Waiting with baited breath for 'Fanaa'...

By Priyanka Khanna, Indo-Asian News Service

New Delhi, (IANS) The pairing of critically acclaimed and

commercially successful Aamir Khan with the immensely talented Kajol is

clearly the biggest USP of director Kunal Kohli's much talked about

"Fanaa", releasing Friday.

Both have a track record of delivering blockbusters but have never

starred opposite each other before. Bringing together two powerhouse

performers, "Fanna" is a love story of a militant and a visually

impaired girl set in the backdrop of insurgency in Kashmir.

Moreover, the film marks the much-awaited comeback of Kajol to the

silver screen after her long sabbatical and Aamir is the reigning

darling of the box-office post the mega success of "Rang De

Basanti".

Aamir's much-publicised strong stance in support of Narmada Bachao

Andolan and statements against communal violence in Gujarat have also

added to his appeal amongst the youth.

Though the actor has angered certain Gujarati political circles, who

are now opposing the release of his films in the state, the film's

producer is carrying out hectic parleys to secure clearance for his

film.

Being a Yash Raj Films (YRF) production, illustrious movie merchant

Yash Chopra is reportedly appeasing Gujarat political heads personally

to avoid a ban on the film.

Already, the government has set a bad precedence by holding up the

release of Hollywood films "The Da Vinci Code" and "Tickle My Funny

Bone" following protests by sections of the Christian community.

According to reports, a small-budget film "Sacred Evil" by an

independent Indian filmmaker has also run into trouble with the

Christian community.

"Fanaa", interestingly, has been making news from the word go.

Beginning with its unique title - "Fanaa", that means "completely

destroyed" - makes one wonder if Aamir will die once again in the

climax, after "Mangal Pandey" and "Rang De Basanti".

Meanings apart, the hype around Aamir and Kajol has intensified

given their dramatically opposite personalities. While Aamir is a

methodical actor, Kajol is known for her spontaneity.

Kohli, who shot to fame with his 2004 hit "Hum Tum" has also roped

in yesteryear's superstar Rishi Kapoor and critically acclaimed actress

Tabu.

Shot in Kashmir, Delhi and Poland, others in the cast include Kirron

Kher, Shiney Ahuja, Gautami Kapoor and Lara Dutta in a cameo

appearance.

"Fanaa" marks Aamir's first attempt at portraying militancy on

celluloid. His last brush with a film woven around strife was in

"Sarfarosh" (1999), in which he played the role of a cop in hot pursuit

of terrorists.

For Tabu, however, the genre is not new. She is still remembered for

her remarkable performance in Gulzar's "Maachis" that was based on

militancy.

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Aamir Khan has once again reinvented his look in "Fanaa". After

playing a rustic village lad in "Lagaan", a moustached soldier in

"Mangal Pandey - The Rising" and a young, cool look in "Rang De

Basanti", he is now sporting two looks in "Fanaa".

The first is of a young street Romeo and the other one is a cropped

hair, lean and mean look. In the promos, he is seen sporting vibrant

mufflers, a few wristbands and bracelets, apart from a red chilly

locket. One would not be surprised if bright, hand spun mufflers soon

became a rage amongst the youth.

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For music-buffs, "Fanaa" marks the end of 16-year-long association

between composers Jatin and Lalit. Starting with "Jo Jeeta Wohi

Sikander", which catapulted them in to Bollywood limelight, Jatin-Lalit

composed music that wowed millions including music of "Dilwale Dulhania

Le Jayenge", "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai", "Kabhi Kushi Kabhie Gham" and

"Khamoshi", to name a few. "Fanaa" is reportedly their last film

together.

According to reports, music of "Fanaa" has already outsold Yash

Chopra's "Veer-Zaara" and is likely to perform better as it has the

quality of growing on people.

And that is not all. Both Aamir and Kajol have sung in the film. The

first time Aamir lent his voice for a film song "Aati kya Khandala" in

"Ghulam," it became a national craze and landed him a nomination in

best singer's category.

Interestingly, Jatin-Lalit were responsible for the music of

"Ghulam" as well. Clearly, their association will be missed if "Fanaa"

proves to be even half as popular as their previous hits.

Meanwhile, "Fanaa" has reportedly kicked off a negative trend in

Bollywood. Certain music channels have stopped showing its trailers as

the producers allegedly asked for money to show the music promos.

These allegations, however, have been rubbished by Vijay Kumar, head

of Yash Raj Music. But the music channels have preferred to keep mum on

the issue.