The release is still a good two months away but the PR machinery has already kicked into high gear for Shaandaar. Of course, even terrible films are good at building buzz, but this late-October Dussehra release has a few things going for it that even we, the paying public, are excited about.
Here's why we’re looking forward to Shaandaar:
The lead pair
There’s something of the Jab We Met vibe to this couple—she’s all lightness and joy, and even all those muscles don’t take away from Shahid Kapoor’s sweet boyishness. Reportedly, in the movie, they meet at a destination wedding that Kapoor’s character is organising and bond over the fact that they’re both insomniacs. (Aren't all lovers in Hindi movies insomniacs? We all know sleeplessness is one of the first symptoms of pyaar/ishq/mohabbat.)
The director
Vikas Bahl does not short-change his heroines—Queen passes the Bechdel test with oestrogen to spare. Like with his directorial debut, he’s written the script for Shaandaar too. We’re rooting for another strong contender to break up the sausage fest that is the Bollywood hit brigade.
The backers
If a production house’s track record is anything to go by, then Shaandaar won’t be a waste of your time. Phantom Films, whose founders include Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane, has produced films like Queen, NH10 and, most recently, Masaan. Plus, Shaandaar will have music by Amit Trivedi. We’re sold.
The tone
Shaandaar is being described as the best of two worlds: the kind of OTT Bollywood wedding film that the Rajshri camp is known for and the smarter, more intelligent cinema that invests in its scripts. Plus, there are rumours that Karan Johar and Govinda will be playing the fathers of the groom and bride. We hope Govinda’s packed his abs.
The location
You don’t see a lot of Poland in Indian cinema, so this marks a nice change from the Paris-Prague-Switzerland circuit. Shaandaar’s wedding scenes are reported to have been shot at the baroque explosion that is the Zamoyski Museum.
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By Deepa Menon August 6th, 2015
