A role for the soul

Aamir Ali

After wrapping up Hansal Mehta's Faraaz, based on the 2016 Bangladesh terror attack, with an ensemble cast, Aamir Ali has moved on to his next - a seven-episodic social comedy series, where he plays the protagonist. The actor has been shooting for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and BBC London production, titled Life Navrangi since early January, and is expected to wrap it up by January 21.

About playing Vishwas, a journalist in Life Navrangi, he says, "[The series tackles the] issue of sanitation in Bhopal in a humorous tone. [The production house] wanted to give it a desi feel, as they want to cater to Indian audiences." Directed by Debatma Mandal, the series delivers a "strong message", insists Ali. "The topic of sanitation can be very boring, so they wanted to make an interesting, fun show with a strong message. I wanted to be associated with it for its good cause and also because reputed producers are associated with it."

Hansal Mehta and Aamir Ali

Interestingly, Ali had played Vishwas in 2019 for the show, Navrangi Re on Rishtey for two months, which was part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project. While the new show operates on the similar premise of sanitation, the actor says it is different. "This is a new-age series created in the OTT format [for the digital audience]. Life Navrangi is neither season two, nor is it a continuation of [Navrangi Re]. Only my character Vishwas, who wants to cover genuine stories, and the issues of sanitation in a small town remains the same. The story and rest of the characters [actors] are different," says the actor, who is thrilled and hungry for the choices the OTT boom has created.

Ali will next be seen in Mehta's son Jay's thriller series about around Somalian pirates. Touted to be one of the biggest shows on Disney+ Hotstar, the series features Deepak Tijori, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Amruta Khanvilkar, and Rajat Kapoor among others.