'Kaalidhar Laapata': Why director chose Abhishek Bachchan over Amitabh
What's the story
Filmmaker Madhumita recently revealed why she cast Abhishek Bachchan in the lead role in her Hindi film Kaalidhar Laapata, an adaptation of her Tamil movie KD. In a conversation with Variety India, she said that while many suggested Amitabh Bachchan for the role, she felt the Dhoom actor would add a different flavor to the character.
Film's premise
This is what 'KD' is about
KD, a 2019 dramedy starring Mu Ramaswamy (75) and Naga Vishal, among others, revolves around an 80-year-old villager in rural Tamil Nadu who wakes up from a coma to find his greedy children plotting to kill him.
Since the original story focused on an elderly man, many advised Madhumita to cast Big B.
Director's statement
Madhumita's dream collaboration with senior Bachchan
Madhumita said, "Of course, I would have absolutely loved to work with Bachchan sir, and it is still my dream to collaborate with him."
"However, I wanted to explore a different version of the character in the Hindi adaptation."
The director recently directed the Tamil series Love Always.
Adaptation insights
Changes in character's journey
Madhumita also revealed that KD's cultural context influenced her decision to change the character's journey in Kaalidhar Laapata.
The tradition of Thalaikoothal (a traditional, illegal practice of senicide: killing of the elderly), a crucial part of the original story, doesn't hold as much significance when adapted into Hindi.
"I wanted to [ensure] it was a different journey for the character, where he feels he has sacrificed so much for his siblings, but when he needs them, they are not there."