Who could have worked for a Bond film in the morning and played Wimbledon in the afternoonIJ VIJAY AMRITRAJ debuted in films doing just that. He shares his favourite Bond moment and an overview on cinema in an entertaining chat with M Rao on the sidelines of the Bond retrospective
I know this one is about films but can’t start without asking you, what is it with your special love for Roger FedererIJ
The great thing about Roger Federer is that he plays yesterday’s tennis in today’s version. How well he played in 2017 and has made a remarkable comeback at this age. He is beautiful to watch. But that takes nothing away from the incredible performances of all other players at the top of world tennis today.
Coming to films, is this your first time at IFFIIJ
Yes and it is very special for several reasons. Goa is perfect for this kind of event. Both the I&B Ministry and the Goa Government have done a remarkable job in making this a permanent venue. The first film I ever did was with the Bond franchise. Thereafter, I have done a couple of movies and am the first Indian to do a television series in US. I hope what I did in the 1980s was an important aspect in where Indians are today both in films and TV in the US.
How are you placed with films nowIJ
We run an entertainment company in the US. My son Prakash is at the helm there. It’s called Sterling Roads Films. We have just finished Untogether which stars Jamie Dornan of Fifty Shades of Grey and Ben Mendelsohn. We were also involved with Bruce Wills’ film which we just completed.
Who is your favourite BondIJ
Well, I will try to be objective here. Roger Moore is my choice. But Sean Connery was a tough act to follow. Even after Sean did the first six Bond films, it was very hard to follow him. But Ian Fleming’s first choice was Roger Moore. After Connery, it was important to give Bond a new identity. Even, Roger Moore, who took over the role of James Bond, said that ‘Sean Connery was a killer and I was a lover’. Moore did a very good job after him.
Don’t you think the Bond franchise has diluted over the yearsIJ
It’s almost the opposite. They have tried hard to keep up with the times. They have made the female lead so much stronger. With Pierce Brosnan, the Bond girls started becoming stronger. In old days, they were called Bond girls. But today, the equity between the Bond and female leads like Halle Berry is huge.
Are you in any way connected with BollywoodIJ
Not much… Just friends.
What is your opinion on the Indian film industryIJ
It’s not very different from Hollywood in the making of films. However, what has happened in the last 10 years is: First, incredible professionalism has come into the industry. Two, the young talent is fantastic. Most of the young kids are excellent. Raj Kummar Rao and Radhika Apte were wonderful as hosts of IFFI inaugural.
I think that the talent quotient has increased. People are paying attention to acting work, studying at institutes, writing classes and filmmaking. I want to see the young Indian talent perform well internationally, like they have done in sports and business.
What are your views on Indians in the US entertainment industryIJ
It’s a combination of many factors. It’s more about the story or script and decisions around what characters the actors need to play. Priyanka Chopra is good. We have a huge talent base. But they should be cast in meaningful roles.
How do you view the growing intolerance around Indian cinemaIJ
I don’t know about the gory details surrounding Padmavati, so it is hard to comment. But it’s important to be able to tell a story, especially if it’s a fiction story. If it’s a factual story, then you need to base your movie on historical facts or research. You need to be bang-on on the facts. You can use some writer’s privileges but the basic thrust has to be factual.
What has been your favourite Bond momentIJ
There are several but the best one was getting into the Bond movie. The producer saw me playing at Wimbledon. He sent his daughter to ask me to have tea with him. I did. He said he was looking for actors to do this role. ‘Nobody fit the bill. We would like you to do a screen test for the role. It’s a Bond picture.’ Well who would say that I worked for Pine Wood Studios in the morning and played Wimbledon in the afternoon! Nobody did that. I did a screen test and they like it. And then, they signed me for 14 weeks.