Sidharth goes to the dark side in Aiyaary
Sidharth Malhotra goes to the dark side as a rogue army officer in ‘Aiyaary’, out today. Plus, Manoj Bajpayee and director Neeraj Pandey tell tabloid! about how this thriller was made Pages 12-13
Indian National Award-winning filmmaker Neeraj Pandey is back to what he does best: making nail-biting thrillers filled with memorable characters and peddling anti-establishment ideologies led by a clutch of determined men. Aiyaary, which boasts a testosteronecharged gang of talents
including Sidharth Malhotra, Manoj Bajpayee, Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah, doesn’t deviate far from Pandey’s 2008 acclaimed thriller, A Wednesday!.
“In its tone, Aiyaary comes closest to A Wednesday!. But it’s far more complex,” said Pandey, the director, writer and producer of the film. A Wednesday! remains one of Bollywood’s most beloved thrillers as it dealt with a disillusioned common man in India (a superb Shah) slyly taking on a bunch of terrorists and outsmarting Indian police officers. While the genres between his hit film and Aiyaary coincide, the latter delves into the world of the Indian Armed Forces. It is the tale of a young army officer Jai Bakshi (Malhotra) going rogue and taking the law into his own hands. He’s up against his senior colleague, played by Bajpayee. Their generational gap and their clash of ideologies form
the spine of the film.
“You can’t blame the youth here. The inheritance they have got is because their older generation did not act responsibly enough. That’s the essence of
Aiyaary,” said Pandey.
“I am not like the hit Hollywood spy James Bond and there’s no room in Aiyaary to wear a tuxedo or drink a martini.” SIDHARTH MALHOTRA | Actor
Aiyaary was initially planned for a January 26 release but was delayed due to its clash with
Padmaavat, and a delay in getting clearance from the Indian censor board (CBFC).
“Frankly, I have got more friends in the armed forces than in the film industry now. It’s great fun to interact with them and get their point of view on so many issues.
“There are great stories lying [around] and I consider myself very responsible when it comes to doing my research and telling a story in the right manner,” Pandey said.
As the movie releases in cinemas tomorrow, here are the men in uniform you should know.