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| Anil Kapoor as Jai Singh Rathod in 24 |
Come October 4 and Anil Kapoor will don Kiefer Sutherland’s holster to play Jack Bauer aka Jai Singh Rathod in 24, the Colors show that marks his foray into Indian television. t2 caught up with the 53-year-old father of three on the show whose promo is already grabbing eyeballs.
The promos of 24 have been creating a huge buzz, which is rare for an Indian TV series…
I know… it’s quite scary because the reactions have been fantastic. Scary in a good way! (Laughs out loud) Yesterday I went for this get-together and a lot of Bollywood actors were there and everyone was talking about 24… everyone is looking forward to it. Most have told me that the promos give them a feel that they are watching a film. We’ve also shown the promos to our friends in the media and the response has been unanimously positive.
The promos give the impression that you’ve Indianised the series to a large extent…
That we’ve had to do because Indian sensibilities are very different from that of the West… the dynamics here are very different, whether it is family dynamics or the work atmosphere or the political environment. We’ve been very careful with how we have adapted it and yet we have done our best to keep in mind that we haven’t missed out on the essence of 24.
So how much of Jack Bauer is Jai Singh Rathod?
24 is Jack Bauer and Jack Bauer is 24. There’s no taking away from the fact that Jack Bauer will always be the man by whom 24 will be recognised. The way he talks… moves… thinks… it’s so iconic. And Kiefer (Sutherland) has made the character so spectacular. It’s a lot like no matter who plays Bond, Sean Connery will always be the yardstick. My interpretation of Jack Bauer will obviously be different because Kiefer and I are different… our looks are different, our sensibilities are different. The soul of Jack Bauer, in the way in which it has been written, remains with Jai Singh Rathod, but you will find a lot of me and my interpretation in the character.
Did you compare notes with Kiefer Sutherland before or during the shoot to understand him better?
No… he’s a man of very few words, but he’s a great guy to know. I did spend some time with him and got to know him better, but nothing really about Jack Bauer or 24.
What are the things that you have learnt and unlearnt so far in your television debut?
See, the best part about 24 is that it’s shot like a film. When I reached Los Angeles and started shooting for the American 24, I was so shocked by the fact that it was as good as a film… it was completely being shot as one. In fact, even better… the technique, the paraphernalia, the scale, the aesthetics, the production design, the photography… it was bigger than even a big-budget film. Of course, the discipline on television is different because there is a time constraint. In 24 especially, every episode has a time limit where all the action has to take place in 24 hours. You have to be completely prepared and on your toes all the time. The way TV is shot is also different. For example, we shoot a 10-page scene in one master shot and then chop it up in different angles. In films, that isn’t the case because you have the time and most often the budget to shoot separately and at leisure. It’s also long hours of work and as producer, I have had to be more hands-on here than on any of the films I have produced.
You have a great body of work, but would you count 24 as your most challenging project ever?
Oh, absolutely! It’s been a wonderful experience. It’s made my senses and my craft come alive. After shooting 24, when I started shooting something else, I was like, ‘Oh my God, this has really helped me!’ In fact, I showed my daughter Rhea the first episode of 24 and she was like, ‘Now Dad, I know how to work with you. We need to shoot fast and that’s how you will really perform well! Jaldi jaldi shoot karo Dad ke saath (laughs). But she doesn’t know how much work I have put in, ya… she hasn’t seen me preparing for the role in America.
The last time we spoke you had said that you were learning t’ai chi and undergoing extreme physical training for the role…
Ya, ya! It’s a very physical role. I play an anti-terrorism guy always on the field and I needed to be physically fit for that. There are a lot of physical combats that I have had to do. I couldn’t fight like a street fighter because Jai is trained. There’s also been very long hours at work… sometimes I have gone without sleep for 24 hours. I even underwent training on how to use a gun properly as well as the use of various gadgets that you will see in the series. It was exciting to learn so many things and the good bit is that I have always been a quick learner. I love my work… all these years I was a workaholic and now I have become a 24-holic! (Laughs out loud)
The cast is also an interesting mix with cameos by Bolly A-listers like Shabana Azmi and Anupam Kher…
The cast is the strength of 24… it’s been a coup. We have a great mix of raw talent and seasoned actors… film talent and theatre talent. There’s also international talent on the show because both Shabana and Anupam are both internationally-renowned actors. We also have cameos from people who are very choosy about their work… like Rahul Khanna. Then there’s Richa Chadda who did such a great job in Gangs of Wasseypur... she has an interesting cameo here. There’s also Mandira Bedi and Tisca Chopra.
Your daughters Sonam and Rhea are very excited about seeing you on TV for the first time…
24 has always been a favourite show globally and my kids love that show… they’ve downloaded it often and watched it. As fans of 24, Sonam and Rhea were there at the trailer launch and then of course, they are both proud of me for having taken up something like this show. My family’s been supportive of me throughout.
How much of a game-changer do you think 24 will be in the Indian fiction TV space that’s still dominated by kitchen politics and family dramas?
What do you think? If I say that, it will be blowing my own trumpet. (Laughs) But the kind of response we have got to the promos, gives me hope. Fingers crossed… let’s see what happens. Even the TV industry has told me that they hope 24 is a success because they are also fed up of the kind of stuff they have to show.
Is there a plan for Season 2?
I will wait for the feedback. Then we take it from there. If Season 1 does well, we will get straight into Season 2’s writing, but that’s after I wrap up a few films.
THE PLAYERS
jai singh rathoD
A key member of the Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU), Jai, played by Anil Kapoor, is a no-nonsense man who has one mission in life — to weed out crime.
TRISHA RATHOD
Tisca Chopra is Trisha, Jai’s supportive and strong-headed wife.
NIKITA rai
Ambitious and loyal to Jai, Mandira Bedi is a key ATU member.
abhilasha agarwal
Shabana Azmi puts in a cameo as the ATU’s senior-most member and its de facto head.
WASIM KHAN
Anupam Kher plays a R&AW agent and a close friend of Jai Singh Rathod.
tarun khosla
Rahul Khanna puts in a cameo as a business tycoon with a secret.
naina singhania
Anita Raaj stars as a veteran politician.
sapna chaudhury
Richa Chadda is an aspiring actress whose life is on the line.
KNOW 24
A crime thriller series, each episode of 24 covers 24 hours in the life of anti-terrorism agent Jack Bauer who has to race against the clock to foil terror plots. 24 has run over eight seasons and won a slew of Golden Globe and Emmy Awards. Season 8 of the American series saw Anil Kapoor play Omar Hassan, president of the fictional state of Kamistan.
