Chuck Russell says,`I've been to India four times in the last five years and have long wanted to tell stories that have an international connect. The success of The Mask internationally showed me how action and comedy could cross boundaries. I broke some rules in the West and added a little song and dance to The Mask. So, when I had two scripts set in India in development, I was open to meeting new actors and was knocked off by Vidyut's talent. He is a very special guy, who fits my style of filmmaking and understands it. We've taken Vidyut's performance to the next level in Junglee".
Vidyut Jammwal is Bollywood's one of the best action heroes, and Vidyut has admitted that he is feeling some pressure when it comes Junglee. He said,"The pressure is on me because I am representing India"
Vidyut further informed that every time he would discuss a daredevil stunt with Chuck he would share his experiences of working with Dwayne Johnson on The Scorpion King or directing Arnold Schwarzenegger in his 1996 blockbuster-actioner Eraser.
Vidyut shared,"These guys are action legends and Chuck used to tell me how he'd seen them perform high-octane stunts with pizzazz. So, when I suffered an injury on set recently and bounced back almost immediately, I felt proud of myself, more so when Chuck told me that any other actor would have asked for a break. That was my big moment!`
As the film has several Kalaripayattu sequences Vidyut has trained in several animal-like body movements.
Vidyut Jammwal adds,"We have done a Kalaripayattu-style aaradhana, using trunk-like motions. In nature, every animal has his own salutation, and Kalari draws from these movements, which you can see in the film too`
The makers of Junglee have collaborated with stunt co-ordinators from across the globe which kicked off in Thailand in December. The second schedule is presently underway in Mumbai. Vidyut Jammwal says `Living and learning with animals is a completely different experience. I'm 80 kg and was performing in front of an elephant who weighed 3000 kg. One whack of his tail and I would suffer a fracture,`
Vidyut Jammwal did suffer an injury on set to which Chuck Russell shared that athletes and martial artists like Vidyut always push their bodies to the next level. The actor hurt his head during one such sequence. Chuck added,"Luckily, no elephants or other animals were a part of the sequence. There is a stringent safety protocol that limits all risks but we had a slip-up. It's the kind of scene where we bring spectacular action to the screen and Vidyut came right back on the set after his injury.`
