In a long note posted on social media, actor and producer Fahadh Faasil has discussed his reasons for taking his upcoming film Malik to an OTT (Over-the-Top) platform. In doing so, he has also traced his journey in the film industry, particularly acknowledging the role played by his wife and actor Nazriya. “I wonder what my life would have been if nazriya didn't feel strong about us!! (sic),” Fahadh wrote, recounting their life together for the past seven years. In the letter posted on Facebook on Wednesday, Fahadh announced that Malik, which was meant to be a theatrical release, will be released on OTT instead. But fans of the couple have responded to his comments on Nazriya more, considering Fahadh rarely shares about his personal life.
Recalling how he proposed to Nazriya, Fahadh wrote, “7 years of Bangalore days bring back so many good memories. Falling head over heels for nazriya, beginning of my journey with her. I asked her out over a handwritten letter and slipped a ring along. She didn't say yes. But she didn't say NO either!! (sic)”
In a reference to Nazriya taking a break from cinema for four years after they got married, Fahadh said, “I loved being around nazriya. But my thoughts were random. I don't know if it sounds well now, but at that point there was a lot nazriya had to give up choosing me. It absolutely worried me and I kept fluctuating. Its just when I thought it was all going to be over because I am not strong enough she said, ‘hello, method actor, who do you think you are? It's just one simple life. pack your bags with everyone and everything you need’. We have been married for 7 years. Even now when I leave the tv remote in the bathroom she asks with the same conviction, "who do you think you are?'. 7 years of Bangalore days have given me a bit more than what I deserve. We work together. We spoil each other. We back each other. We are a team no matter what.”
After she got married to Fahadh in 2014, Nazriya, who was at the peak of her career in Malayalam and Tamil cinema, stayed away from the screen for four years. She made a comeback with Anjali Menon's Koode. However, she has always insisted that she took a break because she wanted to and that it wasn't Fahadh's decision.
Fahadh added that all the achievements in his life came after he started his life with Nazriya. “I know for sure I didn't do any of this alone. I wonder what my life would have been if nazriya didn't feel strong about us.!! (sic)”
Writing about Malik, Fahadh said, “With a heavy heart, the director, the producer, all the technicians and rest of us cast have opted for an OTT release for our very ambitious project, Malik. Each and everyone associated with Malik has put in over a years time to bring this project together. Unlike my recent OTT releases which were planned for home viewing right from the beginning, Malik was designed for a theatrical experience and it was the only film I had ready when theatres would open to 100%. The decision has been collective and I personally request everyone to see it in the best interest of the film (sic)."
In the letter, he also added that he has recovered from the injuries he incurred on the sets of Malayankunju. “My doctors said it was 'close'. As a defence mechanism my hands touched the ground before my face, which in 80% of the cases victims fail to do because of the trauma and depth of the fall. I was lucky I didn't lose my presence of mind, my doctor added. There again, I was lucky with life for the Nth time (sic),” he wrote. He said that the accident had left stitch marks on his nose. "The marks will stay with me for a while if not forever," he said.
In his letter, Fahadh also made a mention about his life in the US as a student, how he enrolled for engineering, but later decided to shift to art school.
“I have discussed my engineering college drop out story earlier in a couple of my interviews. In America you cannot shift majors after the first two years of school or else it meant your financial aid being withdrawn. So after my second year, my advisor called me in for a counselling session as my grades were falling crazy. During the session I somehow gathered courage to admit that, I am a failed actor/individual who has been running away from my own and measurements is the last thing I want to do with my life. My advisor took the initiative to write to my dean and I was shifted to the arts school. Six years in America and when I returned home without a degree, the only thing I felt good about was the fact that, since I don't have a degree I could start anywhere (sic),” he said.
Ending the note, he said, “As a child who fancied stories then and as a storyteller now, I was and am excited about how a story ends. All these instances at some point looked like an ending to the story I was living. But then it has not ended yet. I have come out of it with scars and stars. All endings are beautiful beginnings to another story. Sometimes your own or you are a part of someone else's story. But remember we all have a part to play. This indeed is a difficult time for all of us. This too will soon end for a new beginning.”
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