Mumbai: Pritish Nandy’s next home production Shaadi Ke Side Effects, a sequel to the 2006 romantic film, Pyaar Ke Side Effects will see the fresh and unusual pairing of Vidya Balan and Farhan Akhtar.
The earlier film starring Rahul Bose and Mallika Sherawat was a romantic comedy, and portrayed the intricacies of a modern relationship while the sequel featuring Vidya and Farhan, will look at how their story progresses after they get married.
“We have been planning the sequel for about three years or so. We have never compromised on script; hence we took time while writing. The story moves ahead from where Trisha and Sid left…they get married…what changes come in their married life, the transformation in a relationship. And how they tackle the changes…” producer Pritish Nandy told PTI.
For Pyaar Ke Side Effects, initially, majority of the people were skeptical about how it would be, but the eventual verdict was a thumbs-up.
The film was a hit on box office and appreciated critically too.
Ask if he is looking at cashing on the success of the original film in the second outing, Nandy says, “We are not really looking at it. For us important thing is script and that should be good. We were in no hurry to make the film hence we took time to write the script.”
On the new pairing, he said, “We thought of a fresh cast. so finalised Farhan Akhtar and Vidya Balan for Shaadi Ke Side Effects. Both have signed the film. It is an unusual pairing and we were looking at one. Both are talented actors. They are natural and their level of performance is authentic which is what we required for this film.”
Except the lead pair, everyone including director Saket Choudhary and music director Pritam remain same.
“Pyaar Ke Side Effects had four songs that became very popular. The songs that time were topping the charts. We would like to create that magic again with the songs and music in this film. As of now for this film, there seems no possibility of an item song,” Nandy said.
The shooting would start by the end of this year and the film would release next year. Meanwhile, director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra of Rang De Basanti fame, who is making a biopic on Milkha Singh, says the film’s lead Farhan Akhtar went through gruelling training like an athlete to look the part.
“My only brief to my team was that we are not preparing an actor, we are training an athlete to win gold at the next Olympics. There was a lot of hard work, training everyday, six hours out on the field and then the gym. We had three athletic instructors, a technical expert for speed and endurance, all that is required to train an athlete,” Mehra told PTI.
Farhan’s look in the film has already created quite a buzz and Mehra says the reason why that sole picture of the actor from the sets of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag has generated so much response is because it is full of sincerity.
“There are so many actors playing sardars but the reason why this one has struck a chord with the audience is due to the sincerity dripping from it. The amount of hard work that boy has put in, he can one day write a book upon it,” said the Delhi 6 maker, who will be conducting a music workshop at the IIFA awards in Singapore.
A picture from the movie shows Farhan sporting a beard, long hair and a buffed up body. Mehra says it is comparatively easier to achieve the look on the outside than feel what Milkha is like on the inside. (PTI)