R Madhavan is still basking in the success of last year's smash hit romcom Tanu Weds Manu Returns – but he is not one to rest on his laurels.
The 45-year-old Indian actor, perhaps best known for his role alongside Aamir Khan in the 2009 Bollywood blockbuster 3 Idiots, is excited about his latest film, an ambitious sports drama that he also co-produced.
In Saala Khadoos (The Snob), which was simultaneously shot in Tamil (under the title Irudhi Suttru), Madhavan plays Adi Tomar, a blind boxing coach with a painful past who becomes mentor to India’s women’s boxing team. He finds an unlikely friend in his protégé, Madhi, played by newcomer Ritika Singh.
The actor – who has appeared in dozens of films in seven regional languages, and has two Filmfare Best Actor awards – tells The National about the decision to release the film in Tamil and Hindi, and how it differs from the hit 2014 Indian boxing biopic Mary Kom, starring Priyanka Chopra.
Who is the “snob” in this film?
That’s me – a retired boxer whose career died as a result of political reasons and who is now a boxing coach. In this film, the “saala khadoos” is a mentor who has his own interests at heart. At times, his protégé feels that she can’t wait for him to get out of her life. But over time, she realises that this person is the one who pushes her to do her best and helps her achieve excellence. The story is about two people who are broken and rejected, who are exceptionally talented but not appreciated within the environment they are in simply because they do things a certain way and are rebellious. The film is about how they get together through boxing and achieve their dreams.
Did you have to train or do any special preparation?
Yes. I trained for a year and a half to learn boxing and to look like a boxer. Ritikia was the find of a lifetime. She is a professional boxer but she is also an excellent actress.
The 2014 drama Mary Kom, starring Priyanka Chopra, was also about a female boxer – parallels have been drawn.
Yes, there are similarities: both films focus on female boxers. But our film is also about the relationship between protégé and coach. They are two very strong people. Of course, the comparison can’t be helped because there is a) boxing and b) a female boxer. But I believe this film is a far cry from Mary Kom.
The film was simultaneously shot in Hindi and Tamil. Why do that for this film?
I did something like this before, with 13B (a psychological horror film released in 2009). The benefit is that you get to make two films at 40 per cent the cost. The key factor when doing this is that you have to make sure that you maintain the integrity of both languages. This being a boxing film, not all of the sequences had be shot twice, so it made sense. But I don't think a film such as Tanu Weds Manu Returns could have been made in Tamil and Hindi simultaneously. The deciding factor is whether the story will appeal to both audiences. I felt it would be a crime to not release it in both languages.
Speaking of pan-Indian appeal, you are one of few actors to have appeared in films in seven regional languages. Which film industry is your favourite?
All of them. It’s a great honour that people of so many different languages love my work.
Are you going to continue boxing?
Not at all. It’s bye-bye to boxing.
• Saala Khadoos is in cinemas now
artslife@thenational.ae
