Vidhu Vinod Chopra didn't want to market Wazir heavily
Here's the latest update from the world of Bollywood. We bet you wouldn't want to miss this. Read on for details... Revelation of sorts
His chessboard drama Wazir with Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar opens in a few hours from now. Whether it proves to be a box-office hit or becomes the first turkey of the year remains to be seen. Over to the excerpts from a chat we had with Bejoy Nambiar on Wednesday:
Image Source: facebook/OfficialWazirTheFilm
The film in essence is similar to Jazbaa, as pointed out by few critics. In essence, it’s a revenge drama where one pivotal character manipulates the other for seeking revenge. Coincidence?
I haven’t seen Jazbaa but if you insist, then I’d say it’s a coincidence. Vidhu Vinod Chopra wrote the story back in 1988. He got down to writing the script way back in 2000. I don’t know how a film made in the last two years could bear any similarity to Wazir.
Wazir was touted as Mr Chopra’s entry to Hollywood. Do you think he should still try?
That's a call that only he can take! This film was written as an international project that Mr Chopra was planning with Dustin Hoffman. I know it didn’t work out back then- but good for me that it didn’t. I landed a chance to make the film with Mr Bachchan and Farhan.
Manav Kaul's (villain) role is not etched out well enough. It felt as if there was more to his Yazaan Qureshi character than it was actually shown. Did you edit out some parts from his role?
No, I didn’t cut Manav’s part. It was written that way that it’d leave you asking for more (pauses). Actually, I was restricted by time. Had I not been, I can assure you that you’d have seen a little more of him than you actually saw in the film. I wish I had the time to indulge in his character a little more. Come to think of it, if you to try justify every character at length, a film will never end. It can damage the narrative.
Aditi Rao Hydari didn’t have a single dialogue in the film. Why such an injustice to a pretty face?
She was okay with it because she understood that she’s the emotional core of the film. And most of her talking happens through her eyes. Aditi is a dancer in the film and her eyes should speak more than her tongue. She could see the larger picture, unlike certain actors who turn pages of a script accounting for their screen time and the number of lines they have.
Image source: facebook/HydariRaoAditi
The film is rather short in terms of its run-time. Was it because of the 'alleged' re-edits?
It did take us long to edit the film but no re-editing has been done. We went through every bit of the film with a comb to ensure that the layers and the complex story line stay intact, and nothing looks out of place.
Wazir was also not promoted well despite a hefty cast. Why?
That’s a marketing call. Mr Chopra wants the film to run on its own merit. Publicity blitzkrieg is a trend these days- but Mr Chopra comes from a different school of thought. And I respect that.
What's the update on your film with Mubina Rattonsey and Shahid Kapoor?
It’s happening as far as I know- but I don’t have an update on it for now.
Weren't you supposed to direct some portions in 24?
Yes, but nobody reverted to me after our preliminary talks.
Thumbnail Image Source: twitter/nambiarbejoy & facebook/OfficialWazirTheFilm
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