Imran Khan, Sonakshi Sinha and Akshay Kumar in a still from the movie Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara
Highlights
- Milan Luthria has set the sequel of Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai on a bigger stage and though he is aware of the risks, the director says it was interesting to take the same story forward with new actors.
- The original film starred Ajay Devgn and Emraan Hashmi but in the sequel Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai Dobaara, Akshay Kumar has replaced Hashmi as Shoaib with Imran Khan and Sonakshi Sinha playing new characters. The Balaji Motion Pictures film releases on August 15.
- "In The Godfather trilogy, the same character was played by Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro. Similarly, it was an interesting experiment for me to introduce new actors. Emraan could not have played the role because we needed an older actor to play Shoaib in the sequel," Luthria told PTI in an interview.
- The director admits that the experiment was not easy but he is confident that it will benefit the franchise. He has earlier denied that the film is inspired by Dawood Ibrahim or Chhota Shakeel.
- "I have retained the essence of Shoaib's character. He is evil, flamboyant, enigmatic and unpredictable but I have let Akshay interpret it in his own way. The equations have changed this time. While Shoaib was the protege in the original film, he is the mentor in the sequel," Luthria added.
- The original film was about the power struggle between two gangsters but Luthria has brought in a beautiful woman to create conflict this time.
- "I am attempting a love story in the gangster setting. This time it is about matters of the heart. The Dirty Picture helped me find a loyal female audience and I wanted to reconnect with them again with the love triangle."
- Luthria admits that it took some time to bring Akshay out of his established image to play a thoroughly evil character in the sequel but he is happy with the results.
- "There were moments when Akshay would slip out of the character but we would work on it immediately. He was very eager to do it the way I wanted because he is a huge fan of the first part.
- "Also, Akshay is a hassle free man. Before shooting, we met several times as I wanted to see his vibe. I needed to know the things that I would change in him. We put him through a rigorous schedule of costume trial, hair trial and reading sessions. I don't think he does that in his other films. He gave a lot of his time and energy to this film."
- Similarly, Luthria has cast Imran against his popular romantic image in the film and he claims the young actor has done full justice to the dramatic role.
- "Both Emraan and Imran came to me with similar baggage. They were not being taken seriously in dramatic roles. There is something very likable about Imran which helps our film and he had done a superb job. Imran is the surprise package of this film, the dark horse."
- The trailer of the film opens with Shoaib entering the cricket field, a sequence that Luthria shot a year ago. Luthria says the recent match fixing scandal was an act of marketing providence.
- "We shot that scene a year ago and it was a coincidence that the time of the trailer and the scandal was the same. It was an act of marketing providence."
Milan Luthria has set the sequelof
Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai on a bigger stage and thoughhe is aware of the risks, the director says it was interestingto take the same story forward with new actors.
The original film starred Ajay Devgn and Emraan Hashmibut in the sequel
Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai Dobaara,Akshay Kumar has replaced Hashmi as Shoaib with Imran Khan andSonakshi Sinha playing new characters. The Balaji MotionPictures film releases on August 15.
"In
The Godfather trilogy, the same character was played byMarlon Brando and Robert De Niro. Similarly, it was aninteresting experiment for me to introduce new actors. Emraancould not have played the role because we needed an olderactor to play Shoaib in the sequel," Luthria told PTI in aninterview.
The director admits that the experiment was not easy buthe is confident that it will benefit the franchise. He hasearlier denied that the film is inspired by Dawood Ibrahim orChhota Shakeel.
"I have retained the essence of Shoaib's character. He isevil, flamboyant, enigmatic and unpredictable but I have letAkshay interpret it in his own way. The equations have changedthis time. While Shoaib was the protege in the original film,he is the mentor in the sequel," Luthria added.
The original film was about the power struggle betweentwo gangsters but Luthria has brought in a beautiful woman tocreate conflict this time.
"I am attempting a love story in the gangster setting.This time it is about matters of the heart.
The DirtyPicture helped me find a loyal female audience and I wantedto reconnect with them again with the love triangle."
Luthria admits that it took some time to bring Akshay outof his established image to play a thoroughly evil characterin the sequel but he is happy with the results.
"There were moments when Akshay would slip out of thecharacter but we would work on it immediately. He was veryeager to do it the way I wanted because he is a huge fan ofthe first part.
"Also, Akshay is a hassle free man. Before shooting, wemet several times as I wanted to see his vibe. I needed toknow the things that I would change in him. We put him througha rigorous schedule of costume trial, hair trial and readingsessions. I don't think he does that in his other films. Hegave a lot of his time and energy to this film."
Similarly, Luthria has cast Imran against his popularromantic image in the film and he claims the young actor hasdone full justice to the dramatic role.
"Both Emraan and Imran came to me with similar baggage.They were not being taken seriously in dramatic roles. Thereis something very likable about Imran which helps our film andhe had done a superb job. Imran is the surprise package ofthis film, the dark horse."
The trailer of the film opens with Shoaib entering thecricket field, a sequence that Luthria shot a year ago.Luthria says the recent match fixing scandal was an act ofmarketing providence.
"We shot that scene a year ago and it was a coincidencethat the time of the trailer and the scandal was the same. Itwas an act of marketing providence."