NEW DELHI: Movie franchises, altering audiences, politics, the necessity for unity throughout the Hindi movie business — and their very own greater than three-decade-long friendship — featured in a candid chat between actors Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn on the Hindustan Instances Management Summit on Saturday.
Using excessive on the success of his current launch, Singham Once more, Devgn, 55, mentioned how movie franchises reminiscent of the favored Singham sequence, in addition to Stree and Bhool Bhulaiyaa, construct belief and pleasure in more and more discerning audiences throughout a dialog with Sonal Kalra, HT’s chief managing editor for leisure and life-style.
“The viewers takes their time to determine on whether or not to look at a brand new movie within the theatres lately. However the place a sequel is anxious, in the event that they’ve had an excellent expertise previously… they know the story will likely be taken ahead. So, they’re extra satisfied to go see it,” he stated.
The 2 actors will likely be engaged on a movie collectively, they introduced. “It’s going to be nice, being directed by Ajay Devgn,” stated Kumar, 57.
Each males expressed a want for a higher diploma of solidarity throughout the movie business, significantly on sure fronts.
“So far as a few of us are involved — (reminiscent of) Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay — we’re not in a battle or battle. We all know we’re there for one another,” Devgn stated.
He recalled an occasion when he reached out to Kumar as a result of he wished to make use of the movie title Son of Sardaar, which was registered with the latter. “He didn’t even blink to say sure… If there’s ever a scenario the place Akshay and my movies are releasing (on the identical date), we focus on it over the cellphone and determine to assist and promote one another,” he added.
The actors mentioned their lengthy friendship and their related trajectory: each debuted in 1991 (Devgn with Phool Aur Kaante and Kumar with Saugandh); each emerged as versatile stars, that includes in genres starting from motion, romance and comedy to movies centered on social points; each married inside a couple of years of one another; have received a number of Nationwide Awards; and have since turned movie producers too.
“We first met at Juhu seaside — no, we weren’t taking a romantic stroll!” stated Kumar, laughing. “Veeru Devgan, Ajay’s father, was the best combat choreographer and I used to be studying from him. So, we began practising collectively.”
Kalra and the actors chatted a bit about politics, by way of how celebrities in nations such because the US brazenly endorse candidates, whereas actors in India are typically hesitant to supply opinions on this topic. “It’s a unique scenario within the US. However I all the time imagine that if somebody does good work, it’s best to respect it,” Kumar stated.
Devgn famous that “I feel social media expects folks like us to not have an opinion”.
Kumar chimed in to level out, laughing, that “we (actors) are all the time requested about politics. However you by no means ask politicians about movies!”
Which segued neatly right into a light-hearted face-off, through a quite uncommon quiz.
Kumar and Devgn teamed as much as face an opposing duo made up of politicians Ravneet Singh Bittu, Union minister of state for railways and meals processing industries, and Shazia Ilmi, nationwide spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Get together (BJP).
Whereas the actors fielded questions on politics, the politicians answered questions referring to cinema. Each groups bought all their solutions proper, however Kumar and Devgn ended the night with the response that received probably the most applause.
The actors have been requested: “Which politician do you assume can be an excellent actor?”
To which Kumar responded: “Arvind Kejriwal”
