The phenomenon is all too real. Rich wives pick up toy boys to rid themselves of loneliness, caused by absentee workaholic husbands. More often than not, they fall prey to young men who either blackmail them into parting with their money or into leaving their husbands. In Shortcut Romeo, director Susi Ganesh tells us one such story.
After reading about such cases, Susi Ganesh felt that for the country’s youth, materialistic achievement is the ultimate dream.
Pursuing that dream is his film’s hero, played by Neil Nitin Mukesh, who is shown blackmailing a lonely, rich wife played by Ameesha Patel. He doesn’t demand a lump sum amount, but rather wants her to support his rich lifestyle for a lifetime. Puja Gupta plays his ‘real’ girlfriend.
Says he, “Even our epics, like the Ramayana and Mahabharata, convey a strong message to those eyeing another’s wife and wealth. But related crimes still happen on a daily basis.” Produced by Manjari Susi Ganesh, the movie has music composed by Himesh Reshammiya.
So, is it based on a real-life story? Susi confirms, “There was talk about such an incident in a very influential corporate household. I was inspired by that.”
Shortcut Romeo, by Susi Ganesh Productions, releases June 21.
