By Subhash K Jha | TNN
Posted On Monday, August 03, 2009 at 06:42:35 PM

Without anyone’s knowledge, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has re-edited his film Delhi 6, restored the original ending, submitted it to the Venice Film Festival and got selected for one of the most prestigious sections at the festival.

Says Rakeysh, “This is quite exhilarating. The Venice film festival is considered as posh as Cannes and Berlin. So it’s great fun. I got the email informing me of Delhi 6 being selected at the Venice film festival on Thursday night. They loved the film. It will be screened on either 2 or 3 September.”

The most exciting part of this festival journey is that the version of Delhi 6 they saw in Venice was radically different from what audiences saw when the film released.

Says Rakeysh, “I sent Venice a new version of Delhi 6 quite different from the one we saw here. My original script was different. I went and shot another version quite different from the one people saw. I had to do this. Otherwise I wouldn’t have died in peace.”

Apparently Rakeysh had been forced to incorporate a happy ending for the sake of the distributors. He admits he wasn’t happy with the original ending.

“I’ve a new beginning and end. This was how I originally intended the film to end with Abhishek’s character’s (pictured above) death. I’ve realised there were people who were genuinely confused by some aspects of the film. After much introspection I discovered where I had gone through. One thing was about the mirror about looking within oneself, then the Kala Bandar metaphor also didn’t work....The joy of being selected for Venice has washed away all these wrongs in the script. I’ve been invited to share the platform with some of the world’s best filmmakers.”

Rakeysh admits he erred with the substitute ending for Delhi 6. “Sometimes in life you do lose track of the destination during the journey. But three months after the film I’ve gone, re-shot and re-edited the ending, sent it to Venice where it’s now cruising with the best cinema in the world.”

Now Rakeysh wants Indian audiences to see Delhi 6 with the changed beginning and end. “It’s the director’s cut, like Francis Coppola’s Apocalypse Now which didn’t make sense the first time . Later it went on to make history after the changes. We shouldn’t have been in a hurry to release a film which tries a new grammar and idiom. But the whole experience has been eye-opener .To make the changes in vision and then get selected for such an honour, is such a blessing.”

Rakeysh has been missing from the action. “I just went into a shell, writing. I’ve three subjects now. Any of them could be my next film.Yes, I do want to do Mirza Sahibaan with Sonam Kapoor and Abhishek Bachchan. The two are like my piece of the art.It’s crazy what we share. I can’t put it in words.”

Rakeysh and his lovely wife N Bharati (who edits his films) have just returned from a camping holiday from Leh and Ladakh. “It was our first holiday since we started Delhi 6. We left after we shot the new version, filmed the sequence of Abhishek’s character’s ashes being immersed in the river . The film now begins with his voiceover announcing he’s dead now. So it’s now a dead man’s story. Everything falls into place now.We also understand why Abhishek played the role so quietly, sensitively. It was such a beautiful piece of grammar. I don’t know why I abandoned it for a happy ending.”

Sighs Rakeysh, “I’be grown wiser now. I’m happy I’ve gone for the sad ending in Delhi 6. This is a creative correction that has made me sleep easier.”

By Kunal M Shah
Posted On Tuesday, August 04, 2009 at 02:57:37 AM

Ashutosh Gowariker’s love affair with period films continues. Evidently, he has not had his fill of making larger-than-life films even after making films like Lagaan and Jodhaa Akbar. After wrapping up the Priyanka Chopra-Harman Baweja comic caper What’s Your Raashee?, which releases on September 25, Gowariker will soon start making a period film, Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey. The film is based on journalist Manini Chatterjee’s book Do and Die.

Abhishek Bachchan will play the lead role as the daring Surjya Sen (fondly called Masterda) who led the uprising.

Ashutosh Gowariker confirmed and said, “Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey is about the Chittagong Uprising of 1930. I have purchased the rights of the book Do and Die by Manini Chatterjee.”

Commenting on the genre of the film, Ashutosh said, “It will be a period-thriller film with Abhishek playing Surjya Sen.”

Gowariker is still finalising the rest of the cast for the film, which, surprisingly, will not be a multi-starrer despite its large canvas.

By now its common knowledge that Amitabh Bachchan has gone in for a completely new look for his role in R. Balki's Paa. While Big B's look has already generated a lot of curiosity, even beta Abhishek Bachchan has decided to go for a different look for his character in the film.

From the looks of it, Abhishek plays a politician in the film and has modeled his look on the lines of the famous young politicians Sachin Pilot and Milind Deora. Dressed in a crisp white kurta-pyjama (the trademark dress of Indian politicians) and sporting a bespectacled look, Abhishek indeed looks like the quintessential politician.

While some feel that his look bears an uncanny resemblance to the Congress' Rahul Gandhi, AB Jr. dismisses all rumours by saying that he has modeled his look and style on Sachin Pilot while his character is based on Milind Deora.

While the look seems perfect for someone playing a young politician, one will have to wait and watch if AB Jr. manages to get the body language of his character right. Besides the baap-beta jodi of Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan, Paa also stars vidya balan as the leading lady in the film.