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Journalism of Courage
Was the experience of shooting a Rs 175 crore film like Robot very different from your other films?
Of course. Enthiran (Robots Tamil title) was a very difficult movie because there were so many factors involved. Having been in the industry for almost 40 years,I know a little of everything about filmmaking. Still,this movie was a learning process for me. There was a special effects crew from Hollywood,action effects crew from Hong Kong and some technicians from Chennai who worked on the movie as a whole. Director Shankar,who is technically very sound,first made a complete animated film. We saw every shot before giving our shot. But shooting with the robot was time consuming. There were eight guys working on the robot. If anybody made a mistake,we had to re-shoot.
Would you rate your performance in the film as one of your best?
I play the role of a scientist Dr Borah,who is the teacher of Dr Wasi (Rajnikanth). He then becomes instrumental in making Chitti,the humanoid robot,into a destructive force because of his greed and jealousy. The role was undoubtedly challenging. This could be my last movie as I dont see anybody else making a bigger film in India.
Rajnikanth and you have known each other for a long time. What do you admire most about him?
We have done three films Andha Kanoon,Hum and Bhagwan Dada together. Its Rajnikanths simplicity that impresses me the most. When I was shooting with him outside Chennai,his fans were waiting to get a glimpse of him. He walked up to them in a lungi and kurta,sans make-up. Once he is in his vanity van and is ready with his costume,however,his body language changes completely. Rajni had to be a part of Robot if they were to recover Rs 175 crore.
Did you follow a long list of commandments,like not working on Sundays nor shooting in summer even during the making of Robot?
Yes. I always make my preferences clear at the beginning. Initially when I came to Mumbai and bagged Dhund ,everyone appreciated the chinky-eyed boy. After that I signed 40 films and worked three shifts a day. I did that for four months until I got jaundice. After I recovered,I returned 36 signing amounts and decided to do just one or two films a year.
Does this also give you time for your other businesses?
I go to my breweries in Sikkim,Assam and Orissa twice a year. But this hasnt interfered with my acting. I only take up roles which I find challenging. I am never tempted by money. Thats the reason,I have done just 170 films.
At the Robot music launch,you said you dont look Indian. Is this a drawback even now?
It was initially. I myself found it weird when I was offered roles to play brother to actors like Shashi Kapoor,Dharmendra and Shatrughan Sinha among others. I did not resemble them at all. The mindset changed when I played Shashi Kapoors brother in Fakeera and the movie became a huge hit.
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