Before a movie goes down the throat a remake is announced:

Akshaye in 'Autograph' remake

By Taran Adarsh, July 19th 2005 - 0930 hrs IST


Guess the name of 'the film' every actor is trying to lay his hands on? It's the Tamil blockbuster AUTOGRAPH, which has been awarded the prestigious National Award along with VEER-ZAARA for best film providing wholesome entertainment. Almost every actor in Bollywood showed a keen interest to enact the main lead in this film, but the role has finally landed in Akshaye Khanna's lap.

“Yes, it's an amazing script, I am gung ho about the film,” Akshaye informs me on the sets of 36 CHINA TOWN at Pathumthani, Bangkok, Thailand. Although the Hindi title as well as the three leading ladies aren't finalized yet, Anees Bazmee, who had directed Akshaye in DEEWANGEE, will direct the Hindi remake.

You may find this hard to believe, but Akshaye went to watch the Tamil hit at a South Mumbai preview theatre with a lot of apprehensions. “I don't understand the language [Tamil] and if you don't really understand what's unfolding on screen, how are you going to be convinced about that film?” Akshaye makes a point.

But he was hooked the moment the screening [AUTOGRAPH] commenced. “I had an interpreter sitting right next to me and I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. It's an incredible movie, one of the most mind-blowing films I've seen in my life. The moment the screening ended, I told Anees that let's get started immediately,” the excitement shows when Akshaye tells me this.

Another film that has Akshaye excited is the Anil Kapoor-produced, Feroze Khan-directed film MAHATMA VERSUS GANDHI. “Mark my words, it'll rank amongst the most amazing films produced in Bollywood. I am not allowed to speak much at this stage, but I can tell you with conviction that Feroze Khan's name will be mentioned in the same breath as Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar and Sanjay Leela Bhansali once this film releases,” the normally reticent Akshaye seems all charged up at this stage.

I prod him to shed more light on the film. “It's made in two languages -- Hindi and English. The English version will make a round of festivals before it hits the screens… The film explores the relationship between Mahatma Gandhi and his son,” he states.

Meanwhile, Akshaye is embroiled in a controversy vis-a-vis his opting out of Sanjay Gupta's ZINDA. “I don't want to talk about the issue. I can defend my move [of opting out], but that'll lead to unnecessary controversies. ZINDA is a closed chapter as far as I am concerned,” the supremely talented actor states. The thorough gentleman that Akshaye is, he did divulge the reasons to us, but swore us to secrecy at the same time!


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The best person for Autograph remake is Hrithik. Akshay is not fit for this movie. Anyways the movie will sure be a flop in Hindi (based on all the tamil films they have taken so far in Hindi, this subject wont suit Hindi audiance).

Also movies like this has to come as a surprise, not when everyone knows what the movie is about.

and they prolly will include three of the glam sham heroines who cant act...

it will def flop...

but how many times am i hearing this remake news...i heard before that raj kumar santhoshi is remaking it with abhishek....

Bipasha
Malika
Priyanka

Man!! You are so right!!

I could not believe.. How BAD was RUN! disgusting

film finished and i am thinking dah!!! what happened? was it a film really?

The story do not really require 3 bimbos.

Correction. "The original story" do not really require 3 bimbos. But its made in hindi. So you will have some big (or huge) bungalows, hero coming from UK to give invitations to his girl friends, probably one of them would have been conceived by the hero, a holy song (to keep upto the trend), and a totally unexpected climax, where the hero will marry one of the gf. Its all part of the game.

No no. Not at all. Its a different (and nice) movie. Basically this guy goes and meet his old school/college friends to give his marriage invitation. On each hub, he remembers his past. The way they have taken the movie is so nice that it will make us remember our past. Thats the beauty of this movie.

Its a very good movie to watch alone - watch with friends - watch with lost love - dont watch with wife/hubby!!!

And there is a song in this movie "Gnyabagam Varudhae" - in my rough english translation "past memories are coming" (guys dont make fun of my translation) - to me honestly this song deserve a national award than anything else but since the MD didnt score BGM, he didnt get it. Neverthless, its a good movie, good song, must watch, must buy DVD.

And wondering why the name is autograph - just remember what u did on the last day of ur school/college.

Come-on DU, i don’t think that is true - what you see on the screen is pretty bogus. Its what we "want" it to be but the truth usually is far from it, it’s amazing how he has weaved his 'fantasy' into realism. Don’t get me wrong I actually like this movie (one of the better films to come out last year) but to share it as ‘our past’ is a pretty far-fetched idea. I think the reason it succeeded is because it puts the audience in a psuedo-realist mode - i mean we all want to go back to our roots, cry and laugh at it and more importantly we want this to happen "our-way". In all essence its strongly rooted to cinema's escapist traditions.

Usually in cinema there are two components - the story and the plot. The difference being "story" deals with the crux a.k.a the framework and "plot" deals with how you 'tell' the story on the screen. In autograph its the plot that excels and there in lies its success.

BTW – anyone else think autograph is a homage to other Tamil movies that Cheran saw growing up ?

Rita - its a good movie to checkout, perhaps a little "south-ish" ( what ever that means)

Autograph is a nostalgia movie, no doubt. That's what people like about it. I liked it, though the last third of the film was not as interesting as the first two.

I really dont know what is bogus in this movie. Lot of incidents in this movie resembels my past (dont get me wrong and associate me with 3 girls!) I am sure it also resembels everybody's past, or atleast folks who were grown up in similar situations (a poor villiage school - a decent college - a nice job in city).

Just give me one incident where you felt bogus. I will reply back to you with "true/real" incident happened in my life.

FYI we always go back to our college whenever we go back to India. I also went to my +2 school and met with teachers over there, saw my highschool friends, one of whom is a millionare now!!! an oil merchant!, ate in all the road side shops and finally got typhoid.

True, mostly because of the (un-necessary story/sadness they had on Sneha's role, just to give her some importance). I could take this DVD and watch the first 2 parts any time in any mood and never get board.

DU - my problem was his association with the 3 girls and its life changing effect, to me that is far-fetched and bogus - maybe i am wrong, but neither me nor any of my friends seem to share that "story". I think his choice of portraying 3 girls as angels in his life seems to be out-of-the-loop. Its fine example of coincidence-cinema where you make sure coincidence happen to ur advantage.

The rest of the stuff u mention is what makes this movie special, i relate to whatever u say - every time I go back to India I make sure I visit my high school, college, beach etc. etc. and try to relive the past - Ah the good-ol days

I pity you, cuz usually if you study in co-ed, 3 girls / class / year is the norm