by LAUREN CODLING
A NEW “gripping” action thriller paying tribute to classic 1980s films such as Die Hard will debut in cinemas on Friday (7).
Final Score tells the story of a terror attack in a football stadium packed with 35,000 fans.
Starring Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista as a former soldier who uses his skills to protect innocent people, the film is packed with explosive stunts and action sequences.
Amit Shah, 37, plays the role of Faisal in the film. A steward working in the arena, Shah revealed his character is “out of his depth”, as disaster hits.
“Faisal has to question if he is going to take risks and defend innocent people or be a coward,” Shah told Eastern Eye. “But he steps up and grows as a character. It’s similar to real life and the choices you have to make.”
Describing his character as “comic relief” in the film, Shah revealed he was lucky to have such funny lines.
The London-born actor admitted to having a personal interest in comedy, so playing Faisal came to him naturally. “It was a real joy to deliver the lines,” he said.
Previously, Shah has starred in Channel 4’s Crashing and the BBC dark comedy Stag.
Filming Final Score for just over six weeks was an exciting experience for Shah, especially as he was able to work alongside Bautista. Working with the American actor was a personal highlight, Shah recalled, and they developed a great chemistry.
“You believe [Bautista’s] character and the situation he is in,” Shah said. “He is a real talent at the moment and he has some great comedic skills.”
The actor believes the film works on the level of an action movie with ambitious stunts and fight sequences, but “it runs deeper than [just action]”. He said the themes explored in the film included loss, isolation, sacrifice and stepping up when it was needed.
“I haven’t seen many other films which are made with such a good script and style,” he added. “It is a great tribute to old 80s and 90s action films, such as Die Hard.”
Shah also commented on the scale of the production, admitting it was one of the more enjoyable aspects of filming. Since he performed some of his own stunts, he looked forward to rehearsing them every day.
“They did give me a stunt double for some sequences and ironically, he had been my stand-in twice before, unbeknown to me,” Shah revealed.
“It was great bonding with him.”
Looking to the future, the actor will be starring along critically acclaimed stars Liam Neeson and Leslie Mansville in Normal People. The Belfast-set film is due out next year.
“It was a lovely experience,” he revealed. “It was great to work with Liam and Leslie, they are absolute pros.”
Final Score is set to be released in UK cinemas on Friday (7). Sky Cinema customers have exclusive access to see it on Sky Cinema on the same day.
