Although mega-star stand-up-comedian-actor Kapil Sharma’s latest movie ‘Firangi’ has a different ‘pre-partition’ subject according to its talented director Rajiev Dhingra, there are quite a few common coincidental similarities with ‘Lagaan’( 2001). Both the movies have their prologue ‘voice-over’ in the bass baritone voice of Amitabh Bachchan. Both have their main protagonist as a naïve yet rebel villager, shot against the authentic rural backdrop of the British era with foreign artistes in the cast. “But there are ‘no-cricket-matches’ in our colonial comedy movie, ” chuckles Kapil who plays ‘Mangaa’.
Strangely, one of the foreign (Hindi-speaking) actors Edward Sonnenblick who plays a pivotal role in ‘Firangi’, during his hilarious stand-up comic act in the promotional ‘Oye Firangi’ show aired on Sony TV, on Saturday night, kept referring to Aamir Khan’s inspiring ‘Bhuvan’ character from ‘Lagaan’ and even hummed a popular song refrain from ‘Lagaan’. Enthuses ‘Firangi’ hero Kapil, ''We are sure of getting a fabulous response for our heart-warming family entertainer ‘Firangi’ from both my Indian fans and foreign fan-following. Who knows, our film may qualify for international recognition as well,” smiles the spontaneous funster who is romantically paired opposite the charming Ishita (‘Sargi’) Dutta, while vivacious ‘princess’ Monica Gill has a sentimental bonding towards him.
Meanwhile, Kapil has received a lucrative offer from Hollywood from ‘ Bad Mamas’ who wish to make a Hollywood series with Kapil, with foreign co-star and the proposed name is ‘Comedy Curry’. “Once we go there and finalise it, only then I will reveal it officially,” shrugs Kapil who is secretly thrilled that ‘Firangi’ is releasing on December 1, the original release date of Deepika Padukone starrer ‘Padmavati’. The outspoken Kapil confides that he does have a huge ‘crush’ on Deepika and that it’s his secret dream to share ‘screen-space’ with her in a Bollywood movie.