Ali Fazal wants to back women-led stories in his bid to make an ‘equal industry’

Ali Fazal

The only thing on Ali Fazal's mind these days is stories. Along with actor and wife Richa Chadha, he rolled out their maiden production last year, the acclaimed Girls Will Be Girls (2024). Now, the duo is scouting for stories, and they have only one condition - like director Shuchi Talati's venture, their next too must put women at the forefront.

A still from Girls Will Be Girls

For Fazal, the idea is bigger than telling female-led stories. He believes it's about course-correcting an industry that has marginalised women for decades. "For too long, the narrative has been skewed in one direction. But the tide is turning, and I'm proud to be part of that shift. Girls Will Be Girls was just the beginning. Such stories are necessary. They challenge norms, break stereotypes, and offer a perspective that has been long overlooked in mainstream cinema. If we truly want an equal industry, we have to put our money where our mouth is," says the actor-turned-producer.

Fazal states that women's narratives have struggled to find their rightful place. While he wants to spotlight them through his productions, off screen he also aims to make the movie industry an equal place by training women in different aspects of filmmaking, through Undercurrent Lab. "It's about ensuring that the industry becomes more inclusive. That's why Richa and I started Undercurrent Lab. We want to give more women the tools, resources, and platform to tell their stories. Cinema is evolving, and I want to be on the right side of that change," he says.