Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra presented a first look at his next film "Delhi-6" (earlier titled in "Dilli 6") to the media at the Dubai International Film Festival today (December 14, 2008).
The very short, intense looking teaser was a collage of scenes from old Delhi such as the Friday prayers at the Jama Masjid and cycle rickshaws in the meandering lanes of the old town interspersed with shots of the Statue of Liberty, a carefree Sonam Kapoor dancing with a pigeon perched on her head and Abhishek Bachchan in a variety of moods. And a soulful, unmistakably A.R. Rahman number in Sonu Nigam's voice playing in the background.
"The film is about Roshan Mehra, who travels to India with his ailing grandmother. Little does he realise that this short trip will turn into the longest journey of his life – a journey where he discovers India and himself," said Mehra. The story is told against the backdrop of the walled city of old Delhi. And the number 6 in the title is the postal pin code of the area.
"I grew up in Delhi, but contrary to media reports this film is not autobiographical," clarified Mehra. "I based it in old Delhi because I believe that the city is a microcosm of India in terms of our mindset. But despite the ancient setting, the film is an exploration of contemporary Indian society," he added. Mehra also said that like "Rang De Basanti", this film too has political overtones because he believes that "we cannot and should not avoid politics".
Speaking about his role, Abhishek said, "This film presents a foreigner's point of view of what the real India is and I could identify with that because I was away from India for many years during my schooling. Doing this film was a life changing experience for me and I am happy I got this opportunity to discover myself."
Sonam Kapoor believes that her character Bittu represents today's Indian youth. "Bittu has her quirks and strengths. And I hope young people learn something from her mistakes and struggles and they feel inspired to accept their own culture instead of trying to blindly ape others," she said.
Looking strikingly pretty in a black D&G dress and magenta shoes, Sonam incidentally got the biggest applause when she the "Delhi-6" team was introduced to the room full of media.
The film's stellar cast includes Waheeda Rehman, Om Puri, Rishi Kapoor, Prem Chopra, Pawan Malhotra, Atul Kulkarni, Supriya Pathak, Tanvi Azmi, Divya Dutta, Vijay Raaz, Deepak Dobriyal and KK Raina. It is co-produced by UTV and Mehra and slated for release on February 20, 2009.
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Kumkum Bhagya
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