Interview: Vidyut Jammwal On Bollywood’s Nepotism & On Being Labelled As Action Hero

Ahead of the release of Commando 2: The Black Money Trail, Vidyut Jammwal gets candid on Bollywood’s nepotism, on being labelled as an action hero and who will win if there is a fight between him and Tiger!

Commando: A One Man Army and Commando 2: The Black Money Trail— how different was the experience?
Everything was different. The first one was just to establish an action hero in the country, whereas people are waiting with great expectations for the second one. Right from production to stunt design to performances, everything is new. The story is entirely different. There are more characters and of course two beautiful girls! (Laughs)

How was it working with your co-stars?
I know Freddy (Daruwala) and Esha (Gupta) since our modelling days. We are great friends. I got to know Adah (Sharma) on the sets and we have turned good friends. Adah is not the quintessential heroine. She is comfortable, sweet and very nice.

On being labelled as an action hero?
If Michael Jackson got bored of his tag King of Pop, I would be disappointed with him. I am so proud that he is called the king of pop. If you are excellent in something, you should pursue more excellence and strive for more.

Do you get scared while trying a stunt?
When you look at it, it’s scary but fear keeps you alive. I have realised that whenever I have got injured, I have gone 95-97% there. When you are 100% there you can never have an injury. So, whatever you do, do it with conviction, give your 100%.

You did a negative role in Force and played a hero in Commando series. Which one do you enjoy more?
I don’t mind doing a negative role if they utilise me well. I would love to be beaten up by the hero, but it should look real, it should look justified. I like playing any character. For people like us, who are not from the industry, if you get a 5-second role and you shine, then you leave a mark.

About training and workout schedule
I train very hard and don’t get any free time. For me, discipline is not waking up at 4 or 6 in the morning. Discipline is training regularly, doesn’t matter whether you wake up at 6 or 12. People who say I wake up at 4 or 6, it’s a lie. It doesn’t work. Discipline is when you can wake up anytime and do what you love to do. I train even if I am up at 6 and even if I leave my bed at 12.

Tell us about learning martial arts
I would advise not just young ones but also people aged 50-60 to start learning any form of martial arts if they want to and then choose the one they like. Age is not a bar. You just need to start. Don’t ask whether I can do it or not, just do it, just start.

If there is a fight between you and Tiger, who will win?
Even if 15 tigers come together…I am a real fighter. I’ve grown up in a ring. I’ve done street fighting. I am not someone who came to the industry and learnt action. I am in the industry because I know fighting. I am not talking about Tiger (Shroff) per se but I am talking about every actor in the country. I have been chosen to do action movies because I do action. And it’s not easy if you are a non-film kid.

Your inspirations:
I have been inspired by many people but for a very long time, I have been inspired by myself. What I could do, I can do it better. I have been competing with myself for a long time.

Your upcoming films:
I am doing 4 movies this year. I am doing Milan Luthria’s Baadshaho, then I am doing Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Yaara, which is all set to release, then I’ll start Vipul’s (Amrutlal Shah) next movie, and Junglee. Baadshaho is the story of a queen and how she manipulates two men, Ajay Devgn and I. I am one of the men Ileana (D’Cruz) plays with. I look up to Ajay Devgn, he is a great guy on the sets. Yaara is a romantic drama. It also stars Shruti Haasan and Amit Sadh. I am eagerly waiting for it to release because Tigmanshu Dhulia is somebody I have been dying to work with. Junglee is a film on elephant poaching; it is one of my favourite scripts. We are planning to start shooting in June. It will be an action movie but not the kind of action people have seen.

Will Commando 2 have a sequel?
Yes, we are looking forward to it! We had initially signed a 3 movie deal for this franchise but now we are eager for more. This (Commando series) is not going to stop.

Your takeaway from Commando 2
I have evolved as a person. I think to be able to manage two heroines in a movie is a big evolution! (Laughs) To make them both feel very special, for me it was a new thing, a learning experience definitely. Handling two beautiful girls on the set…it’s not easy!

Advice for budding actors
It’s very difficult to break into this industry, nepotism is so big here! You’ll only realise it when you get into it. You don’t need to be very good looking, you don’t need to have a great body, you just have to have something in you, there has to be a light inside you, which you should be aware of. Even if they don’t notice you, even if they shut their eyes, just shine so bright that they just can’t ignore you.