Spanish heist crime drama Money Heist has not only become one of the most-watched series on Netflix but also gathered a cult following in India.
Directed by Alex Rodrigo, the series revolves around Alvaro Morte’s character (Professor) bringing together a bunch of other career criminals who dress up in red jumpsuits and a Salvador Dali mask to rob the Royal Mint of Spain. The story is beyond just a crime drama and challenges the viewers’ notions of right and wrong.
Many film stars in India have openly spoken about their desire to be a part of Money Heist if remade in India. Many fans have also taken to social media to named their choice of actors to play characters from the crime drama.
During a recent interaction with Behindwoods, Money Heist director Alex Rodrigo was asked to select from a list of Indian actors whom he thinks will be best suited for the role of the 'Professor'.
Interestingly, Alex Rodrigo choose 'Thalapathy' Vijay to play the role of Sergio 'El Profesor' Marquina. He also went on to choose Ajith Kumar for playing Bogota.
While the director wanted Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan to play Berlin and Ranveer Singh as Denver, he wanted Mahesh Babu and Suriya to don the role of Tamayo and Suarez respectively. It will definitely be interesting to know what the fans feel about the director Alex's choice.
But for those who are yet to watch the show, Money Heist already has an Indian connect to it. Barcelona-based Indian actor Ajay Jethi got global recognition for his role as a Pakistan-based hacker the Spanish drama.
Ajay Jethi says he got to know about the global popularity of the Netflix show when people started following and messaging him on social media.
Jethi says his life has taken a complete turn after the fourth season of the show dropped on April 4 with people reaching out to him but the most special call was from his father, who was initially against his acting career.
"I didn’t know the series is famous worldwide, I thought it''s popular only in Spain. People were praising the show on social media, I received messages from on Instagram, there was a hashtag about my character Shakir. That’s when I realised the popularity is on different level,” Jethi told PTI in an interview.
Jethi, 39, is not new to acting, having played supportive roles in over 20 Spanish movies and TV shows, besides roles in a few Punjabi movies but this one clicked in a big big way.
Meanwhile, actor Alvaro Morte shared his views about the role of the 'Professor'.
To make his character interesting, the 45-year-old Alvaro came up with personality traits like the Professor’s habit of adjusting his glasses when he is nervous.
“I love to study my characters and include the physical point of view. I analyse the character from inside and then add gestures the physicality that, I think, goes along with the character.
“For this character, I inspired myself from the superhero universe. I find his glasses to be like a mask. I found a very specific way of doing it in this double movement. I studied a lot to include this in the character,” he said.
Asked about the change the show has brought in his life, Morte said it is a mixed bag.
"On a professional level, it has changed many things. I have many projects on the table right now thanks to the show. I feel really grateful. On a personal level, it has been difficult as I feel I have lost my anonymity."
(With inputs from PTI)