Opinion Some action,some replay

Filmmakers and action directors are a worried lot. The technique is in place — the ever-dependable slo mo and the annihilating background score comes to the rescue,but the stunts are the crucial stumbling block. Great minds are at work to think of that defining act of grand violence by the hero that will bring the villain as well as the house down. Stunt-masters are desperately searching for that one action masterstroke that will get the taalis,the ceeties and ensure the Rs 100 crore-plus week one collection.

Let’s see. Salman Khan’s already choked the villain on the exhaust pipe of a tractor in Dabangg. In Singham,Devgn used a lamppost as a weapon of mass destruction. Obviously Abraham is feeling the heat. The other day there was a news flash that for a scene in Force where he was required to hang from a hill,he did so without harness or cable. Clearly Abraham’s not taking the action lightly.

Ditto for Akshay Kumar,the original Khiladi,who after meandering in buffoonery territory is back to his home ground. For his latest,Rowdy Rathore — the Sanjay Leela Bhansali production directed by Prabhudeva,touted as the remake of the Telugu blockbuster Vikramarkudu — Kumar has gone for an intensive three-month training in combat karate. Shah Rukh Khan is also going action savvy in his superhero flick Ra. One and of course,in Don 2: The Chase Continues. There is also talk of him turning some action moments of Ra. One into 3-D.

On the other side,for his remake of Agneepath,Hrithik Roshan has been toiling hard in the rocky terrains of Diu. The actor famously quipped that he used to return from the set “black and blue” with scratches all over.

The stunts cup runneth over. Reminds me of something that Amitabh Bachchan said once about working with the great Manmohan Desai. “He had his own way of making entertaining films. When we had to shoot an action scene,he used to say pichli picture mein tune 20 ko maara tha toh iss mein 40 ko maarega (In the last film you hit 20 men,in this one you’ll hit 40).”

As long as the hits keep coming.

While the boys are busy,what are the girls up to? Well,look around. It’s the 1990s once again. Right now at a newsstand near you,you can spot Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit,the definitive goddesses of the generation gone by,as the latest cover girls of two fashion-lifestyle glossies. It’s the perfect time to rekindle the Sri vs Mads debate. Both are on the comeback trail. Sridevi is already filming English Vinglish,the directorial debut of R. Balki’s wife,Gauri Shinde. La Dixit,who wooed us with her judging abilities in Jhalak Dikhla Ja is also in negotiations to green light a project with a big-ticket director. She has clearly put the debacle of Aaja Nachle behind her.

Another pair of arch enemies get set to battle it out yet again. Even as Karisma Kapoor readies to face the arc lights again in Vikram Bhatt’s horror thriller Dangerous Ishq,her nemesis Raveena Tandon who did a cameo in Bbuddha Hoga Tera Baap is currently shooting for Alert (her role is allegedly inspired by Niira Radia). There is buzz that Karisma will also be doing the Satte Pe Satta remake opposite Sanjay Dutt.

Well,Katrina,Kareena,Deepika,Priyanka,Vidya better watch out,the seniors are back in the business. May the best girl win.

harneet.singh@expressindia.com