15 august 2024 : At the time of delivering the now-iconic monologue in Vipul Amrutlal Shah’s film Namastey London, Akshay Kumar had not yet established himself in the patriotic film genre. In this pivotal scene, Akshay’s character articulates India’s rich cultural heritage and diversity to a British individual, a moment that resonated deeply with audiences then and continues to be cherished by fans today. In a recent interview, Vipul discussed the creation of this scene, emphasizing the extensive collaboration with the writers to ensure that each line was both impactful and succinct. He also noted a shift in the local British crew’s perspective as they gained insights about India during the filming of this particular scene.
Vipul acknowledged the contributions of his writers, Suresh Nair and Ritesh Shah, revealing that they dedicated over three months to refining this scene, making adjustments right up until the morning of the shoot. Reflecting on the reactions of Akshay and Katrina, Vipul shared with Pinkvilla, “Although Akshay and Katrina were familiar with the script and this scene, I kept assuring them that I would provide an improved version. When they finally read it, they exclaimed, ‘Vipul, this is outstanding, it’s going to be a major success.’”
Vipul instructed Akshay and Katrina to maintain simplicity in their performances, expressing his confidence in the potency of the dialogue. “I advised both of them to keep it straightforward. There was no need for exaggerated expressions; just deliver it as politely as possible, and it would resonate,” he explained. He further mentioned that both actors became so “emotionally engaged” that they completed their dialogue in a remarkably short time. “I wrapped up Akshay and Katrina’s parts in less than two to three hours due to their emotional investment,” he added.
When inquired whether the actors had improvised during the scene, the director promptly responded in the negative, stating, “Not in this scene. I didn’t allow.” For Akshay, who had primarily been recognized for his roles in action and comedy up to that point, this marked one of his initial monologues where he expressed his patriotic sentiments. Vipul reflected, “This was the first occasion that Akshay delivered a significant monologue, and prior to this, he had not engaged in many monologues of this nature, so I was quite eager to observe his approach.”
Discussing the scene’s impact, Vipul noted that while filming, he observed the crew’s astonishment as they absorbed the information about India. He mentioned that they had brought only 12-13 crew members from India, while the remaining approximately 300 crew members were from the UK. “Some of the British crew remarked that we must be fabricating this information, asserting it couldn’t be true, to which we responded that every line is factual, and they were taken aback. The transformation initiated by the scene was already evident during the shoot, and witnessing this reaction energized both the unit and the actors,” he explained, adding that the Indian crew began to feel a sense of empowerment in comparison to the larger UK crew.
