Fresh pairs in new releases this month

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NEW DELHI - Movie buffs will get to see fresh pairs like Salman Khan-Sonakshi Sinha and Aishwarya Rai-Rajnikant in the films lined up to hit the big screen this month.

The first hitherto unseen pairing will be Karan Johar’s home production “We Are Family”, releasing Friday. For the first time Arjun Rampal will be seen with Kajol and Kareena Kapoor in this family drama. A Hindi adaptation of the Hollywood hit “Stepmom”, it will show how Arjun’s character juggles between his ailing ex-wife and his girlfriend.

Set in Melbourne, Siddharth Malhotra’s directorial debut is a completely urban film.

It will be followed by another debutant Abhinav Kashyap’s small town drama “Dabangg”, where he will present a fresh pairing of Salman Khan and Sonakshi Sinha. The audiences will see the Bollywood heartthrob romancing newcomer Sonakshi in Laalganj, a dusty and rugged small town in Uttar Pradesh.

The film has been in the news ever since the main leads were finalised. It tells the story of a fearless but corrupt police officer, Chulbul Pandey, known for his unorthodox methods of operating. His life changes when he meets Rajo. Produced by Arbaaz Khan, it is releasing Sep 10.

Analyst Taran Adarsh feels new pairs create curiosity and help in bringing audiences to theatres.

“People want to see fresh stuff whether it is in terms of story, content or casting. If we talk about pairing, that is an advantage. People want to go in and check out new pairs, whether it is a new hero pitted against an established heroine or a new heroine against an established hero like in ‘Dabangg’. That adds an extra sheen to the movie,” Adarsh told IANS.

On Sep 24, director Siddharth Anand will take the movie buffs to foreign shores along with Priyanka Chopra and Ranbir Kapoor in “Anjaana Anjaani”. Both Priyanka and Ranbir have previous delivered hits, but this is their first film together.

Shot in New York, the zingy romantic comedy is the latest offering from the Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment banner, known for making laugh riots. It revolves around Aakash (Ranbir) and Kiara (Priyanka) trying to find luck in their lives after several failed attempts to be successful in their careers and love.

Also on Sep 24, Bollywood diva Aishwarya Rai and southern superstar Rajnikant will vie for viewers’ attention with “Endhiran - The Robot”, which is said to be the costliest Indian film with a budget of about Rs.150 crore.

Thanks to experimentation, filmmakers don’t mind the age gap and perhaps that is the reason that Kashyap zeroed in on 44-year-old Salman and Sonakshi, who is just 22, for “Dabangg” leads.

The same is the case with the lead pair of “Robot”, where 60-year-old Rajnikant will be singing, dancing and performing daredevilry stunts with 36-year-old Aishwarya. With an age difference of over 30 years, it would be interesting to see their chemistry on screen.

As far as the lead pair of “Anjaana Anjaani” is concerned, Priyanka is a year older than Ranbir, 27. Both the actors are youth icons and youngsters are expecting a lot from them as a lot of hype has been built around their pairing.

Yogesh Raizada, corporate head (Cinemas) of Wave Cinemas, told IANS that if the content is good, audiences will welcome these new pairs on screen.

“At the end of the day, content is king. If the content is strong, it doesn’t matter who is playing the lead pair. The movie will work. But if the content is not good, the best of pairs can’t work. The pair has to merge with the character and justify it to make the film work,” he said.

Amit Awasthi, senior manager (Programming and Operations) of Spice Cinemas, said: ” ‘Anjaana Anjaani’ will be a good player thanks to Priyanka Chopra and Ranbir Kapoor’s unusual pair. People are waiting to see both of them together and their on-screen chemistry.”

“The same is the case with ‘Dabangg’, which has already created a lot of buzz thanks to Salman Khan, and then there is Sonakshi Sinha, who has been paired opposite him for the first time. Her fresh looks opposite the machoman of Bollywood are also worth watching for,” Awasthi added.

Another film releasing this month with a fresh pair is “Kajraare” that stars singer-actor Himesh Reshammiya and Pakistani actress Mona Laizza. The film revolves around a lawyer who falls in love with a prostitute and how they find true love.

It is Mona’s debut vehicle.

Adarsh feels new pairings do guarantee good business at the box office.

“In terms of business the best examples are ‘Ghajini’ (Aamir Khan and Asin Thottumkal) and ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ (Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma). For that matter, even ‘3 Idiots’ had Aamir and Kareena for the first time against each other and they were loved,” he said.