Producers hijack IA plot
Do films draw their inspiration from real life incidents or are we inspired by films? Well, the argument continues. But filmwallahs do have a nose for news. Like when the Kargil war was on, there were a spate of films based on the war — never mind what happened to them. (Remember Aamir Khan and Naseruddin Shah’s Sarfarosh).
And now after the Indian Airlines hijack drama, smart producers have just sensed gold. So intense is the rush among them to capture that drama that as many as three titles have already been registered on the saga.
One among them is Hijack 2000, produced by Sultanat Faqih and Sana Shaikh. The film to be directed by Sohail Shaikh is expected to ‘take-off’ on Indian Republic Day (January 26). Sohail said, “Our film will have its share of hostages and nagging anxiety.
We are in the process of finalising the lead cast, but since the script will be the star in this gripping, emotional thriller, we might prefer new faces. But our film will have a happy ending with the terrorists being overpowered.” (By now, we have fed enough Bollywood films to expect a happy ending!)
Let’s see who would be playing the “good samaritan who negotiates with the hijackers”. Aamir Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Jackie Shroff are some of the names being considered.
This is not the only film on the hijack incident, though.
A Bangalore-based firm has taken the rights to two titles, ‘Hijack’ and ‘Hijack — A True Story’ and a Mumbai-based banner has registered the title of ‘Hijackers (Apharankarta)’. Producers have always tried to cash in on subjects which hog the limelight for long.
Add to it a pinch of patriotism and Pakistani involvement, and it makes a great story. Most of the producers are in the midst of finalising their script or working on their films.
With so many films being planned on the same theme, the film that manages to get released first will hold a distinct edge. Public memory will also be a decisive factor. The incident has been in news for long, and as long as the news continues to dominate the front pages, the chances of cashing in on the issue are high. So, get set for Bollywood’s hijacking hungama.
The sultans of the tube also seem to be in the race. A couple of serials have already got going. What remains to be seen is whether these scripts manage to arrest our attention like the real drama did.