Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Phantom to prove that Kabir has action in his DNA

Phantom to prove that Kabir has action in his DNA

 
Filmmaker Kabir Khan has action in his DNA. About the challenges of shooting the action sequences in Phantom, he says“The Film is has been shot all over the world right from Beirut, Canada, Chicago, Punjab and Kashmir."

Beirut Action Sequence

While shooting in Beirut, director Kabir Khan was aware that shooting in these strife-torn locations would be a sensitive matter.

The shooting was on a huge refugee camp created on the Syria- Lebanon border which was about half-an-hour's drive from Lebanon which happens to be a Shia Muslim area. There were about 400 locals dressed as rebel soldiers and a movement of about 25 trucks and jeeps for the sequence. Being a massive set-up it attracted a lot of attention. They used real guns for this entire action sequence.

The entire action sequence looked so real, that the army thought a real rebellious movement was going on.

The entire action sequence was directed by action director Sham Kaushal.

Punjab sequence

The filmmakers created Pakistan in Malerkotla in Punjab. A entire Pakistani marketplace was created in Punjab, which they dressed it up with posters and flags etc.

The entire action sequence was shot in the middle narrow busy and crowded lanes.

This sequence had a lot of intensive car chases and crashes scenes, which does required a lot of perfection and at most care while shooting them.

They had to go through a lot of permissions including the street shops as there were a lot of movement and security issues during the shot.

Eventually everything went well and it turned out to be great schedule where everyting ended up as it was planned.

Canada Sequence

As the director Kabir Khan had always maintained that he prefers real locations instead of relying on CGI (computer-generated imagery) because the actual backdrop adds more depth to his story. The entire crew flew down to Canada

There they did a high end real car chase sequences. It was an exciting schedule which involved cutting the edge sequence under the expert Action Director Garry who has directed a lot of movies before.

Also logistics was one of the major issues while shooting here as everything had to be put in place and arranged weeks before. But eventually all the hard work payed off.

Kashmir

Phantom was shot in north Kashmir ski resort of Gulmarg and later also shot in the south Kashmir's Pahalgam hill station.

They shot a huge blast sequence in the snows and the most difficult part was of the entire schedule was it was planned in the peak of winters when the entire valley was covered under a 10ft blanket of snow all around.

Logistically, shooting here was very difficult as everyday all the equipment’s had to be carried up and bought down at the end of the day but the enthusiasm and hard work of the locals was heart-warming.

Phantom is all set to release on 28th August, 2015.

Old or New jodi in Bollywood... Whats your pick?

Old or New jodi in Bollywood... Whats your pick?7Experts say that fresh pairs and hit jodis will keep Bollywood’s cash register ringing this season.

A flurry of Bollywood films with never-seen-before lead pairs will release in the next two months, while the festive season will see a bunch of big-budget films with tried and tested pairs on screen. And experts feel that the mix will help the box office garner big revenue.

The fresh pairs include Saif Ali Khan and Katrina Kaif, who will be seen in Kabir Khan’s next, Kangana Ranaut and Imran Khan as well as John Abraham and Shruti Haasan in the sequel of the hit film Welcome (2007).

389007-katti-batti-2Among the existing hit jodis, Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone in Tamasha, Ranveer Singh and Deepika in Bajirao Mastani and Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in Dilwale, will be back on celluloid to recreate magic.
tamasha-first-look-story_647_072815122825
Talking about how a fresh pair helps a film, trade analyst Atul Mohan says, “The audience today wants everything to be new – be it scripts, storyline or the actors. A new pair creates extra interest that translates into more business.”

Trade analyst Komal Nahta adds, “The audience wants an entire package, only the hero and heroine can’t pull off a film. However, during the festive season when big budget films release, a tried and tested pair works better.”
Shah_Rukh_Khan_and_KajolFilmmaker Sabbir Khan, who has worked with both newcomers and hit pairs, says: “Obviously, both have their pros and cons but I get excited when a film with a fresh pair releases. However, I don’t mind watching SRK and Kajol together.”

Shashank Khaitan, who directed Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014), cast actors Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan after their first hit Student of the Year (2012), says, “If a hit pair doesn’t suit the script, it can backfire. Actors are moving out of their comfort zones and there will only be more experiments now.”