Showing posts with label Ramaiya Vastavaiya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ramaiya Vastavaiya. Show all posts
Negative roles have more layers to portray-Sonu Sood
8:33 AM
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; December 29, 2018)
After making an impact as Chedi Singh, the antagonist to Salman Khan in Dabangg (2010), Sonu Sood is back to playing a hardcore villain in Simmba, this time taking on the young superstar Ranveer Singh. Thanks to his ripped body and lean physique, which is evident in the promos of the film, there are memes on how such a fit Sonu can be beaten by the Padmaavat actor! Sonu has a fitting reply, “In the entire movie, for two hours, I will be beating up the hero. In the last 15 minutes, if I get overpowered by him, it’s okay; rest two hours, I enjoy the space of being a stronger and powerful character. Also, you have to see the movie to know what happens, because it is not always about being beaten up.”
Here, Sonu talks about his love for playing the baddie, working in a Rohit Shetty film and, of course, his fitness regime.
Your character in Dabangg was a hit. Why didn’t you cash in on its success?
Dabangg was an extremely significant film for me, but it is also important that I choose my roles right and not categorise myself in a particular set of roles. I was doing films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Mandarin Chinese, playing positive as well as negative roles. If your film and character are a hit, chances are you’ll get typecast in that space. It was a deliberate decision to not do all such films that came my way. Post Dabangg, I did films like Ramaiya Vastavaiya and Happy New Year, in which I played positive characters with streaks of comedy. They did really well. I made some right decisions.
So, Simmba will see you returning to Bollywood mainstream villainy after Dabangg?
Yes, it is a Rohit Shetty movie, full of action, drama and larger-than-life characters. It is completely in the commercial space. My character’s name is Durva Ranade — for the first time I play a Maharashtrian and I am pretty excited about it.
Did you know Marathi or have you learnt it for the film?
I did my engineering in Nagpur and had a lot of Maharashtrian friends. I was impressed with the language and at that time I didn’t think I would be an actor. But, unknowingly, I learnt the language and got a hold of it. Nothing can be better than playing a Maharashtrian character in a Rohit Shetty film. But I had a special teacher during the dubbing so that the accent was right.
What do you like about playing an antagonist?
In negative roles, there are more layers to portray. In Simmba, my character has a family — wife, kids and mother. The way Rohit has done the layering makes it special. So, when people watch the film, they will not just see the negative part, but also the layers to it, which are well-defined and well-written. Nothing is more important than the script or the role; I thoroughly enjoy playing a baddie, too.
You are known for your fitness and physique. Heard even Kapil Sharma has sought help from your trainer.
Fitness has been a part of my life even before I became an actor. I always share my trainer with others. Whether it’s Kapil Sharma, Kangana Ranaut or Farah Khan, I don’t mind sharing my trainer. I tell him, skip my work out, but not theirs. I tell him to be regular with them and push them to spend some extra hours in the gym. It is important to spread awareness about fitness. I am glad Kapil is getting fit. When he met me recently, he said ‘Paaji I want to get back on my toes and become fit’. In a few months you will see a new Kapil.
Last but not the least, whenever you go on reality shows, one sees you taking off your shirt...
(Laughs) Taking off my shirt has become a part of my life, whether it is at award ceremonies or reality shows. As long as people enjoy it, why not? A lot of actors used to tell me, ‘If we had a physique like yours, we would never wear clothes ever!” That’s a compliment, but if it helps the ratings of a show or gives them a promo moment, why not remove my shirt? They tell me, if you come on our show, it has to be a mandate that you go bare-bodied or show your abs. It is good because it keeps me on my toes and I have to always be ready to showcase my physique.
At heart I am still a Casanova-Girish Kumar
7:45 AM
Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; February 15, 2016)
Though the general
perception is that those born in Bollywood families have it easy, actor
Girish Kumar chooses to disagree. Son of producer Kumar Taurani, who
heads a music label and a production house with his brother Ramesh
Taurani, the young actor took three years to prepare for his debut,
Ramaiya Vastavaiya (2013), directed by Prabhu Dheva. It took him a couple
of years to pick his next Loveshhuda, directed by Vaibhav
Misra. Releasing this Friday, the film is about love stories that begin
in bed and end up, well...wherever they rightly should. In this
interview, the good-looking boy with a great bod, talks about romance,
being a Casanova and his 'complicated' relationship status. Read on...
It's been over two-and-a-half years since your debut Ramaiya Vastavaiya. Why such a long gap before your second film?
After my first film, I guess people wanted to see what I would do next. I wanted to work outside my home banner and got a few offers too, but they were not the right subjects for me. Ramaiya Vastavaiya did well for a film with a newcomer, it was one of the top three-four debut films of that year. It's unfair to compare a Prabhu Dheva-directed film featuring a debutant, to his films starring Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar. I think somewhere the industry didn't take me seriously. Thankfully, coming from an affluent family, I didn't need to rush into anything to earn my bread and butter.
How did you cope during that period?
Initially, I thought that like Varun Dhawan, Sidharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt, I might have to wait for a year before the next release. It got tough when I didn't get a suitable film for a year and a half. There were times when I went into depression. But I had faith; I prayed and chanted the Hanuman Chalisa. All that brought me peace. Even after I got this film it took me a while to feel good about everything. I was still healing during the first schedule. Now I am happier and at peace.
Is it tougher for a producer's son in this industry, as compared to an actor's son?
Sons of actors and directors have it much easier. For a producer's son, it's way harder. My uncle (Ramesh Taurani) is a producer while my dad handled the music side of the company. So he's not too friendly with the actors. Also, star kids are not part of my social circle. While as an actor I shouldn't be as bothered about another person's investment, as a producer's son I believe you are responsible for the person putting money on you. I'm trying to make a separate identity for myself as an actor, which is beyond our company.
How did Loveshhuda happen?
Vijayji (Galani), who had come to meet my father with Vaibhav (Misra), told me he had a subject he'd like me to hear. I didn't like it and asked if they had anything else. Vaibhav narrated a concept that I liked and asked him to develop it. Three months later, he came back with a bound script. But by then Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania had released and our film had similar traits. So it had to be rewritten, with more focus on the two main characters. Halfway through the new narration, I messaged my dad saying I had got my second film.
Do you think the film's tag line 'Some love stories begin in bed' could keep the family audience at bay?
The tagline is cool and catchy, and in your face. But that's what the film is about and it is something which people will relate to. In this day and age, I don't think it's such a taboo. We are blind if we believe that these things are not happening. The idea is to make a film that is not overtly progressive, but not regressive either. It is about two consenting adults, their life and their bodies. If something happens between them, it's fine. If not, that's fine too. I don't think the concept is too bold; we all have physical needs, and the more we try to suppress it, we will be dominated by it.
On the personal front, you've not shied away from admitting that you've lived the life of a Casanova? Until you got married last year?
No yaar. I haven't got married. Chhodo abhi woh baat.. Let's just say I am loveshhuda, it's complicated.
So you are still a Casanova? Do you use witty one-liners to impress women?
At heart, always. Why not? I don't use lines, but go for the bull's eye. If I like a girl, I approach her directly, and say, 'I think you're hot. Wanna join me for a drink.' Though lines are flattering, everyone knows you're trying too hard. I am also a romantic at heart, but I keep it real and natural, it's my style. It always works. I have a decent sense of humour, which usually never fails me.
It's been over two-and-a-half years since your debut Ramaiya Vastavaiya. Why such a long gap before your second film?
After my first film, I guess people wanted to see what I would do next. I wanted to work outside my home banner and got a few offers too, but they were not the right subjects for me. Ramaiya Vastavaiya did well for a film with a newcomer, it was one of the top three-four debut films of that year. It's unfair to compare a Prabhu Dheva-directed film featuring a debutant, to his films starring Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar. I think somewhere the industry didn't take me seriously. Thankfully, coming from an affluent family, I didn't need to rush into anything to earn my bread and butter.
How did you cope during that period?
Initially, I thought that like Varun Dhawan, Sidharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt, I might have to wait for a year before the next release. It got tough when I didn't get a suitable film for a year and a half. There were times when I went into depression. But I had faith; I prayed and chanted the Hanuman Chalisa. All that brought me peace. Even after I got this film it took me a while to feel good about everything. I was still healing during the first schedule. Now I am happier and at peace.
Is it tougher for a producer's son in this industry, as compared to an actor's son?
Sons of actors and directors have it much easier. For a producer's son, it's way harder. My uncle (Ramesh Taurani) is a producer while my dad handled the music side of the company. So he's not too friendly with the actors. Also, star kids are not part of my social circle. While as an actor I shouldn't be as bothered about another person's investment, as a producer's son I believe you are responsible for the person putting money on you. I'm trying to make a separate identity for myself as an actor, which is beyond our company.
How did Loveshhuda happen?
Vijayji (Galani), who had come to meet my father with Vaibhav (Misra), told me he had a subject he'd like me to hear. I didn't like it and asked if they had anything else. Vaibhav narrated a concept that I liked and asked him to develop it. Three months later, he came back with a bound script. But by then Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania had released and our film had similar traits. So it had to be rewritten, with more focus on the two main characters. Halfway through the new narration, I messaged my dad saying I had got my second film.
Do you think the film's tag line 'Some love stories begin in bed' could keep the family audience at bay?
The tagline is cool and catchy, and in your face. But that's what the film is about and it is something which people will relate to. In this day and age, I don't think it's such a taboo. We are blind if we believe that these things are not happening. The idea is to make a film that is not overtly progressive, but not regressive either. It is about two consenting adults, their life and their bodies. If something happens between them, it's fine. If not, that's fine too. I don't think the concept is too bold; we all have physical needs, and the more we try to suppress it, we will be dominated by it.
On the personal front, you've not shied away from admitting that you've lived the life of a Casanova? Until you got married last year?
No yaar. I haven't got married. Chhodo abhi woh baat.. Let's just say I am loveshhuda, it's complicated.
So you are still a Casanova? Do you use witty one-liners to impress women?
At heart, always. Why not? I don't use lines, but go for the bull's eye. If I like a girl, I approach her directly, and say, 'I think you're hot. Wanna join me for a drink.' Though lines are flattering, everyone knows you're trying too hard. I am also a romantic at heart, but I keep it real and natural, it's my style. It always works. I have a decent sense of humour, which usually never fails me.
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