As a choreographer-turned-director who has now branched out as a producer, Ahmed Khan has come a long way in his journey in showbiz. After curating some slick maar-dhaad projects in Hindi cinema, his first film as a producer, Rashtra Kavach OM, further demonstrates his love for the action genre. Debutant director Kapil Verma, who comes from a family of action directors, sat down with Ahmed to take us through their journey with this film. Excerpts from a chat with them:

KAPIL: Our film’s copies have been delivered over the weekend. It’s my first film as a director and I am a bundle of nerves right now.

AHMED: It’s a big production for me. Today, we can’t talk about business anticipation, ki picture itni chalni chahiye and so on. I am simply hoping that people like it because it has been made well. The team has put together a good product. It was envisioned as a full-blown emotion-led action thriller, weaving in all the elements of an entertainer while staying within the boundaries of the story we had on hand. We should take this moment to just be proud of what we have made. We had a brilliant journey together. And irrespective of how the film fares, I am working with Kapil again on another action entertainer.

Ever since I started choreographing songs, I’ve worked on one principle. It’s no big deal to make Govinda dance. It’s an achievement if you make Sunny Deol and Suniel Shetty groove to a song. I’ve done it quite a few times. I’ve enjoyed doing this. When something is tough to imagine or manage and you do it, don’t you feel like an achiever? I’ve believed that working with a legit action hero is fine, like I’ve worked with Tiger Shroff who can spoil you for life. He can pull off anything you imagine. But when we had a chance here, I felt we should bring in someone who has not done it before, but has the makings of a perfect action star. Adi has the height, the personality and the build of a macho action star.

When he performs those scenes in the film, some of which you see in the trailer, you realise that he looks believable and great while doing it. He was so comfortable in the space that it never felt like it was his first brush with a full-blown action film. Also, for this film, I didn’t want an action director friend or an assistant. I have known Kapil and his work with the steady cam and his ability to control a set while shooting action. So, when Adi met him and they connected, I took a few steps back and let them be. I was there to hold them if they ever tripped, but they just went all out.

KAPIL: It’s a phase! Even the audience is trying to figure out what they could watch in a theatre and what they really should wait for at home. The audience has many options and so much to watch at home. They’ve come around the idea of waiting for most theatrical films to come on OTT platforms. So, honestly, we don’t know where we are standing today and what genre works. Gangubai Kathiawadi and Bhool Bhulaiyya 2 weren’t of the same genre. So, maybe a few more months to analyse, and we should be able to understand what’s bringing people into theatres.

AHMED: We’re Indians aur hum kitna OTT pe international content dekh lenge? In the last two years, I must have watched at least 50 dubbed films from the South; safe to say, the audience saw at least 200 such movies. That exposure, especially for the theatre-crazy audience, has mentally prepared them to watch that kind of stuff in cinemas. Bollywood, on the contrary, chose to believe that the audience has become that much slicker in its choices with all the OTT exposure, which we have tried doing with some of our films. We didn’t study what the theatre-going audience wants too clearly. The South Indian films are good. They juice all the emotions to the fullest. They don’t leave things half-baked. Toh hamari audience ne unke content ko zyada pasand kiya. By the time we wake up to this, the trend will have changed. So, it is tough to analyse what will work and it is foolish to keep thinking too hard. Make whatever you decide to with all your heart, pulling out all stops. Whether you have Tiger, Salman Khan or Aditya Roy Kapur, do justice to the material you have on hand. Don’t downsize its scale. If it doesn’t work at the theatre, you apologise and move on. Dil se apna karo, aur baaki public pe chhod do.

KAPIL: Two years is a long waiting period, especially at a time when the audience’s taste is changing every few months. If you have a script that you’re perfectly in sync with, you shouldn’t sit on it. Chances are that it gets dated by the time you make the film. So, even though we had our plans in place, we waited for the first wave to subside. We shot the film with all the precautionary measures in place. Barring one Armenian schedule, we didn’t have any COVID cases on our sets. What kept us going was a strong pre-production set-up and the enthusiasm of the entire team. Everyone was so passionately driven that we could hit the finish line well within our deadline.

My dad was always there for me. Since I have so many gifted action directors right at home, I had a thought about them assessing what I’m doing with my film, especially since it belongs to their pet genre. Eventually, when they saw it, they loved it. Dad was overwhelmed with the scale and the intensity of the action. A lot of people had asked me why he wasn’t part of my first film. I would have loved that, but he believed that his presence would stress me out. So, he supported me in every way a parent does.

Rashtra Kavach OM is Aditya Roy Kapur’s first full-blown action film. In a chat with Bombay Times, the actor spoke about his action avatar, the work that went behind looking the part, lessons learnt and his admiration for Sanjay Dutt as an action hero. Excerpts:

As you get older, you realise that everything is transient. You have to keep going back to work every day. Don’t fly too high when things go well and too low when they don’t. You should not allow yourself to get swayed by the ups and downs. If I were to give a message from my experience to aspiring actors, I would say, work gets you work. Don’t give up any opportunities at work. Don’t wait for that perfect time. If you have an opportunity, take it. You never know what it might lead you to.

Maybe the new title is more relatable. I think the producers felt that Rashtra Kavach OM would connect more with the audience. It’s one of the two main conflicts in the film. The story is about patriotism and these are the relevant themes of it. They felt the new title would resonate more with the audience. Whether it will help or not, only time will tell.

This film has a strong emotional anchor and that takes the story forward, that’s what struck me the most. Action is the icing on the cake and that is the beauty of the film. It’s a story about a family. It’s about the mother-son bond as well as a son looking for his father, his quest for truth and his responsibilities towards his job and the country. The story has many layers, so this was an interesting character to play. Of course, external factors like the action scenes are also there. Director Kapil Verma and producer Ahmed Khan have put in a lot of action in the film, but what drew me to the film was its emotional core.

I have done the whole gym thing before. I had bulked up a lot for Malang, but this one needed me to learn action. Ahmed sir and Kapil were clear that they wanted me to do the stunts. I underwent rigorous action training for three-and-a-half months as the action had to look realistic. Interestingly, action is the antithesis of bodybuilding. You lose muscle when you do action, so I had to train accordingly. If I trained for action scenes for two hours in the morning, I had to work out for two hours in the evening to rebuild muscle. It was extra tough as I had to bulk up a bit as well. This is the most physically demanding role of my career so far.

It is tough to maintain a strict diet beyond the shooting schedule. I like my food! Every now and then, I need to go off the rails on a three-day food bender, but not more than that. As soon as I wrapped up this film, I went to my parents’ house and had delicious mutton curry cooked by my dad. I work well when I have a goal. I put my blinkers on and focus. Once it’s done, it’s important for me to let my hair down. Earlier I used to yo-yo. I used to lose a lot of weight and then gain a lot, and that can get mentally tiring. I have reached a sort of equilibrium in the last two-three years where I am a little more consistent. I no longer allow myself to undergo three months of crash diet to get into shape. I am at a physical stage where 20 days of workout is sufficient for me. Consistency has found its way into my life.

I don’t think I am veering too far away from the complicated characters I have played so far. Funnily, this film has patriotism and action, but my character here too has an emotional side. It has all the ingredients of my previous roles (smiles). This was also an emotionally draining film for me and it had its set of challenges. Once you see the film, you’ll realise that this character has been put through a whole set of situations that could weigh heavy on anyone. This role gave me something to sink my teeth into as well.

(Laughs!) I do wonder that! Well, there have been films like Ludo, OK Jaanu and Daawat-e-Ishq where I have played lighter roles and believed in the brighter side of life. I guess the roles that stood out have been the more intense ones. As an actor, I think I have also got a chance to showcase my other side. My filmography has been fairly varied, but yes, I would like to do more comedy and varied stuff for sure. One doesn’t want to keep doing the same thing again and again.

I take it in a positive way because these guys have done such amazing work in this genre. This is my first step into it. It will take me a few more action films before I can be compared to these guys. If the comparisons are still made, I would be flattered by them. Who doesn’t want to be compared to something or someone good!

Sanjay Dutt’s personality is most striking. He has this aura and an edgy look. He built a great physique back in the day when it wasn’t common, and that was inspiring.

Hindi cinema has rarely had a slick woman-led action film. Among the few times that it has been attempted, the women have been sexualised in femme fatale avatars, complete with leather outfits. When Sanjana Sanghi stepped into the universe of Rashtra Kavach OM, she partly expected a similar tonality. The actor was pleased to see that director Kapil Verma had a different vision for his actioner.

“I can’t deny that historically, we have seen very few leading ladies do action. This is only my second film. I can’t deny the trappings that exist. I didn’t have any reference points for the film. I had to turn to Hollywood and look at Scarlett Johansson. This is what made the film more interesting. Kavya, my character, is a full person. In a testosterone driven world, she is an anomaly. She is leading the pack here. The script gave me the responsibility inherently, and I built from there. I didn’t feel the desire to do bigger stunts to feel more important in the story. My director Kapil Verma mounted the story in such a way that the female perspective is important,” she says.

Even as leading ladies are getting meatier roles, the gender bias is evident in the smallest of instances. The first look of Om featured only leading man Aditya Roy Kapur, with no sign of Sanghi. “Of course, it bothered me, and I told Ahmed sir [Khan, producer] I need to be in it. We launched a new poster with the trailer,” she states.

Om marks her second film after her debut vehicle, Dil Bechara (2020). Preparing for the role was challenging, she admits. “I trained with Parvez Shaikh [action choreographer] and his team. I learnt hand-to-hand combat, weapon use and underwent gun training. Aditya and I learnt [to handle] pistols, M16 and different kinds of rifles. I learnt how many bullets go into what, how to empty out the guns. What helped was having Adi by my side. He held my hand and walked me through it. Just knowing he was there to catch me, if I fall from a harness was the kind of comfort that made my performance better.” 

From fronting a love story in Dil Bechara to an actioner, there is a paradigm shift. Sanghi insists it’s a conscious move. “There are false notions about action. I know that I have kicked ass in the film. I want young girls to know that you got you. You don’t need a man for protection. That’s [the confidence] a woman doing action on the big screen evokes.”

The actor is currently shooting for Dhak Dhak, which also stars Ratna Pathak Shah, Dia Mirza, Fatima Sana Shaikh and is produced by Taapsee Pannu. She is glad that the film asserts the conversation around sisterhood. “A film like that asserts the conversation around sisterhood. I choose films based on what it makes me believe. When Taapsee sent me the script, I read it in a day and called her to say I am doing it. I didn’t know who else was in the movie. The eclectic cast is a win-win for us. In Tapsee, I have found a guide and a friend, a sounding board I could seek advice from. To have such secure, skilled actors coming together is beautiful. Every scene is a new visual because we haven’t seen four women riding an Enfield bike as a visual in Hindi films. When we think of a bullet, we think of a boy! But I guess women across generations in the industry are willing to go all out and risk it,” she says.

Recently, Sanjana Sanghi wrapped up another schedule of her upcoming action film, OM: The Battle Within, which has her opposite Aditya Roy Kapur. Directed by action director Tinu Verma’s son, Kapil Verma, the movie has been in production for a few weeks now.

Talking about her experience of collaborating with Aditya and Kapil, Sanjana says, “We talk a lot on the set. We trust and help each other as co-workers. The film has certain elements that are about things which we haven’t seen before. It’s mutual trust between co-stars that comes in handy at such times. There’s no ego between Aditya and me, or between the director and us. Working with Aditya and Kapil sir made me feel liberated. There is no question that I can’t ask and no question that won’t be answered.”

Talking about how 2020 changed her perspective towards life, Sanjana says, “My perspective changed completely. Aditya, Kapil sir and I thank our stars for every second that we get to be on a set, this time feels so valuable. When we started stepping out for work, we were all so rusty. One didn’t know how to be around others because we hadn’t been around people for a long time. Now, while there is fear in our minds, there is also gratitude in our hearts for what we have today.”

Elaborating on how they prepped for their roles in a scenario where they couldn’t conduct workshops, Sanjana says, “We did spend time together, but in a socially distant manner. Adi and I had to train for the action portions as well. So, we would undergo Coronavirus tests every few days. Even on the set, we always followed the precautionary steps. I have realised that when you are careful, you can work around things.”

Aditya Roy Kapur, who has been giving shape to OM: The Battle Within since December, is set to film the climax. Well aware that preceding action sequences are merely the build-up to the climax, producer Ahmed Khan and director Kapil Verma have designed an elaborate set-piece for the final minutes of the movie. A huge set of a prison has been constructed at Film City in Goregaon for the ongoing seven-day schedule.

“The set is spread over a kilometre, as envisioned by Kapil. The producer-director duo don’t want to leave any stone unturned in making the sequence memorable and have roped in an international stunt director to design it,” reveals a source.

Khan, who has given Bollywood high-octane action thrillers in the second and third instalments of Baaghi, says he wanted to up the ante with his upcoming offering. “We have brought action director Kecha Khamphakdee from Thailand on board to design the stunts. He has previously worked with me on my directorial ventures. Action director Parvez Shaikh is supervising the stunts,” says the producer, adding that Kapur’s intense training in martial arts and assault weaponry paid off during the shoot.

It is heard that leading lady Sanjana Sanghi will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Kapur, taking on the baddies. Khan, who is backing the venture with Zee Studios, confirms, “Sanjana will be seen performing stunts.” With some songs remaining to be shot, the makers are planning to release the thriller in the second half of the year.

With Malang (2020), Aditya Roy Kapur showed that he can pull off action as easily as he does romance. Now, the actor is upping the ante with producer Ahmed Khan’s actioner,  OM: The Battle Within. Kapil Verma, who has turned director with the Sanjana Sanghi-starrer, reveals that the leading man picked up martial arts before the film went on floors in December.

“Ahead of the shoot, we constructed a gym at Aditya’s home as all the gyms were shut at the time. He trained in Kung fu, Tai chi and handling assault weapon for four months. Ahmed had booked a dance rehearsal hall in Bandra where Aditya would train for more than two hours every day with his three instructors — two for different martial arts, and the third would help him with stretches and cardio,” says Verma. Their groundwork didn’t end there — the makers hired a chef to aid Kapur in achieving a ripped physique.

Over the past three months, it has been all work and no play for the unit as it shot a major chunk of the actioner. A massive set has been erected at Film City in Goregaon for the ongoing 15-day climax shoot. “Filming during the pandemic has been tough. We are shooting in a bio-bubble, with the unit being put up at a luxury hotel in Goregaon. We have two doctors and an ambulance on the set, and regular tests are conducted for the unit,” says Khan, who is backing Om with co-producer wife Shaira. He adds that a small schedule in Turkey is on the cards, after which it will be a wrap for the project.

On November 16, his 35th birthday, Aditya Roy Kapur announced his next project, OM: The Battle Within, which marks the directorial debut of action director Tinu Verma’s son, Kapil. Now, he’s found his leading lady in Sanjana Sanghi who debuted this year as Kizie in Sushant Singh Rajput’s swan song, Dil Bechara. The Ahmed and Shaira Khan and Zee Studios production rolls early next month and is targeting a release in the second half of 2021.

Ahmed points out that Sanjana handled Kizie with great maturity and since her character in OM requires the same responsibility, she is perfectly suited for the part. The actress is thrilled to make the transition from drama to action so early on in her career. “I explored many scripts, but OM offered me the spectrum jump that I was looking for, giving me an entirely unchartered territory of a big commercial actioner,” she reasons.

Sanjana plays Kavya, who she describes as a confident, hardworking, sharp, empathetic and brave girl. “She’s someone every young Indian girl aspires to be, and a character one hasn’t seen before. I’m excited because I will get to do a lot of action for which various kinds of training and prep is currently on. It’s testing, both physically and mentally, but thrilling too,” she gushes, adding that getting to work with Aditya is “the best part”.

Sanjana’s debut film proved to be a professional success, but came with a huge personal loss. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to wrap my head or heart around the loss and the circumstances amidst which our film reached the audience. However, the unfathomable love, appreciation and embrace of the audiences, made for the most befitting tribute to the legend that was Sushant and helped me cope with the tragedy. I’ve always believed that love is the strongest emotion in the world,” she asserts.

Ahmed informs that OM will be shot across three cities in India with a schedule abroad. “We are hoping to complete the entire shooting by March,” he says, maintaining that the way Tiger Shroff and he bring the best out of each other in action scenes, Kapil and Aditya will be able to achieve the same. “Tiger has aced the action space which is why we always succeed in achieving our best. Physically, Aditya is built for action and I’m sure Kapil will bring out the best of Aditya,” he reiterates.

Aditya Roy Kapur, who beefed up for the action scenes in Mohit Suri-directed Malang last year, is gearing up for more maar dhaad in Ahmed Khan, wife Shaira and Zee Studio production, OM: The Battle Within. The film marks the directorial debut of action director Tinu Verma’s son, Kapil. The entire film, including the script, locations and action scenes, have been conceptualised during the lockdown. The film will have lavishly mounted fights and Aditya has been learning different action forms and also building up an impressive physique.

“Last year, around this time, I was juggling between the shoots of Malang and Ludo. Both films got me a lot of appreciation. Covid notwithstanding, this year has been a special one on the work front. I have been living with OM since the last few months now, and I am looking forward to the journey,” says the actor who rings in his 35th birthday today.

The film puts him in an out-and-out commercial action space for the first time and Ahmed insists his ‘hero’ is physically built for action and the character fits him to the T. “The film revolves around emotionally disturbed relationships in the line of duty. Kapil Verma will jump into direction with some larger-than-life action scenes,” the maker promises.

Shariq Patel of Zee endorses that Aditya, despite his versatile choices, has proved his mettle as an action hero. “We are set to roll by early next month,” he informs. The film is gearing up for a release in the second half of 2021.”

Meanwhile, Ahmed is all charged up to take the Heropanti franchise forward as director with Tiger Shroff. The film also goes on the floors next month.