'FORCE will establish John as a very dependable actor & a great action hero' |
Akshay happens to be your favourite and regular in your films. Moreover he is known to be the original action hero. So why you roped in John for FORCE?
I and John have known each other for a very long time. When I got the rights of this film I also got to know that he was very keen to do a big action film. I showed the film to John and he said it looks great and was all game for it.
How director Nishikanth Kamat came on board?
Nishikanth actually came in the last. After me and John agreed to do the film then the search for the director started and John recommended Nishikanth's name. I had already told Nishikanth after his DOMBIVLI FAST that I'd sign him as a director someday. But something or other kept happening and we couldn't start a film. So it became a coincidence that I signed Nishi, John wanted Nishi, Nishi liked the film that's how we came together.
And that was the reason why FORCE got delayed?
After Nishi took over he wanted to rewrite the original version the way he wanted. And we all agreed that he should be given time because ultimately it's the film that he wants to direct and it should be done the way he wants it. So we waited for almost 5 months for Nishi to write it. And once it was fully written only then we started. And anyway as a producer I don't start any film till it is written to its last word.
How was it working with National award winner director Nishikanth Kamat?
As I said when I saw his DOMBIVLI FAST I thought I should work with him. So that speaks about what I feel for him. He is a very talented and a committed person. He's made some very good realistic cinema. This is his big jump into commercial cinema. So I think it's an interesting platform and Nishi has done superb job as a director getting performances out of John and Genelia to the way he is designed the action to everything. He lived upto his reputation.
Apart from producing what were your contributions towards the film. You gave suggestions?
I am very clear that the film belongs to the director. So if I am directing I don't allow anyone to interfere but if anybody is directing in my banner I don't interfere with his work. My job is to produce and give a certain scale and how that scale can be given within the budget constraints. How to market and how distribution will happen that's my job. I do give suggestions but I never insist that it has to be taken. Final call is taken by the director. In that sense it's totally a Nishikanth Kamat film produced by Vipul Shah. I have not contributed creatively I mean if some suggestions are accepted I don't consider them as creative contribution. I am very happy to be in the producer's chair and not standing next to the director on his head. I don't even go to the shoots. In my 100 days shooting of this film I must have visited the sets for hardly 3-4 times. That's the kind of producer I am.
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