Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; May 20, 2019)

The upcoming spy thriller, India’s Most Wanted, starring Arjun Kapoor, follows five unlikely heroes, who embark on a dangerous covert operation to capture one of India’s deadliest terrorists. They carry out this Herculean task without firing a single bullet. The film, based on true events, which is an ode to unsung heroes, has been directed by Raj Kumar Gupta. The director was inspired by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) officers, who led the mission to catch terrorist Yasin Bhatkal. Arjun Kapoor talks about what makes this film special and more.

Your choice of cinema over the years has been interesting. You have stayed away from those typical heroic characters…
The audience has changed. I came into the industry at a time when unconventional was more interesting than conventional. I wasn’t playing a typical hero. I have enjoyed being away from what was expected from me. Be it Ishaqzaade, Aurangzeb, 2 States or Ki & Ka. None of these roles had me as a ‘hero’.

‘The audience will reject the ordinary and support a genuine story’
I also did my Tevars and Mubarakans and enjoyed those, too. I try not to repeat myself. I am at a stage in my career where I go with what I am convinced about instinctively and impulsively. It doesn’t matter if it’s a conventional project or an unconventional one. That’s where a film like India’s Most Wanted comes into the picture.

What drew you to a subject like India’s Most Wanted?
For me, it’s a conventional film, but made in an unconventional way, and that’s what I liked about it. The director told me, “I want the circumstances, choices and decisions that your character takes to make you a hero. Not every hero wears a cape. When you try to behave like a hero, you tend to lose your audience. These Intelligence Bureau officers that you are representing are normal people.” He made me meet some of the officers. They are simple people, who look like they do a 9-to-5 job. They are supposed to blend in, so they have to be as normal as possible. The director allowed me to portray the character in a realistic manner. And Prabhat (Arjun’s character in IMW) will be a hero in the audience’s eyes by the end of the movie. The film is about the victory of underdogs. It’s also about patriotism, it tells a story of a true mission and has been given a tone of reality. It isn’t jingoistic. It’s about the ground reality of what transpires in our country and how our intelligence officers actually operate. It’s the true story of a manhunt, and capturing someone without the use of a single weapon is more heroic than using guns and other ammunition.

The film is allegedly based on the capture and arrest of Yasin Bhatkal, who is still in Tihar Jail, Delhi.
Yes, it’s based on an actual despicable human being, but I don’t want to glorify him. This man (Yasin) is still alive and requesting pardon as he claims he is not guilty. This film gives a glimpse of how our intelligence agencies work to protect our people. I was emotionally stirred by this story.

The research required to recreate a real life covert operation must be immense.
Raj sir gave me the dossiers, we sat together and went through them. Plus, I was already aware of him (Bhatkal). However, this film is not about a terrorist but the people who captured him. It’s an emotional, humane story about the unknown people who put their lives on the line to protect us. For the officers, it was important to catch Bhatkal, but our story revolves around the men who went on a mission to capture him. Raj sir had done his research thoroughly, he took three years to write it, so I relied on him completely.

Today, films are more relevant to the times that we are living in. It’s no longer just about entertainment, is it?
India is evolving as a nation and the audience is changing. Stories today are much more relevant and rooted. People want honesty and truth in cinema. The audience will reject the ordinary and support what is genuine. Films that are looked upon as timepass, paisa vasool and escapist entertainers will always be there, as there is an audience for such films, too. Today, the audience wants to ask questions, seek answers, be involved and get provoked. There has to be a sense of connect. 2 States could have been anybody’s story and that is what made it so relatable. Or even Ki & Ka... It mirrored an evolving India, where women want their voice to be heard and men need to be supportive of that because that’s the right thing to do. Stories of middle-class India, common men with extraordinary spirit will always stand out because that is what our country is all about. India’s Most Wanted represents the Indian mindset. There’s a line in the film that says, ‘Pachchas lakh kharch karenge phool pe 26 January ki parade mein, par mission ke liye pachchas hazaar nahi dengey.’ That’s the reality. There is a certain bureaucracy and protocol to follow in India, which delays a lot of processes.

India’s Most Wanted, produced by Fox Star Studios, Raj Kumar Gupta and Myra Karn, releases on May 24.