'Kareena is one of the most professional actors we've worked with'


Mostly in spy-thrillers, the women have little to do and show up only to turn on the heat. How is her part defined?

That is a trait in many Bond movies, but again, our film is not Bond.

Kareena comes at a later stage in the film and has a complex character with various nuances attached. This role compliments her very well and she does full justice to her character.

Was she roped in to play the part because this is your home production?

No, she was thought of keeping the story in mind. If that was the case, she would have acted in our first production as well, Love Aaj Kal. It was the right casting decision.

She is a phenomenal and intense actor, and understands all facets of cinema since she has been versatile in her choice of roles.

Sometimes, she knows technicallities better than me -- about the lenses and the lighting. It is interesting to talk to her about such stuff. As a producer, she is one of the most professional actors we have worked with.

'The audience is not bothered about a film's troubled past'

Two years on one project is a long time. Even Raghavan went on to write other screenplays. What was the delay about?

There were lots of rumours from the beginning created by the press itself that the film is going overboard with budget, getting delayed, and re-scheduled. None of it is true. 

Since it is a mega-budget film, it required a lot of detailing right from the locations worldwide to the action sequences. It needed time before the final cut was ready. You don't make films every day. Having said that, whenever a film comes out, I don't think the ticket-paying public is going to be bothered about its troubled past. 

Go on...

We have done car chases and other action stunts in a treatment which I haven't seen before and they are something not very easy to pull off. Yes, we took more time than we initially thought, but in the end we need to be satisfied with our finished product which we very much are.

Why is Kareena Kapoor -- your co-star in the film -- missing from the teaser launch?

We are following 'Divide and Rule' policy, so she will be coming at a later stage. (Laughs)

'I thought the original Agent Vinod was quite hilarious'


What are the similarities between your new film and the Deepak Bahry-directed film Agent Vinod that came out in 1977?

When I saw the 1977 Agent Vinod, I thought it was quite hilarious. There was a gun which fired backwards, killing the shooter itself and other really crazy scenes. And it had an interesting plot.

Our film has nothing really to draw parallels with that one, apart from the title, which Rajshree Productions happily gave to me over a handshake.

I think Vinod is a very universal name. From the elite to the back of an auto-rickshaw, it randomly appears everywhere.

Moreover, India is a very large country with a huge market. We plan to reach out to as many people we can.

Saif all praises for Bebo’s stunts


As reported earlier, Kareena Kapoor will be seen doing various stunts in her upcoming flick ‘Agent Vinod’. And guess who’s very happy with her? Well, he’s none other than Saif Ali Khan. He is all praises for his girlfriend and insists that Kareena is very good in doing stunts in his film.

Kareena wasn’t very keen on doing action or any kind of stunts prior to the film going on floors. However, in due course of time as the film started progressing, Bebo went on with the flow.

“She (Kareena Kapoor) had said she does not like doing action but she is very good at it. She has got pretty intense expression when she does it. She was very very good while doing it,” Saif Ali Khan said.

In Delhi, while shooting for an action sequence, the actress did injure herself quite a few times. Not just her but her beau Saif, was bruised too.

“I thought it (doing action) would be fun but every inch of my body was bruised and coloured in some amazing purple, yellow blotches…I had not seen something like this ever. I have done everything myself which I am excited about,” said the 41-year-old star.

Directed by Sriram Raghavan, Agent Vinod is a spy thriller, set to hit theaters in June, this year.

'We'd love to have a Vinod franchisee if this one makes money'

So he doesn't see a lot of women or indulge in drinks?
He definitely does both, but not in an American way like James Bond. The way Sriram has written him, it is a very rooted, Indian character. 

That said, I am not saying that it is not Bond inspired at all. There is James Bond, there is Jason Bourne and there are even little bits of Tintin.

Having seen the finished product, do you feel you have a killer franchisee in hand?
If we make money and if the film is liked by people, we would love to have a Vinod franchisee.

Saif to replace Salman in 'Judwaa 2'


Saif Ali Khan is going to step into Salman Khan’s shoes for the sequel to ‘Judwaa’ which was a blockbuster of the year 1997. In ‘Judwaa’, Salman Khan played double role. The sequel will be produced by producer Sajid Nadiadwala. Saif Ali Khan has been confirmed for the role.

The film will be directed by Sajid Khan. For a long time, Sajid and Saif were willing to work together and now they have got the right script. ‘Judwaa 2’ will have technical experts from Hollywood. The rest of the cast is yet to be finalized.

Currently, Sajid is busy with the post-production work of his upcoming film ‘Housefull 2’ and busy with the screenplay of his next film with Ajay Devgan.

‘Judwaa’ is not starting anytime soon. The film will go on floors early next year.  David Dhawan directed Saman Khan starrer ‘Judwaa’,. Karisma Kapoor and Rambha played the female leads.



Apsara awards

Apsara awards

The Bollywood brigade graced the Apsara awards held on January 25th 2012 at the Yash Raj studio in Andheri, a western Mumbai suburb.

Kareena Kapoor, who has quite an eventful year ahead of her -- her film Agent Vinod is finally ready to see the light of the day and a wedding may be on cards too -- looked positively radiant in her white gown as she arrived for the show.

Total Pageviews