Avinash Tiwary is not the kind of heartthrob who rose to fame as soon as he faced the camera. Though his first major roles were in Yudh (2014) and Yeh Hai Mera Sunday (2016), his claim-to-fame came with Laila Majnu in 2018.
A film written and presented by Imtiaz Ali guarantees a memorable movie experience. However, Laila Majnu’s fate was reversed when it was removed from theatres within three days of its release. The reason? Poor box-office performance, and that’s about it.
Instagram/Navneet Vishwakarma
That did not dampen Avinash’s courage and perseverance, and his filmography reflects that.
In the last few years, Avinash has showcased his talent in a varied range of projects like Bambai Meri Jaan, Kaala, Khakee: The Bihar Chapter, Madgaon Express, and quite recently The Mehta Boys with Boman Irani and Shreya Chaudhry, that has received immense love, and added yet another feather to his glorious cap.
In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, the actor gets candid about his idea of love, his journey so far, and the art of patience and deliverance.
Re-Release Of Laila Majnu
The trend of re-releases has been rampant since last year. Several blockbusters of all time, and some lukewarm movies, have been re-released in theatres. And some of them have gained such stupendous response, that the only question lingering around is, why now?
Precisely so, Avinash Tiwary and Triptii Dimri’s Laila Majnu was re-released in theatres on August 9, 2024.
And like a fresh gust of air that engulfs you, Laila Majnu swept the audience off their feet and there was a thunderous response in theatres. Fans flocking to watch Avinash Tiwary as Majnu, endless reels swamping our social media feeds with the title track O Meri Laila playing in the background was all the rage.
But did it bother Avinash, that the wait has been as long as 6 years since the release of the film?
Avinash says, “There are two steps involved in a film’s release. People go and watch it in numbers and it makes huge numbers, right? Laila Majnu did not make numbers then. And to some extent, and I might be wrong about it, my idea is that if I had made those numbers when it was released, it wouldn’t have become what it has become today. It is not about a film not being seen then. What probably worked is the sudden buzz that happened about it. And the rest is history.”
Where Are We Lacking Behind On Our Judgement Of Good Content?
Not one to mince his words, Avinash says we are indeed lagging behind as consumers to judge the value of good content.
Avinash adds, “Everyone tries all the way to sell certain things. We have not been taught how to buy. It is very important as consumers so that we are able to find value in the things that matter. And not use our attention on things that don’t have that.”
He highlights his own experience of how it has taken such a long time for the audience to understand the essence of his content. And when mediocre content gets celebrated, it is confusing for those who are squirming for a reason behind it, and wondering, what went wrong with my film?
The Idea Of Being A Real-Life Majnu
Interestingly with the rage of Laila Majnu all across, the title of “Real-life Majnu”, has also been bestowed upon Avinash.
The actor chuckles at the thought as he says he has no idea how to react to it.
Avinash expresses his idea of love, as he shares, “I think I’m very good when in love, I like the idea of being in love. I find a stronger purpose in life when I’m in love. Once I’m in love, it is forever, because the idea of love is eternal for me. I’ve always been fascinated by it. If God is willing, I shall have someone in my life that I can share all these feelings with. I hope that happens soon. That is where I am in my life right now.”
Favourite Bollywood Romantic Films Of All Time
Every movie buff will tell you that their idea of love has only grown from watching some cult romantic films. It’s a world of limitless imagination and infinite possibilities.
But Avinash takes you by surprise when he says his favourite romantic film, and it is not something you would guess.
He says, “I might get judged for this, but I think Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon! was a romantic film! Having said that, I am also a fan of the cult ones—Guide, Silsila, Kabhi Kabhie—all of those, of course. If you are asking me recently, in the last 10 years or so, I think Ranbir’s Rockstar touched me. Sadly we are hardly making romantic films anymore.”
Passion ? #YRF50 | #YashChopra | #AmitabhBachchan | #Rekha | #Silsila pic.twitter.com/lbRydqfOiJ
— Yash Raj Films (@yrf) December 14, 2020
The Mehta Boys: The Gift That Keeps Giving
Veering the conversation towards his latest work, The Mehta Boys, Avinash reacts to working with Boman Irani, the force behind the whole film.
For us viewers, Boman Irani’s iconic films such as 3 Idiots and the Munnabhai franchise show us the humorous side of the multi-talented artist. But Avinash begs to differ, and he has some funny reasons, and also a lot of love for Boman Irani.
He says, “Sadly, I did not get to meet the funny Boman Irani you are talking about on my first day on The Mehta Boys.”
Avinash reveals, “I did feel the pressure. I found someone who was like, ‘Listen, I’ve invested 8 years into it. Please pull your socks up’, that man pushed me. He made me feel that I’m one of the best actors in the country. He was so joyful. He is supposed to be funny and the shoot made the revelation happen for me of Boman Irani. During rehearsals, he was my father, but during recess, he was my director.”
Then Vs Now: “The Variety That Are Offered To Me Is Something That I Want To Celebrate”
It’s been a long and tedious journey uphill. As any good actor would say, Avinash is not a cent percent satisfied, but he does count his blessings.
Avinash says, “I’m as hungry as I started back then. But with time, my love for my craft has grown. I won’t be satisfied. I think I’m more challenged today because of that love.”
A look at his journey so far, and he says, “The variety that started getting offered to me was something that I wanted to celebrate. None of the films had reached out to the world. But the industry was still willing to give me these opportunities for me to create. It is just a validation of your hard work. My family and parents seem very happy in the last four years. So I think it’s all good.”
Having become the poster boy of love stories that Bollywood lovers so crave these days, Avinash is all set to star in O Saathi Re with Aditi Rao Hydari, a vintage love story against the backdrop of a contemporary world.
While not much details can be revealed right now, the Majnu in him has something up his sleeves and it is sure to strike a chord again.
