The suave and stylish Akshay Kumar will go retro in his upcoming Diwali attraction Action Replayy. “Big bottoms, long collars, polka dots, vibrant colours – the 70s was so lively”, says Akki. But one thing most notable about his retro look in the film is his long mane extending beyond his shoulders. Ask him if there was any reference point for the inspiration behind the look and rather than being diplomatic, Akshay confirms, “Sunil Duttji was the reference point for my look”.
While ideally stylists would have sought inspiration from names like Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor or Vinod Khanna who were considered more flamboyant and the style icons of the 70s, Akshay Kumar’s look is derived from senior Dutt. While one might easily think of Sanjay Dutt when it comes to the long-locks look which he sported through the late 90s, not many might remember that father Sunil Dutt made men with long hair look dashing way back in the 70s.
“If you remember, Sunil Dutt sported the long-haired look in Zakhmee which released in 1975. My look is particularly inspired from that film”, says Akshay Kumar who also goes on to sing a popular song from the film “zakhmi dilo ka badla chukane, aaye hai deewane”. Action Replayy is about going back in time and mid-70s is the era when the story happens.
“I enjoyed the retro look though I had to spend around one and a half hours every day to get into the wig before shoot”, remembers Akshay. Director Vipul Shah adds, “We were shooting in Karjat (N D Studios) in summers when the temperature shot to 48-50’C. It was a task for Akshay to get into heavy wigs and not let the sweat show onscreen. It was really difficult for all of us to create a happy looking film when people around were fainting”.
Ask the director about the recent spate of films flashing the retro look from Om Shanti Om to Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai and Vipul Shah claims, “It’s mere coincidence. My film is based on a play that I worked in 1994 by the same name Action Replay. The film is a cinematic adaptation of that 1994 play and I was not intentionally following any current trend per se”.
But what’s so special about the 70s era that filmmakers love to revisit it even today? “The entire 70s was so colourful and vibrant and is identifiable by today’s youth”, says Shah. “Just notice how R D Burman’s tracks are chartbusters even today. People can effortlessly connect to the era even today. And that’s what Action Replayy is – a stylized recreation of the 70s”.
While ideally stylists would have sought inspiration from names like Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor or Vinod Khanna who were considered more flamboyant and the style icons of the 70s, Akshay Kumar’s look is derived from senior Dutt. While one might easily think of Sanjay Dutt when it comes to the long-locks look which he sported through the late 90s, not many might remember that father Sunil Dutt made men with long hair look dashing way back in the 70s.
“If you remember, Sunil Dutt sported the long-haired look in Zakhmee which released in 1975. My look is particularly inspired from that film”, says Akshay Kumar who also goes on to sing a popular song from the film “zakhmi dilo ka badla chukane, aaye hai deewane”. Action Replayy is about going back in time and mid-70s is the era when the story happens.
“I enjoyed the retro look though I had to spend around one and a half hours every day to get into the wig before shoot”, remembers Akshay. Director Vipul Shah adds, “We were shooting in Karjat (N D Studios) in summers when the temperature shot to 48-50’C. It was a task for Akshay to get into heavy wigs and not let the sweat show onscreen. It was really difficult for all of us to create a happy looking film when people around were fainting”.
Ask the director about the recent spate of films flashing the retro look from Om Shanti Om to Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai and Vipul Shah claims, “It’s mere coincidence. My film is based on a play that I worked in 1994 by the same name Action Replay. The film is a cinematic adaptation of that 1994 play and I was not intentionally following any current trend per se”.
But what’s so special about the 70s era that filmmakers love to revisit it even today? “The entire 70s was so colourful and vibrant and is identifiable by today’s youth”, says Shah. “Just notice how R D Burman’s tracks are chartbusters even today. People can effortlessly connect to the era even today. And that’s what Action Replayy is – a stylized recreation of the 70s”.