Upen Patel is all set to rock
The Brit boy who kicked off his career in modeling and later switched to Bollywood has become the new heartthrob in the industry. After bagging the Best debut award for his role in 36 China Town Upen Patel is all set to rock. The excited actor talks to us about Shakalaka Boom Boom and Namastey London.
How
is
life
post
36
China
Town?
Life
after
36
China
Town
has
been
very
good
for
me.
It's
been
a
fantastic
debut
for
me.
The
song
which
Himesh
gave
me
was
a
huge
hit
all
around
the
world.
So
I
hope
you
are
recognizing
me
because
of
that.
So
I
was
really
excited.
Also
the
critics
in
India
appreciated
my
debut.
My
role
in
36
China
Town
which
is
really
good
because
I
think
a
lot
of
people
were
saying,
"Where
would
Upen
Patel
be,
you
know
there
is
Kareena
Kapoor,
there
is
Shahid
Kapoor,
Akshaya
Khanna?
He
is
doing
a
small
role,
would
he
get
lost?"
But I feel everybody in that film benefited me the most. Winning "Best Newcomer" this year for 36 China Town just proved that and I think it's fantastic for me.
Shakalaka
Boom
Boom
seems
promising...
Shakalaka
Boom
Boom
is
my
second
film.
I'm
very
excited
about
it.
It
is
directed
by
Suneel
Darshan.
I
can
say
it's
my
lone
film
because
I'm
playing
the
main
lead
in
the
film.
Bobby
plays
a
negative
character;
both
the
girls
are
opposite
me.
I'm
playing
a
rock
star
who
comes
from
India
and
goes
to
New
York
with
big
dreams
in
his
eyes
of
becoming
huge
rock
star
in
the
US.
So
he
is
a
guy
who
is
very
ambitious,
very
aggressive,
and
temperamental.
He
works
with
instinct
and
that's
what
takes
him
to
America
where
you
have
another
character
called
AJ
who
is
played
by
Bobby
Deol,
who
is
a
fantastic
actor.
AJ,
who
is
already
in
US,
is
doing
very
well
for
himself
and
he
starts
getting
insecure
because
a
new
kid
is
coming
and
people
like
his
music.
So it's a basically about the insecurities that Bobby has with me and how we are archrivals in this music industry and about the whole circle and the procedure. How people try and disturb our relationship, disturb our music. Shakalaka Boom Boom is inspired from an English movie called "Amadeus".
How
are
Celina
and
Kangana
as
co-stars?
I
think
you
have
seen
her
in
the
many
films
and
she
is
appreciated.
She
was
a
Miss
India,
very
smart
girl,
professional
girl.
So
I'm
very
excited
about
working
with
her
and
I'm
sure
this
film
would
do
a
lot
for
her.
Then there is a Kangana who we all know is a fantastic actress. She is proved herself in Gangster and Woh Lamhe. It was a pleasure and honor to work with her and she is also being wining best newcomer this year as well with me.
So I think for me and Kangana it's a very exciting year with such a big film. She is also playing a glamorous role; I'm also playing a leading man for the first time. So for both of us this means a lot for us.
You
get
to
kiss
both
the
girls
in
the
film....
Yeah,
I
kissed
both
the
girls
in
the
film.
The
script
required
it,
I
think
both
the
kisses
are
situational.
They
are
not
like
long-long
kisses,
they
are
about
2-3
seconds
shot.
But
it's
just
to
show
the
relationship
I
share
with
Kangana
and
Celina,
also
to
show
the
intimacy
of
the
relationship
which
also
ruffles
some
feathers
with
Bobby.
But
I
think
the
scene
is
necessary.
So
the
audiences
try
to
understand
the
relationship
that
we
would
share
and
why
Bobby
has
felt
this
way.
So I think once you guys see the film you will understand why these kisses are there.
Himesh's
music
is
chartbuster
stuff...
Working
with
Himesh,
you
got
to
love
him
or
hate
him
but
you
can't
know
him.
I
think
his
music
says
it
all.
He
has
been
very
lucky
for
me.
He
gave
me
Aashiqui
Mein
in
36
China
Town
and
today
he
is
giving
me
Shaka
Laka
Boom
Boom
and
he
is
giving
me
Dil
Lagayenge.
So
he
has
given
me
some
great
music.
He
claims
that
this
is
the
best
music
he
has
ever
done.
So
that's
exciting
and
good
to
know
that
people
are
appreciating
this
type
of
songs.
So
I
think
we
have
got
a
fantastic
team.
They have got me, Kangana, Celina, Bobby, Himesh. We have got very young team and it also exciting for my director-producer Suneel Darshan because he is also working with everybody for the first time. Apart from Bobby; it's a whole new cast for him. It's a whole new technician team for him. So I think every thing is very exciting for all of us.
How
is
Suneel
Darshan
as
a
director?
See
Mr.
Darshan
is
a
very
patient
man
and
I
think
for
a
newcomer
it's
a
very
important
to
someone
to
be
patient
with
you
and
I
respect
him
a
lot.
He
is
like
a
father
figure
for
me.
He
believed
in
me,
he
has
guided
me
and
I
think
he
is
someone
that
I
think
knows
how
to
bring
out
acting
me.
He saw 36 China Town and told me that "When I saw the film I thought there was so much more to you. so I have cast you in this film because I believe you can act. I believe you can act; you can take things to another step, and not just look good dancing. And I hope I make his belief come true because he is really giving everything to his film and he stood by me.
What's
the
USP
of
Shakalaka?
I
think
me
and
Kangana
are
the
USP
of
the
film.
You
got
two
good
newcomers
coming
together
for
the
first
time
in
a
Suneel
Darshan.
Suneel
Darshan
is
a
man
who
works
with
the
biggest
stars
with
Akshya
Kumar,
Kareena
Kapoor,
Karishma
Kapoor,
Sunny
Deol.
He
only
works
with
big
stars.
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