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EXCLUSIVE: Atlee recalls portraying Thalapathy Vijay as an old man in Bigil and experimenting in Baby John with Varun Dhawan
In an exclusive chat with Pinkvilla, Atlee was seen recalling his experimentation with Thalapathy Vijay as an old man in 2019’s Bigil!
Atlee and Varun Dhawan were recently interviewed by Pinkvilla ahead of their movie Baby John’s release. During the conversation, the producer explained how he chose Varun Dhawan to play the protagonist in the upcoming film.
Talking on the same, Atlee recalled casting Thalapathy Vijay as an old man in Bigil and said, “When we were doing Bigil, he (Vijay) played the character of an old man called Rayappan. He asked me whether I was sure he should play a character with the old look. So, we have always taken slightly experimental chances, which have worked for both of us.”
“This is the same reason why I approached Varun Dhawan and said, ‘You’ve never done this. This is going to work for you,’ and that’s how we landed on Baby John. For example, when we did Jawan, I told Shah Rukh sir that Vikram Rathod would be the mass character. He just looked at me and said, ‘No, girls like me, Azad will be the mass one.’ However, after seeing the movie, SRK admitted that I was right,” Atlee added.
Talking about casting Varun as the lead, Atlee also explained how most films portray police officers in a certain way. However, many real-life officers, including some of his friends, have a boy-next-door appearance and exude a different kind of charm.
The director-producer further added that, similar to Varun, Thalapathy Vijay also had a charming boy-next-door kind of appearance during his earlier days in cinema. Atlee revealed that when they were working on Theri, Vijay asked him whether it was okay for him to play the father of a 6-year-old child.
Watch the Pinkvilla exclusive chat feat. Varun Dhawan and Atlee here:
Moving ahead, Atlee is set to hit the big screens soon as a producer with the Varun Dhawan-starrer action thriller Baby John. Directed by Kalees, the film is an adaptation of Thalapathy Vijay’s Theri and boasts an ensemble cast, including actors like Keerthy Suresh (marking her Bollywood debut), Wamiqa Gabbi, Jackie Shroff, Rajpal Yadav, and many others in supporting roles.
The film is slated for release on December 25, 2024, and will also feature Bollywood superstar Salman Khan in a special cameo appearance.
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