Sada Punjabi puttar Akshay Kumar plays his self in his newly released ‘Namastey London’. Going back to his roots, Akshay hails from the North Indian state of Punjab and is a real Punjabi in all terms. This handsome actor is one of the top-notch actors of Bollywood but at heart he still remains a Punjabi. He feels that doing Vipul Shah’s ‘Namastey London’ was like going back to roots as in the film he plays a good-natured Punjabi who marries an NRI girl from London played by Katrina Kaif. More about the film, let’s get to learn about it from him.
Excerpts from an Interview:
What does the title of your latest film Namastey London really mean?
Namastey London is based on my friend’s life. He lives in Ludhiana. The film is about this guy who is very proud of his culture and who goes to London and proves a point. In that sense, Namastey London is not just a film, rather it’s an attitude. Whenever I go abroad and meet up with my fans I’m overwhelmed with their love and affection for India. They think of themselves as GenNext but they aren’t comfortable in their own skin. They don’t really know where they belong. With this film, I want to tell them that it’s cool to be an Indian. Namastey London says that today when foreigners are trying to find themselves in India either through yoga, meditation or Bollywood, we should also be proud of our roots.
How Punjabi are you in real life?
I’m a pure Punjabi boy. My roots are in Punjab. My dad was from Punjab. I’m proud of my background. I cannot give up my habit of speaking in Punjabi. Whenever I’m excited or want to explain something to someone I instinctively start speaking in Punjabi.
What’s with the golden hair colour in the film?
Don’t you remember that even Dharmendra had the same hair colour in the song ‘Main Jat yamla’? You know how the guys in Punjab are? They want some Punjabi touch, some extra colour. That’s their way of trying to look hot. If you’ve seen the promos, my character is listening to an Ipod while he’s on a bike wearing a pink kurta with jeans. That’s a total Punjabi package.
Yeah, but wasn’t it messy to milk the cow in that scene?
What’s messy about it? People do it in Punjab all the time. Even I used to do it when I would visit Punjab as a kid. And yes, I enjoyed it.
Since the subject and the location are so close to your heart, did you provide any inputs to director Vipul Shah?
Yeah, Vipul gave me a lot of freedom. He let me interpret the character my way. The humour and the little nuances are what I could contribute and I also had all the freedom to give suggestions.
What’s the best thing of working with Vipul Shah?
I really admire the guy. I started with him in Aankhen and then did Waqt and now Namastey London. In all the three films, he has given me different characters to play. He presents a new challenge to me every time. I like the way he moulds me so that he can get different stuff out of me. I like the fact that he doesn’t stick to his comfort zones but takes risks instead.
You’ve already worked with Katrina Kaif in Humko Deewana Kar Gaye. Any changes that you’ve seen in her during this film?
She was a delight to work with. I admire the way Katrina has made her identity in Bollywood considering that she came from abroad. It can be difficult to break in but she managed. I think she’s done well for herself.
How was the experience of shooting in London?
Oh, I love shooting in London. The people are very friendly. Since there are so many Indians there, it almost feels like home. I also like the cultural diversity of the place.
Your latest commercial for Thums Up sees you doing action after a long time. How was it?
I was really keen to do an action ad. I told the creative team to think on these lines. I’ve used the Japanese karate, Yamazaki, in the ad. I trained for 15 days to get it right. And I fell in love with it so much that I’ve continued with the training. It’s not an easy job since you need to be really quick and agile, but I’m really enjoying it.
