This Friday box office will witness a face-off between the youth-oriented flick "Shuddh Desi Romance" against 1970's remake "Zanjeer".
In many ways the two films are set for a clash, be it with respect to the very different plots, the Sushant versus southern star Ram Charan test or the sisterly clash between Chopra sisters - Priyanka and Parineeti.
Regarding the Maneesh Sharma-directed "Shuddh Desi Romance", the film by the looks of it offers something refreshing, be it the star cast, the chemistry or the simple yet catchy numbers. The film, according to its makers, are youth-oriented and deals with their take on relationships in the present era breaking away from the traditional mould as perceived in contemporary Bollywood love stories.
The film claims to be a refreshing love story between Sushant Singh Rajput, Parineeti Chopra and Vaani Kapoor and a lighter approach to romance with the concept of live-in relationships being talked about openly. These factors might act in the film's favour, working as a crowd puller.
Then there is the debut vehicle of southern superstar Ram Charan Teja, "Zanjeer", a remake of the 1973 starrer. The film has been in news ever since its inception. There were legal hassles as the original fim's writers Salim Khan and Javed Akhatr were against the remake of the film and the case is till dragging.
The "Zanjeer" remake has Sanjay Dutt playing Pran's role as the gangster-turned-friend to brave police officer Ram Charan with a mission to eliminate the villains. Priyanka Chopra plays the hero's friend.
Even though the film is a remake, the makers insist it is a different take raging on the original plot but comparisons will inevitably crop up. The film's music offers nothing much refreshing with only the "Mumbai Police" track standing out. But the film being a bi-lingual (Hindi-Telugu) release, holds an edge against "Shudhh Desi Romance" with a major chunk of its collections coming from the south.
While Sushant Singh Rajput is basking in the glory of his "Kai Po Che" venture, it has to be noted that it was a three-hero film and the real test lies now if he can carry "Shuddh Desi Romace" singlehandedly.
This film is big for Rajput since he has to prove his consistency in the acting-o-metre and that he is no one-film-wonder. Not to forget Rajput's leap from television to films, it becomes all the more pressurising for the actor.
As for Ram Charan Teja, son of superstar Chiranjeevi and a biggie in Southern film industry, "Zanjeer"s success is essential for his launch into Bollywood. He looks suave, conforming to typical hero standards. But can he hold the film which has a higher chance of rejection by Amitabh Bachchan loyalists? This remains to be seen.
Audiences will be on the lookout for Teja's transition from the southern industry to Bollywood, and to be frank this will be a critical launch pad who is already a star down south.
The two films have widely varied themes, one aiming at emotional connect and the other a conditional good against bad. Adding to the spice between these two film clashes is the Chopra sisters.
Priyanka Chopra has without doubt proved her acting prowess in defining roles, but we doubt if she has something credible to offer in "Zanjeer", which is mainly a hero-centric flick. On the other hand, the vivacious Parineeti, though only three-films old, has enough credibility for us to look upon given her sartorial choice of films and power-packed natural expressions.
It will be an interesting weekend to watch out for two very different genre entertainers yet with close notch competitions.
