Vidyut Jammwal planning 'Junglee' franchise

Pic Courtesy: Movie Still

Mumbai: Action star Vidyut Jammwal plans to build a franchise around his upcoming adventure film "Junglee".

The actor, who is a trained martial artiste, also said Indian actors are on par with their Hollywood counterparts when it comes to doing death-defying action sequences.

"We have had Akshay Kumar doing the 'Khiladi' series. I have done the 'Commando' series. Now we have 'Junglee' and we will have a series of 'Junglee'. 

"We are not lacking anywhere in action as compared to them. Indian actors are doing well. Nobody can touch us in action as we are doing really well," Vidyut told PTI in an interview.

American director Chuck Russell, best known for Hollywood movies like "The Mask", "Eraser" and "The Scorpion King", has helmed the action thriller.

Vidyut, 38, said he is proud he got the opportunity to work with Russell in his Hindi directorial debut. 

"I am proud and happy that we got a Hollywood director here. He is a legend and is making one of the biggest action films here. He is a brilliant man and we have brilliant people here as well." 

The actor, who is known for doing daredevil stunts on the big screen, said with "Junglee" there was an added pressure to deliver.

"The pressure is that I am representing India. Chuck used to talk about Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dwayne Johnson doing action. Working with a director like him who has worked with these action stars was a learning experience," he said. 

Vidyut said his training in Indian martial art form Kalaripayattu, which originated in Kerala, came in handy for "Junglee".

"We have used few weapons like 'otta', which is a rarity. It is made of elephant tusk and 'urumi', a double-edged sword. These are two authentic weapons used in India," he added. 

The story of the film revolves around a veterinarian (Vidyut), who on his homecoming to his father's elephant reserve, encounters and fights an international poachers racket. 

"The film is on elephants and protection of animals. There are a lot of animals in the film. Elephant is the central character. We are making a film on animal-human relationship after a long time," Vidyut said. 

The film will face-off against Salman Khan-backed "Notebook" on March 29.