Ahead of the release of 'Gang Leader' on September 13, Natural Star Nani in this interview talks about the movie, what to expect from it, his character, the experience of working with director Vikram Kumar and more.

A man of ideas

Vikram Kumar is full of ideas. He did bounce off a number of interesting ideas to me before 'Gang Leader'. But none excited me more than this story. 'Jersey' was yet to be shot when he pitched this story to me. 'Gang Leader' is the least complicated of Vikram's movies. It's a very simple film despite all the twists and turns. It's also his career's most entertaining film.

My character

Pencil Parthasarathy has written a number of novels, none of which are famous. But he regards himself as a world-famous writer. It was Vikram's idea to have the title. I was excited when he told me the title.

Other characters

The five characters are different from each other. They have their own backstories. As shown in the film, Pencil comes up with an original story based on the events that happen in his life after the entry of the five female characters (played by Lakshmi, Saranya, Priyanka Arul Mohan and others). Because of the situations, there is a lot of emotional connect. There is no much romance in the movie.

Not a remake

'Gang Leader' is not a remake of any Korean movie. It has become a fashion to call every movie a remake every time. This is also not the script which was pitched for Allu Arjun. I know that script, which is very nice.

Kartikeya fits the bill

Kartikeya was the first one to be approached for the role. We had two other actors in mind for the role. But since he was very excited, we went with him at the first opportunity.

That's the difference

Revenge is an intense emotion that is often associated with action and punchlines. But 'Gang Leader' depicts revenge in an entertaining way. Everything about the film feels very interesting. Vikram is a fun-loving person who will make you laugh with his comic timing. This is the first time that he has tapped into his comedy angle.

Elaborate pre-production

The pre-production works were elaborate at a time when I was busy with 'Jersey'. Vikram has completed the production works without a break. This is the first time that he did it. His films '24' have made him a technical director in the eyes of the audience. But his biggest strength lies in conceiving ideas.

I am a team player

I do chip in with ideas during the making of a film. As a team member, I am a team player. But it's not interference. And I listen to the opinion of my team members.

I don't overthink about the so-called "success rate". Just a few movies flop and an actor is written off. I don't' take the terms seriously.

Respect for Megastar

Chiranjeevi garu's 'Gang Leader' was a mass film. My 'GL' is an entertainer. The genres are totally different. If I name my child after a person I like a lot, would I think about the controversies it might possibly give rise to?

Anirudh's natural choice

Anirudh is known for peppy numbers in Tamil. 'Jersey' was something unconventional for him. But he is a natural when it comes to 'GL'. There is no dull moment in the film.

'Jersey' is a super-profit venture

I am extremely happy about 'Jersey'. My character in the movie, the norms it broke were all unusual. Despite this, the film collected big-time. How can the collections be regarded as underwhelming? When 'MCA' released, some sections of media commented that Nani's films do well but they don't have content. When 'Jersey' released, they praised its content and looked down upon its collections. In any case, 'Jersey' is a 400 percent profit movie, considering the satellite rights, digital rights, the future China release, etc.

Being the audience

I continue to be excited about watching movies even after all these years of being an actor. The audience in me is still alive and kicking. As films change, the audience in me moulds himself accordingly.

No bilinguals

It's not easy to make bilinguals. My past attempts didn't go well in terms of timeliness, etc. You shouldn't do bilinguals for the sake of collections.