DANCING WITH THE STARS
Rising star Tiger Shroff and debutante Nidhhi Agerwal pay tribute to Michael Jackson in their upcoming film Munna Michael, out in the UAE tomorrow
Even though Tiger Shroff is a star kid, he has earned his place in the industry. He didn’t sign the film and join the set the next day, he trained hard for the role. He was trolled and became the face of many viral memes for his name, for the way he looked or the way he spoke but he stayed focused on his work. His patience paid off and his first two films, Heropanti and Baaghi, were runaway hits. His third film, A Flying Jatt, did not get the same response.
Tiger is considered one of the brightest stars of the industry, with producers like Karan Johar, Sajid Nadiadwala lining up to sign him for their projects. Tiger and debutant Nidhhi Agerwal visited Dubai to promote their film Munna Michael which releases in the UAE tomorrow.
Munna Michael tells the story of a young man from the streets called Munna (Tiger) who is a big fan of Michael Jackson. He finds himself in a situation where he has to teach a gangster played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, how to dance. Tiger is glad that he is finally getting a chance to pay tribute to his idol Michael Jackson. “I am very nervous but I am excited too. I always wanted to pay tribute to the legend through anything related to dance. I am glad this film has given me that opportunity to pay respect through dance.”
Tiger was known to be a painfully shy and introverted person, but these days, he can be seen dancing amidst the public and literally owning the stage. So what brought about this change in confidence? “It’s about the practice of being in front of the camera for long,” said Tiger, who is still a man of few words though.
This is Tiger’s third film with the director Sabbir Khan, “Sabbir and I are very close. We have spent a lot of time with each other. We have been close to each other for around three years. We had a teacher-student relationship earlier, then we became friends and now we are like family.”
The young and budding action star made it clear that Munna Michael is more than just a dance film. “Action is a huge part of the film because there is a strong undercurrent of drama as well. The situation in which the character is compelled to fight... there is quite a bit of action.”
However, he is trying not to limit himself as an actor by just doing action films. He has recently signed Karan Johar’s sequel to Student of the Year. “I am very excited for Student of the Year 2. It’s a very different zone for me to explore. I am nervous because this is Karan’s prized possession, his famous franchise that launched three big stars and I am stepping into that school in their shoes.”
Who is Nidhhi Agerwal?
Nidhhi is a Bangalore girl who is making her debut with this film. She sort of gave us a cryptic reply when we asked her about her dream debut. “It’s the usual process. You move to Mumbai and you try to become an actor and you meet different people and audition.”
While talking about her co-star and the super-talented Nawazuddin, she said. “Every moment I was on the sets with Nawazuddin, I was observant and kept watching what he was doing before going in front of the camera.”
The newbie wants to emulate the career of Deepika Padukone. “I like Deepika a lot. She is the biggest right now. I wish my growth is like her.”
I always wanted to pay tribute to Michael Jackson through anything related to dance.” Tiger Shroff