Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; April 3, 2019)

It cannot get bigger than this. “I am not going to answer any questions on the plot of Avengers: Endgame. It took me three years to protect it from Tom Holland and Mark Ruffalo, so I am not going to suddenly give it away,” jokes American filmmaker Joe Russo, of the Russo brothers, co-director of the year’s, perhaps, the decade’s most awaited superhero film — Avengers: Endgame, in a candid chat. This is his fourth Marvel film and the twenty-second film in the entirety of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In Mumbai, to kick-start the film’s promotions, Joe spoke to Bombay Times on Indian influences in the Marvel series, his comic-book fixation, Stan Lee, Robert Downey Jr (RDJ) being nothing like Tony Stark, need for diversity, longevity of superhero films and more.

This is your first visit to India. Take us through your experience so far.
I have never been here before, so I came with an open mind. I am ecstatic. One of the real values of getting to work on these films is that you get to travel across the globe and interact with people from different cultures. I am a big fan of telling my children that their job in life is to collect as many fascinating experiences as they can. Part of that is travelling, cultural experiences, understanding the world and becoming a global citizen. It’s really meaningful for me to get my family here.

Are you familiar with Indian cinema?
I have seen a few Indian films like Dabangg. I think Indian audiences will love the fact that Robot/Enthiran (S Shankar’s 2010 bilingual starring Rajinikanth) was almost a big influence on Avengers: Age of Ultron, 2015 (directed by Joss Whedon). There is a sequence in Robot, where all the robots come together to form a giant snake. In the Avengers movie, there was a bunch of Ultrons, who come together to form a giant Ultron. The scene was eventually cut for time, but that was a direct influence from Robot.

You have made four Marvel films in the past six years. What do you think is integral to the future of superhero films?
The more diverse they get, the more interesting they become. Everyone has a right to see themselves on screen. Audiences become more passionate, when storytellers get more inclusive. The next phase of Marvel movies will get more diverse. Look at the success of Black Panther and Captain Marvel. The new crop of stories will have more pure global influence.

During an interview Tom Hanks told us that because of the rich technology and CGI, superhero films are living up to the promise of comic books. But eventually, the tide will turn. The stories that always remain with you are the ones showing human condition.
These (superhero films) are human stories! They are highly relatable characters. Listen, I think that if it’s not your cup of tea, you tend to shutout. For a whole global generation of film goers, these movies have become very important. They are a part of their growing up years and pop culture. The best of these movies tell compelling stories about humans, who happen to have powers. The powers are secondary to the experiences of characters as people and the choices that they make. I think the best of these movies have incredible thematics in them. I don’t necessarily think you can call superhero films a fad, when it has this kind of global reach. I think you just have to respect the fact the audience finds a lot in these films to inspire and connect them.

Speaking of #Whateverittakes (the punchline of Endgame),what does it take for you and Anthony (the other Russo brother co-directing the film) to work with so many superstars on one film?
It takes a lot (smiles!). It’s been a great experience for us. We have been very fortunate that this cast is incredible. Look, Oscar winners show up just to do one day’s work for your film, so you are spoilt as a filmmaker with the love of your cast.

You hear things like Robert Downey Jr wanting multiple vanity vans. He even jokes about it. He seems like a diva. Is he like that for real?
He jokes about it (laughs!), but you know why he does that? I think it is to play along and create a persona. He acts like a diva, but he is actually the hardest working actor you will ever work with. He is exceedingly professional. There is a reason why he is one of the biggest movie stars in the world. The energy and effort he puts into his work every second and the way he approaches his character and believes what it is, the way he shows up on set everyday, the level of intensity he brings to his work ethic — it’s commendable. Even when he promotes his films... that requires a lot of effort. He has a certain effervescence about him that’s universally translated and it comes at a cost. It requires him to project himself a certain way.

Tony Stark feels like RDJ’s alter ego, Chris Hemsworth exudes Thor’s confidence in his physical strength... it’s amazing how these characters seem like they are based on the actors that play them.
It’s interchangeable, isn’t it? You want the actors to have an emotional connect with the characters they play. When you really get to know Robert, you discover that he is nothing like Tony Stark. He has a public persona that he slips into, which is like Tony but when you have an intimate conversation with him, you realise he is very different. He is warm, genuine and generous human being. Chris Evans relates to one of the important people from his childhood. He based Captain America’s performance on this man he knew, so that’s very personal. They all find a certain sense of themselves in these characters after playing them for so long.

Is this Chris Evans’ last film as Captain America? He had hinted about it.
Chris Evans said this is his last film? I don’t know what he has been drinking (smiles). Impossible to say, anything can happen. This is the Marvel Universe. I won’t give away the plot, except that Infinity War was told from the point of view of Thanos and this one is not.

The legendary Stan Lee is no longer with us. It won’t be the same without him, isn’t it?
I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for Stan Lee. I grew up on his comic books since I was 10, he is my idol. I believe that his final cameo is in this film. To get an opportunity to not only work on the material that he created, but to be able to work with him was a dream come true.

What are the pros and cons of co-directing with your brother Anthony, being part of a joint venture?
The pros are the fact that we have been able to make four Marvel movies in the last six years without dropping dead. There are no cons. Of course there are conflicts. We are always arguing and that makes this process successful. We challenge every idea that comes to the table and the best idea wins. It’s about maintaining the right balance between pushing against each other and backing off. Out of that comes a chemistry that creates these movies.

The superheroes abstain from sex. There was an interesting article on this that recently went viral.
No sex in Avengers movies? There was a bedroom scene in Infinity War, which implied that. But I think it is about the demographics. These movies need to translate with the children as well as they do gravitate towards these movies. The whole family should be able to enjoy these films without having to put hands on their children’s eyes. At the core, the characters are human and their psychology has been the focus more than their sexuality I guess.

What’s next for you in the MCU?
Eleven years of storytelling, nine franchises and 22 movies culminate into this film. Now, I want to take a little break. We have made four films in six years. You need to find the right stories to be able to reach the audience on this scale. It has been an enriching experience for us.

Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; November 27, 2018)

He is considered to be a visionary filmmaker, who has the knack for pulling off high-concept movies with panache. Although he is a prolific filmmaker in the Tamil film industry, director Shankar’s ability to tell universal stories has fetched him recognition from across the country. Movies like Enthiran (2010, titled Robot in Hindi) and I (2015) have earned him a reputation for making slick films with unique subjects. He has also shown a penchant for using stateof-the-art technology in making movies. As his film 2.0, sequel to Rajinikanth’s Robot, is set to hit theatres, BT caught up with the director to talk about the future of big-ticket Indian films. Shankar also gave us a low-down on the use of VFX and his aspiration of making movies on out-of-the-box ideas. Excerpts...

2.0 is releasing eight years after Robot. You chose to take your time rather than immediately follow up its success with a sequel...
As soon as part one released, everyone was interested in a sequel, but I was clear that I didn’t want to make a part two just for the sake of it. In the end, it’s the content that would matter and I was waiting for the story to evolve. It has taken me so much time to come up with this story. One-third of the budget went into VFX. But the script demanded it and also, we can’t deliver something we did in 2010. The audience, who watches sci-fi films and superhero franchises like Spider-Man, Superman and Avengers, will come to watch 2.0, expecting the same quality they see in Hollywood movies. We can’t tell them that their films have Rs 500-1,000-crore budget for VFX and we can’t spend so much. So, we pushed the envelope and worked with a budget that no other Indian film would spend on VFX. I believe that 2.0 will be closer to what Hollywood is delivering and soon the lines between our films and theirs will blur out.

Technology plays an important role in your films...
The most interesting part of the story are mobile phones. Nowadays, everyone has a cell phone so, our film will resonate with almost everyone. As far as the technology is concerned, it comes only after the script. I go by what the scenes demand, in terms of technology. For me, content is the king.

How did you cast Akshay Kumar in this film?
It’s been a long journey (smiles). I thought that the film would connect with the audience world over if a global star features in it. That’s when I thought of casting Arnold Schwarzenegger. He had seen Robot twice, was impressed with the concept and had allotted dates. He even performed a few scenes during the narration, including the one in which Chitti is armed with multiple guns. Great artistes, irrespective of the industry, are impressed with ideas that are interesting, original and new. However, the deal fell through during the negotiation stage. Hollywood artistes’ way of working, their contracts and conditions are very different from those in India. So, we were not able to proceed with him. People suggested other international stars, who were ready to play the part. Though they are good in their own right, I didn’t find them suitable for this particular role. Then, I decided to go ahead with one of our best Indian stars. The production house was in talks with Akshay sir for a Hindi remake of a Tamil film, and that’s how his name came up. I narrated the story to him and he liked it.

It’s not always easy to turn anti-hero for a star of his stature. Did he take time to give his nod?
No, he agreed immediately. Even after achieving so much and being one of the biggest stars in Hindi cinema, he is constantly looking for something new, which is evident in his other films as well. He has raised the bar for himself and other actors by doing the kind of films he's done off late. I believe that those who enjoy great stardom should be given different scripts and roles. That’s what the filmmakers are also looking to do now. Our job is to make sure that whatever the character is — negative or positive — it should excite the actors and have sufficient material to explore their hidden talents. Also, in 2.0, you won't be able to label Akshay sir’s character as black or white, it has different shades and layers. We can’t call him just an antagonist.

You had also approached Kamal Haasan for the part. Interestingly, he was also your first choice for Robot, before Rajinikanth stepped in…
For 2.0, after the deal with Arnold fell through, I thought if Kamal sir joins the project, it would be great. It wasn’t just about seeing Rajini sir and Kamal sir together on screen after several years. The script also demanded it. But since Kamal sir and I were already in talks over Indian 2 for a long time, he was more keen on doing that film. I will starting the shoot for it next month, too.

Will you work on the storyline of Indian 2, keeping in mind that Kamal Haasan has now joined politics?
The story was locked before he had joined politics. It has been decided upon and complete. Whether he is in politics or not, it will appeal to the audience. It will match up to his stature as well.

When did your fascination with the sci-fi genre begin?
After I finished my first film, Gentleman, I was asked what kind of films I would like to make. I wanted to incorporate lifeless objects and characters other than human beings, into my stories. I have had such ideas for a long time. But it was difficult to convince producers to show interest in such subjects. They are mostly interested in heroes, anti-heroes and big star-casts. Who would be interested in producing a film, in which a cell phone is the hero? But that was the interesting part for me; I was also planning to make a film with a television set as the main character. I had a lot of ideas, but I knew no one would produce them. Besides, such projects demand huge budgets. So, I had to wait for long. Even Robot is a depiction of the human form. If it was just a machine, I don’t know how many people would have been interested in producing it. But I am glad that the perception is changing slowly and I can try and explore other ideas, too (smiles).

It’s been long since you last made a Hindi film, Nayak. Any plans?
I am open to that idea, if things fall into place. Language is no longer a barrier. With Akshay sir in 2.0, will you call it a Tamil or a Hindi film? It’s an Indian film.

Shankar, who is gearing up for the release of Robot 2.0, his third collaboration with Rajinikanth, on his upcoming project, spinning a superhero franchise and the challenges of shooting on a budget
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 26, 2018)

Shankar describes his upcoming film, 2.0, as a sci-fi social. The director, who deals with the concept of “Fifth Force” in the film, reveals that there are many surprises for the audience to look forward to. Excerpts from an interview:

2.0 was initially planned with Aamir Khan as the protagonist and Arnold Schwarzenegger as the antagonist. Were you disappointed when your dream casting didn’t work out?
Such things are common with all my films. We go to an actor, things don’t pan out, we move to the next and so on. Rajini sir (Rajinikanth) wasn’t feeling well at the time (2014) so I approached other stars. But Lingaa gave him the confidence to take on 2.0 which is a difficult film with all its prosthetics and action sequences. After three years, I’m waiting to see how the audience reacts to our effort.

What was the biggest challenge with this film?
Bringing my imagination to celluloid. It required craftsmanship, technology and dedication. Every shot was reviewed a hundred times at different stages, from the art work and CGI to previsualisation and VFX. It was a tedious process but then, every element was difficult to execute. Also, the budget was significantly higher so convincing the producers initially was difficult.

Did you have to compromise on your vision owing to budgetary constraints?
Our market is India, so we couldn’t push the budget beyond a point and spend as much as a Marvel or DC film on VFX. But despite not having a Rs 500 crore-plus budget only for VFX, we are trying to match the standards set by Hollywood films. At times we did have to compromise monetarily, but not on vision. If we get their kind of budget, we can make a far superior film.

When you work with a superstar, do you write the character keeping his image in mind?
I do keep the expectations of a fan in mind, but I also stay honest to the script. I wouldn’t go overboard just to satisfy the fans.

Rajinikanth’s last few films haven’t worked as per expectations at the box-office. Is that cause for concern given that your previous two films with him were blockbusters?
The audience is always open to seeing their favourite star on screen irrespective of the fate of his previous films. As far as 2.0 is concerned, they will be viewing it as another collaboration of Shankar and Rajini sir after Robot and will be coming to see it with a fresh mind. And I’m confident that they won’t be disappointed.

What was it like working with Akshay Kumar?
Great, I’m amazed by his discipline and commitment! He spent three-four hours every day on prosthetics and another couple of hours to remove the make-up. He’s not just the antagonist, his role has many shades which makes it interesting.

Any plans to take the franchise forward with or without Rajinikanth?
We definitely plan to make 3.0 but I can’t think of this franchise without Rajini sir. He’s the only name that comes to my mind when I think of Chitti. As an audience, I want our industry to have a superhero franchise like Superman, Spider-Man and Batman. Chitti is loved by all and I would love to see the character again on screen. But for that to happen, the creative in me should get the right script. I would not want to make 3.0 just for the sake of carrying the franchise forward.

Have you ever thought of making a superhero crossover film, like Chitti meets Krrish or G.One?
I can’t think in that direction. I imagine and create a script organically, once that is done, if the story has a potential for a crossover superhero film, I’ll head that way.

So, what’s next?
We have signed Kamal Haasan for Indian 2. Once 2.0 releases, we will go ahead and finalise the rest of the cast which could be drawn from Bollywood or the regional film industry. We start shooting in December. 

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; November 19, 2018)

Over the last few years, Akshay Kumar has made interesting choices. The Bollywood superstar has balanced his commercial outings with social dramas, both of which have been lapped up by audiences. Now, he is all set to share screen space with Rajinikanth in the mega-budget venture 2.0, which releases on November 29.

A sequel to the much successful Robot (Enthiran, 2010), it’s also the biggest Indian film ever made on a budget of over Rs 650 crore. Given that the first part fared extraordinarily well at the box office, even outside the South Indian market, we asked trade pundits about the expectations from 2.0.

AKSHAY: THE BIGGEST HIGHLIGHT
Akki plays the role of a mad scientist or crowman, the antagonist to Rajinikanth’s Chitti in the sci-fi. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh states that his character will be the ‘biggest highlight’ in the project. “This is possibly the first time a mainline actor has taken up a role like this. There’s a lot of curiosity about Akshay’s role after his look and the promos were unveiled. He’s playing a bad guy, but nobody has done a film on this scale before. So, there’s definitely huge anticipation and euphoria. This could be a game changer,” says Taran.

Producer-distributor N R Pachisia, too, echoes the same sentiment and says, “The film’s creatives (promos and posters) featuring Akshay are creating a buzz among viewers. The curiosity will also help the film in the North Indian markets. Akshay will be the surprise package in 2.0. It’s such a larger-than-life character.”

AN ALL-INDIA CONNECT
Barring Baahubali, South Indian films, which are usually dubbed in several languages including Hindi, don’t really work outside their own market. The trade feels 2.0, too, can also recreate the same magic as the SS Rajamouli film, thanks to the Pad Man actor’s presence. Taran asserts, “Akshay’s addition to the cast means that the film will appeal to a larger audience and is a huge advantage for the film’s Hindi market.” Pachisia adds, “If you see the first instalment of the franchise, it did exceedingly well even outside the South Indian market. Shankar, as a filmmaker, caters to the pan-India audience.”

Pachisia says, “It’s lovely to see a filmmaker who’s trying to make movies on such a huge canvas and at par with international standards. The layman is intrigued by the VFX work. 2.0 will open big across the country for sure.” He adds, “Karan Johar, along with Anil Thadani are distributing the film. They have always chosen quality products.” The two had also presented the Baahubali franchise, which went on to create history at the Indian box office.

2.0 WILL SURPASS AKKI’S EARLIER FILMS
Toilet - Ek Prem Katha, which released last year and collected over Rs 132 crore at the BO is Akshay’s highest-grossing film till date. But it will be a different scenario altogether with 2.0. Pachisia says, “The film is tracking really well, it is somewhere around Rs 34-35 crore. The scale and the format of the film are adding to the excitement.” Taran also agrees, “Although it’s too early to predict the film’s opening, it is expected to be in the Rs 30-35 crore range. That also means 2.0 will be Akshay’s biggest opener till date. His previous best is Gold (2018) which collected Rs 25.25 crore on the first day. 2.0 will easily surpass that.”

Earlier this month, Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Thugs Of Hindostan (TOH) had an unprecedented opening-day figure of Rs 52 crore (from all languages). Taran feels that the record will be broken, with the Rajini-Akshay film. He tells us, “TOH has not worked, so the audience is also hungry for a good film now. The start for 2.0 will be mammoth for sure. After that, it’s up to the content and how people take to it. 2.0’s collections from all combined languages will definitely beat TOH’s Rs 52 crore mark.”

The film is also reportedly being planned for a grand release in over 5,000 screens in India. But Taran reasons, “The screen count can be decided only a week before the film’s release. In all probability, the film will have a big release all over India.”

The question that pops up in the mailbox regularly is that why is not the business of dubbed versions not included on the website especially when major Hindi films are dubbed in other in languages. Basically dubbing films is a token gesture and business will be in the 3-5% range of the Hindi version. Even a film collecting 10 crore nett in Hindi can be dubbed and it can do upwards of 25 lakhs nett.

The biggest problem is when dubbed business is included than you have to include films of that language as well to have the correct picture. Then the tax picture comes into play as a film doing a huge proportion of its business in Tamil will be paying much less tax than a predominantly Hindi film so NETT numbers make little sense. This can be explained better by the two charts below. First one is the top ten grossing films in HINDI and then the second one is top ten grossing films in all languages. In the second one  some regional films come into play, even the topmost one then becomes a non Hindi release.

Top Ten Grossing Hindi Films NETT
1. Dangal (2016) - 3,74,53,00,000
2. PK (2014) - 3,37,72,50,000
3. Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) - 3,15,49,00,000
4. Sultan (2016) - 3,00,67,25,000
5. Dhoom 3 (2013) - 2,60,63,00,000
6. Kick (2014) - 2,11,63,00,000
7. Chennai Express (2013) - 2,07,69,00,000
8. 3 Idiots (2009) - 2,01,37,25,000
9. Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015) - 1,94,30,50,000
10. Ek Tha Tiger (2012) - 1,86,14,50,000

Top Ten Grossing Films NETT (All Languages)
1. Baahubali (2015) - 4,19,56,00,000
2. Dangal (2016) - 3,87,28,00,000
3. PK (2014) - 3,37,72,50,000
4. Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) - 3,15,49,00,000
5. Sultan (2016) - 3,00,67,25,000
6. Dhoom 3 (2103) - 2,71,63,00,000
7. Robot (2010) - 2,13,84,00,000
8. Kick (2014) - 2,11,63,00,000
9. Chennai Express (2013) - 2,07,69,00,000
10. Kabali (2016) - 2,05,16,00,000

As can be seen above, the dubbed business changes the rankings totally. Another point to note is when a film is dubbed into another language then that business is not coming from a HINDI film, sometimes even the name is changed.

The figures in GROSS for all languages will change the rankings due to lower taxes for regional films and those are the ones that have to be used when you are not comparing like for like and they will put up tomorrow.

GST (Good and Service Tax) is supposed to be implemented soon and it will probably be one slab across the country which will give fairer playing field but its probable the state governments will give some sort of exemptions to regional films to make tax lower while there will be no relief as usual for Hindi films which always get step motherly treatment from the government. The plus will the highest slab in GST will be a little lower than the present taxes at an all India level.

The trailer of Baahubali 2 is out and as expected, it has increased the curiosity about the film further. The hype anyways was there since part 1, released in 2015, was a smash hit. Even the Hindi version of this Telugu film did very well which was a rarity.

The other Southern sequel that would release this year is 2.0 and it’s expected to hit screens in Diwali 2017. The first part, Robot, was highly successful down South while the Hindi version was a decent success. 2.0 is expected to do much better as it stars Rajinikanth along with Akshay Kumar, the latter will be seen as the crow-like villain. Director Shankar’s films are always visually splendid and mass-oriented and hence, 2.0 can create lot of frenzy throughout the country.

It’s difficult to say which one would be a bigger hit out of the 2 (although Baahubali 2 seems to have a slightly better chance). But the bigger question is: Will a non-Hindi emerge as the biggest grosser of 2017? This happened in 2015 too when Baahubali collected 361 crore across all versions (some reports suggest that it did 385 crore). And Baahubali 2 surely can do more, especially since the Hindi markets will also do even better. The Hindi version of Baahubali did around 110 crore and Baahubali 2 has high chances of crossing the 175 crore mark. The total of Baahubali 2 hence can be 400 crore plus! 2.0 on the other hand too can set the box office on fire. It’s difficult to say how much it will earn eventually but it should easily go over Rs 300 crore keeping in the mind the grandeur of the film and craze among audiences for it.

The Hindi releases meanwhile might not be as successful. The only film that might give a tough competition to these Southern releases is the Salman Khan starrer Tubelight that releases during Eid. Salman is a superstar to reckon with and Tubelight seems to be a universal family entertainer on the lines of Bajrangi Bhaijaan, another loved film of 2015. Bajrangi Bhaijaan had crossed the 300 crore mark and Tubelight is expected to do even better. But whether it can cross the 400 crore mark like Baahubali 2 is doubtful though.

The other biggies of the year – Shah Rukh Khan-Anushka Sharma’s untitled next, Golmaal Again, Tiger Zinda Hai and Padmavati – will do well but it’s next to impossible for these films to emerge as the biggest grossers of the year.

The impact of Hollywood and regional films is increasing with every passing year. Few years ago, it was impossible that a non-Hindi film will do so well at the box office across the country. But times have changed and it’s high time that Bollywood filmmakers wake up and smell the coffee!