The Last Lear

The Last Lear

She hasn`t been seen on screen since June 2007`s big disaster Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, and the wait has been worth it! Preity Zinta has shed the glam and for her upcoming The Last Lear, with Amitabh Bachchan, wears a Sunday evening look - no label or brand for miles! But her original fresh look and the brilliant eyes are there, and the question is - will she pull it off?

We have no doubts about her calibre and with Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Rampal and an offbeat, experimental script bringing up the rear, what`s to worry?

Everything.

MUMBAI: In the backdrop of MNS' threat to block all films featuring the Bachchans in Maharashtra, the producer of the Amitabh Bachchan starrer "The Last Lear" on Tuesday said it will go ahead with the release as scheduled this week.

Talking to reporters here, CEO of Planman Motion Pictures Shubho Shekhar Bhattacharjee said there was panic initially but hoped everything will be in the right place soon.

"Posters of the film were pulled down in some parts of the city. But I don't think there will be any fallout later this week. Film is a work of art. Why vandalise it," he asked.

Bhattacharjee said a personal problem between two individuals should have been settled at that level itself.

"We are a democracy and only the censor board has the right to stall or clear a film. We have spoken to our legal advisors, state administration and the police. We have been assured of full protection," he said.

Delay in the film's release is not a viable option for us, Bhattacharjee added.

"We may lose money in Mumbai initially if audiences do not come to the theatres out of fear. But we are prepared to take the risk," he said.

"The Last Lear", made with a budget of Rs 10 crore, is releasing only in 100 theatres across the country.

"We will gauge the audience's response in the first week and then go for more prints. We are not releasing it with Hindi sub-titles. The spoken English in the film is like how we speak in our daily life. It is not American or British accent which Indians will not understand," Bhattacharjee said.

The Last Lear, directed by Rituparno Ghosh, releases on September 12th 2008. A must watch!