Ittefaq — the mystery unravels today
Ittefaq, helmed by firsttime director Abhay Chopra, is a murder mystery/whodunit and an adaptation of the Yash Chopra’s 1969 hit film of the same name. The movie revolves around two suspects — Vikram (Sidharth Malhotra), an acclaimed writer, and Maya (Sonakshi Sinha), a young homemaker — and both have different narratives about the events of a fateful night. The film also stars Akshaye Khanna.
Since the movie is a thriller, the makers of the 100-minute film have implemented a ‘no promotions’ policy for the cast, and have also launched the ‘Say No to Spoilers’ campaign, which was supported by many big names in the industry. This movie also marks the tenth collaboration between Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar as producers, and the first between Red Chillies Entertainment, B.R Studios and Dharma productions.
Talking about the film, Karan says, “This film marks so many firsts and so many associations, as there is a lot of emotion in this collaboration. One of our biggest and deepest honours is that we are remaking a film that was a benchmark in 1969, and who better to direct the film than his grandson. His adaptation of the original is new, intelligent, and has all the suspects of a whodunit.”
Shah Rukh says the 1969 film is still one of his favourites. “In a country where we don’t make too many thrillers, it was exciting to come across a script that these young boys are adapting from a classic. The premise and the takeoff point might be similar, but when I read the script, it was very different.”
Abhay says he always thought the film was ahead of its time. “I loved the film while I was growing up. This is my homage to the film. I am not remaking the original; this is just my version of it.”
“We are just here to make films. I have always said that if I have Karan and Shah Rukh by my side, I don’t have to bother. I hope we don’t disappoint the audience, and I hope we can keep making films and get our legacy up there, where it was,” says producer Juno Chopra.
Ittefaq, co-produced by Red Chillies Entertainment, B.R Studios and Dharma Productions, releases today.