This is one film that will always hold special memories for Tamil director Susi Ganesh. His Bollywood debut Shortcut Romeo premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in the non-competition section on May 22.
Shortcut Romeo, is a remake of Ganesh’ Tamil film, Thiruttu Payale, that was a commercial success and a box office hit. Besides catapulting lead actor Jeevan into the limelight, Thiruttu Payale, won Ganesh the Tamil Nadu state’s Best Film award in 2006.
“It is a great opportunity for me to showcase Bollywood cinema to an international audience when we are celebrating 100 Years of Indian Cinema across the world,” said Ganesh prior to leaving for Cannes.
While the core of the story from Thiruttu Payale has been retained in the Bollywood version, Ganesh said that he has made some changes, like adding more nuances to the characters and given them more screen space in Hindi.
“I have also shot a couple of scenes with the Masai Mara in Kenya to draw out the love between Neil and Puja’s characters, which viewers felt I had not depicted enough in Thiruttu Payale.
Bollywood also called for an extra action sequence and so he has added a tribal fight scene. Keeping in tune with Bollywood, the story ends on a happy note, unlike in Thiruttu Payale.
“Shortcut Romeo is different from the original in many ways and more appealing,” assured the director who moved to Mumbai from Chennai to test the waters there as a director.
“It was like working on a new film.”
Playing Jeevan’s role is Neil Nitin Mukesh. Ameesha Patel plays a glamorous wife of a rich businessman. Puja Gupta plays Neil’s love interest, the character Sonia Aggarwal portrayed in Tamil.
How was the Bollywood experience?
“It was a tough terrain with no Godfather here, but then it’s my love for cinema that brought me here,” said this engineer who wrote for a couple of publications before entering the industry as assistant to director Mani Ratnam on the sets of Iruvar, Bombay and Dil Se.
“I love pushing my limits and enjoy venturing into something totally new.”
Ganesh’s debut film, Virumbukiren, brought home two Tamil Nadu state awards, one for Best Film and another for Best Director.
Shortcut Romeo, is an in-house production managed by his wife Manjari, an MBA with work experience in noted corporate companies.
“She is the force behind me,” he smiled.
Talking about his actors, he said, “Many discouraged me from casting Neil in Jeevan’s role. But I was convinced that he was the right choice. You will see a different Neil in this film. Sporting long hair and eyes that can be intimidating, Neil looks a real tapori.”
Ameesha plays an arrogant woman with power who does not hesitate to kill. Former Miss India, Puja Gupta plays a young innocent girl in love with Neil’s character.
“They have done a wonderful job,” said Ganesh who will be working next on another Bollywood film (in 3D), a story of a super hero.
Shortcut Romeo is scheduled for a release in June. Music is by Himesh Reshammiya. Cinematographer is N. K. Ekhambram.
Will this story on an illicit relationship and blackmail work the same magic of Thiruttu Payale?
