He has lost around six kilos to do justice to his role as Jai Singh Rathod, a lead role in the Indian version of the series 24 on Colors. The series is produced by Anil Kapoor Films and is based on the American series of the same name. Jai Singh Rathod is the Indian Jack Bauer (a part played by Kiefer Sutherland in the original series). “It was the demand of the character and I thought I was fit. But my trainer made me go through the test which revealed the amount of fat in my body. I did kickboxing, cardio, running, weight training and dieting to be in shape,” said the actor, who earlier played a part of President Omar Hassan in the American series. It was while shooting for the same that the idea of the Indian version was conceived by the actor. “I was thrilled by the script and the screenplay. The story was so gripping that I thought to myself, ‘kya likha hai.’” Then began his journey with the Indian series 24 and the first step was to acquire the India rights from Fox and 24 producer Howard Gordan. “Howard has been a great inspiration throughout and I consider him my mentor. He has been very supportive. And he likes me too and I took its advantage,” he smiled and added that the original idea was to come up with the film based on the series. “But they shut me down on this. As a businessman I approached them for a film but they said no because they want to make a film themselves in America. Until that happens they would not want a film based on 24 elsewhere. They are soon going to start with the ninth season and that I think is good for us. While the Indian series will be out in our part of the world, simultaneously they will be having a ninth season of an already immensely popular series. Moreover, the format and the idea of the show are such that it will be too complicated to present in a two-hour long film. It’s a 24-hour story that is told in one episode and if we decide to make it into a film, it might turn into something else altogether,” shared Anil.
The actor said that he never followed the trends or studied the television market religiously before making a decision on 24. “It is a businessman’s job to study the market first and then decide. I am a creative person, I am a filmmaker first. You can call me a content facilitator and I have people in my company to take care of business. I discussed the idea with them and they liked it. My only dream was to get this idea to India and Gordon has been supportive since day one.”
With his unconventional looks and not so well-built physique Anil Kapoor managed to bag a few awards and win critical acclaim during the initial years of his career, in the early 1980s and since then has been a game-changer of sorts. Now he is all set to bring some major changes on the small screen as well. He says 24 is a first step to begin a revolution on Indian television. “The timing is right as I think the Indian television needs something new and different. There is certain kind of stagnancy, people are watching the shows because there is nothing else to watch. I think modern India needs something like 24 and I wanted to go ahead with a tried and tested content to make an entry on the small screen. I only wanted to create something out-of-the-box. I am sure this series will bring change and start a trend. It will also give me confidence and next I want to create something original but so creative and intelligent that Westerners want to make a show like that,” he said adding that he does not believe in TRP games. “When Aamir Khan began his show (Satyamev Jayate) the ratings were low but the feedback from the public was immense. And there was a genuine liking for the show. I think only that matters and not how much figures you make on Twitter or at some other online platform,” he said.
The series has been Rensil D’Silva and Bhavani Aiyar and directed by Abhinay Deo. It features veterans like Anupam Kher and other actors like Tisca Chopra and Mandira Bedi. “It is a mix of actors who are known for their potential,” he said. Kapoor was clear he didn’t want genius for his show. “I know everyone in the industry and their egos, whims, fancies, pluses and negatives as well. I have been a good coordinator picking up people like Abhinay, who are capable of coming up with an international standard work. I saw his Delhi Belly and was mighty impressed,” he said.
Convincing the channels was difficult. “They have their fixed presumptions. But then I had a brand like 24 to sell and it was me, who has given a major part of his life to entertainment, sticking a neck out and taking a risk, so I made them understand that if a show fails it will be my loss. Colors agreed as soon as they got to know it is me who is doing the show and it’s an adaptation of 24,” he shared. The series will go on air from next month.
photos Pankaj Kumar