2001 has started off with a mixed response from the big box office. We've
seen Kasoor and Chori Chori Chupke Chupke do well, but others such as
Aashiq
and One Two Ka Four not doing as well as expected, some are worried as to
what the future holds for the Indian film industry. Well fortune favours the
brave and the bottom line is if a well-polished product is delivered, you
have done all you can to try for a hit, the rest is destiny. The
international arena has opened up new debates as films such as Mohabbatein
and Zubeidaa beat competition in the UK and US, but fail to live up to the
hype in India, bringing the question to light: What makes a blockbuster
film? What do the audience want?
We gaze into our crystal ball and take a peek at six of the
soon-to-hit-your-screens films which have 'potential' written all over them.
Each seems a risky venture but one that promises to deliver, and each are
reason enough to get excited as to what's around the corner. You think you
know what's to come, what to expect? Think again, read on and we'll let you
in on what to look forward to in the remaining months of this year.
Of the many films which has been written about Ashoka the Great is one which
is said to have generated the most interest. Shahrukh's home production
which is now simply entitled 'Asoka' is master cinematographer Santosh Sivan
's (Dil Se, Fiza) baby and is all set to rock the big screen like no other
movie. The film is under the Dreamz Unlimited banner whose debut venture
Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani may have not got favourable reviews from the
press, but secretly attained cult status among many. From what this writer's
heard about reports from the sets, seen stills and rushes of, Asoka is a
film which is full of hard work, dedication and many people's sincerest
efforts. Don't believe all the media speculations about this movie and
expect nothing and you will be blown away. The film stars Shahrukh Khan,
Kareena Kapoor, model Hrishita Bhatt and the increasingly popular Rahul Dev.
The film is inspired by the life of the legendary Mauryan emperor who's
enchanted by the beautiful Karubaku who in turn is in love with Asoka's
commander-in-chief. It's to win her over that Asoka invades Kalinga, where
the war and mass destruction changes Asoka.
But if you're expecting costume dramas that fall flat, prepare for
disappointment, Asoka is shaping up to be a slick, well made epic and a
movie like no other. As Shahrukh himself reminds us:
"Asoka is not a usual costume drama. It's going to be very different from
other historicals."
Next we have Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gum which is easily going to be the
biggest movie of the year. It's the second venture from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai's
director Karan Johar and boasts a cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan,
Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukherji in a
brief cameo role. This movie reunites Amitabh and Jaya thirteen years after
Silsila to play parents together. The movie will also be the last one which
pairs Shahrukh and Kajol as she has decided to settle down to concentrate on
her family after this movie, although she may surprise us sometime in the
future. The film has an enormous amount of expectations and is slated for
release around the end of the year, whatever the outcome it is a surefire
hit at the box office and one that will not disappoint - depending on what you're
expecting.
Subhash Ghai's Yaadein is a film as he says which is "inspired by
photographs". Starring Jackie Shroff, Rati Agnihotri, Hrithik Roshan and
Kareena Kapoor, this movie is all about relationships triggered by the stray
realisiation that in every household you can find photographs of much-loved
ones that bring back memories and are a part of our entity. The film is
Subhash's next after Taal, which was a superhit internationally. The Hrithik
mania, novel idea and presence of a good actress who looks stunning
(Kareena) makes this film one to watch for. I've never been a huge fan of
Ghai's work, but it seems like wine, he matures with age and delivers better
than one would expect.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali enchanted audiences everywhere with his worldwide
smash Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and is following it up with a movie which seems
as difficult to make if not moreso. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam was an experience
which took a long time to realise and was the result of painstaking efforts
on behalf of the film's director, cast and crew and now Devdas has already
had as much, if not more, press. With the death of a crew member by a
hurtling giant fan, the castings and arrest of producer Bharat Shah, it
would seem Devdas is in hot water. But Sanjay is a survivor and has a great
support team in his cast of Shahrukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai.
Friend Salman Khan drops in on the sets too and is a welcome face but the
sets erected at Film City, the canvas of the project and the unbridled
passion of everyone involves makes this a larger-than-life project whch will
undoubtedly be a visual treat and cinematic journey. Don't expect something
too different from the original though as Sanjay himself admits, "For me,
Devdas is great literature. I will not tamper with the basic story but my
treatment will make it different from the earlier two versions by PC Barua
and Bimal Roy."
Madhuri is cast in a role which highlights her acting and dancing skills and
is looking nothing short of mesmerising on the sets of the film. Aishwarya
is looking like a princess and better than in any film and Shahrukh is going
to deliver a performance of a lifetime. The sets are awe inspiring, with an
entire palace being set up surrounded by a lake, mirrors, huge pillars and
an atmosphere that makes you believe in this world when on the sets it's
screen magic is going to set the celluloid on fire.
Aamir Khan's home production Lagaan is already winning music lovers
everywhere's hearts and generating anticipation. Aamir took the bold step of
promoting his film through showing Hollywood-style teaser trailers only in
theatres that too months in advance of the film's release. This worked and
people queued up only to see the publicity. His making of Lagaan's music is
set to be shown on Sony TV and his recent appearance at Planet M in Mumbai
caused hysteria.
"Lagaan is not a historical film, it's not a true story," said Aamir. "It's
a once-upon-a-time story and though it is set in Colonial India it's not
about Indians fighting for freedom."
The film is set in 1890 in a small farming village and revolves around a
farmer, Bhuvan, who protests against a land tax levied by the British and
spearheads a peasant uprising. The film was shot in a start to finish
schedule last year between January and July with in-sync sound and it's
taking a year to complete post-production work. From those among us who've
seen the rushes, Lagaan is definitely going to be worth the wait.
Watch this space for updates and more films just around the corner!
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