Richa Chadha admits she feels like giving up ‘every six months’; Ali Fazal emphasises relentlessness as key to surviving in cinema

Two outsiders who ventured into the world of cinema and earned their place in the industry through unwavering hard work and perseverance, actors Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal are beloved by movie enthusiasts across the country. This is also one of the major reasons why their love story, which transitioned from an off-screen romance to marriage, won the hearts of audiences across the country. Although the two have so far had successful and impactful careers, marked by both commercially and critically acclaimed projects, the journey has been anything but easy. Richa recently admitted that there were numerous moments when she felt like giving up.

Speaking at the fifth edition of SCREEN Live at IIT Delhi, Richa and Ali shared how they cope with feelings of hopelessness. When asked how they overcome the urge to give up and keep moving forward, Richa revealed that such moments are a recurring challenge for her. “I have this point every six months to give up and start again,” she quipped, eliciting laughter from the guests and audience. Ali, meanwhile, highlighted the importance of resilience, stating, “You have to be relentless,” he remarked.

Watch Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal at SCREEN Live here:

While Ali Fazal made his Bollywood debut with the memorable role of Joy Lobo in director Rajkumar Hirani’s Aamir Khan-starrer 3 Idiots (2009), Richa Chadha began her acting career playing a supporting role in Dibakar Banerjee’s Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008). Ali gained prominence with his performance in the comedy-thriller Fukrey, directed by Mrighdeep Singh Lamba — a film in which Richa also portrayed a key character. By that time, Richa had already garnered widespread recognition for her standout performance as one of the lead characters in Anurag Kashyap’s acclaimed Gangs of Wasseypur series.

Currently, the duo is busy promoting their debut production venture, Girls Will Be Girls, directed by Shuchi Talati and starring Preeti Panigrahi, Kesav Binoy Kiron and Kani Kusruti in the lead roles. Dubbing it as one of the best films of 2024, The Indian Express’ Shubhra Gupta wrote, “The three lead players carry the film — Kesav Binoy Kiron adds the right dollop of barely-there smarm to his charm. When Panigrahi and Kusruti, are facing off, you can’t take your eyes off either.”

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