Vidyut Jammwal: ‘IB71 is the journey of 30 Indian secret service agents. There are 30 heroes’

Vidyut Jammwal in a still from 'IB 71'.

Vidyut Jammwal is known and admired for his skillful work in action films such as the three Commando films in which he played Captain Karanvir Singh Dogra. His last release was Khuda Haafiz: Chapter 2 — Agni Pariksha (2022) in which he reprised the role of Sameer Chaudhary that he first played in 2020 in Khuda Haafiz. After approximately a decade as an actor, the 42-year-old martial-arts proponent, decided it was time to start producing films. A period action spy thriller, IB71 (releasing May 12, 2023) is his company Action Hero Films’ debut feature film starring Jammwal, Anupam Kher, Vishal Jethwa and others. Jammwal spoke about why he decided to produce films and future plans. Edited excerpts:

You are best known as a talented and skilled action star, but this, the action in IB71, is not very physical, but more strategic. Is this shift in genre also strategic for you as an actor?

People believe I can do everything physically. While I love that and I've been doing it, it was time for me to decide what I want to do next. Why not give people something different, which has more of mental action and little bit of political action. It was more about me taking a leap of faith. I just wanted to do it for me because I believe people would like to see me doing other things too. So why not a spy thriller with some action. I'm really enjoying whatever comes to me. Anything that lights up something in me, I want to be a part of. That's the only formula I am working on. I know if I get excited about something. I will keep doing action roles, it keeps me very happy. Being a producer and getting everything together just the way you thought the producer should do it is also a high that I am enjoying.

Vidyut Jammwal in a still from 'IB 71'.

How did you come across this story of an air force officer who strategises to block airspace to prevent an attack by enemy countries?

My father was in the Indian Army. So I've been an army kid. My whole family, I've known so many people who were in the army. I went to a boarding school called the Army Public School. I've had friends who sacrificed their lives in the Kargil War. My uncle also gave his life for the country. I was raised in this kind of environment. So, when it was for me to choose a subject, I was drawn to this incredible story about the Intelligence Bureau which is hardly spoken about. We play RAW agents. These officers are the unsung heroes. They don’t want to be celebrated and they love their job. I wanted to tell the whole nation about this story which has never been spoken about. Now time has passed, the government is okay with the story being told, so, I thought why not speak about these heroes. A friend of mine actually came up with the seed of the idea. I took that seed and approached Sankalp Reddy who had directed The Ghazi Attack (2017). He, too, got very excited about it. It is exciting to let people know what the Indian secret service is about.

Several stories about cross-border issues tend to veer towards jingoism or nationalism. Was there an effort to give a balanced point of view in IB71?

This is based on a true story that has never been spoken about. When we were on the storyboard and listening to all the thoughts, the ideas, the information, one thing was common — the enemy is not dumb, it is not weak. So, that was the strongest part of the story. The reality is, the enemy is more intelligent than us in most cases. So, there is no jingoism. Everything is really real. It’s the journey of these 30 Indian secret service agents. There are 30 heroes.

Going by the trailer, it seems to be a very male-dominated story, with heroes. Are there any significant female characters at all?

The basic information in the Intelligence Bureau (IB) was mostly held by men. Very few women went ahead, but there were a few. So yes, we do have a few women in the film. But there is no romance. If you know the love story of a spy, then the spy is really doing a bad job.

What made you decide to produce this film?

Honestly, I had never planned this. As somebody who doesn't come from the film industry, the basic thing was to first get work, then start getting recognised, and then reach a stage where you start enjoying being a part of the film industry. In the last five years, I really enjoyed being a part of the industry as an actor. It's only after that that I thought, perhaps, I should make movies and back movies that I really believe in. When producers come to me, I have three or four projects out of which I would choose what's best for me. Now, I know a few people who would like to work with me, so why not produce? That's how the producer journey started.

A still from 'IB 71'.

And what was the biggest learning for you as a producer, as well as the biggest challenge, in making IB71?

As an actor, because I've watched my producers on set, from the south to now, I realised that if I have had fun on a movie set — and by fun I mean was I happy being on that movie set — then all those movies have worked. It's not only about the hard work you put in. So, as a producer, I am very sure that everybody has to have a great time. To achieve that, for instance, there was no hierarchy on the set. Like the actors, director, every technician ate in the same dining room, anywhere they wanted. I have noticed on some sets that the director would mostly sit with the leading man in a room. I felt we needed to break the disparity. This is one of the few things I've wanted to do and I have achieved it. I could see a change. For example, when we were shooting in Kashmir — it was not easy to wake up early in the freezing cold but everybody was excited to be on set. It was a great team. So, my learning as of now is if you can have fun, if you can really make every person feel like the star, then they love to come to the job.

Any other productions in the pipeline?

Yes. I've already started working on a movie called Crakk: Jeethegaa Toh Jiyegaa! It's directed by Aditya Datt, who directed Commando 3. It's the first extreme-sport movie from India, which I am featuring in.

If you could do an action movie with any other Indian actor, who would it be?

In my life, the way things have been, I am happy to work with anybody who wants to work with me. I never think about who I would like to work with. But since you asked, I think Junior NTR, because I've worked with him in two Telugu films, including my first movie Sakthi (2011) and then in Oosaravelli. I started my career with him where I played the bad guy. He's a friend and I would love to be an action star next to him. Then Also Ajith who I worked with in the Tamil movie Billa II (2012), in which I was the bad guy again. He's such a nice guy. I would like to be in an action movie with him. And, of course, Tiger Shroff and Hrithik Roshan — 100 per cent.