“It is quite challenging to pull off that look but Henry managed to do it seamlessly,” says director Matthew Vaughn

Filmmaker Matthew Vaughn asked star Henry Cavill to sport a Nehru Jacket for the upcoming film Argylle and said that it is quite challenging to pull off that look but the actor managed to do it.

Henry said: “I felt Henry could give me all the classic spy stuff. He can give me a wink; he can do all the things I want from a spy. Agent Argylle’s appearance is a bold, instantly iconic throwback to the ‘80s.”

“I have had an enduring obsession with the styles of that era, including the likes of Dolph Lundgren as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, and the era’s signature flattops. That’s why we decided to give Argylle one,” he said.

Matthew said that Henry’s portrayal is great. “I needed someone who could exude the essence of a James Bond-type character, but with a twist. Whoever could play James Bond, I thought, ‘I’m going to give him a flattop and a Nehru jacket.’ It is quite challenging to pull off that look but Henry managed to do it seamlessly. Henry could make a fabulous Bond as well, and that’s why we cast him.”

Matthew sold Henry on the haircut before he even read the film’s script.

Henry recalled: “Matthew said, ‘Look, you’re going to have a flattop. I know it sounds crazy, and maybe it is, but I promise you it’ll work. Or maybe it won’t. But have fun with it anyway and trust me. So, I did. Matthew is a great storyteller. He knows what he wants and his eye for detail is extraordinary.”

“He and I have a great shorthand; we’ve known each other for years and he always brings a sense of unique fun to anything he’s working on. He’s a good, straightforward communicator, and as an actor, that’s what I need. At the end of the day, it’s about trusting your director and leader, and Matthew is someone you can trust.”

Once Henry read the film’s script, he realised that the story was different from anything he’d read before.

He said: “It was unique in its own space. It was refreshing to see something new, bold and willing to take risks. There is a tendency these days for a good product to come out and then, for the next ten years, everything is just like that product, but not quite. Matthew’s projects are never like that. Argylle is about as far from generic as you can get.”

Argylle is distributed by Universal Pictures (Warner Bros Discovery) and will be released in India on Feb 2 in English and Hindi.