Friday May 9 2:20 PM
Joginder Tuteja, Bollywood Trade News Network
Bachchan trio of Amitabh, Abhishek and Aishwarya have a challenge round the corners. Even as their Ram Gopal Varma directed SARKAR RAJ is all set for a 6th June release and has embarked on a well planned promotional drive, another big film which has more or less planned its release on the same day is Afzal Khan directed MEHBOOBA.Though the director's name doesn't quite ring a bell, it is the towering presence of Sanjay Dutt heading the film's cast which makes one stand up and notice the project. Add to that Ajay Devgan in the film's cast and you know that MEHBOOBA would be noticed.
However, there is trouble in paradise here. The film has been in the making for 10 years and even though the grandeur look of the film has brought the film into limelight, its leading lady Manisha Koirala is way past her prime and has almost retired from the industry.
Sanjay Dutt fans would still be hoping for the yesteryear magic to return with MEHBOOBA since it would be exactly after a year that 'munnabhai' would be returning in a lead role. The last time he played the principal protagonist was in SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA and though he was seen in DHAMAAL and DUS KAHANIYAAN since then, he didn't quite enjoy the screen time of a lead star in either of the two films.
SARKAR RAJ and MEHBOOBA are also expected to have some newcomers for company with KHUSHBOO (Avantikka and Rishi Rehan) and AAMIR (Rajeev Khandelwal) looking at arriving on the same day.