Priyadarshan's Chup Chup Ke released on Friday. Sushma Reddy plays the supporting role in this Shahid-Kareena starrer, but that role originally belonged to Isha Sharvani, who danced out of the part before the cast went on location to shoot his remake of the 1998 Malayalam hit Punjabi House.
Isha: No dates
Says Priyan, "Isha was supposed to play the very important part of Shahid Kapoor's fiance who waits for him while he gets involved with Kareena's character. It's a role almost parallel to Kareena's.
I wanted someone soft, sensitive, graceful and who would look convincing in a widow's clothes Isha seemed the ideal choice.... We were ready to shoot, when she suddenly informed us that she had no dates for us since she was shooting for Ram Gopal Varma. She just walked out! I was in a panic. Fortunately, we found a replacement Sushma Reddy at the eleventh hour."
Sharvani who started so promisingly in Subhash Ghai's Kisna seems to have reached a deadend in her film career within no time at all. Priyan seems to be happy with the way Chup Chup Ke has been received. "
All the performances have made me happy. Kareena is stunning in the climax. My dear friend Sunil Shetty was unhappy because I had cast him in a serious role, while everyone was having fun. He has made me promise I'll give him a comic role next time."
Why has Priyan broken his vow not to do remakes? "I've re-worked the first half completely. To that extent, Chup Chup Ke isn't a remake of Punjabi House."
7