By: Anand. J (Cinema Correspondent)
Bachchans Vs Roshans
[monsoonjournal.com]The Bachchans are pumping big money into Abhishek’s superhero flick ’Drona’, although they aren’t the official producers. Is it an answer to Hrithik Roshan’s Krrish? If sources are to be believed, Big B is investing a whopping amount in beta Abhishek’s forthcoming film Drona. After Abhishek delivered a knock out performance in Mani Ratnam’s Guru, Amitabh Bachchan obviously wants to keep no stones unturned in establishing his son as the next big superhero in Bollywood. Apart from mobilising finances, Sr. Bachchan has been taking a keen interest in the look of the film, not to mention the dexterously executed special effects. The content of the film may have been kept under wraps but those in the know reveal that it’s an out-and-out superhero flick and all efforts are being made to outdo Hrithik Roshan’s Krrish. A source close to the Bachchans says, “Drona is their answer to Krrish. The budget of Krrish was approximately Rs 45 crores and Drona will be somewhere close to Rs 60 crores.
The Bachchans along with director Goldie Behl are making all efforts to overshadow Krrish’s superpowers.” Not long ago, the Bachchans weren’t overly pleased with the buzz doing the rounds that Hrithik’s portrayal in the film ‘Dhoom II’ was far better than Abhishek’s. Taking a leaf from that experience the Bachchans are now going all out in their pet project Drona. A unit member informs, “The clash is evident. It’s all about ‘Who is a better superhero?’ Let me tell you, Krrish has a tough contender in Drona. The first schedule of the film was shot in Prague and we had the full liberty of shooting at any place we wanted. Needless to say there have been no limitations as far as the budget is concerned.
In fact, one can easily say that the Bachchans are making the film. Director Goldie and producer Shrishti are family friends of the Bachchans, and they’re working closely as a team. If Krrish had an aggressive marketing strategy, Drona will have a better one.” The film will see Jaya Bachchan and Abhishek teaming up as a mother- son duo. The look of the characters is being closely guarded from the media glare. Stringent security measures have been taken on the sets of the film erected in Kuchaman City, a former fort of the Rajputs on a rock cliff in Nagaur. We hear that Abhishek has been practising pulsating stunts for the film. He dons a European look in the film with long locks et al. All those months when Abhishek was moving around town sporting a hair band was just an attempt to grow his mane. When quizzed about the Drona look, stylist Anaita Shroff (she has previously styled the cast members of Dhoom 2) refused to divulge too many details. She says, “I have not drawn any inspiration from any superhero for that matter. It’s an original vision that I had for Abhishek and Priyanka in the film. All that I can say is that Goldie’s treatment of the film is completely novel and we’ve given the actors the best possible look. Looks like ‘Drona’ is a film to watch out for this year.
Saif Ali Khan
Guess who is the star attraction of the two biggest releases in the coming months? None other than Saif Ali Khan! After making headlines with his lean mean act in ‘Omkara’, Saif would be seen in two back to back high profile projects - ‘Eklavya - The Royal Guard’ and ‘Tara Rum Pum’. Though former is a multistarrer with Big B, Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff, Jimmy Shergill and Boman Irani filling in for the men power, with TRP Saif goes solo in a project that is produced by none other than Yash Raj Films.Between ‘Eklavya - The Royal Guard’ [February 16] and ‘Tara Rum Pum’ [April 27], there are a dozen odd other films lined up for release but none match to their scales when it comes to budget and grandeur. In between the two movies, there is also a probability of Saif’s ‘Nehle Pe Dehla’ arriving on March 02 though one awaits an official confirmation.
KBC Shah Rukh Khan
Amitabh Bachchan says he hasn’t seen Shah Rukh Khan on Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) yet, and if the Television Audience Measurement (TAM) ratings were anything to go by, then it looks like a lot of people haven’t either.”I haven’t seen it as yet, my apologies. But I will and I am sure Shah Rukh is doing a good job of it,” says actor Amitabh Bachchan. The TAM ratings show a decline in viewership of the latest edition of the popular quiz show meaning that Shah Rukh Khan may not exactly be doing a good job on KBC 3. A comparison of television viewership ratings (TVR) of Amitabh Bachchan’s second stab at the show and SRK’s debut as a quiz show host show a dip in eyeballs lately. While Bachchan debuted with a TVR of 19.75 in August 2005, Shah Rukh could only manage a rating of 12.33. While the Big B fell to 15 on day two, it was 10 for SRK. And Day three saw a low of 10.33 for Amitabh Bachchan while Shah Rukh’s KBC dipped to 7.36. “The two ratings are actually not comparable. TAM now compares a larger geography than it covered before and therefore the footprint or the actual number of consumers who are covered by the TAM are much higher than those covered by the previous ones,” reasons President of Star India (Ad Sales and Distribution) Paritosh Joshi. Shah Rukh, on his part, feels fairly pleased on his small-screen performance. “I think I am doing good and the reason I know that I am doing good is because I get to hear it from a lot of people. Though reports show that KBC3 has boosted the channel’s viewership in the 9-10 pm slot, undoubtedly, the initial interest in the show has dimmed down.
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