EXCLUSIVE: Ali Fazal Had A Scary, Near-Death Experience During A School Trip!
In a candid and heartfelt chat with Instant Bollywood, the Metro In Dino star opened up about his childhood, his toughest moments, and one terrifying school trip that still gives him chills.
EXCLUSIVE: Ali Fazal Had A Scary, Near-Death Experience During A School Trip!
Ali didn’t have the easiest start in life. He had to grow up quickly, faced a lot early on, and was even sent off to boarding school. While that experience brought its own share of pros and cons, it also played a major role in shaping the person he is today.
When asked to name three qualities he’s really proud of, Ali paused thoughtfully before answering. “First, I have a very strong ability to listen. I think I can sit for hours and just listen. That’s very important, you have to be a listener,” he shared. He added that perhaps this skill came from a place of not always feeling heard himself. It made him realize how important it is to make others feel seen and understood.
But it’s the second quality that came with a literal life-or-death moment.
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Ali recalled a school trip; a mountain trekking expedition to Vasuki Tal, a glacial lake high up near Kedarnath. “We had gone there through school. What happens there is, after 3 PM, hailstorms start. You must finish your trek and come back before that,” he explained.
Ali Fazal Had An Accident That Seemed To Be Straight Out Of Saif Ali Khan’s Hamesha
The group made it to the top around noon and took some time to relax by a nearby lake, soaking in the surreal beauty and clicking pictures. What was supposed to be a short break turned into more than an hour. And then, things took a dangerous turn.
“While coming back, the hailstorm started. Our feet were slipping,” Ali said, painting a vivid picture of the chaos. What happened next felt straight out of a Bollywood thriller. “I still remember, one film shot comes to mind: Hamesha, with Saif Ali Khan. There’s a scene where Aditya Pancholi holds him. Exactly like that, it happened to me.”
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Ali had slipped off with nothing but fog and a sheer drop below him. “Down below, thousands of feet. You couldn’t even see anything because of the fog. I would’ve fallen and been gone.”
But fate had other plans.
His friend Mayank, who happened to be walking just behind him, acted purely on instinct. “His hand just happened to catch me. He later said, ‘Yaar, it was just reflex.’ I was walking in front of him, and he just grabbed me. He said, ‘Don’t look back, just come up.’ He pulled me back.”
Ali Fazal Carries A Survival Bag After That Moment
That moment changed something in Ali. He’s carried it with him ever since, both literally and emotionally. “Since then, I’ve had this bag attached to me. Like, what if the world ends? I’ll still get through two more days, two more weeks, two months. That fighter attitude, it’s there. That’s survival,” he said.
It even has a carabiner, a hook used for climbing, still hanging from it. “There’s still a crab stuck inside that bag,” he laughed. “A carabiner, you know, the hook we use to attach ropes for climbing, that’s still in there after all these years.”
When asked about the third quality he’s proud of, Ali smiled and said, “The third thing… I don’t know. Maybe I’m still searching.”
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