Imtiaz Ali opens up on acting in Anurag Kashyap's Black Friday!

Famous filmmaker Imtiaz Ali portrayed the part of Yakub Memon in Anurag Kashyap's film Black Friday, which was a major but underappreciated part for him. Imtiaz recently spoke about his close friendship with Anurag, which dates back to their time together at Delhi University, in an interview. The interesting fact that Anurag Kashyap originally wanted to be an actor rather than a filmmaker was also revealed by him. Imtiaz also gave an explanation of his decision to play a part in Anurag's film.

 

During a recent interaction with a media source, when discussing his hesitant choice to act in Anurag Kashyap's film Black Friday, Imtiaz Ali revealed, “When we are young, we all make mistakes. One of my mistakes was taking his advice. We spent a lot of time together and even lived in the same building. We were deeply involved in each other's work. I don't know why he suggested that I should play the role of Yakub Memon in Black Friday. I think it was his stubbornness, vo merko zaleel karna chahta hoga (he wanted to embarrass me). He said to me, ‘Mein apke liye jaan de sakta hu, aap mere liye role nahi kar sakte (I can give my life for you, but you can't play a role for me). He said this with a lot of emotion, probably because he was a struggling actor at the time (laughs). At that time also he was acting.”

 

The director stated in his post that Anurag advised him to keep his hair long so he could continue filming for the movie. After that, the director made the decision to keep his long hair and never cut it short again. He revealed, “This is why I have long hair now.”   

 

Imtiaz Ali thought back on how Anurag Kashyap had a sincere desire to work as an actor. He told, “Anurag banana actor chahta tha. The first time I saw a portfolio was when Anurag showed me his own. At that time, I didn't know I'd become a director and see many portfolios in the future, but Anurag's was the first. In it, he had photos showcasing his muscles. He approached me when I was part of the production team for a TV show that would be shot at Delhi University. Anurag, who was at Hansraj College while I was at Hindu College, came to find me in my hostel and presented his portfolio. I was impressed by his dedication as he had many photos taken from various angles.” 

 

Following Paanch, Black Friday was Anurag Kashyap's second film to serve as his own director. He wrote the screenplay in addition to directing it. The 1993 Bombay bombings are detailed in Hussain Zaidi's book Black Friday: The True Story of the Bombay Bomb Blasts, which served as its inspiration. The movie examines the incidents that led to the bombings and the subsequent police inquiry.