Neeraj Pandey Says De-Aging Ajay-Tabu in Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha Would Be ‘Abuse of…’ | Exclusive

The trailer of Ajay Devgn and Tabu starrer Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha was released recently and had everyone talking. The trailer revealed the lead actors, who are in their fifties, portray the love story of two star-crossed lovers in the same age bracket. This has set a new precedent. Usually, romantic angles between protagonists are reserved for young actors. At other times, we see heroes in their fifties and sixties serenading heroines half their age. But the Neeraj Pandey directorial has already received a thumbs-up for endorsing age-appropriate parts for older actors.

Interestingly, the younger versions of Ajay and Tabu have been played by Shantanu Maheshwari and Saiee M Manjrekar. At a time when de-aging through VFX has become a go-to option for most filmmakers, Neeraj walked the path less trodden. “We’ve done that only when it was the need of the story. Unfortunately, de-aging is being overdone now bordering on the abuse of technology. For this particular story, you can’t age Ajay and Tabu’s characters into 21-year-olds. That would look ridiculous!” he tells us exclusively.

And it is this novelty he believes that sets his film apart. “We were very clear from day one that there would be two different sets of actors to portray two age groups because that fits the story and that, I think, is the beauty of it. People change after 24. Our physical appearance changes,” says the Special 26 and Aiyaary director.

So, what’s his thought on older actors being romantically paired opposite much younger actresses? “I’ve got nothing against what has been happening. It should play out as long as the actors fit the characters and don’t become a sore sight. It’s a situation that didn’t come up suddenly. If we look back at the history of cinema all around the world, you’ll find such instances and that’s the way cinema has evolved or has always been – be it in the West or over here,” explains Neeraj.

He further adds, “It’s a trend that has now been ingrained in our society. Fortunately or unfortunately, there will only be certain films where you’ll see age-appropriate parts. It was the call of our film that there would be younger versions and there would be age-appropriate versions of the protagonists. We could pull it off because it suited the film.”

Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha marks Ajay and Tabu’s tenth film together and fans are eager to watch them together as lovers. Neeraj reveals that he wasn’t aware of their off-screen camaraderie but he always knew that they were the perfect fit for the film. “Two years back, when we were figuring out our next theatrical release, the germ of this film came to me. It was there in some form in my head before that but I didn’t actually sit down and write about it till two years ago. And Ajay and Tabu were my first choices. Having said that, I don’t know if it’s their friendship that translated onscreen because I know nothing about its background,” he concludes.