Abid, Bollywood Trade News Network

When asked to comment on the success of RACE, noted writer and columnist Shobha De voiced her opinion clearly and said that she is amazed as to how a film which is so low on morality can be accepted by the Indian public. She also said that it is proof enough that the Indian society is undergoing radical changes.Well, we more than agree with the still ravishing Shobha.

Though this is not for the first time that director duo Abbas-Mustan have attempted something as radical as RACE. They did it with the Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol, Kareena Kapoor and Bipasha Basu starrer, AJNABEE. The film too was accepted in a small way but the holier -than -thou critics were aghast at the suggestion of wife swapping (which was the basic plot) in the film. And went out of their way to undermine its success. Maybe, had AJNABEE released today, it would have been as big or even a bigger success than RACE!

However it seems that producers too have realised that times are changing and thus are now more open in making their central characters in the movie, grey! One such example is Yash Raj whose upcoming movie, TASHAN, has all the four main protagonists which have shades of grey. The character played by Akshay Kumar (Bachchan Pandey) is a sort of a recovery agent whose job is to exhort money by hook or crook. Kareena Kapoor (Pooja) is a cheat/fraud and even two times her lover to save her skin. The role of 'Jimmy' played by Saif Ali Khan, the eternal lover boy too is not the ideal character that can be set as an example. And last but not the least the character of 'Bhaiyya Ji' played by Anil Kapoor is totally grey, as he proudly admits that he is a villain of old traditions!

So, is grey the new white? Certainly not! Good characters will always be there and a 'Ram Shankar Nikumbh' (Aamir Khan in TAARE ZAMEEN PAR) would always make a whole lot of difference to Bollywood and the world.

Time to smell the coffee dear pre-historic critics!