# Ali Fazal (अली फ़ज़ल)
**Ali Fazal** (अली फ़ज़ल) is an Indian actor and producer who works in [Hindi cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindi-cinema) and international film, known for playing Guddu Pandit in the Prime Video crime series *Mirzapur* and Abdul Karim opposite [Judi Dench](https://www.edgepedia.org/judi-dench) in *Victoria & Abdul* (2017).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3170495) • [2](https://hindi.filmibeat.com/celebs/ali-fazal.html) Born in 1986 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, he built parallel careers in Bollywood and Hollywood after starting with small roles in the late 2000s.[2](https://hindi.filmibeat.com/celebs/ali-fazal.html) • [3](https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/ali-fazal-havent-been-pushed-enough-as-an-actor/cid/1945721)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1986, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India[2](https://hindi.filmibeat.com/celebs/ali-fazal.html) |
| Education | The Doon School, Dehradun; economics degree from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai[4](https://www.globalindian.com/profiles/ali-fazal/) |
| Screen debut | *The Other End of the Line* (2008); Hindi debut as Joy Lobo in *3 Idiots* (2009)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3170495) |
| Breakthrough role | Guddu Pandit in *Mirzapur* (2018 onward), a series that broke streaming records for Amazon Studios[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3170495) |
| International lead | Abdul Karim in *Victoria & Abdul* (2017), opposite Judi Dench, directed by Stephen Frears[5](https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/from-india-today-magazine/story/19700101-victoria-and-abdul-film-british-indian-actors-ali-fazal-dame-judi-dench-1054381-2017-09-29) |
| Hollywood roles | Safar in *Furious 7* (2015); Andrew Katchadourian in *Death on the Nile* (2022); Kahil Nasir in *Kandahar* (2023)[6](https://www.metacritic.com/person/ali-fazal/) |
| Producing | Executive producer of *Girls Will Be Girls* (2024), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival[7](https://www.outlookindia.com/art-entertainment/the-atypical-protagonist-ali-fazal-is-everywhere-all-at-once) |
| Spouse | Actor Richa Chadha[8](https://www.theweek.in/magazine/theweek/leisure/2026/07/04/from-mirzapur-to-raakh-ali-fazal-on-his-career-craft-and-redefining-the-hero-image.html) |
## Early life and education
Fazal was born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.[2](https://hindi.filmibeat.com/celebs/ali-fazal.html) His father's job took him briefly to the International Indian School in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, before he returned to India and joined [The Doon School](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-doon-school) in Dehradun, an all-boys boarding school.[4](https://www.globalindian.com/profiles/ali-fazal/) He had planned a different career entirely: as a science student he wanted to be a pilot, and then a doctor.[4](https://www.globalindian.com/profiles/ali-fazal/)
A broken arm redirected him toward the stage. Unable to play sport, he began doing theater at Doon, first out of necessity and later because he enjoyed it.[9](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/hollywood/victoria-and-abdul-actor-ali-fazal-its-horrible-when-actors-say-they-are-apolitical-4762344/) After school he moved to Mumbai and earned an economics degree at St. Xavier's College, balancing coursework with theater work that caught the attention of casting directors.[4](https://www.globalindian.com/profiles/ali-fazal/)
## Screen debut and early Hindi films
Fazal made his screen debut in the English-language film *The Other End of the Line* (2008), playing Vij.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3170495) • [6](https://www.metacritic.com/person/ali-fazal/) His Hindi film industry debut came with a small role as Joy Lobo, an engineering student driven to despair, in [Rajkumar Hirani](https://www.edgepedia.org/rajkumar-hirani)'s *3 Idiots* (2009).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3170495) • [8](https://www.theweek.in/magazine/theweek/leisure/2026/07/04/from-mirzapur-to-raakh-ali-fazal-on-his-career-craft-and-redefining-the-hero-image.html) He has said his Bollywood career began with *3 Idiots* while he was in his second year of college.[4](https://www.globalindian.com/profiles/ali-fazal/)
The following years mixed successes and setbacks. He appeared in *Always Kabhi Kabhi* (2011), a romantic film directed by Roshan Abbas and produced by [Shah Rukh Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/shah-rukh-khan)'s Red Chillies Entertainment, which he later described as a box-office failure.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3170495) • [9](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/hollywood/victoria-and-abdul-actor-ali-fazal-its-horrible-when-actors-say-they-are-apolitical-4762344/) His first unreleased project, Saeed Akhtar Mirza's *Ek Tho Chance* (2009), was the film that first cast him, and he has said he never watched his own first film.[9](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/hollywood/victoria-and-abdul-actor-ali-fazal-its-horrible-when-actors-say-they-are-apolitical-4762344/) • [4](https://www.globalindian.com/profiles/ali-fazal/)
Recognition came with comedy. In *Fukrey* (2013) he played Zafar, a struggling musician, a role he reprised in *Fukrey Returns* (2017) and *Fukrey 3* (2023).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3170495) • [10](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrity/ali-fazal/filmography/) He appeared opposite [Vidya Balan](https://www.edgepedia.org/vidya-balan) as Tasawur in the comedy-drama *Bobby Jasoos* (2014), took the lead in *Khamoshiyan* (2015), and played the lead opposite [Diana Penty](https://www.edgepedia.org/diana-penty) in *Happy Bhaag Jayegi* (2016).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3170495)
## International work
Fazal's first American film was *Furious 7* (2015), in which he played Safar.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3170495) • [6](https://www.metacritic.com/person/ali-fazal/) His international breakthrough was *Victoria & Abdul* (2017), [Stephen Frears](https://www.edgepedia.org/stephen-frears)'s film about the real friendship between [Queen Victoria](https://www.edgepedia.org/queen-victoria) and her Indian servant and Urdu teacher Abdul Karim in the last years of her life.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3170495) • [11](https://time.com/4941313/victoria-and-abdul-true-story-shrabani-basu/) Stephen Frears, the film's director, stated that in order to cast someone as the Muslim who served as Queen Victoria's friend and munshi (teacher), he needed to travel to India.[12](https://www.motionpictures.org/2017/09/ali-fazal-playing-queen-victorias-friend-teacher-victoria-and-abdul/) Fazal sent two audition clips to casting director Nandini Shrikent, tested in Mumbai and London, and was confirmed as the lead the night he returned to Mumbai.[5](https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/from-india-today-magazine/story/19700101-victoria-and-abdul-film-british-indian-actors-ali-fazal-dame-judi-dench-1054381-2017-09-29) The film premiered at the 2017 [Venice Film Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/venice-film-festival).[13](https://www.aajtak.in/topic/ali-fazal) Reviewers responded to his performance: *Variety* wrote that he played Abdul "with a sing-song voice and a polite sweetness that never lets up," and *The Hollywood Reporter* called him a "more-than-capable foil" to Dench.[5](https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/from-india-today-magazine/story/19700101-victoria-and-abdul-film-british-indian-actors-ali-fazal-dame-judi-dench-1054381-2017-09-29)
He followed with [Kenneth Branagh](https://www.edgepedia.org/kenneth-branagh)'s *Death on the Nile* (2022), playing Andrew Katchadourian in the ensemble cast alongside [Gal Gadot](https://www.edgepedia.org/gal-gadot).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3170495) • [6](https://www.metacritic.com/person/ali-fazal/) In the [Gerard Butler](https://www.edgepedia.org/gerard-butler) action film *Kandahar* (2023) he played Kahil Nasir, one of his prominent international roles.[6](https://www.metacritic.com/person/ali-fazal/) • [14](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/ali-fazal-says-he-lost-many-good-projects-trying-to-balance-hollywood-and-bollywood-101752236517156.html) He has described the cost of working both sides of the industry, saying he lost many good projects while trying to balance Hollywood and Bollywood.[14](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/ali-fazal-says-he-lost-many-good-projects-trying-to-balance-hollywood-and-bollywood-101752236517156.html) After *Victoria & Abdul* (2017) and *Death on the Nile* (2022), he consciously refocused on working in India because people had started assuming he no longer lived there.[15](https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/ali-fazal-on-fatherhood-mirzapur-and-why-he-almost-turned-down-raakh-10770557/)
## Mirzapur and streaming success
The Prime Video crime series *Mirzapur*, beginning in 2018, made Fazal a household name in India; the show broke streaming records for Amazon Studios.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3170495) He plays Govind "Guddu" Pandit, a bodybuilder-turned-gangster in [Uttar Pradesh](https://www.edgepedia.org/uttar-pradesh), a performance one critic described as an unpredictable mix of homegrown assurance and filmy hamming, with the haunted Guddu transforming from a loose cannon to a merciless sledgehammer across seasons.[7](https://www.outlookindia.com/art-entertainment/the-atypical-protagonist-ali-fazal-is-everywhere-all-at-once) Fazal has said *Mirzapur* was a game changer for him and that he is nothing like the character, naming the antagonist role as the one that surprised him most.[16](https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/interview-ali-fazal-on-building-his-hollywood-career-and-mirzapur/cid/1794688) • [17](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/2026/Jul/05/interview-im-nothing-like-guddu-pandit-ali-fazal)
Instead of a fourth season, Amazon adapted the series into *Mirzapur: The Movie*, released in September 2026, with Fazal reprising Guddu Pandit; he has described it as a standalone film and the first time an Indian show has turned into a film.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3170495) • [10](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrity/ali-fazal/filmography/) • [17](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/2026/Jul/05/interview-im-nothing-like-guddu-pandit-ali-fazal)
## Producing and recent work
With his wife, the actor [Richa Chadha](https://www.edgepedia.org/richa-chadha), Fazal turned producer with Shuchi Talati's *Girls Will Be Girls* (2024), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by Amazon Prime Video; it is his highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes at 100 percent.[7](https://www.outlookindia.com/art-entertainment/the-atypical-protagonist-ali-fazal-is-everywhere-all-at-once) • [18](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ali_fazal)
In the 2026 crime thriller series *Raakh*, directed by Prosit Roy, he played a police officer for the first time: an introverted Dalit sub-inspector in 1978, in a dramatized version of the Billa-Ranga case, a real 1978 crime that changed India's perception of public safety.[19](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/amp/news/features/ali-fazal-reveals-how-indian-actors-can-break-into-hollywood-dont-be-shy-of-giving-auditions/) • [17](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/2026/Jul/05/interview-im-nothing-like-guddu-pandit-ali-fazal) • [8](https://www.theweek.in/magazine/theweek/leisure/2026/07/04/from-mirzapur-to-raakh-ali-fazal-on-his-career-craft-and-redefining-the-hero-image.html) He initially wanted to decline the role because he was eager to return to films after three seasons of *Mirzapur*, the shooting schedule overlapped with the *Mirzapur* film, and he had bulked up for Guddu and looked too muscular for the unassuming cop.[15](https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/ali-fazal-on-fatherhood-mirzapur-and-why-he-almost-turned-down-raakh-10770557/) The cast researched 1970s Delhi policing, consulting retired officers on body language, arrest procedures, and investigative methods.[8](https://www.theweek.in/magazine/theweek/leisure/2026/07/04/from-mirzapur-to-raakh-ali-fazal-on-his-career-craft-and-redefining-the-hero-image.html)
His recent slate also includes Vishal Bhardwaj's spy film *Khufiya* (2023), the Kamal Haasan film *Thug Life* (2025), and an ensemble role in Anurag Basu's *Metro... In Dino* (2025), for which he learned guitar to prepare.[6](https://www.metacritic.com/person/ali-fazal/) • [7](https://www.outlookindia.com/art-entertainment/the-atypical-protagonist-ali-fazal-is-everywhere-all-at-once) • [20](https://www.dailypioneer.com/uploads/2025/epaper/july/vijayawada-english-edition-2025-07-01.pdf) Future projects announced in interviews include Raj and DK's Netflix series *Rakht Brahmand* and *Lahore 1947*, produced by Aamir Khan and directed by Rajkumar Santoshi.[7](https://www.outlookindia.com/art-entertainment/the-atypical-protagonist-ali-fazal-is-everywhere-all-at-once)
## Career pattern
Commentators describe Fazal's career as a deliberate resistance to typecasting. He has moved from a brief tragic role in *3 Idiots* to comedy in *Fukrey*, a period drama in *Victoria & Abdul*, a gangster in *Mirzapur*, and a restrained cop in *Raakh*, and he says he does not tailor roles around audience expectations.[8](https://www.theweek.in/magazine/theweek/leisure/2026/07/04/from-mirzapur-to-raakh-ali-fazal-on-his-career-craft-and-redefining-the-hero-image.html) • [17](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/2026/Jul/05/interview-im-nothing-like-guddu-pandit-ali-fazal) On breaking into Hollywood, his advice to Indian actors is direct: do not be shy of auditioning, because actors must get through auditions and land a part before agencies come to them, not the other way around.[19](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/amp/news/features/ali-fazal-reveals-how-indian-actors-can-break-into-hollywood-dont-be-shy-of-giving-auditions/)
## References
1. [Ali Fazal, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3170495)
2. [अली फजल, Filmibeat Hindi](https://hindi.filmibeat.com/celebs/ali-fazal.html)
3. [Ali Fazal: 'Haven't been pushed enough as an actor', Telegraph India](https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/ali-fazal-havent-been-pushed-enough-as-an-actor/cid/1945721)
4. [Ali Fazal: A Remarkable Journey from Bollywood to Hollywood, Global Indian](https://www.globalindian.com/profiles/ali-fazal/)
5. [The Queen and I: Actor Ali Fazal on playing lead in Victoria & Abdul, India Today](https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/from-india-today-magazine/story/19700101-victoria-and-abdul-film-british-indian-actors-ali-fazal-dame-judi-dench-1054381-2017-09-29)
6. [Ali Fazal, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/ali-fazal/)
7. [The Atypical Protagonist: Ali Fazal Is Everywhere All At Once, Outlook India](https://www.outlookindia.com/art-entertainment/the-atypical-protagonist-ali-fazal-is-everywhere-all-at-once)
8. [From Mirzapur to Raakh: Ali Fazal on his career, craft and redefining the hero image, The Week](https://www.theweek.in/magazine/theweek/leisure/2026/07/04/from-mirzapur-to-raakh-ali-fazal-on-his-career-craft-and-redefining-the-hero-image.html)
9. [Victoria and Abdul actor Ali Fazal interview, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/hollywood/victoria-and-abdul-actor-ali-fazal-its-horrible-when-actors-say-they-are-apolitical-4762344/)
10. [Ali Fazal Movies List, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrity/ali-fazal/filmography/)
11. [Victoria and Abdul Author on the Movie's Unlikely Story, TIME](https://time.com/4941313/victoria-and-abdul-true-story-shrabani-basu/)
12. [Ali Fazal on Playing Queen Victoria's Friend & Teacher in Victoria and Abdul, The Credits](https://www.motionpictures.org/2017/09/ali-fazal-playing-queen-victorias-friend-teacher-victoria-and-abdul/)
13. [अली फजल के समाचार, AajTak](https://www.aajtak.in/topic/ali-fazal)
14. [Ali Fazal says he lost many good projects trying to balance Hollywood and Bollywood, Hindustan Times](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/ali-fazal-says-he-lost-many-good-projects-trying-to-balance-hollywood-and-bollywood-101752236517156.html)
15. [Ali Fazal on fatherhood, Mirzapur and why he almost turned down Raakh, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/ali-fazal-on-fatherhood-mirzapur-and-why-he-almost-turned-down-raakh-10770557/)
16. [Interview: Ali Fazal on building his Hollywood career and Mirzapur, Telegraph India](https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/interview-ali-fazal-on-building-his-hollywood-career-and-mirzapur/cid/1794688)
17. [Interview | I'm nothing like Guddu Pandit: Ali Fazal, The New Indian Express](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/2026/Jul/05/interview-im-nothing-like-guddu-pandit-ali-fazal)
18. [Ali Fazal Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ali_fazal)
19. [Ali Fazal reveals how Indian actors can break into Hollywood, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/amp/news/features/ali-fazal-reveals-how-indian-actors-can-break-into-hollywood-dont-be-shy-of-giving-auditions/)
20. [The Pioneer e-paper, 1 July 2025](https://www.dailypioneer.com/uploads/2025/epaper/july/vijayawada-english-edition-2025-07-01.pdf)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Film actors and performers › Indian and South Asian film actors by industry and language › Hindi film actors, 2010s onward › Surnames symbols to G*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license