Is A Gentleman ready for a bloodbath at box office? Directors Raj and DK answer
They started as US-returned software engineers Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK who were passionate about filmmaking and wanted to make one of their own in Bollywood. Almost a decade later, they go by a much crisper Raj and DK, and have a rather interesting filmography to boast of. However, meet them for the first time and it is hard to make out who is who. A quick Google search can help there but what we are more interested in is understanding who does what in the film, especially now that their next film A Gentleman starring Sidharth Malhotra and Jacqueline Fernandez is all set to hit the screens this Friday.
Raj says, “We write together once we are excited about the idea. We discuss a concept for almost a year before actually going on the floor.” DK gently interrupts that shows how comfortable they are in taking forward each other’s ideas. He says, “We write to direct which means we get ready for the final stage through writing. Even on A Gentlemen which is shot in Miami. That was expensive so we worked in double shifts and with two parallel units.”
Their last film Happy Ending starring Saif Ali Khan failed and that probably inspired them to come up with a better plan. DK says, “We were dealing with logistics and were working on another film which got delayed. Interestingly we were working all this while.”
A Gentleman will be battling it out with at least six other major releases this week, but Raj seems confident. He says, “We didn’t want to make a film beyond the budget. In this case, Rs 40 crore. They spent Rs 10 crore on advertising. As per the Fox Star team, they have already got back Rs 30 crore by selling the rights.”
Raj adds, “Release date of a film is the producer’s call. We got the release date way back in December. Eventually more films came and it’s crowded now.”
While Amol Gupte’s Sniff will be targeting kids, Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s Babumoshai Bandookbaaz will be focusing on the adults. Ajith Kumar’s Vivegam will try to capture the South India markets. So, is there a plan in place for A Gentleman? DK gives the standard answer, “It’s across the audience groups, I guess. For instance, Go Goa Gone was targetted at a narrow audience group and even my 15-year-old nephew hasn’t seen the film yet.”
Sidharth Malhotra is the main bait for the audience, but what about Jacqueline Fernandez who hasn’t been seen in action films yet? DK defends the decision, “She is very fit to be in an action film. We are not using her just as a prop. Our challenge was to make a heroine who is known for songs click in a different space.”
Raj sums up the conversation with a pitch to his film, “It’s a non-slapstick action comedy. Even if it’s an action film, people won’t fly. If a car flies then there will be a reason behind it. It won’t be something against the law of physics.”
