Shahid Faces Firing Squad

Shahid Faces Firing Squad • When Bossy Aamir Couldn’t Prevail • I’m Too Sexy for My Shoot

Shahid Kapoor has lost yet another A-list film. Apparently the actor has been dropped from a Yash Raj Films project to be directed by Band Baajaa Baaraat helmer Maneesh Sharma. Word is that the Mausam star was driving the crew up the wall with his tantrums. Assistants on the film reveal that Shahid had an opinion on everything, from his costumes to the female newcomer who’s being scouted by the filmmakers (the other actress in the film is Parineeti Chopra).

Aditya Chopra, the film’s producer and YRF head honcho, reportedly flew in for a day from Ladakh (where he’s supervising the shoot of his father Yash Chopra’s Shah Rukh Khan-starrer) and decided to fire Shahid after taking in all the complaints from the crew, and after deliberating with Sharma.

This is the second A-list film the actor has lost, after the Karan Johar-produced film that I Hate Luv Storys director Punit Malhotra approached him for recently.
Shahid reportedly gave Malhotra a hard time during the script narration and subsequent meetings, and opted out of the film eventually.  Malhotra, for his part, famously took the film to his Luv Storys star Imran Khan, then landed Kareena Kapoor as his leading lady, and couldn’t be more grateful to Shahid for passing on the film.

Aamir Khan, who’s currently shooting Dhoom 3 in Chicago, reportedly tried to persuade Reliance to shift the release of his next film, Talaash, from its scheduled 30 November date. Having already once moved the film from its intended release date (1 June) because co-producer and star Aamir was too busy working on his television show Satyamev Jayate to supervise the film’s final edit, the studio is believed to have put its foot down firmly now.

Naturally, rumours began circulating that Aamir was not satisfied with director Reema Kagti’s thriller. But it turns out Aamir’s concerns might have nothing to do with the quality of the film at all. A well-placed source informs me that Aamir was hoping to convince the studio to release the film between his Rajkumar Hirani project Peekay and Dhoom 3, both of which aren’t expected in cinemas until much later next year. 

What Aamir is reportedly losing sleep over is whether Talaash has the potential to reach out to the ‘mass audience’ in the way that such masala entertainers like Ready, Bodyguard and Rowdy Rathore have. For one, Talaash is a whodunit, a genre that traditionally doesn’t inspire repeat viewings in the way that comedies do. Meanwhile, both Peekay and Dhoom 3 are intended as broad entertainers, the first a typical Rajkumar Hirani feel-good comedy with a message, the second a no-apologies fast-paced thriller. Aamir reportedly tried to convince Reliance that if Talaash were to be released between these two giants, its box-office potential would vastly improve.

Currently holding the Number One spot with the highest-grossing film under his belt (3 Idiots), Aamir, more than likely, is in no mood to relinquish that position, given that his next release is a crucial one in the wake of the Salman Khan blockbuster Ek Tha Tiger’s collections (although it’s still expected to fall short of 3 Idiots’ numbers).

It appears, though, Aamir’s powers of persuasion might not have worked with Reliance, which has decided to go full steam ahead with the 30 November release. Having resigned himself to the decision now, the actor is apparently spending every free moment in Chicago conducting marketing meetings over Skype with the Reliance team, and together they’re working on strategies to exploit the film’s full potential.

A good-looking male star, often employed in supporting roles alongside more popular and talented actors, is said to have developed a swollen head recently. After having previously committed to play a vital supporting role in a major action movie that stars a promising newcomer, the actor reportedly walked out of the project literally days before he was meant to commence shooting.

Apparently he decided he shouldn’t be playing second fiddle to a newcomer, especially since he has two films lined up for release shortly (both with respected directors) that feature him in the lead role. Distressed at his last-minute volte face, the makers of that action film are believed to have urged him not to go back on his commitment, but the actor allegedly paid no heed to their requests.

On being asked why he dropped out of the high-profile project, the actor has resorted to that age-old excuse of ‘no dates’.

Meanwhile, the producers quickly replaced him with a bigger star, and have been cussing at him for sending their shooting schedule into a tailspin.

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Rajeev Masand

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