Actor Ali Fazal is waiting for the troubled times to be over, as he believes society post COVID-19 will go through a transformation that we have never seen before, and that will be an interesting time for storytellers in world cinema.

"I think this is that time when many writers, who are sitting in home, are brewing stories in their mind. So in the coming two or three years, in our cinema we will get to see an interesting range of stories. If we look closely, since December last year, a lot has happened in our society -- politically, economically, and now this global pandemic. As a society we are going through a transformation that will continue. As cinema reflects society, this is going to be so different. Our golden era of cinema happened in thefifties and the sixties because after Independence, our nation went through a huge transformation. Post COVID-19, the world will see another transformation. So, I am waiting for the change to come and seeing how all of us embrace it," Ali told IANS.

"You know, we recall our history through art -- cinema, literature, fashion, paintings et cetera. These are the mediums that reflect and capture what is happening in society. We get to know an insight of any society by watching a film of that region, of that era," said the actor.

Lucknow-born Ali had no plan to become an actor, but a sportsman. "I wanted to be a sportsman and due to my broken arms then, I couldn't continue. I, in fact, was a studious fellow in college, I was studying economics and used to do theatre at Prithvi. But no, I never had a big dream of becoming an actor. I was just going with the flow," the actor said.

He continued: "Now I cannot imagine my life without acting. The only way to live several lives in one lifetime is to become an actor. So yeah, I think the universe always has a better plan than what we think we are planning. Since I never went to an acting school, I always go and sit with cinematographer, editor, assistant directors. I am eager to learn!"

How important is art for an actor like Ali, who is constantly exploring hugely different formats of visual entertainment as Bollywood, Hollywood, and OTT?

"Even at this point of time, only art is coming to rescue us by helping us stay happy and engaged. You listen to music, watch a film - so, art plays an equal important role in our life along with other basic needs," Ali signed off.

(Arundhuti Banerjee can be contacted at arundhuti.b@ians.in)