In the cinemas on the Bollywood front during Eid, Indian actor Salman Khan enjoys a complete monopoly. It’s that moment of the year when Khan rolls out his Hindi-language magnum-opus, almost as a treat for his fans in the long holiday break.
Khan returns with the sweeping epic ‘ Bharat ‘ of director Ali Abbas Zafar in 2019. It’s the third time after blockbusters like ‘ Sultan ‘ and ‘ Ek Tha Tiger ‘ Zafar joined hands with Khan.
In the context of socio-political upheavals in India, Bharat’s eventful private life plays out. The plot interweaves the destiny of Bharat with events that unravel in the world around him.
‘ Bharat ‘ is a 2014 South Korean blockbuster’s official adaptation ‘ Ode To My Father. ‘ The original was put against the post-war Korean truth, while the concept was transplanted into an Indian context by ‘ Bharat. ‘ Director Zafar, in a tabloid interview! Last week, he said he was keeping away from re-making in his profession, but with ‘ Bharat ‘ he made an exception.
The shooting of ‘ Bharat ‘ in the UAE was epic. In order to make Bharat believable, more than 200 crew members and 1,400 extras were on call. The big team spent 15 days filming important parts of the movie in the desert of Liwa, along with scenes in Al Wathba and Al Ain. Also converted into an Arab marketplace was the local manufacturing house twofour54’s backlot at Kizad. Kaif and Khan’s pictures trawling through the marketplace are now making the rounds.
Initially, Priyanka Chopra was signed to play the part that Zafar’s best friend and colleague Kaif ultimately played. The exit of Chopra was announced five days before the start of the filming.
Khan will also be seen as a young boy with an 18-year-old strap. Word on the road goes that for this age-reversal stage, prosthetics came useful. The technology used in the Curious Case Of Benjamin Button hit from Hollywood was also used to re-create Khan’s looks, reports say.
