Akshay Kumar on ‘Rustom’, love and fidelity: ‘My wife is my best friend’

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has certainly earned bragging rights for dramatising real-life incidents into riveting films.

In January, he chose the grim subject of the massive evacuation of Indians from war-torn Kuwait in 1990 and turned it into the inspiring drama, Airlift.

Six months later, he’s back with another film Rustom, inspired by the sensational 1959 K.M. Nanavati trial that revolved around Kawas Manekshaw Nanavati, an Indian naval commander, who was tried for the murder of Prem Ahuja, his wife’s lover. It was a trial that captured the public imagination of the country, with the media and the public sympathising with the man in uniform. Despite Nanavati’s confession, a jury found him not guilty. Jury trials were abolished in India following the case.

“It’s a sensitive subject, and we tried to portray it differently from how Hindi films usually depict it. But here, the question that will be raised is whether he’s murderer, a traitor or a patriot. People seeing this film will leave the cinemas debating, asking what they would do in those situations,” said Kumar, who plays commander Rustom Parvi, in an email interview.

Illeana D’Cruz plays his wife, Cynthia Parvi, while Arjan Bajwa plays the roguish Prem Ahuja who pays a heavy price for his dalliances in the drama directed by Tinu Suresh Desai.

“My character has grey shades. He’s selfish enough to go to any lengths to fulfil his ambitions. He’s someone who doesn’t think twice about betraying anyone,” said Bajwa in an interview with Gulf News tabloid!. “And it was a great opportunity to work with Akshay Kumar who is known to make great films like these... We can’t sum up this film in a few lines. This film is about crime, passion, patriotism, revenge and the mystery around it all. All the characters in this film are neither good nor bad. Everybody is grey.”

Bajwa has acted in films such as Fashion and Bobby Jasoos.

For Esha Gupta, who plays Prem Ahuja’s sister Preeti Makhija, it was the prospect of acting with Kumar.

“I have always been an Akshay fan, so I was mostly excited about that... Tinu [director] was very clear about how he wanted his actors to look and what to do. I just had to get the attitude right,” said Gupta over a WhatsApp message.

While it remains to be seen if we will be rooting for Kumar’s character or not, the actor is confident that the film will spark debates on the legal system in India along with issues of fidelity and morality.

Here are excerpts from our email interview with the actor...

In Rustom you play a character that’s inspired by a naval officer who shot his wife’s lover. What were the challenges associated with playing a character that caught the public imagination in the 1960s?

Well, nothing. I just found the role thrilling to play and I just fell in love with the screenplay of Rustom. Seeing what happened to this character when he discovers his wife’s affair intrigued me. He is a character that is so patriotic and loving, yet a crime is still a crime. It is different from most Hindi films, in the way that we see an extramarital affair. Contrary to the usual narrative of the male character having an affair and the wife forgiving him, the movie shows what happens when the woman slips. Playing a guy who sees his wife having an affair and finding out what happens to him intrigued me the most. It is a very sensitive subject and I’m overwhelmed that audiences have loved the trailer.

Crime of passion is a topic that evokes voyeuristic pleasure. Are you trying to start a discourse on morality, marriage and fidelity?

It’s a sensitive subject, and we tried to portray it differently from how Hindi films usually depict it. But here, the question that will be raised is whether he’s murderer, a traitor or a patriot. People seeing this film will leave the cinemas debating about, asking what they would do in those situations. It’s less of a discourse on morality, marriage and fidelity, and more on the legal system, the action of mankind and the ability to do the right thing at the right time. What I also love about this film that the tables have turned here. It goes to find out what happens when the woman has an extramarital affair and the man comes to know. Will he take her back? The director takes care of the whole scenario well. There are lots of different angles to this film. Many a times, an audience will see one side of the story, but as I have learnt in life and you will see in this film, nothing is ever as black and white.

What’s the deal breaker for you in a relationship and would you ever resort to violence in the matters of heart?

In love, there is no room for violence. However much cliched this sounds, all you need is Love. Love empowers, love unites, and love conquers everything.

What constitutes a good marriage and do you think a husband resorting to murdering his wife’s lover is understandable?

I can’t imagine a day without my wife. I think a good marriage depends on the person you are with. My wife is my best friend; she makes me laugh when I am down and complains when I am sitting idle. She is everything for me. So I don’t think murder is understandable.

This year, it’s your second film after Airlift based on a true story. Is there another event from history that you would like to re-create?

None in particular. I am happy with the response that I am getting to this kind of cinema. Looking at the great response that I got from the audience and the box office for Airlift, it encourages me to make such films. The key for films rooted in history has to be a good screenplay, as with any film, and you have to do justice to the period you are breathing life back into on celluloid.

You have reinvented yourself over the years. Are films such as Special Chabbis and Rustom, your attempt to redefine your career trajectory?

Not really, I like to switch roles every three or four months. It’s important to reinvent myself in different roles so that I can keep the audiences intrigued. It’s good to be able to take a breath before returning with a new take on characters.

Your cameo in Dishoom as a gay party boy made a splash. Who convinced you to do it and did you have any reservations about it?

I had a ball playing that cameo. I did it for my friends John [Abraham], Varun [Dhawan], Jacky [Jacqueline Fernandez] and their director Rohit Dawan. I didn’t need any convincing because I couldn’t wait to play such a party boy. It was opposite to who and what I am that I couldn’t wait to portray such an alter ego.

Just like the audience, are you bored by the formulaic ‘masala-filled’ musicals and song-driven plots?

Not at all. I think it is important to have such commercial films that appeal to the masses and I feel very lucky to be a part of them.

What legwork was involved in playing officer Rustom Pavri? And Parsis are often caricatured in Hindi films. Did you keep that perception in mind while playing the role?

I followed my director and trusted him implicitly on how he wanted me to portray Rustom. I took his lead when depicting the correct nuances and sensibilities of the character. There was no room for stereotyping or any form of caricatures given the narrative and genre of the film. It needed to be as realistic as possible.

What would you tell your twenty-year-old self?

I would tell myself the same thing I would tell any other young actor: Stay focused, stay determined, stay committed and stay positive. And not to be late. I missed my flight to my first ad shoot — but it did teach me to never be late again. I know that my success is indebted to hard work as much as it is to God’s grace and my parent’s blessings. It’s important to have a positive attitude to your work.

What are your biggest assets in your life now?

It is definitely my wife and children. I only get so many years with my kids before they get too big to impress, so I would regret not spending enough time with them.

What do you want the audience to take away from Rustom?

I want the audience to leave the theatre thinking twice about the legal system and about what they would do given the circumstances that both Rustom Pavri and the jury were given.

Rustom for me is like a perfect blend of coffee — it’s a mix of romance, drama, thriller and the best thing is that it’s based on true incidents. It’s a powerful piece of filmmaking that asks difficult questions around patriotism, marriage and betrayal. Rustom has something in it for everyone, go watch it on August 11.

Tell us more about your future projects?

I have recently signed on to do Jolly LLB2 which I am looking forward to filming. There is also Robot 2.0 which is coming out next year.

Don’t miss it

Rustom releases in the UAE on August 11.