JOIN US'Tell your producers I can sing and dance'
Though he has not worked in any of the Bollywood films, action superstar Jackie Chan likes 2009 comedy blockbuster hit 3 Idiots, starring actor Aamir Khan. “I loved the music of 3 Idiots,” says Chan, who was recently in the City for the inauguration of the Chinese Film Festival.
But it is not his first visit to the country Chan has visited India before and worked with Bollywood actress Mallika Sherawat, who appeared in his 2005 film The Myth. “I shot the film for a month here. During this period, I watched a lot of television and was impressed with all the singing and dancing in Bollywood films,” Chan recalls.
Quiz him why hasn’t he considered working in any Bollywood film so far and Chan says, “Indian directors give me good roles and don’t just ask me to do action. I am a pretty good actor and not just a fighter.” And then with a smile he added, “Also, I can sing and dance. Tell your producers that.”
The actor feels that the Bollywood films are aren’t promoted well globally. “I think Indian films have the best choreography in the world. So many good Bollywood entertainers were never really introduced to the world. I feel not enough global promotion is done for your films,” says Chan.
And, for this reason he wants India and Chinese film industry should work together hand-in-hand. Chan says, “We are here for collaborations. I like cooperation, but the script is very important. We need good Indian writers to write about China and Chinese writers to write about India. We need a good producer to make a good Indo-Chinese film. If both countries can work on a joint project we will make one version for India and the other for the rest of the world.”
With that Jackie also aspires to be recognised as a multifaceted star and not as action star only. “Action stars have a shelf life. Actors go on till 70 or 80. I want people to say Jackie is a good actor who can also do action. I want to be the Robert De Niro of Asia,” says Chan.
Commenting on the planned musical version of the actor's memoirs I am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action, the actor explains, “The musical will have no dialog, so it is universal. We will definitely release it in India.” As for his other potential projects, Chan says he was waiting for the script of The Expendables 3. “I will ask Sylvester Stallone if I am in or out,” he says.