ACTION HERO, DANCING STAR... TIGER LOVES THESE TAGS
As Baaghi 2 tears through the box office, Tiger Shroff counts his blessings and hopes to give others a hand
Monika Rawal Kukreja
With just five films to his credit so far, actor Tiger Shroff, though a relative newcomer, has achieved his own brand of stardom — he is called “action hero” or “dancing star”, and he enjoys those tags, feeling that “it’s lovely to get an identity”.
His latest release, Baaghi 2, scored the biggest opening weekend collection this year so far, and has by now crossed the ₹140-crore mark. Tiger has put up a video on Instagram, thanking everyone for making the film a huge success. In a freewheeling chat, the actor talks about coping with failure, being given tags, breaking an image (or not), and getting into a new role in a big franchise.
How do you react when fans compare you with names such as Hrithik Roshan, Aamir Khan, and Akshay Kumar for your dancing, physique, and action scenes?
These are very big stars and the people you look up to while growing up — they are the reason you do what you do. It’s very kind of people to think I’m like them, and I’m very happy that I am creating an impact so early in my career.
It does create pressure, but it’s like the celebration is happening inside of me on hearing these things.
How do you feel about the tags?
It’s lovely to get an identity and I’m blessed to have been given that so early on. I am four films old (other than Baaghi 2) and people have tagged me as an ‘action hero’ or a ‘dancing star’.
You said you’re not trying to break any identity with Student of the Year 2. Why the pressure to break an image in the first place?
There’s so much healthy competition out there. So, how does one stand out? I’m not saying be better or worse, but how does one get noticed? If I’m being typecast, that means I’m being noticed. It’s like my badge, an ID card.
Will you miss performing highoctane stunts in SOTY 2?
I’m very excited and quite nervous about taking that franchise forward, because it’s been such a huge success. But I’m blessed that I’ll get into a sort of different visual and character altogether.
Your films Munna Michael (2017) and A Flying Jatt (2016) didn’t do well. Did it pull you down?
Initially, it did. But I’m thankful that I got into Baaghi 2 and my mind got diverted. I felt like maybe this is the time to take a break from just showcasing my talents and focus on story and let it drive things forward.
Does failure put you under pressure to bounce back?
Definitely! And I think I had taken so much negativity and frustration that I could channel it into positive energy and show all of that aggression in Baaghi 2. I worked my heart and soul out in this film.
Do you regret any choices?
No, I don’t regret anything, because I got to learn so much. Even if these films didn’t match my expectations at the box office, I’m proud of them. I get a lot of praise for A Flying Jatt and I’m glad that it reached its target audience — that of kids.
Why do you feel that stuntmen don’t get their dues? What is it that you want to do for them? When I do an action scene and I kick somebody in the chest and he goes flying back, people say, ‘Arrey Tiger, kya laga yaar, kya power tha uss kick mein’. And I’m like, ‘Theek hai, but uska kya jo maar kha raha hai.’ These guys put their lives on the line, just to make the hero look like a hero, [but] nobody talks about them.
I want to do something for action artists in my industry. Just like Jackie Chan has Jackie Chan Stunt Award, I want to have something on those lines.