It
looks
like
Akshay
Kumar
is
hell-bent
on
making
2008-09
his
year
of
action
films.
In
maverick
producer
Sajid
Nadiadwala's
Kambhakth
Ishq,
he
plays
a
Hollywood
stuntman.
"This
would
be
the
first
Indian
film
to
be
shot
within
Universal
Studios.
We've
got
the
permission
not
only
to
shoot
within
Universal
Studios,
but
also
to
use
their
logo.
Akshay
Kumar
plays
a
stuntman
from
Universal
Studios.
The
film
will
also
have
some
big
Hollywood
icons
making
their
appearance
in
the
film.
We're
working
out
the
legal
aspects," informs
Sajid.
The
entire
film
is
to
be
shot
in
Hollywood,
Los
Angeles.
"It'll
also
star
12-15
leading
actors
from
Hollywood
in
various
parts.
It's
a
candyfloss,
'safe'
film.
We
had
to
bring
in
an
extra
gloss
in
the
backdrop.
That's
why
Hollywood.
When
I
produced
Mujhse
Shaadi
Karogi
it
was
the
first
beach
film
in
Bollywood.
After
that,
we
had
dozens
of
beach
films
in
Hindi.
Likewise,
my
Jaan-e-Mann
was
the
first
romantic-comedy
with
visual
effects.
While
making
full-on
commercial
films
we
need
to
change
the
backdrop." Sajid
agrees
shooting
Kambhakth
Ishq
in
Hollywood
won't
be
an
easy
task.
"It
will
be
expensive,
yes.
We'll
have
40-50
crew
members
flying
to
LA.
We're
thinking
of
chartering
a
flight
from
Mumbai.
It'll
be
more
economical.
Or
maybe
we
should
just
buy
a
jet,"
he
jokes.
This
is
Sajid's
most
ambitious
film
to
date
with
a
budget
of
Rs.
60
crores.
Kareena
Kapoor
plays
a
brand
model.
Why
a
new
director
for
such
a
lavish
film?
"Sabir
Khan
has
grown
up
in
front
of
me.
He
assisted
in
my
production
Mujhse
Shaadi
Karogi.
He's
very
hardworking.
And
if
you're
suggesting
that
I
should've
first
let
Sabir
make
a
smaller
film
then
let
me
say,
I
don't
make
small
films.
I've
dreamt
70mm
dreams
from
before
that
format
was
invented."
Sajid
has
been
signing
many
new
directors.
"After
a
lot
of
introspection,
my
company
has
decided
that
we
need
to
continue
making
commercial
films
but
with
a
little
deviation.
That's
where
my
three
new
directors
Sabir
Khan,
Siddharth
Anand
and
Imtiaz
Ali
come
in.
They
have
the
discipline
of
commercial
cinema
and
the
ability
to
take
cinema
further.
Siddharth's
film
(which
will
probably
star
Saif
Ali
Khan
and
Ranbir
Kapoor)
isn't
the
routine
candy
floss
film.
We
start
at
the
end
of
2008.
Siddharth
wants
to
do
something
different.
So
do
I..
It's
a
film
set
against
Mumbai.
It
isn't
a
dark
film.
But
not
frothy
either."
Imtiaz
Ali
will
first
direct
a
film
for
Saif's
production
house.
"After
that
in
March-April
2009,
Imtiaz
will
make
a
film
for
me.
I
think
his
forte
is
romance.
We'll
go
by
that.
Though
I'd
like
to
take
a
little
risk
with
the
successful
directors."
Pushing
the
envelope
isn't
seen
as
a
healthy
trend
in
some
quarters
of
Bollywood,
if
we
go
by
the
opposition
to
Ashutosh
Gowarikar"s
Jodhaa
Akbar.
"No,"
Sajid
protests.
"I
think
Jodhaa
Akbar
was
commercially
viable
from
the
start.
Not
a
single
critic
questioned
Ashutosh
for
making
the
film.
The
promos
weren't
that
good.
But
in
5-6
places
in
the
film
we
stood
up
and
clapped."
Siddharth
will
direct
for
Sajid
this
year
and
Imtiaz
Ali
comes
in
next
year.
How
does
Sajid
pick
his
directors?
"I
don't
look
at
the
directors' success
graph.
In
2006,
I
gave
a
break
to
Shirish
Kunder
(in
Jaan-e-Mann)
when
he
was
a
film
editor.
In
2008,
I
took
on
Sajid
Khan
who
had
no
background
in
movies.
In
fact,
he
was
a
stand-up
comedian
and
a
critic.
To
put
a
commercial
45-crore
project
on
his
shoulders
needed
some
guts
and
vision.
Though
Jaan-e-Mann
didn't
do
well
I'm
proud
of
it.
My
biggest
blunder
was
to
release
it
alongside
another
big
commercial
film
Don.
It
was
one
of
the
biggest
blunders
of
my
career.
I
failed
with
my
release
strategy.
I
take
full
responsibility.
Lagaan
and
Gadar
-
Ek
Prem
Katha
had
done
well
on
the
same
Friday.
But
two
films
with
over
a
1000
prints
each
was
wrong.
The
economics
were
wrong.
Eventually,
many
people
saw
Jaan-e-Mann
on
satellite
television
and
loved
it."
Why
isn't
Kunder
making
his
second
film
with
Sajid?
"He
needs
to
start
his
own
production
house.
Maybe
he
feels
producers
become
a
hurdle
because
they
bring
in
a
business
factor.
I
don't
know
why
bringing
the
topic
of
commerce
into
cinema
is
considered
cheesy.
The
minute
you
talk
commerce
to
a
filmmaker
he
falls
back
on
creativity,"
Sajid
says
with
uncharacteristic
sarcasm.
He
then
grows
retrospective.
"This
is
my
54th
year
in
the
industry.
I
must've
inherited
the
filmy
genes
from
my
father.
I
do
feel
alone.
I
wish
I
had
a
sibling
or
a
partner.
My
son
is
just
a
child.
Yes,
I've
a
first-cousin
Feroz
Nadiadwala
who's
also
a
very
successful
producer.
I
did
work
with
him
for
two
years.
But
we
chose
to
work
separately."
Why
not
direct
his
own
film?
"I
do
a
lot
of
homework
on
all
the
scripts
that
I
produce.
But
I'm
too
sensitive
and
shy
to
instruct
a
hundred
people
on
the
set.
I
won't
be
able
to
shoot
with
an
actor
I
don't
like.
I'm
an
escapist
in
real
life.
Maybe
I
can
direct
a
good
escapist
entertainer."