Actor Vidyut Jammwal on Junglee which opens on April 5, his first gangster drama and taking Commando forward
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 24, 2019)

2019 promises to be a busy year for Vidyut Jammwal with three films releasing within a span of eight months, the first being Junglee Pictures’ Junglee, which opens on April 5. Directed by Chuck Russell, the family adventure revolves around the special bond between man and beast. Vidyut who plays a vet and stumbles upon an international poaching racket at his family elephant reserve, describes Junglee as his most ambitious film yet.

“Poaching is one of the biggest social evils threatening the existence of animals across the world so it’s a fight for a cause,” points out the actor for whom working with animals was an enriching experience. “It is difficult as one has no idea how they will react to a particular situation. And you need to be real with your emotions because they feel you and hear you, is what I understood during the shoot. You need to have a clean heart to bond with them.”

Chuck Russell makes his Hindi film debut with Junglee and Vidyut considers himself fortunate to have got the opportunity to work with the director who is known for his Hollywood blockbusters like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s action-packed Eraser and the slasher fantasy A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.

“Everyone is going West for films, but here an acclaimed director from Hollywood has placed his bets on me. Chuck launched Dwayne Johnson with The Scorpion King and he is currently the biggest movie star in the world. He also gave Jim Carrey his biggest break in The Mask. I’m hopeful that Junglee will be the film for me. It is his dream project and in me he saw the potential to break into this zone,” Vidyut exults, asserting that Chuck understands Indian Culture better than most Indians and has huge respect for it.

The 38-year-old actor spent a lot of time with elephant whisperers to get in sync with the animals he had to connect with, emotionally. “This particular relationship is built on understanding, you can’t command it. We have not made any films around animals in the last 25 – 30 years and thanks to Junglee the audience will experience a different world. The thrill is similar to The Jungle Book but the treatment is different. It’s the kind of film that I wanted to see when growing up,” he smiles. The film will represent the Indian martial arts, Kalaripayattu, on an international platform for the first time. “The trailer will be out by mid-February.”

After that there’s Power, Mahesh Manjrekar’s ode to the iconic Hollywood film The Godfather. Shooting is over, the film is presently in post-production. “It’s a romantic gangster film and also features Shruti Haasan, Sonal Chauhan and 50 theatre artistes. I’d describe it as a mixture of The Godfather and Devdas,” Vidyut informs, adding that Mahesh loves gangster films and this one takes him back to the Vastav zone. “It was challenging for me because I have never ventured into the ‘bhai’ territory. And while no one can play a gangster better than Sanjay Dutt, my director gave me a lot of confidence.”

As he gears up for Commando 3, the action star underlines the fact that he is the only movie star whose debut film has turned into a successful franchise. “I’m proud of the fact but at the same time, I know the responsibility of spearheading the franchise. I didn’t enjoy Commando 2 as there were some issues with the script which we have tried to rectify in the third instalment,” he says.

Aditya Dutt who directed the Rajeev Khandelwal thriller, Table No. 21, is on board and Vidyut promises that this Commando is nothing like the earlier two films. “A major chunk of the film has been shot in London and the team is now busy with the shoot in India,” he says.

Vidyut has carved a niche for himself in the action genre but performing his own stunts, leaves one open to accidents. The actor informs that training every single day keeps him away from injuries. “I was a martial artiste before becoming an actor. If everyone around you is well trained, the chance of getting injured is low,” he reasons, recalling how when he first moved to Mumbai he’d practice on Juhu Beach and trained with several like minded enthusiasts from humble backgrounds who thanks to their hard work and talent are certified stuntmen today and help him design the action sequences in his films. “Fifteen years, and even today we get together to train every day at 5.30 am.”

After Junglee, is a Hollywood film with Chuck on cards now? “We have not spoken about the future as the focus was on Junglee,” he concludes with an enigmatic smile.