Reshammiya to skip 'Karzzz' premiere

Mumbai, Oct 15 (IANS) Composer-singer-actor Himesh Reshammiya says he will not attend the Abu Dhabi premiere of his second film "Karzzz" Thursday because it coincides with a special prayer at his home.

"I won't be attending the 'Karzzz' premiere in Abu Dhabi on the 16th. I can't help it. I'd love to be there. Why wouldn't I want to go? But my family pooja (special prayer) is on the same day. I can't skip the pooja for anything in the world," Himesh told IANS.

A remake of Subhash Ghai's 1980 hit "Karz", the film's premiere will be attended by director Satish Kaushik, Urmila Matondkar and leading lady Shweta Kumar.

"Reliance is distributing the film. They and my producers T-Series have huge release plans. Now all I have to do is to deliver a performance.

"I think Satish Kaushik has not tampered with the soul of the original 'Karz'. I know I'll be compared with Rishi Kapoor no matter how far removed I am from the original."

Himesh said efforts are on to get the original "Karz" star Rishi Kapoor at the premiere.

"We'd love to have him. He was kind enough to do the film's 'mahurat' shot. And he liked our music. I'm very curious to know his reaction to our 'Karz'. However, I'm glad we won't be photographed together. If that happens then no one will even look at me. I don't have the guts to share screen space with him."

Even Shah Rukh Khan starrer "Om Shanti Om", which was an indirect homage to Subhash Ghai's "Karz", had a guest appearance by Rishi Kapoor.

" 'Om Shanti Om' has the hero being reborn with the same face. In 'Karz', the reincarnated hero is born with a different face. The only similarity between the two films is reincarnation."

Himesh seems to think 'Karzzz' is going to take him to a different level.

"In my debut film 'Aap Kaa Surroor', I was playing myself. Now I'm playing a character totally alien to me. If I am an actor I better act well. My director Satish Kaushik is fortunately an actor. So he worked very hard on me. I think I've improved."

Apparently, Himesh has told Rishi he won't imitate him in any way.

"How can I? I'd look so stupid. The expectations are sky high. I think I've fulfilled the expectations in the music department. Now I've to prove myself as an actor. I've to live up to expectations even by Rishi Kapoor's standards."

Himesh is proud of the music he has composed.

"All the songs except 'Ek haseena thi', are original. In fact, the original 'Karz' didn't have a title song. We did. There was no way I could make a new tune for the 'Ek haseena thi' situation. We bought the copyrights and re-did it.

"It was a challenge for me to do a song that Kishore Kumar has sung. But otherwise we've made many changes in this version of 'Karz'. Everyone has worked very hard."

Himesh did some intricate action sequences for "Karzzz".

"It was risky. And I may not do it again. In the original, Rishi Kapoor comes to Ooty in a motorboat. We changed it to a chopper. And since it wouldn't have looked convincing for me to be sitting inside the chopper, I stood out of the door half perched in space. Then again during the climax an aircraft flies just 10 feet above my head. Fortunately, the pilot was competent."

Asked him about an unfulfilled ambitions, Himesh said: "To do a film where I don't have songs. But since my image is linked to music and since big bucks are riding on my musical output that seems a little difficult. The modalities don't allow it."

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