Why Prithviraj turned down Karan Johar's 'Bombay Talkies'
What's the story
Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran recently revealed that he turned down Karan Johar's Bombay Talkies because he didn't want to play similar characters back-to-back. The actor had portrayed a gay character in the Malayalam thriller Mumbai Police, which was released in 2013. The anthology film Bombay Talkies, too, was released in the same year. In a recent interview with YouTuber Nayandeep Rakshit, he spoke about his decision and praised Johar's work.
Career choices
'Didn't want to do similar characters...'
Sukumaran spoke about his decision not to work in Bombay Talkies. He said, "Karan had spoken to me about this... Unfortunately, I couldn't be a part of it for two reasons. One, there were genuine issues with my schedule and dates." "And two, at that point, I had just finished shooting another film where I played a gay man, and I didn't want to do similar characters in two back-to-back projects."
Appreciation
Sukumaran's praise for the film
He added, "But it was a wonderful script. I later saw the film, and it was beautifully performed by Randeep Hooda." "I did miss the opportunity to work with Karan as a director, which I hope will happen at some point in life." Bombay Talkies is streaming on JioHotstar.
Character portrayal
'What was truly risky...': Sukumaran on playing gay character
Sukumaran also spoke about the risks involved in playing such a unique character at that time. He said, "What was truly risky about Mumbai Police, in terms of an actor doing that back then, was not just the fact that a mainstream, so-called lead was playing a gay man." "The character was nothing like how gay men were shown in mainstream cinema. He was this macho, violent, alpha policeman whose sexual orientation happened to be gay."
Career update
Sukumaran is busy promoting 'Sarzameen'
Sukumaran is currently busy promoting Sarzameen, co-starring Kajol and Ibrahim Ali Khan. This is Khan's second film after his debut, Nadaaniyan, which was critically panned. Meanwhile, Bollywood remade Mumbai Police earlier this year as Deva with Shahid Kapoor in the lead. However, it failed to live up to the original's impact and underperformed at the box office.