Adil Hussain has continued to express regret over being part of Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s 2019 blockbuster romantic drama ‘Kabir Singh’, in which he played the college dean opposite Shahid Kapoor and Kiara Advani. He also claimed that even an offer of Rs 200 crore wouldn’t be enough to convince him to sign on for a film like Vanga’s 2023 blockbuster family crime drama ‘Animal’, which starred Ranbir Kapoor.
Adil Hussain says OTT offers provide him financial freedom
In a conversation with SCREEN, Adil admits he considers himself extremely fortunate to have never faced a dry spell in his career. What’s more, a steady stream of acting offers across languages, countries, and platforms has given him the financial security to turn down mainstream projects that pay well but clash with his moral compass, with films like ‘Animal’ being a case in point. “I’m one of the luckiest actors who’ve been offered roles from different parts of the country and the world, and from the mainstream genre as well,” says Adil. “I’m part of Operation Safed Sagar, Netflix India’s most expensive shows. So, they paid me really well. Another show, also releasing on July 24, is Musafir Cafe. They paid me very well too,” he adds.The actor, who also featured in Mitul Patel’s Mercy earlier this year, will next be seen in another English indie, Ali El Arabi’s coming-of-age sports drama 52 Blue. “When I say ‘paid very well’, maybe I’m being paid very little in comparison to other people. But maybe I’ve created my life in such a way that I can sustain. I’m very happy about that,” says Adil.
Adil Hussain had called ‘Kabir Singh’ misogynistic
A couple of years ago, on the AP Podcast, Adil had admitted that Kabir Singh is the only film he’s ever signed without reading the script beforehand. He labelled the film “misogynistic” and accused it of romanticising violence, adding that he left the screening just 20 minutes in and would feel embarrassed if his wife watched it. He further claimed he would “never” sign on for a project like Vanga’s Animal, even for “Rs 100 crore to Rs 200 crore”.
Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s sharp response to Adil Hussain
The very next day, Vanga fired back on X, accusing Adil of having “greed… bigger than his passion” and threatening to swap out his face using Artificial Intelligence. He also said he regretted ever knowing Adil, claiming that Kabir Singh had done more for the actor’s career than the “30 indie films” Adil had worked on throughout his career.
Adil Hussain hits back, cites ‘Mira Nair’ and ‘Ang Lee’
However, Adil didn’t let Vanga’s remarks go unanswered. In a conversation with India Today, he questioned whether acclaimed international filmmakers like ‘Mira Nair’, with whom he collaborated on the 2012 political thriller ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’, and Academy Award winner ‘Ang Lee’, who directed him in the 2016 adventure film ‘Life of Pi’, are somehow less renowned than the ‘Animal’ director.
