Ali Fazal, who was in the news last year for his international film Victoria & Abdul, is currently shooting for Tigmanshu Dhulia's Milan Talkies. During an on-set interaction in his hometown, the Lucknow-born actor spoke about how he landed a role in the film.

"I've always looked up to Tigmanshu sir's work. I went to his office very casually once... I've never gone to someone's office like that. I guess it was just fate... I got a call from him three years later, asking, 'What are you doing?' And I came on board. I'm very excited about this project. It's something different. I have not been a part of such projects before. I've had a very different, urban image. I don't know why though," says the Fukrey actor .

Milan Talkies is a small town love story, which revolves around the sorry predicament of single-screen theatres in the days of the multiplex. 

Tigmanshu Dhulia says Ali was an easy choice for the lead role. "I have always kept track of Ali's works. He has a great training and background as an actor, he has also been a part of Western cinema. I wanted the lead actor to have the attitude of a resident of Allahabad, Lucknow, and Awadh. If I had cast an actor who is not from here, it wouldn't have looked natural. Since Ali is from Lucknow, it was a perfect fit for him," says the filmmaker.

The film, which will mark Shraddha Srinath's debut in Bollywood, is produced by PS Chhatwal of Filmy Keeda Productions and Prakash Bhatt of Purple Bull. It features Reecha Sinha, Ashutosh Rana, Sanjay Mishra, Yashpal Sharma, Sikander Kher, and Deep Raj Rana.