It's a silver jubilee at last!

Subhash K Jha

On the night of November 21, filmmaker Suneel Darshan and brother Dharmesh had much reason to look happy at the intimate Hotel Regent get-together in Bombay.

While Dharmesh has just completed his latest work a romantic love triangle called Haan Maine Bhi Pyar Kiya featuring Akshay Kumar, Karisma Kapoor and Abhishek Bachchan, Suneel Darshan's multistarrer Ek Rishtaa: The Bond Of Love has just completed a silver jubilee run .

Suneel is relieved: "Many Bombay trade people were in a hurry to write off the film from day one. A very strong lobby has been operating against me from the moment I signed on Mr Bachchan to play Akshay Kumar's father in Ek Rishtaa.

"I don't know what this lobby has against me. Maybe they don't like my bluntness. Also, there are very strong reactions from many sections of the industry against Akshay being cast in all of my brother and my films. They would rather see him doing B-grade films."

Akshay's career as a star and actor soared after Suneel Darshan's Jaanwar and Ek Rishtaa, as also Dharmesh Darshan's Dhadkan.

Suneel is now in the midst of completing Talaash with Akshay and Karriena Kapoor even as his brother’s Haan Maine Bhi Pyar Kiya with sister Karisma and of course Akshay is being readied for a February 2002 release.

As the selected group of celebrities including Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, Karisma Kapoor, Akshay Kumar and wife Twinkle Khanna, trickled into the venue for the Darshans' double celebrations, Suneel looked around with contentment: "Some of my colleagues from the film industry have been very unkind. But God has been kind. And that’s what counts.

"Touchwood, Dharmesh's Haan Maine Bhi Pyar Kiya has shaped up very well. After that I'll be releasing Talaash which Pehlaj Nihalani is producing for me. I will launch a love triangle Mere Jeevan Saathi, in which I want to cast Akshay with Karisma Kapoor and Amisha Patel."

It's been a bleak Diwali for the film industry. At least three of the four releases during the supposedly auspicious week have collapsed completely at the box office. The silver jubilee of Ek Rishtaa: The Bond Of Love has brought smiles on the faces of a lot of people within the film industry who were in a hurry to write off the film.

Earlier column