Priyanka gives Berlin premiere of ‘7 Khoon Maaf’ a miss

Director Vishal Bhardwaj,who attended the film’s premiere in the Panorama section of the festival with actors Annu Kapoor and Vivian Shah,told PTI that Priyanka’s absence at Berlinale has nothing to do with the current investigations into tax evasion charges against her.

“I don’t think the tax evasion allegations against her will have any negative impact on the film,” he added.

The director said he will be rushing back to Mumbai after the premiere to continue promoting it in the domestic market.

International interest generated by the film at Berlinale will certainly enhance its popularity among the domestic audience,he said.

The film,based on Ruskin Bond’s short story ‘Sussanna’s Seven Husbands’,revolves around Sussanna Anna-Marie (Priyanka),who marries seven times and kills them one after another over a period of 35 years.

Priyanka garnered popularity in Germany through her roles in ‘Kaminey’ – her first film with Bhardwaj and the 2006 film ‘Don’. She won many new fans in Berlin during her six-week shooting of the sequel to ‘Don’ alongwith Shah Rukh Khan towards the end of last year.

‘7 Khoon Maaf’ gets a rousing response in Berlinale

Meanwhile,’7 Khoon Maaf’ (Seven Sins Forgiven) Vishal Bhardwaj’s story of a serial husband killer,has received an overwhelming response from cinema enthusiasts at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival.

The Priyanka Chopra starrer movie had its world premiere in the Panorama section of the festival on Thursday.

Around 2,500 people watched the film at the Friedrichstadt Palace,Berlin’s largest theatre,last night and gave the director and his nine-member cast and crew a standing ovation as they came on the stage at the end of its screening.

“I am very pleased to be back in Berlin,” said Bhardwaj,who had visited the festival seven-years ago to screen ‘Maqbool’,a Bollywood adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

Bhardwaj’s new film tells the story of Susanna Anna-Marie,played by Priyanka Chopra,who over a period of 35 years,gets married seven times and kills all her husbands.

“I can now go back to India with my head high that this film,which hits the Indian theatres on the same day,had such a fantastic reception in Berlin,” Bhardwaj said.

Flanked by Annu Kapoor and Vivian Shah,who play two of Susanna’s seven husbands and the film’s screenplay writer Matthew Robbins,Bharadwaj said the Berlinale premiere is a perfect start for his film,which is based on a short story ‘Sussanna’s Seven Husbands’ by Ruskin Bond.

Two more screenings of ‘7 Khoon Maaf’ are scheduled before the ten-day Berlinale concludes on Sunday and festival organisers said both screenings have been almost sold out.

Bharadwaj was earlier given a rousing reception by a large gathering of film fans as he arrived at the Friedrichstadt Palace,accompanied by his wife Rekha,to attend the premiere of his film.

‘Maqbool’,Bharadwaj’s second feature film,gained international popularity after it received critical acclaim at the Berlin Film Festival. His last feature film ‘Kaminey’ featured Chopra in a small role alongside Shahid Kapoor.