Naseeruddin Shah once again replaces Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan

After Jagmohan Mundhra�s �Shoot On Sight�, thespian Naseeruddin Shah has once again replaced Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan in the comic thriller �Maharathi�, a film inspired by a hit Gujarati play starring Paresh Rawal.�He (Amitabh) opted out because the role had shades of grey,� Paresh, who also directed the play, told IANS.

�Amitji explained his point of view in detail to me. And I agreed with him. So my dear friend Naseer, who was supposed to do another role in the screen adaptation, stepped into the role.�

Amitabh opted out of �Shoot On Sight�, based on the July 2007 London bombings, because he found it too controversial for his liking.In the film, Naseer finally played the role of Tariq Ali, a Muslim police officer at Scotland Yard, who is asked to track down suspected suicide bombers involved in the bombings.

Roping in Naseer is not the only change �Maharathi� underwent - originally Vikram Bhatt was to direct it, but he was replaced by Shivum Nair.

Paresh says he avoided directing the movie because he could not remove theatre from his sensibility.

�I�ve often been asked why I haven�t directed the film myself. The truth is the play is still fresh in my mind. But I didn�t want the grammar of the stage to be applied to the film version. Then what is the point doing a film? My mind is filled with the play. I couldn�t have detached myself from the stage.

�I needed a fresh cinematic vision to improve on the play. After doing plays for 21 years, I can�t remove theatre from my sensibility.�

All in place, Paresh is now just waiting to wrap up the shooting and see the end result on the big screen.

�It�s been a while since I felt this way about any film of mine. �Maharathi� is based on my own play. When I did the play, I had to hunt around for backers for more than two years. We went on stage with the play in 1987.

�I did more than 700 shows. History repeated itself for the film when I had to hardsell my script for almost three years. Finally, I found a producer in Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Ltd.,� he said.

�Now I�m doing the work that I�d talk about, like �Maharathi�. It is a very classy comic thriller. And I got to work with actors I really respect, like Naseer, Om Puri, Boman Irani. It�s a healthy commercial film. I�m sick of doing the unhealthy kind. I enjoy doing a film that takes me back to my roots and to work with the people I wanted to work with.�

Paresh himself plays the same role in the film that he did in the play.

�I play a driver who accidentally meets Naseer�s character. �Maharathi� doesn�t sacrifice logic for suspense. The script is watertight. Everyone and everything are in place.�

Paresh hopes to repeat the success of the play.

�We used to have audiences coming repeatedly for the play although the suspense was out during the first performance. We had to revive it thrice on public demand. I hope to see the same success for the film.�
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