Suneel Darshan on his next film <i>Shakalaka Boom Boom</i>

By Staff

By Joginder Tuteja, IndiaFM
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Promos of Shakalaka Boom Boom have begun and the film is creating an all around positive vibe. Seemingly different from the kind of look and texture that erstwhile films by producer-director Suneel Darshan have carried, SLBB appears to be one cool yuppie flick that promises entertainment with emotions, drama, thrills and of course music in all the right doses.

As the film maker gives final touches to his multi-starrer, he speaks to Joginder Tuteja about the film's fresh appeal, Celina's professionalism and how SLBB is one helluva entertaining flick!

Title song Shakalaka Boom Boom has just been aired. What kind of reactions you are getting?
Overwhelming, to be honest. It has been barely a week since the song came on air and even though the album would be out on stands only later this week, appreciation has started coming in from all quarters.

Were you always so confident about the music?
Absolutely. The moment Himesh Reshammiya got the final score in place, we were sure that we have a popular material in hands. I always was confident about the fact that my touch of romance and Himesh's sense of rhythm would work wonders.

So is this yet another album with a mix of item numbers, some romantic tracks and respective remixes?
None of the songs in my film is an item number. If that was the case I would have never incorporated a song like that in my film. Each of the songs is an integral part of the film and is indispensable to the script. The music has an underground feel to it and is set in New York.

Are all the characters based out of NY?
The film is based in NY. So there you have got a big music star [Bobby Deol] who is a great artist and finds his way up there in a foreign land, something that is quite difficult to achieve. He has built up his stardom in a big way and knows the trick of how to maintain it, with whatsoever means possible. This is what gives an edge to this character.

And how about Upen?
He is a boy from Jodhpur who believes in talent. Even he comes to the big city of NY and finds his way into mainstream. SLBB is about a conflict between these two characters.

Is Upen a simpleton when compared to scheming Bobby?
It is not like Bobby is scheming or Upen is a simpleton. Even Upen has his gray shades with his ambitions and aggression in the right place. He is a young modern boy and wants to be successful in his professional life. On the other hand, Bobby is a guy who knows that with talent comes power and he makes full use of it while being aware about his abilities.

So do we have a war in the offering?
Not a war but an entertaining time for sure. The plot has a stage set in which is not too dramatic but interesting nevertheless. There are gray shades to one and all and a fight does happen. But no, it is not a fight between the have and the have not or black and white. It is a fight of a different kind. A fight that comes due to competition.

With you being in the industry for long and after having made number of musicals, do we see some inside happenings of the music industry in SLBB?
You do see the inside happenings but that is not something which is intentional or on-your-face. You get to see what stems out of the facts and how the world of music operates. So there you have Dilip Tahil as a music baron, Celina Jaitley as the PR woman and so and so forth.

Celina as the PR woman? That's like telling the reality of how the media functions.
True. She is someone who has been with Bobby Deol while his career was moving up. Now she spots Upen in an underground pub and she sees potential in him. This is where she takes him under her wings and helps him find a foothold in the industry.

Where does that leave Kangana?
She plays an aspiring singer in the film. She is young but she is no naÏve. She is intelligent, world wise and confident about herself. How she propels her way up in the ladder in the light of adverse circumstances is what brings the spice in her character.

In a way don't you feel that it only helps to have one of the most promising actors this side of the century in your film?
Yes, why not? And I am happy that I took a right decision to have her on board when she has just about entered the industry.

And now she has two back to back successes.....
Yes, but I won't say that she has seen any phenomenal success. There is critical acclaim, yes, but one can't really count Gangster or Woh Lamhe as the kind of films that have given her great commercial reach. Even in Metro, she has a compact role. In comparison SLBB is her biggest film till date where she gets to do let her hair down and explore her true commercial range. You have to watch out for the way she has given a holds-no-bar performance in the film.

And Celina?
Highly professional - Just two words are required to describe the pretty woman. I have personally worked with a lot of Miss India's but Celina is just the cut above the rest. She is glamorous, which is something we all agree, but she is a great person to work with too.

How is that?
Her strong sense of loyalty is what makes her stand out from the crowd. Her love for cinema is another added factor which makes her special. Believe me; she is so amazing that she is surely going to register a strong impact in months to come.

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