During my conversation with Karan Soni, who reprises his role of the nervous Indian cabbie/getaway-driver Dopinder in Deadpool and Wolverine, we get on the topic of Ryan Reynolds’s initial ideas for the film—one of them included a Rashomon (1950) style story with three different POVs. Ryan had also thought of the third instalment as an Indie road trip comedy with Deadpool and Dopinder just trying to get from point A to point B. “He actually spoke to me about this idea when we had done Deadpool 2,” says Karan.
“I think he was craving a film that was just conversational.” Karan added that it would have been a smaller budget film and they could have avoided multiple studio notes and “get away with weirder stuff.” However, there is an inkling of a road trip in the film, just that Wolverine is on the wheel and Deadpool has his redhead out of the window, feeling the lyrics of an Avril Lavigne song. Classic.
Excerpts:
This is the third time you have collaborated with Ryan Reynolds. How did your relationship with him evolve over the years?
It’s only gotten stronger after the first one. Deadpool was not a film many were rooting for (laughs). It was a smaller movie with a smaller budget, and even the studio was kind of ignoring it. But we all felt that we were making something special and we put a lot of hard work into it. I think with anyone who worked in that movie, Ryan feels very bonded with.
Meeting Hugh Jackman for the first time, how would you describe that experience?
Oh my gosh, yeah. I just remember seeing him walk on the set, and it was the same experience I had when I first saw Ryan. They just have this movie star quality, like, it’s hard to describe, but when they walk into a room, you just kind of stare at them, and you’re like, ‘That’s a star’. He was so charming and kind. He is famously known to be a nice guy. That’s essentially what it was.
If Dopinder had a superpower, apart from courage, what would it be?
That’s a tricky one (laughs). I think it has to be something like super speed, like the Flash because Dopinder is stuck in traffic so many times, poor guy. Maybe teleportation, that would be nice.
Like Deadpool and Wolverine, can you think of two other superheroes that would make a formidable team?
Well, I have to pair Deadpool with someone else. I would say Deadpool and Spider-Man. They have a relationship in the comics, which is very funny. The pairing of Ryan and Tom Holland seems exciting to me. Also, this might just explode the screen, but in my other dream world, Iron Man and Deadpool. With Robert (Downey Jr.) and Ryan and both of their sarcastic energies, I can’t even imagine.
Did you have a favourite superhero while growing up?
So, Spider-Man was one of my favourites. Also Iron-Man in a way, because I remember once I went to some store and there was this Iron-Man comic and my mom just bought it for me. I remember reading it over and over again. But Spider-Man was the one, because of the initial movies, the Sam Raimi ones, I saw when I was young. They meant the most to me. That character felt like a friend.
Back in 2016, the character of Deadpool was introduced to us with the Shree 420 (1955) song ‘Mera Joota Hai Japani’ playing in the background. This just got me thinking, which Hindi song would go with a Deadpool action sequence now?
You know, I just went to a Diljit Dosanjh show in Los Angeles, so I am going to say Lover, maybe (laughs). I am trying to imagine a pure Bhangra Punjabi song. Why not that?
Have you ever thought of working with an Indian director?
I mostly grew up with YRF and Dharma movies. So, both Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar come to mind. But if I had to choose one, I guess I would go with Karan because I can’t tell you how many times I have seen K3G and Kal Ho Naa Ho. I know Bollywood has evolved so much now and there are different things but I am nostalgic towards that old-school dance and masala of Hindi films.
What will be the future of Dopinder in the franchise? Is he finally going to become a superhero?
Frankly, I have no idea. I just go where they tell me to. But in this movie (Deadpool and Wolverine), Deadpool gets to enter the sacred timeline of the MCU. I think it would be cool if, in the next one, all of the other characters could become a part of that in a bigger way. But I don’t know anything about any of that and they shouldn’t tell me, because I might just tell everyone (laughs).