Aiyya
Cast: Rani Mukerji
Director: Sachin Kundalkar
Genre: Musical
Plot: The story is about a young Maharashtrian woman played by Rani Mukerji who falls in love with a Tamil artist played by Prithviraj. It’s a quirky and funny love story set against the backdrop of a West-South cultural clash. His Background: A renowned Marathi filmmaker, Kundulkar will be making his directorial debut with this Hindi film. He has won a National Award for the Marathi film Nirop. His film Gandh also won him recognition.
His Take: It was director Anurag Kashyap who liked my film Gandh, so we decided to work together. Rani Mukerji was always the first choice for this film. I had approached her when she was doing No One Killed Jessica and when I narrated the script to her, she agreed to do it. She is very hard-working, committed, disciplined and respects other people’s time. Working with her was a great experience. Although the overall experience was exhausting, it was positive for a debutant director like me. Rani and I shared a great equation.
Khiladi 786
Cast: Akshay Kumar
Director: Ashish R Mohan
Genre: Action /Comedy
Plot: As the title suggests, this is an out-an-out comedy with doses of action and shades of Rohit Shetty.
His Background: Ashish R Mohan started his career as an assistant director with Anil Devgn’s film Blackmail. After this, he met director Rohit Shetty and assisted him on films like Golmaal, Golmaal Returns, All the Best and Golmaal 3. He has also done minute roles in Golmaal Returns, Sunday and All The Best. He will be making his directorial debut with Khiladi 786, starring Akshay Kumar and Ileana D’Cruz.
His Take: We have not started working on the film. It’s too early to say anything. Woking with Rohit Shetty was a learning experience and I am looking forward to directing Akshay Kumar and Ileana D’Cruz.
Dabangg 2
Cast: Salman Khan
Director: Arbaaz Khan
Genre: Action /Romance
Plot: A sequel to the blockbuster Dabangg, Dabangg 2 is expected to revolve around the central character Chulbul Pandey. The film will be based in Mumbai but Chulbul retains his simplicity.
His Background: Arbaaz Khan made his acting debut with Daraar in 1996 and also won the Filmfare Best Villain Award. After acting in a number of films, he produced his first film Dabangg starring his brother Salman Khan in 2010. The movie went on to become a huge success at the box office. The actor-turned-producer will now make his debut as a director with the sequel to Dabangg.
His Take: Directing a film is not easy. The preparation for shooting has begun. The script is also being worked on. I have worked with Mahesh Bhatt on three films as an assistant director. There is always a transition phase and one always keeps on getting opportunities. When there was an opportunity for me to become an actor, I became one. When I got the chance to turn producer, I took it, and now I am looking forward to directing this film. Salman and I have different mindsets but when I direct him, I will treat him as a director treats an actor. We will be very professional with each other but will also share a certain comfort level.
