Action Speaks Louder

For a solo-hero project,without a star backing,Jammwal seems to have done reasonably well. What is most overwhelming for him is the third project he has bagged. Filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia has cast him to fill the rather big shoes of Irrfan Khan in his upcoming venture Bullet Raja. “When Tigmanshu met me,he told me that the reason he was casting me was because I do not try hard with action,” he says.

Much like some of our veteran stars — Vinod Khanna,Rajinikanth and Shatrughan Sinha — Jammwal started his Bollywood career with a negative role in Nishikant Kamat directed Force,the remake of acclaimed Tamil film Kaakha Kaakha. Seen as a risky move then,it sure has paid rich dividends to Jammwal. While his acting abilities were not much talked about,his action scenes got him all the praise. The South Indian film industry lapped him up for action-packed entertainers — Thuppaki,Billa 2 and Oosaravelli — to name a few. Vipul Shah,producer of Force,cast him as the lead protagonist in Commando and promoted him as the next big action star. “Whatever films I do after this,be it romance,thriller or comedy,there is going to be action in it.”

Jammwal’s first brush with action took place when he was just three years old. His mother was a part of a Kalaripayattu ashram in Kerala. “There I saw this older men fighting with swords and sticks and this visual stayed with me for years to come,” he states. Slowly,he not only got used to the place,but started learning the art form. “I loved everything about it. I loved the smell of sweat and grass. It gave me an adrenaline rush and made me very happy,” says the actor.

Despite the martial arts and various other forms of action he learnt,Jammwal’s dream professions while growing up were varied. At different stages of his life,he wanted to become a swimmer,boxer,wrestler,golfer and even join the merchant navy. Eventually,he zeroed in on being an action star. The choice was between being an action director in films or being a hero. “I chose the latter because in India stunt artistes are not given their due respect.” Through his films,he wants to change the face of action in Indian cinema. “Today when I see Hollywood action directors approaching us and praising our stunts,I feel a sense of achievement.”

Yet,it comes as a surprise when he says that action movies bore him. “I don’t like watching them,except for some Jackie Chan films,who I believe is the biggest action star in the world. But I love romantic movies.” So if offered a romantic film,will he do it? “I will make sure there is an action sequence in it. Because I believe a man has to stand up for a woman he loves at some point in her life.”