'A Momentary Lapse Of Reason' not remake of 'Raakh': Rana

Mumbia, May 25 (IANS) From shooting in the ghettos to learning the street art of Los Angeles (LA), Rana Daggubati is excited to do all that for Aditya Bhattacharya's new-rage adaptation of his 1989 crime drama 'Raakh'. He says the director has revamped and re-invented the original.

The new version titled 'A Momentary Lapse Of Reason' moves to Los Angeles and the hero's enemies are now crime-lords operating out of LA. Rana would be shooting in the ghettos and some of the most dangerous locations in the city.

'We want to create a film where the danger to the hero's life is constant. We don't want to fake his fear,' said Rana, who has not seen Aamir in 'Raakh'.

'We want to approach 'A Momentary Lapse Of Reason' as an original film and not a remake of 'Raakh'. That film will only be reference-point. Director Aditya Bhattacharya has completely revamped and re-invented the film,' he added.

Rana needs to get into LA at least three months in advance of the winter shooting to master various types of street art, including graffiti and spray painting. Street art was not a part of the original film.

'For the crime world of LA, the spray paint is the redemption. So many anti-socials harness their negative energy into street art. They spend their time practising street art with a can of spray paint,' said the actor who was recently seen in cop-thriller 'Department'.

Which A-lister from Bollywood is going to play Rana's mentor-cop in the film is not known. In the original, Pankaj Kapoor had played the part of the disillusioned, drunken ostracized cop who helps hero Aamir Khan seek revenge after his girlfriend (Supriya Pathak) is gangraped by a ganglord and his goons.

At the moment, neither the director nor Rana is willing to discuss the crucial casting of Pankaj's character.

Rana admits he was surprised when Bhattacharya approached him.

'Why me? That was my first thought. I was impressed by Aditya's faith in me. Of course, I knew about him. We both grew up in the film industry, though in different parts of the country. I'm most impressed by Aditya's homework on the subject. The sub-culture and the underbelly of LA has been explored inside-out in the script,' said the actor.