Kaavalan is best than Bodyguard - Director Siddique

Riding high on the success of Kavalan, director Siddique is one happy man. Not only did the film, which is a remake of the Malayalam original Bodyguard, open fantastically to packed audiences, but is now also being made in Hindi with Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor.

Casting it right
One of the biggest strengths of the movie is obviously its lead cast — Vijay and Asin. "I had narrated the story of Bodyguard to Vijay three years ago, even before I had made the film in Malayalam with Dileep. He loved the script, but for some reason, the film didn't take off then. With Asin, again, I wanted to cast her in the Malayalam version, but that did not work and I signed on Nayantara. I think Asin and Vijay were a great combination in Pokkiri, and it was wonderful to see them coming together again," Siddique says.

A Stupendous Response
Siddique is obviously pleased with the response to Kavalan. "It has been stupendous," he gushes, "The film was entirely promoted on word of mouth publicity. There was not even a single ad or trailer before the film released. The story has spoken for itself and people who have seen both versions have told me that they liked Kavalan better. It is a very simple subject, but where it packs a punch is in the climax." But, the best praise of all, he maintains, came straight from the horse's mouth – Vijay's mother. "She thanked me profusely and said that she was very grateful that Vijay had done such a film." He adds, "I think the audiences in Tamil Nadu identify good cinema and that's one of the main reasons that the movie has done so well."

One story, many languages
After the shooting of Bodyguard in Hindi, Siddique reveals that he is planning to remake the film in Telugu as well. Making the same film in different languages can surely be a daunting task, but he takes it on as a challenge. "When you make a film in different industries, there will obviously be different budgets. So, every time the film is remade, there is a scope for betterment and needless to say, the opportunity to correct errors," he says. "Also, there is the creator's thrill," he adds shyly.

On Vijay  
Siddique explains, "Vijay's rough patch was not because of his lack of talent. I think in Kavalan, what worked was that the Vijay that people liked — with romance, humor and emotions — has made a comeback."