Krish: Akshay only man for Gabbar role
After proving his mettle with the South Indian films Gamyam, Vedam, Vaanam and KrishnamVande Jagadgurum, he’s beginning his Bollywood sojourn with GabbarisBack. Bollywood Hungama’s JOGINDER TUTEJA spoke to film-maker Radha Krishna Jagarlamudi, aka Krish,
Why did you choose Gabbar Is Back as your debut Bollywood film? I came to Bombay after doing four films in South India. At that time, Shabinaji (Khan) told me that they were looking at a director for Gabbar Is Back. I had seen the Tamil film Ramanaa and realised that it was great. We knew, though, that we had to rewrite it for the Hindi version. Shabinaji said that if I was okay picking up the film then we could go ahead with the rewrite. Then we went ahead and packed it as a thriller to up the entertainment quotient. Thereafter, we met Akshay (Kumar) and gave him the narration. He gave his own input which was a blessing for me. I couldn’t have expected more from my first Hindi film. I guess a lot has been put in to making it exciting for the audience? The script is so exciting. The original film has worked in all languages in South India. It has huge drama and entertainment with some superb action sequences. We have taken this huge brand, Gabbar, which was a challenge in itself. We made sure that the location and setting are as exciting as they can be. All of it has worked. We have some great technicians on board, like Nirav Shah who has done films like Dhoom, Dhoom 2 andWanted. He has given Gabbar Is Back a rich grandeur. The film is also special due to Akshay turning Gabbar. Were you clear from day one that the film would feature him? Akshay was already in the film as far as my knowledge. In the first meeting, he liked me, too. I narrated to him whatever I had prepared for the film and how we were going to approach it. He supported me throughout. I have seen the film 100 times in post-production and can say with confidence that in each and every shot he has given, the character of Gabbar stands out. How did you decide to balance his superstar status and the character that he had to play? This is a dhamaka film actually and hence only a superstar could have done it. I can’t put ‘Gabbar’ in the title and then have any actor be there just for the namesake. Akshay has that persona which complements the film and its theme. The way he has approached Gabbar Is Back is fantastic. Sometimes an actor may seem different in different scenes but here he is so synchronised. There are many emotions in Gabbar Is Back and he is an inspirational character in the film. Only an actor like him can pull it off. As for the leading lady, there were talks of Shraddha Kapoor being approached. Then Shruti Haasan came in. Shraddha’s dates didn’t work out. Shruti is a good friend of mine and Shabinaaji’s. When we told Akshay that she could be the right fit, he was fine with it. It was a collective decision and once informed about the decision, she was pretty excited. She is a very good performer and looks awesome in the film. Shruti plays a young girl who brings in a lot of peppiness on screen. She is talkative and mischievous. She brings a perfect balance to the film with her light-hearted scenes.
Kareena Kapoor Khan also features in the film. Typically, heroines get sidelined in films of this genre. How was that dealt with? Kareena’s part is pivotal to spin it in a different direction. Because of her, things change in the film. She stepped in thanks to her friendship with Akshay and Shabina. She gives much needed substance to a pivotal role. She and Akshay share a great chemistry on screen. It was very exciting for me to direct them both. – bollywoodhungama.com