Of late, it seems you are bent on doing diverse roles.
I have been trying to give different types of films. In OMG — Oh My God , we dealt with religion, Holiday was about unsung heroes, and Baby was about a mission. Now, Gabbar Is Back is the personification of a thought that represents the power of the common man.
What is new about Gabbar Is Back ?
There is so much corruption in our country that we don’t need a hero to tackle it; we need a villain to beat up all the bad men. Gabbar is the name of the iconic villain and I am playing his namesake. When I went to Dubai, I found out that the crime rate there is 0.01 per cent. The punishment frightens criminals. I feel we need stringent punishment too. You have to instil fear into criminals; you can’t achieve anything through candle marches.
Has the film adapted any dialogue from Sholay ?
Just this — Pachaas-pachaas kos door jab koi rishwat leta hai, to sab kehte hai mat le varna Gabbar aa jayega . I play a vigilante. He makes his own law. It’s the story of a professor whose personal experiences change him.
Do you feel that our laws are weak?
At the beginning, we tell the audience that our laws are not weak, but people are being taken for granted. Why do girls need to learn martial arts? I train 300 girls from the corporate world and the media free of cost. My training addresses what happens when a man touches a woman when she is alone — she freezes and goes into shock. That is when men take advantage. I am ready for 10 more classes but don’t have space.
Like Rowdy Rathore , the film has been co-produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali who himself directs romantic films. Ever asked him why he saw you in this role?
I hardly met Sanjay Leela Bhansali. I met him just twice — at the beginning of the film and when the shooting was over.
Have you lost weight for the role?
No, I have gained 14 kilos instead as the director Krish told me not to be athletic. I have lost weight for Brothers . I take special effort to be fit not because I'm in this industry, but because it’s important for me. My father was in the army and was always fit; he inculcated that habit into us. I wake up early and start my work early.
Unlike Baby, Gabbar does have songs.
Yes. I think it’s the director’s point of view. Director Neeraj Pandey didn’t want any songs in Baby and that too where the producer was T-Series (a music company)! But it paid off.
What kind of roles do you want to do in the future?
I want to do a mythological film; we are so rich in mythological content. I have already played Lord Krishna (in OMG — Oh My God ). I would now love to play Lord Shiva.
Are you open to producing such films?
I want to produce a film on today’s interpretation of Lord Shiva, a cool dude, who is rich, strong, and intelligent. Lord Shiva and Lord Krishna were always against evil.
