No interval in ‘Dhobi Ghat’

MUMBAI - It is just 95-minute long, and therefore Aamir Khan’s forthcoming film “Dhobi Ghat” will be screened across the country without any interval.

Aamir personally visited the owners and managers of the multiplex chains. They’ve apparently now given it to him in writing that there would be no interval in the screenings of the movie.

Not just the multiplex chains and single theatres in Mumbai, Aamir has personally secured a similar never-before no-interval clause from theatres across India.

Directed by his wife Kiran Rao, the film is releasing Friday and stars Aamir in pivotal role along with Prateik Babbar.

Apparently the implementation of the no-intermission clause for “Dhobi Ghat” will be closely monitored across the country. Errant theatres sneaking in samosa space into “Dhobi Ghat” would be guilty of a breach of contract.

Siddharth Roy Kapur of UTV, the co-producers of “Dhobi Ghat”, confirms Aamir’s firm stand on the mid-point issue.

“Aamir spoke to all the multiplexes and they agreed to no interval. ‘Dhobi Ghat’ is only 95 minutes long and structured to be watched in one sitting without an interval, so yes, the multiplexes have seen the wisdom of his logic,” said Kapoor.

Aamir’s close friend filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, who has been championing the cause of the abolition of the ritual, sees this as a big breakthrough in the process of guarding the creative sanctity of our films.

“Intervals are an unnatural brake applied in the middle of a film to sell samosas. There is no first-half and second-half in a film. This is an artificial division created purely to generate revenues through food sales,” said Mehra.