“Veer will show old Hindustani culture” – Anil Sharma

By IndiaFM News Bureau -

January 7, 2008 - 12:00 AM IST

Flashback 1998. A soothsayer walks up to Vashu Bhagnani and his wife Puja and makes some startling predictions... The soothsayer predicts: [i] Vashu will face tough times after two years, [ii] Vashu will return to his construction business and [iii] Vashu's son Jackky will pursue acting as his career.

Vashu laughs and secretly mocks at the soothsayer's bhavishya-vaani. His PYAAR KIYA TO DARNA KYA has just opened to a thumping response, while BADE MIYAN CHOTE MIYAN and BIWI NO. 1, both biggies, are slated for release in the coming months. How can things go wrong, he questions himself. Getting into construction is also out of question, since Vashu is enjoying his [then] current status as 'Producer No. 1'. As for Jackky turning actor, Vashu feels it's a false siren, since Jackky is an obese child, he is grossly over-weight, a far cry from the 6-pack abs that is a must for all actors today.

'Is he bluffing? Is he out of his mind?' Vashu scoffs at the 'predictions'. But, gradually, the predictions start coming true.

Vashu has a string of flops. He falls on bad times. Much later, he gets an opportunity to get into the construction business. He develops a couple of condominiums and makes money. In between, Vashu's son Jackky expresses a desire to get into acting. He wants to do a course in acting from Lee Strasberg. Vashu is flummoxed.

One keeps hearing, 'Kal kisne dekha?', but the soothsayer did foresee Vashu and his family's future.

Jackky decides to polish himself before he faces the glitz-n-glam industry. To start with, Jackky decides to work on his appearance. He goes on a strict diet to reduce the unwanted flab. He learns everything that's considered a pre-requisite for any actor. He learns acting at Lee Strasberg in New York and also motorcycle stunts in Melbourne. Yet, Jackky is in no hurry to take the plunge. "Jackky told me categorically that I shouldn't push him. He wanted to take each step at a time. Plus, he didn't want one of those mundane boy-meets-girl scripts for his debut. It had to be different," Vashu reminisces.

Cut to the present. Vashu's new film is titled KAL KISSNE DEKHA and ironically, Jackky heads the cast of this film. Also, Jackky's role is that of a youngster who can see the future. He gets flashes, a la Nostradamus. "I can draw parallels with Jackky's character in KAL KISSNE DEKHA," director Vivek Sharma surprises the visiting media team to Pattaya, Thailand with this statement, "Since childhood, I would get these flashes, which I couldn't decipher. My mother was always worried. I get it even today."

After having worked with supremos like Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan in his directorial debut BHOOTHNATH, what prompted Vivek to work with rank newcomers like Jackky and Vaishali Desai in his very second outing? He should've graduated to a Roshan or a Khan or a Kumar, like other directors have done. "The demand of the subject was fresh faces. And I must confess, the performances of these two youngsters -- Jackky and Vaishali -- will catch you by complete surprise. They're the stars of tomorrow," Vivek states.

Proud father Vashu Bhagnani is sparing no efforts in ensuring that Jackky's debut vehicle KAL KISSNE DEKHA gets only the best. The film has been shot at several panoramic locations across the globe: From Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town in South Africa to Wellington in New Zealand and now Pattaya and Bangkok in Thailand. Wow!

The select gathering of media is shown exclusive footage from KAL KISSNE DEKHA and the first thing that catches your eye is Jackky's exceptional dancing. The youngster is sure to give stiff competition to the likes of Hrithik Roshan, Shahid Kapur and Ranbir Kapoor in times to come, as far as dancing is concerned. He dances like there's no bone in his body, as if he were made of rubber. Exceptional indeed!

Though Vashu didn't showcase scenes from KAL KISSNE DEKHA [one was keen to know how Jackky and Vaishali performed in such difficult roles], Rishi Kapoor's statement to this writer said it all. "Jackky's confidence is incredible. He could handle the most difficult scenes like someone who has mastered the art so well, so thoroughly," the veteran tells me.

Vashu has partnered with Big Pictures for KAL KISSNE DEKHA. Sunir Khetarpal from Big was present at the venue and so were actor Satish Shah and music composers Sajid-Wajid, who, one must say, have come up with a lilting score. The songs are trendy, catchy and tuneful and have been filmed with flourish.

In fact, in one of the songs, you can spot Sanjay Dutt as a deejay. Does Sanju have a role in the film? "No, he doesn't," Vashu clarifices, "It so happened that Sanju was also shooting in Cape Town when we were filming this song. It was more of a good luck gesture from him." There's talk that Bachchan Sr. and SRK would be roped in for friendly appearances in KAL KISSNE DEKHA. True? "We might feature them in cameos," Vivek divulges.

KAL KISSNE DEKHA is slated for release on April 3, 2009.