Actor Arjun Rampal is gearing up for the release of his upcoming movie ‘Dhaakad,’ headlined by Kangana Ranaut. In the film, Kangana plays a spy named Agent Agni out to capture Rampal’s Rudraveer, who runs a human trafficking cartel. There have been great female characters in Bollywood over the years, but this is the first time that a full-blown action movie with a lead female character has been made in the Hindi cinema, says Rampal, who wants to make the film industry “more conducive” to women.
In this interview, Rampal spoke at length about why he didn’t think twice before coming on board Dhaakad, his upcoming projects, and whether South films are dominating Hindi cinema.
Excerpts from the interview:
Your look in Dhakaad is getting a lot of appreciation. What made you say yes to the film?
I am deeply satisfied with what I have done. When I walk out of the film and feel content, I feel that I have done my job. The rest is up to the audience and what they kind and how they accept it and that is the reason we promote the film so that people are aware of the film. I liked the director’s vibe. I knew he was a first-time director but he was very clear about what he wanted to make. I was aware of the team that he was putting together. Friendship is key to making the film better than we had envisioned. The movie gets so much right — from the brilliant camera work to the styling, and the scale of action. Another important reason for me (to say yes) was that it’s a female-led film.
But many top male actors have grabbed headlines for rejecting films that are led by women…
I felt that this film is going to be a clutter breaker. A female star is never given this kind of opportunity. We have seen men do action all the time. But have we ever seen a woman do it? Yes, female actors have done action in the past but not on this scale. So I felt it was my duty in a way to also support it. I really did from my heart. As a male actor and father to two daughters (Mahikaa and Myra), I want to make this industry more conducive to women. I would love it if male actors support my kids if and when they decide to be in the movies.
Where does this sense of security come from? Because like I mentioned, not many male actors are happy when female actors headline a film.
I can’t talk about others but my main strength has always been my mother (Gwen). I have always loved my father but it was my mother who made a lot of sacrifices for me and my sister. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Subconsciously, this has always stayed with me. I have done several women-oriented subjects — Dil Hai Tumhara (2002), which was Preity’s (Zinta) movie more than mine, or Tehzeeb (2003) led by Urmila (Matondkar). I have seen the period in Bollywood when women didn’t have a voice. I have a responsibility to back movies like Dhaakad.
You have another woman-oriented story, The Rapist coming up. Apart from that, you have Abbas-Mustan’s Penthouse, a Honey Trehan film, The Battle of Bhima Koregaon, and even a Telugu debut. With such potent subjects, it feels that you clearly trying to make a point.
I don’t want to make a point or please people. I only do films where my heart is. I have been through a phase in my life and career where I have been constantly judged, criticised, and made to feel that I don’t deserve the opportunity. I have tried to please people and all those decisions have always gone wrong because I was trying to do something that I wasn’t supposed to do. Now, I want to do characters that appeal to me, and I am happier for it.
The Hindi film industry is going through a tough phase as many big-ticket films have not worked…
(Interrupts). The unsettling times have always been a part and parcel of the industry (laughs). We are always on the tenterhooks. From a business point of view, I don’t think the industry is in a bad shape as every film recovers its money. But do we need to rethink what we are making? Yes. I think when films go wrong, the people associated with them should attribute to it. In the past when things haven’t worked for me, I have done it and also taken a break to revaluate and not repeat the mistakes. Ultimately the audience decides the fate of a film. A film like The Kashmir Files which isn’t a big-budget film goes on to do Rs 300 crore and shake the entire industry. On the other hand, we have seen so many big-ticket films in the last few months that haven’t worked which means something must have really gone wrong with them. It is not that the audience was suddenly exhausted of the money because then films like The Kashmir Files, RRR, and KGF-2 wouldn’t do the numbers that they did. Also, if we keep giving the audience the same thing then everyone today has subscriptions to various streaming platforms.
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