We had to do better than Commando,” is the simple explanation given by filmmaker Vipul Shah as to why the Skyfall action director Greg Powell was roped in to work on Akshay Kumar for the Hindi remake of the Tamil film Thuppakki.
Apparently, Akshay brilliant action under Powell’s supervision is on a par with Daniel Craig’s in Skyfall.
"With Hrithik pulling out all stops with his stunts -- directed by Tony Ching (of House Of Flying Daggers and Soccer Shaolin fame) -- Akshay asked his producer Vipul Shah to take the action in the Thuppakki remake to another level. That’s when Powell was brought in,” says a source.
“Akshay is the most authentic action hero of our cinema. In this film, his combination with Powell will leave all other action scenes in Bollywood far behind,”
Greg Powell was asked to keep the action as normal and credible as possible. Apparently, the action in the Thuppakki remake will not be like the outlandish kicks and somersaults of the Rowdy Rathore variety.
Says Vipul, “Greg was in Mumbai for two weeks. He did some of the most amazing action scenes with Akshay. I am confident this film will take action in our films to another level.”
Reacting to reports that the film is titled Pistol, Vipul smirks, “Some have even written that the film is titled Attack. Please grant us with more imagination than this. I can assure you we will find a less banal title than Pistol or Attack.”
In the picture: Akshay Kumar in a Levis ad.
