Things you didn't know about Tashan

It's April. It's hot. And it's only going to get hotter. Courtesy: Tashan. The flamboyant entertainer, releasing on April 25, promises to be a smoking hot proposition, business-wise and a roller-coaster ride for its audience. For starters, it's a Yash Raj film. Despite last year's ho-hum performance, the banner still spells gold at the box office. Second, it boasts of a superstar cast -- Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor -- each of whose last release was a big hit (Welcome, Race and Jab We Met respectively). Sounds good, right? And so, rediff.com guides you through this friday's biggie, inside-out, with tons of trivia, tit-bits and pix. * After writing the scripts for the Dhoom series, director Vijay Krishna Acharya gets behind the camera to direct his first film. Like his previous films, Tashan also bears the trademark elements of his earlier work -- attitude, glamour and thrills. * The filming of Tashan took place in a variety of locations ranging from Greece, Ladakh, Kerala, Uttaranchal and, of course, Mumbai. Incidentally, Aziz Mirza's Chalte Chalte, starring Shah Rukh and Rani Mukerji, was another film extensively shot in Greece. The Dil haara song, picturised on Saif and Kareena has been shot on the Greek island of Milos. * Tashan's protagonists sport a distinctively bohemian and flamboyant style. It's no surprise that the famously wild fashion designer Aki Narula is in charge. Earlier, Narula worked on the colourful avatars of Shaad Ali's Bunty Aur Babli.

The film marks the debut of Saif Ali Khan and ex-wife Amrita Singh's son, Ibrahim. What is he doing in the movie? That's a well-guarded secret. Interestingly, the chhote nawab has no qualms about either of his kids -- Ibrahim or Sarah opting for an acting career. It might be recalled Shah Rukh Khan's son, Aryan, too appeared for a brief role as SRK's younger avatar in Karan Johar's Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. * Known to be extremely selective about the scripts he chooses to do, Saif didn't exactly jump on hearing a narration of Tashan. In fact, he declined to get on board. Reading the script in its entirety, however, made the Omkara star change his mind. And that is how Jimmy Cliff came to existence.

* Tashan got its share of unplanned publicity after news of Saif and Kareena's romance while shooting for the film in Ladakh and the subsequent split with former beau, Shahid Kapur broke out. It was on the sets of Tashan that the paparazzi's favourite subject of the moment, developed feelings for each other. Initially though, this was perceived to be a promotional gimmick by the makers.

Regardless of his stupendous success, Akshay Kumar wasn't a part of the Yash Raj team for the longest time. The actor earlier worked on their production, Yeh Dillagi (1994) and Yash Chopra-helmed Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), where he had an extended special appearance. Both films clicked at the box office. Tashan re-unites the two, after a gap of 10 years. Hopefully, it will be a case of third time lucky as well.

* Speaking of re-unions, Akki and Saif get back into their Tom and Jerry skin, yet again after miserably failing to woo the audience with 1999's lame love triangle Arzoo. The duo collaborated on several potboilers, in the early years of their career, over hits like Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Yeh Dillagi and bloopers like Tu Chor Main Sipahi and Keemat.

Interestingly, though, Tashan's promos are ambiguous about Kareena's love interest, she has previously acted as wife or fiancee to all her male co-stars in the film -- Akshay (Aitraaz), Saif (LoC-Kargil) and Bewafaa (Anil Kapoor).

You may have loved her as Geet, Dolly or Chameli. Kareena, however, seems to have a thing for her on-screen handle, Pooja. The name proved lucky for the actress in Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (nick-named Poo), with the sore exception of Jeena Sirf Merre Liye. Which fate will Tashan's Pooja Singh meet?

After co-coordinating edge-of-the-seat action sequences for numerous Tamil and Telugu films, including Sivaji: The Boss, stunt-director Peter Hein challenges the cast of Tashan with his idea of big-screen adventure.

* Post Om Shanti Om's kickass encounter, where he did a cameo, it should be fun to see Akshay get back to his good old action roots in a full-fledged way. * In the trend of the Dhoom movies, Kareena Kapoor, too, took pains to work on her much-talked about slim frame. A converted vegetarian, Bebo took extra care with her diet and did tons of yoga and gymming to achieve her skinny look in Tashan. In Dhoom 2, it was rumoured that Aishwarya Rai would feature in a two-piece swimsuit. Kareena is said to parade in one as well.

Hearsay aside, wonder what's the big deal, even if she is, considering her already abundant skin-show in the movie.