Bollywood star Mithun Chakraborty will be making his foray in Tamil cinema with Aadhi’s upcoming flick Yaagavaraayinum Naa Kaakka (YNK) which will also be made in Telugu as Melupu. The multiple national award winner Mithun was never inclined to enter Kollywood or even do other south Indian films in the past. He made an exception recently with the T’town flick Gopala Gopala, a remake of his Bollywood hit OMG (Oh My God) where he reprised the role he played in the original.
YNK is directed by Sathya Prabhas, who is the son of ace Tollywood director Raviraja Pinisetty and brother of Aadhi. Prabhas tells DC that Mithun initially said ‘no’ to them as he was not keen to act in a south film. “My dad who is producing the film, called Mithunji and asked him if he would be interested in doing a Tamil film. He was not keen and gave an evasive reply. But I could not imagine anyone better than Mithunda for the role I had conceived. I decided to fly to Mumbai and give it shot, asking for an appointment with him. He was in the middle of a shoot and gave me 20 minutes.
The first question he asked was, ‘When there are so many biggies in the south, why me?’ I replied, ‘The script needs you’. For a moment, he looked at me silently and his curiosity was piqued. He then asked me to narrate the full script.” The young filmmaker adds, “After listening to the script the Mrigaya star said, ‘I see talent in you. I want to be part of the movie’. And I was thrilled.”
The actor was more concerned about his part in the movie than the remuneration, he adds. “He didn’t speak about his pay but asked how many days of his work were needed. I said 18 to 20 days. He was generous and said, ‘take 25 days but make sure that whatever you promised reflects on screen’.” Sharing his working experiences he said, “Mithun appears as a south Indian attired in dhoti and cotton shirt with sacred ash on his forehead. I was awestruck with his performance. He emotes the intensity of the sequence through his eyes.”
