Talking with Subhash K Jha, producer Suneel Darshan takes us inside the making of his monster hit, the iconic 1996 romantic drama Andaaz, which starred Akshay Kumar, Lara Dutta and Priyanka Chopra.
Andaaz is probably the biggest hit of your career?
Andaaz was a creation of destiny & fate. A sudden fallout of Akshay Kumar’s dates required a quick decision to put up a project .
You swung into action?
I roped in my team of writers Robin Bhatt & Shyam Goel along with a competent director-friend Raj Kanwar who was going through a low phase and Nadeem Shravan to compose the music album, all of which was done in forty days of relentless effort.
Just forty days?!
To bring in a novel effect, I decided to cast fresh girls opposite Akshay , hence Lara Dutta (Miss Universe) and Priyanka Chopra (Miss World) were introduced. The entire movie, shot in Mumbai, Pune and South Africa, was completed in six months flat. The phenomenal response to its music was the first indicator that the project’s freshness had found public acceptance even though it left the Industrywalas confused and envious.
Your team must have been on its collective toes?
My production firm Shree Krishna International which had delivered Jaanwar, EK Rishtaa and Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya with Akshay Kumar handled the production, worldwide audio and film distribution of Andaaz and it met with a resounding success on its release in May 2003.
Andaaz augmented Akshay’s stardom?
Akshay Kumar become a sought after star and got hounded by top film-makers who earlier shunned him. As for Lara and Priyanka Chopra, they changed the way cinegoers viewed leading actresses in Hindi Cinema thereafter.
Why didn’t you direct Andaaz yourself?
Raj Kanwar had done several successful movies in the 90’s but had a string of failures thereafter. We were friends since his assistant days and the familiarity was the main reason to have him on board to direct as I could take the final calls.
Priyanka went on to become an international star?
I made Barsaat with Priyanka thereafter. I value both her role and performance in Barsaat as first-rate. She’s a woman with the ability to cross any hurdle that comes in her way and she has the quick-fix and traverse any impediment. She’s the only heroine to stage a comeback in her mid-40s, an age at which most actresses call it a day. She’s truly international! Andaaz added to Priyanka and Lara’s careers. Their freshness was infectious.
