Actor Manish Wadhwa is roaring and how!! With Tara Singh aka Sunny Deol being back in action in the recently released Gadar 2, Manish Wadhwa who plays the role of Major General Hamid Iqbal has successfully created his own space and name in the film. Yes, with the film doing roaring business in the opening weekend at the box office, this Anil Sharma’s sequel to the 2001 film Gadar – Ek Prem Katha is surely going to stay in the hearts of masses for a long time.
IWMBuzz.com had an exclusive conversation with Manish Wadhwa on the film, on his palpable energy and anxious moments, in the mighty villainous character in Gadar 2. Here is what he had to say when we talked to him prior to the film’s release.
Says Manish, “It is a big responsibility, a big opportunity and a big role for me. God is kind that I got it. Major General Hamid is a very cruel officer, and is always against Tara Singh, Jeete and Hindustan. He also has a different motto in life and when you watch the film that secret will unravel which is very interesting.”
To step into the shoes of the Late Veteran actor Amrish Puri was a tough task for Manish Wadhwa. Talking about this, Manish states, “Yes, I was scared and tense as I took up this role. As I said, everyone wondered how the sequel to Gadar will be made without Amrish Puriji. Gadar- Ek Prem Katha is an iconic movie and to look for an actor to play the villain in Gadar 2 other than Amrishji, was a herculean task for all. When I took up this role, I felt that if people accept me as a villain in this film, that will be a big achievement for me. No one can touch Amrishji in his craft. He is my favourite too. It was a big moment when this role fell into my lap,” he adds.
Talking about this overall experience, Manish states, “There is a lot of layering in this character against Tara Singh. Working with Sunny Deol Paaji was a great experience. He is a calm human being. The kind of advice he gave to the team and me while shooting, are huge takeaways. I was observant when he was shooting. Sunnyji was totally focused, having his complete homework done.”
Gadar 2 is a film made for all age groups. “Gadar 2 is full of everything – dance, music, drama, action, wholesome entertainment. You can watch it with everyone in the family. Kids and elder people will love to watch it. It is a total family entertainer. The film is about Nationalism and you will have a patriotic feel above all.”
So we are finally seeing people getting back to cinemas after the pandemic break. What do you feel? “Yes, you can see that in the last two years, a lot of South films have worked. There was Pathaan. If the content is good, people will watch it. Cinema is a different ball game. KGF, Pushpa, Kantara, Bahubali etc have brought back the audiences to films. Shah Rukh Khan showed his mark with Pathaan.”
What do you have to say about the recent trend of people terming a film as a hit or flop with the opening weekend results? “No, I don’t agree with that. If you look at the past too, there are many films which have not done well in the first few weeks. The biggest example of this is Sholay. The word of mouth that happened for the film made it to the history books. Word of mouth for films exist for a long time now.”
“Gadar is in itself a brand. Audiences made what Gadar was. It is a nostalgic film. And now with Gadar 2 being back, the ‘Lion’ Sunnypaaji is there to win hearts. The music and dialogues are wonderful. Anil Sharmaji has really given his everything to this film. He is very emotional about this film. So lots to look forward to,” he says about expectations.
On what he personally feels, “I am not looking at anything else, as of now. I am not ready to divert myself from Gadar 2. This role is very important to me. This has to be the start of new innings as a performer for me.”
Best of luck!!