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When Jackie wanted to work for a rupee
At the mahurat of Tinnu Verma's Baaz - A Bird in Danger
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Ronjita Kulkarni
Filmistan Studios in suburban Mumbai saw the mahurat of Baaz - A Bird In Danger, starring Karisma Kapoor, Sunil Shetty, Jackie Shroff and Dino Morea. Action director Tinnu Verma directs the film.
Tinnu, who had earlier directed the disastrous Maa Tujhe Salaam (Sunny Deol, Tabu, Arbaaz Khan), claims that directing Baaz will be easier. "It was very difficult shooting in temperatures below zero degree [for Maa Tujhe Salaam]. We shot in the icy mountains for 70 days. One can fight the heat but not the cold."
Baaz is a thriller. It's three heroes --- Shetty, Shroff and Morea --- are murder suspects. Verma was inspired to make this film by the only big hit of this year, Vikram Bhatt's Raaz. "Raaz was a small budget film, yet it defeated all the bigwigs of the year, and became such a big hit."
Kapoor, dressed casually in a white and blue top with jeans, plays an interior designer in the film. The actress had stepped back from the limelight after Dharmesh Darshan's Haan
Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya Hai. She claims she took up Baaz only because the subject was very interesting. "I have not done a film like this before. Baaz depicts a real life drama."
Verma and Kapoor have worked earlier in hits like Raja Hindustani and Jeet. "Tinnu is very passionate about his work," says Kapoor. "When he puts his mind to something, he always does it well." The actress is known for essaying a variety of roles, be it commercial films like David Dhawan's Haseena Maan Jaayegi or author-backed roles like Khalid Mohamed's Fiza and Shyam Benegal's Zubeidaa.
"I have no criterion as such for choosing films. If I like the subject, if it inspires me, I'll do it. When you have done a lot of films, quality becomes important. Expectations and responsibilities increase and I have to live up to them," says Kapoor, whose next release will be Telugu director Vamsi's debut Hindi project Shakti.
Tinnu claims Kapoor liked the subject so much that she was even willing to work for less than her usual price: "She was thrilled with the story!" She was not the only one. Apparently, Shroff was willing to do the film for a rupee, as Tinnu was the director. "I have known Jackie since Hero, his debut film, for which I was action director."
Shroff, still on a high after Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas, states Verma is very "energetic and fantastic".
Verma also produces Baaz. "I have won awards, done a string of films from Ghayal to Gadar - Ek Prem Katha, even directed a film. Now, I want to go a step further and produce a film."
The film will be shot in Nainital, Khandala and Mumbai.
Morea, the only romantic angle in the film, elaborates, "I play a positive character, a happy-go-lucky, romantic person."
The actor seems to have an affinity for thrillers. Besides Baaz and his debut film Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi, there was Raaz and his next release Amol Shetge's Gunah, also a thriller. "I guess I've been offered really good thrillers!" he laughs. Ismail Darbar will score the music and Mehboob will pen the lyrics for the film.
The mahurat was attended by Bobby Deol, Rajkumar Santoshi, Preety Jhangiani, Arbaz Khan and Sajid Nadiawala.