EXCLUSIVE: Atlee recalls portraying Thalapathy Vijay as an old man in Bigil and experimenting in Baby John with Varun Dhawan

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As a cinephile with a penchant for uncovering hidden gems, I find myself captivated by the audacious choices made by director Atlee. His knack for defying conventional wisdom and taking risks has paid off magnificently, as evidenced by his successful collaborations with Thalapathy Vijay and now Varun Dhawan.

Recenty, TopMob interviewed Atlee and Varun Dhawan before the premiere of their upcoming movie, Baby John. In this chat, the producer shared his reasons for casting Varun Dhawan as the lead character in the new flick.

Reflecting on our past collaboration in Bigil, I found myself reminiscing about the time when we transformed Thalapathy Vijay into an elderly character named Rayappan. He inquired if I was certain he should embody such a role with an aged appearance. Over the years, we’ve both been open to taking risks and venturing into unconventional territories, which have proven successful for our partnership.

“In a similar manner, when I spoke to Varun Dhawan about Baby John, I said, ‘This role is new for you, and it will suit you perfectly.’ The same approach worked with Shah Rukh Khan during Jawan. Initially, I suggested Vikram Rathod as the mass character, but Khan thought Azad would be more popular among fans. However, after watching the film, SRK agreed that my prediction was correct,” said Atlee.

Discussing Varun’s role as the main character, director Atlee elaborated on the typical representation of police officers in films. Interestingly, he pointed out that numerous real-life cops, including some of his personal acquaintances, possess an ordinary-neighbor-type look and a unique charisma that deviates from these standard depictions.

In my own words, I’d say: As a dedicated admirer, let me share an interesting fact – much like Varun, Thalapathy Vijay sported a boy-next-door charm during his early days in the film industry, as Director Atlee pointed out when we worked on Theri. A moment I’ll always remember is when Vijay asked me if it was alright for him to portray the father of a 6-year-old child in that movie.

Watch the TopMob exclusive chat feat. Varun Dhawan and Atlee here:

In the future, you’ll find Atlee making his producer debut on the silver screen with the high-octane action thriller “Baby John,” starring Varun Dhawan. This film, helmed by director Kalees, is a remake of Thalapathy Vijay’s “Theri” and features an impressive lineup of actors, such as Keerthy Suresh (making her Bollywood entrance), Wamiqa Gabbi, Jackie Shroff, Rajpal Yadav, and numerous others in secondary roles.

The movie is scheduled to premiere on December 25th, 2024, and it’s worth noting that the renowned Bollywood star, Salman Khan, will make a special guest appearance in the film.

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2024-12-18 13:52