Akira chooses martial arts over dancing. And packs a punch!
By – Kavita Shyam
Sonakshi Sinha has always shown a keen interest in doing action packed films. No wonder most of her films have had a fair share of action scenes, starting with her debut film Dabangg. Akira, Sonakshi’s next film up for release has her playing some hardcore action scenes, as the main lead. Action thriller, Akira focuses on safety for women in the country.
We chat up with the soft-spoken, level-headed actress about her film Akira where she plays Akira Sharma, a college student who does not shy away from beating up people. Get set to watch Sonakshi in some gravity defying kicks and deadly punches!
You are super-duper excited about Akira, your solo action oriented, woman–centric film?
Absolutely yes! Whenever I would see my co-actors doing action scenes, I used to be very excited and intrigued watching them on the set. And gradually, I’d get the feeling that I had to do an action packed film with high-octane action scenes. In the film, I have had a lot of fun punching and beating up people. Needless to say, after watching the trailers of Akira, people have been raining praises so it feels very good. It is a path breaker and a very liberating film. I think the movie is going to be a complete hit with the audiences!
What does the title of the film Akira mean?
Well, she is a well-behaved girl, but also very brave at the same time. The word has been taken from Sanskrit. It means graceful strength. My character in Akira shows tremendous grace and power. She is also a brave-heart. She goes through a series of incidences and situations in her life, she handles herself with immense maturity which also leads to her transformation. She shows the world that the woman of today is not weak by any stretch of the imagination. This is the real essence of the movie and my director Murgadoss has beautifully captured the true meaning of the movie on screen!
What do we want to portray about women and lesson for the fairer sex through the movie to the audiences?
No girl is or can be weak before any person. The highlight of Murgadoss’s films is that he clearly gives us an amalgamation of entertainment with a social message. With this film, we also want to convey that every woman should be able to take care of herself and defend herself from the world. For this, each and every school and college should make martial arts compulsory for all the girls. I recently went to a college in Mumbai and did a lot of events for them on self-defense. It’s not like I am of this opinion or giving out the message after doing this film Akira but from the film Holiday I have been putting out the message. I continue to do the same in future too! Look at the condition in our country, there is a need for women to feel safer and alert. She should be able to take charge, in control of any and every situation in her life. This is what we show in Akira.
What do you have to say about the saying- ‘It’s a man’s world’? Today women are winning Olympic titles and taking Bollywood on a global platform?
Today we have full-fledged women-oriented films being made. This is also because audiences want to watch such films in the theaters. The directors and producers want to also make or invest in such films. I am extremely grateful that I am able to do such heroic films. Besides, I love doing action oriented films. Today the audiences are mature and wise, men and women are getting their due respect in all fields. Going to Olympics and winning medals is a matter of pride for Indian women. Also, it strengthens the fact that women are at par with men. So obviously, it is a great time for women in India. We should encourage women empowerment in all possible ways.
Ours is a country which has had a high number of cases of female foeticide, a country where women are bringing laurels to its countrymen. What do you have to say to the people who believe in female foeticide?
To be born a girl and to have a girl child is a beautiful thing, a matter of pride. Don’t we say we are blessed with ‘Lakshmi’ when a girl is born? To kill a girl child is a dreadful practice in India. Thanks to media, the achievements of these young talents have been highlighted, and the awareness is being spread across the country. It is so nice to see that the entire world is watching our young girls, it is a very proud moment for all of us. We should simply kill the person who kills a girl child, they don’t deserve any suggestions.
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