Jaya Bachchan and Ayesha Takia: Aap Ke Liye Hum

By Subhash K Jha

Family matters kept Jaya Bachchan away from her rare film assignment. Marriage and honeymoon kept Ayesha Takiya away. The two are now back together playing mother and daughter in Revathy Sharma's film about an 'adopted' mother abandoned by her wretched son, played by Ranvir Shorey who was the last to join the cast.

Shooting resumes on September 5. "It would have started two days earlier. But my cast got busy with Ganesh Chaturthi, " sighs the director.

While Revathy waited for Jaya and Ayesha she shot with Madhavan. Madhavan is back in Revathy Sharma's Jaya Bachchan-Ayesha Takiya mother-daughter weepie, and so is Ayesha who for a while seemed unsure if after her marriage honeymoon and other related activities she would be able to do the film when two schedules had to be cancelled.

But the director was insistent.

"I couldn't imagine anyone else doing that role. If you remember Jyothika has done the part in the original. And Ayesha has the same childlike warmth and a nurturing quality to her personality. I couldn't think of anyone else."

But wasn't Genelia d'Souza the first choice? "Yes we did think of her. But Genelia is a very busy and a big star. It wasn't the money we've paid all the actors their market price."

Madhavan who had also opted out, has been paid a whopping Rs 1 crores for a role that is the principal male lead but relatively small compared with the ladies Jaya, Ayesha and Raveena Tandon's parts.

Sighs Revathy, "But what to do? It's very difficult to get male stars for female-oriented films. We've paid Maddy a crore out of which he has already received Rs 25 lakhs. He has already shot for five days with us."

Interestingly Ranvir Shorey plays Jaya's bad son. "It's a grey part of a son who abandons his mother, " admits the director.

Thanks to the film's matriarchal lead Jaya Bachchan Revathi Sharma's film has a new title.

Laughs the director, "We called the film Chassni. But Jayaji put her foot down, said the title was too sweet. So we've a new title Aap Ke Liye Hum."

http://www.santabanta.com/cinema.asp?pid=31037