'Aarakshan' trailers removed from 'Double Dhamaal' print

Mumbai, June 25 (IANS) History repeated itself when filmmaker Prakash Jha found that trailers of his upcoming film "Aarakshan", supposed to have run with the prints of recently released "Double Dhamaal", were pulled out at the last moment.

In 2009 as well, Vidhu Vinod Chopra had removed the promos of Jha's "Raajneeti" from his blockbuster movie "3 Idiots".

This weekend saw the release of "Double Dhamaal", which was to carry the theatrical trailer of "Aarakshan" attached to it, but failed to do so at the last moment.

Jha sent his team out to the theatres to see the audiences' response to the trailers of his new film, but was very disappointed when he got the news that the trailer had been axed. The promo had been removed from the reel at the last moment.

"Yes, the promos never got attached and it is surprising. I had spoken to the producer of 'Double Dhamaal', Ashok Thackeria, and he confirmed that the promos would indeed come with the film.

"However, when 'Double Dhamaal' released yesterday (Friday), I learnt the promos were not there. I called the lab and was told that someone had asked them to remove the promos. I am not aware who is behind this," Jha said in a statement.

When asked about the similarity of this incident with that of "Raajneeti", he agreed saying: "Yes, this happened then too and I am surprised it happened again."

Now, to ensure that the film promos are available to the theatre audiences, Jha is having to resort to a backup plan.

"I had no option but to send the promos to every theatre. I spoke to everyone and they have been kind enough to tell me that they will run the promos. So, let's see."

It is a norm in the industry to attach trailers of upcoming films with current releases.

"Aarakshan", starring Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone, among others, is a high-voltage drama based on one of the most controversial policies of caste-based reservations in government jobs and educational institutions. It is slated to release Aug 12.

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Aarakshan