nagesh does a godrejini

I must confess I wasn't keeping up with forthcoming movie releases as well, since I had never heard of 8x10 Tasveer until I caught the preview on YouTube a couple of weeks ago. It was written and cut like standard-issue Hollywood actioners with tantalising sprinklings of danger, suspense, intrigue and the like. I have to confess that although the premise was interesting and it was a relief to see Akshay Kumar in a film that was neither like a spelling snafu nor made by Priyadarshan, the usual doubt that this might well be a lift from foreign shores continued to linger. And then against the dark murky depths of somewhere underwater appeared letters in white proclaiming that this was a film by Nagesh Kukunoor. Call this a bias, but I was interested now.

The cast supporting AK and Ayesha Takia looked interesting: Sharmila Tagore, Girish Karnad, Anant Mahadevan (the last thriller I remember him in was Khiladi; I refuse to say more), Javed Jaffrey, Benjamin Gilani (by the Jugalbandi law, he's not going to be around after the first few reels). Aside from Mrs. Pataudi, the bag features people famous on television; it's something notable about Kukunoor's casting. Perhaps it'll become another reason to watch his films.

Another trailer ends with AK standing in a setup that can now only be referred to as a Ghajini setup. This Next-esque film has something to do with photographs and there we have a topless action star in a room that's got its share of photographs on the walls.

A third video that mixes footage from the trailer and some from the film along with questions answered by Nagesh Kukunoor betrays what might be the film's true raison d'etre: it's a film starring Godrej featuring everyone else (which is no surprise considering the "strategic partnership" with Godrej Security Systems). It looks like the days of Red Bull will be eclipsed by this new blatant sponsor fellatio.

And am I the only one seeing a photographic trend? Aa Dekhen Zara has just hit the marquee (and the dust?) and now this.

Before I forget, the Snoop Dogg on the soundtrack is Bohemia, a Pakistani-American Punjabi rapper who scats away against a familiar menacing brooding dark loop on the title track. Time to click publish.