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She has added a unique clause in her contract with the cast of Ek Thi Daayan to keep the key character's identity a secret
The success of any suspense thriller depends a lot on how well the crew manages to keep its key plot point or character under wraps. And the recent box-office response to Talaash, a thriller that may have suffered after word about its supernatural elements went viral on the internet, was an eye opener for filmmakers dealing with this genre.
Pre-empting any such damaging whisper campaign, Ekta Kapoor, who is co-producing Ek Thi Daayan (starring Huma Qureshi and Emraan Hashmi) with Vishal Bhardwaj, has introduced a confidentiality clause in her contract that forbids her cast and crew from sharing or 'leaking' any information pertaining to the identity of the 'daayan' in the film. And if any crewmember were found guilty, they would be sued for the damages.
Evidently, there is a lot riding on this character. While Non-disclosure Agreements are fairly common in the industry, this would be the first time a production house has sought to protect a plot or character from spoilsports. The film's spokesperson confirmed the development and said it was Ekta's idea, seconded by her senior team members.
According to a source close to the producer, her decision was also brought about by the 'proliferation of social networking sites' and the damage they cause to the film by encouraging users to share vital information about the plot or characters online and elsewhere. Ekta's decision has been welcomed by a large section of the film fraternity.
In fact, Vishesh Films, which has been making suspense thrillers is already exploring the possibility of including such a clause for their next film Murder 3. "It won't be a bad idea, " said Mahesh Bhatt, the head honcho of the production house and added, "What Ekta has done would definitely add to the moral responsibility of the cast and crew. The legal consequences could act as a deterrent." To protect her film's USP, Ekta and her director Kannan Iyer have also decided to shoot the climax at the end of the schedule, closer to its April release date.
"This is also a departure from the trend, since most filmmakers shoot the critical shots way beforehand," says a source close to the film, adding, "And that is how crucial information about the film often makes its way from the set to the social networking sites. Ekta wanted to protect her film from all possible such attacks." But director Sujoy Ghosh, who managed to keep the suspense around his film Kahaani alive till its release, was of a different opinion. "I agree there are people who are playing spoilsport, I don't think the cast and crew of a film leaks out vital information. It is as much as their film as a producer's," he told us.
Kahaani was shown to quite a few people before its release. And yet, the climax, when it came, left everyone stunned . "It is simply because they liked the film. If a film is good, the audience wants it to be seen. I still see Sixth Sense and Usual Suspect since I like the content," Ghosh said.
Anupamaa
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