~*Sushant's Bollywood Journey#18*~ - Page 8

PK Chaar Kadam making video: Anushka Sharma, Sushant Singh Rajput and Raju Hirani have a blast shooting in Bruges!

Find out what went behind the cameras while filming the catchy romantic number between Sushant and Anushka

Be it motion posters or trailer or songs, Aamir Khan's PK has been ticking all the right boxes, promising an interesting film in the offing. The film which boasts a talented star cast of Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, Sanjay Dutt, Sushant Singh Rajput and Boman Irani is helmed by ace director Raj Kumar Hirani, who puts a special emphasis on songs. The song Chaar Kadam picturised between Anushka and Sushant has already managed to charm the viewers.

Now, the makers of PK take you behind the scenes to show you how Chaar Kadam was shot:

Music director Shantanu Moitra joined hands with lyricist Swanand Kirkire to dish out the catchy romantic number. The song is based on one of Kirkire's poems.

Raju Hirani wanted to shoot the song in Europe and was basically looking for three locations - canal, town hall and cobbled streets. Finally, the search of PK crew ended at beautiful Bruges in Belgium, where the entire song was shot.

Anushka Sharma revealed that PK was the first Indian film to be shot in Bruges.

Raju Hirani even shot a dummy rehearsal shoot featuring him in Sushant's shoes before the lead cast arrived.

Belgium Consulate felicitates Rajkumar Hirani

Category: Masala Published on Wednesday, 26 November 2014 08:15 Written by Tapa Menon

The Belgium Consulate thanked Rajkumr Hirani yesterday at a press conference in the city.

Char Kadam, the romantic track in the director's next PK, with Anushka Sharma and Sushant Singh Rajput is shot entirely in Bruges, Belgium.

The quaint city is beautifully shown in the song and the feel and of the city contributes to the romance between Anushka and Sushant.

Originally posted by: BeingAnonymous

"So many more Byomkesh stories waiting to be told"

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by Soumita Sengupta (November 26, 2014)

When Karan Johar was asked to name one director he saw potential in, from among the new lot, he picked Dibakar Banerjee. Johar, speaking at one of the sessions at Film Bazaar, said he would love to work with him one day. Over the years, Banerjee has made many successful and critically acclaimed films. He calls himself a Film Bazaar product' and never misses the event. This year, he talked about his upcoming film Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! and how he and his team recreated a 1940s' set for the film. We caught up with Banerjee and asked him about his work and his upcoming release.

What made you choose a non-Bengali actor to play Byomkesh Bakshy?

I made a Hindi film and wanted to cater to Hindi audience. Parineetawas also set in Bengal and they didn't cast Bengali actors. We do have Bengali actors but I felt Sushant Singh Rajput best suited the role. We are yet to decide whether to dub the film in various languages.

What made you choose Sushant Singh Rajput for the role?

I was looking for enigma in an actor, which is something I see in Abhay Deol too. I have been asked so many times what it is about Abhay that attracts me, and I always reply, Enigma'. I think Sushant too has enigma. There is a lot under the surface, and a lot more that meets the eye. That's how a detective has to be. He must have depth and a hidden fire, which I saw in Sushant.

In the teaser, when Sushant says Bakshy, Byomkesh Bakshy', it sounds a lot likeBond...James Bond'. Was that deliberate?

I am getting a lot of heat on that but, no, it was not like that. But I am glad people noticed it and are talking about it.

Usually, when a filmmaker grows, the scale of his films keeps increasing whereas you keep experimenting. Sometimes, your films are on a big scale and then you make a small-budget film like Love Sex Aur Dhoka...

Yes, I am glad you noticed that. Byomkesh Bakshi! is my biggest film to date. But Khosla Ka Ghosla and Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! were fairly big films, then I made Love Sex Aur Dhokha, which was in total contrast in terms of budget. Then I made Shanghai, which had a good budget and then Bombay Talkies and now Yash Raj Films' Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! for which I got a huge budget. It is a period film and demanded a huge budget to recreate 1940s' Kolkata.

What did Yash Raj bring to the table?

Yash Raj brought in Aditya Chopra's vision that YRF films will now collaborate with independent-minded production houses to bring in products that will be different from YRF's slate but at the same time will have the marketing and distribution clout of YRF. So new-age films will get a release just like any other YRF film.

At the session, you spoke about recreating 1940s' Kolkata. Can share some moments shooting in the old city?

There were many memorable stories but there's one that is most memorable. One day, at 4 o'clock in the morning, two of the oldest trams of the city from the Calcutta Tramways Corporation came clanking through the dark street and stood in front of me exactly how they would have stood in front of Byomkesh in 1943. My production designer painted them and dressed them up in the colours and style of 1943 in collaboration with Calcutta Tramways Corporation. It took six to seven days but there were those trams, they had drawn up right in front of my eyes with their lights and old signage. It was a very special moment.

Obviously, you did a lot of research while making Byomkesh Bakshy! I am sure you have grown up watching Rajit Kapoor's TV series. Will you be exploring a bit about his past life, say, how he turns a detective?

It is that thought and research behind this film. I can't reveal any more. But if you watch the teaser, every shot is a clue to the mystery Byomkesh is trying to solve. So if he had watched the teaser, he would have solved the mystery! But he solves the mystery after a lot of adventure.

Can we expect a series?

Inshallah! That will be decided after we release the first part. But, yes, this is a film that can be made into a series. There are some amazing stories to be told through this film.

Coming to Film Bazaar... how has it grown over the years?

I am a Film Bazaar product and I am very proud of it. Titli our film is a product of Film Bazaar. It has nurtured so many successful scripts over the years. The best thing about this place is no one is jealous; everyone is in the same boat and so everyone encourages each other. I hope the government comes up with more platforms like this to encourage new filmmakers.

Watch: the making of Anushka and Sushant's romantic track "Chaar kadam"

Peekay (PK) is the First Hindi Film to be shot in Picturesque Bruges, Belgium

Published on : Thursday, November 27, 2014

Bruges, the Venice of the North', a splendid medieval Art City in Flanders, Belgium is one of the main locations of the much awaitedBollywood film Peekay (PK), the first Indian feature film to be shot in the city.

The Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma and Sushant Singh Rajput starrer Peekay (PK) directed by Mr. Rajkumar Hirani and produced by Rajkumar HiraniFilms and Vidhu Vinod Chopra Films in association with UTV Motion Pictures, filmed some major landmarks of Bruges. These include the Market Square and Belfry, Howest Campus Sint-Jorisstraat, the Beguinage (an architectural complex that used to housed a semi-monastic community of religious women called Beguines), plus several streets and canals. The sequences shot in Bruges also feature a lilting romantic song"Chaar Kadam" that also beautifully captures some of the great landmarks of the town.

Bruges, surrounded by an almost continuous ring of canals, is the best preserved example of medieval Flanders and is one of the premier touristdestinations of the region attracting more than 4 million visitors each year. The city boasts of numerous medieval buildings, churches, museums andart collections. It can be easily explored on foot, by boat along quiet canals, or by horse-drawn carriages over cobblestone streets. The historic centerof Bruges is on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is teeming with picture perfect places of interest.

PK is one of the big budget releases of 2014. The film tells the story about an Indian student living in Bruges, who wants to marry her boyfriend, butfaces all kinds of obstacles. This isn't just another typical romantic Bollywood film and the story goes deeper.

Director Rajkumar Hirani decided on the destination post his visit to Bruges. He was impressed by Bruges' alleys, picturesque canals and verdantramparts and her elegant mysteriousness. The duo of Mr. Rajkumar Hirani and Mr. Vidhu Vinod Chopra have successfully partnered in some of thetop Bollywood hits earlier including "Munna Bhai MBBS", "Lage Raho Munna Bhai" and "3 idiots". Among these, "3 Idiots" was the highest grosserat the box office in 2009, and the film also featured Aamir Khan among others in the star cast. PK brings this successful team back after a gap of 5years.

"I was spellbound by the picturesque architecture, landscapes, the strong historical background and clean refreshing environs. I decided that this isjust the right place to shoot a part of the movie as it fitted in beautifully with the storyline", said Mr. Rajkumar Hirani.

Mr. Karl Van den Bossche, Consul General of Belgium in Mumbai said, "It has been a great experience associating with Mr. Hirani for his film PK, andwe are overjoyed that people in India will get a glimpse of the beautiful city of Bruges through the film. I am sure this will inspire people to visit andexperience the city and Belgium, which has so much to offer to Indian travellers. We are there to assist all tourists and travel agents with their visarequests if they want to travel to Bruges and Belgium."

Mr. Sunil Puri, India Representative of Visit Flanders said, "Bruges is one of the four major art cities of Flanders, which is the northern federatedstate of the Kingdom of Belgium. The other enchanting cities are Ghent, Antwerp and Brussels. Even though Indians are now travelling to variousparts of the globe, Bruges is the brightest gem amongst the medieval cities of Europe. We look forward to welcoming more and more Indian visitors tothis remarkable destination."