The family entertainer, Waqt – The Race Against Time, released 17 years ago, on April 22, 2005, and is fondly remembered even today. It told the story of a father who realizes he has a terminal illness. How he takes a harsh step to ensure that his son becomes a responsible man forms the crux of the film. The film was loved due to the concept, music, comic scenes and of course the performance of the lead actors, Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar.
In an exclusive interview with NEXSTAR MEDIA, producer-director Vipul Shah opened up about the process of casting these two talented performers. He said, “I narrated this idea to Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar while we were shooting for Aankhen (2002). They both came on board. Amit ji even came and saw the play ‘Awajo Vahala Phari Malishu’, from where Waqt – The Race Against Time was adapted, and loved it.”
Vipul Shah continued, “As for Akshay Kumar, he has always had a soft spot for father-son stories because he was very close to his father. So, for him, the story worked the day I narrated it to him.”
The film gave Vipul Shah to turn producer, “I then kept waiting for the right partner. I met some very senior producers but things didn’t work out. Finally, Manmohan Shetty came on board. He didn’t produce but he backed the movie and he told me to start my banner. That is how the film took off.”
When asked who would he like to cast if a remake of Waqt – The Race Against Time is to be made now, Vipul Shah replied, “It’s a very difficult question to answer because replacing Amitabh Bachchan or even Akshay Kumar is not possible. However, if Akshay is ready, I’d say that he should play the father and a younger actor be cast as the son. It’ll be amazing to redo it that way!”
