Prabhudeva: From Salman's Wanted to Shahid's Comeback

Incidentally, this is also the first true blue big ticket affair for producer Viki Rajani who has otherwise dabbled in medium budget films like 3G, Table No. 21 and Aa Dekhen Zara.

“Yes, this is indeed a big ticket movie for all of us,” says Viki who is making the film in collaboration with Eros, “We have a very big director like Prabhudheva on board and the cast is very big as well. Rambo Rajkumar would have a lot of action, comedy and songs. It is wholesome masala package which is truly different from the kind of films that I have otherwise made.”

Still, with big money involved, what was it about Shahid that made Viki bring him on board even though he is going through a rough patch?

“Well, you can't say that Shahid is going through a rough patch,” reasons Viki, “Even Salman was down till Wanted came. However with Prabhudheva, he formed a lethal combination. We are sure that Shahid will pull off Rambo Rajkumar really well. It would be nothing less than a revelation as Prabhudheva has designed something extraordinary for him.”

Meanwhile one also looks forward to the extraordinary jodi in the offering, Sonakshi Sinha being paired with Shahid for the first time ever.

Says Viki, “Sonakshi is a queen of the masses and she is loved by everybody. Prabhudheva has worked with her in Rowdy Rathore and has a very good vision around how she fits in. Our entire team is rooting for this combination to make heads turn. It is going to be a pairing to watch out for.”

|TOP|

“Audience are in for a surprise. The kind of illusion shows that play on screen for Ek Thi Daayan are heart stopping indeed and abound with VFX. The shows that play are as spectacular as they get. What you see in the promos is not even five percent of what is there in the film. The entire stage and setting is the biggest ever for Emraan. (Pun intended),” informs a source attached to the film.

Add to that the fact that the core theme of the film involves a daayan. This means that VFX plays a further important role in presentation of the three ladies who could well be the daayan, ready for a strike.

“Whether it is Konkona Sen Sharma, Kalki Koechelin or Huma Qureshi, there is a fair element of special effects that accompany them as well in some or the other part of the film. Of course it is more for one over the rest but then revealing any further detail would turn out to be a spoiler.” The source adds, “What is sure though is that the sum total of all the VFX moments is amongst the highest ever duration for a Hindi film, barring Ra. One.”

When contacted, director Kannan Iyer was happy to confirm the news.

“Yes, the film has over 30 minutes of VFX. Some of it is visible for a reason while rest is invisible in order to lend impression of reality. The combination of our central protagonist, an illusionist, being trapped in a supernatural environment gave us a lot of scope to let our imagination run wild,” he says. “That concept by itself is so attractive since the super natural entity can result in magic turning into an inexplicable phenomenon. For audience, it would be an experience akin to watching Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman's The Prestige (2006) or Edward Norton and Jessica Biel's The Illusionist (2006).”

High hopes indeed. We are waiting to see the final results.

|TOP|

Wasn't that a tad overpowering for Tamannaah since instead of being a prop in the film, she is actually a full fledged leading lady in the film with quite a part to play as well?

“Not really,” says Tamannaah, “My job actually becomes easier if there is someone as experienced as Ajay in a film. More than anything else, he is an honest human being and that reflects in his performances as well. You can be a superstar but beyond that it is the core essence of being human that transcends on screen. That is one of the most important reasons behind the kind of fan following that he has earned over the years. He was there to help and guide me. He made me feel pretty much at home.”

Despite being at home, when it comes to her first major Hindi film, Tamannaah is happy to claim that she is feeling like a newcomer all over again. Reason being that a Bollywood set up is a new entity for her and with the film allowing her to converse in Hindi, it has been a different experience for sure, especially after working extensively in Tamil and Telugu starrers.

“Moreover, I entered Himmatwala with a completely clean slate. I didn't bring with me any pre-conceived notions around how the world of Hindi films would treat me,” says Tamannaah, “I have done 24 films already but for this movie, I went ahead with what Sajid Khan guided me to do. Somewhere down the line you are anxious for every movie of yours but there was something about Himmatwala that gave me an altogether different rush. I liked the fact I was feeling like a newcomer.”

|TOP|

One hundred films and two decades down the line, is it going to be Akshay Kumar reintroduced in next 10 years to follow?

(Laughs) You are suddenly making me sound like a veteran here. Come on, I am still landing punches and merrily kicking around. I am active as ever before. I continue to do 3-4 films a year and don't have any intention of changing the pattern either. I am not getting tired though I hope people who ask me the same question again and again do get tired (smiles).

On a serious note though, there ought be a road map that you must have defined for yourself?

Frankly, there is no point in thinking about how next three-four years would look like, leave aside thinking of 10 years down the line. I don't plan so much in future; there is no point either as it unnecessarily takes out time from your schedule which could otherwise have been a lot more productive. At maximum I know how next 12-18 months would follow. In that aspect, I have my hands full. I know that thankfully I have enough work on my plate.

However it is also quite apparent that you are moving on from typical hero-heroine stuff.

As I said, I am constantly on the move. There was a time when Bollywood was thriving on comedy films and I too did that in quick succession. Now that action is being demanded by the audience, I am working on a few such films belonging to that genre. However I have to be proactive about immediate future as well.

|TOP|

“Mohit Suri, the film's director, is conscious about the fact that he is playing with a franchise that had its first installment more than two decades back in the form of Aashiqui. He has to live up to the expectations of his uncle's (Mahesh Bhatt) film which was a huge musical extravaganza back then. All eyes are on Mohit to deliver with Aashiqui 2 since even for him, this is his first hardcore love story,” informs a close associate.

Though Mohit enjoys a very successful record with most of his films being commercial or critical successes (Zeher, Kalyug, Awarapan, Raaz: The Mystery Continues, Murder 2), this is first love story since Woh Lamhe, which had elements of romance to it. On the other hand for the Bhatts too, this is their first romantic film in ages.

“Murder 3, Raaz 3, Jannat 2, Murder 2 and Crook - It's Good to be Bad were hardly romantic. Their Tum Mile (2009) was three years back and there too the disaster angle featuring Mumbai floods ended up watering down the onscreen romance between Emraan Hashmi and Soha Ali Khan,” an insider adds, “However, Aashiqui 2 would be a romantic film. Mohit has captured the film's genre in the right spirit and hasn't compromised by turning it into a formula affair.”

If the first look teaser is any indication, the film bears a completely different look, feel and lingo when compared to a quintessential Bhatt fare.

Guess unlike Murder 3, which tried to change the formula by not showing any murder on screen, Aashiqui 2 would indeed have some aashiqui unfold for the audience. We would know once the Aditya Roy Kapur-Shraddha Kapoor starrer releases all over in May.

|TOP|

He no longer wishes to fight the verdict and would not try to seek a pardon.

Sanjay has been on bail since 2007 when he appealed against an original sentence of six years for the illegal possession of weapons in a case linked to the horrific attacks that killed over 250 people in Mumbai.

The court’s five-year sentence prompted a debate on whether the actor was judged too harshly, with many in the Bollywood film industry and Press Council of India chief Markandey Katju calling for him to be pardoned.

In terms of unfinished business, Sanjay has four films in the pipeline Peekay, Policegiri, Unglee and a remake of Zanjeer.

“I have a lot of work, I have to finish all that work. I have to spend all this time with my family, so I, with folded hands, tell you all that just let me be in peace till the time I go in,” Sanjay said to the media.

|TOP|