Hrishikesh Mukherjee

'Bawarchi' was originally helmed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee in 1972. It featured Rajesh Khanna along with Jaya Bachchan and Asrani. Interestingly, it was also a remake of Rabi Ghosh starrer 1966 Bengali film 'Galpo Holeo Satti' by Tapan Sinha.Excited about directing the film, Anushree said, "When my business partner Abir Sengupta (Jaadugar Films), Sameer Raj Sippy and I decided to join hands to produce these three iconic films, we were clear that we would leave no stone unturned in remaking them with utmost love and respect. During our discussion on Bawarchi, Abir and Sameer were of the opinion that I should be writing and directing the remake.""They were convinced that I would be able to tell the story in a manner which would make them proud. We were in sync with our vision and I wholeheartedly agreed to come on board as the writer-director," she added.Anushree said that the adaptation would echo her "confidence, honesty and sensitivity.""The idea of retelling a film is to adapt it according to the current times and make it more relatable to the world we live in today--while keeping the soul and purpose of the original intact. Since Bawarchi itself was a remake of a Bengali film, Hrishida in his time recreated it and made it relatable to that era. My attempt is going to be with a similar intention, to retell the classic story of Bawarchi in a way that family audiences of all age groups can watch and enjoy the movie together. I'm aiming to create a wholesome, unforgettable family experience," she said.Casting of the film is underway.

AbhimaanDirected by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, this movie is considered one of the milestones in the career of the Amitabh-Jaya pairing. Known for its evergreen music, this movie shows the conjugal tension which stems from show business. Amitabh, Jaya, Govardhan Asrani, Bindu Desai acted in the movie.MiliAnother movie by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, where Jaya Bachchan was cast opposite Amitabh. The story centres around a reclusive, depressed man who falls in love with a bubbly young woman. Later he found that she has cancer.KoshishDirected by Gulzar, this movie puts forward a sensitive subject. A speech and hearing-impaired couple persists through unforgiving obstacles to be accepted by society and live a life of dignity. Jaya and Sanjeev Kumar brought these characters to life on the screen.GuddiWhat is fandom if there's no craziness involved? Another gem by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, where Jaya is mesmerised by the screen-avatar of Dharmendra and hence the woman is reluctant to marry the man chosen by her family.Chupke ChupkeIn this comic caper of an ensemble cast, Jaya shined in her own right. Directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, the movie featured Dharmendra and Sharmila Tagore alongside Jaya and Amitabh.From the 70s to the post-2000, Jaya has been working relentlessly. Karan Johar's favourite on-screen mom (Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Kal Ho Naa Ho) will be next seen in his directorial 'Rocky Aur Rani ki Prem Kahani'.

Amitabh Bachchan is not new to battles over death sequences. When he was shooting for Hrishikesh Mukherjees Namak Haraam 44 years ago, there was a huge tussle with his co-star Rajesh Khanna as to who gets to die at the end. Hrishida, cunning man that he was, didnt tell them. Instead, on the day the death scene was to be shot, he placed a garlanded picture of Rajesh Khanna on the set. A similar tug-o-war seems to be on between the two leading men in Vijay Krishna Acharyas Thugs Of Hindostan as to who gets to die at the end. According to sources, the big fight between Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan at the plots climax, ends with one of them dying. It is yet to be decided who. Says a source, Everyone knows in Hindi cinema the heros death makes it all the more heroic. Both, Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan are keen to exit the script with a mortal flourish. It remains to be seen who gets this honour. Also Read: Thugs of Hindostan: Aamir Khan will groove both ladies, Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Shaikh

Abhishek Bachchan plays a singer in his next film, the Umesh Shukla-helmed All Is Well . The character is modeled on Abhishek's father's character in Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Abhimaan . 42 years ago, Amitabh Bachchan had played a professional singer in Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Abhimaan , and then 8 years later, Big B again played a singer in Rakesh Kumar's Yaaraana. Since then this is the first time that an actor from the Bachchan parivar has played a professional singer.

Says the director Umesh Shukla, "Yes, it does seem providential that Abhishek plays a singer in my film. It gave me chance to have lip-sync songs in the film." All Is Well went through a series of hiccups after Smriti Irani exited from the project. Now the film's shooting is complete and Umesh is readying the film for release on August 21.

Umesh is happy with the success of Shoojit Sircar's Piku which is a family drama like All Is Well . "But," warns Umesh, " All Is Well is far more dramatic. Piku is done in a tone that's absolutely normal and life-like. It's good to see a family film getting a wide audience."

So okay. Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon didn't feature the iconic actress.

Still, there is nothing unusual about an actor playing himself. Dharmendra did it in Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Guddi and in Being John Malkovich , the actor whom the film was named after played himself. The Big B made an appearance as himself in Sanjay Dayma's Ramji Londonwale . What sets Akshay Kumar's appearance apart is the amount of self-directed humour that the actor has added to the role of 'Akshay Kumar in director Abhishek Sharma's The Shaukeens . Says a source from the film's team, "Throughout the film Akshay Kumar takes potshots at himself and his image of a 'Khiladi' star who has a reputation of not giving serious performances. Akshay makes fun of his non-actor's image by showing a 'serious' Bengali director mocking him and telling him he will never be taken seriously as an actor. And that he will live out his acting career jumping out of helicopters and from skyscrapers." There are also potshots about how many endorsement Akshay does.

Says the source, "Akshay has taken digs at the number of endorsements he does for the big bucks. He has also joked about not receiving awards." Says the source admiringly, "Which other A-lister star would dare to satirize himself so savagely and with so much pleasure?" Apparently, Akshay Kumar has gone even further with the self-mockery by portraying himself as an alcoholic.

Says the source, "Everyone knows Akshay doesn't touch a drop of alcohol in real life. And yet in the film he has played 'Akshay Kumar' as an alcoholic."

Finally the iconic Rekha saw what Sonam Kapoor has done to her iconic part in Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Khoobsurat . On Tuesday night Rekha finally saw Khoobsurat after a lot of persuasion and procrastination.

A source close to the Kapoors says, "Rekha is very close to Anil and his wife Sunita. Rekha loves Rhea and Sonam and treats them like her own daughters. Sonam is especially close to Rekha's heart. But very honestly Rekha was wary of seeing the Khoobsurat remake after what had happened with the remake of her other iconic film Umrao Jaan." Anil and his daughters "worked their charms" on Rekha and she finally agreed to see the film.

Says Anil, "She loved the film and she loved Sonam. Rekha said Sonam has nailed the character. What better compliment can there be for Sonam?" Says Sonam, "I wasn't at the screening. My sister was there. I heard Rekhaji loved the film. I know she loves me. She says I'm the daughter she never had." Rekha in an interview some years ago said to me, "I remember Hrishida calling me to his home. 'I see you in this role as a little daughter. You aren't just a mischievous brat but you don't want to be told what to do. But you've great values. So you do the right things.' That's how Hrishida conceived the character in Khoobsurat for me. Then later he made a kind of sequel to Khoobsurat entitled Jhoothi . I didn't have to depend on dialogues or scenes." Rekha continued, "Hrishida was a fellow-Libran. He called me Chinnapunnu the Tamil term for 'Little Daughter'. I did some of my best work with him. Hrishida was like a father-figure. He would give me dirty looks if I behaved loudly. Please remember, I was only 13 when I came into the industry. We shot Khoobsurat in his house, so I didn't feel I was shooting a film. Hrishida was such a fantastic editor. Before he reached the sets he had already completed the editing in his mind. That's when I realized what a fantastic craftsman he was and I got interested in editing. Hrishida could concentrate on chess on the sets and still shoot the perfect shot. It didn't mean he wasn't paying attention to the actors. I slowly understood and appreciated him."

Now it can be told. In Khubsoorat , Sonam Kapoor plays the daughter of the character that Rekha played in the original Khubsoorat directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee.

According to a source close to the new Khubsoorat, Kirron Kher plays the character originally played by Rekha.

"When Shashank Ghosh re-wrote Khubsoorat for Sonam Kapoor, it was felt that Rekha's character from the original film by Hrishida was way too outdated to be valid in today's context. At the same time Anil Kapoor, a huge fan of Hrishida's cinema, wanted to retain the original character," says the source.

It was decided that Sonam would play the daughter of the character Rekha played in Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Khubsoorat . In fact the original idea for the remake was to rope in Rekha to play the character she had played in Hrishida's film. However for reasons best known to Rekha-the diva does work in mysterious ways - she turned down producer Rhea Kapoor's offer to play Sonam's mother.

Now the part originally played by Rekha has gone to Kirron Kher.

Says Sonam mysteriously, "Well, Kirronji plays a character named Manju after Rekhaji's character in Khubsoorat. That's all I am going to reveal right now."

Sonam Kapoor whose father was the last lead actor to work with the much-missed Hrishikesh Mukherjee in Jhooth Bole Kauva Kate, is quite a chip off the old block.

Sonam not only stars in a remake of Hrishikesh Mukherjee's beloved film Khubsoorat , she has decided to name herself after another beloved female protagonist from another Hrishikesh Mukherjee classic Mili . Happily revealing this nugget of information Sonam says, "Yes, that's right. My director Shashank Ghosh, my producer Rhea who also happens to be my sister (laughs) and I, we all decided not to name my character Anju. That was the name Rekhaji was given by Hrishida in Khubsoorat . We decided to name my character Mili." When probed on why the crossover was made from one beloved Hrishida heroine to another Sonam said, "We are all huge fans of Hrishikesh Mukherjee. My dad worked in his last film. Unfortunately I couldn't work with him. Shashank waited four years to do his own take on Khubsoorat with me. And since Mili is another favourite of film of mine by Hrishida, I decided to incorporate that as well into our Khubsoorat ." Sonam says her Khubsoorat is very different from the original. "The spirit is the same. The characters are also the same. But the milieu and circumstances have been changed. I thoroughly enjoyed playing a character that Rekhaji has played so wonderfully in the past." Has Rekha's Khubsoorat been obliterated from Sonam's version? "Obliterating Rekhaji is too harsh a thought. Her spirit runs through Khubsoorat. But I haven't copied her in any way. Not in my clothes, performance or attitude. I am Mili, not Anju."

The original Hrishikesh Mukherjee film Khoobsurat was a family drama starring Rekha and Rakesh Roshan. Produced by Sonam's sister Rhea Kapoor, the remake of the same, will star Sonam who will be playing a physiotherapist.

While the male lead is yet to be finalized, news is that Prosenjit Chatterjee who became popular in Bollywood with Shanghai will be reprising the role of Ashok Kumar. Confirming the same, Prosenjit said, "Yes, I have been offered the role. I loved the script. It's Ashok Kumar's role but in contemporary context. I play a young dad. If everything falls in place I would be happy to take this up." The movie will be directed by Shashank Ghosh and is set to go on floor by the end of this year.

Arshad Warsi seems to be creating his own niche doing some ' hatke ' films. While the promos of his film Jolly L.L.B. do look impressive, Arshad will also be seen in a film titled Joe B. Carvalho. The film is an out and out comedy and a clean family entertainer like the ones made by Hrishikesh Mukherjee.

Besides Arshad, the film stars Soha Ali Khan, Geeta Basra, Karishma Kotak, Paresh Rawal and Jaaved Jaaferi. The film is almost complete after the unit recently finished a major schedule in Bangalore.