Ashutosh, Imtiaz Ali...next is what?

Bollywood suddenly seems to be Kolkata bound. So it seems.

Farhan Akhtar will be shooting his next film in Kolkata. Ashutosh Gowariker has done his recce for the film on Surya Sen. And now comes the news that Jab We Met director Imtiaz Ali will be in town from September 1 to shoot his third feature film after Socha Na Tha and Jab We Met.

The as-yet-untitled film is a contemporary love story that has Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone in the lead. While Saif will be in town from September 3 to shoot for the film, Deepika, however, will give Kolkata a miss.

Talking about his fondness for the city, Imtiaz says, “I’ve always been very fond of Kolkata. It’s the most rocking city in India. I have grown up in Jamshedpur and half my life has been spent in Kolkata. I am a big fan of Aminia’s biryani and am so glad that Nizam has reopened. I still haven’t got over the plum cakes of Nahoum’s. I just love walking down Park Street. My aunt used to live on Elliot Road and my cousin and I would often walk down to New Market. While writing the story, Kolkata, I suppose, was subconsciously there in my mind.”

Shooting for the film will begin on September 4 and continue till the 9th. One of the most important reasons for shooting the film in Kolkata is the Howrah Bridge. “There is a connection with bridges in the story. Hence, we thought it would be great if we could film the Howrah Bridge. Though the film is contemporary, the Kolkata tracks are set in the 60s,” says the director.

Yet, what makes this film different from the usual ones set in Kolkata is that it revolves around a Sikh family. That leaves out any chances of showing Bengali clichés like sindoor khela and dhunuchhi naach. Instead, plans are afoot for shooting a Sikh ceremony in the film. Of course, there will be footages on trams and montage shots on cobbled streets and the riverfront near the jetty. Certain portions of the film will be shot at the Lahabari too.

Industry sources say, the first day of shoot will be at some place close to the Lake Market area. Since shooting in the narrow gulleys of North Kolkata could be difficult, the unit will prefer shooting in a bylane in South Kolkata that also retains the old-world charm.

Ask Ali whether he has any plans of shooting outside Kolkata or even have a scene in Jamshedpur and he replies in the negative. “No, Jamshedpur doesn’t feature in the film. We’ve already done a schedule of the film in London. Saif will be coming down to Kolkata. As for the other tracks, we will shift to shoot in Delhi,” says the director.

Incidentally, Saif’s last Kolkata outing for Parineeta had also depicted the city in the 60s. And as luck would have it, this film also has the same cinematographer — S Natarajan Subramaniam — who had shot for both Parineeta and Jab We Met. So, will Saif be shooting at Prinsep Ghat too, the way he had shot with Vidya Balan for Parineeta? “No, we don’t have any such plans either,” says Ali. The director also doesn’t have any plans of shooting a song in Kolkata.

Having shot with Saif already, what does the director think of the star? “The biggest asset is that Saif doesn’t carry any baggage. That apart, I also love the fact that he is always game for improvisations.”
Meanwhile, Sharmila Tagore is in town already to shoot at a house in Bally for Amol Palekar’s film. She might not be around till Saif comes down to the city on September 3. But wonder whether Kareena will take time off and do a real-life Jab We Met for Saif during his tryst with Kolkata.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India_Buzz/Ashutosh_Gowariker_Imtiaz_Alinext_is_what/articleshow/3408550.cms