Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (Hindi: मेरे ब्रदर की दुल्हन; English: My Brother's Bride), also known by the abbreviated form MBKD, is an upcoming Hindi-language film that marks the writing and directing debut of Ali Abbas Zafar and stars Imran Khan, Katrina Kaif and Ali Zafar in the lead roles. Produced and distributed by Yash Raj Films, the film is a romantic comedy set around a love triangle. The official theatrical trailer was released on 13 July 2011. The film is set to release on 9 September 2011.
Production
Development
"I always had this fear of writing till I picked up a pen and then, the words just flowed. Writing the 150 pages of my script marked the high point of my life."
-Writer/Director Ali Abbas Zafar[4]
Yash Raj Films announced the then-untitled project on 5 August 2010.[5] Ali Abbas Zafar, who's been an assistant director on a number of Yash Raj Films productions such as Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Tashan, New York and Badmaash Company, makes his feature writing and directing debut with this film, which has been described as a comedy of errors by lead actor Imran Khan.[6] After Band Baaja Baaraat, this marks the second Yash Raj Films production in a row to be helmed by a first time director who was previously an assistant director. Zafar is originally from Dehradun, where much of the story is set.[6] After years of working with Yash Raj Films, he submitted three love stories to producer Aditya Chopra, who eventually greenlit Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, enabling Zafar to start writing his 150 page long script.[4] Ali Abbas Zafar is an alumnus of The Players, the acclaimed theater society of Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, where he acted in different plays including an adaptation of William Golding's Lord of the Flies.
Like many Bollywood films, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan has suffered allegations that it is a rip-off of an American film even before filming wrapped. According to these sources, the film rips off Dan In Real Life,[7][8] in which Steve Carrell's character also falls in love with his brother's girlfriend (played by Dane Cook and Juliette Binoche respectively). It should be noted that this theme is fairly widespread in fiction and not at all limited to these films and unless Mere Brother Ki Dulhan's scenes mirror those of Dan In Real Life exactly, it is safe to say that Zafar's film is an original work. The film has also drawn comparison to an earlier Yash Raj Films production, Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai.[9]
Casting
Imran Khan and Katrina Kaif play the romantic leads in the film, and their involvement was announced in the same press release as the initial production company announcement.[5] Both actors were among the most popular Bollywood actors at the time, having delivered huge hits in the recent past, and this is the first time they've been paired together. They were initially to star together in 7 Days In Paris for director Sanjay Gadhvi, but the film has been indefinitely postponed.[10] Thus, while their pairing has made the film quite anticipated,[11][12] some media publications have alleged that their casting was an attempt by Yash Raj Films to end a recent string of box-office flops and disappointments.[13] While this is Imran Khan's first movie for Yash Raj Films, Katrina Kaif had previously worked with them (and then assistant director Ali Abbas Zafar) on the critical and commercial hit New York. She was able to take the role thanks to the postponement of Dostana 2 to which she was already committed.[14] Her role has been reported in the media as different than characters she's played so far, and alternatively described as a "friendly, simple Delhi girl"[15] or a "rebel with a grungy punk look".[16] Prior to shooting, the director selected some 20/25 tattoo designs for Kaif to choose from for her character.[17]
The role of Katrina Kaif's fiancé and Imran Khan's brother was initially offered to Ritesh Deshmukh who turned it down after initially accepting it.[18] It was then given to Ali Zafar (no relation to the director), an actor who'd received rave reviews for his debut film Tere Bin Laden and who confirmed his participation via his Twitter account.[19] A popular singer, Zafar will also perform his character's singing in the film and described his casting as "a dream come true"[20] and his role as a "parallel lead role".[21] Interestingly, this marks an Indian film where none of the three leads are Indian nationals, as Khan is Indian-American, Kaif is British of partly Indian descent and Zafar is Pakistani. The film additionally stars a new actress whose name hasn't been revealed yet.[20]
On 17 October 2010, several media outlets reported on the casting of Preity Zinta in an unspecified "glamorous role".[22] The actress however quickly denied the report on her official Twitter page.[23]
Filming
Katrina Kaif and Imran Khan as featured in the film.
Filming started on 25 September 2010 and was scheduled to be completed by November.[24] A few days prior to shooting, both Katrina Kaif and Ali Zafar were at the Tere Bin Laden party in Mumbai and Kaif thought she'd go introduce herself to Zafar as they would be working together shortly after. Kaif was left embarrassed however after Zafar failed to recognize her and greeted her with a puzzled look. Kaif later shrugged off the incident, reasoning that Zafar had only been around the industry for a short while and that she, despite having been around a lot longer, still didn't know everyone.[25] In a later interview, Zafar claimed that he had in fact recognized Kaif, but simply didn't have the awed reaction she and other people might have expected.[26] The film started shooting in Delhi[24] and Pataudi,[27] before moving on to Chandigarh,[28] Agra,[20] Dehradun,[29] Mussoorie,[24] Haridwar,[6] Dhanaulti,[29] Punjab[24] and Himachal Pradesh[24] for a total of 45 days of filming in northern India and finally finishing the film in Mumbai.[30] Juggling between this film and the final shots of Tees Maar Khan and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara,[31] Kaif joined the shoot on September 27, just after having had her hair done in for the film by trendy hair stylist Said Asif in Mumbai.[15] Her hair in the film has been described as "poker straight, waist length with short fringes".[32][33]
The first scene shot was a song and dance sequence set during a wedding in which Kaif wore a lehenga.[11] A bloody incident happened very early in the shoot, on September 29, while the crew was filming at Pataudi Palace. The scene being shot, comic in nature, involved Imran Khan pulling Katrina Kaif towards him while pointing a gun towards other cast members. However, Khan miscalculated the move and instead sent the gun barrel crashing into Kaif's nose, causing it to bleed profusely. The injury was all the more painful for Kaif as Khan hit her in exactly the same spot that Ranbir Kapoor had during a similar incident on the set of Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani a year before. Kaif later commented "Yes, I got hit in the same place as I did during Ajab. I am pretty bruised but the staff feels it's good luck for the film. But it was a funny scene so I think it was worth it"[34] and "Please don't make it seem as if Imran was careless or something. These things happen. We were shooting one of the really madcap scenes where the actors' limbs acquire a life of their own. Imran's hand landed on my face"[31] while joking "Yeah, I got whacked twice in the same spot. I think I need to get my nose fixed".[31] Another incident of sorts was reported by the media in early October[35] and involves an emotional scene where Kaif's character slaps Khan's. Kaif would have been content to slap Khan once, however he insisted on sixteen takes so that the director would have a variety of slaps to choose from. Kaif later joked that the slap would be "the most authentic screen-slap audiences will ever see". Kaif was involved in another accident a few weeks later while filming in Nabha.[36] Her hair got caught in a fan, and it was thanks to co-star Ali Zafar's quick action that the incident didn't turn more serious. Zafar and a spot boy named Raju did however sustain minor injuries and bruises.
The film's title, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, was revealed on October 2 along with a few promo pictures.[2] While filming in the Doon Valley, the cast & crew stayed at the Jaypee Residency Manor Hotel [1] in Mussoorie.[29] Khan and Kaif are said to have gotten along well during the shoot with Kaif declaring to the media "He's really fun to gel with. Luckily, he's engaged, so we can chat and enjoy one another's company without people's imagination going on a rampage!"[31] and "Imran is very simple and straight forward person. He's absolutely focussed on his work and I like people for whom everything except their work is secondary."[10] while Khan praised her acting and declared "I have always enjoyed working with people who are out to prove a point. That way, we all end up giving our best".[10] Ali Zafar also reported his good experiences on set early on during filming, noting that his co-stars were "fun to work with"[37] and that Khan was very friendly while Kaif was nice and professional.[26] Zafar actually started teaching Kaif how to play the guitar while working on the film. He stated that the actress was a quick learner and that she'd promised him that if the film made over 600 million at the box office, she would do a music video with him.[38]
Music
Tracklist:
01 - Mere Brother Ki Dulhan - K.K.
02 - Dhunki - Neha Bhasin
03 - Choomantar - Benny Dayal & Aditi Singh Sharma
04 - Isq Risk - Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
05 - Madhubala - Ali Zafar & Shweta Pandit
06 - Do Dhaari Talwar - Shahid Mallya & Shweta Pandit
07 - Choomantar (Remix) - Shreya Ghoshal (Remix By Joshilay)
08 - Isq Risk (Risky Mix) - Sreeramchandra & Neha Basin (Remix By Joshilay)
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Meet Samuel, Jeffrey and Michael Douglas! Their grandfather, Mori Tanaka, is highly skilled in the fields of Martial Arts and Ninjitsu. And for years he's been training these boys this technique. He even gave them names: Rocky because he's "solid and cool as granite rock"; Colt, because he's "fast and free, a spirit of a young wild horse"; and Tum Tum because ambition begins and ends with his tummy". But one day, an old "friend" of Grandpa's, Hugo Snyder, is heard from again. He's being hassled by the FBI, and the boys' father happens to be an FBI officer. So Snyder figures if he kidnaps the father's kids, it will ease the tension, none of his own men are suitable for the task, so he hires three dim and incredibly incompetent surfers to do the deed. The boys treat them to a night of Ninja moves and hilarious gags, ala Home Alone. But the boys soon get captured by Snyder, and what is more, they (especially Colt) becomes doubtful of their grandfather, until Grandpa bursts into action and fights Snyder.
The fun, the fashion, the friendship: "Sex and the City 2" brings it all back and more as Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) take another bite out of The Big Apple--and beyond--carrying on with their busy lives and loves in a sequel that truly sparkles. What happens after you say "I do"? Life is everything the ladies ever wished it to be, but it wouldn't be "Sex and the City" if life didn't hold a few more surprises...this time in the form of a glamorous, sun-drenched adventure that whisks the women away from New York to one of the most luxurious, exotic and vivid places on earth, where the party never ends and there's something mysterious around every corner. It's an escape that comes exactly at the right moment for the four friends, who are finding themselves in--and fighting against--the traditional roles of marriage, motherhood and more. After all, sometimes you just have to get away with the girls.
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William Pulford
