Being Asif Ali’s brother helps, but I must prove myself: Askar Ali | INTERVIEW

Actor Askar Ali is preparing to move away from romantic films and explore a different path. The younger brother of actor Asif Ali, Askar is now arriving with a mystery thriller. The film, “Sambhavam Adhyayam Onnu,” which gives importance to action, is directed by Jithu Satheeshan. Vineeth Kumar, Siddharth Bharathan, Senthil Krishna, and Azeem Jamal also play important roles in the movie. Askar Ali shares details about the film.

“Sambhavam Adhyayam Onnu” is about to release. What does the film tell?

"Sambhavam Adhyayam Onnu" is a gripping mystery thriller. It is quite different from the projects I have done in the past. Directed by Jithu Satheesan, the story features me in the role of a Civil Police Officer named Firoz. The narrative follows the journey of three main characters, played by Vineeth Kumar, Azeem Jamal, and myself. Nearly 95 percent of the film shooting takes place in the jungle. 'Dhoni' in Palakkad is the primary location of the movie. I hope the audience will like the film.

How did you become part of the movie?

Jithu, the director of the movie, was a friend of a friend. Some time ago, he shared the story with me that I thought it was excellent. While he was planning about the production, he decided to make a short film first, titled 'Sambhavam'. It became a massive hit on YouTube, which paved the way for it to be developed into a full-length feature film. While he was searching for a producer, the current producers saw the short film and contacted him. Within a month, the film started.

Another important thing is that even after the short film became a hit, Jithu didn’t drop me from the project. With that short film, he could have approached bigger stars with more market value than me. But he still chose me to play the role.

You have only done a few movies in your career. How do you select your projects?

I haven’t reached a stage where I can be extremely selective, but I do filter the projects that come to me. I don’t want to do films in bulk. I choose projects by looking at the director, production house, and script. Many films are released every day in different languages, and many go unnoticed. I want at least the films I act in to be noticed by people.

How do you view the label of being 'Asif Ali’s brother'—as an advantage or a disadvantage?

In my personal life, it’s truly a great blessing. It gives me a sense of security, knowing that I always have my brother's support to lean on.

Within the film industry, being identified as his brother has certainly opened some doors for me. However, that label alone won't force the audience to watch my films. Ultimately, people will only come to the theaters if the movie is good or if I deliver a strong performance. At the end of the day, I have to prove myself on screen.

Do you both talk about films with each other?

No, we don’t really talk about films that much. I focus on improving my own craft, while he follows his own path. Our comments about movies are usually kept to short, casual conversations. We don’t have long discussions about it. If a film turns out to be bad, we simply behave as if it never got released.