Indian 'Game Of Thrones'? Hodor says wait (IANS Interview)

It will be "interesting" to have a 'desi' spin-off on "Game Of Thrones", says Kristian Nairn. But the actor, who famously essays Hodor in the fantasy series - a twisted tale of seven kingdoms - says Indians will have to "wait until our version is finished".

"I don't know! May be it (an Indian version) will work. The book is incredible; so it will be interesting to see a different take of it. But wait until our version is finished first. Then may be give it a go. I would like to see that," Nairn told IANS in an interview here.

The actor from Northern Ireland, who is also a disc jockey, was in India as a key attraction at the just-concluded Delhi Comic Con.

While on the one hand he spoke of his lack of knowledge on Hindi cinema, he also expressed interest in working with Bollywood's 'badshah' Shah Rukh Khan and 'desi girl' Priyanka Chopra.

While in India, he sampled the "crazy" traffic jams and "spicy" cuisine, came across friendly people and took home some "incredible" stories.

"It's my first trip to India. I have liked everything so far. The traffic is crazy. The food is incredible. I didn't get much advice, but my friends said that Indians are very friendly and respectful and that is true," he said.

Nairn has a long list of favourite comic characters, and he calls Lord Krishna "the Indian superhero".

"I love Daredevil, Flash, Thor and Wonder Woman. And Lord Krishna has a lot of interesting powers," he said, adding that he learnt about the Indian god during a multi- international skill class he took a while ago.

Hodor is popular in India due to the fan following of "Game Of Thrones", which is based on novels by George R.R. Martin, and is a dramatic telling of a story entwined with sneaky ploys, nudity and bloodshed in a quest to claim the 'Iron Throne'.

In between all the slaughter and plotting in the show, Nairn emerged from the stables of Winterfell (a fictional town of the series) to make a place in the hearts of the audience as a gentle giant. And all he does in the show is say 'Hodor'.

His character is expected to make a comeback in the sixth season of the HBO series, which paints a whimsical world of dragons and White Walkers on one hand, and stays close to reality by showing how relationships cannot be trusted when it comes to ruling a kingdom.

Nairn feels the secret behind the show's global popularity is its "relatable" storyline.

"The reason why it clicked everywhere, including India, is pretty much the same. It is because it is relatable. It is like fantasy and escapism, but it is not too crazy.

"It is not unicorns and fairy. It is almost like watching different versions of real-world history apart from dragons and the White Walkers," said the Irish actor.

Was he apprehensive to take up a role with just one dialogue? Nairn says he surely had his doubts, but eventually fell in love with his character.

"When I first heard the role, I was like, 'Really just one word?' But after a while, I learnt to love the character. It is a very different style of acting... There is a lot of facial expression and body language involved.

"It is a different kind of challenge for me as an actor. I love Hodor and I'm really going to miss him when the series ends," he said.

He has had some experience as a musician, but Nairn says "life has changed" after "Game Of Thrones".

"I was always successful as a DJ before. But it is because of 'Game Of Thrones' that people want to see me now. The crowd has grown bigger and I get to travel all over the world," said the actor, who is currently working on his 'Raven Of Thrones' tour.

"I'm playing in the Philippines next year; so may be when I'm in the Philippines I may play here as well," he said.

(Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in)