“I always knew I wanted to be a director,” says Asif Akbar, director of the 2022 film The Commando regarding his experience at film school Columbia College – Hollywood. “The school let every student get experience in every aspect of production. I went to UCLA and USC, and then decided on Columbia College [where] I was able to get a lot of experience on all stages.”
Akbar, who graduated in 2011, already had a feature-length film under his belt by that time titled My Foreign Desh which premiered at the New York International Film and Video Festival; meaning he was well on his way before he'd even really started.
His latest film The Commando is an action-thriller about a DEA agent with PTSD returning home after a botched mission. Simultaneously, a recently freed convict is coming after the three million dollars he has stashed inside the agent's home. Akbar directed the film written by Koji Steven Sakai, based on a story both Akbar and longtime producing partner Al Bravo created.
The Commando stars Mickey Rourke, Michael Jai White, and Jeff Fahey.
Bravo created the film's concept based on a story with one-to-two locations and a handful of actors. The simple story was a home invasion at a veteran’s house. From there, he came up with a treatment for Sakai to work off of.
“It sounded like something we could do fast,” Akbar shares. “Koji is a fast writer. He drew out the whole story and wrote it within about two weeks.”
With script in hand, they were able to start pitching the idea to producers who shared some notes. Sakai went through some rewrites, adding more locations and actors, and the film's title changed. Then, they went out to a few actors who jumped on board. Soon after, they were shooting.
“I was more involved in [the] rewriting," says Akbar, "and during filming I had to do some of the re-writing to make it what it is.”
The collaboration between the trio differs with every script.
Akbar says, “Usually when Koji and I work together or Al and I, Al comes up with more of the story, then gives it to us to put into script format.”
For The Commando, Bravo came up with the treatment and Koji turned it into a script, but for other films that the three work on together, Akbar will sometimes write them himself.
“I just start writing. I use Final Draft,” Akbar explains. “One of the things I’ve adapted to was using it on my phone or tablet when I’m on the go. Sometimes I’ll be on a plane or on set between setups, and I’m writing. I’m always writing multiple scripts.”
He shares that the one film he’s currently in production on he turned around quickly.
"It was the fastest turn-around. It was my script and story, and I wrote it in 10 days on my iPhone between working on a movie and traveling,” Akbar says. “The studio needed it fast and so since I wasn’t at home or in front of the computer, I wrote it out on my phone.”
Akbar compares his films to creating a product and how he’s always in the business of trying to create new ones: Stories, concepts, scripts. A goal he shares with his collaborators is striving to always put out more products in script form.
“I used to outline, but now as a director, I shoot to edit so I try to put the entire visual of the film from start to finish in my head and write for that,” Akbar explains regarding his process.
Akbar also endeavors to make his films more character-based and won’t begin writing until he has figured out the opening and ending, who the main characters are, and everyone in between.
For action films, Akbar considers the beats, which he knows differ from other films he’s worked on, such as horror. “I go off a visual in my head. When I edit, it all falls together,” he says.
The Commando is in theaters, on demand, and digital January 7, 2022.