yet another case of step-children of the same parent ...

In true Agni Natchatram/Vansh tradition, the Dansh/Siskiyaan syndrome continues in a new strain. This time the source is Luc Besson's 1994 flick Léon [aka The Professional in the USA] (who can forget Gary Oldman and the style of the film?). Our Bollywood versions are separated by a few years, which would make it more a case of Uljhan/Yakeen. The first version was Guddu Dhanoa's 2000 Bobby Deol-Rani Mukherjee starrer Bichhoo featuring Ashish Vidyarthi doing his take on Gary Oldman's Stansfield. The second one is the second film (forthcoming) by Apurva Apoorva (Nov 21, 2005: that's how the credit reads on the soundtrack CD sleeve) Lakhia called Ek Ajnabee. His first film was a large anthill of vintage guano called Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost and featured chhoTaa B Abhishek. With his second film, Lakhia snags the services of the most common person in Bollywood releases today, the Big B. And of course a print of Luc Besson's movie. At least Bichhoo had something unique for itself -- the typical masalaaa-gore-grief-mayhem backstory for Bobby Deol's character. Wonder what this one will have? Yet another exposition of the Big B's acting skills?

As previously noted, early reports indicate that this film sources Man on Fire ... The premises of the potential sources overlap ... What remains to be seen is which source Lakhia will be more faithful to (probably the one he denies any influence of)