John beefs up for some real action
Vipul Amrutlal Shah struck a terrific bargain when he picked up the Hindi remake rights and went on to cast the handsome hunk John Abraham with the petite Genelia D'Souza.
Directed by Nishikant Kamat, who earlier made the sensitive Mumbai Meri Jaan (2008), Force that is likely to release in mid-2011, has the market excited because it is one of those adrenaline pumping action films that usually work at the marquee. It is also John's first full-blown action film after Aditya Chopra's Dhoom, where he made the trade sit up and take notice. Force is a joint venture between Fox Star Studios and Vipul A Shah and it has spectacular action sequences that "are going to be a first for Indian audiences,'' promises creative producer Vipul.
For the first time in his career, John plays a cop; it is also the first time that he romances Bollywood cutie Genelia. Says Vipul, "I am truly fortunate to have a great director-actor team on board. I have full confidence in Nishikant's ability to make an excellent film. As for John, he has surprised me with his performance. This is one of his best films." The bearded, shy Nishikant says, "I could not have asked for a better producer than Vipul and a more dedicated actor than John. He is very involved and his keen interest in every aspect of film-making makes him a treat to work with.''
Vijay Singh, CEO, Fox Star Studios is also a happy man. Says Vijay, "John is the contemporary action hero that fans look up to. And I have no doubt that Force is that script that will go beyond just his good looks and do justice to him as an actor. The film has amazing action and a heartfelt love story. It has demonstrated solid appeal with the masses in the south and I'm sure it will have the same impact again.''
Vijay adds, "We have solid faith in the creative talent behind this film; Vipul, Nishikant, John, Genelia and music director Harris Jayraj." John packs in the final punch.
He says, "It has been a long wait to revisit action in films but I think the timing is right. When Vipul offered me the film, he said that I should do action because he truly believes that I am an action hero. With Nishikant I have discovered the magic of raw action, but what is even more beautiful is the romance in Force. This I believe will be my first pan India film after a long gap.''
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