Entertainment | Film & Cinema
Shiney Ahuja's latest film aims high
Shiney Ahuja's latest film Hijack is an out-and-out action thriller directed by ad filmmaker Kunal Shivdasani.
- By Abdulla Mahmood, Gulf News Report
- Published: 23:39 August 27, 2008
Shiney Ahuja's latest film Hijack is an out-and-out action thriller directed by ad filmmaker Kunal Shivdasani.
Airplane hijack thrillers can prove to be a compelling watch on the big screen if done well. But unfortunately, Bollywood has not been able to deal with this subject effectively, despite earlier attempts such as Yeh Dil Aashiqana, starring Karan Nath, and the Ajay Devgan-Abhishek Bachchan starrer Zameen doing fairly well at the box office. Audiences are obviously hungry for similar thrillers and the latest flick in this genre is Hijack, starring Shiney Ahuja and Esha Deol.
Die Hard mode
Hijack is modelled on the famous Die Hard series starring Bruce Willis. The film is about an aeroplane hijacked by a group of terrorists. Ahuja has to foil the hijackers and rescue everyone on the plane. The film is directed by debutant Kunal Shivdasani, who has directed over 300 commercials for India's top brands. "I can't deny that Hijack is on the lines of Die Hard but it has its own characters and storyline. The basic idea is to have a film with a focused plot and crisp, fast-paced action," says Shivdasani.
The man in action
Ahuja burst on the scene with his fantastic debut in Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, followed quickly by Gangster and Woh Lamhe. He is usually associated with sensitive dramas and though he has played a gun-wielding gangster, Hijack will be his first full-on action flick.
"The film is a high-voltage thriller centred on the hijack of a plane by terrorists. I play Vikram Madan, whose young daughter is a passenger on board the plane. The film is about how I get into the plane and foil the hijack with my presence of mind and dare-devilry. The film has some amazing action sequences and should enthrall audiences," says Ahuja.
UAE connection
Hijack's major action sequences were shot on the Ras Al Khaimah airport runway. These sequences were shot last year during the peak of the summer and the cast and crew had a tough time beating the heat.
Shivdasani says that the average temperature was over 50 degrees Celsius and if it wasn't for the film's tight production schedule, he would have opted to shoot it during a much more favourable time of year.
Women in focus
Playing Ahuja's wife is debutant Kaveri Jha, who will be hoping the film clicks and gives her the much-needed attention to make
her a star.
However, the centre of attention will definitely be the Deol starlet, who is playing an airhostess who helps Ahuja's character combat the terrorists on the plane. Esha Deol will be desperate for a hit as her recent films have not met with much success.
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