Gowariker:No matter how big a hit my movie was, the deleted scenes were really special.
Period film specialist Ashutosh Gowariker felt devastated when Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh governments banned his film Jodhaa Akbar because of controversy on depiction of Jodhaa.
“Bahut bura laga, bahut afsos huwa (I felt really bad, I was very sorry) when they decided to ban my film,” Gowariker said.
“I had done extensive research for the movie and had consulted Mughal and Rajput manuscripts. Various historians said Jodhaa was called by different names like Harkha Bai and Bhanumati. But when I met members of the Jaipur royal family, they said the name Jodhaa was the most popular among them. Hence I decided to stick to it,” Gowariker says.
Gowariker can now, however, be happy as the world television premiere of Jodhaa Akbar will be on a satellite channel along with exclusive unseen footage from the movie that was not part of the release in cinema houses.
The movie will be screened on Independence Day on the satellite channel, UTV Movies.
The unseen exclusive footage, spanning 34 minutes, will be introduced by Gowariker himself at the end of the movie.
Viewers can also answer questions put by Gowariker during commercial breaks and five lucky couples will win a date with Gowariker himself, Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the lead couple.
“The deleted scenes were cut with a heavy heart.No matter how big a hit my movie was, the deleted scenes were really special. They have their own mahatwa (importance),”
Gowariker says, adding “Scenes showing Akbar and Birbal which hold a special place in my heart will also be screened.”
“Buzurg (elderly people) who did not get the opportunity to watch the movie in a theatre can now watch it with their entire family.”
Ali Imran, vice president, Marketing and Communications, UTV Movies, says it is a coincidence that the film completes its silver jubilee on Independence Day.
“A film as big and as successful as Jodhaa Akbar needed a special platform. Jodhaa Akbar completes its silver jubilee on August 15. Everyone will be at home on the national holiday. We will screen the movie at 11 in the morning, right after the Prime Minister finishes his speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort. So that the old and the young can enjoy the chutti (holiday),” Imran says.
On his future projects, Gowariker says “My next film, What’s your Rashee? starring Harman Baweja and Priyanka Chopra is being produced by the UTV group,” Gowariker says.
Jodhaa Akbar TV premiere to precede home video release
UTV Motion Pictures’ Jodhaa Akbar, which is directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar, is slated to premiere on television on 15 August. However, the movie’s home video has not yet seen the light of day.
Its satellite premiere and that too on a national holiday, is likely to make a dent into its home video sales. The rights were acquired by BIG Music and Home Entertainment for Rs 40 million (Rs 4 crores) in April this year.
Ideally, a film’s home video is launched six - eight weeks after its theatrical release and a few months before its satellite premiere. Over the last one year, the window for the home video and satellite release of films has been getting shorter and shorter. A substantial time lapse is kept between the film’s home video and satellite premiere so as to give the former a wider sales window.
Speaking to Businessofcinema.com, BIG Music and Home Entertainment CEO Kulmeet Makkar says, “Ideally, we would have liked to release the home video of the movie before the satellite premiere of the film but now we will be releasing it 10 - 15 days after it airs on television. The value of the home video definitely comes down after the satellite premiere but it is difficult to say at this point in time whether it will affect sales or not. However, our strategy is to promote the home video release of the film during the TV airing.”
UTV Motion Pictures CEO Siddharth Roy Kapur adds, “Jodhaa Akbar home video is a collector’s item and we believe that the first airing on television is not going to affect its home video sales. It’s a product that people will want to own and keep.”
Citing the reason for the delay in its home video release, Kapur says, “The home video has a lot of special features and we wanted to make sure that we give out the right product with the right quality. Hence the delay. However, the product has a life of its own and we believe that people will want to own it.”
What’s more, UTV Movies will also be airing unseen footage of…
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The deleted scenes(which shudnt have been deleted) look very interesting from the promos being aired on UTV movies.
“It’s a product that people will want to own and keep.”
But,of course!!!
mai nay sarkar raj dekh lii thi liken pata nahi jodha akhbar kyun nahi dekhnay hoi 10min sey ziyada nahi dekhi jodha akhbar ehhhh!
jai,coz u r too immature for it!
Ashutosh is one of the greatest directors of India at this momnet.
Pray for more good movies from the genius.
Rajeev,agreed !!!!