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IT strikes you while watching Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai that the Sanjay Gadhvi-directed film shows no distinct style of the filmmaker. There i...

IT strikes you while watching Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai that the Sanjay Gadhvi-directed film shows no distinct style of the filmmaker. There is practically nothing in this movie to suggest it8217;s not been directed by Yash Chopra or Aditya Chopra, whose trademark look and feel it bears.

While it8217;s probably good that almost all big filmmakers want to establish their production houses where younger directors are given the opportunity to make films, it8217;s sad that the only kind of movies they want made under their banner are the kind of movies they have been making all along.

A case in point is the Yashraj banner. That Aditya Chopra8217;s Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Mohabbatein were in the same genre as daddy Yash Chopra8217;s evergreen romances can probably be blamed on his genes. But Gadhvi8217;s film too is like any other typical Yashraj romance. The early buzz on Kunal Kohli8217;s Mujhse Dosti Karoge starring Hrithik Roshan, Rani Mukherjee and Kareena Kapoor, which the Chopras are producing, is that it8217;s a breezy romance very much in the Yashraj mould.

Ditto for Dharma Productions. Karan Johar hit bull8217;s-eye with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. Next, he decided to launch his assistant Nikhil Advani as a director with a thriller. Even as Bollywoodwalas expressed their surprise, Johar declared that they had changed their plans. The thriller was put off temporarily, and Nikhil will now be directing a 8216;8216;sweet love story set in New York8217;8217;. Ho, hum8230;

Sanjay Gupta8217;s White Feather Films, whose first release will be the boys-with-toys action flick, Kaante, announced their latest film, Plan some months ago. The film will be directed by Gupta8217;s assistant Hriday Shetty, and it is 8212; surprise, surprise 8212; another action film with a predominantly male cast. In fact, even the film8217;s pre-production teaser looks similar to the Kaante footage we have seen in promos lately.

To some extent, Subhash Ghai8217;s Mukta Arts has avoided the trap. Prakash Jha8217;s Rahul a box-office dud didn8217;t bear Ghai8217;s stamp at all, and neither does David Dhawan8217;s Ek Aur Ek Gyarah, which he8217;s currently directing for Ghai.

Perhaps the same can be said for Ramgopal Varma. Shool directed by E Niwas, Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya Rajat Mukherjee, and Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega also E Niwas were all entirely different from each other. Some of them may have been similar to the kind of movies Varma has made in the past Shool wore a Satya hangover, but that8217;s probably because Varma hasn8217;t pigeonholed himself into making any one kind of movie. Come on, this is the man who8217;s capable of variety: Rangeela, Daud, Satya, Kaun, Mast, Jungle, Company.

The big question then is whether the young directors who8217;re landing these fancy breaks should be grateful for the opportunity, or whether they should insist on making movies that reflect their own tastes and sensibilities8230;