With 24 just a few months away, the final details of the show are being worked out. And we’ve already established that Anil Kapoor is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that all details of the show are perfect. In that line of events, Anil has finally zeroed down on a name for his character. His character, that of an anti-terrorist agent, will be called Jai Singh Rathod.
Not only does the name hark back to Kiefer Sutherland’s name Jack Bauer in the original 24 series, it is also symbolic in the Indian context. Explains Anil, , “A lot of thought went into naming this character. We wanted a name that symbolises what the character stands for and not just because it sounds good. Jai as we all know means the victorious one, Singh literally means lion or lion-hearted and Rathods are Rajputs with warrior blood. So we went with Jai Singh Rathod.”
Not just the name, Anil has taken pains to decide the look of the character. Since it is the first time that such a character will be portrayed on Indian television, Anil wanted the look to be path-breaking. And this responsibility has been entrusted to young designer Kunal Rawal. Kunal’s styling in films like Aisha, Desi Boyz and Teri Meri Kahaani has been appreciated by all. And when Anil found out that he was keen to work on 24, he decided to rope him in. Anil says,” When we were working on Shootout At Wadala, Kunal expressed his keen desire to style me for 24. Seeing his passion, I spoke to Abhinay (Deo, director of 24).”
Armed with the brief of making the character look as real and aspirational as possible, Kunal designed a look that revolves around cotton shirts, trousers and jackets. Kunal says, “We’ve given him a very raw, rugged and almost menacing look, compared to the chic and fashionable one that Anil has been sporting the last few years, his look and clothes will help him blend with the crowd rather than stand out.”
So there you go. Anil Kapoor, aka Jai Singh Rathod, will be seen on the streets of Mumbai in his rugged look to hunt down terrorists before they hurt the nation. And don’t tell us you are not looking forward to seeing how that plays out.
