Posts Tagged ‘Salman Khan’
WHERE ARE THE ROLES? Lara Dutta, Bipasha Basu, Sonam and (above) Vidya Balan
MEENA IYER Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; January 5, 2010)
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.
Barely has the Big B concluded hosting Bigg Boss 3, we hear that he has been roped in for the next season, apparently at a much heftier fee than the reported Rs 1.5 crore he was paid per episode. The show begins in the second-half of 2010, after Abhishek’s game show Bingo plays itself out.
Amitabh Bachchan says, “There are some other television offers. I’m considering them. It wouldn’t be prudent to mention their names at this point. Yes, the channel has expressed a desire to continue the relationship.”
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Aishwarya Rai Bachchan | Amitabh Bachchan | Abhishek Bachchan |
They are also going all out to woo Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, apparently to host a chat show. Convincing Aishwarya at this stage of her career when her calendar is full is proving to be problematic.
But as a senior person from the channel says, “We’re on the job. We never planned to get both, Mr Bachchan and Abhishek. But now that they’re on, we’re getting ambitious.” Apparently they plan to rope in the entire Bachchan parivar in one capacity or another.
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Meanwhile, Abhishek is gearing up for his debut as a TV host on the show National Bingo Night. He says, “I have been getting quite a few offers in the recent past for television. I loved the show as it has a special connect with the viewers. They can participate, play the game and win sitting at home. I loved the uniqueness of the theme.”
Talking about competing with his father who has just finished hosting Bigg Boss 3, he says, “I don’t think about these things or I will lose focus. Once I am in front of the camera, I am going to be myself. I have always maintained that it is a great honour to be compared to the best. I will do what I have to do which is to go out there, play the game with the contestants and have fun on the show.”