Sunday, August 24, 2008

Big B’s close shave

Director R Balakrishna of Cheeni Kum fame has once again teamed up with Amitabh Bachchan in Pa and says he is giving the legendary actor a complete makeover. Big B is said to have agreed to cast off his beard for this emotional drama.'I’m not going to tell you whether I’ve asked Mr Bachchan to shave off his beard or not. But for sure, this is going to be his most startling makeover in recent times,' Balakrishna, who is also known as Balki, said.

'While Abhishek will be given a more intrinsic personality change, I’m totally changing Amitabhs’ look,' he added. After Sarkar and Sarkar Raj, Amitabh and Abhishek will again be seen playing father and son in a film. And how different would it be from Balki’s earlier film with the senior Bachchan?

'Pa would be a far more emotional story than Cheeni Kum, which was far more caustic, dry and sharp-tongued. Actually, Cheeni Kum was inspired by one scene in Raj Khosla’s Dostana where Amitabh confronted Zeenat Aman. The look of utter disdain and sarcasm in his eyes remained with me. That’s how his character in Cheeni Kum was born.'

In Pa, Big B plays someone he has never played before. 'While in Cheeni Kum he was a character I had seen earlier, in Pa he’s a totally different person. It’ a very emotional father-son story, but the emotions won’t be melodramatic.' In Cheeni Kum, Balki roped in Tabu to play Amitabh’s love interest, but there is no romantic track for him in the forthcoming movie. Vidya Balan is cast as Abhishek’s love interest.

'Amitji will have no love interest. His world revolves around his son. Will I borrow from Amitabh’s real-life relationship with Abhishek? No. In fact, I know them so well that I'll make sure I avoid all references to their real life.' And what about the music? 'Ah Ilayaraja again — I worship the man. And the cinematography will be by none other than PC Sreeram, again after Cheeni Kum,' Balki said.

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