MID-DAY (June 8, 2018)

Ahead of the filming of his upcoming cop drama, Simmba, director Rohit Shetty says films based on police officials, like his next, will always be pitted against Dabangg (2010) and Singham (2011). The Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn starrers, he says, have made a mark at the box office, owing to which, comparisons to them will always be drawn.

Yet, his Ranveer Singh starrer will portray the protagonist with his own eccentricities. “Chulbul Pandey [from Dabangg] and Singham have become iconic characters. But this film will have its own identity. This [comparison] will always happen. If the role is serious, then people will compare it to Singham. If it’s entertaining, then [it will be pitted against] Chulbul Pandey. However, our cop [Singh] has not been created on the lines of Chulbul Pandey,” he says.

The positive response garnered by Singham was sufficient to convert it into a franchise. However, Shetty says it’s too early to know whether Simmba, scheduled to hit screens late this year, will see a similar fate. “Let’s see how the first one does.”

Presented by Reliance Entertainment, the film will be a jointly produced by Shetty and Karan Johar. “Ranveer is a unique personality. With Rohit [on board the project], he will make the character his own. There is no actor like him. He is an energy ball, the way he will explode is going to be good,” Johar said on the sidelines of India’s Next Superstar, his upcoming reality show with Shetty.