Handicapped heroes may cripple box office

Mumbai, May 12 (IANS) Will the striking similarities between "Tom, Dick And Harry" and "Pyaare Mohan" - two new comic flicks with physically challenged heroes - continue into their box office fate?

While Deepak Tijori's "Tom, Dick And Harry" (TDH) stars Dino Morea, Anuj Sawhney and Jimmy Shergill as a deaf-blind-mute trio, Indra Kumar's "Pyaare Mohan" has Viveik Oberoi and Fardeen Khan as a pair of blind and deaf lover-boys trying to woo the ladies.

Both comedies revolve around the male-bonding theme, which has become a hot favourite since Kumar's box office hit "Masti".

But isn't it short-sighted to have two films with physically impaired lads releasing almost back to back?

"After I came out with 'Masti', the 100 rip-offs took time to come off the conveyer belt. This time I was halfway through 'Pyaare Mohan' and others jumped on to the bandwagon. I can't help it. Everyone has a right to do what he wants," said Kumar.

"We started shooting our film in August and were planning it six months prior to that. After our first schedule, I suddenly came to know someone else is making a similar film. At first I was disturbed. But then I decided it is okay. Quite a few identical love stories and action films were made in the past," Kumar told IANS.

However, he admits there will be an excess of handicapped humour in the theatres.

"I did my job. The audience has passed its verdict. We gave them (the makers of 'Tom, Dick And Harry') a chance to come before us. It's obvious they wanted to release with us. Finally, better sense prevailed. If we had come together as they had planned, both of us would have suffered, though my losses would have been minimal compared with theirs."

But now that "Pyaare Mohan" has bombed, the "TDH" makers are jittery though they are trying to put up a brave front. "Ours is a far better film," said Dino.

This isn't the first time that two near-identical films have decided to take on each other. The last time such a headlong confrontation seemed inevitable was when Ashwini Choudhary's "Siskiyaan" and Kanika Verma's "Dansh" were ready. Both films flopped.

"Such confrontations are not beneficial. Before 'Pyaare Mohan', I was making an English film. Writer Yunus Sajawal called up and told me he was part of a similar project and that I should drop it. On his saying so I dropped the English film and started 'Pyare Mohan," said Kumar.

"Then when 'TDH' was announced, I got to know Yunus was the scriptwriter. I rang up and confronted him. I asked him how they could start a film similar to mine when mine was half-complete. Why this duplicity knowingly? He said it was director Tijori's idea.

"How can the film industry survive - let alone thrive - in this atmosphere of mutual destruction?" he asked.

Defending "TDH", its leading man Dino said: "We are aware of the other film. I don't think our film has anything to do with 'Pyaare Mohan'. Our film is loosely inspired by the play 'All The Best'.

"The film 'Pyaare Mohan' is more like the Arthur Miller comedy 'See No Evil, Hear No Evil'. Even if there are similarities, so what? There's enough room for everyone in the industry and the audiences' hearts."

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