It all started with a cab ride, fittingly enough. That's where "Dr. Cabbie" star, producer and co-writer Vinay Virmani happened to meet a Toronto taxi driver who used to be a surgeon in his native India, giving the young actor the seed for the idea that would eventually become his follow-up to the 2011 hit "Breakaway."
Directed by Quebec filmmaker Jean-François Pouliot in his first English-language project, the film stars Virmani as Deepak, a recent Indian med-school grad who immigrates to Canada only to find out that his degree isn't recognized. Forced to get a job as a cabbie, but still looking to follow in his late father's footsteps and put his medical training to good use, Deepak begins running a mobile clinic out of the back of his taxi, quickly becoming something of local hero.
Rather than tackle a pair of serious social issues like immigration and healthcare via a straight-laced drama, Virmani and Pouliot instead preferred to make "Dr. Cabbie" into a heartwarming romantic comedy, a lighthearted approach that they've credited with helping attract stars like Adrianne Palicki and "Big Bang Theory" fan favourite Kunal Nayyar.
Moviefone Canada visited the film's Toronto set last year, where we spoke with the cast and crew about their on-set shenanigans, Pouliot's seemingly boundless energy, and the movie's Bollywood-inspired touches. And with "Dr. Cabbie" arriving in theatres this Friday, here's a sneak peek at everything you need to know about the feel-good fish-out-of-water comedy.
It's Inspired By a Real Story
According to Virmani, that chance encounter in a Toronto cab served as the basis for "Dr. Cabbie," getting him thinking about an issue he never really gave much consideration to before. "As I did more research into this, I realized that there are thousands of skilled workers, whether they're lawyers, doctors, engineers, who are experiencing this, that their degrees don't carry over. That they aren't recognized in the country that they choose to immigrate to," explained Virmani.
"The cool thing about this movie is, yes, it's colourful, yes, it's loud, yes, it's fun," said Nayyar. "But this guy's story is real, and it's happened to so many people." Virmani agreed: "The theme of 'Dr. Cabbie' is a sad reality for many Canadian immigrants, but it's a reality for many immigrants around the world."
But that just gives the movie an added significance as far as Virmani's concerned. "The reality is that we do have a doctor shortage in this country," he explained. "The Hippocratic Oath that a doctor takes in Delhi or in Egypt or in Toronto or in New York is no different. The essence of being a doctor is the same. Just because you cross a border, does that mean that you're not a doctor?"
Appearances Can Be Deceiving
Despite the fact that they were confronting serious issues, Virmani and Pouliot still wanted to make sure that their film was entertaining. "It's the obvious choice sometimes to say, 'Oh, it's a serious subject, OK, make a drama,' " explained Virmani. "I said, let's flip it on its head and make a comedy. So you have your social elements coming through, but told in a way that will move audiences, uplift them rather than depress them."
"I like to put drama in comedy and comedy in drama, because it's the tension between the two that makes both of them work best," agreed Pouliot. Even so, the initial script for "Dr. Cabbie" was much more comedy-heavy, according to the director, who said, "It started like a true almost-Bollywood slapstick comedy."
"They've actually brought a lot more heart to the movie, which has grounded it quite a bit," said Palicki. "It's not a straight comedy," she added. "I think it's going to be a nice surprise for people to see something like that." Mircea Monroe, who plays Deepak's aunt Rani, agreed. "It's funny, but it's heartwarming," she said. "It has a real message and a real story."
Get Ready to See Palicki and Nayyar Like You've Never Seen Them Before
That heartfelt approach was exciting for the "Dr. Cabbie" cast, many of whom were actively looking for a change of pace. For Palicki, it was a chance to flex a different muscle coming off a big blockbuster action movie like "G.I. Joe: Retaliation." "I hadn't really done a romantic comedy yet," said Palicki of what drew her to playing Natalie. "It's hard to find really amazing female characters. Usually you're just the girlfriend or the love interest, but she has such an amazing arc."
"I've done comedy, but I want to do more of it and not get pigeonholed into one little thing," she explained. "It's just fun to do something different."
The same was true for Nayyar, who laughed that his "over-sexed cab driver" character Tony might surprise "Big Bang Theory" fans. "I think this is sort of the devil that lives inside Raj that everyone is excited to see," he said. "I know it lives inside me."
"I wanted to play a character completely different than what I do on television, on 'Big Bang,' " Nayyar explained. "It's very freeing to just have no filter," he added. "It's fun to play a character like that."
As for how he prepped to play the outspoken Tony, the actor laughed that he "Googled 'cool-looking cabbies,' " saying he also watched old Bollywood movies for inspiration. It all came down to finding the right look. "Physicality was very important to me," said Nayyar.
Jean-François Pouliot Wanted the Actors to Make the Characters Their Own
That kind of input was something that Pouliot made sure to encourage from his cast. "The nice thing is Jean-François was really adamant about all of us bringing our own personalities to each of the characters, and our own ideas," Palicki explained. "He's an actor's director."
When it came to Natalie, Palicki said that meant adding some cynicism to the hard-luck character, who Deepak meets after she's dumped by her former co-worker Colin (Chris Diamantopoulos), who got her fired from his law firm after first getting her pregnant. "She could easily be played as a victim, but I think it's less interesting," explained Palicki.
"My feeling is that the director is the owner of the story, the actors are the owners of the characters," said Pouliot. "It becomes a partnership." And that trust was appreciated by the cast. "We improv a good amount actually," Monroe said of her scenes with Rizwan Manji, who plays her on-screen husband. "A lot of times you can't for a lot of different reasons. But in this we have so much freedom."
"He has a specific idea in his mind, and he won't move on unless he's gotten that, but he's flexible to listen to another way of looking at it," Diamantopoulos said of Pouliot. "You need somebody who's open to ideas," agreed Manji. Still, Monroe was quick to point out that the director is no pushover, saying, "He knows when it doesn't work."
"I want that scene to say something precise," said Pouliot, summing up his approach. "If you gave it to me without saying that line or by twisting that line or by adding another line or by a silence, in the end, that's your decision."
Sometimes the Cast Got a Little Too Loose
"I don't know if it's something that has to do with comedy, but you know how sometimes actors don't necessarily mingle with each other? Now they're so much the best of friends that we have to tell them to shut up between takes because they just keep on blabbering," laughed Pouliot.
Virmani agreed that the director had his work cut out for him controlling the "Dr. Cabbie" cast, saying, "We were all like a big family. We just wouldn't shut up. I mean, everybody didn't want to go back to our trailers, we just wanted to hang out with each other."
The actor also confirmed that he and Nayyar were usually the main culprits. "Me and him have a hard time being disciplined on set, but we have our dad, Jean-François, who keeps us in line," he laughed. From the sounds of it, Monroe and Manji gave the two a run for their money. "We laugh so much. That's only when we get in trouble, because we laugh a lot through takes," explained Monroe. "Mainly when we're not shooting and we're disrupting the rest of the cast. I got shushed at the house," added Manji.
But it was all just a by-product of great chemistry between the main cast, Manji said: "We literally had one two-hour rehearsal before we started shooting a really big scene between me and Mircea, and we just clicked right away."
Which is why even when they were shooting overnight in the freezing rain, Nayyar wasn't about to grumble. "You dream about getting to be on a movie set and getting to do cool stuff. I love it! I never understand why people complain about it," he said. "It's playtime."
Pouliot Kept the Energy Up
"All of our actors are great. They all know the story we're telling, they're passionate about it, and it starts at the top," said Virmani. "It starts with our director who has just such a positive energy every day." And Nayyar agreed, calling Pouliot's gung-ho attitude "addicting."
"He's inexhaustible. And that's the perfect kind of person for a movie like this, especially where you have to have your energy up at three o'clock in the morning," said Palicki. "It's a trickle-down effect. He keeps the crew happy, he keeps the actors happy, he's happy."
And it was tiring just watching Pouliot run around the set, conferring with his cast and crew, then excitedly racing back to the monitors to re-watch the last take. "The weird thing is, he doesn't even drink coffee," laughed Virmani. "Whatever he eats for breakfast, I want it."
Chris Diamantopoulos Is a Pro ... in a Way
But Pouliot was especially enthusiastic when it came to filming the movie's villain getting his comeuppance. When Moviefone first walked onto the giant banquet hall set, Diamantopoulos' Colin was in the middle of being slapped repeatedly, while Pouliot gleefully encouraged the actress to "have fun hitting him. He deserves it." When I asked the former "Three Stooges" star about the moment later, he laughed, saying, "It wasn't in the script actually, but I think my 'Stooge' history proceeds me." (Take after take later, and the scene didn't even end up making the final cut.)
Still, Pouliot gushed about what Diamantopoulos brought to his role, playing a trust-fund mayoral candidate used to getting his way. "He had to be smart, charming, and an asshole," explained the director. "He's so good."
His co-star Palicki agreed: "I just love him as a person, and I think he plays the character so well. Almost too well." But Diamantopoulos said he had a blast playing the smarmy Colin. "There's nothing redeeming about him. Well, he's got good hair, but that's it," he joked.
"I saw this guy as maybe something Stanley Tucci might have done earlier in his career," said the actor. But as for whether Diamantopoulos used any real-life politicians as inspiration? "Not necessarily," he laughed -- a true political answer.
It's Got a Bit of Bollywood in It
"Dr. Cabbie" may be a proudly homegrown Canadian production, but between having Indian mega-star Salman Khan on board as a co-producer and a few Bollywood-style dance numbers included, the South Asian influence can still be felt.
"It's not a Bollywood film, but it has Bollywood elements to it," explained Virmani. "And I think Jean-François has really done a new take on Bollywood songs in this film, and he's brought a beautiful aesthetic to it."
Palicki said she and the rest of the cast had a great time learning the massive choreographed dance shot in the banquet hall, which was filmed over the course of two days and required hours of training. "That was amazing," agreed Nayyar. "I've never done that Bollywood-style stuff, and I had to rap in it, so it was fun. It was tiring. It was a 14-hour day, a long one."
Monroe and Manji got in on the fun too, even if they weren't part of the official choreography. "We danced anyway," said Manji. "Oh, we participated," laughed Monroe. "My feet hurt."
You Should Stay For the Credits
According to Virmani, moviegoers will have extra incentive to stay through the film's credits, which features a few more scenes of him and Nayyar, along with another extended dance number.
"We actually filmed a whole bunch of additional scenes between us that didn't make the film, but we've put that at the end as a little highlight reel, just for a little bonus for his fans and just to see all the madness that happened between us," explained Virmani. "I hope people stay till the end and they enjoy that, because there's some really funny stuff in there."
And considering all the laughing that was done on the "Dr. Cabbie" set, it's about time audiences got to join in too.
"Dr. Cabbie" opens in Canadian theatres on Friday, September 19.
from The Moviefone Blog http://ift.tt/1txaZAk
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment