‘Prabhu made me work for it’
Gireesh Kumar Taurani says his Ramaiya Vastavaiya director was tough man...
Another producer’s son is all set to make a Bollywood debut. Gireesh Kumar Taurani is now waiting for the release of Ramaiya Vastavaiya, a remake
of the Telugu hit Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana.
But life was not easy for the actor because director Prabhu Deva turned out to be a hard taskmaster.
“Yes, my dad is a producer, but it’s very unfair to say that it was easy for me. Prabhu Deva cut the deal only after putting me through a thorough and intense audition. “Later, he had me train with his choreographer-friend Indra Kumar for eight months. And only after a year of training was I allowed on the sets of the film.
Recalling the days of the shoot, Gireesh adds, “Prabhu Deva, I and the whole team were discussing my introduction scene. We were planning to do some stunts, but they had been done to death. Meanwhile, Sonu Sood suggested that I should try surfing like in Hollywood films and I wanted to give it a shot. If it didn’t work we could always come back to our previous plan of bike stunts. And then I went to Mangalore where I learnt surfing.
He continued: “Prabhu Deva has made me do things which I haven’t done before, from surfing to driving a tractor. I’ve almost turned into a farmer.”
Also, baring one’s torso is commonplace for heroes these days and Gireesh too did not have any qualms about it. “It’s always good to show off if you’ve a nice body. My character, Ram is a surfer in the film and I couldn’t do it with a paunch. I shed a lot of kilos and turned lean and fit for the film,” he adds.
About his leading lady Shruti Haasan, he says, “At first, we thought of casting a new girl But Prabhu Deva decided on Shruti. He said that it would be difficult for him to train two newcomers and that he could concentrate more on me.”
Talking about his Hyderabad connection, he says, “With my debut film being a remake of a Telugu film, I share a special bond with the city. In fact, the word
Vastavaiya (Will you come?) in the title is a Telugu word. I’ve been to Hyderabad once before but didn’t get an opportunity to explore it much. Even this trip is hectic. “
“Only after a year of training was I allowed on the sets of the film”