Remakes can’t be made just for commercial gain: Arjun Kapoor

By Shubha Dubey New Delhi, Sep 20 (PTI) Remakes are becoming the new hitformula in Bollywood, but actor Arjun Kapoor believes there isno point in retelling a classic if the agenda is to just mintmoney at the box office. The 31-year-old actor says there should be a relevantreason in the filmmaker’s mind if they want to revisit apopular classic. "Remakes can’t be made with just a commercial thought orfor monetary gains. It depends on a lot of things. Who ismaking it? Why is it being retold? Do we need it? Is itrelevant? "Remakes are very sensitive, you just can’t pick a filmfrom the past and turn it on the chair. There has to be aconcrete reason to why you want to retell the story that hasbeen told before," Arjun told PTI. The "Ki & Ka" actor, who has been roped in by Zee Classicas the new channel ambassador for their "Aaj Ka Classic"initiative, says he has nothing against remakes if the film canbe adapted to cater to the sensibilities of today’s audience. "I have nothing against them, but it has to turn outright. For me, ‘Agneepath’ was good, because the originaland the new film stand individually in the time they are set." Arjun says "Meri Jung", which had his uncle Anil Kapoor inthe lead role, is one film that he would like to remake as theindustry is still trying hard to come up with a decentcourtroom drama. "If I have to pick up one film that I would love to retellit would be ‘Meri Jung’. It was about a lawyer. We are stillstruggling to make a nice courtroom drama in Bollywood." Arjun says classics have been a huge influence on him bothas an actor and as a viewer. "You are the bi-product of the cinema you watch.Especially, if you are an Indian because they kind of dictatethe kind of movies we like now. For me, classics hold a veryimportant place as they define my choices as viewer and as anactor, in different regards. "Classics are a reference point in all my decision, butnot a conscious one, it’s just there at the back of my mind.Like when I do an ‘Aurangzeb’ I know the concept of double roleis something that Indian audience connects with. Even when I dosomething like ‘Finding Fanny’ I see that no other mainstreamactor has done a film like this before," he said. (MORE) PTISHDBK