Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 11, 2019)

Canadian filmmaker, Ken Scott’s 2011 comedy, Starbuck, inspired Shoojit Sircar’s Vicky Donor and was later remade for Hollywood as Delivery Man. Excerpts from an interview with Ken who’s promoting his next, a Hollywood film, The Extraordinary Journey Of The Fakir...

What did you think of Vicky Donor?
I haven’t met Shoojit Sircar nor have I seen his film, but I am aware a film called Vicky Donor speaks about sperm donation. My Starbuck which came out in Canada in French in 2011 was on the same subject and so successful that I came out with an English remake a year later. We shot in New York with Vince Vaughn. As a storyteller, I want to communicate my story to as many people as possible.

What made you set The Extraordinary Journey Of The Fakir in India?
The book revolves around an Indian character who grows up in a small neighbourhood in India. After his mother’s death, he travels through Europe on a journey of self-discovery. So, it was a given.

Why Dhanush?
It was organic to have an Indian actor and he was on board before me. I got a call from the makers in Canada and after I signed on, I flew to Chennai to meet Dhanush who was shooting there. We discussed the story and I knew instantly that he had the right energy for the film. I do a lot of comedies and like actors who excel in it. He has great charisma which works for a movie like this.

How was it shooting in Mumbai?
The first schedule commenced on the busy streets of Mumbai. We shot for around 11 days; I’d wanted to shoot at Jodhpur, even done a recce but felt Mumbai was better. We shot in a small locality in Worli before moving to Europe.

The reactions at various film fests have been very positive…
It’s a feel-good film, it talks about immigration but in a lighter vein. It doesn’t make a political statement but asks us to look at immigrants as another version of ourselves. (Smiles) At the world premiere in France, we got a standing ovation, and it is difficult to please the French. 

Dhanush with Ken Scott on set

Picking out Ken Scott’s comedy from a bunch of offerings to make his Hollywood debut, Dhanush on being wooed by characters that ‘suit my personality’
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; June 7, 2019)

Dhanush doesn’t permit himself to be flattered by the acclaim he’s earned in the south Indian film industry. From an assortment of Hollywood offerings on his plate, he picked Ken Scott’s comedy about an ordinary man who eyes the good life, to make his international film debut. Pat comes his reply when we prod him on his choice: “I won’t be able to convince people that I am Captain America, so, I wanted to do something that suits my personality.” The Extraordinary Journey Of The Fakir sees Dhanush as magician Ajatashatru Lavash Patel, who makes his way to Paris with 100 Euros in fake bills, following which, things go downhill.

For Dhanush, it was the simplicity of his character that he most resonated with. “This film was out of my comfort zone, but I took it up as a challenge since I am confident about myself. This character suits my personality; I was sure of playing it with conviction. I don’t have any image, internationally. So, I need to work on making people believe with my acting.”

His journey as a celebrated actor may have taken him across the globe, but the palpable excitement with which Dhanush talks of working on this film’s set is unfamiliar. “It was an alien setup, but something that I could learn from. We had people from various countries working on the film. I discovered new information while interacting with them.”

The experience of working with Canadian director Scott was also fodder that fed the filmmaker in him. “I am a director’s actor, and he knows what he wants from his cast. he could get that out from me. Being a filmmaker, I tried to understand the craft [better] by observing him work.”

Clocking in 17 years in the industry, Dhanush finds his own journey nothing less than magical. “I never wanted to become an actor. I wanted to be a chef, have a humble setup like a two-bedroom house, and a salary of Rs 30,000. I am reaping these benefits due to my parents’ prayers. There are many better looking people trying to break into the business. I met the right people at the right time.”

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; June 7, 2019)

Canadian director Ken Scott has a unique connection with India. His 2011 film, Starbuck, inspired Shoojit Sircar’s Vicky Donor. Years later, in 2017, he arrived in India to make a film with Dhanush, titled The Extraordinary Journey Of The Fakir, a French-English language film. The comedy-adventure, based on Romain Puertolas’ novel, The Extraordinary Journey Of The Fakir Who Got Trapped in an Ikea Wardrobe, released in a couple of European countries in 2018, and is now gearing up to open in India, the USA and Canada among other countries. The director spoke to BT about how this project came his way and his experience of shooting in India. Excerpts:

You’ve partially shot The Extraordinary Journey Of The Fakir in India. Did you ever visit the country before working on the film?
No, I hadn’t been to India before. My first visit was during the pre-production process of the film. Initially, I had planned to shoot it in Jodhpur, but I changed my mind when I saw Mumbai. The production team took me to a beautiful neighbourhood in Worli, which I felt was an excellent setting for our story. The alleys, the houses and the surroundings were just so beautiful. The film is about a boy who grows up in a small neighbourhood in the city, and how his circumstances introduce him to the rest of his city and the world at large.

What drew you to the film?
Producer Luc Bossi asked me if I would be interested in directing it. After that, I read the book and was charmed by the fact that it has a heart, an unexpected set of twists, and a comic, poignant and philosophical story. All these elements work really well in the novel, and so I agreed to direct it. It’s the kind of mix that I gravitate towards. I worked on the script with the novelist and the producer. And then, I came to India for the first time. When I was a student at a film school, a professor had told us that if we want success, we should write about things that we know. I disagreed with him. We should also write about the things we want to know. I was passionate about discovering India. That made the journey of this film extremely interesting for me.

What did you discover about India?
I feel that people here are happy, come what may. Everyone seems to be content. Yes, being in Mumbai can be a little crazy, especially when you take the roads. The experience is very different in Canada. I also realised that there are a lot of people in Mumbai and everyone gets just so close to you, something that I am not used to (smiles).

When did you meet Dhanush?
I met him in Chennai where he was shooting. We had an elaborate discussion about everything in the film that was important to both of us. I like to be absolutely prepared before I roll out a movie. Interacting with Dhanush made me realise that he was perfect for the part.

While the film releases in India two weeks later, it has already made its way to theatres in a few European countries last year. Doesn’t the delay increase the risk of the film being leaked online?
I agree that the film could have opened in India last year itself. While we were trying to coordinate and have a common release date for the movie in the US, UK, Canada and a couple of other countries, the French producers wanted to bring it out quickly in some places. As for the chances of the film being leaked, if it’s a good film, it will get positive word of mouth, which will help its box office chances. If it’s bad, it will get bad vibes.

The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir, presented by Golden Ratio Films, produced by M! Capital Ventures, Little Red Car Films, Brio Films and Impact Films, and distributed by Anil Thadani’s AA Films in English and YNOTX in Tamil, releases on June 21.