Akshay Kumar, Veer Pahariya, Sara Ali Khan and Nimrat Kaur starrer Sky Force has received a good response from the audiences and the critics. The movie, which is based on a real-life story, is directed by Sandeep Kewlani and Abhishek Anil Kapur, and Free Press Journal recently interacted with Kewlani and spoke to him about the film’s success, Akshay Kumar getting a hit and more…
How has life changed after Sky Force was released?
I still cannot understand anything. You know when you work on a project for three years, and once it releases, it gets critical appreciation, acceptance at box office, so you don’t know how to react. So, this is very different experience. I am feeling happy, and I am feeling good to see people’s reactions and reviews. But, I am also feeling like ‘oh this is over’, and now, I have to start a new journey. So, I am having mixed feelings.
Before Sky Force, Akshay Kumar’s few films didn’t get a good response at the box office. So, was there a pressure that now I have to make a movie that also gives him a hit?
We trusted the story and the role that Akshay sir plays, it suite him perfectly. So, we felt that we are making a good film, and it is shaping up the way we want to. Akshay sir has been in the industry for 30 years, so a star just needs a Friday to bounce back. Even Shah Rukh Khan sir’s movies didn’t work for three years, but then a Pathaan comes and it becomes a hit. So, when an actor gets a correct movie it definitely works.
Your movie is being compared to Fighter which released last year. So, when that film released in theatres did you watch it and did you change anything in Sky Force after watching Fighter?
We had started shooting for Sky Force in 2023. So, when Fighter released in 2024 January, till that time we had already shot for 50-60% of our film. When we saw Fighter, we got a relief that our film is different. Siddharth Anand is mine and Abhishek’s favourite director, he is a senior, and I have been a fan of his work. So, after watching Fighter we got motivated and we knew that our film is different. If you say that both the films are about IAF and fighter jets, so yes, that I can’t deny, but then Top Gun is also based on the same theme, and many films have been made on fighter jets.
Just a few days ago, an incident happened that a stand up comedian was attacked for cracking a joke on Veer Pahariya. While Veer has given a clarification that he has no involvement with the attack, what would you like to say about it?
I actually don’t know about it, I haven’t read it. I am away from social media from the past few days. After Sky Force has released, I am spending time with family and just enjoying the experience that I am getting, so I am away from social media. I am going to theatres, seeing people’s reaction, and talking to them.
You have worked with Ajay Devgn earlier in Bholaa and Runway 34. So, was there any plan to cast Ajay in Sky Force for the role that Akshay Kumar played?
Ajay sir had already played a pilot in Runway 24 and even in Bhuj: The Pride Of India. But, once I had mentioned about it to Ajay sir, and he told me that he is doing back-to-back roles of a pilot, so now he wants to do something else. One thing that I have seen in Ajay sir is that he always wants to do something different. So, there was a small discussion, but then it never went ahead.
Sky Force in two weeks has collected Rs. 105 crore at the box office. The movie did quite well in its week two. But, let’s wait and watch whether it will continue to do well in the third week also or not.
