Mired in controversy Sandeep Vanga’s Kabir Singh has become a raging success, ‘raging’ being the key word.
“Very frankly I knew the Hindi version would connect as much with the audience as the Telugu version did. But I never expected Kabir Singh to do so well. Of course there are speedbreakers (the critics’ reaction, the feminist interpretations of Shahid Kapoor’s abrasive characters). But nothing can take away from the wholehearted love the audience has given us,” says Sandeep happily.
He now prepares to direct his next ,and is willing to share some details.
“My next film will be a crime thriller, a totally different universe from Arjun Reddy and Kabir Singh. Would it be in Telugu or Hindi? Probably both the languages. I’ve now started working on the script. But for now, after giving five years of my life to Arjun Reddy and Kabir Singh I am spending some time with my family. The last few years I’ve been travelling back and forth between Hyderabad and Mumbai. I finally have some time for myself and my family.”
Sandeep is taken back by the enormity of the success of Kabir Singh.
“I knew it would work. But to this extent? Never! I thought I had already said what I had to in Arjun Reddy. But I ended up directing the sequel.And in spite of so many scenes being identical in Arjun Reddy and Kabir Singh, I’ve managed to make the re-make walk and dance to its own music.”
Speaking on the exact moment when Sandeep realized that Kabir Singh would work as effectively at the boxoffice as the original Telugu film, Sandeep says, “The day after Kabir Singh released I was persuaded by the team to visit Mumbai’s monumental Gaiety-Galaxy twin theatres. I was curious. Why was the responses at these landmark single-theatres so essential? But when I reached Gaiety-Galaxy I knew this was the audience that made or unmade a film. The crowds were cheering, screaming, jumping on their sets. That’s when I knew Kabir Singh would be as big a success as Arjun Reddy, if not bigger.”
Kabir Singh is now a bigger success than Arjun Reddy. “I knew it would connect with the youth. But I never imagined the connect would be so deep.”
Sandeep is just…relieved. “When the reviews came out I was worried they’d affect the collections of Kabir Singh. But that didn’t happen. I’ve given five years of my life to Arjun Reddy and Kabir Singh. I am exhausted but also very very happy. For those who think I am angry, all I can say is, That’s not me. That’s Kabir Singh.”
