Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 3, 2019)

After making his directorial debut in Telugu films with Arjun Reddy which turned Vijay Deverakonda into an overnight star, Sandeep Vanga is all set to kick off his Bollywood innings with the Hindi remake of the 2017 drama, titled Kabir Singh. The filmmaker admits that since the original was in his mother tongue, it was easier to write and connect with the character as compared to the Hindi version.

“The challenge this time was to create a Punjabi boy born and raised in Mumbai, who goes to Delhi to study medicine. It was important to get the colloquial accent and meter right. I like the way Arjun Reddy has metamorphosed into Kabir Singh,” he smiles.

Pointing to the parallels between the two, he observes that a Reddy from Telangana and a Punjabi Singh are quite similar in their eating and drinking habits. “Also, in South India, those from Telangana are a tad louder in their expression of emotions. Whenever something good happens, it’s time to party. Ditto, the Punjabis,” laughs Sandeep, who was born in Warangal and has invested a lot of himself in the character. “I also named my son Arjun Reddy because he was born while we were shooting the film, backed by my father Prabhakar and brother Pranay.” For the Hindi version, he always saw Shahid Kapoor in the titular role. “I love his work and collaborating with an actor of his calibre who I had only seen on screen before, was exciting. Shahid suits the part to the T,” he exults.

It has been reported that the producers had also approached Arjun Kapoor? “Yeah, but before that Shahid and I were already in talks, so I couldn’t just jump to another actor. It’s not about whose acting calibre is greater but about the commitment,” he points out, all raves for leading lady, Kiara Advani, saying she’s “extremely professional” and “understood the character well”. The response to the trailer has been positive and Sandeep is thrilled. “People are saying that it doesn’t feel like a remake, that’s a huge compliment,” he beams.

Buzz is, he’s partnering with Mahesh Babu in his next. “I’ve briefly narrated a story to him, let’s see,” shrugs the director who is in touch with his first hero Vijay too. “More than my writing ability or his acting prowess, it’s our actor-director sync that comes through on the screen. We haven’t discussed any other project yet as both of us have been busy with our respective commitments,” says Sandeep.

So, what’s next for the Hindi audience? “I’m scripting a crime drama but there’s no distinction between the Hindi and Telugu today. Bahubali, followed by KGF have erased that divide. So, mine will be a pan-India film,” he signs off.