15 years of Knock Out: Director Mani Shankar says, ‘Our country’s money is still parked outside: around $2 trillion’: Bollywood News
Director Mani Shankar Knock out completed 15 years today. Starring Irrfan Khan, Sanjay Dutt and Kangana Ranaut, the film addresses the issue of India’s black money piled up in foreign banks. Shankar spoke about the film in an interview with us.
15 years of Knock Out: Director Mani Shankar says: ‘Our country’s money is still parked outside: around $2 trillion’
What pushed you to embark on this project?
Knock out was purely ideological. Third film in my state of the nation trilogy. In December 16the idea was to show that the enemy is not external to us, he is within us and that the real danger always comes from within. In Charlie Tangois that the war raging within our own borders is the real battle we must win. In Knock outit is that our wealth plundered in 60 years by our own people and taken beyond our shores far exceeds what the British did in 2 ½ centuries – and it can return – if people are determined enough.
Was this the trigger for Knock out?
With this idea in mind, I decided to create a gripping thriller. Yes, the idea of Telephone booth inspired me, but more than that, the film Freedom stands still with Wesley Snipes was more inspiring. I liked the idea of ​​a sniper holding someone hostage and adapted it to Knock out.
The casting of Sanjay Dutt and Irrfan Khan was interesting
Sanjay Dutt performed masterfully. Somehow he slipped into his character effortlessly. For the first time, he played someone whose character kept morphing and changing – each iteration more spellbinding than the last.
Irrfan? Did you have any issues with him wanting the climax to change?
When at the end his character was shown to be real, he stunned the audience and his final demand as a shooter and hostage taker simply took their breath away. Irrfan was a genius actor. Yes, he wanted the climax to change.
For what?
Should I tell the truth? He didn’t want the film to end like this. He wanted to do the dirty work: betray his boss by changing his mind. But he wanted to die, not live. He felt ethically overwhelmed. He wanted to do the work, get the money, and wanted his death to tell a story of its own. We considered his suggestion. She had her strong points. But in the end, I told him that the public wouldn’t have wanted that. I convinced him and he accepted. Through the film, he never meets Sanjay Dutt, although they engage in all sorts of dialogues and actions. Even in the end he didn’t want to meet him, and he succeeded.
The previous ending was where the two men looked at each other in the last shot – a sort of recognition – “So it was you after all!” But Irrfan managed to pull through. I have to say it was a good ending. When two strong, strong-willed actors come together and the script pairs them equally, sparks fly, I suppose. I think Knock out was a thriller and a great performance film. Kangana didn’t have much role. Between Dutt and Khan, they deleted 85% of the footage. But she still did a super professional job and did her best. Just like others, Sushant Singh, Gulshan Grover. I think the theme of Knock out will far outlast the film. Our country’s money is still parked outside: around $2 trillion.
More Pages: Knock Out Box Office Collection, Knock Out Movie Review
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