In 1992, critics slammed Suniel Shetty's performance in his debut film Balwaan.
Now, it is Shetty's performance in Farah Khan's Main Hoon Na, 2004's most successful film, that is bringing him brickbats.
You would think Shetty had been inured to criticism. After all, he has survived 12 long years in the industry.
But Shetty is very upset. He is not amused that critics have ridiculed his character Raghavan (in Main Hoon Na). There is no cause, he says, for them to write him off so completely. This is his take:
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I am very upset with critics. From the first day [since Main Hoon Na released], the media said, 'Main Hoon Na Na Na Na. Shah Rukh Khan Na, Suniel Shetty Na, Farah Khan Na, yeh na, woh na.'
And ek hafte baad, aap likhte hain [after one week you write], the film is a big success all over the country. Then it hurts.
Critics matter to me. I feel bad because you are just criticising and not doing the job of a critic. You are not reviewing or analysing the film – the high points, low points, what could have been done better, and how the actor needs to improve. You could have written Suniel is weak here and excelled there, but that was not done.
Tell me how Suniel can improve. I will probably appreciate and enjoy it, which I did when I first came in. I was always written off as a bad actor. I said, "Ya. It is a fact because I never went to acting school."
So, I went. I understood and analysed. Haan bhaiyya [Yes man], why am I taking it for granted?
But Suniel Shetty is not an idiot that he has been selling for the last 12 years. There is a reason why he still sells.
You see, the industry is going through a rough time [now]. Out of ten, two films do well. So the media needs to support the industry. They should look at films from the point of view of entertainment.
Shah Rukh Khan ki wajah se hi woh film chali hai. Main paagal hoon kya jo sochoon ki Main Hoon Na meri wajah se chali [Main Hoon Na did well only because of Shah Rukh Khan. Am I crazy to think the film did well because of me]?
Shah Rukh is a one-man industry. You have to accept that and salute him. Main unme se nahin hoon jo kehte hain ki meri wajah se film chali [I am not one of those who will take undue credit for a film doing well].
But I am one of the reasons the film is doing well. I have got a lot of credit for my performance. In spite of being the villain in the film, people have appreciated me.
Why is Main Hoon Na such big hit? Not because one billion people are fools, na?
I think Main Hoon Na is like the comeback of a Manmohan Desai film. Farah Khan made you laugh, cry and dance. From day one, Farah said she was making an out-and-out entertaining film, not a classic.
I had also said from the first day that this would be Shah Rukh's biggest hit – interiors and overseas. I had predicted the film would be a hit before the film released. And it came true.
Unfortunately, a lot of the media was irresponsible and criticised the film. They never gave it its due. Certain sections of the media are still pulling the film down. God alone knows why. We make films for commercial success, for commercial reasons. Unfortunately, the situation now is such that picture jab aaye [when a movie releases], the media rips it. So people have also started ripping it.
Aan bhi meri wajah se nahin chalegi, lekin sab ki wajah se chalegi [Aan will not work just because of me. It will work because of all of us] – Paresh [Rawal], Shatru [Shatrughan Sinha] and Akshay [Kumar], sab ki wajah se chalegi. [Aan releases June 4]. The success of this film will also be because of the producer Feroz Nadiadwala, because of the way he has promoted his film.
I think Aan will be criticised too [by the media]. The film has its plus points. It is a complete film. It is perfect commercial cinema. The film does not have the ordinary laath maar, yeh kar, woh kar [Kick, do this, do that] kind of incidents. Audiences don't enjoy that. They want their hero to do more than the common man can do.
Aan is the perfect blend of Feroz Nadiadwala's commercial sense and Madhur Bhandarkar's sense of content. If you analyse it, I will appreciate it. But if you strip me, I won't like it.
You know, when I saw Amar, Akbar, Anthony, or Deewar, or any Hindi film, I was the hero of the film. I sat in the chair, danced, whistled, and clapped. Even today, I enjoy a film. If you ask me, "Suniel, picture kaisa tha [How was the movie]?", I would say, "Timepass tha. Bahut accha tha [It was a good film]." That is because I enjoy the good parts of the film and forget what is illogical. If you go to see what is logical in the film, you will rape the film, not rip it. Main accha karta hoon lekin sab bura hota hai, kyon hota hai [Whenever I do good in life everything bad happens to me]. There is no logic in life also, yaar.