Ranbir plays peacemaker for 'Raajneeti' team

He's ended the cold war between Nana Patekar and Prakash Jha

Ranbir Kapoor, who was seen as a scheming politician in 'Raajneeti', brought Prakash Jha and Nana Patekar together after their public fallout.

Apparently Ranbir, who got along like a house on fire with Nana during the shooting of 'Raajneeti' in Bhopal, didn't relish the uneasy silence between the two veterans. He decided to end the cold war between them when on an impulse, he dialed Nana's number from Kong Kong where he had gone with Jha for a 'Raajneeti' event.

When Nana answered the phone, Ranbir quickly handed it over to Jha.

Confirming that the cold war between him and Nana is over, Jha said: "We are once again connected. Nana is delighted by the success of 'Raajneeti' and is keeping tabs on the film's progress. He didn't come for the 'Raajneeti' celebration. But he called to say he wouldn't come because he never attends functions."

And now Nana is in constant touch enjoying the success of 'Raajneeti'.

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Raajneeti - First Look

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No Mads, Ranbir romance!

Had it been true, it would have been a kind of casting coup Bollywood hasn’t seen in a while.

In the past week or so, reports of Ranbir Kapoor and his childhood heart-throb Madhuri Dixit Nene being approached for Prakash Jha’s next, Draupadi, have been been doing the rounds.

The reports have even reached Madhuri, who’s presently in the US. She called her manager Riku in Mumbai, who, in turn, called Prakash to clarify the reports. The director has been flooded with many such calls ever since. “It’s absurd. Logon ka kuch kaam nahin, toh they start cooking up these stories. Everyone’s talking about it. But I have no idea who spread these rumours,” says Prakash, adding, “Ranbir must be running for cover.”

The film was rumoured to be a May-December love story, with Ranbir playing a young man besotted with a much older Madhuri. Reports also suggested that the script, which was sent to Mads in the US, challenged her and she was excited about it. Is Prakash planning any such project in the future? “No. I take up one project at a time, aur ek project ko banane mein paanch saal lag jaate hain. Currently, I’m trying to wrap up Rajneeti,” he says.

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Ranbir to woo Madhuri

Bollywood's dancing diva Madhuri Dixit will once again be seen on the silver screen. After having won accolades for her performance in her comeback film Aaja Nachle, the actress has reportedly given her nod to director Prakash Jha's next movie.

Madhuri had done a power-packed role in Prakash Jha's Mrityudand earlier and if all goes well then this could be their second outing together.

Currently Prakash Jha is busy wrapping up Ranbir Kapoor-Katrina Kaif starrer Rajniti, based on the Indian politics.

Reports suggest that Jha had sent the script to Madhuri , who is in US and Madhuri has really liked the script. According to sources, the film will not be a conventional love story, instead it is about a young man (to be played by Ranbir) besotted by an older woman (Madhuri).

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Ranbir's character in Rajneeti defines democracy in today's world

Actor Ranbir Kapoor is set to play a US-based NRI who has to suddenly return home to take over his family business, in this case politics, in upcoming film "Rajneeti". Director Prakash Jha says the young actor's character "defines democracy in today's world".

"Ranbir is so excited about his look, dialogues. He needs to play a character who defines democracy in today's world. I wouldn't describe it as a multi-starrer. It's a multi-actor film," Jha said.

Ranbir's role sounds familiar to that of Abhishek Bachchan in Ram Gopal Varma's "Sarkar".

Ranbir also has Katrina Kaif as his co-star, just like Abhishek Bachchan did. In "Sarkar", Katrina's voice had to be dubbed although she played an NRI, but in "Rajneeti", Katrina would be seen giving long speeches in her own voice and that too in Hindi.

Her two-minute speech in front of a 10,000-strong audience at a rally in Bhopal for "Rajneeti" has whetted Ranbir Kapoor's appetite for getting right the speeches that he needs to deliver for Prakash Jha's film when he starts shooting in August.

Ranbir doesn't need to learn Hindi, like Katrina did. He just needs to cultivate an accent to sound like an America-returned Delhi boy who suddenly needs to go from monosyllabic rashtra bhasha to full speeches.

"Katrina Kaif is such a revelation. She was so nervous giving a speech in front of 10,000 people. After she gave her speech I hugged her on stage and shouted out to the junta, 'Bhopal ka ticket de de kya?'," Jha said.

Ranbir plays a Harvard-educated US-based NRI who has to return home to look after his mother's political empire. Ranbir won't play the reluctant politician in the usual khadi kurta-pyjama dress code. "Ranbir will be very trendily dressed. He plays a young man of today," Jha said.

Ranbir, who joins the cast later, has been regularly calling and talking to the entire cast in Bhopal.

"He even offered to leave whatever he was doing and join us in Bhopal although his shooting starts next month. I remember one day Ajay, Nana, Arjun and Manoj were working together and missing Ranbir. So in the evening we got together in my hotel room and called him. Ranbir spoke to each of us individually. He wanted to leave everything in Mumbai and join us in Bhopal."

Prakash starts workshops with Ranbir after the Lok Sabha elections.

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Prakash Jha arrested with Rs 10 lakh

Director Prakash Jha was arrested in Bihar after police raided his guest house and allegedly seized Rs 10.25 lakh following reports that he was distributing money among voters.

Jha is contesting the West Champaran seat from Ram Vilas Paswan's party.

Police raided the guest house that Jha was staying in and seized the money and arrested 29 people in all.

They were let off on furnishing personal bonds.

Jha has denied that the money was meant for distribution among the voters.

"The money seized is like small change. It was kept at the guest house close to the Maurya sugar factory that I am building. The money was to be paid to the labourers and other employees of the factory," he claimed.

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Prakash Jha's Rajniti is a huge multistarrer

Prakash Jha's next directorial venture Rajniti is going to be the most expensive film he as ever produced. In it he blends contemporary Indian politics with chapters from the Mahabharat in a mix that promises to be the avant-garde director's headiest yet.

And Prakash has accumulated a formidable cast of actors. "There's Ajay Devgan who will play a modern-day Karn. And believe it or not, Nana Patekar who was fantastic as the corrupt politician in Apharan, has been cast as Krishna!"

Also in the cast are Viveik Oberoi and Manoj Bajpai in pivotal roles. "These are actors I've not worked with before. I'm looking forward to directing them. Ajay and Nana are old friends. We share a fantastic comfort level." In fact recently, Marathi Manoos Nana and Bihari Bhai Prakash took part in a passionate debate on the oust-Biharis-from-Maharashtra campaign on NDTV.

After the debate Raj Thackeray apparently rang up Prakash for presenting a balanced view. Says Prakash, "Raj is a friend and an intelligent educated man. I truly believe artistes need to rise above politics. I make cinema on politics. But I'd never be part of it. Likewise, Nana who was so stunning as a wily politician in Apharan, will I'm sure be equally adept playing Krishna in my Rajniti"

The character of Arjun as conceived by Prakash, modernizes the mythological elements from the Mahabharat to include elements from Rajiv Gandhi's life. For this role, Prakash has already zeroed down on the latest Bollywood heartthrob, Ranbir Kapoor.

Rajiniti won't be the first contemporary take on the Mahabharat. Three decades ago Shyam Benegal attempted to incorporate elements from the Mahabharat into contemporary entrepreneurship in the film Kalyug. Now, Prakash Jha will blend mythology into Indian politics.

Interestingly, earlier he wanted to film just the Draupadi section of the Mahabharat with Madhuri Dixit in the lead. He shelved the idea when he heard other filmmakers were barking up the same tree.

Subash K. Jha

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