IN CONTROL: VASHU BHAGNANI

New flick - opens in Dec 2003.

Vashu Bhagnani’s Out of Control dares to take so-called crossover films to another level. Instead of wooing the mainstream market with a film using Hollywood as a benchmark, he has decided to take his commercial entertainment experience and keep it Indian but by adding a Hollywood twist, while staying true to his audiences in India and abroad.

Reuniting a favourite family theme with good music, a Westernised outlook with an Indian heart, Vashu Bhagnani’s Out of Control stars Ritesh Deshmukh as Jaswinder, a Punjabi guy who is torn between his dreams and culture. If a guy fantasises about a hot Hollywood chick but deep down wants a desi wife who knows how to look after him, and then gets both what happens? Jaswinder travels from Punjab to America, dreaming of a high flying career and meets Sally (Brande Roderick) who helps him get a work permit and fast becomes his wife turning Jaswinder into Jimmy. His orthodox father calls him back to Punjab and gets him married to desi kuri Richa (Hrishitaa Bhatt). After Jimmy heads back to the US, his father and wife follow and then? As the tagline says, when east meets west, life gets Out of Control! 

“I wanted to make a very small, regular kind of movie,” Vashu Bhagnani tells me after a screening of the full promotional campaign and teasers.
“Then I thought why make a small movie when I can go large and reach a million people through cinema and entertain the world, that’s when I decided to make a lavish film that would appeal to everyone. The word crossover will be given a new meaning with Out of Control”

Not holding back, Vashu who is known for his publicity campaigns has left no stone unturned with his new film. After releasing the music on a plane mid-air between Mumbai and Delhi, he has now prepared two versions of the film for the international market – something unprecedented for Bollywood in this manner.

“There are two negatives we have cut of the film. One is a complete Hindi version and the second is an English version with less of the songs and one that everyone can go and watch. This way some of the youngsters can go to Southall and see the same film but with shorter songs, this version will last 1 hour 50 minutes, and will probably appeal more to the youth. The second version is the complete Hindi version, and this is the first time this is being done anywhere.”

Out of Control is receiving the ‘crossover’ tag because it’s shot predominantly in New York and sees Ritesh’s character falling in love with Baywatch babe Brande Roderick, who marks her Bollywood debut with the film.