After Raanjhaana and Shamitabh, Dhanush, born to filmmaker Kasturi Raja and Vijayalakshmi, has now acted in the dubbed Hindi version of his Tamil film Velai Illa Pattadhaari 2 titled Lalkar directed by his sister in law Soundarya and produced by him. Dhanush has also written the script for the film.
Excerpts from an interview JYOTHI VENKATESH had with DHANUSH, better known as the star son in law of super star Rajinikant outside Tamil Nadu when the former caught up with him recently in Mumbai
Why did you set out to make a sequel to your hit Tamil film Velai Illa Pattadhaari in Tamil and Hindi?
The film Velai Illa Pattadhaari dealt with the day to day problem of an average Indian boy who is very keen on becoming an engineer but finds it very difficult to land himself a job. We did not expect even in our wildest dreams that the film would turn out to be such a big blockbuster in Tamil. We decided to make the second part in not only Tamil but also Telugu
Why did you cast Kajol in the sequel?
When we decided to tap Kajol for the sequel hesitantly, we were in for a pleasant surprise when she agreed to be on board the film though she had not acted in any film other than Hindi for the past 20 years. Minsara Kanavu, which was also dubbed in Hindi as Sapnay with Prabhu Dheva and Aravind Swamy was her last Tamil film. With Kajol on board, we decided to explore the Hindi market as well and made it as a bilingual in Tamil and Hindi.
Is it just a franchise or does the sequel start from where the previous film ends?
Velai lla Pattadhaari 2 titled as Lalkar in Hindi is a proper sequel and continues from where the earlier film ended when the engineer finds it very difficult to get a job in his field.
The Tamil version Velai Illa Pattadhaari 2 is doing well at the box office. How confident were you of the Hindi version too doing well?
Definitely I expected the same box office numbers for starters for the Hindi version, if not more, especially because the original version had garnered a lot of love since it dealt with the day to day problems of the educated unemployed in our country. I expected the same kind of love from the audiences for the sequel too.
Frankly I want to be a good actor but I do not also deny that there is a thrill in being hailed as a star.
What message does the film drive home?
The film sets out to tell without being preachy that if you believe in the basic essence of love, life can per se be very good.
How was it working with an actress of the caliber of Kajol?
I would say that it was indeed fascinating to work with Kajol Madam as I had grown up watching her and I am a fan of her films like Gupt, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Fanaah and Minsara Kanavu. It was great to work with a seasoned performer like Kajol ande I should confess that working with her actually elevated my own performance.
Why did you think of casting Kajol in your film when there are scores of good actresses down South?
Once I completed writing the script, I felt that Vasundhara Parameshwaran can be brought alive by only Kajol. Though we felt that it would be impossible to get Kajol on board since she had not acted in any Tamil film for the past 20 years after Minsara Kanavu, we decided to push our luck and approached her for a narration of the script
Go on!
Though Kajol Madam straightaway said No to the offer to act in Velai Illa Pattadhaari 2 , she agreed to listen to the script. Once she heard the script, based on the merit of the script, she agreed to do the film. No one could have played the part to perfection like she has. She was pitched perfectly for the part and in fact delivered more than what the script demanded of her.
Were you intimidated by Kajol’s presence or nervous of her on the sets in front of the camera?
I am a confident actor and hence I would like to state humbly that I do not at all get intimidated in front of my co-actors, whoever he or she may be. I also believe in spontaneity like Kajol and have faith in myself to do proper justice to my role. If I find that X or Y is better than me, I learn quickly to match him or her.
You have not acted till date with your father in law Rajinikant though you are producing Kaala with him in the title role!
All I can say humbly is that I have not yet had the honor or the opportunity to be pitted with my father in law, though we often discuss Cinema in general whenever we are thrown together.
You have shared the screen space with another legend-Amitabh Bachchan. How was the experience of working with an actor of his stature in Shamitabh?
It was exciting to be pitted against Amitabh Bachchan Saar. It was a great opportunity for me to learn as much as possible from a great actor like him
What would you like to say about your wife Aishwarya?
My wife Aishwarya is my biggest strength as well as staunch critic. Above all, she is the greatest mother on this planet. She looks after my sons Yatra and Linga who are in the crucial ages of just 7 and 11. I even offered to stay back at home to look after the kids and asked her to concentrate on her work but she refused. I feel that your wife has to be your best friend with whom you can share everything frankly. My wife is my biggest asset as a friend.
Go on!
My sister in law Soundarya, who is also my best friend, has directed Velai Illa Pattadhaari 2 . When you work with your best friend, communication automatically becomes easier. I know my wife Aishwarya for the last 15 years and I had great fun on the sets. The actor was obedient though the writer and the director kept on fighting.
You are known for your improvisation on the sets of your Tamil films. Do you find it tough to improvise when you shoot for Hindi films?
I have till date acted in just two films in Hindi. I made my debut with Raanjhana and Shamitabh was my second film. Lalkaar is my third in Hindi. It happened in the initial schedule of the shooting of Raanjhana when I could not improvise but when I was working in Shamitabh, I managed to crack the technique and improvised. Though I can understand Hindi, I feel that it is very tough to converse in Hindi as of now. It is very tough to learn a new language. I would like to dub my lines myself as and when I start acting in straight films in Hindi because there is nothing like dubbing for my own lines though right now someone is doing a damn good job of sounding like me because he knows the sensibility of the Hindi speaking audiences better than me.
What major difference do you find in working style as far as Hindi and Tamil films are concerned in general?
As I said, I have done only two films in Hindi till date in Hindi. Find no major difference as such. When you do a film in Hindi, automatically your film has a wider market. Baahubali and Dangal have proved this beyond measure by setting benchmarks. Even when I was working in English film, the unit kept talking of Dangal all the time.
Why are you very choosy when it comes to accepting a film, whether it is in Hindi or Tamil?
I have a very unique way of looking at things and have a unique way of choosing my roles correctly. I know my strength as well as my weakness. I choose only the scripts which set out to do proper justice to my role as an actor. I feel that I am the representative of the common man on the road since you can see 100 people like me on the road every day.
What do you think is the reason that South actors have not been able to click in Hindi films and there has been a big gap after Rajinikant and Kamal Haasan made it big in Mumbai till now?
Even superstars like Mammootty, Mohanlal, Vikram and Suriya could not really make it big in Bollywood. If there has been no other super star after Rajani Sir and Kamal Sir, the main reason is that some superstars and directors from down South chose to ignore offers from Bollywood and stay in the South, because of their commitment to work there.
You have acted in Hollywood too. How different do you find working in Hollywood?
Hollywood is as different from Bollywood as is Kollywood from Bollywood. It is a different world altogether. Adapting to a new world is always tough but if you are able to crack it rightly, it is great fun. My character in the Hollywood film travels to different countries. It was a great opportunity to learn from different actors and develop confidence to be a good performer. To be on the same page as the actors there was interesting. I am now planning to collaborate and produce a film in English too after Kaala is ready for release. I feel that the world has shrunk now and we are able to spot talents better as it is easier now to cross boundaries.
Is that the main reason that you are now also part of a Hollywood film?
Yes, I am glad that I am acting in The Extra Ordinary Journey of the Fakir directed by Marjane Satrapi. The film has a conglomeration of production houses from three different continents. The film is being shot in Mumbai, Brussels, Rome and Paris for producer Luc Bossi of brio Films.
What is the star cast of The Extra Ordinary Journey of the Fakir?
The star cast of the film reunites actors from more than 15 countries and an international Indo-French-Belgian-Italian crew with a common passion and goal. The film stars me in the title role as Aja aka the Fakir Ajatshatru besides French actor Berenice Bejo, American actor Erin Monarty, Barkhad Abdi etc. The film is about how I, after the death of my mother takes on a journey to track down my father I do not know. From falling in love to brushing shoulders with a Hollywood star, to dodging hit men and being held as a hostage in a bureaucratic war, the Fakir’s life goes hilariously awry the moment he steps into Parisian soil.
What kind of roles you want to get your teeth into?
I want to be part of every good script. It is all about who is doing which role. If the content works, automatically the film also will work. I have always maintained that the film or the content is always bigger than the star
Can you frankly tell me whether you wish to be called an actor or a star?
Frankly I want to be a good actor but if then I will also not deny that there is a thrill in being hailed as a star.
Which are the filmmakers with whom you would love to work with?
Any day I would love to work with Anand L. Rai who is like my elder brother, R. Balki and Rajkumar Hirani. Meeting people like Anand L Rai has become a rarity today. Whenever I see a film of Rajkumar Hirani, I feel that life is beautiful as he spreads positivity through his films. You have to applaud him for his efforts and he is commendable.
Can you name your five best films till date?
Till date I have acted in as many as 34 films. If you ask me to pick just five films out of them, it will be very unfair for the other producers in whose films I have acted because I give 100% justice to each and every film that I choose to act.
What next?
I am in talks with Anand L. Rai for his next film after the film on dwarfs he is making with Shah Rukh Khan is completed. My forthcoming films in Tamil are Vetrimaaran’s Vada Chennai also co-produced by me and Gautam Menon’s Ennai Nokki Paayum Thotta. After I complete Kaala, I am keen on expanding my horizons as a producer and make films in different languages like Hindi and English.
