Farah Khan confirms Abhishek double role in Happy New Year (older post updated)

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“He’s one of the finest actors with great comic timing. He just needs somebody to push him. He can get a bit laid-back. I am like his mother – younger mother – who can slap him out of bed. When I miss my son, I call Abhishek. He’s got a double role in the film and he’s done such a fine job of both roles.”

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Quietly, Abhishek Bachchan has slithered forward to a place under the sun. Rohit Shetty’s Bol Bachchan got the underrated actor a renewed box office endorsement. After saying no to a slew of almost-accepted offers Abhishek has finally given his nod to two major projects this year.The first of these is Farah Khan’s Happy New Year which Abhishek starts shooting in the first quarter of the year. Abhishek would be sharing the marquee in Farah’s film with Shah Rukh Khan. The two were supposed to come together in Farah Khan’s directorial debut Main Hoon Na. Abhishek was supposed to play the role that eventually went to Zayed Khan.

Now in Happy New Year SRK and Junior AB are being cast in parallel parts. Farah would be Abhishek’s second woman director after Revathi in Phir Milenge, not counting the cameo as himself in Zoya Akhtar’s Luck By Chance and Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om.

In the second-half of 2013 Abhishek goes into Oh My God director Umesh Shukla’s film. A solo-hero project with a serious social issue underlining the humour,the two have zeroed in on a script that Shukla describes as a “social comedy.”

Elaborating on the project Shukla says, “This time it’s not based on a play or any other external source. It is an original script.It’s the story of a son and his relationship with his parents. I can’t reveal too much at the moment. But like my OMG it will address an important social issue in an engaging humorous mood.”

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Bachchan has got a chance to work with Shah Rukh Khan again in `Happy New Year`. He says SRK took “too much time” to work with him again.

`Happy New Year` is being directed by choreographer-director Farah Khan, who had directed SRK in `Main Hoon Na` and `Om Shanti Om`.

“I am very excited to work with Farah. Farah is a dear friend and I am very excited to be part of `Happy New Year` and I love Shah Rukh,” said Abhishek here.

“I worked with him in `Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna` and I think he is taking too much time to do another film with me. It is going to be a lot of fun,” he added.

While the male leads of the film are in place, Farah has yet to finalise the female leads.

Abhishek will be flying to Dubai in September for a schedule of `Happy New Year`.
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Now this one has to be mother of all developments and perhaps the flip-around of the decade. Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan, who had found themselves on the ugly side of affairs not too long ago, have decided to let bygones be bygones. The duo has made their patch up stand out in a big way by deciding to do come together again. The film in question? Happy New Year.

“Yes, Shah Rukh and Farah have hugged and made up. They are indeed coming together for Happy New Year. The decision was taken very recently and there would be an official announcement soon”, confirms our well placed source, “The director as well as the actor are extremely excited about the film as it also brings them back again after delivering two blockbusters – Main Hoon Naa and Om Shanti Om.”

This move has indeed shocked even those close to the two Khans since after the fracas that happened at Sanjay Dutt’s party a few weeks back, it had seemed like the handshake between Shah Rukh and Farah Khan/Shirish Kunder was a quick ‘let’s-bury-it’ move that didn’t perhaps hold much weight. However, what happened in days to follow only proves the adage that ‘there is no permanent friend or enemy in Bollywood’.

“The turnaround has taken place quicker than expected. Yes, they hugged and made up but no one would have imagined in their wildest dreams that there would be a professional liaison soon”, adds an industry insider, “Farah hadn’t mentioned anything at all about Happy New Year going on floors soon. In fact she had cut herself off from the outside world for full one year and was concentrating on getting the script in place. On the other hand Shah Rukh too got busy with his yet untitled film with Yash Chopra. Moreover, he is also committed to work with Rohit Shetty on Chennai Express.”

In fact in one of the earlier conversations three months ago, Farah had confessed that getting the perfect script in place was of paramount importance. Though she had the basic draft of Happy New Year in place for quite a few years, she didn’t want to take any chances for her fourth film and reworked on it in entirety before she was truly satisfied. In the middle of this all there were also rumours of her approaching Salman Khan for the role and the buzz only enhanced further when he made a guest appearance in ‘Wallah Wallah’ [Tees Maar Khan]. However with the latest development, it is Shah Rukh who has made the cut.

“When the dust settled down on the Shirish episode, Shah Rukh and Farah had a heart to heart chat. All was forgotten and this is when Happy New Year cropped up into the conversation again”, the source adds, “Without blinking an eyelid, Shah Rukh committed to Farah that he was doing the film with no questions asked. Farah too has the script ready and it is now time to close on logistics around other cast members and shooting schedule. The film is expected to kick-start once Shah Rukh is through with his film with Yashji.”

When contacted, Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan were unavailable for comment. Hopefully they do break the silence soon and let the whole truth come out in open.