Monday, August 23, 2010

Prem Raj announces 3 films; Salman Khan will star in I Am Hariprasad

People in our film industry do take risks. They do an offbeat film, they turn themselves from actor to director, and they do an overnight Hollywood migration. But this man has just about done something which can be rightly described as 'out of the ordinary'. The term Prem Raj has evolved to describe an unpredictable factor in any number of domains. Now don't ask me the question: Who is Prem Raj? Because it definitely isn't Prem and Raj - two of the most clichéd Hindi cinema screen names. Having said that, the word Prem Raj is synonymous with one of India's biggest super stars: Salman Khan. Didn't get it? Ok, let's flash back here. The director of Main Aur Mrs Khanna, Prem Soni is back. He is back from the brink with a new identity, Prem Raj. I call him 'The Wild Card'. But we all lovingly call him Prem. So for the rest of the interview, let's stick to the latter. Prem just hasn't changed his name but fortunes too. He has a big announcement to make which might leave the rest of the Indian film fraternity in a bit of frenzy.

This bit of news is going to take you on a long ride of exciting reading. So fasten your seat belts because Prem is officially announcing here on Bollywood Hungama his exclusive three film deal with himself. Again the question, isn't it? Ok, I won't torture you guys. I'll answer. Prem is all set to make three films under his own production company called 'Wild Card Entertainment Private Limited'.

Not one, not two but three films will be produced by Prem Raj under his company which will then be backed by another big production house for distribution and association. Prem hasn't just taken a risk, he has doubled it up. Tripled it up is what most of you would be thinking.

To ask how he felt announcing the big breaking news on Bollywood Hungama, he said, "I've always been a big fan of Bollywood Hungama and know its reach. What better way than to announce my three films on the world's most popular Bollywood gateway."

So here's an exclusive update from Prem Raj on his next three films:

Bombay Muumbai
"Bombay Muumbai is a love story with a backdrop of Bombay's turn around into Mumbai with a gap of almost fifteen years between the first and the second half. The film tells the story of two people who separated in Bombay during the 1990's and met up in Mumbai during the mid 2000.

This is the first time you'll be seeing in a film that the main couple in the film are going to be playing 23 year olds in the first half and at the same time they'll be playing 38 year olds in the second half. More than that, it's predominantly about the city fifteen years ago and how love stories were in Bombay and how the love gets transformed into Mumbai. What are the differences in the two time gaps and is Bombay better or is Mumbai better.

The film is going to start by the end of this year and it will be having new faces. I believe that the city is the main hero and the protagonist. So I've decided that I need new faces because the story is very strong. The male lead is decided but it's too early to take his name as of now. I am still searching for the girl and will announce both their names once the female lead is locked. I am also in talks with the director which I will announce once we finalize him. I've seen Bombay in my early teens and I see it today too with the youths. Finally it's a story about how love evolves in changing times."

Merrry Christmas
"Merrry Christmas will tentatively start early next year. It's a tentative title as of now and is filmed in the romantic city Paris. It's a story of two soul mates coming together in Paris and living a beautiful life. The story is split into two halves where you get to see a strict life of two people. It's got its own twist and turns and is a love story.

The film is called Merrry Christmas because it revolves around the Christmas season. I have the script for the last eight months now and I am planning to make this for quite a long time now. I am in talks with one of the top actors of our industry and is almost on the verge of finalizing him. The announcement is going to happen soon and a big studio is going to back it up.

Merrry Christmas is going to be directed by me."

I Am Hariprasad

"This one is a biggie. I Am Hariprasad stars my best friend Salman Khan. It had to be him in the title role. He plays Hariprasad in the film. The world audience will love him in this kind of a film. Half the battle is already won when you have Salman in the film. He is the best Hariprasad I could ever have.

I Am Hariprasad is a very unusual film for me to direct. I have written the script of the film too and it's not something you'll expect out of me because I believe in love stories and this one is not a love story.

There will be two leading ladies opposite him in the film and I Am Hariprasad deals with the biggest business in the world, business which is always on the upswing and is possibly the only thing which flourishes more than the recession - Religion.

I Am Hariprasad focuses on the relationship of man with God and the bridge between the two. Hariprasad is the Godman. It focuses on the Hinduism. Salman had his own inputs in the film and is working hard on this one. It is one of my ambitious films and is hilarious. It's going to make people laugh and at the same time the film has drama."

So if anyone thinks that Barack Obama is the busiest man on this planet, just rethink of a man called Prem Raj. Three back to back films produced by him, two of which he'll direct and one of which will have Salman Khan. Did Deepika Padukone hear this bit? What about Sonam Kapoor? All new leading ladies...beware, Prem is on the prowl...and if this ain't breaking news...what is?

By Devansh Patel, August 23, 2010

No comments:

Post a Comment