‘He went beyond what we imagined’: Why did Grand Corps cast Malade Tahar Rahim as Aznaur?

The biographical genre is on the rise in France: while Tapie has just appeared on Netflix, and we will soon see the proliferation of Bernadette (a fanciful and extraordinary biopic of Bernadette Chirac), Flo (on Florence Artaud) and L Abbé Pierre. In the cinema, another biographical event is rapidly developing: Mr. Gentleman!

A little over a year later, the film about the rise of the singer will be released in theaters on October 23, 2024. The shooting of the film has not been completed yet. But to promote his new single, Grand Corps Malade put his long-held faith on the mic. RTL.

His new single Hold back your dreams

The film Mr. Aznauri has been intriguing since its announcement, and for the first time Grand Corps Malade reveals a little more behind the scenes.

“ It died just as we were about to start the project, even though it was working really well. It was really unexpected. We didn’t shoot the film right away. We had to take some time off.

After a few years, the desire is there. The family wants it to happen. We feel strongly about this legitimacy that he has given us. We are right in it. The shooting is almost over. We have already started editing. There is a lot of work.“

Grand corps Malade, co-directed with Mehdi Idir, with whom he has already collaborated on Patients and School Life, comments on Tahar Rahim’s performance. An opportunity to justify the actor’s choice, which may have surprised some at first:

“I won’t give too much away and tell you that she gave an absolutely incredible performance.he says. “I already knew him, we chose him because we knew he was a great actor.

He is part of that small category of actors who can transform themselves. Change yourself physically and change your voice to fit the role. It was beyond what we imagined. He worked like crazy.“

and added: “He watched interviews for hours and hours. She apparently took singing, piano and body language lessons. months and months of work. The work will be paid. You will see, there is something!“

Shaved head, singing lessons… how Tahar Rahim prepares to play this legendary singer!

Mr. Aznauri will be a biographical film in the tradition of the genre, which will tell us about the artist’s path to fame. “This flight took a long time. This is what he wanted to say. Youth, hardship, poverty, with his exiled Armenian parents who did not speak French.

Bohemia, cabaret years on the right, on the left. The Piaf years where he was taken under his wing. He moved mountains to get there. He had nothing to do, but still he did not give up. And again, I won’t tell you everything. There are many things that people will discover. (…) I won’t tell you anything else.”

We also hear that Tahar Rahim will be singing for the film, even if Charles Aznaur’s original songs are used.

A few more scenes are planned to be shot in Bulgaria, and then the film will be in post-production, aiming to be ready in time for the main spring festivals or the start of the 2024 school year… Mr. Aznauri will be released on October 23, 2024.