By Hindustan Times
Actor Preity Zinta’s debut production, Ishkq In Paris, is gearing up for a September 21 release. With a couple of days of shooting still pending and a target in place, director Prem Raj is now working backwards to fulfill the deadline. They’ve just wrapped up a protracted “freezing cold” schedule in Paris. For Prem, it was a dream to peer what he had visualised on paper and revisited several times since, come to life.
“We are perhaps the primary Bollywood film to shoot within the Eiffel Tower, both on the ground and top level,” he says, adding, “It was an afternoon and night shoot and with a skeletal crew, we went up and rushed to complete our work throughout the allotted time. The French are very receptive to Hindi cinema, but shooting involves a large number of paperwork. Every 15 metres you require different permissions and each shot needs to be submitted well prematurely. We did three recces and pre-production took us about three to 6 months.”
Quiz him on whether the scenes on the Eiffel Tower involve ‘hero’ Rhehan taking place on his knees and proposing to Preity filmi style and Prem smiles, “That could be freely giving an excessive amount of too soon.” However, he does admit that the crew has managed to shoot the film at several other nations as well, including a scene on an extended distance train. “Preity is a brilliant actor and producer. She understands cinema, and me. She has given me the entire support I need,” he says, adding, “What makes me even happier is that Salman Khan, who introduced me to the industry with Main Aur Mrs Khanna (a 2009 film wherein Preity made a cameo in an item song) is creating a special appearance on this film. Life has come full circle.”
Bollywood in Paris
An Evening In Paris (1967)
Don (2006)
Jhoom Barabar Jhoom (2007)
London Dreams (2009)
London Paris Ny (2012)
