KJo gives Agneepath a miss!

The producer gives Agneepath a miss for want of cooler climes.

Karan Johar has dodged a heat wave. And no, it's not a controversy that he is avoiding! Following Sanjay Dutt's advice, the filmmaker has decided to stay back in Mumbai, instead of attending the filming of his ambitious project Agneepath, in Diu, due to the city's scorching temperatures.

Unfortunately, Dutt, who plays Kaancha Cheena, and director Karan Malhotra cannot afford such a luxury like the producer, if the film is to go as planned.

Our source told us, "The unit of Agneepath is shooting in terrible heat. The Gujarat-Maharashtra border region is always very hot. The unit is shooting in Diu as the storyline does not permit compromises on the location.

So, when Karan Johar decided that he should visit the sets of his film, Sanjay Dutt warned him about the terrible heat. Karan finally decided against going to the location."

A source close to Karan said, "Karan is definitely not going to Diu. Karan is used to going to exotic locations like London and USA, he definitely would not enjoy the weather there.

When Sanju warned him about the heat, Karan decided that it's better he stay put in Mumbai and wrap up pending commitments."

While Karan remained unavailable for comment, Dutt said, "I did not tell him not to come here, but yes I did tell him about the terrible heat. Its 47 degrees, afterall." When asked how Dutt himself is managing with the harsh weather, he simply said, "Karna hi padega na yaar."

(Kunal M Shah, Mumbai Mirror)

Sanjay Dutt hires helicopter for Agneepath

Apparently Sanjay Dutt is so homesick that he flies back every evening from Dui to Mumbai in a chopper to be with his twins.

An actor alighting from a hovering chopper is a scene trademark of Karan Johar's cinema. Remember Shah Rukh Khan's entry sequence in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Ghum ! This time however, it is a behind-the-scene from a Karan Johar film.

Sanjay Dutt who is presently shooting for Karan Johar's remake of Agneepath in Diu is using a helicopter to travel to the shooting location. "Sanjay Dutt plays the negative lead in the film and is reprising Kancha Cheena's character (played by Danny in the original). The Mandva village from the original is being recreated in Diu where the film is currently being shot", says a source associated with the film.

Apparently Sanjay Dutt is homesick and so he flies back every evening to Mumbai to be with his twins. "Dui is around 3 hours drive from Mumbai. Since driving isn't a viable option, Sanju Baba has hired a chopper for his to-and-fro visit to the sets", confirms the source.

Incidentally Hrithik Roshan, who plays the male lead in the Agneepath remake, had used the same mode-of-transport while shooting for Jodhaa Akbar at ND Studios in Karjat. He used to fly back to the city in his chopper to avoid the long journey time and the city traffic.

(TOI)

Karan Johar being extra cautious with Agneepath

To keep the paparazzi off the sets of Agneepath, the filmmaker has tripled his security men, adding to the production cost

Knowing that a picture is worth a thousand words, the media including Mumbai Mirror (April 19) had sneaked in and captured the lead actor Hrithik Roshan in midst of a dahi handi sequence on the sets of Karan Johar's remake of Agneepath.

And this has worried KJo no end. Being extra cautious about the look and feel of this much ambitious project, the filmmaker has come up with an idea. He has increased the number of security personnel on the sets to ensure that such a leak doesn't happen again.

In fact, if you were planning to infiltrate and catch a glimpse of the new age Vijay Dinanath Chauhan, you now have to go through thirty big men, the extra bouncers, who, have naturally added a few more lakh to the production cost.

KJo has even instructed his brand new bouncers to keep people from clicking pictures on the sets from their phone cameras.

A source close to the unit revealed, "Well, we had ten guards on the sets before. We now have thirty. So about twenty new guards have come in. And they are all from a professional group."

"Karan is a marketing genius. You can call him a methodical planner. He likes to market all his films in planned phases.

So, he was upset when the media leaked out the pictures of his dahi handi shoot.

It should not have happened. But it's okay. Jo ho gaya so ho gaya. Ab aage aisa nahin hona chahiye," added the source.

Karan Johar remained unavailable for comment.

(TOI)