Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | NXg | Friday Review | Cinema Plus | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Awesome twosome Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan

‘It’s a dream debut for me,’ exclaims Vivek Sharma. If you have Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan to direct in your first film, life does appear perfect. “I came up with the plot but it was producer Ravi Chopra’s idea to make Amitabh Bachchan play the ghost. He agreed after the first narration itself.” Bachchan is playing a ghost for the first time in his career and Vivek insists the actor has still a lot which has not been tapped.

“Here he is principally displaying three emotions: the troublesome ghost, the friendly ghost and an emotionally hurt father when he was alive.” The film is about a kid whose father and mother, played by Shah Rukh and Juhi Chawla, have told him there is nothing like ghosts.

Vivek, who came from Jabalpur to be a filmmaker, started his career by assisting Mahesh Bhatt on films like Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke and Chahat. “Then I did the production designing of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. During the making of the film I met Shah Rukh and joined his production company Dreamz Unlimited and was with him till Om Shaanti Om.”

On the chemistry between the two giants of the film industry, Vivek says, “Before Bhoothnath, Amitabh Bachchanji and Shah Rukh Khan had already worked together. They have an amazing understanding of each other’s strength and weakness. In fact, they cover up the director’s mistakes.” Vivek says both are spontaneous actors so they don’t face the problem that a method actor like Dilip Kumar used to face with Motilal. As for the differences Vivek says Bachchanji likes to take the scene home to read and rehearse while Shah Rukh does all this on the sets. “Shah Rukh has an ability to anticipate what you or the script expects from him.”

Talking of Shah Rukh, as a person, Vivek has some personal experiences to share. “When my mother fell ill, he used to visit her and paid the bills but never made me realise it. Many producers used to approach him through me and Shah Rukh would meet them and hear the scripts just because I might get work. Of course, the final decision always depended on the quality of the script. When I realised I am being used I stopped playing the intermediary’s role.”

Vivek says Shah Rukh has never felt insecure of anybody including Bachchanji. “He listened to the script of Bhoothnath because he knows me well but he signed it because he liked his part. He is the surprise package of the film. ”

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail