Posts Tagged ‘Dostana’
MARK MANUEL Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; January 5, 2010)
(Mumbai Meri Jaan) untilted action project lined up next. Then there’s Dostana 2 starting in June. Before which he has four months to himself. “To look at life, to introspect, to ask myself questions about things I’ve done and which need to be done, to solve 10,000 problems, my mind is caught in a melee,” carries on the actor, “there’s a lot of nervous energy, there’s tension waiting to be relieved, and the gym is my release. I’m not lifting heavy weights to prove a point. The gym is like my church and working out is like praying…”
Luck By Chance
Posted January 2, 2010
on:MEENA IYER Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; January 2, 2010)
Yet, the reality of the matter is something else. It is usually who is available; and sometimes who is more saleable.
Take the latest: Aamir Khan was never meant to be playing the idiot in his latest film. It was to be Shah Rukh Khan. Since SRK and producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra had a difference of opinion, the Bollywood Badshah was replaced by Aamir. And while the rest is history, there are innumerable such examples in the film industry.
History knows that Amitabh Bachchan was not Prakash Mehra’s first choice for Zanjeer. It was meant to be Dev Anand or Raaj Kumar. When both actors said no, the Big B stepped in. Jaya Bachchan even thanked Dev saab for refusing the Zanjeer role. The film gave her — her real life husband and it gave Bollywood one of its most revered screen couples.
Today you wonder how Dev saab would ever have fit into the angry young man mould. But that’s an after-thought.
Hrishikesh Mukherjee wanted Raj Kapoor to play Anand. When he couldn’t, Hrishida sent for Shashi Kapoor but Rajesh Khanna wormed his way in. And till today Anand is synonymous with the 70s phenomenon.
Shatrughan Singh continues to smart that it was he who was to be Jai in the Jai-Veeru jodi of Sholay but because he was riding a crest of super-success then, he didn’t want to do a twohero film. Amitabh Bachchan got the role instead.
Aamir had been pencilled in for Yash Chopra’s Darr but at that point he ‘accused’ Yash of playing games. And SRK made a permanent place for himself in the YRF camp.
Saif Ali Khan had qualms about playing a pansy in Dostana so John Abraham was brought in. John got male and female temperatures rising with this fun flick and is now a part of its sequel.
Kareena Kapoor asked for too much money for Kal Ho Na Ho; result — Preity Zinta landed this memorable film. Shah Rukh was meant to be playing Munnabhai but since he walked out after some miscommunication, Sanjay Dutt became Munna. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was in Chalte Chalte till Salman dropped in as an uninvited guest forcing SRK to call Rani Mukerji to replace her… and Rekha and Jaya would never have had their screen face-off in Silsila had Parveen Babi and Smita Patil done their roles.
Unlike real history, reel history is often made by default.
Times aren’t good for director David Dhawan. Yesterday, we broke the news about how Salman Khan is not letting him direct Sanki and now, we have learnt that his son Rohit’s debut directorial venture has gone kaput.
The Akshay Kumar-John Abraham starrer, Come on Pappu has been shelved and the junior Dhawan is now working on an entirely new film, a romantic comedy, which is yet untitled. Rohit confirms, “Yes, I am not making Come on Pappu anymore.”
Rohit Dhawan / Pic: Yogen Shah |
A source reveals, “Come on Pappu was in trouble because several production houses were backing out. Initially, the film was to be produced by Percept Picture Company, but they backed out due to lack of funds. Rohit then took his project to Studio 18, but they refused to go ahead with it, thanks to Akshay’s exorbitant fee and John’s huge fee hike post the success of his films, Dostana and New York. Come on Pappu was then taken to Eros, who too eventually backed out.”
“Come on Pappu was a big-budget film and some really advanced technology had to be used to make it. Rohit finally decided to scrap the project altogether and moved on to write a romantic comedy. He has also auditioned a few actors from the industry for his new film,” adds the source.
Rohit says, “I am writing something else now. Due to market constraints, Come on Pappu couldn’t see light of day as it was an expensive film.” So, will the star cast remain the same for the new film, we ask Rohit. “I am still working on the script. I’ll start casting only once I am done with the final script,” he replies.
OMAR QURESHI Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; November 17, 2009)
Elaborating on the November 20th release, Karan says, “The story addresses the perpetually looming threat of terrorism, the film lends emotion into that graph. It has a point of view. That’s the path. Of presenting this threat in a logically, emotionally, sensitively cinematic manner. I’m quite delighted with the final product.” But there had been a thought in Karan’s mind, some time ago, to cast SRK in the lead role in this subject. “Maybe it was a thought a long time ago. Simply because SRK is emotionally a part of everything I do. Even before I wake up to box office figures, Shah Rukh calls asking, ‘How’re the collections dude? … How’s it going?’ He’s part of Dharma. However, that said, after the way the film has shaped out, Saif and Kareena are ideal casting,” smiles KJo. And how dissimilar is My Name Is Khan from this subject? Isn’t that Karan-directed venture also a ‘terrorism’ subject? “Not at all. My Name Is Khan is totally different in as much it doesn’t deal with terrorism at all. That’s all media conjecture. Wait for that one as well.” What we couldn’t wait for was his response to Kareena’s recent joke that KJo was like a ‘witch’, that everything he said was almost prophetic. Karan couldn’t stop laughing: “We have this strange Karmic Connection and I feel the need to be as protective about her as ever. I love Kareena to death. We fight too. We didn’t speak for a year. I hurt her and she hurt me. But one only fights with those one loves. Now that we’re past the initial hurdles, we’re the best of friends. And you have to see her in the film to believe what she’s capable of. As for the ‘witch’ part, I wish I could prophesise the success of Kurbaan for starters … that’s all I pray!”
This is a serious olive branch exercise for Kareena since it not only makes this her third prestigious film in a row for Karan, but also brings to an end her long-standing strained relations with Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham. With John, Kareena had locked horns after her comments on his acting abilities made on Karan’s chat show. The rift with Abhishek was far more serious. The actors had decided not to work together after things soured between Abhishek and Kareena’s sister Karisma Kapoor. Says a source, “Ironically, Kareena had been dropped from the first Dostana because she couldn’t work with Abhishek. And now she’s back in Dostana 2. Never say never again, at least in Bollywood, where equations change every Friday.”
Incidentally, Katrina Kaif was a serious contender for Dostana 2. In fact, rumours were that she had almost been finalised. However, director Tarun Mansukhani denies casting Katrina. “How could I finalise anyone until I finished the script except John and Abhishek who are an integral part of the Dostana brand,” he asks. About casting Kareena, the director says noncommitally, “We are almost done with the script. At the moment I’m neither confirming not denying Kareena’s presence.” The story of Dostana now moves from Miami where Abhishek and John shared a flat masquerading as a gay couple to London where they continue to play gays.
MEENA IYER Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; October 31, 2009)
Sussanne Khan’s birthday party, on October 24 and 25 respectively. And media reports that followed both events only spoke of her interaction with SRK, almost making it seem like an aberration. “I fail to understand why people must constantly focus on just one aspect of an event,’’ says Kat. “I’m not complaining because I know that if you are in the eye of the media, it only means that you are important enough to them. However, my bumping into Shah Rukh or spending time with him at an event is just a regular thing. I think people should stop trying to look for controversy in every nook and cranny. All of us are here to work. And we have common functions to attend. Naturally, when we’re under the same roof, we will interact. Why make a fuss? Who wouldn’t want to associate with Shah Rukh or Karan Johar?’’