‘Agent Vinod’ is a bit of ‘Bond Bourne’ and ‘Tin Tin’ – Dinesh Vijan

A strong, well defined story, some unexpected betrayals and hidden corners, sensational locations, slick action but with absence of gadgets. If that’s the way you are looking at Agent Vinod unleashing before your eyes, you’ve got it right. Every era gets the Bond it deserves. Ours for that matter is known as Vinod, Agent Vinod. Ours isn’t just a strong and forceful but witty and crazy too. And when you have someone like Sriram Raghavan in the director’s chair you are sure to get challenged and how. Now there are many points of divergence between my personal aesthetic and Sriram Raghavan’s, but one point on which I’d surely agree is that there are few things in life more exciting than watching a tough woman kick ass. I’d also agree that Kareena Kapoor’s distinctive beauty and slender elegance make her a particularly fascinating woman to watch kicking some ass and serenade our Agent. To know more I had a long chat with Illuminati Films’s producer and partner Agent Vijan. Yes, it’s Vijan, Vinod and their Vision time!

“Agent Vinod‘s humour and the way he comes out of all tricky and complex situations is a treat to watch”
There is an inherent style that director Sriram Raghavan has and there is a certain style of storytelling that we as producers at Illuminati Films bring and this is the best association Illuminati and Sriram Raghavan could’ve had. The title of the movie is what the movie is all about – Agent Vinod. While the first teaser was more concentrated on the character Agent Vinod, the second teaser trailer spoke about eleven countries and identities. It’s a very relevant plot. The film isn’t about exotic locations but more about the agent’s journey. We knew from day one that similarities between James Bond and Agent Vinod were bound to happen. But what’s really interesting is the character of Agent Vinod. His humour and the way he comes out of all tricky and complex situations is a treat to watch. His spontaneity is what is entertaining. Agent Vinod is a bit of Bond, Bourne and Tin Tin.

“The one thing that we do very consciously at Illuminati Films is we spend a lot of time in writing”
The most important thing for me as a producer is that the story should connect with me. It’s very interesting to find a partner who shares the same ideology. If you narrate the same story to me and Saif who are sitting in different rooms, there is a 90% probability that if I don’t like it, he won’t like it or if I like it, he will like it too. That’s not forced. It’s a very interesting partnership. The one thing that we do very consciously at Illuminati Films is we spend a lot of time in writing – whether it’s Being Cyrus or Love Aaj Kal or Agent Vinod. We have a strong conviction in our product and I hope people see that conviction in what we make. Our intent is to make good movies. We share this equation with our director too. Sriram can wake me up at 2.30 in the night and discuss with me the next day’s schedule. That’s good content in the making.

“Agent Vinod has his own personality that’s different from Saif Ali Khan’s”
We went to Kolkata and the crowd went berserk. They were screaming Agent Vinod instead of Saif. The title creates a lot of awareness but I think his character will be remembered for a long, long time and will go down as one of his finest post Langda Tyaagi. Agent Vinod has his own personality. It’s very different from Saif’s personality. That’s what is special.

Saif once told me, “For twenty years I’ve been in this business, this is the movie that sums me up”
Saif is ageing gracefully, isn’t he? You are right when you said that he is the George Clooney of Bollywood. He said something very interesting while we were promoting our movie – ‘For twenty year I’ve been in this business, this is the movie that sums me up. Agent Vinod sums me up’. This is what Saif always wanted to do and the film has shaped up the way he looked at it. We as a production house are very anal and yet supportive in the type of content we want to create.

“Agent Vinod will have you applauding and at the same time generate whistles from the crowd”
We always say that an XYZ movie is a multiplex movie or an ABC movie is a single screen movie. Well, Agent Vinod will have you applauding and at the same time generate whistles from the crowd. It’s a smart mix of both the audiences. This film has slick action with quirky humour and the audiences are going to love it. A mix like this is a rare to find, especially when you have a director like Sriram Raghavan as the captain of the ship.

“Agent Vinod wouldn’t have been the same without Kareena Kapoor”
If you think that actresses in an action caper are just mere candy floss, think again. Kareena Kapoor in Agent Vinod has a pivotal part of the plot as Agent Vinod himself. What’s great about it is the fact that nobody else could’ve pulled this role off with ease, charm and vulnerability. She is splendid and we all know she is the most talented actress in the business. This character compliments that very well. Agent Vinod wouldn’t have been the same without her.

“My top action thrillers are Agent Vinod, Don with Mr. Bachchan and Casino Royale”
I’ll be biased and say Agent Vinod is currently my favourite action thriller. But next up I’d say is Casino Royale and Don with Mr. Bachchan. I love all the 80s action movies and I am a big fan of Mr. Bachchan.