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Cinema
Power Trip
Bollywood Masala by MH Ahsan
What did your chemistry teacher tell you about the two reagents kept on
the top shelf in your laboratory? Never, never ever bring them together.
And yet, that's exactly why our curious mind wanted to. Besides, you'd
heard somewhere that the two created a sparkling, spectacular mixture.
And thus, defying better judgment to make some magic, you got the two
together and then… dhoom! Explosive fireworks, that's what it caused,
making you run for cover. Today, 'Hum Tum' director Kunal Kohli
resembles the lost kid in the chemistry lab with his fingers burnt. But
more than curiosity, it's his super ambition of casting mega talented
and super difficult Aamir Khan and Kajol in his film that's landed him
in a minefield.
 Let
us be the first to admit that the Aamir and Kajol pairing makes one
helluva casting coup and a pairing we would relish watching on screen.
Two powerhouses of talent were never paired for a film when they were at
the peak of their careers (Is Aamir 'rising' to yet another peak?) for
whatever reasons. And when Aamir and Kajol fleetingly breathed the same
air in the making of 'Ishq' (where Aamir was paired with Juhi Chawla,
and Kajol with hubby Ajay Devgan), there was no love lost between the
two. Aamir had gotten all worked up over Kajol's attitude-throwing ways
and their mega egos had flared up. Understandable that better sense
prevailed with most makers, who didn't try to make the twain meet. After
all, it's common knowledge that the midget Khan is interference
personified on the sets, directors take a back seat. And temperamental
Kajol, Ms. Trouble herself, can single-handedly send the director on
anti-anxiety pills. You can only handle one of them at a time. In such a
scenario, hats off to Kunal Kohli's guts and gumption, who, with the
backing of producer Yash Chopra for their Yashraj banner, dared to bring
them together.
The question was, how come two hard-to-please-with-scripts stars acceded
to this film. No one is doubting Kunal Kohli's talent after his
remarkable success with 'Hum Tum'. But both, Aamir and Kajol, are hardly
the ones to care two hoots for a person's reputation. Although Aamir
Khan was said to have signed the film for old friend Kunal, his reasons
for doing the film did appear clearer. Aamir practically needs absolute
creative control on the sets of his films. After working with first
timers or directors who's stock isn't too high, be it Ashutosh Gowariker,
Ketan Mehta or Rakeysh Mehra in the recent past, Aamir has set a
pattern. Of course, Aamir Khan's presence in the film immensely
benefited these directors, whose films get talked about much before
their release. And the directors got back into the reckoning. Kunal
Kohli's recent success notwithstanding, it can be said that Aamir was
keeping the trend.
And he was probably right if he thought so. But Aamir hadn't considered
opposition coming from his leading lady. Aamir was used to working with
the Gracy Singhs and Soha Ali Khans, who would be in awe of him. Or then
Rani Mukherjee, who thinks acting includes always pandering to your
heroes' egos. Kajol was neither, always a mind of her own and never
afraid to speak it. Though settled blissfully in matrimony and enjoying
the blessings of motherhood, Kajol always seemed lurking with a
comeback. Husband Ajay, and her close friends, including Karan Johar,
kept coaxing her to return to films, and Kajol kept resisting. It was
only a matter of time before she would take the plunge again, believed
industry watchers. Karan even offered her the main lead opposite Shah
Rukh in his next film, which Kajol refused. She wouldn't, even for
personal equations. It was a move that surprised knowalls. But a bigger
surprise was when Kajol, soon after rejecting Karan's film, signed Kunal
Kohli's film with Aamir Khan. She seemed positively excited about the
script and about the prospect of working with Aamir Khan.
Like we said, on paper, we too would be equally excited to see the two
together. But that's exactly how it remained, a project on paper.
Despite having a bound script and a solid cast for over a couple of
months now, the film refused to take off. With 'The Rising' up for
release and 'Rang De Basanti' almost complete, it wasn't like Aamir Khan
didn't have dates. And Kajol also, sitting at home mostly, must have
been rearing to go. As we discovered more about the delay in the film,
we realized the nightmare Kunal Kohli's been going through in the past
few months. It is believed that Aamir Khan, who first okayed the bound
script, developed cold feet. We all know that as much of a terrific
actor that Aamir is, and a perfectionist, he's also an insecure actor.
And rarely, in any of his films, do the actresses share equal footage
with him. To share the footage on equal grounds with someone like Kajol
unnerved Aamir. His mind ticked fast, pen faster, as he made swift
changes to the script and sent it back to Kunal. What he'd effectively
done was added more flesh to his character, writing chunky scenes under
his name, and skinned off majorly from Kajol's portion.
Kunal's face turned pale in horror when he saw the modified script. He
knew better than to argue with Aamir Khan about it. But he fairly
forwarded the 'Aamired' script to Kajol. Maybe he'd harbored a hope in a
million that Kajol would overlook the changes and still agree to do the
film. Even that slim chance was dashed when, in minutes, she sent the
reworked script back, insisting on the original script. Rightfully so.
Aamir stuck his ground on his sound knowledge of script-writing while
this time Kajol, already agitated, suggested her own changes to the
script. That must have just taken Aamir Khan's goat, who seems to have
forgotten his old friendship with Kunal, making his life tougher by the
day. Here were two inflamed egos and Kunal was made to swing like a
yo-yo between the two's starry tantrums.
As of now, the differences are yet to be resolved. If Kunal is hoping
for any intervention from the Chopras, it's not forthcoming. Kajol is
said to be their firm favorite, but they don't want to upset Aamir Khan
either. We didn't want to embarrass the hapless director Kunal Kohli by
asking him to comment on the star-dominated functioning in this
industry. And we haven't forgotten that Kajol had once, famously trashed
an adoring fan's camera just 'coz he wanted to take her pictures. She'd
probably snap enough to damage. And what would Aamir, for whom the Sun
rises in his own backyard, have to say? We would certainly like to know
their individual takes on the issue, and sincerely hope the differences
are resolved, and egos don't come in the way of seeing this sensational
pair on the screen. And till then we will await the fireworks, both, on
screen, and off it.
April 9, 2006
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Cinema
The Week of April 9, 2006
United States Congress at Critical Crossroads
with India Dr. Subhash Kapila
Nuclear
Deal Hurdles : It's The Politics, Stupid! by Rajinder Puri
Bangladesh's Foreign Policy Approaches to India
by Dr. Subhash Kapila
US Market Horizon and Gathering Storm Clouds by
Gaurang Bhatt, MD
Indian Federalism in Troubled Waters by
Prasenjit Maiti
Jail Di Galli Vich No
Entry by Usha Kakkar
Caste Wars II by Usha Kakkar
Democracy Dying by J. Ajithkumar
The Zero That Was India by Kamesh
Ramakrishna Aiyer
Answer to Puzzlement
About Zero by Gaurang Bhatt, MD
Of Spices and Magical Realism by Rajgopal
Nidamboor
Post Colonial India and its Architecture -
III by Ashish Nangia
Ancient Mangroves in the Womb of the Present
by V.K. Joshi
Celebrating Culture by Neha Girotra
Sharing and Young Children by Garima Gupta
The Poetry in the Moors by Dr. Amitabh
Mitra
Ain't No Cure For Love by Vinay Chandran
The 'Feminization' of Menswear by MH Ahsan
Liberating the Nuns by Mehru Jaffer
Smart Streets, Shattered Lives by Nitin Jugran
Bahuguna
Keeping India's Hands Clean by Kaushiki Rao
Power Trip : Bollywood Masala by MH Ahsan
New Generation Sisterhood by Neena Bhandari
Apa's Survival Mantra : A Profile of Angela Gomes
Router : An Introduction by Ruchi
Gupta
Lakhnawi Itar by Rajsaran Varma
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