Varun keen to push envelope
Basking in the glowing reviews of October, Varun Dhawan says he wants to continue seeking roles that are unique and “tear” the envelope. “I am not interested in doing unconventional roles that don’t go all the way. I don’t want to take sides as far as doing mainstream and unconventional roles are concerned. Why should off-beat roles not be popularIJ When we made October, we knew it won’t get the audience of Judwaa. It was made within the required budget. And we were not disappointed with the results.” A day after the release, the audience began to increase considerably. “That was very reassuring. People have connected with the film.”
‘It is getting more and more tough every year in terms of trying to reinvent yourself. It is more exciting and more rewarding without a doubt but it gets more and more tough for sure. If I am not aspirational, if what I am doing does not grab common man’s attention and he doesn’t respect it, he will not watch it’
— R Madhavan
Actress Vidya Balan says the film industry needs to come together to try and put a stop to piracy, which continues to hamper the entertainment business. “I am happy to be part of this important initiative for the film industry. All of us need to come together and work towards putting a stop to piracy,” tweeted Vidya. She retweeted a link shared earlier by Union Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu of a video in support of a campaign launched in collaboration with the Producers Guild of India on anti-piracy.
Phoenix still not sure of directing
Actor Joaquin Phoenix says that even though he has worked with some great filmmakers and has a unique perspective, he will not direct a film just for the sake of it.The Her actor was recently asked whether he would like to direct a film as he has already directed a number of music videos and produced films and television shows.
“I wouldn’t do it just to do it. I imagine if there was a story that I felt like I had a unique understanding of, then maybe it’s something I would pursue, but I haven’t really thought about it. I’ve worked with really great directors, and I don’t know if I have that. If you work with people that were mediocre, if you were on set with a bunch of mediocre directors, you'd probably be like, ‘I think I could probably do that.’” He also admitted that despite having acted in so many films, he is quite ignorant about the specifics of directing. “I still don’t know, like when somebody calls out a lens size, I have no idea what that means. I don’t know how wide it is. I try not to pay attention to that part of it, as much as I try to stay inside the character,” Phoenix said.