Packing A Punch / 22 August 2013 John Abraham returns to screens with something a bit more serious (although we predict his shirt will disappear more than once) in Madras Café LATEST ACTION THRILLER, Madras Café, sees actor John Abraham (Force, Jism) turn producer for the second time in his career after the international success of the off-beat comedy Vicky Donor. At the directorial helm is avant-garde independent film maker and producer Shoojit Sircar, who is responsible for such well-received films as Vicky Donor and Yahaan, for which he won the Indian Competition Special Jury Award at Osian’s Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema. The film also features Nargis Fakhri of Rockstar fame. Madras Café is set against the backdrop of the tumultuous and controversial Sri Lankan civil war of the 1980s. July 2013 marked the 30 year anniversary of the conflict, which finally ended in 2009 with the military defeat of the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Madras Café provides a timely reminder of the gruesome conflict that claimed thousands of Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim lives and left millions of people displaced and desolate. The war’s impact was felt across the world with both Eastern and Western nations involved in the negotiations for a resolution. Here we speak to John, Nargis and director Shoojit to find out more. JOHN ABRAHAM Madras Café is your second movie as a producer. What are your thoughts on it? My first offbeat comedy Vicky Donor got a good national and international reception. After this, I decided to do something more serious and choose a subject which is inspired by real life. After a lot of brainstorming we came up with the idea of creating a political thriller and that’s what we have done. I am quite happy with our work. Now just eagerly waiting for its release and to see how the audience reacts to it. Vicky Donor gave you success, does that inspire confidence in your next venture? I was quite overwhelmed with the response we got for this movie. It was great preparation for producing this movie. We all have been like a close knit team and worked very hard for it. What is your role in the film besides being the producer? I play the role of Captain Vikram Singh, a successful Para Military Officer recruited by the RAW’s (India’s external security agency) Indian head Robin Dutt (RD) – with the mandate to execute certain covert intelligence operations in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, and conduct peaceful provincial council elections. We also see Nargis in the film. What is her role? She is a journalist named ‘Jaya’. Vikram and Jaya go about finding the truth amongst a complex web of lies and deceit, and begin telling the world their incredible story. It is said that your look in the movie is inspired by Tom Hank’s look in Cast Away. Deciding on my look for the movie was quite challenging. It took lot of brain storming and we chose this messy look, which apparently is inspired by Tom, but actually it’s not. John as an actor and John as a producer. What’s your calling? I was interested in an advertising career before modelling. So now, as a producer, I am exploring that potential of mine and I love it, though it is a huge responsibility. As an actor, I am very much engaged in the acting part as well. The critical point is the belief in the script, which, of course, I have. It is quite close to my heart. How do you think your role in this film is different to the other action heroes you have played? I have done a few commercial films before (Jism, Dhoom, Force etc.), showing off my body. That was fun. But this role demands a more serious side of me with a touch of realism to it. The role required me to have a normal and lean body rather than a muscular one. We heard that you approached Freida Pinto for the role first, before taking Nargis onboard? Yes, we did approach Pinto for the role. She loved the script but unfortunately she couldn’t accept the offer as she was doing another film at that juncture. Do you think Madras Café could face controversy? I don’t think so. This story is thoroughly researched from authentic sources. It cannot hurt the sentiments of Sri Lanka or Tamil Nadu, or in fact of anyone who sees the film. It is surely inspired by true events but it doesn’t mean it should be banned or face controversies. Did the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa secretly finance Madras Café? This is a false statement. Viacom 18 is the official producer of Madras Café. NARGIS FAKHRI This is your second film, after Rockstar. What is your take on this? I wanted to be a farmer, but life had other plans for me. Life was calling me for films and here is yet another offer – Madras Café. What it is like to play a journalist? The role is a really intense one. I have worked very hard for it and tried to amalgamate myself in this role as much as I could. If not films, what would have been your alternate career choices? I always had a soft spot for others’ needs. This made me think that I wanted to be a doctor or a psychologist. I would have been very happy with my decision. How was your experience while shooting for Madras Café? It wasn’t that easy to shoot for this movie. There was one particular scene where I was sitting in the car and the other actors were firing gunshots and some pieces of glass hit me in the face, though my eyes were saved. That was indeed quite dangerous. This is the first time you have worked with John. What do you think about him? John is a very hard working actor. I could see that while shooting for the film. I was quite impressed with his work. Besides, he is a very good human being. What is your message to the audience? I want the audience to not miss this movie, as we want to convey a strong message about the dangers of the war. Are you comfortable doing stunts in a movie? Most of my stunts in Madras Café are performed by me. I am happy and at the same time proud to perform such difficult moves. SHOOJIT SIRCAR How did you decide on the movie name - Madras Cafe? Madras cafes are very famous all over the world, be it Tokyo, New York or London. The main turning point and the plotting takes place in the café. Hence, this place is of prime importance. What inspired you to make a political thriller? Since my childhood, I have always been around Tamil friends. I am a sensitive person and whatever happens around me, affects me a lot. Therefore, I wanted to touch the topic of politics in our country and showcase how it has affected our country throughout. The idea of civil war is quite heavy. How did you manage to shoot it? Shooting a war scene gets quite challenging. The plan was to shoot in Sri Lanka, but had we shot there, we wouldn’t have done justice to the scenes. So we decided to shoot in our territory – India, mainly in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. How was your experience with John Abraham, after Vicky Donor? John is a very creative and wise person. He doesn’t interfere but at the same time, is able to give suggestions in a very righteous way. I appreciate his approach towards work. Do you think Madras Café will be on par with your earlier award winning films like Vicky Donor, Yahaan and Shoebite? I believe in making good films and I will keep doing this. This is my aim. I hope to deliver a good message to the audience, so I am eagerly waiting for its release. The movie was initially called Jaffna - why did you change it ? Since, the main conspiracy starts at the Madras Café, we decided to rename the film as Madras Café instead of Jaffna. Is it a typical action movie? I would say, it is a different kind of action movie with bikes and cars banging, as it doesn’t happen in real. We have tried to give a real flavour to the film, which you shall see once you watch it. Do you like experimenting with the kind of films you make? All my previous films were of different genres and Madras Café is an entirely new one. I haven’t touched such a topic before. I like to challenge my own abilities; therefore, I am not fearful of touching a new topic every time. What kind of music do you have in the film? Chal Ve Buliya is a beautiful song written by Ali from Pakistan. It is created in the rock format.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 18:42:45 +0000
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