Exclusive! Ali Merchant: I do think me and Sara Khan can be friends again

Ali Merchant has entered Kangana Ranaut’s show Lock Upp as a new qaidi. The actor came in the same jail where his ex-wife Sara Khan is already captured. While she has been resistant to his name and his presence, Ali still feels that he and Sara can be friends again. However, he also believes that terms and conditions apply for that situation. We at OTTplay asked him about what life has been like since Bigg Boss 4 (2010), where he married Sara Khan, got divorced and had to switch his career from acting to DJ. Excerpts…

How are you feeling? You met her recently, it’s been a crazy ride for you and Sara. Tell me what are you feeling right now?

I’m very happy to have this opportunity after really long. The Queens (referring to Kangana Ranaut and Ekta Kapoor) have come up with their first Indian, home-grown show and it’s doing so amazing. I was waiting for a show like this for a really long time. Upar wale ne sunn li meri and I got the right show.

You know, people feel the worst when they are misjudged. It is everybody’s fight. So, I see Lock Upp as a huge opportunity.

Sara has often blasted at your name. An incident took place in the Lock Upp where he addressed her as Sara Ali, which upset her. He then rectified he confused her for actress Sara Ali Khan. Do you think you both can be cordial on the show? The show is such that you have to stay united. Do you think you’ll be able to manage that?

I can manage it. I have moved on in life, experiences and mistakes. When you accept yourself and are ready to move forward, you talk about certain situations only when there is a need to do that. I personally want this situation to arise. My perception is that I didn’t make such a huge mistake that I had to stay away from the industry because of that incident. There are a lot of layers to that. There are many things that nobody knows about. I didn’t realize many things back then because even I was young. We both were immature. The point is not that – it is about how you are dealing with that today and what the future will look like.

I’m going on the show with the right intentions. I have seen so many ups and downs in life that even if something goes wrong, I’m very strong to face it and leave it to God. He has to support me even if no one else does. I won’t go away for 12 years again, right?

You recently revealed that Sara tried to intimidate you. What do you think was the reason behind that? Because she made it clear not to associate you and her on the show.

I don’t know what was her thought behind that. I was in Goa in December. I had gone to wish a friend and I saw and met Sara there. She made me feel very weird when I tried to do that. I came back and was talking to my manager when I saw that the boys who had come with her, they were trying to intimidate me with their actions. I was discussing with my manager about why they were doing drama. “I don’t need controversy, considering where I stand today. It will take me under a minute to throw you out of a club but I don’t want to do that. Don’t do that drama around me,” is what I told them and left from there. I’m very clear in my life that I don’t want all the negative energy around me. If somebody wants to talk to me, they can do that properly or stay quiet and let people decide who is in the right or the wrong.

You also turned into a DJ. Why do you feel people started behaving differently after you and Sara separated, to the extent that they didn't offer you good roles? Did you ever learn the reason and was it justified?

In life, you do not have clarity at a certain given time. That is when you use words without thinking twice. These words could damage the other person to a great extent. It is very important to speak and think clean. Words and pen are something that can make or break a person. I have become the kind of person who doesn’t loose talk today. I don’t need it nor do I need to show-off. I don’t even consider myself a celebrity today. I was back then and am as a DJ. I’m here in Lock Upp to make a mark. I’m seeing things in a way that my parents and family who have always supported and loved me for certain reasons – they have seen my pain and struggle – so I want to do things in such a positive and right way that my kid in the future will be proud of me. It is how I have become today.

Back then in college, during my generation, parents would want their kids to be doctors or engineers. Otherwise, we are told that youth icon is that person who has many girls around him. Things are very different today. It is very important to be sensible about things and accept who you were and are. I’m ready to accept my faults because I’m not scared of failure after all that I’ve been through.

While you say Sara is your first love, where would you say you two stand currently? Do you see you two being friends again?

Yeah, normal friends, yes. Only if she accepts and realizes that it was not right of her to behave in the manner that she did. It is not right to have that type of an attitude. I can’t stand people who show ego and try to tell me that they had a grand launch. I’m so grounded that I don’t even consider myself a celebrity today. I am here to build myself from the scratch. I just want the reality and fakeness to be out there.

I feel like you could have been a part of the previous orange team (with Munawar Faruqui, Karanvir Bohra, Poonam Pandey etc)…

I really wanted to be with them. At least I would have someone to talk to. When I cannot talk, then I get angry. It’s almost like my trigger point.

The blue team also had Shivam but then again, he only pointed out that the others were not as interesting…

Yeah, they were cut, copy, paste. Even I can rap. I also write so all of that so I will show that then. It will be fun though.

What are your expectations from Lock Upp?

To win. I would want to observe everyone on the first day. I want to see how people react. Firstly, I would warn them not to be judgemental. I would want them to understand my point of view too and then react. I would want people to talk to me. I want to talk straight and sensible.

Where do you see yourself after the show?

I hope I cover up all the things that I have missed in the past 12 years. I want to be back in the industry and doing really good, quality work.

So basically, you want to get back to acting?

Yeah. I’m making a comeback with a web series. I can’t reveal about it but that will release soon. Things look good. I want to take this opportunity and make it the best time of my life. I need to make sure that everything goes smooth and all the cards are on the table. It is then on God to support me or not.

What do you watch on OTT?

I’m an Al Pacino fan. I watch Iranian films. I watch these films from the point of view of an actor – about what I learn and take back from these films.