Utkarsh Sharma: I don't prefer remakes

Mumbai, Sep 19 (IANS) Actor Utkarsh Sharma, who is currently riding high on the success of “Gadar 2” starring Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel, says he is not a big fan of the remakes.

Asked if he is interested in a remake of any classic Bollywood movie, Utkarsh told IANS: “I don't prefer remakes and I don't prefer remakes.”

Does he prefer working on action films like “Gadar” or is there any other genre he would like to explore?

“When I came to become an actor, I had never thought of genre. I just want to make films, perform well and whatever genre it may be, I want to win the hearts of the audience.”

“Gadar 2” is the fifth highest-grossing Indian film of 2023 and the eighth highest-grossing Hindi film of all-time. The first two installments of the “Gadar” franchise featured Sunny as the iconic character of Tara Singh. He was joined by Ameesha Patel, who played his wife Sakina and Utkarsh Sharma, who essayed the role of their son named Jeete.

Asked how he handled the pressure of being part of a successful film franchise, he said: “There was a lot of pressure obviously and it was not an easy task to bring a sequel to such a big film. So definitely, there was a lot of responsibility on the shoulders and there were a lot of expectations from the audience.

“We used to feel it daily. When we used to shoot anywhere, thousands of people used to come because a sequel to Gaddar was being made. Everyone has seen that film. So there was a lot of wait and I am glad that it paid off.”

Utkarsh’s father Anil Sharma was the brain behind the blockbuster films, which first released in 2001 and was a tragic love story during the time of partition of India in 1947, where a truck driver named Tara Singh fell in love with a Pakistani girl named Sakina.

The second Installment was set during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The film saw the return of Tara Singh in Pakistan to save his son Jeete, who was imprisoned by the officers of Pakistan.

How did growing up in a cinematic family shape his perspective of acting?

“The main perspective I have about my work is that it is all for the audience. I work for the audience and I live by their laughter or their tears. So that is the most important thing for me that when I am watching my movie in the theatres with the audience, are they feeling what my character is feeling? That is the only feeling I live for,” he said.

Talking about Gaddar 3,he said: “Work in progress.”

--IANS

dc/