Akshay Kumar Wanted To Make His Character In Sarfira Different From Suriya In Soorarai Pottru

Directing a film in two languages is a rewarding as well as a challenging endeavour, says director Sudha Kongara, who helmed Tamil hit "Soorarai Pottru" and its Hindi aptation "Sarfira".

"Sarfira", fronted by Akshay Kumar, released in atres on Friday. It is Hindi remake of "Soorarai Pottru", featuring Suriya. Inspired by events from life of Air Deccan Founder Captain G R Gopinath, 2020 original won five National Film Awards, including Best Feature Film and Best Actor.

Kongara said toughest part of making a film in different languages is to ensure that essence of story "remains intact".

"Directing same film in two languages is both a joy and a challenge. joy comes from being able to present story to diverse audiences and witnessing how different cultural nuances can bring new dimensions to narrative...

"Working with different actors on reinterpretations of film brings fresh perspectives, personalities and nuances to characters, which can be equally enriching and refreshing,” filmmaker told PTI in an interview.

plot of two films revolves around protagonist, who sets out to make common man fly and in process takes on world’s most capital-intensive industry with help of his family, friends and sheer willpower.

Both Tamil and Hindi versions stay true to narrative and spirit of story, said director, ding re are subtle differences in execution to cater to respective audiences.

In "Soorarai Pottru", name of main le played by Suriya is called Nedumaaran Rajangam or 'Maara'. In Hindi remake, character played by Kumar becomes Vir Mhatre.

Aparna Balamurali essayed Maara's wife, Sundari 'Bommi' Nedumaaran. role has been played by Rhika Man with a different name (Rani Mhatre) in "Sarfira". Paresh Rawal has starred in both versions.

" actors, Suriya and Akshay and Aparna and Rhika h completely different takes on ir roles, which have come out in ir respective performances. Also, ‘Sarfira’ focuses on entrepreneurial mindset of current generation,” she said.

Kumar’s versatility as a performer and his passion for bringing stories of unsung heroes to big screen me him ideal choice for Hindi aptation, ded Kongara.

“When I approached him with script, he was immediately intrigued by story and character of Vir Jagannath Mhatre. He also h a lot of new ideas and inputs on how to make his character and ‘Sarfira’ different from original and more suited to Hindi market which has me film richer.” success of “Soorarai Pottru” laid groundwork for “Sarfira”, she said.

“ universal appeal of story prompted me to make film in Hindi. protagonist’s journey is not just a regional tale but a story of hope and perseverance that can inspire people across India and cut across demographics,” ded director, who Hindi cinema directors Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Zoya Akhtar, Kabir Khan, Neeraj Pandey, and Shimit Amin.

Kongara said language of cinema transcends barriers.

“As a filmmaker, language doesn’t matter to me. If I get to work in Odisha cinema, or in Kanna I would love to make films in those languages too. In Hindi films, I would love to work with Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Mhuri Dixit, Shefali Shah, Tabu, Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Pukone, Alia Bhatt, and work with Paresh Rawal again as he’s a master.” From delving into his memoir "Simply Fly: A Deccan Odyssey" to unravelling intricacies of aviation industry, director said she spent almost a dece on researching subject because she wanted to auntically capture Gopinath's incredible journey.

" film required that kind of investment in terms of research. Like, reing his autobiography, meeting him, understanding aviation industry, and delving into socioeconomic factors that influenced his decisions.

"What particularly resonated with me was his determination to make air travel affordable for common man. His belief that everyone should have right to fly, and sacrifices he me to turn this vision into reality me an impact on me and became a central me of film," she said.

recurring motif of overcoming insurmountable odds is a hallmark of Kongara's work and it is evident in films such as “Soorarai Pottru” and 2016's “Irudhi Suttru”.

"It’s a me that’s close to my heart. se stories resonate with audiences because y reflect universal human experience of facing challenges and overcoming m with perseverance and grit," she ded.

With “Sarfira”, “dream” of a atrical release became a reality for director, who couldn’t release “Soorarai Pottru” in cinema halls owing to COVID-19 pandemic. Tamil film got a direct-to-digital release on Prime Video.

“re is a unique magic and communal experience associated with watching a film in a atre. big screen allows for a different level of engagement and emotional connection. I am excited to see 'Sarfira' resonate with audiences in atres,” Kongara said.

“Sarfira” also features Seema Biswas in a pivotal role.

film is produced by late Aruna Bhatia of Cape of Good Films, Suriya and Jyotika's 2D Entertainment, and Vikram Malhotra-led Abundantia Entertainment. PTI KKP RDS RDS