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Southern Superstar Mohanlal is playing the role of Thakur in RGV’s Sholay aka Aag. The role had been immortalized by Sanjeev Kumar and Mohanlal has a tough act to follow. Here is an interview of the actor who talks about his role in RGV’s Aag.

Was there any difference in the image that you had of Sholay, the character Sanjeev Kumar portrayed, and the character you enacted in the remake?

I did not think of the original when I was acting in the film. I didn't have any plans in my mind. I don't prepare for my characters.

This is the first time you are playing a role previously portrayed by another actor.

Thirty two years is a long time. One does not remember the minute details in Sholay. Moreover, the backdrop is different. Here, the Mumbai underworld forms the background. That itself changes your costumes and the way you behave.

As this film has taken only the basic structure from the original, you cannot compare the characters of this film to those of Sholay. The name of the character I portray is Narasimha, and I am not doing it the way Sanjeev Kumar did. I have enacted the role of Narasimha the way I can. Like the name suggests, he is a South Indian with a wif


What does Narasimha do in Mumbai?

He is an encounter specialist. At one point, he catches Gabbar Singh (played by Amitabh Bachchan [Images]). And unlike in Sholay, there are many reasons why Gabbar Singh is vengeful. I feel this film answers all the questions that we might have had when we saw Sholay. The loopholes in the story are plugged in this film.

Many films are remade in the world, and this is another filmmaker's attempt to remake a film that is considered as the Bible of Indian films. The main story of Sholay was the rivalry between Gabbar Singh and Thakur. Similarly, this film also essays the rivalry between Gabbar Singh and Narasimha.

Like in Sholay, did Gabbar Singh chop off your hands too?

Not hands, only fingers. You see, Narasimha is an encounter specialist and without his fingers, he is useless as he cannot fire his weapon. This film is more crude and violent. Gabbar Singh is like a psychopath here.

For an actor who uses his hands a lot while acting, how was it portraying such a character? Did you have to control yourself a lot?

Yes. I use my hands a lot while acting. I think most of us use our hands even in our conversation. But in this film, I consciously avoided using my hands. Yes, I had to control myself.

Was shooting for the film an interesting experience for you?

My first shot was Amitabh Bachchan chopping my fingers off. I had to scream and I lost my voice the next day because of that.

I want to tell you something. I have done films with the legends like Prem Nazir, Sivaji Ganesan Nageswara Rao, and now, Amitabh Bachchan. I was very close to Raj Kumar too, and he used to watch my films closely, and had a lot of love and affection for me. Had he been alive today, I might have done a film with him.