Deewaar: Lets Brings Our Heroes Home : A curtain raiser 
By IndiaFM News Bureau, May 12, 2004 - 01:27 IST
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, Amrita Rao, Kay Kay, Tanuja, Raghubir Yadav, Arif Zakaria, Aditya Shrivastava, Virendra Saxena, Kamlesh Sawant and Ashraf Ul Haq.
Producer: Gaurang Doshi, who produced Aankhen, took a sabattical only to return with the most ambitious venture in recent filmdom - Deewaar. Post-Aankhen, he went through 70-80 scripts only to approve of Milan Lutharia' idea for Deewaar.
Director: Milan Lutharia, who debuted with Kachche Dhaage has always been partial to the dark-thriller-tunnel, if you excuse Chori-Chori. Once struck by the idea, he took to Gaurang Doshi. It was then developed and nurtured into a screenplay.
The launch
This 30-crore mammoth project saw an unconventional launch in the sense that there was no coconut breaking ritual or sounding the clapperboard ceremony. Instead, the lead men - the Big B, Sanju and Akshaye - unveiled their giant-sized pictures and thereafter, clicked the remote for the screening of the one-minute promo. The event was held on Thursday, February 27 2003 at Taj Lands End, Bandra.
The Indo-Pak theme
Dusting away skepticism regarding the current cordial Indo-Pak vibes, producer Gaurang Doshi affirms that his movie is neither jingoistic, nor are there any instances of Pakistan bashing. Contrary to public belief; Deewaar attempts to break down the 'hatred walls' between India and Pakistan.
Character Sketch
Amitabh Bachchan as Ranvir Kaul
Life has come full circa for Bachansaab. Three decades after playing the angry young man in Yash Chopra's Deewaar (1975), the superstar looks forward to re-establish his angry old man image with Milan Luthria's Deewaar. Big B plays Ranvir Kaul, the leader of 54 prisoners of war in Pakistan who leads them to escape from Pakistan.
Tanuja as wife of Ranvir Kaul
Talking of coincidences, the film will also mark the reunion of the talented Tanuja as Big B's onscreen wife after 33 years. The duo was the lead pair in Pyar Ki Kahani (1971), and also co-starred in Yaraana, Khuddar and off lately in Khakee. The zestful actress plays the role of Ranvir Kaul's wife who unendingly awaits the arrival of her husband languishing in prison dungeon.
Akshaye Khanna as Gaurav
Akshaye Khanna plays Gaurav, the man on a mission. He is Ranvir's son who travels from India to Pakistan in search of his father. The character is that of a normal guy who earnestly wants to bring his father back home. With Khanna Jr. portraying the character, rest assured, some fine nuances are in store for the audiences.
Amrita Rao as Radhika
Amrita Rao plays a cameo in this escape-drama. The petite actress plays Radhika, the love interest of Gaurav. Radhika is a Hindu born Paki citizen. A conservative character who accompanies Gaurav on his journey but never becomes his destination.
Sanjay Dutt as Khan
Sunjay Dutt pitches in with yet another author-backed role, that of Khan. He helps Akshaye in his mission.
Kay Kay as Sohail
The highly underrated actor of films like Bhopal Express and Chhal strikes back as a bad man in this magnum opus. Kay Kay is Sohail, the Pak jailor who lawfully tries to banish the 54 prisoners in the prison. Like many others, Bachchan happens to be his singular motivation to do the movie. Deewaar gives the actor his meatiest role so far.
Raghuvir Yadav as Jata
The enormously gifted Raghuvir Yadav plays a prisoner; Jata. Considering his track record, this talent house would shine through this role too.
The Storyline
The film is not a fictional work but inspired from real life incidents of the Prisoners of War of 1971. While several films have been made on the war theme, for the first time comes a film that will depict the traumatic life of a POW. The film promises to be a high volatile escape thriller mounted on a mammoth campus.
The Research
One year of meticulous research went into the scripting of the film. Writer Shreedhar Raghavan (who also co-wrote the screenplay of Khakee) and research scholar Vijaynath Garekhan procured materials, research papers and facts from both nations. An Indian spy who spent two decades in the Pakistan jail also proved to be of immense help in detailing of facts.
The Crew
With the basic premise being the Lahore Jail, the authenticity could not be bargained.
Hence, a massive 1.5 crore set was mounted by art director Jayant Deshmukh at Film City and the prison atmosphere painstakingly recreated. Action director Tinu Verma has beefed the film with some extraordinary action sequences, which he claims is his best work post Gadar.
Music and song picturizations
Aadesh Shrivastava has composed some interesting fusion music for the film and Nusrat Badr has penned the lyrics. The sensuous song Marhabba Marhabba that is currently doing the promo rounds shows a charismatic Dutt in the seductive company of a dozen belly dancers. Shot in a fort at Varanasi, belly dancers were specially flown in from Brazil and Belarus for the song.
On Record
The movie has confirmed a seat in the 'Limca Book of Records' for having the highest insurance cover. Incidentally Gaurang's earlier film Aankhen also had broken two records and entered the Limca book.
Release
The film makes a worldwide release on May 28, 2004.
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A curtain raiser
