Actor Vidyut Jammwal has been working in Indian films for 15 years, starting out as a villain and later carving a niche for himself as an action star. The actor is now making his Hollywood debut with the newest adaptation of Street Fighter. The 45-year-old plays Dhalsim in the multi-starrer film. Ahead of its release, the actor speaks to Hindustan Times about the differences between Bollywood and Hollywood, and what he hopes to achieve now.
Bollywood can’t compete with Hollywood using just money
Having worked in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu films for 15 years, Vidyut admits the Hollywood experience was very different from what he is used to. He says, “It’s very different from what we have here. Yes, the money they spend is phenomenal, but just by spending money, you cannot create phenomenal stuff. You see a different kind of planning, professionalism, discipline, and legal aspects. They are very particular about what they do. That is a big difference.”
In the recent past, many Indian filmmakers have mounted films on massive budgets, believing that the extra expenditure would allow them to give their films the quality needed to bridge the gap with Hollywood. However, Vidyut disagrees with this notion. He says, “If a person suddenly gets a lot of money, it doesn’t mean they will suddenly learn manners, too.” The actor clarifies that the statement is not a dig at Indian cinema. “I am not talking just about our industry, but about people in general, too. Money is not everything. There is a certain mindset change that needs to be brought,” he adds.
The standard of action in Indian films is now world-class
Vidyut says that the standards of action in Indian films have improved in the last few years. “Things have changed. We are doing excellent,” he says, adding, “The standard of action is very high here now. We get the best action directors in our films now. I get the opportunity to work with everybody who is big in India, also.” But the action star says that Hollywood differs in their approach to filming it. “The only difference there is the legal system. The laws are very strict, the insurance companies are very fastidious about what the actor can do,” he says.
About Street Fighter
Street Fighter is the third live-action feature-length film based on the Street Fighter video game series by Capcom. It features a large ensemble cast, including Noah Centineo, Andrew Koji, Callina Liang, Roman Reigns, David Dastmalchian, Cody Rhodes, Eric André, Andrew Schulz, Vidyut Jammwal, 50 Cent, and Jason Momoa. Directed by Kitao Sakurai, the film will release in theatres on October 16.