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'Salman is not petty'
Vipul Shah rubbishes rumours that the actor is upset with him for casting Akshay Kumar in his next. Hiren Kotwani gives us the details.
You’re foraying into a new territory with London Dreams, are you a rocker then?
I’m not into hard rock but I don’t mind the soft kind. London Dreams though is not about rock music. It’s essentially pop and Punjabi fusion.
The global slowdown hit you when you were halfway into the film...
After Studio 18 opted out, I discussed the situation with Salman and Ajay (Devgn). The choice was between downscaling the budget and compromising on quality or taking a pay cut and making the film the way we had visualised it. Salman and Ajay mutually decided to forego a considerable part of their fees.
Your favourite actor Akshay Kumar doesn’t feature in London Dreams but has been signed up for Action Replay. That has reportedly upset Salman Khan who was the first choice for the movie.
I did discuss London Dreams with Akshay and pointed out that it would seem repetitive after Namaste London since the Punjabi background, the music and even the setting, London, is the same. So we mutually decided to wait and do something altogether different. That’s how Action Replay happened. Salman is not the kind of guy to get upset because I’ve cast Akshay in Action Replay just because I had discussed the film with him earlier. He is not petty.
Apparently, your rapport with Amitabh Bachchan helped you to get Aishwarya in Action Replay.
I’ve known Aishwarya for a while now, even though we haven’t worked together so far. She is perfectly suited for the character in Action Replay. To suggest that Amitji influenced her decision is a bit far-fetched.
As a filmmaker you have come to be relied upon to deliver a hit. You choose to keep a low profile.
I’ve never really cared about my presentation in the media. So far, I’ve focussed on establishing myself and then my production company. I’m not good with PR. I’m still learning how to market myself.
