Diwali 2010 will be like no other new year. The gang of Golmaal get ready to face off with the team of Action Replayy. Both comedy films will compete at the box office and for the hearts of fans who will come out to watch the film of their choice only to decide who will reign supreme. However, this doesn’t seem to bother Akshay Kumar. “It is so different that you can’t even compare, plus Diwali is a time to celebrate, who knows what the audience will want, both films are there to entertain, all I can say, is that ‘Action Replayy’ is one of those once in a blue moon kind of films, the script, the genre, the all round element of the film doesn’t cross our lives very much, and like all Vipul Shah films, it will be treasured and loved by all families, I think it’s a perfect gift for Diwali,” he says diplomatically.
The film follows the life of a young boy who is determined to go back in time and change the past in order to alter the future. “It’s about a son who goes to extreme measures to revive his parent’s marriage. He travels back in time to fix what is clearly very wrong in mine and Aishwarya’s [Rai Bachchan] extremely dead marriage, he rewinds our life so we can ‘Action Replayy’ our life long weaknesses and hopefully get it right second time around. What happens next is a festival of emotions, and definitely a Diwali everyone will want to Replayy,” he says in his words. Audiences have already seen a major change in his appearance for Action Replayy, and while his wig has become a joke, the actor doesn’t seem to mind too much. “I went from ‘Me’ at the script reading, to becoming a greasy long haired half blind weakling of a husband, to then an ‘almost’ strong, bouncy haired handsome 70’s stud. It was so interesting to portray so much versatility in ‘one’ character in ‘one’ film,” he exclaims. As for the makeup which he endured everyday courtesy of his character, Akshay went on to reveal, “I’ll never forgive Vipul for doing this to me, every day I would curse and abuse him for making me wear a wig in the hottest month in India with alcohol and chemicals slapped on my face to make me look like an old haggard husband, even though I know I was acting like child who’d been banned from eating chocolate, you don’t understand, I would rather jump out of a burning plane into a
thorn bush than have to go through this process again. This is why Mr. Bachchan deserves so much respect for what he endured filming ‘Paa’. I could never do it, not peacefully anyway. But I must say Vipul hired the best make-up and wig artists from Australia who have won many awards for their work including Oscars. Paul was very patient with me and he truly is an expert. But get this, Aishwarya would still look like a 21-year-old, even when they tried to make her look 50, her beauty is way more than skin deep.”
But what was it exactly that made Kumar sign Vipul Shah’s time travel film in a heartbeat? “Well actually it’s a Theatrical play that Vipul Shah made and starred in years ago, in fact it was an extremely famous and very popular play. I remember my parents going to see it together, I’ll never forget what my mother said when she came home! “Bitta, you should see this play, and learn you only get one chance at marriage, so be a man & get it right the first time.” I had no idea what she was talking about, but imagine all these years later I’m actually remaking it with the very same man who created it. I know what my mother was saying now, ‘We don’t get a second chance in this life, what we do today makes all the difference for tomorrow.’ that’s why I know this movie will open so many people’s eyes, it’s completely directed at every single one of us,” he explains. Working with Vipul Shah for the fifth time makes Action Replayy even more special for Akshay and he explains why, “It is our 5th film together and every one of them has been memorable in Hindi film history, which is an amazing record, but we work so well together because we both respect each other as utmost professionals, we have full faith in each others movements, the effort we give to our movies and our passions for film is identical. We try very hard not to let each other down or let anything get in the way of work or our friendship.”
And of course, working with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan after Khakee was more one of the reasons the actor jumped the boat with Action Replayy. “It’s been a long time since Ash and I have worked together, yet it was so easy. Everyone knows how absolutely beautiful she is, but what amazes me is every single shot she gives is like a million dollar shot with her, her expressions, her timing, her grace is mesmerizing,” he gushes.
As for any changes he would make to his own past, Akshay Kumar says, “I would never mess with my own destiny, I’m lucky I am what I am, I wouldn’t change my past to better myself, and I’d never ask for more, I respect all the decisions I’ve made in my career, and I accept the outcome of all my films, I’m not a cheat. I’m grateful even if only one person wants to see my movie.”
Action Replayy hits theaters Friday!
