Speaking the universal language

TIGER SHROFF says action movies are his happy place, because they have mass appeal

Tiger Shroff, geared up for Baaghi 2, believes that action has a universal language. The action genre was one of the prominent genres in Hindi films in the 1980s and 1990s. There is a huge audience for action entertainers in the country, but only a few actors are attempting it. Tiger is one of them.

Asked what could be the reason that his generation of actors are holding back to do action films, Tiger said, “I don’t know what is holding them back. I truly believe that action is universal language and it has mass appeal. As far as I remember, all mass heroes in our industry have been action heroes. Look what Salman Khan primarily does and in my father’s (Jackie Shroff) time, Sanjay Dutt, Suny Deol and my dad, all these guys were mass heroes. So, I think action definitely appeals in our country and the whole rom-com generation or romantic and chocolate boy hero (concept) is a very urban, city, multiplex sort of flavour.”

“But when you talk about masses and the B and C centres, films like Sultan, Dangal and Baaghi will definitely do the run. As far as other actors not doing action films are concerned, I know Varun (Dhawan) has done Badlapur, Sid (Sidharth Malhotra) has done some action in Ek Villain. There are hints of it, but it’s not in the pure action genre and I don’t know why people are not tapping into that. I am happy in this space and I am happy that nobody (his contemporaries) is attempting it. This gives me a little more chance,” Tiger added.

Is he feeling the pressure with Baaghi 2 as Baaghi was hit, he said, “Yes, of course... and the USP of Baaghi was action. So I think we need to push that further because that’s what the audience wants to see on-screen. Luckily, we have got a great story and cast to back the action. I think there is expectation from the audience and I also think that we will match up to that expectation and go further.”

Isn’t he worried about being typecast as an action hero? “I love that feeling because getting an identity of an action hero or dancing hero gives me feeling that I have got some acceptance from audience. So for me, that’s a victory.”