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]]]]]]]PATNA Farah’s next? Satte Pe Satta reloaded
Shahid Kapoor waxes eloquent about being part of an elite group, with a presence at Madame Tussauds
Clearly, Shahid Kapoor has had a rollercoaster ride in an interesting film career. The chocolate boy of Ishq Vishk (2003) metamorphosed into vastly different characters in Jab We Met (2007), Kaminey (2009), Udta Punjab (2016) and Padmaavat (2018) to name a few. But the actor feels he has just started. “Abhi toh party shuru hui hai,” says Shahid, as he readies to unveil his wax statue at Madame Tussauds Singapore today. Excerpts from an interview:
You must be excited to make your debut in the wax statue galaxy…
You do feel special, blessed and privileged that you’ll be a part of an elite group of people, who are achievers. Also, I’m curious and excited to see what the statue looks like. I’m sure that moment will be a bit weird and surreal. When I saw a picture of Mahesh Babu with his statue, I couldn’t figure out the real person (laughs). I am happy that they thought I was deserving of a wax statue. I am thrilled to be there and be a part of that experience. I’m sure it will be nice.
Besides popularity, what does having a statue mean to you?
For starters, it’s going be there for a while, probably for longer than I live (smiles). Honestly, I feel it should represent my body of work. I don’t want to be featured in Madame Tussauds for reasons like, ‘he looks good in a suit and his pictures turn out to be good’. Those aren’t my priorities in life. It’s nice to look good. If they felt I have done some substantial work, which should be recognised, that’s a great compliment. It’s very encouraging and
I am very thankful.
You’ve completed 16 years as an actor. Have you become more mature and aware of things?
I’ve changed a lot. When I look back at my journey, I feel God has been very kind to have given me opportunities to learn. I’ve made mistakes and learnt from them. God has helped me understand things but in a slow manner. It’s very important to have ups and downs. And the most important thing is to learn [the difference between] being a boy and a man. I can feel my journey within. Today, I’m a completely different person from what I was even five years ago.
The Kabir Singh trailer has got a great response. Excited?
I feel what people find unique and different is the character’s tone and attitude, besides the depth and intensity of his love and his angst. When I saw Arjun Reddy, I too felt overwhelmed due to those elements. So, it was essential to retain them but we also wanted to rediscover the part to make it our own and turn it into an original. Arjun Reddy and Kabir Singh may be cousins but they aren’t the same people. People should feel they’ve seen a different man’s journey.
Any streak of nervousness, especially since trade feels it’s an important film for you?
That’s something I have been hearing for 15 years. So, I don’t get bothered. Instead, I try and focus on how I can give my best shot to the part. I’ve been in the industry for 15 years, so I am happy with where I am. Be it praise or flak, I don’t let either of it affect me.
Known for her big, commercial multistarrers, filmmaker Farah Khan is ready with her next project. Four years after her last film Happy New Year, Farah, who’s producing a web series, is all set to get back to films. This time, she is even more excited. While she announced her collaboration with Rohit Shetty, there were several reports that suggested she was remaking an old Bollywood classic and Farah exclusively spoke to us as she spilled the beans on her next project – the remake of the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Satte Pe Satta (1982). The iconic action comedy was, in turn, a remake of the 1954 American musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
“I remember five years ago on Kapil Sharma’s show when he asked me what film I would like to remake, I told him that if I had to remake a film, it would be Satte Pe Satta... We have the rights now. Every time I tell
anyone that I am remaking Satte Pe Satta, there is a big grin on their face because it was such a happy, joyous film,” Farah gushes.
The script is more or less ready, and she will start work on the project, soon. Will it star Shah Rukh Khan, the lead of her films Om Shanti Om (2007), Main Hoon Na (2004) and Happy New Year? “I can’t answer that. I would love it and I have always said that I would want to work with Shah Rukh in every film but we are still in the writing phase,” an evasive Farah says.
The filmmaker isn’t under the pressure of comparison, since her version will be an update on the original. “We are keeping all the elements that we loved but it will also be for today’s generation. My kids haven’t seen Satte Pe Satta so it will be a new film for them. I am not feeling any pressure. In fact, I am already feeling very good about beginning work because there is a structure in place. The language has to be today’s, because it can’t be as sexist. When the original released, no one even thought it was sexist,” Farah explains.
She adds, “With remakes, you can make the best film in the world and there will always be that one idiot who will get up and say that he liked the earlier one. Of course, I love the earlier one, too, and that’s why I am remaking it.”