5 things to know about ‘Thugs’
Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif, Amitabh Bachchan and Fatima Sana Shaikh will transport you back in time in this good versus evil festive release
Your Diwali celebration isn’t complete without watching a film along with your family. This year, actors Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Shaikh have a perfect gift for you in the form of their festive release Thugs Of Hindostan. Here are five things to know about their ambitious period drama that’s likely to set off fireworks at the box office.
1 Thugs Of Hindostan is directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya of Dhoom fame. It’s a period drama set against the British Empire era in India. Amitabh Bachchan plays the fierce commander Khudabaksh and is a paragon of nobility and trust. By sharp contrast is Aamir Khan’s character Firangi, who’s a sly unscrupulous man. The film also stars Fatima Sana Shaikh as a warrior archer and Katrina Kaif as a femme fatale.
2 The film has struck a casting coup. It’s the first time that Khan has united on the big screen with Bachchan. Khan, 53, made no secret about how thrilled he was to work with the icon.
“To see myself on a poster with Mr Bachchan is a dream come true for me. I still can’t believe it,” tweeted the star during the launch of the poster.
Khan confessed that he experienced a series of fanboy moments when filming with the veteran.
“I really couldn’t speak properly or remember my lines. I was a little spaced out. And I must tell you, it was joyous for me to shoot with him. Every moment with him was a fan world moment for me,” said Khan in an interview with an Indian news agency.
3 Bachchan, who has sung a lullaby in this film, believes that Khan is in incredible form as Firangi, an untrustworthy character in the film. He goes as far as labelling it Khan’s best performance in his career.
Khan claims he gravitated towards the film because of how fascinating Firangi was to him as an actor.
“He’s a strange guy. He’s not a reliable person and he’s constantly lying… He could be charming, entertaining but not worth trusting,” said Khan in a production video. He also pierced his ears and nose to make his character Firangi look more authentic.
4 Katrina Kaif plays Suraiyaa, a seductive dancer in Thugs Of Hindostan. Ace choreographer Prabhudeva was her dance instructor who combined the classical Indian dance forms with contemporary steps for the songs. Kaif claims that the choreography for the song of the same name was challenging to nail.
“When I first saw the choreo[graphy] for Suraiyya, I was like ‘is it jazz, is it ballet, is it folk?’… but that’s dancing with Prabhudeva... You cannot define his style, it’s so unique. He gives the song such a unique personality with his choreography. He spent a lot of time with me in rehearsals helping me figure the style. I loved it all (apart from a few moments of tears of frustration) but in the end it was the hook step which we had so much fun with,” posted Kaif on her Instagram account.
Director Acharya expressed his happiness over the intricate choreography, too.
“Suraiyya is a song that gives a sneak peek into the flirtatious relationship between Firangi and Suraiyya. While she is Hindostan’s most famous performer, Firangi is an equally cunning man of the country whom Suraiyya doesn’t trust at all. They have a fun chemistry, they are an odd pair and they are both Thugs in their own right. Prabhudeva has done a sensational job,” said Acharya.
5 It’s believed that a fantasy adventure is as good as its action sequences and its larger-than-life sets. Thugs Of Hindustan seems to have followed that memo to the last letter.
Two massive ships showcased in the trailer had more than 1,000 people working on it and major sequences were filmed on it. This is touted as Bollywood’s most expensive film, with a reported budget of more than Rs3 billion (Dh151 million).