignore the critics” spiel. Instead, Asif offers nuance. “If a person spends money on a ticket, asking them not to voice their opinion isn’t right. A film I love may not work for someone else. So reviews shouldn’t be taken as absolute judgment.”
He points to Malayalam audiences as uniquely discerning. “Many films that became superhits in other languages didn’t do well here. That’s a special quality.”
As for Bollywood? He isn’t desperate to cross over, but he isn’t shutting the door either. “Inshallah, I’m looking forward. But I won’t play a token South Indian. Even in Tamil, they once suggested my character be from Palakkad. I said no. If I do it, I need to speak that language with confidence.”
Ultimately, Mirage is bigger than just another thriller on Asif Ali’s resume. It represents the confidence of Malayalam cinema — where actors don’t shy away from roles Bollywood stars rejected, but instead seize them with gusto.
For Asif, who once played a stoner just to test boundaries, and who weathered a career slump without ever contemplating a fallback, Mirage is yet another experiment. And, judging by his quiet conviction in Dubai — even if he was running on nap-fuelled energy — it’s one that could very well pay off.
Because if there’s one throughline in Asif Ali’s career, it’s this: he doesn’t measure roles in minutes of screen time, but in how deeply they challenge him. And maybe that’s why, twenty years in, he’s still impossible to pin down.
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