'Kites' turns 11: Ambitious project that failed to take flight
What's the story
Anurag Basu's Kites, starring Hrithik Roshan and Barbara Mori, came out on this day in 2010. From its storyline to its casting, and a separate US version, the movie was highly ambitious. But the final product failed to resonate with the audience, churning out a loss at the box office. On its "filmversary," here is looking at some interesting trivia of the 130-minute-long flick.
Story
The film was about star-crossed lovers J and Natasha
Kites told the forbidden love story of a crook J (Roshan) and a Mexican immigrant Natasha (Mori). Both were engaged to different people, did not speak each others' language and yet, fell in love. To survive, the star-crossed lovers then make a run for it, fearing the wrath of Natasha's influential fiance Tony (Nick Brown). Will they succeed was the focal point.
International
Did you know there was a separate American version?
The setting of Kites was quite international. The movie was based in the US and Mexico with a considerable amount of Spanish language used along with English and meager Hindi. Also, it was the first time a separate American version was created by an American director. Makers had approached Rush Hour director Brett Ratner to make a remix version to suit the international audience.
Release details
Producers went big by opening it on 2,300 screens
Ratner's version was shorter, had different music, and used several scenes cut out of the original Basu-version. It had been released a week later on 80 screens in several places, including Los Angeles and New York. Reliance BIG Entertainment, the company bankrolling the project, had marketed the movie on 2,300 screens across the world. Of these, most screens belonged to India.
Different direction
Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor were approached for lead role
Hype brought in viewers initially but that was it. The movie earned Rs. 49 crore in India and Rs. 21 crore overseas. Kites was made on a budget of Rs. 65 crore. However, things could have been different if the makers went with their original vision. Actresses like Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor were considered before the script was changed to suit Mexican Mori.