Akon's recent whirlwind visit to Chennai was about all things Indian. The R&B superstar — in the country to record and perform for Kollywood actor Simbu's Love Anthem — looked every bit the local, dressed in a traditional south Indian vesthi, as he tried a kuthu dance.
"For one of the lines from the song — Pyar Prema Kadhal... — I wanted Akon to do a kuthu step in a traditional costume that'd surely appeal to audiences. When I told him that, he said, 'You wear the costume; If I like it, I'll do it.' When I wore it and stood in front of him, he exclaimed, 'Wow, this is so cool'. His wife also liked it and so, we went ahead with it," says Simbu. The music video, choreographed by Brinda, was directed by Vignesh Shiva and Nelson.
Akon, we hear, loved the steps and spent time to learn them. A source, who was present on the set, says, "Akon watched some Tamil kuthu songs to get the steps right. Once he was on the dance floor, he kept improvising and surprised everyone."
That's not all; the Smack That singer also tucked into some Indian cuisine. Says Simbu, "Oh yes, I wanted him to have biryani, and ensured that it was specially made. He loved it. He was also very curious to know about movies and music made in India."
The Love Anthem, which features lyrics in languages from across the world, will be released in the US, and Akon will be a part of the launch function as well. "He immediately agreed to grace the occasion," says Simbu, adding, "For me, it's a dream come true. Despite being an international superstar, he was very cooperative and supported us thoroughly during the song recording and shoot."
