Wazir (film)

Wazir

Poster of Wazir

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Bejoy Nambiar
Produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Written by
  • Vidhu Vinod Chopra
  • Abhijat Joshi
  • Dialogue:
  • Abhijeet Deshpande
  • Additional dialogue:
  • Gazal Dhaliwal
Screenplay by Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Abhijat Joshi
Starring
Music by
Cinematography Sanu Varghese
Edited by
  • Vidhu Vinod Chopra
  • Abhijat Joshi
Production
companies
Distributed by Reliance Entertainment
Release dates
  • 8 January 2016 (2016-01-08)
Running time
 104 minutes[1]
Country India
Language Hindi
Budget ₹35 crore[2]
Box office est.₹62 crore[3]

Wazir (English: Vizier) is a 2016 Indian crime thriller film directed by Bejoy Nambiar and written by Abhijat Joshi and Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Produced by Chopra, the film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Farhan Akhtar in the lead roles alongside Aditi Rao Hydari, Manav Kaul, Neil Nitin Mukesh and John Abraham in supporting roles.

The film tells the story of two unusual friends, a wheelchair-bound chess grandmaster and a grief-stricken ATS officer, who are brought together by a peculiar twist of fate as part of a wider conspiracy that has cast a dark shadow over their lives.[4] Principal photography began on 28 September 2014 in Mumbai.[5] The film was released worldwide on 8 January 2016.[6] The film collected worldwide Rs: 44.27 crores and was the first hit movie of 2016.[7]

Plot

Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officer Daanish Ali (Farhan Akhtar) lives a blissful life with his wife Ruhana (Aditi Rao Hydari) and little daughter Noorie. One day, while Daanish is driving with Noorie, he spots a known terrorist, Farooq Rameez and chases him. Noorie is killed in the ensuing shootout while Rameez escapes. Ruhana is shattered and blames Daanish for Noorie's death. Daanish later kills Rameez during a police operation, angering the ATS bosses, who wanted Rameez alive to find out which politician he was going to meet.

A grief-stricken Daanish is about to kill himself at Noorie's grave when a mysterious van appears, driving off when Daanish yells at it. Daanish finds a wallet lying where the van was, goes to return it, and meets its owner, a wheelchair-bound chess master named Pandit Omkar Nath Dhar (Amitabh Bachchan), who tells him he was Noorie's chess teacher. Pandit starts teaching Daanish chess and tells him about his own late daughter Nina, who used to teach chess to Ruhi (Mazel Vyas), the daughter of Welfare Minister Yazaad Qureshi (Manav Kaul). Nina mysteriously slipped down the stairs at Qureshi's house, dying. Pandit is convinced this was not an accident. Intrigued, Daanish tries to meet Qureshi, but police officers at his office threaten Daanish with arrest. Pandit meets Ruhana and asks her to help his class of children complete a drama that Nina wrote. Daanish meets Qureshi's daughter Ruhi at her school and asks her about Nina, but Ruhi is taken away. Qureshi threatens Ruhi for talking to Daanish. Pandit is later brutally attacked by Wazir (Neil Nitin Mukesh), an assassin sent by Qureshi, who warns Pandit and Daanish to stop chasing Qureshi.

Pandit leaves for Kashmir, where Qureshi is headed. Wazir calls Daanish and threatens to kill Pandit. Daanish frantically chases Pandit's van but Wazir blows it up, killing Pandit. Determined to exact revenge and discover who Wazir is, Daanish makes a plan with the SP (John Abraham). During Qureshi's speech, the SP detonates explosives, causing panic, and holds off police, giving Daanish time. Daanish breaks into Qureshi's room and demands to know where Wazir is. Qureshi claims he doesn't know anybody called Wazir. Crying, Ruhi reveals to Daanish that Qureshi is not her father - he is actually one of the militants who massacred her entire village and posed as her father when Indian Army troops arrived. Ruhi had told Nina this, so Qureshi killed Nina. Daanish realizes that Rameez and the other terrorists had come to meet Qureshi, and shoots him dead.

A few days later, while watching Pandit's drama by the kids, Daanish realizes the truth: Pandit was in fact the play's 'weak pawn' who befriended a 'strong rook' (Daanish) who would kill a 'wicked king' (Qureshi). Shocked, Daanish finds Pandit's housekeeper, who says that she didn't actually see Wazir on the night he attacked Pandit. She gives Daanish a USB pen-drive which Pandit had told her to give Daanish if he came looking for 'Wazir.' In the pen-drive is a video of Pandit explaining what he did: Wazir actually never existed. He was just a persona created by Pandit, who knew that due to his handicap, he was powerless against Qureshi. Pandit intentionally dropped his wallet near Noorie's grave so Daanish could find it and befriend him. Pandit's knife wounds from Wazir's "attack" were self-inflicted and he had used voice recordings to pose as Wazir on the phone. Pandit knew that he would have to sacrifice himself to ensure that Daanish would kill Qureshi and get revenge for both of them. Shaken by the revelation, Daanish and Ruhana reunite.

Cast

Production

Development

The idea of Wazir came to Vidhu Vinod Chopra after badminton player Syed Modi was murdered on 28 July 1988 in Lucknow. However, Chopra claims that this film is completely different from the incident.[8] When Chopra met his writer Abhijat Joshi in 1994, he told him about the idea of setting a thriller around two chess players.[9] The title of the film had gone through several changes including Fifth Move, 64 Squares and Chess being some of them.[8] Later, between 2000 and 2004, they both wrote it in English. It was supposed to be Chopra's first Hollywood film, with Dustin Hoffman playing the protagonist. In 2005, their producer Robert Newmyer suddenly died.[9] The script of Wazir took five years to complete.[10] Then Chopra saw the black-and-white portions of Bejoy Nambiar's David (2013), which he liked. Later Chopra recalls: "I called him (Bejoy), and I have an almari (Cupboard) full of scripts, so I opened it and asked him ‘Which one? He picked this one. Then we worked for two more years on it."[9]

The working title of the film was Do, which was changed to Wazir in October 2014.[11] Both Chopra and Joshi consulted chess experts from America for the film.[8] The cinematography of the film is done by Sanu Varghese, who had previously worked with Nambiar in David.[8] The films story was tweaked constantly during its seven-month editing period.[8] This is the first film edited by Chopra after his directorial venture Parinda (1989).[12] Joshi, who is also first time editor of this film, believed that "a film is rewritten on the editing table."[8] Visual effects were used to hide Bachchan's leg, and to make him look disabled.[13] The wheelchair on which he sits throughout the film was chosen among 40 to 50 wheelchairs.[13] When Neil Nitin Mukesh was offered the role, the film was titled Ek Aur Ek Do, which was later changed by Chopra to Wazir; based on the character name of Neil Nitin Mukesh in it.[14]

Casting

At the screening of Lakshya (2004), Chopra informed Farhan Akhtar about the script of Wazir, and wanted his feedback on that. The next time they met him in 2014, after which Akhtar heard the script and agreed to do the film.[15] He went through intense training and put on eight kilograms of weight to play the role of an Anti Terrorist Squad officer.[11][16][17] He also changed his diet and met some of his friends who were ATS officers for the preparation.[18] Akhtar agreeing for the role puzzled Chopra, who recalls: "At that time, Javed Akhtar (Farhan’s father) and I were engaged in a public verbal duel. When I asked Farhan what made him agree to take up the role, he said, ‘The script is so good that I will bear with you".[8] The film’s scale kept growing by time when it was being written, and Chopra recalls: "We realised the protagonist can’t be American. We had to bring in our own sensibilities. Our cinema is more flamboyant. So the protagonist needed to be flamboyant too. We thought of making the chess master an Indian and approached [Amitabh] Bachchan for it". Bachchan had also read the original script 12 years ago, but remembered it when Chopra mentioned.[8] Aditi Rao Hydari was cast after Nambiar saw her pictures when she had walked the ramp for a designer and Chopra saw her dancing. Post this, she went through three set of auditions: dance, acting and a look test.[19] John Abraham and Neil Nitin Mukesh make extended cameo appearances in the film.[20]

Filming

Principal photography commenced on 28 September 2014 in Mumbai. Parts of the film were also shot in Delhi.[21] Few scenes in the film were improvised on the set, including a joke about the Russian vodka and Russian girls between Bachchan and Akhtar.[9] Akhtar did his own stunts in the film.[22] He completed his schedule in March at Srinagar, while Bachchan filmed his last remaining scenes in April, 2015.[21][23][24]

Soundtrack

Wazir
Soundtrack album by Various artists
Released 18 December 2015 (2015-12-18)
Genre Feature film soundtrack, sufi music, qawwali
Length 26:47
Language Hindi
Label T-Series
T-Series chronology
Hate Story 3
(2015)		 Wazir
(2015)		 Airlift (film)
(2016)
Singles from Wazir
  1. "Tere Bin"
    Released: December 04, 2015[25]
  2. "Tu Mere Paas"
    Released: December 11, 2015[26]

The film's soundtrack album was composed by various artists: Shantanu Moitra, Ankit Tiwari, Advaita (band), Prashant Pillai, Rochak Kohli, and Gaurav Godkhindi. The background score was composed by Rohit Kulkarni while the lyrics were penned by Chopra, Swanand Kirkire, A. M. Turaz, Manoj Muntashir and Abhijeet Deshpande.[27] The album rights of the film were acquired by T-Series. The first single track "Tere Bin" released on 4 December 2015.[28] The video focuses on Farhan Akhtar and Aditi Rao Hydari; the song is sung by Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal and composed by Shantanu Moitra, with lyrics penned by Vidhu Vinod Chopra.[29] The second single track, "Tu Mere Pass", composed and sung by Ankit Tiwari with lyrics by Manoj Muntashir, was released on 11 December 2015.[30] The third single track, "Maula Mere Maula", was released on 18 December 2015. The song was composed by Shantanu Moitra, sung by Javed Ali and written by Chopra and Swanand Kirkire.[31] The song "Khel Khel Mein" was composed by Advaita in the band's first motion picture.

Wazir (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)[32]
No.TitleLyricsMusicSinger(s)Length
1."Tere Bin"  Vidhu Vinod ChopraShantanu MoitraSonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal04:05
2."Tu Mere Paas"  Manoj MuntashirAnkit TiwariAnkit Tiwari03:46
3."Maula Mere Maula"  Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Swanand KirkireShantanu MoitraJaved Ali06:42
4."Tere Liye"  A. M. TurazPrashant PillaiGagan Baderiya, Prashant Pillai02:58
5."Khel Khel Mein"  Abhijeet DeshpandeAdvaitaAmitabh Bachchan03:59
6."Atrangi Yaari"  Gurpreet Saini, Deepak RamolaRochak KohliAmitabh Bachchan & Farhan Akhtar03:37
7."Wazir Theme"  InstrumentalGaurav GodkhindiInstrumental03:00
Total length:26:47

Release

Critical reception

The Indian Express gave the film 2.5/5 stars, saying, "Watching Farhan Akhtar and Amitabh Bachchan joust and manoeuver around each other is this film’s high point".[33] Behindwoods gave it 2.5/5 stars, saying,"The chessmaster fails to checkmate the critics".[34] The first post mentions, "If first impressions are the lasting impressions, then Bejoy Nambiar's Wazir gets it right from the outset". The Hindustan times gave the film 3/5 stars, saying, "In a remarkable deviation from the typical Bollywood style, Wazir’s characters do not delve into the sadistic pleasure of avenging a wrong but concentrate on the final target". Subhash K. Jha gave it 4/5 stars, saying, "In its 1 hour and 40 minutes of playing-time Wazir gives us no time to stop and ruminate. "[35] Magic Of Bollywood gave the film 3/5 stars, calling it 'A gutsy attempt at a film which keeps you engaged for the most part, Farhan Akhtar and Amitabh Bachchan deliver.'[36]

References

  1. ↑ "WAZIR (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. 4 January 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  2. ↑ "Checkmate: Wazir crumbles with just Rs 21 crore opening weekend". Hindustan Times. 11 January 2016. Archived from the original on 11 January 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  3. ↑ "'Wazir' numbers not disappointing: Vidhu Vinod Chopra". The Indian Express. 2 February 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  4. ↑ "Bejoy Nambiar's Do is now Wazir". The Asian Age. 24 October 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "Amitabh Bachchan, Farhan Akhtar begin shooting for DO". Glamsham. 28 September 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  6. ↑ 2nd teaser of the movie. Ndtv.com (3 June 2015). Retrieved on 2015-06-07.
  7. ↑ "Box office Update: Wazir is the first hit of 2016". www.dnaindia.com. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Sahani, Alaka (22 December 2015). "Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Abhijat Joshi on writing and editing Wazir". The Indian Express. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Rege, Harshada (11 December 2015). "When you're not intellectually strong, strength comes from your bank balance: Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Abhijat Joshi". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  10. ↑ "'Wazir' script took 5 years to complete: Vidhu Vinod Chopra". The Indian Express. 4 June 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  11. 1 2 Goswami, Parismita (28 October 2014). "Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar Starrer 'Do' Renamed as 'Wazir'". International Business Times. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  12. ↑ "Vidhu Vinod Chopra". Vinod Chopra Films. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  13. 1 2 "'Wazir' wheelchair stint physically challenging: Amitabh Bachchan". The Indian Express. 27 December 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  14. ↑ "Neil Nitin Mukesh Says Wazir Was Renamed Because of His Performance". NDTV. 30 December 2015. Archived from the original on 1 January 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  15. ↑ "Why Farhan Akhtar Was 'Blown Away' by Wazir Script". NDTV. 19 November 2015. Archived from the original on 16 December 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  16. ↑ "Farhan Akhtar undergoes vigorous training for 'Wazir'". Mid Day. 21 November 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  17. ↑ "'Wazir' is a complete film for me: Farhan Akhtar". The Times of India. 9 January 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  18. ↑ "It is easy to work with Amitabh Bachchan: Farhan Akhtar". News Nation. 30 October 2014. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  19. ↑ Bhagat, Priyanka (7 January 2016). "Aditi Rao Hydari: I was overwhelmed by Amitabh Bachchan's presence". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  20. ↑ Sinha, Seema (4 June 2015). "John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh are the surprise elements in 'Wazir'". The Times of India. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  21. 1 2 "Wazir: It's the 'last minute leftover' shots for Amitabh Bachchan now". India Today. 27 April 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  22. ↑ Jha, Subhash K (5 January 2016). "Farhan Akhtar did his own stunts for the first time: Ten fascinating facts about Wazir". Firstpost. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  23. ↑ "Farhan Akhtar heads to Srinagar for 'Wazir' shoot". The Indian Express. 1 March 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  24. ↑ "Farhan Akhtar Wraps up Wazir Shoot". NDTV. 4 March 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  25. ↑ "Tere Bin (From "Wazir") - Single". iTunes Store. 4 December 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  26. ↑ "Tu Mere Paas (From "Wazir") - Single". iTunes Store. 11 December 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  27. ↑ "Wazir - Official Trailer". YouTube. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  28. ↑ "Wazir' song Tere Bin: Beautiful track that compliments Farhan Akhtar-Aditi Rao Hydari's chemistry". International Business Times. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  29. ↑ "Vidhu Vinod Chopra turns lyricist with 'Wazir'". Times Of India. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  30. ↑ "Watch : Farhan & Aditi's Emotional Journey In 'Tu Mere Pass Hai' Song". Koimoi. 11 December 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  31. ↑ "Wazir song Maula Mere Maula: Singer Javed Ali adds another gem to his collection". India.com. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  32. ↑ "Wazir (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) on iTunes". iTunes Store. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  33. ↑ http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/wazir-movie-review-two-and-half-stars-amitabh-bachchan-farhan-akhtar-high-point/
  34. ↑ http://www.behindwoods.com/hindi-movies/wazir/wazir-review.html
  35. ↑ http://skjbollywoodnews.com/2016/01/wazir-movie-review/4151012.html
  36. ↑ "Wazir Movie Review". Magic of Bollywood. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
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