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INTERVIEW! Akshay Kumar: I Appeal To Everyone That Please Don't Try To Divide India
Actor Akshay Kumar is busy promoting his upcoming film Samrat Prithviraj, based on the life and valour of the Rajput warrior. Excited about the film, the actor says, "My mother used to teach me history. At that time when she used to tell me about Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan, I used to just memorize all the dates and facts for exams. Today, I feel very happy to think that I have got a chance to play this character. But the regret is that today my mother is not with me to watch it. I wish I could show her this film."
Under Yash Raj Films banner, the film is scheduled to release in cinemas on June 3 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages. Akshay says, "The values that Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan stood for, the courage he displayed and the love he had for the motherland are very inspiring."
Ahead of the release of Samrat Prithviraj, superstar Akshay Kumar had a special interaction with the media, where he spoke in details about his character, his views on South vs Bollywood controversy, patriotism and history. The actor said, "I appeal to everyone that please don't try to divide India. Don't talk about South India vs North India. I personally believe that we are the Indian film industry. We are one."
Excerpts from the interview.
Q. There is a lot of discussion going on about the casting of the film. How did you get associated with this film?
A. When Dr Sahab (director) and Aditya Chopra told me that they wanted to make this film with me, the first thing that came to my mind was how can I do it? We all have seen the picture of Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan in the textbooks. I told both of them also that I do not match at all with the image of Samrat in the book. But then, I was very impressed by what Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi replied after that. He said, "Akshay till date no one has his picture. Whatever is in the books is just a fantasy. Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan has fought about 18 wars and each war lasted for 20 days, 25 days. As his life has been, I think his body should be athletic and that's my imagination." Let me tell that Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi has been involved in this story for 18 years and I have rarely seen anyone with as much knowledge as he has. He told me many stories of what Samrat Prithviraj did. So, he convinced me that I should do this film and I will be able to justify it.
Q. You have done action scenes in many films. But the fight or action scenes we see in period films are quite different, very elaborate. How challenging was the action of this film for you?
A. The fight scenes you will see in the film, especially in the opening and climax of the film, I have never done like this in my entire career. This is a big deal for me. It was a very different experience. Talking about films made on history, I have done only Kesari, but there also, we never had such elaborate sets. The kind of costumes I had to wear in Samrat Prithviraj to shoot the war scenes was challenging for me.
Q. Makers take a lot of creative liberty for making period films. How much liberty has been taken in this film?
A. Not at all. Dr Sahab does not take any creative liberty at all. He follows word to word what is written in the book. Just think, who spends 18 years behind a script! But he persisted. He worked on this story for so long, then got a chance in Yash Raj. He actually came here to work on a different script, but when Aditya Chopra heard this story, he said that let's make it. This is how the film started.
Q. How important do you think films made on history or patriotism are? Most of your films have a sense of patriotism.
A. I believe that it is very important for us to be aware of our history, to know about our culture, to know about the belief and valour of Prithviraj Chauhan. His thinking was so ahead of the time. We have made this film and I just wish that all parents should show this to their children.
As far as patriotic films are concerned, it is not necessary that every person should make patriotic films. If I make Airlift, Bell Bottom, then I also make Laxmii, Bachchan Paandey, Housefull. It is not that I have taken some responsibility that I will make only patriotic films. I want to make any film whose story I like.
Q. What are the characteristics of Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan, which you yourself want to adopt in your life?
A. He has many qualities, such as respecting women, fighting the society for the right, etc. But one of his special qualities is that he has respect for the enemy too. Sometimes we do a little too much in enmity. In some way or the other, there is hatred in the heart towards others. According to me, there is no better person than the person who knows how to forgive. I want to adopt this quality of his.
Q. What do you do, if you get hurt by someone's behaviour?
A. When I am hurt by someone's behaviour, I become very calm. I quietly leave from there. I don't know whether this is correct or not. It's just, I wonder who will sit and fight. What is the use? There are so many more beautiful things to do in the world. Why to have hatred towards anyone?
Q. A lot of debate is being seen on social media regarding Bollywood and South films. What do you think about this?
A. First of all, I don't understand the term 'pan-India'. I get angry when people talk about North India or South India. We are one. We are Indian film industry. I appeal to everyone that please don't try to divide India. Don't talk about South India and North India. I personally believe that we are the Indian film industry. Everyone's film should work. We should not even think of the two industries separately. That's exactly what the British did. They came to India and took advantage of dividing us in the name of religion, caste and language. We shouldn't care what others say. What we are doing for the industry, that matters. Doesn't matter what anyone says, we are one industry.
I have been working in films since then, when films were made in just Rs 15-20 Lakhs. Today, it is being made in Rs 250-300 Crores. This change has come; a little because of them, little because of us. This is an important thing that everyone should understand. This tendency to divide is absolutely wrong. This is a sad thing.
Today when someone asks me why are you doing remakes? I say what's the problem with that. If I liked any film, I am doing the same in Hindi. Oh My God was first made in Hindi, then remade in Telugu and worked there too. Rowdy Rathore was a Telugu film, then I remade and it worked here too. So what's the problem with that?
