'The audience wants content.''If your trailer lands, if your teaser runs, if people like the songs, they will definitely come.'
Rediff.com's Patcy N, Hitesh Harisinghani and Afsar Dayatar report from the Raid 2 trailer launch.
It's a bad time for Bollywood movies, and Ajay Devgn acknowledges it.
In 2025 so far, only one film has done well.
At the trailer launch for Raid 2, Devgn spoke out: "We are still struggling and not very sure what the audience would come for. We think we have an idea of how audiences have evolved and changed during the pandemic because of international exposure.
"We are adapting to it. We are struggling and trying to figure it out. It's not that Bollywood alone is not working. Around the world, some films are working and some are not."
Watch: Ajay Devgn explains why there is no audience in theatres
Is the hike in ticket and food prices a reason for the drop in footfalls?
"I don't think so," Devgn replies. "Because when the audience comes, the ticket prices remain the same. The audience decides which film to watch.
"Honestly, I feel the audience is not attraction to promotions. They want content. If your trailer lands, if your teaser runs, if people like the songs, they will definitely come."
Vaani Kapoor works with Devgn for the first time, and is blown away by him.
"His sheer aura, quiet intensity, screen presence and gravitas is inspiring," she says.
Is Devgn silent on the sets?
"No, we were pretty chatty," she says. "I am an introvert too, and it takes me time to open up. Sir was very kind and generous. He entertained my not-so-entertaining conversations. I love the fact that he is humble and grounded. He has a lot of humility."
Vaani takes over Ileana D'Cruz's role from the original film.
"I tried to play it with authenticity, in the most genuine way possible. I just followed the director's brief, the creators and the writers. This project showcases my talent differently. It's not aligned to anything I've done so far."
About the director, Vaani said, 'Raj (Kumar Gupta) sir has a great understanding and clarity about what he wants from his characters."
Saurabh Shukla was all praise for Ajay Devgn: "When we see his filmography, we can see that he has made all kinds of films. There was a scene in Raid, when Tauji (Saurabh Shukla's character) comes out with a gun. Patnaik (Ajay Devgn) takes the gun and shoots.
"Two guys were rehearsing the scene that we would be playing, when Ajay sir suddenly stood up and said that they were doing it wrong. He said that his character was a person who works in the income tax. He is not Singham. He will not shoot like this.
"When you do a larger-than-life film, you can rotate the gun and shoot. But an tncome tax officer, who has never held a gun, will not shoot like that. He has a great understanding of what he is doing."
Why did Raid 2 take seven years to arrive?
"It takes time to do good things," Rajkumar says. "It takes time to find good stories. We didn't want to spoil what we had made."
About working with Ajay Devgn, he says, "He pushes so many boundaries. He is the only superstar I have worked with but he challenges himself. He has been doing it for so long. We get inspired by the way he approaches his work. For a director, it's always great to see an actor or a superstar trying to get into that character."
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