Arnold Schwarzenegger will play the commander of an elite squad of DEA operatives in Sabotage. He says there cannot be competition between Bollywood and Hollywood since they appeal differently to the audience
How do you think Sabotage will appeal to the audienceIJ
I think audience will be surprised. It’s an unusual movie because of the different kinds of dimensions it has. A lot of times when people go and see an action movie or I should say a Schwarzenegger movie, they think that they are going to see some action. And they go away satisfied with the action, the shootouts, the stunts, the special effects and seeing the blow up and all of those things. But then they are always surprised because there’s something extra in my movies.
Why did you return to action moviesIJ
Not everything you do has to be serious. It was really a wonderful, challenging experience to be a public servant, to give up the salary you would have made and to get paid nothing to work for the people of California. It cost me, just out of my pocket, $43 million that I contributed to campaign funds and various issues. At that time, I got $20 million to $30 million per movie, so after seven years, I’m back.
Tell us something about your character Breacher.
I think he’s who makes the movie interesting because the character a teammate, buddy and father figure for all the guys. Plus, there are mysteries in the story that make the film strange, interesting and horrific in some ways.
What kind of expectations do you keep from the Indian market for the filmIJ
I keep a lot of expectations not only from the Indian market but from all markets. I really want my movie to appeal to the masses and for people of every age group to come, sit back, relax and enjoy the movie. And this movie is a little different from my regular movies so I am expecting a great response.
Do you consider Hollywood a threat to Bollywood seeing the increasing interest among the youthIJ
They are both very different types of cinema.What’s amazing about India is that they have an extra ordinary movie industry. They do over 700 movies a year. I mean I don’t think there was ever a year when America did 700 movies. It is really amazing if you think about it. So they both stand their own ground. We don’t aim to compete. We aim to please.
How was it working with Mireille EnosIJ
When you just look at her you feel like...oh my god this girl is really tough and in an unbelievable shape. And then when she does an acting scene or a normal scene, you are just in awe because of her acting talent. I think she was a fantastic choice to play the character lizzy.
How was it working under David AyerIJ
I think David Ayer has proven that he really is a terrific director. He really drills down, gets into the scene and really asks you to perform better and pushes you to the limit. So I think this is what would surprise people when they see the kind of performance there is when they watch this movie.
The tagline of one of your past movies was ‘retirement is for sissies’. Can we assume this is your motto tooIJ
You would never see me retire because I have a great time doing what I’m doing. Why would I stop all of a sudden IJ It doesn’t sound normal.