Ali Fazal credits Shah Rukh Khan and Tom Cruise for reviving theatrical business after pandemic; says, “You felt like the gates opened back to the theatres”
When cinemas were struggling to recover after the pandemic, it took real star power to pull audiences back, and Ali Fazal believes he watched that moment unfold in both India and Hollywood. In conversation with Variety India, the actor spoke about how Shah Rukh Khan and Tom Cruise helped restore faith in the theatrical experience when the industry needed it most.
How Jawan changed the mood at the box office
Fazal pointed to Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan as the film that reignited the Indian theatrical business, comparing it to Cruise’s impact through Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.
He said, “Shah Rukh sir brought in Jawan and then suddenly you felt like the gates opened back to the theatres. It was so weird because around the same time, or maybe a little before that, Tom Cruise did that with Mission: Impossible.”
A luncheon that revealed Cruise’s pull
Fazal also recalled an encounter with Cruise at an Academy luncheon, where he said he saw up close how the Hollywood star commanded the room.
“I actually met him during the Academy. We were having a luncheon, and it was so nice to just see him bring the whole industry together in that room,” Fazal said, adding, “Even though he’s probably hardly been nominated for all these things, you could tell everybody got pulled in.”
Star power that benefits the industry
For Fazal, the influence of such stars extends beyond their individual films, creating a ripple effect across the industry.
“That’s what happened here,” he said, referring to Shah Rukh Khan’s impact on the Indian box office. “I’m really glad. I hope that keeps happening, so that the rest can happen, so that all of us can experiment a little more.”
According to Fazal, when event films succeed in drawing audiences back to theatres, they open the door for more diverse and ambitious storytelling.
Ali Fazal will next be seen in Mirzapur: The Movie, presented by Amazon MGM Studios and Excel Entertainment. Directed by Gurmeet Singh and written by Puneet Krishna, the film is produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar. It will release in theatres in Hindi and Telugu on September 4, 2026.
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