Meera: Upset by Shoaib's Entry

MAHESH Bhatt who is very closely connected with the film industry of Pakistan, and had taken Pakistani actress named Meera in his 'Zaher', is now determined to sign Pakistan's famous bowler Shoaib in the lead role in his camp's forthcoming 'Gangster'.

This is to recall that Shoaib had earlier declined Bhatt's offer to act in this movie.

This had upset Meera more than anyone else, as she owes her entry into Indian films to Bhatt.

So, she suggested to Bhatt to visit Karachi and approach Shoaib there.

On his return from Karachi, Bhatt seems to be very happy as Shoaib has agreed to peruse his script but has sought three months' time to complete his English county contract.

Whether Shoaib will accept to play a gangster in Bhatt's movie or not, but Bhatt doesn't mind to wait for three months for Shoaib.

Kangna in place of Meera's sister Aksa

Actress Kangna Ranaut from Himachal Pradesh has been chosen to play the lead in Vishesh Films’ Gangster, which stars the Bhatt’s blue-eyed boy, Emraan Hashmi, in the title role.

Gangster, to be directed by Anurag Basu, is a triangle between a don-on-the-run, his girlfriend and another man (yet to be cast). The film is largely based on the life of gangster Abu Salem, and his relationship with Monica Bedi — Kangna will play Monica.

Emraan was not the first choice for the title role. While Sanjay Dutt and John Abraham (in that order) could not give dates, Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar had become a hot contender. Insecure about his selection in the cricket team, Akhtar could not make up his mind.

“Shoaib was sailing in both boats. Obviously, his first inclination was towards cricket. As for Emraan, we’ll be giving him a rugged new look,” Basu points out.

Mallika’s Loss

Mallika Sherawat was the original choice for the gangster’s moll. After the Bhatts blocked her out, Pakistani actress Meera’s sister, Aksa, was a leading contender.

Basu had also spoken to Ranjit Mullick’s daughter, Koel. And another Kolkata girl, Sanchaita. “I zeroed in on Koel and Sanchaita. Just when I was debating between them, I came across Kangna.”

Anurag first spotted Kangna at the J W Marriot Hotel. “She walked past me and I turned around to give her another look. Almost instantly, I decided to approach her,” he says.

“Anurag sent me a note saying he wanted to talk to me. I was sipping coffee there. We spoke and I was happy that I was being offered a Bhatt film,” recounts Kangna.

“When Anurag brought her in, I saw a spark in her face. Almost instantly, I knew he had made the right decision. I am a director’s producer and have full faith in Anurag’s abilities,” says Mukesh Bhatt.

Aksa had visa Problems

Says Anurag, “Mahesh Bhatt had Aksa in mind, but I convinced him to go ahead with Kangna. I am starting the film in October, but I couldn’t wait any longer. There is so much still to be done. One role is yet to be cast for; I would prefer a newcomer for that. And I have yet to scout for locations. I couldn’t sit on the heroine’s casting any more — Aksa had a bit of visa problem, which delayed her arrival in India.”

Explaining how Aksa came into contention, he says, “It all started when Meera told the Bhatts she was interested in playing the role. I told her that we wanted someone who looked younger than her. At that point, she suggested we test her sister.”

Suffering Cinemas

Struggling under an onslaught of Bollywood, Movie houses that once saw audiences queue for Pakistan's home-grown 'Lollywood' productions now say they need to screen films made by their once bitter rivals in glitzy Mumbai, the former Bombay, in order to flourish.

"The import from Bollywood would give us an emergency boost which is badly needed. There is absolutely no other way left to support the cinema industry," says cinema owner Jehanzeb Baig, chairman of the Pakistan Cinema Exhibitors' Association.

In the golden age of Pakistani cinema in the 1960s and 70s, four studios in Lahore and two in Karachi pumped out regular blockbusters, producing 300 movies in five languages in 1973, a good number of them box-office blockbusters.

But since then Pakistan's studios have suffered a long steady decline, thanks to falling production values, simplistic and bloody plotlines and increasing censorship under various military regimes.

Last year, the few studios left in the eastern city of Lahore produced only 14 movies, and all of them bombed at the box office.

With the shortfall of cinema, the number of movie houses has withered from more than 2,000 screens to around 300. Many have been torn down or converted into shopping malls.

Instead Western films and Bollywood's famed 'masala' movies, with their winning formula of action, music, romance and humour, have taken some of the Pakistani audiences by storm.

Despite an official ban from Pakistani cinemas and public TV channels, thousands of Indian titles are openly available in markets as DVDs, VCDs and, for those with dishes on their roofs, satellite broadcasts.

The government, however, has so far refused to lift ban on films made by its long-time rival India.

Hardliners in the North West Frontier Province have launched periodic crackdowns against "vulgar" movies, prompting local police to rip down posters judged obscene.

"No, we'll not be allowing the import of Indian films, not even limited ones for the time being," says Ziauddin Ahmed, chairman of the Pakistan Film Censor Board. "We are sensitive to our cultural requirements and censor policy."

Last week India agreed during talks on cultural exchanges to host a Pakistan film festival in Punjab and New Delhi, the Hindustan Times reported.

But the government officials said no proposal on screening Indian films in Pakistan was even considered in the talks.

"If we allow the import to please a few stakeholders, the rest of the industry will also go unemployed."

Many of Pakistan's silver screen talent with Meera atop have already fled to Bollywood.

Sensing even harder times ahead, big name Pakistani actors including Meera, Reema, Sana, Javed Shaikh and Moammer Rana have made the trek to the bright lights of Mumbai.

Some have worked on Indian films, others on joint productions, which many in the industry see as a new, third way ahead for South Asian cinema.

Pakistani actress-director Reema

Pakistani actress-director Reema, who just completed post-production for her upcoming film "Koi Tujh Sa Kahan" (You are the Best) in Mumbai, is all for the new way of Indian-Pakistan collaboration in making movies.

"It can only improve our own work and performance and would bring in badly needed revenue for our cinema industry," she says. "It would provide us better and healthy competition, which would benefit our industry."

A Lahore film industry delegation recently visited Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and pressed their case for the revival of Pakistani cinema.

The Premier assured them the government was aware of the problem and dangled before them the prospect of building a new film city in Lahore, with studios and academies teaching acting and film-making, to boost local showbiz.

"We have to look at all these issues and then take a final decision," says Ziauddin. But he also had some cold, hard advice for Pakistani film-makers: "Basically the industry has to improve its quality, and that is the solution."●