On Friday evening, July 22nd, an interesting conversation took place in Mumbai between producer, actor and director Farhan Akhtar, producer Ritesh Sidhwani and the Hollywood Russo Brothers, ie Joe Russo and Anthony Russo, about films, the magic of the cinema halls and Streaming instead , and more. Joe and Anthony Russo were part of one of the greatest movies of all time in cinema history, Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). Farhan, meanwhile, starred in the acclaimed TV series, Mrs Miracle (2022), which belonged to the Marvel Universe as well as the avenger movies. Superhero projects were the focus of the quartet’s discussions.
Farhan Akhtar talks about his experiences with Ms Marvel; says, “The idea of Marvel doing a series starring a Pakistani Muslim girl is very UNIQUE and I was excited to be a part of it.”
While Hollywood regularly produces superhero-themed movies, India hasn’t released many superhero-themed movies by comparison. Shah Rukh Khan’s Ra.One (2011), Hrithik Roshans krish (2006), Tiger Shroffs A flying jatt (2016), Abhishek Bachchans drone (2008), Tovino Thomas’ Minnal Murali (2021) etc are the only films that can be remembered.
When asked why, Farhan Akhtar replied, “I think budgets play a big part. You need big budgets to compete with the kind of movies that come out of the US because audience tastes have gotten used to it by now. If it doesn’t make it to that mark, you’re feeling let down or disappointed. We don’t have the strength to spend that much money and make the film.”
Farhan sparked laughter as he said: “On the other hand, and it’s kind of weird, if I may allow it, we’ve had superheroes all our lives. Our actors would hit a guy and (tens of) people would just fly! Therefore, for a long time we never felt the need for a superhero! Our regular heroes would do what superheroes could! What Superman can do, our heroes can do without being Superman! So we didn’t miss that.”
On a slightly serious note, Farhan added, “It’s going to take some great collaborations with people who can bring that expertise. What Marvel did for Hollywood, we need someone to do it for us. It’s not the lack of ideas, it’s the lack of resources.”
A journalist from the audience then amused Farhan when she remarked that he “tasted Marvel blood” after making Ms Marvel! Asked if he thought there would come a time when there would be no geographical barriers for actors from East and West, Farhan Akhtar said: “If you asked 10 to 15 years ago how many actors worked in the West, we could count it on our fingertips. Irrfan was a great example. Om ji (Om Puri) was also there before him (who went west). We’ve seen that Priyanka Chopra is doing exceptionally well. Alia Bhatt is also directing a film now. So the scenario is changing, and we have to be thankful for the push for diversity that’s happening in storytelling in the West. That is very important. It really is inclusive. And I really loved that Mrs Miracle. Imagining that Marvel would do a series with a Pakistani Muslim girl at the center is very unique and I was excited to be a part of it. We see a change. I’m sure we’ll see more cross-fertilization between the two filmmaking countries as time goes on.”
Ritesh Sidhwani once explained the difference in filmmaking between Hollywood and Indian films: “I’ve been on the set of a few foreign films. There wasn’t much difference. Maybe the scale is bigger or the number of people in the crew is bigger. The only thing we can learn is what we need to prepare (more) before we start shooting. I’ve found that in Hollywood, even if the film isn’t VFX-heavy, the prep time is very different than our films. There most films are shot for 50 days, 60 days or maybe 70 days. But their preparation takes a few months. We now shoot 100 to 120 days, while our preparation only takes 8 to 10 weeks. Otherwise it is the same whether it is the work of the talent or something else. Even there, the first AD will tell you, “We only have 5 minutes. We’ve got to take that shot now’!”
The host, Rishi K, then remarked in a lighter way that after hearing these points, Joe Russo and Anthony Russo are probably thinking of making an Indian superhero. Farhan, in his signature hilarious style, suggested that Ritesh Sidhwani should be considered for the lead role as “he’s been working on his abs”!
Also Read:Farhan Akhtar Responds To Ms. Marvel Joining MCU – ‘I Stood Like A Superhero’
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