Ranking Asif Ali’s Best Performances – From Underrated Gems to Unforgettable Roles
Let’s be honest — Asif Ali’s filmography is a bit of a rollercoaster. He’s done the fun-loving boy-next-door parts, dipped into thrillers, and even taken on deeply emotional roles that leave you thinking. While some of his movies might not have aged well, his performances often have.
If you’re someone who wrote him off a few years ago — maybe post-B Tech fatigue or the rom-com rut he was stuck in — it’s time for a rewatch. Because when Asif Ali does pick the right story, magic happens.
Here’s my definitive ranking of his best performances — the ones that prove he’s more than just a pretty face with great comic timing.
1. Level Cross (2024)
Asif Ali in Level Cross is something else. This is him operating in a whole different zone — quiet, internal, haunting. The film, structured around memory and grief, lets him shed every cinematic crutch he’s leaned on before. No stylized dialogues. No hero posturing. Just a deeply mysterious man with a haunting body language, which only Asif Ali can pull off. Easily his most nuanced performance till date and one that hasn’t gotten enough credit too. If you watch just one Asif Ali film this year, let it be this one.
2. Kishkindha Kandam (2023)
This is Asif Ali, like we’ve started to like seeing him as — in a raw, lived-in performance that walks the line between surreal and grounded. Kishkindha Kandam is a layered film set in a theatrical universe filled with performers, metaphors, and mysteries. Asif plays a man caught between performance, illusion, and reality. There’s a constant tension simmering under the surface, and he never lets it explode — instead, he internalizes everything, making you feel every flicker of confusion, guilt, and vulnerability. It’s one of those roles where the acting isn’t loud, but the impact definitely is.
3. Virus (2019)
In Virus, a film already packed with powerhouse actors, Asif Ali holds his ground. Playing the role of Vishnu, a husband struggling with the emotional and logistical horrors of the Nipah outbreak, he adds weight to every frame he’s in. It’s a supporting role, yes, but one that sticks with you long after.
4. Kettiyolaanu Ente Malakha (2019)
This is the film where everyone stopped underestimating Asif Ali. As Sleevachan, a naive, socially awkward man trying to navigate a new marriage, he brings both innocence and quiet tension to the screen. It’s a sensitive, slow-burning performance — and a rare Malayalam film that talks about male vulnerability without melodrama and, most importantly, about the lack of sexual education in our society. We really need to give him the credit for taking up a role as challenging as Sleevachan and a story as nuanced as Kettiyolaanu Ente Malakha. Easily one of his career-defining roles.
5. Uyare (2019)
He wasn’t the hero here. In fact, he was the very opposite. Asif played the possessive, emotionally abusive boyfriend with terrifying believability. You hate his character — and that’s exactly the point. To take on such a role, knowing it would be controversial and unlikeable, shows guts. And Asif didn’t flinch.
6. Anuraga Karikkin Vellam (2016)
One of those quiet, well-made films that somehow finds its way into your heart. Asif as Abhi — the struggling architect and reluctant son — is endearing, flawed, and extremely relatable. His chemistry with Rajisha Vijayan is effortless, and the film gave him room to do something more grounded than his usual boy-next-door template. One scene from the film is enough to define his capacity as an actor – the one where he is tightly slapped by his father and emotions rush into his face. A very ‘real’ performance, in the best way.
7. Traffic (2011)
It’s wild how young Asif was here — and yet he matched the energy of a stacked ensemble cast. Traffic is often credited for changing Malayalam cinema’s storytelling grammar, and Asif’s character was integral to that narrative. He brought in youthful urgency, emotional depth, and a certain stillness that was rare for actors his age back then.
8. Ritu (2009)
His debut. And what a debut it was. In Ritu, Asif Ali played Sunny — ambitious, passionate, a little arrogant, and very real. He didn’t try to be the typical ‘hero’. You could sense an actor in the making — someone who wasn’t afraid of messy, complicated emotions. Looking back, it’s fascinating to see the seeds of his later performances right here.
9. Ordinary (2012)
Not the deepest role on this list, but undeniably one of the most entertaining. As Bhadran, the lovable rogue in this village-based thriller, Asif had terrific timing and screen presence. He brought warmth and mischief to the story, and the film’s success owes a lot to that charm.
10. Apothecary (2014)
Apothecary didn’t get the mainstream buzz it deserved, but Asif’s performance as Subin Joseph — a patient grappling with corporate cruelty in healthcare — is worth revisiting. He played it raw, with none of the polish or filters we sometimes expect from him. It was one of his earliest attempts to dig deeper, and he succeeded.
So, what makes Asif Ali interesting?
He’s not a method actor. He’s not loud or theatrical. What he brings instead is texture. A sensitivity that doesn’t scream for attention but slowly pulls you in. His best roles — like Level Cross or Kettiyolaanu Ente Malakha — remind you that internal conflicts can be just as cinematic as external ones.
And let’s be real — in an industry where image often overpowers intent, Asif Ali choosing to play a controlling abuser in Uyare or a naive young man in Kishkindha Kandam is no small deal.
So here’s hoping the best is yet to come.
I can’t stop talking about films, so I blog!
I started The FourthWall, my film blog, to share my thoughts on films and shows with fellow movie buffs, and over the years it has become my happy place. Come join in for some interesting conversations on cinema… and sometimes books and fashion!
