Mumbai:
If all goes well then Akshay Kumarwill be starring in Priyadarshan's much-awaited film based onAIDS, which is aiming at international festival circuits.
"Akshay knows the subject. I have not given him thescript yet. We may go with Akshay and if not him thennewcomers will be roped in. Whatever I tell him he will dobecause of the rapport and great relation that we share,"Priyadarshan told PTI.
"I have never forced anybody to do a film with me and Iwill not do that ever. If he is interested I will do it withhim," he said.
Earlier Aamir Khan was to act in the film but things didnot work out.
"I had narrated to Mr Khan and he was excited about it.He asked me about the script, which I did not give him. Sothat was completely my mistake. Now he is too tied up withother work. I have to release the film next year. I may gowithout him," Priyadarshan said.
Priyadarshan, who has made commercial films like HeraPheri, Garam Masala, Bhool Bhulaiyaa and others, isattempting to make this movie for international festivals.
"The problem is this film is art house type, notcommercial. It is not a big budget film for the actors to getexcited about. It is for international festivals. I am tryingto get an entry for this film at Cannes, Berlin or Torontofilm festivals," the national award winning filmmaker said.
Priyadarshan's recent Tamil film Kanchivaram was shown atToronto festival and garnered appreciation from all quarters.
"Prakash Raj was excited about my Tamil film'Kanchivaram', that won a national award. I am not making thisfilm for money, but for my own satisfaction. So the actors init have to show excitement," he said.
The 55-year-old filmmaker has been talking about thisproject since 2009.
After Priyadarshan wraps up his current project KamaalDhamaal Malamaal, he would start filming the untitled AIDSfilm, which will be without songs, comedy and free ofcommercial trappings.
"We have started working on this. We are almost at theend of scripting stage. We are deciding how to go ahead. Iwant to start it in December. The film requires approximately20 days of shoot. It is a short film of 90 minutes,"Priyadarshan said.
Earlier, filmmakers Revathy and Onir had explored thesubject of AIDS in their films Phir Milenge (2004) and MyBrother Nikhil (2005), respectively.
While Phir Milenge had a star cast including SalmanKhan, Shilpa Shetty and Abhishek Bachchan, My Brother Nikhilfeatured Sanjay Suri, Juhi Chawla and Purab Kohli.
Both films did not have a successful run at the boxoffice but they received critical acclaim.
"Those films were commercial, not realistic. I am tryingto make something like Kanchivaram. I am not trying to sellmy film, put big posters and earn money," Priyadarshan said.
"It is a very serious subject. We are trying to say thatdo not ridicule people who have AIDS. It is also like anyother disease such as cancer, chikungunya... so do not treatthem as outcasts. That is the message of the film," he said.
"Akshay knows the subject. I have not given him thescript yet. We may go with Akshay and if not him thennewcomers will be roped in. Whatever I tell him he will dobecause of the rapport and great relation that we share,"Priyadarshan told PTI.
"I have never forced anybody to do a film with me and Iwill not do that ever. If he is interested I will do it withhim," he said.
Earlier Aamir Khan was to act in the film but things didnot work out.
"I had narrated to Mr Khan and he was excited about it.He asked me about the script, which I did not give him. Sothat was completely my mistake. Now he is too tied up withother work. I have to release the film next year. I may gowithout him," Priyadarshan said.
Priyadarshan, who has made commercial films like HeraPheri, Garam Masala, Bhool Bhulaiyaa and others, isattempting to make this movie for international festivals.
"The problem is this film is art house type, notcommercial. It is not a big budget film for the actors to getexcited about. It is for international festivals. I am tryingto get an entry for this film at Cannes, Berlin or Torontofilm festivals," the national award winning filmmaker said.
Priyadarshan's recent Tamil film Kanchivaram was shown atToronto festival and garnered appreciation from all quarters.
"Prakash Raj was excited about my Tamil film'Kanchivaram', that won a national award. I am not making thisfilm for money, but for my own satisfaction. So the actors init have to show excitement," he said.
The 55-year-old filmmaker has been talking about thisproject since 2009.
After Priyadarshan wraps up his current project KamaalDhamaal Malamaal, he would start filming the untitled AIDSfilm, which will be without songs, comedy and free ofcommercial trappings.
"We have started working on this. We are almost at theend of scripting stage. We are deciding how to go ahead. Iwant to start it in December. The film requires approximately20 days of shoot. It is a short film of 90 minutes,"Priyadarshan said.
Earlier, filmmakers Revathy and Onir had explored thesubject of AIDS in their films Phir Milenge (2004) and MyBrother Nikhil (2005), respectively.
While Phir Milenge had a star cast including SalmanKhan, Shilpa Shetty and Abhishek Bachchan, My Brother Nikhilfeatured Sanjay Suri, Juhi Chawla and Purab Kohli.
Both films did not have a successful run at the boxoffice but they received critical acclaim.
"Those films were commercial, not realistic. I am tryingto make something like Kanchivaram. I am not trying to sellmy film, put big posters and earn money," Priyadarshan said.
"It is a very serious subject. We are trying to say thatdo not ridicule people who have AIDS. It is also like anyother disease such as cancer, chikungunya... so do not treatthem as outcasts. That is the message of the film," he said.
