The son of Bollywood music baron Kumar Taurani (owner of Tips Industries Ltd) Girish Kumar is making his acting debut in the just-released Ramaiya Vastavaiya directed by Prabhu Deva; who is also known as India’s Michael Jackson. We catch up with Kumar and quiz him about his debut film.
What drew you towards the story?
It is a tender love story; a re-make of a Telugu movie—Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana. I really liked the script as it is an emotional story filled with drama. Plus, I was really keen to work with Mr. Prabhu Deva whose last two movies Wanted and Rowdy Rathore were commercial successes. Apart from being a great dancer, he is a keen filmmaker. I did not want to miss the chance to work with him.
How was it working with Prabhu Deva and Shruti Hassan?
As I mentioned, he is a great film maker, he really pushes you and you feel compelled to give your best. He is a very down-to-earth film maker. As far as Shruti is concerned, she is a very good girl–humble and quite approachable. It was wonderful working with both of them.
You belong to a film family. Did you really have to wait for three years to become an actor?
Even as kid I loved putting costumes and role-playing but it was only when I was in my teens I realised my fondness for acting. Before I embarked on my journey in front of the camera, I had to prove myself to Mr. Deva. Yes, it was a long wait and a rather testing period for me but I utilised my time learning the ropes and seeing the action behind the scenes. The experience only made me want to put my best to become an actor and the lessons I learnt during that time increased my confidence.
Bollywood has really gone global and is even celebrating its 100th year. Your thoughts?
Bollywood has definitely changed dramatically over the years and even now it is developing in a great way. Today, we are more open to make different kind of films; we are not afraid of experimenting and tell different stories. It has truly become more dynamic and the only way is up.
