I love the original Agneepath: Sanjay Dutt

MUMBAI: Though Amitabh Bachchan starrer Agneepath did not catch the eye of the audience, the remake has already grabbed eyeballs. But actor Sanjay Dutt, who plays the dreaded villain in the latest version feels the original was much ahead of its time.

The 1990 cult classic, directed by Mukul Anand, featured Big B as the iconic Vijay Dinanath Chauhan, Danny Denzongpa as Kancha Cheena, the baddie and Mithun Chakraborty as the lovable coconut seller Krishnan Iyer MA. Despite a stellar cast Agneepath failed at the box office commercially but Bachchan's performance was praised.

Producer Yash Johar's son, Karan has remade the film in the same name now starring Hrithik Roshan and Dutt. It has already created quite a buzz, unlike the original.

"I loved the film (original) and if I was the whole of audience, I would have made it a big hit. I think may be the film was too ahead of times..Mukul is a brilliant director in his work...his vision was so much ahead of his time," Sanjay said in an interview.

"I have seen original film several times. I lived the dialogues of the film and performances of Amitji, Danny and Mithun Da," he said.

Although the remake would have new actors reprising the iconic characters again, except for the basic plot of revenge, the new Agneepath has a different story. "The premise is same. Vijay Dinanth Chauhan, Kancha is there...the revenge story where Vijay comes to Mandwa is same. It is a revenge story but the setting is totally different. It is very grounded film here Kancha wears dhoti, kurti and kolhapuri footwear and Vijay is also a simple man. He (Karan Malhotra) has made it as a very real grounded and rustic film," Sanjay said.

The new Agneepath also featuring Priyanka Chopra is up for release on January 26.

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Marriage hasn’t affected films: Genelia

MUMBAI: Ever since Riteish Deshmukh announced his wedding to long-time girlfriend Genelia D’Souza, talks have been rife that filmmakers are being forced to reschedule their projects due to the nuptials. Zombie comedy Rock The Shaadi makers, Balaji Motion Pictures, have openly stated that they “had to push the shoot dates by almost a month to work around Genelia’s wedding dates.”

“None of my films are delayed due to the wedding,” protests the bride-to-be, adding that Rock The Shaadi was supposed to be wrapped up by November last year. “Thanks to the film’s setting, it has to be shot around marriage celebrations. But they couldn’t get required permission for outdoor shoots due to the ongoing wedding season. So, it had to be postponed. I think it will be wrapped up by the end of February,” Genelia explains.

Riteish, on his part, too blasts such reports. “All my films, including Kya Super Kool Hai Hum, are running as per schedule. And there won’t be any delays,” he says. Incidentally, Riteish’s film is also being produced by the same production house.

What the soon-to-be-wed duo are now focused on is their February 3 wedding, and their upcoming film, Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya. “Riteish and I have been very busy over the last year, so it was a great opportunity to spend time with each other during the shoot.

We also re-discovered one another as actors,” Genelia says. The couple, who’s starred together in films like Tujhe Meri Kasam (2003) and Masti (2004), have decided against taking up offers just for the sake of working together. “It has to be the right film and script for us,” says the female star, whose wedding is set to take place at one of the suburban five star hotels, and will probably be a traditional Maharastrian wedding with a Christian reception.

‘Will continue acting’
Genelia D’Souza is trying to keep her wedding to co-star Riteish Deshmukh private. “I want it to remain a family affair with just a few close friends from the film fraternity,” she says, feigning ignorance about a mega-bash apparently being planned by filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala and actor Fardeen Khan a day before she ties the knot.

Apparently zeroing in on designs by Surily Goel, Ritu Kumar and Manish Malhotra, Genelia admits that preparations for D-day are in full swing now, adding, “We aren’t nervous, but there’s a lot of excitement on both sides.”

Ask how she plans to prioritise her career after settling down, and she says, “I will continue acting, but haven’t decided to what extent."

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Emraan and I, a perfect match in Raaz 3D: Bipasha

MUMBAI: Bipasha Basu is upbeat about her first 3D film. A decade after Raaz, the sultry actor returns to the Raaz franchise. Raaz 3D that will also mark the comeback of the original Raaz director, Vikram Bhatt, is scheduled for release on July 6.

“It’s a challenging role and I’m told it will be a difficult film to shoot. We will have to do it in bits and pieces because of the technology involved. But it’s still very exciting for me as an actor, more so after Hollywood 3D specialist Joe Hagg, who designed the visual effects for James Cameron’s Avatar (2009), has been roped in for 20 minutes of SFX for our movie. 

Wow, I can’t wait to put on my 3D glasses!” laughs Bipasha.

She admits quite frankly that when as a supermodel she had debuted with the Abbas-Mustan thriller, Ajnabee (2001), she wasn’t really serious about a career in Bollywood. “It was Raaz that got me interested in acting, after I was nominated in the Best Actress category for one of the popular awards. Footpath (2003) and Aetbaar (2004) that followed reinforced my interest. It’s nice to be back with Vikram, he’s a good friend,” she says.

Her co-star in Raaz 3 is Emraan Hashmi. Remind her that she be paired with him in Woh Lamhe (2006) and Bipsha reasons, “I’ve seen Emraan from the time that he used to work as an assistant director on the sets. Those days he looked like a little boy and since I was a lot more voluptuous then, I looked older than him. But in the 10 years since, he has matured. He is a seasoned actor now. And having lost a lot of weight, I look younger too. I’m convinced we will make a perfect match in Raaz 3D.”

Bipsha had infuriated the Bhatts last year after turning down the lead in Murder 2 as she didn’t think the role was meaty enough. Then she had kept them dangling over a promised item number in the film, having to be replaced by Yana Gupta at the last minute.

Producer Mukesh Bhatt had lashed out at her in print. “Mukeshji is like a child,” she smiles. “He’s very transparent about his feelings, whether he’s happy or unhappy. I like that honesty. And I know that no matter what happens, the Bhatts love me and I love them.”

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