Seasons of the stars

Every actor needs one auspicious day to release his movie. Salman Khan releases his movies on Eid, for Shah Rukh Khan its Diwali and for Aamir its Christmas

So Salman Khan has delivered another super hit with Sajid Nadiadwala’s ‘Kick’. Just the weekend collections have crossed 60 crores and trade pundits predict bigger collections over Eid holidays. It proves yet again that the critics and their reviews have no role to play in the film business and Aamir Khan is right when he says that while he needs many things like a great banner, terrific story and an able director to give success, Salman has to merely shake his belt, wear his shades, dance and the audience is floored!

There were speculations that Aamir would be releasing the trailer of his forthcoming ‘Peekay’ with ‘Kick’ but there seems to be change in plans. No changes however for Ajay Devgan’s trailer of ‘Singham Returns’ with Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Happy New Year’. Devgan and Khan were at logger heads last year over ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ v/s ‘Son of Sardaar’ theatre controversy but now they have made truce.

Time was when filmmakers made films and then announced release dates. Today, superstars first block release dates first and then begin shooting films so ‘Kick’ had to be an Eid release for Salman Khan, Diwali release for Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Happy New Year’ and Christmas for Aamir’s ‘Peekay’. 2014 has been a year of business ventures, sequels and surprises. Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma who saturated us with gangsters and horror films went underground for a long time and has now threatened to return with erotica. Varma says you require imagination to make a sensual film and his next ‘XES’ is about sensuality. If the title resembles Himesh Reshamiya’s ‘Xpose’ let me add that Reshamiya is all set to make a sequel of ‘Xpose’ soon and after all, it is the only Reshamiya film that was loved by both the masses as well as the critics.

It is a season for franchise. T Series have signed Vishal Pandya director of ‘Hate Story 2’ for an exclusive three film contract one of which will be taking the ‘Hate Story’ franchise further with ‘Hate Story 3’ and Y R Films is making Hollywood film out of Sujoy Ghosh’s ‘Kahani’ as ‘Deity’ in a story adapted by Jose Riveria and starring Richard Regen. Who would have envisioned that a day will come when Hollywood would remake our films? Not surprising then that South director Shankar is keen to rope in Aamir Khan in the Rajnikant- Aishwarya Rai sequel of ‘Robot’ franchise and Aamir Khan is more than inclined. From what appears the modalities are under discussion and an announcement will be made soon.

Rajnikant fans and family may not reveal it but the setback of his last release ‘Kochadaiyaan’ has demoralised everybody. There is a lesson in it for all the superstars. You have to bow out before it gets late. Rajnikant has been sensing this for some time, has been reluctant to sign new films; but had to give in to the pressures. Unfortunately the contradictions always come from those around you -the loyalists specifically who refuse to read the signals!

Sometimes though expressing your dreams on a platform can bring the desired results. Aliya Bhatt confessed to being smitten by Ranbir Kapoor and Prineeti Chopra to having crush on Saif Ali Khan on Karan Johar’s ‘Koffee with Karan’ and both got noticed! Director Ayan Mukherji is keen on pairing Aliya with Ranbir in his next and Saif Ali Khan has recommended Parineeti for a future role in his film. In the film business a role is never yours till you shoot the film because anything can happen at any time. Vinod Pandey was going to Sarika’s home to offer her ‘Ye Nazdikiyaan’ on his way he met Parveen Babi who said she would do the film and out went Sarika.

When Karan Johar was making ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ every heroine worth her merit refused to play the second lead eventually played by Rani Mukherji. When Yash Chopra was making ‘Dil Toh Pagal’ everybody refused to play the role eventually played by Karisma Kapoor. For more than a year now every top hero has refused Karan Johar’s ‘Shudhi’ till finally Salman Khan agreed. Something tells me the year 2015 will be an exceptional year for Salman Khan who will be seen in two performing roles, one with his favorite director Sooraj Barjatya and other, his new friend producer Karan Johar. Readers may remember that Salman had agreed to do a cameo in Karan’s ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ and gave tough competition to hero Shah Rukh Khan in the last scene!

Making movies is a gamble and very often mistake of one has made a superstar of the other. ‘Zanjeer’ was refused by Dev Anand and Dharmendra till Salim Javed decided to cast a rank newcomer Amitabh Bachchan and the rest is history! Amitabh Bachchan was replaced by Samit Bhanja when director Hrishikesh Mukerjiee discovered Bachachan was doing ‘Saat Hindustani’. Recently Abbas Mustan signed Kapil Sharma when the comedian / singer/ actor fell out with Yash Raj Films’s ‘Bank Chor’.

Before I sign off there is one good and one bad news. The bad news first, filmmaker Guru Dutt and singer Geeta Dutt’s only surviving son Arun Dutt unwell for some time passed away after multiple organ failure. He was only 58. The good news is Ketan Mehta’s period film ‘Rang Rasiya’ on the life of noted artiste and painter Raja Ravi Verma delayed for a long time for many reasons has finally found a caretaker in Jayantilal Gada of Pen who has confirmed a Diwali release for Mehta’s labour of love. Gada is undeterred that his film will clash with Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Happy New Year’, says ‘Rang Rasiya’ is about colour and needs a happy time to release like Diwali.