'Waqt'
explores father-son
relationship
Vipul Shah, the
flamboyant Gujarati
film director, who
brought the acclaimed
"Aankhen", is now
back with an emotional
family drama based
on a father-son
relationship. "Waqt:
A Rrace Against
Time" stars Amitabh
Bachchan, Akshay
Kumar, Paresh Rawal
and Priyanka Chopra.
Like his earlier
film, Waqt is also
an adaptation of
a Gujarati play,
"Avjo Vahala Fari
Malishu", written
by Aatish Kapadia.
The
film traces the
relationship between
a father and son,
whose lives take
a dramatic turn
after they unearth
a secret relation
connecting their
past with future.
For Bachchan, who
had a hugely successful
year with "Baghban"
and has a host of
interesting line-ups
like Sanjay Leela
Bhansali's "Black",
Shah's "Deewar",
Vijay Singh's "Ab
Tumhare Havale Watan
Saathiyon", and
a host of others,
"Waqt" is another
script revolving
around the diamond
jubilee star. Bachchan
praised the original
version of the film
in Gujarati. "I
had seen the play
in Gujarati and
found it to be very
unique, different
from anything before.
I agreed and we
had already decided,
me and Vipul (Shah),
that we will work
again after "Aankhen",
that's why I am
here," Bachchan
said on Tuesday
at the launch party
of the film in Mumbai.
For
Akshay Kumar, who
has earlier worked
with Amitabh Bachchan
as his son in "Ek
Rishta" and as an
associate in "Aankhen",
it was a pleasent
working experience.
Kumar and Bachchan
will next be seen
together in Rajkumar
Santoshi's "Khakee"
and Madhur Bhandarkar's
"Aan". Vipul Shah
said the originality
of the play was
retained for the
film. "It's huge
in that sense, yes
we will not change
the soul of the
play but you will
see huge difference
in the play and
movie. It will be
like a completely
new version of the
same play," he said.
The
film also stars
former Miss World
Priyanka Chopra
pairing opposite
Akshay Kumar. Chopra's
debut movie "Andaaz"
alongwith Akshay
Kumar was a huge
success at the box
office. "The film's
story is very strong.
And the novelty
of the film is only
that the relations
which they have
shown is how time
overpowers the relations
and this is its
novelty and will
continue to do so,"
said Chopra. Waqt,
produced by Manmohan
Shetty, will be
shot in various
locales of New Zealand
and Mumbai. The
shooting of the
film would start
by the end of this
year and the film
is expected to be
released by Diwali
next year.
Nov 26, 2003