Director Sudha Kongara admits she and Akshay Kumar didn’t get along during Sarfira shoot initially: ‘What rubbish is this girl making me do’

After the success of the blockbuster Soorarai Pottru with Suriya, filmmaker Sudha Kongara is gearing up for its Hindi remake titled Sarfira, starring none other than Akshay Kumar. In a recent interview, Sudha discussed her initial challenges during the film’s first week of shooting with Akshay. She explained how she desired Akshay to channel Suriya’s performance rather than interpreting it in his own way, which made the Khiladi Kumar uncomfortable. However, the Bollywood star later explained his approach to her, leading to a better understanding between them.

Speaking to Galatta Plus, she said. “Suriya is Suriya. I have known him for over 25 years, and it’s much easier to tell him what I want. It’s very friendly and casual. But with Akshay sir, it’s ‘sir’ first of all, and I was meeting this gentleman for the first time. Since I have no filters, it was almost similar. The first six days, he wasn’t happy. He was like, ‘What is this girl making me do all this rubbish?’ So then he and the producer spoke to me, and I said, ‘You do whatever you like to do, and I will tell you when it isn’t going right.’ I also had to let go because I had created the perfect Maara in my head, and I thought there could be nobody better than Suriya, and that’s how it had to be played. I soon realised that I was suffocating this actor who had his own method, so I had to let go.”

Explaining how she made peace with Akshay, Sudha said, “After six days, I showed him a cut of a particular scene, and the next day he came to me and said, ‘I have a way of performing. I have a way of doing things and a process, but this is the first time I am trying to understand what is going on in your head. I am trying to give you that.’ I said, ‘Very good. I love it.’ From there, we made peace, and we had a wonderful time shooting with each other. I really enjoyed working with him. He keeps saying, ‘Isko toh filter he nahi hai (She doesn’t have a filter).'”

Advertisement

Also read | Sarfira trailer: Broke Akshay Kumar vows to start Rs 1 ticket airline in Soorarai Pottru remake, gets Suriya’s nod

Soorarai Pottru was inspired by events from the life of GR Gopinath, founder of Indian low-cost airline, Deccan. The film received critical acclaim and was selected as one of ten Indian films to be screened in the Best Foreign Film category at the 78th Golden Globe Awards. It also won five awards at the 68th National Film Awards, including Best Feature Film, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, and Best Background Score.

The film’s Hindi remake Sarfira stars Akshay Kumar in the lead role, along with Paresh Rawal and Radhika Madan in pivotal roles. It is set to release in theatres on July 12.

 

 

 

Click for more updates and latest Bollywood news along with Entertainment updates. Also get latest news and top headlines from India and around the world at The Indian Express.