'Waqt' explores father-son relationship

           Vipul Shah, the flamboyant Gujarati film director, who brought the acclaimed "Aankhen", is now back with an emotional family drama based on a father-son relationship. "Waqt: A Rrace Against Time" stars Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal and Priyanka Chopra. Like his earlier film, Waqt is also an adaptation of a Gujarati play, "Avjo Vahala Fari Malishu", written by Aatish Kapadia.

          The film traces the relationship between a father and son, whose lives take a dramatic turn after they unearth a secret relation connecting their past with future. For Bachchan, who had a hugely successful year with "Baghban" and has a host of interesting line-ups like Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Black", Shah's "Deewar", Vijay Singh's "Ab Tumhare Havale Watan Saathiyon", and a host of others, "Waqt" is another script revolving around the diamond jubilee star. Bachchan praised the original version of the film in Gujarati. "I had seen the play in Gujarati and found it to be very unique, different from anything before. I agreed and we had already decided, me and Vipul (Shah), that we will work again after "Aankhen", that's why I am here," Bachchan said on Tuesday at the launch party of the film in Mumbai.

          For Akshay Kumar, who has earlier worked with Amitabh Bachchan as his son in "Ek Rishta" and as an associate in "Aankhen", it was a pleasent working experience. Kumar and Bachchan will next be seen together in Rajkumar Santoshi's "Khakee" and Madhur Bhandarkar's "Aan". Vipul Shah said the originality of the play was retained for the film. "It's huge in that sense, yes we will not change the soul of the play but you will see huge difference in the play and movie. It will be like a completely new version of the same play," he said.

          The film also stars former Miss World Priyanka Chopra pairing opposite Akshay Kumar. Chopra's debut movie "Andaaz" alongwith Akshay Kumar was a huge success at the box office. "The film's story is very strong. And the novelty of the film is only that the relations which they have shown is how time overpowers the relations and this is its novelty and will continue to do so," said Chopra. Waqt, produced by Manmohan Shetty, will be shot in various locales of New Zealand and Mumbai. The shooting of the film would start by the end of this year and the film is expected to be released by Diwali next year.

Nov 26,  2003