The lead actors of the movie play role of agile Amdavadi boys sporting interest in cricket business
In backdrop of celebrations of completion of 602 years of Amdavad, focus on city’s cultural heritage, identity, and its way of life has recently deepened. And there comes the fantastically timed release of the first mainstream Bollywood film shot in the walled city of Ahmedabad – Kai Po Che – a movie that is widely talked about and much eagerly awaited here. Vice-versa the movie makers are also eager to closely watch the city’s box office graph.
“We plan to visit Amdavad around February 22 when the movie is to release,” said one of the movie’s three lead actors Sushant Singh Rajput. “The true identity of the city is captured rightly in the movie. As it is vital to read the viewers’ feedback from there, some members of the cast will be present for the first show in Amdavad,” he added.
Rajput who has worked hard to play role of a local lad passionate about cricket and kite-flying – a common thread that perhaps links all Amdavadi boys, said, “From learning how to play cricket on roads to surviving in Amdavad’s hot summers without air-conditioners, I have put my best effort to live like middleclass college-going Amdavadi boy.” Rajput took intensive training of playing good shots from professional cricketers for the movie. “I had to practise hard as I learnt that every Amdavadi boy playing on streets knows that much,” said Rajput.
While Rajput learnt to play cricket for the movie, he taught co-star Amrita Puri – who debuted with Aisha – to ride a scooty. Rajput and Puri play siblings in Abhishek Kapoor’s upcoming film. “I needed to ride a scooty as part of the character brief and I just did not know how to drive it,” said Puri. “As I play a role of a college going Amdavadi girl who is shown wearing salwar khamiz and driving a scooty, I had to practise and learn, “she said.
While Puri and Rajput had to learn respectively how to drive and how to play like a real Amdavadi, the movie also gave them an opportunity to spend their time visiting the city’s monumental heritage buildings. “We visited Adalaj ni vav, Akshardham temple, pols of the walled city and ate Gujarati thaali and tasted a wide variety of flavours of golas,” said Puri.
Shooting for kite flying celebrations gave the team insight into local ways of Makarsankrati celebrations. “And we were touched and stunned. We learnt that this city knows it well how to celebrate festivals,” added Puri.
Kai Po Che is based on Chetan Bhagat’s bestseller The 3 Mistakes of My Life. The movie is extensively shot in and around walled city featuring areas of Ellis bridge, Manek chowk and Khadia. It is a story of three friends – Ishaan, Omi and Govind – young, ambitious and restless boys. They want to set up a cricket training centre in city to produce sporting superstars.
