Would love to do something with Amitabh, Irrfan: James Bobin (Interview)

Mar 19,2014

New Delhi, March 19 (IANS) He lived in London's Brick Lane for 10 years, watched his share of Bollywood entertainers and now James Bobin, director of "The Muppets" and its forthcoming sequel "Muppets Most Wanted", says he would love to collaborate with Indian stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan Khan.

Bobin wants Indian viewers to soak in the "chaotic, colourful and musical" fun that "Muppets Most Wanted" offers.

In an email interview with IANS, the Los Angeles-based director shared the idea behind the sequel, which releases in the US and in India on Friday.

Excerpts:

Q. Are you aware of Bollywood?

A. Yes, I'm very aware of the Bollywood industry. In London, I lived in Brick Lane for 10 years, so I watched a lot of films in local restaurants...usually, quite bright classic 1960s or 1970s films, but in more recent times I'm a big fan of Amitabh Bachchan and think Irrfan Khan is great - would love to do something with either.

Q. What do you think audiences in India will like about "Muppets Most Wanted"?

A. For any audience, spending 90 minutes of your time with the Muppets should be chaotic, colourful, musical fun - so I hope people in India will like that.

Q.Some people feel characters like the Muppets only appeal to kids. Do you agree?

A. When Jim Henson created the 'Muppet Show' back in the 1970s, he very much squarely aimed at everybody - it was on in the evening in Britain and the US - and therefore really targeted at adults. But children of course also loved it because it was puppets and because it was silly fun.

I sort of feel the same now and ensure it works just as well for the 40-year-old me as it does for my six-year-old daughter. And I really think 'Muppets Most Wanted' does that. Adults, I hope, will love it.

Q. What inspired you to do a sequel to "The Muppets"?

A. I wanted to tell the story of 'what happened next'... having got the Muppets back together again in the 2011 film, I really wanted to explore where they would go and what they would do next. And of course, we do this quite literally in the film!

Q. In what ways does the new movie up the ante in terms of the entertainment it offers?

A. I think it offers more scope and scale...this one feels as if we are following different stories across a variety of international locations - London, Berlin, Madrid, Dublin, Siberia...I also think it is more of an out and out comedy. It probably has a higher joke count!

Q. Where was the film shot?

A. We shot the film primarily in Britain - with a few days on stage in Los Angeles. But the vast majority was at Pinewood Studios in London and on location in and around London.

Q. What do you think audiences will enjoy most about "Muppets Most Wanted"?

A. I hope they like all of it - the songs, the laughs, and the heart. Emotion is a very important part of any Muppet movie - you really care for the whole Muppet gang and I'm really pleased that people really have fond memories of them from their childhood.

Q. Will we see more Muppets movies in the near future?

A. I certainly hope so. This ending is very open-ended, and besides, Muppet movies often don't follow on from each other - so they could really do anything they wanted from this point.

Tags:

Would love to do something with Amitabh Irrfan: James Bobin (Interview) Irfaan Khan in news news about Irfaan Khan Amitabh Bachchan in news news about Amitabh Bachchan James Bobin in news news about James Bobin

Shah Rukh Khan's 'King' song leaked online? King Khan seen kissing Deepika; users react.

Dec 19,2025

It was claimed that the entire song from the film 'King' had been leaked on social media. The video allegedly showed Shah Rukh Khan romancing Deepika Padukone and even kissing her. Is this song truly from the film 'King'? And what was the reaction of Shah Rukh Khan's fans to this song

Happy Patel Trailer: This duo from Aamir Khan's film is back again with DK Bose; will this mark Imran Khan's comeback?

Dec 19,2025

The trailer for Happy Patel: Dangerous Spy, directed by and starring Vir Das, has been released. This fun announcement has generated considerable excitement for the film, which is set to release in January 2026. The film also marks the comeback of Imran Khan. A Fun Announcem

Esha Deol returned to work after her father Dharmendra's death, saying, "Don't misunderstand me as a daughter."

Dec 19,2025

The entire Bollywood industry, including fans and the Deol family, is still reeling from the death of veteran actor Dharmendra. Recently, his son Sunny Deol attended the teaser launch of his upcoming film Border 2, where he was visibly emotional. Now, following Sunny, Esha Deol has also re

After watching Dhurandhar, Ram Gopal Varma gave his review, saying, "This is a warning for everyone."

Dec 19,2025

While the film "Dhurandhar" is receiving widespread acclaim everywhere, how could filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma be left behind? Ram Gopal Varma also showered immense praise on the Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna starrer "Dhurandhar." He called the film, directed by Aditya Dhar, an unprecedented a

Two actresses have joined Shahid Kapoor's O Romeo, and these beauties are unmatched in terms of hotness.

Dec 18,2025

Actor Shahid Kapoor will kick off the new year with his favorite filmmaker, Vishal Bhardwaj. Their upcoming film, O Romeo, has been the subject of much discussion for a long time, with various reports surfacing about the film's shooting and cast.Now, news is circulating that two famous Bo

Ranveer's fans targeted Rishab Shetty over the Kantara controversy, saying, "If the deities were angry, then why was the film a blockbuster hit?"

Dec 16,2025

Ranveer Singh is currently enjoying the success of his film 'Dhruva'. The film is doing exceptionally well at the box office. Meanwhile, a controversy involving Ranveer and 'Kantara' has resurfaced. Ranveer had faced criticism for mimicking Rishab Shetty's character from 'Kantara Cha

Shraddha Kapoor lashed out at Dhurandhar's enemies, 'Stree' exposed Bollywood's hypocrisy, and she supported Yami Gautam!

Dec 16,2025

Filmmaker Aditya Dhar's film Dhurandhar is raking in massive profits at the box office, and every character in the film is being discussed on social media. It has received immense praise from both audiences and celebrities. This spy thriller has already crossed the ?500 crore mark worldwi

Kriti Sanon gave an update on 'Cocktail 2', saying, 'The film is being made at the right time'; she also commented on Shahid and Rashmika.

Dec 15,2025

Kriti Sanon is currently one of the leading actresses in the industry. She is consistently part of big films. Her recently released film, 'Tere Ishq Mein', also crossed the 100 crore mark at the box office. The actress is currently busy shooting for her upcoming film, 'Cocktail 2'. Mea