The SOTY 2 actor tells Chahak Mittal that while nepotism might get one a role, the audience is looking for a performer in the theatre
Utter the word nepotism and pictures of star children immediately float in front of your eyes. Tiger Shroff, of course, can’t deny his genes but the talk about options drying out quickly for outsiders and insiders being given unlimited chances is not a new one. Tiger does believe that having a background makes it easier to bag big roles and get noticed. However, “when the lights go off at the theatre and the film starts, the audience only sees the actor. Nepotism exists, especially because there are sons and daughters of established and renowned names in the industry, but it also has its own pros and cons. Getting easily noticed doesn’t always mean that you are accepted by the audience. Moreover the level of expectations is immediately upped as the audience looks at our family backgrounds and we have the burden of living up to our fathers and mothers. If we don’t we won’t get a second chance.”
It was not his family background that swung it for him in his latest outing. It was on the sets of Baaghi 2 that Tiger Shroff bumped into Karan Johar and bagged the role of Rohan in Student of the Year 2, opposite newbies Ananya Panday and Tara Sutaria. Talking about how different the film looks as compared to its previous edition, he says, “Except for the school, that is Saint Teresa’s, nothing is same. It is an all new take on the protagonists, friendship and love between them as well as their battle to win the ‘student of the year’ trophy. Here, more emphasis is on extra-curriculars and sports rather than just studies (laughs).”
The glitz and glam in the film would make one question where does such a school, which does not reflect a real world exist? Why does the film showcase such a thing which is not even relevant to an Indian student’s life? Tiger explains, “I agree (laughs). It gives out the message that the focus shouldn’t be just on academics but on other activities as well which are important for personal growth and development. Also, we are not trying to preach anything, but there are many facets in the film,” he says. The other message that it gives is that “while one should live for others and their loved ones, at the same time one should also follow one’s dreams whole-heartedly. We are trying to have fun and say this as an under-current in the film.”
Well, shooting for this film, Tiger says, was no less than “partying” since his previous films have mostly been packed with action and stunts. “As compared to Baaghi and Baaghi 2, I would say that this one was very light-hearted, easy-going and chilled out. A lot of physical work went into my previous films. The scenes and my role were more candid and conversational. I had to practise many things before to perform. And it’s been a while since I have done any such project. When you watch it, you’ll realise that every scene is so full of fun,” he explains. It wasn’t at all difficult, he says. “The role in Baaghis was heavy and I had to put in my everything. Here, I didn’t have to use my powers or ‘superpowers.’”
When an actor picks up a certain kind of role in every film back to back, the industry and even the audience, to an extent, start stereotyping him/her under a particular genre. Even Tiger, who has done a series of action films has been through the same. He says, “Yes, you do want to get out of a particular space and try out more things. However, doing the same kind of drill doesn’t confine you to a box. It takes time to get into other things and certainly even I will.”
However, he believes that his action hero image gives him an edge in a competitive industry. “When people talk about action heroes of the present time, one of the names could be Tiger Shroff. Yes, I am typecast but this whole thing has given me an identity and made me stand out. It makes me feel good.”
Besides, his appeal his inspirational. Tiger says, “Youngsters want to be like heroes. They put their poster on the wall and admire them. As an action hero, I want to have some meaning in my life, and I want to touch many hearts.” For Tiger, the best part of being an actor is that he can “touch and stir some emotions in thousands of people and then return the love that they give you for your work. However, the worst is that you don’t get enough time for your loved ones.”
Talking about his evolution since the time of Heropanti (2014), the actor says, “I have grown more aware since that time. The more you do something, the more tricks you have up your sleeve. At that time, I was very raw, naive, fresh, simply unaware, and also very sheltered from the world. There was this entire baggage of being my father’s son. I had so many insecurities. I would constantly think about how will I look in front of the camera confidently. How will I say a certain line? How will people think of me? How will I perform the action? What if I hurt someone? There were a plethora of thoughts. I think today I can channelise those thoughts, put them into a framework and work accordingly.”
