Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; November 27, 2018)

He is considered to be a visionary filmmaker, who has the knack for pulling off high-concept movies with panache. Although he is a prolific filmmaker in the Tamil film industry, director Shankar’s ability to tell universal stories has fetched him recognition from across the country. Movies like Enthiran (2010, titled Robot in Hindi) and I (2015) have earned him a reputation for making slick films with unique subjects. He has also shown a penchant for using stateof-the-art technology in making movies. As his film 2.0, sequel to Rajinikanth’s Robot, is set to hit theatres, BT caught up with the director to talk about the future of big-ticket Indian films. Shankar also gave us a low-down on the use of VFX and his aspiration of making movies on out-of-the-box ideas. Excerpts...

2.0 is releasing eight years after Robot. You chose to take your time rather than immediately follow up its success with a sequel...
As soon as part one released, everyone was interested in a sequel, but I was clear that I didn’t want to make a part two just for the sake of it. In the end, it’s the content that would matter and I was waiting for the story to evolve. It has taken me so much time to come up with this story. One-third of the budget went into VFX. But the script demanded it and also, we can’t deliver something we did in 2010. The audience, who watches sci-fi films and superhero franchises like Spider-Man, Superman and Avengers, will come to watch 2.0, expecting the same quality they see in Hollywood movies. We can’t tell them that their films have Rs 500-1,000-crore budget for VFX and we can’t spend so much. So, we pushed the envelope and worked with a budget that no other Indian film would spend on VFX. I believe that 2.0 will be closer to what Hollywood is delivering and soon the lines between our films and theirs will blur out.

Technology plays an important role in your films...
The most interesting part of the story are mobile phones. Nowadays, everyone has a cell phone so, our film will resonate with almost everyone. As far as the technology is concerned, it comes only after the script. I go by what the scenes demand, in terms of technology. For me, content is the king.

How did you cast Akshay Kumar in this film?
It’s been a long journey (smiles). I thought that the film would connect with the audience world over if a global star features in it. That’s when I thought of casting Arnold Schwarzenegger. He had seen Robot twice, was impressed with the concept and had allotted dates. He even performed a few scenes during the narration, including the one in which Chitti is armed with multiple guns. Great artistes, irrespective of the industry, are impressed with ideas that are interesting, original and new. However, the deal fell through during the negotiation stage. Hollywood artistes’ way of working, their contracts and conditions are very different from those in India. So, we were not able to proceed with him. People suggested other international stars, who were ready to play the part. Though they are good in their own right, I didn’t find them suitable for this particular role. Then, I decided to go ahead with one of our best Indian stars. The production house was in talks with Akshay sir for a Hindi remake of a Tamil film, and that’s how his name came up. I narrated the story to him and he liked it.

It’s not always easy to turn anti-hero for a star of his stature. Did he take time to give his nod?
No, he agreed immediately. Even after achieving so much and being one of the biggest stars in Hindi cinema, he is constantly looking for something new, which is evident in his other films as well. He has raised the bar for himself and other actors by doing the kind of films he's done off late. I believe that those who enjoy great stardom should be given different scripts and roles. That’s what the filmmakers are also looking to do now. Our job is to make sure that whatever the character is — negative or positive — it should excite the actors and have sufficient material to explore their hidden talents. Also, in 2.0, you won't be able to label Akshay sir’s character as black or white, it has different shades and layers. We can’t call him just an antagonist.

You had also approached Kamal Haasan for the part. Interestingly, he was also your first choice for Robot, before Rajinikanth stepped in…
For 2.0, after the deal with Arnold fell through, I thought if Kamal sir joins the project, it would be great. It wasn’t just about seeing Rajini sir and Kamal sir together on screen after several years. The script also demanded it. But since Kamal sir and I were already in talks over Indian 2 for a long time, he was more keen on doing that film. I will starting the shoot for it next month, too.

Will you work on the storyline of Indian 2, keeping in mind that Kamal Haasan has now joined politics?
The story was locked before he had joined politics. It has been decided upon and complete. Whether he is in politics or not, it will appeal to the audience. It will match up to his stature as well.

When did your fascination with the sci-fi genre begin?
After I finished my first film, Gentleman, I was asked what kind of films I would like to make. I wanted to incorporate lifeless objects and characters other than human beings, into my stories. I have had such ideas for a long time. But it was difficult to convince producers to show interest in such subjects. They are mostly interested in heroes, anti-heroes and big star-casts. Who would be interested in producing a film, in which a cell phone is the hero? But that was the interesting part for me; I was also planning to make a film with a television set as the main character. I had a lot of ideas, but I knew no one would produce them. Besides, such projects demand huge budgets. So, I had to wait for long. Even Robot is a depiction of the human form. If it was just a machine, I don’t know how many people would have been interested in producing it. But I am glad that the perception is changing slowly and I can try and explore other ideas, too (smiles).

It’s been long since you last made a Hindi film, Nayak. Any plans?
I am open to that idea, if things fall into place. Language is no longer a barrier. With Akshay sir in 2.0, will you call it a Tamil or a Hindi film? It’s an Indian film.