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'I'd been doing the same c**p': Suniel Shetty says he felt the need to reinvent his career, became choosy | Interview
Suniel Shetty talks to HT about his new show Hunter, reinventing himself late in his career, and why young action stars in Bollywood deserve a chance.
He has been around for over 30 years, and Suniel Shetty is still kicking butt. From his early days in hits like Balwaan and Vinashak, he established himself as an action star, one of the OGs. And today, at 63, he continues to be one. His newest outing, the second season of his web series Hunter, sees him indulge in some heavy-duty fight scenes. In a candid chat with Hindustan Times, the veteran star opens up on doing action in his 60s, how cinema has changed, and his own understanding of it as well.
On action films
Suniel says that he has evolved as an action hero, understanding the nuances behind it now. "It's not just about the energy and power behind the action, but the presence of mind and understanding the situation. You have to make the action look better, making sure the action is backed with a solid situation," he says.
On reinventing himself
The actor, who has been active in Hindi cinema for 33 years, said he saw a real change in his approach after the COVID-19 pandemic. He explains, “During the pandemic, I also had a 4-5 year break from my career. I watched so much that I became the end user. I started understanding cinema from the viewer's perspective. Then, I analysed my own actions and realised, 'I have been doing the same crap.' I decided to change that. It's about reinventing yourself after understanding what your negatives are.”
But does that looking back also fill him with regret, when he sees work that was not up to the mark? The simple answer is no. The complex one, is slightly more detailed. Suniel explains, “There are a lot of films I wouldn't do today, many roles I wouldn't do now. Samajh bhi nahi thi. Kabhi kabhi directors me capability nahi thi execute karne me un kahaniyon ko (I lacked the sense, and often directors lacked the capability to execute those stories). At the same time, I have done so many films and one has managed to survive, toh aage jo karenge soch-samajh ke karenge (now I do stuff after careful consideration). That's why I am very choosy with whatever little I get.”
On young action stars
In Hunter season 2, Suniel Shetty goes up against Jackie Shroff, another star in his 60s. A couple of years ago, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan raised the roof with their joint action sequences in Pathaan and Tiger 3. Both were 57 then. These shows and films have led to a notion in the audience that the younger stars are just not 'good enough' to replace the OG action stars. Suniel Shetty does not agree.
"The younger writers are not writing such scripts," he says, adding, "There are directors today; there were makers then. A maker is in love with his characters. If a Raj Kapoor made a film, he did it with that love. Manmohan Desai could convince you that Amar, Akbar, and Anthony can donate blood to their mother together. If you have scripts and characters that are convincing, then the audience accepts themou accept an Amitabh Bachchan saying 'main pheke hue paise nahi uthaata' and also an Allu Arjun saying 'main jhukega nahi'. The dialogue is the same, but the presentation is different. There are many young actors who are very good with their performances and can be as good in action. But you need to give them those characters."
Hunter season 2 is currently streaming on Amazon MXPlayer.
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