so which version do you guys think will be better??

as much as I like ramu, I am going to have to go w/ nair on this one. for one, I really liked nair's 'ek chotisi love story' which had a very similar theme. if this film can be as good as that then it should be a film to look forward to. secondly, nair clearly has the better lead - I wld take jackie over amit any day and nair's 'angaar' had probably one of my fav jackie performances of all time

though not counting ramu out, but it just seems that every time he works w/ amit he is not at his best

either way, this should be an interesting showdown…


Two directors and a Lolita

Subhash K Jha

It seems as if there will be more than one film depicting an old man's passion for a young girl. After Ram Gopal Varma's announcement that he plans to make Nishabd along the lines of the Lolita syndrome, it now comes to light that Shashilal Nair, who has long been hibernating, is already making his own version of Lolita.

“Yes, Shashilal Nair called me up,” says Ram Gopal Varma. “I'm glad that Shashilal told me about his film. Ever since the news came out that I was making a film based on Lolita I've been flooded with text messages. One reads, ‘You've finally come out of clichés.’ Another says, ‘You'll ruin Lolita completely.’ But Lolita is not my immediate inspiration. Any film about an older man and a young girl is bound to resemble the Lolita story.”

Shashilal Nair is forthright and wary of controversy. “I just want to make another film after a long absence,” he says. “In fact, I am already shooting Lolita, which is a love story about a 45-year-old man, Jackie Shroff, and a 15-year-old girl.”

Shashilal has been shooting with Shroff for a week now. “I've even titled my film Lolita,” he says. “The protagonist is a new actress called Pallavi. I auditioned around 40-50 young girls before I found Pallavi.”

The director wants to make it clear that his version of the story came long before Ram Gopal Varma announced his film. “The moment I read about Ramu's plans I called him,” he says. “He told me both our films belong to the same genre. I wanted to keep my film under wraps until I completed it. I even forbade Jackie from talking about it. But this announcement had me worried. I didn't want Ramu to think that I was a ‘me-too’ trying to hang on to his coattails. Ramu's project is a huge, Rs. 20 crore one, with Amitabh Bachchan. Mine is a small, Rs. 2 crore project. It wouldn't be in good taste if I launched a quick version while the original was still under production. I wanted Ramu to know that I had already started my Lolita.”

Shashilal denies that his Lolita will be sexually explicit. “The theme is bold. But there's no need for sex in the film,” he says. “It's an intense love story – the plight of a man trapped in a hopeless romance. I think Lolita is the greatest love story ever written. Jackie feels it's the only film with which he can make a comeback. And he's at the right age to play this role. We've worked together several times in the past.”

ya jackie has had his share of bad performances, but I think given the right role he can really excel. he was fantastic in kyon ki… though the film itself was terrible



I dunno rita, I am actually glad that ramu is doing a film like this… it cld be interesting. I just wish he had made a better casting choice, someone like anil wld have been perfect for this type of role

and I think if ramu is doing it, then we can be sure it will be different

this film is looking better and better.. I wish I cld now change my vote



Amitabh Bachchan welcomed at the Tea County Resort in Munnar


The Tea Country Resort in Munnar where Amitabh will camp for 30 days


Big B in tea land

I am in Kerala after a long time. And in Munnar for the first time. It is fantastic," says Amitabh Bachchan, who arrived in Lush green, hilly Munnar for the shooting of Ram Gopal Varma's Nishabd.

Bachchan arrived at the Cochin International Airport on Monday morning and drove straight to Munnar, 140 kilometres away. Anto Joseph, one of Kerala's most-sought after production controllers, who is coordinating the shooting of Nishabd, says taking Bachchan to Munnar was "a great experience."

"He simply loved every bit of the journey. He loves the climate and the breathtaking tea plantations here," says Joseph.

For Bachchan, the Munnar stay is not going to be a short one. He will stay at the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation-run Tea County Resort for the next 30 days as Varma is shooting the entire film in these hills.

Bachchan who came to Munnar straight from the sets of Karan Johar's latest film Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, was saddened to hear of BJP leader Pramod Mahajan's death. Says a production crew member. "He very much wanted to go and visit Mahajan and his family. But it was impossible for him to get out of these hills and the hectic shooting."

In Nishabd, Amitabh teams up with popular Tamil actress Revathy (Love, Phir Milenge, her directorial debut).

The film is a Bollywood's take on Vladimir Nabokov's timeless novel Lolita, which revolves around the tale of a 54-year-old married man, played by Bachchan, who becomes obsessed with a charming, sensual teenager, 36 years younger. Newcomer Jia plays Bachchan's love interest. Ram Gopal Varma, in an interview to rediff.com, denied any similarity between Nishabd and Lolita.

I saw Lolita some time ago, and remember having liked it. Regarding the "Indian version," I prefer Ram Gopal Varma to Shashilal Nair (though, lately, not be a huge margin), and (of course — ) prefer Amitabh Bachchan to Jackie Shroff. Honestly, I, too, haven't been impressed by anything Shroff's done recently.

honestly, I don't even want to see any lolita I just want more like no entry, i don't like all sad depressing story.

I don't think that the tone of Lolita was (or will be) "sad" or "depressing." Rather, it's a somewhat existential idea, and I expect that Varma "style" might behoove the way in which it is unfolded. I, too, enjoy "light-hearted," comical cinema, but I have to say, No Entry (I thought) was just utterly stupid. I was appalled when I learned that the trash was the highest grossing Hindo film of 2005. Hell, even Garam Masala was pretty bad. I can't remember the last Indian comedy that I sincerely liked.

thought so at first, but no longer think ramu is doing a 'lolita' adaptation… he seems to be taking the film in a different direction

Ageless love in enchanting locale

Saturday May 20 2006 12:09 IST
MUNNAR: Amitabh Bachchan,"the actor of the millennium", is on his
first visit to Munnar for the shooting of Ram Gopal Varma's
film `Nishabd.'

Bachchan, in a deviant character role of an older man obsessively in
love with a nymphet, played by debutante actress Gia, said the film
would be only around "two hours long, with three or four characters
and no songs."

Amitabh Bachchan's previous film with Ram Gopal Varma, `Sarkar,' had
received critical acclaim when it was released in 2005. The actor
generously showered praises on the director.

"`Nishabd' is my second film with Ram Gopal Varma. Sarkar was well-
crafted and an honest film. I appreciate his capacity to assimilate
things into his films." Bachchan underlined the depth of silence
in `Sarkar': "Silence was very vocal in the film." The actor pointed
out that `Nishabd' was a departure from the gangster and underworld
theme." It is bold and different and not the routine."

Dressed in green-coloured cargos and a checked shirt with a jersey
casually flung across his shoulders, the actor appeared in the pink
of health on the sets of `Nishabd' and told well-wishers that he was
enjoying Munnar." I still have not found time to visit a tea
manufacturing unit."

Amitabh in Munnar

Text and photographs: Rajesh Prasad



A tale of ageless love, against the enchanting backdrop of lush green hills and tea gardens.

For the last three weeks, Amitabh Bachchan has been shooting in Munnar, Kerala, for Ram Gopal Varma's Nishabd. And the Bollywood legend loves it.

"Shooting in these hills is superb," Amitabh says in his suite at the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation's Tea County resort, overlooking verdant gardens.

Ready to be driven to the shooting spot, he puts on a red jacket and a red cap. "It is beautifully cold here."

"It is great to be away from the maddening cities to a cool place like this. And working with a great team further refreshes you," says the superstar.

He sidesteps a question about the movie. "I will tell you about the movie after you watch it! It is simply going to be different film," is all he will say.

Nishabd, supposedly the Bollywood version of Vladimir Nakobov's timeless novel Lolita, revolves around a 54-year-old married man, played by Bachchan, who falls in love with a girl 36 years younger than him. Newcomer Gia plays Amitabh's love interest.

Revathy, who plays Bachchan's wife, too is tightlipped."The shooting is almost over. I cannot say a word. But I greatly enjoyed acting with Amitabhji," she says.

Varma too is not divulging details. But every crew member is confident Nishabd will be a trendsetter.



Amitabh, who underwent surgery last year, shows no signs of illness. And he just can't stop gushing about Munnar. "Where can you get this wintery cool and rains during May? I love this climate," he says.

Would he ever do a Malayalam film?

"Of course. I am ready to act in Malayalam films. I love films made from Kerala," the Big B says.

But can Malayalam filmmakers afford the megastar? "That is a pre-conceived notion," says the man himself. "Money is not the measure for making good films."

Bachchan is all praise for Kerala's beauty, and its people: "They are the most wonderful people. Very educated and well-behaved," he says.

Whom does he admire in the Malayalam film industry? "Mohanlal. He is a superb actor."

"In fact, Mohanlal is acting with me in Ram Gopal Varma's next film," Bachchan adds.

"Nishabd is my second film with Ram Gopal Varma. The great thing about Ram is that he has the capacity to assimilate things into his films," he says.

Is Nishabd new territory for Varma, the master of guns and gore? "Yes, Nishabd is a departure from the gangster and underworld theme. It is bold and different," says Amitabh.

You know, the topic might be a bit more interesting if the industry weren't (historically, as well as currently) plagued by films in which "heroes" keep getting older, as "heroines" keep being reeled in as young as can be. This was the case with aging "yesteryears," such as Dev Anand and Rishi Kapoor, and persists to-day, with the likes of Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt, and...more. A recent example: Lucky, wherein Salman Khan was about twice the age of his leading lady, Sneha Ullal. I get that the difference with Nishabd is that the man will be "playing his age," but my point is merely that, as an industry, the notion of older men with younger women, does not seem to elude Hindi films.

Ramu's Lolita revealed

By: Upala KBR
June 1, 2006

Ram Gopal Varma has completed the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Nishabd at a hush-hush shoot in south India in 20 days. The film is said to be based on Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita and will have a September release.

Nishabd also stars Revathy, Rukhsar and Aftab Shivdasani. An exclusive sneak peek into Ramu’s Lolita and Nishabd…

How did you meet Jiah?

A year ago, a builder introduced Jiah to me. I was struck by her, then, as she seemed to have that certain something, but I didn’t have any project on hand, to cast her. She told me she had been selected to do a Mahesh Bhatt film but the film didn’t happen. I didn’t ask her why. Then about more than three months ago, she came to meet me.

How did Nishabd happen?

I had Mr Bachchan’s dates and we were discussing various scripts and story ideas. One day, I told him a storyline about an older man falling in love with a younger girl. He was excited, but he asked me ‘what about the girl’? The first name that popped up in my mind was Jiah.

Mr Bachchan is a megastar and I wanted somebody totally new to create that trauma and make her grow in his eyes. Jiah is exactly in real-life like the character she plays in Nishabd — sensuous and of today’s generation.

Is Nishabd a complete adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita?

Nishabd is not at all an adaptation of Lolita. That’s a misconception. It’s an original story conceived and written
by me.

What’s Nishabd about?

It’s an intense love story between an older man (Amitabh Bachchan) and a younger girl (Jiah Khan). Bodies age, but feelings don’t.

Older men get attracted to and fall in love with younger girls but because of their position and maturity, cannot do anything. It’s the story of a man caught between his rationality and the strength of his feelings towards her.

There is a popular perception that Nishabd has lot of steamy scenes between Bachchan and Jiah.

That’s not true. The thought is erotic and there is a strong undercurrent of sexuality, but it has not been done at the expense of putting Mr Bachchan in a demeaning light.

There are no sexually explicit scenes.

Well...let's wait and see. I'm pretty sure that Apoorva Lakhia expressed similar sentiments about his "Indianization" of Man On Fire, into Ek Ajnabee. Sanjay Gupta, too, probably deems himself quite "original."



How would "sexual scenes" place Amitabh Bachchan under a "demeaning light"?

people are probably assuming his character is a pedaphile?

why wld you be comparing ramu to lakhia/gupta?? ramu has only done one hollywood remake in his career, and he was very honest about it all along. not to mention, a film like sarkar was far from the 'dvd remake'-brand of films that directors like gupta, lakhia and rohan sippy indulge in.

and if there is anyone who has predilection towards these types of films it is definitely amit. w/ films like hum kaun hai, aetbaar, kaante and ek ajnabee all releasing in the last few yrs, he has practically made himself the poster boy/old man for this whole 'dvd remake'-era of hindi cinema

haha, speaking of dvd remakes, i remember a few years back, one of bobby doels films shooting was cancelled for the day because the disc froze I wish I could remember where I read the article. I think the movie is Bichoo