It’s ‘Tees Maar Khan’ vs ‘Toonpur Ka Superhero’ this Friday (IANS Preview)

NEW DELHI - Film buffs are in for a treat this Christmas as choreographer-turned-director Farah Khan’s highly anticipated film “Tees Maar Khan”, starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif, hits the silver screen along with Ajay Devgn’s animation film “Toonpur Ka Superhero” this Friday.

Filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya also returns with his new film “Isi Life Mein” with debutants Sandeepa Dhar and Akshay Oberoi.

“Tees Maar Khan”, produced by Twinkle Khanna, Shirish Kunder and Ronnie Screwvala with a budget of Rs.50 crore ($11 million), is a story about Tabrez Mirza Khan (Akshay) who steals, cons and cheats with such an audacity that none even gets the slightest hint about his deeds. His gang members include three others named Dollar, Soda and Burger.

International antique smugglers Johri Brothers (Raghu Ram and Rajiv Laxman) ask Tabrez once to perform the biggest heist of his life. They ask him to steal antiques worth Rs.500 crore from a heavily guarded moving train.

The film’s music is already a rage, with Katrina making fans groove to her item song “Sheila Ki Jawani”.

The film also stars Akshaye Khanna, Raghu Ram, Rajiv Laxman, Arya Babbar and Aman Verma. It also has special appearences by Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt.

“Toonpur Ka Superhero”, featuring Ajay Devgn and Kajol, would be India’s first live action-animation film. It is produced by Kumar Mangat Pathak and Krishika Lulla and distributed by Eros International.

Directed by Kireet Khurana, the film tells the story of film star Aditya (Ajay) who has all the success he ever dreamt of. He is married to Priya (Kajol) and has two kids Kabeer and Raima. He might be a superstar but his children want him to be hero in real life rather than in reel.

Aditya gets one such opportunity when he finds himself in Toonpur, the land of his children’s favourite cartoons, where he has to fight Toonasurs (demon toons) to save Devtoons (good toons).

The film also stars Tanuja, Mukesh Tiwari, Sanjay Mishra and Delnaaz Paul. Khurana has won five National Awards for short animation films and has directed almost 400 commercials and “Toonpur Ka Superhero” is his first feature film.

While Ajay and Kajol team up for this film after two years, it also reunited the mother-daughter duo of Kajol and Tanuja 18 years after “Bekhudi”, which was the launch vehicle for Kajol in the film industry.

After his last film “Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi”, Sooraj Barjatya is returning with his new production venture “Isi Life Mein” with two newcomers Sandeepa and Akshay, who is actor Vivek Oberoi’s cousin.

Produced under Rajshri Productions and directed by Vidhi Kasliwal, Barjatya’s niece, the story of the film revolves around the journey of a small town girl Rajnandini, who is not allowed to dream and lead a life according to her own wishes.

Somehow she takes admission to a Mumbai college and meets Vivaan and his gang of friends, who make her believe that she has the right and the capability to accomplish her dreams. It’s then that things start changing for her.

Whether Christmas will set cash registers ringing for all three of these films is yet to be seen.