Who's going to be stumped?
SANGEETHA DEVI. K
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A number of films are scheduled to be released braving the World Cup fever. Will the gamble pay off?
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LOVE IN THE TIME OF CRICKET Stills from `Delhii Heights'
Four years ago, actress Raveena Tandon exclaimed just before releasing her movie Stumped: "We're going ahead and releasing the film during the cricket season. If the film is good, the audience will watch it. Unless India makes it to the semi-finals, we don't expect a thin attendance in cinema halls." The Indian team did make its way to the semi-finals and the finals and Stumped, along with a few other films, made a quick exit from the cinemas. Guest appearances by Indian cricketers too couldn't save Stumped. That was then. This year though, a number of films have been scheduled for release.
`Khanna & Iyer'
A film on cricket
"People don't stop watching movies when the cricket season is on. A good movie will have takers," feels Siddharth Roy Kapoor of UTV films. Talking about Hat Trick, which releases today, he says, "The film is based on cricket and finding the winner in each of us. The film was planned such that it would coincide with the World Cup. The music video that has Usha Uthup cheering the team has helped generate interest. Moreover, Hat Trick is releasing during the early stages of the World Cup when there are not many key matches." The group is also releasing Mira Nair's The Namesake, an adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri's book by the same name, featuring Irrfan, Tabu and Karl Penn, in India next week. "This film has nothing to do with cricket. But the international acclaim and Mira Nair's proposed visit to India will help get a good response," adds Kapoor.
`Provoked'
The other film that's featured in international film festivals, scheduled to release in India on April 6, is Jagmohan Mundra's Provoked with Aishwarya Rai and Nandita Das in a brief role. The film is based on the true story of Kiranjit Ahluwalia, a victim of marital abuse, who kills her husband. Provoked has been screened at the Cannes film festival and at the IIFA Awards among other film festivals. "The film sends out a strong message and has been appreciated in international forums. There's no question of delaying its release," says Viki Rajani, director, Eros International. The company is also releasing Namastey London, a big-ticket film for both Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif, on March 23. "This is a big budget film and will be released before the Super-8 matches begin. In any case, multiplexes don't shut down because of cricket," adds Rajani. Suneel Darshan's Shakalaka Boom Boom with Bobby Deol and Celina Jaitley will also arrive on April 6.
`Namastey London'
Not just the bigger production houses, but even smaller productions are braving the cricket heat. Meghna Gulzar's Just Married with Fardeen and Esha Deol, Mukta Arts and Zee Telefilms' Khanna and Iyer and Sivaji Productions' Delhii Heights too await release. Just Married looks at the life of newlyweds and as Fardeen Khan explains, "The film analyses what happens when two different people, almost strangers, come together in an arranged marriage. I play a guy who is not in favour of arranged marriages and in a sense, not ready for marriage as well." Delhii Heights also mirrors the conflicting lives of young couples who are working professionals. The film stars Jimmy Shergill, Neha Dhupia, Simone Singh and has music by Rabbi Shergill. Finally, there's Khanna and Iyer scheduled to release on March 30 with newcomers Sarwar Ahuja and Aditi Sharma, the winners of Zee Cinestars ki Khoj.
Who among these will laugh their way to the bank?
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