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Love is in the air

Mrudula Rajadhyaksha

Kundan Shah, who gave us that brilliant comedy Jane Bhi Do Yaaron in the 80's, is now busy with Hum To Mohabbat Karega. This is his second masala film -- after Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa -- with stars like Karisma Kapoor and Bobby Deol.

Incidentally, the Kapoor girl and the Deol boy are coming together for the first time for a film. Karisma was the original choice for the female lead in Barsaat, Bobby's debut venture, which was later played by Twinkle Khanna.

"Alright, so Jane Bhi... was a great film and people still remember it, but it didn't run in the theatres for even six weeks. It is no use then," Shah tells us, stopping on his way to lunch, on the sets of Hum To Mohabbat Karega.

The sets, in this case, is an oil mill at Bhandup in Bombay, which has been locked since a long time. The location has all the ingredients required for a film's near-climax. Huge rectangular water tanks line up the narrow lane ideal for playing filmi hide-n-seek games. There's the mandatory godown -- the perfect setting for a fight between the hero and the villain.

The compound is full of vehicles carrying generators and make-up vans -- which obviously belong to the stars.

Shah seems excited, angry, happy, bitter -- all at the same time. "We have made the film from our heart and the audience should like it. The audience is god, but it's also innocent. Give the viewers something genuinely interesting or entertaining, they will lap it up! What they say is right, I know it because I was once part of the audience. I remember how I planned a week in advance to watch a film," he says. "Here comes a film made by an audience for the audience."

The gist of the story, as narrated by Shah, is something like this. Karisma is a television reporter and Bobby falls in love with her. He pretends to be a witness in the case she is investigating, just to get close to her,. But in the process, he is implicated for something he has not done. The story progresses from here, peppered with generous doses of love and romance.

We ask Shah about the chemistry between his two stars, expecting an "oh-they-are-wonderful-together" answer. But he gives it a serious thought, before saying, "See it on screen, let the audience decide." We are surprised, and we tell him so. "Why, if you are expecting a predictable reply, talk to my producers!" he jokes. "Bobby will surprise you in the film, pleasantly!" adds Shah.

Any special songs that he thinks will ride the music charts? He shakes his head. "Remember, the audience doesn't want a song, they want a good movie," is his reply.

We hear that Bobby and Shakti Kapoor are getting ready for a shot at the other end. Wondering how a scene can be shot when the director is having lunch, we reach the spot. Shakti Kapoor, in a bizarre make-up, talks to Bobby who, we must say, looks much better with shorter hair. Also hanging around are several junior artistes sporting black clothes.

The camera, set up in a corner, is ready to capture the action sequence which has Bobby being chased by Shakti and his cronies. The chase actually takes place over a short distance, so the shot doesn't take long. But just to be on the safe side, they do a retake. This done, the technicians begin preparations for the next shift.

Meanwhile, some chairs are arranged for us and we sit down, hoping to catch the stars. But to our dismay, we learn Bobby is 'off-the-Press' till the release of Dillagi. Sitting opposite us, Bobby looks a trifle conscious even as he is approached by a few middle-aged women and several kids for autographs.

So, we turn to Shakti Kapoor and ask him about his role. "Yes, obviously I am the villain in the film. But Kundan Shah is a different director with a brilliant sense of humour. Some of the scenes are really funny, we had fun shooting them," he says.

Shakti is wearing a pony-tailed wig, black t-shirt and a large tattoo on his hand. He explains about the tattoo. "Bobby has not seen the killer, but just seen this tattoo. So he suspects me the moment he spots this," he says pointing towards his arm. Looks like the tattoo plays a more important role in the film than the man wearing it!

As Shakti leaves to get ready for his next shot, we hear that Karisma is also ready for her shot. On reaching the spot, we find that the camera is placed on the mezzanine floor. A van with Channel 2000 painted on it enters a garage. We look for the Kapoor girl, but apparently, she is still in her make-up van.

She emerges a little later, dressed in a formal suit and a silk scarf, with her hair tied up. As she walks towards the garage, Karisma is given a handycam (remember, she plays a television journo in the film). She has to focus, or pretend to focus, in a certain direction. The way she carries it, the handycam looks really light, making us wonder whether it is just a toy!

Shah shouts instructions from the mezzanine floor and Karisma follows obediently. The shot is now ready. A soon as the van zooms into the garage, some men -- who comprise the TV crew for the film -- jump out, with Karisma telling them to hurry up. She gets busy with her camera, and puts on a worried and tense expression on her face.

But the director is not happy, so the camera stops rolling. Shah rattles off some more instructions with Karisma nodding her pretty head in agreement. Then she readies herself for the shot once again.

Here, we decide to make a quiet exit. As we come out of the sets, we see a large crowd has gathered to catch a glimpse of the glamour girl. Lolo is certainly on a roll!