Hope Mani Ratnam praises my work in Ok Jaanu: Aditya

Actor Aditya Roy Kapur, who will be seen in the Hindi remake of Mani Ratnam’s Ok Jaanu, says he is looking forward to hear praises from the ace filmmaker. Ok Jaanu is the official remake of Mani Ratnam’s superhit Tamil film, Ok Kanmani.

“We have heard he (Mani Ratnam) has seen the film. He is the co-producer, so he would have seen the film and he has loved it. We are looking forward to see him praise us in person,” Aditya said. The Tamil version starred Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen in the lead roles, which is being reprised by Aditya and Shraddha Kapoor in the Hindi remake.

“It was nice to see Dulquer tweet about our trailer of Ok Jaanu. We haven’t met Dulquer and Mani sir (Mani Ratnam). We have been trying to meet him but he is out of Mumbai. The schedules have not matched. We are not lucky enough to meet him,” he said. The 31-year-old Fitoor actor says he is aware of the comparisons being drawn between Ok Jaanu and Ok Kanmani.

“When a remake is loved you know there will be comparisons. But you can’t lose sleep over it. One just has to make the film with the best of their abilities and the reason why it is made again is because it has been loved so much,” he said. “It (remake) gives us confidence more than pressure as the screenplay has been appreciated. You don’t get to taste the waters before every film except remakes,” he added. In the film, Aditya and his co-star Shraddha will be seen as a young couple in a live-in relationship based in Mumbai, and when the actor was asked if he would ever opt for it, he quips, “I have not done it before...so, I can’t speak about the experience.” 

Aditya thinks live-in relationship helps one in understanding and getting closer to the person he/she is with. “If I am in a relationship with someone, if I feel I want to live with that person for a while, I don’t see any reason why it can be a negative thing. Sometimes it also ends the relationship quicker than it getting dragged on for a longer time. So, it quickens the process either ways,” he said.

The VJ-turned-actor insists the film is dealing with the subject without being preachy about it.

“It is neither damning either side as it is not saying marriage is a bad thing. It (film) has an older couple with a very successful marriage and then you have this couple they are in live-in. The film is not just about live-in relationships alone. You are belittling it by saying it is just about that,” he added.

Ok Jaanu is releasing on January 13.