Mohenjo Daro (film)

This article is about an upcoming Indian feature film. For the archaeological site, see Mohenjo-daro.
Mohenjo Daro
Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced by Ashutosh Gowariker
Disney India[1]
Starring Hrithik Roshan
Pooja Hegde
Music by AR Rahman
Cinematography CK Muraleedharan[2]
Production
company
Ashutosh Gowariker Productions
Disney India[1]
Distributed by Disney India[1]
Release dates
  • 12 August 2016
Country India
Language Hindi

Mohenjo Daro is an upcoming Indian epic adventure - romance film directed by Ashutosh Gowariker and produced by Ashutosh Gowariker Productions and Disney India.[1] The film stars Hrithik Roshan and Pooja Hegde in lead roles[3] and marks Gowariker's second collaboration with Roshan and Disney India. The film is set in the ancient city of Mohenjo-daro of the Indus civilization that dates back to c. 2500 BC.[4] The film score is composed by AR Rahman.[5] Mohenjo Daro is scheduled for a release on 12 August 2016.[6]

Cast

Production

Development

Ghoghari Parth announced the film officially in February 2014 with AR Rahman composing the film score.[5] In August 2014, Hrithik Roshan was confirmed to play the male lead and was paid INR50 crore (US$7.9 million) for the role.[13] Actress Pooja Hegde was signed as the female lead.[1]

On taking up the project, in an interview, Gowariker stated that there was meagre and superficial information available about the people in that Indus civilization, precisely about their lifestyle, food and feelings. That lack of information about the period troubled him on a subconscious level and he decided that whenever he would get a story to tell it will be depicted in the film.[4] On the film's plot, he was quoted saying, "While the plot will follow the discovery of Mohenjo-daro and the culture and the vibe of the ancient civilisation, it will largely centre on a love story."[4] It took Gowariker three years to piece together the entire civilization through various cities and weave a love story into it.[4] During his reconnaissance, he met as many as seven archaeologists who had been closely involved in documenting the discovery of the Indus civilisation.[4] He had also visited the archaeological site of Dholavira.[4]

Further, the film being set in a certain period, the whole site had to be recreated in a film studio. He was involved in working out the logistics during June 2014.[4] The film stunts would be choreographed by Glenn Boswell[14] and the costumes designed by April Ferry[15] and Neeta Lulla.[16]

British trainer Joshua Kyle Baker was roped in to give three months training to Hrithik Roshan's character in the film. He described to train Roshan so as to carry 'lithe' and 'agile' looks rather than more muscular.[17] Relating the natural environment required for Mohenjo Daro, Gowariker was impressed with the calamitous VFX seen in the films The Day After Tomorrow (2004) and 10,000 BC (2008) that were designed by Karen Goulekas. In September 2014, as a visual effects supervisor, Goulekas was brought on board for the film.[18]

In mid-September 2014, the workers belonging to Allied Mazdoor Union and Film Studio Setting refused to complete the pre-production work in Bhuj, Gujarat. The general secretary of the union mentioned that their members had been on the set for more than a month but their payment of their regular expenses and remuneration was not done and hence, stopped the work. To this stalled situation, Gowariker decided to take the legal route and lodged a complaint with the 'Indian Film and Television Producers Council' accusing the members of stalling work that would result losses to the company. Lawrence D'Souza, executive producer of the film maintained that though their payments were ready, the remote filming locations of Bhuj delayed the reception of the same.[19] However, Gowariker revisited Bhuj in December 2014 to begin with pre-production.[20] Just before the first schedule of movie, cinematographer Ayananka Bose was replaced by CK Muraleedharan who has previously worked as a director of photography for most of director Rajkumar Hirani's films.[21]

Filming

Principal photography commenced in Bhuj, Gujarat on January 27, 2015.[22] Majority of the filming will take place in South Africa.[19][23]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Naman Ramachandran (13 August 2014). "Hrithik Roshan to star in ‘Mohenjo Daro’ for Disney India". Variety (magazine). Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  2. ↑ "'Mohenhjo Daro' DOP fired for taking up other projects during film's delay". Deccan Chronicle. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  3. ↑ "Pooja Hegde paired opposite Hrithik Roshan in Mohenjo Daro". Hindustan Times. 12 July 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Núria Bonals Hidalgo (June 9, 2014). "Ashutosh Gowariker and Hrithik Roshan team up for Mohenjo Daro". Bollyspice. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Rahman to compose for Ashutosh Gowariker's Mohenjo Daro". Mumbai Mirror. 27 September 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  6. ↑ "Release Date Of Hrithik Roshan’s Mohenjo Daro Announced". Koimoi. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  7. ↑ "KUT-BUJ-film-actores-darshana-see-her-film-mohejo-dado". Divya Bhaskar. PTI. Retrieved 2015-04-06. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  8. ↑ "Kabir Bedi to play villain in Hrithik Roshan starrer Mohenjo Daro". Bollywood Hungama. 10 January 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  9. ↑ "Arunoday Singh turns villian". DNA. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  10. ↑ "Hrithik Roshan's co-star Kishori Shahane". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Times of India. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  11. ↑ Hinton, Marc (30 March 2015). "Tall Black centurion Casey Frank returns for another crack at the NBL". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  12. ↑ "Hrithik Roshan's co-star Manish Choudhary". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Times of India. 31 March 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  13. ↑ "Hrithik Roshan demands Rs 50 crore for Ashutosh Gowariker's 'Mohenjo Daro'?". DNA India. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
  14. ↑ "Ashutosh Gowariker hires 'The Hobbit' stunt coordinator for Mohenjo Daro". The Times of India. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  15. ↑ "Emmy Award winning costume designer roped in for Mohenjo Daro". Hindustan Times. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  16. ↑ "Neeta Lulla to style Hrithik Roshan for Ashutosh Gowariker’s 'Mohenjo Daro'". DNA India. 18 January 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  17. ↑ "Hrithik Roshan wants UK trainer Joshua Kyle Baker for Mohenjo Daro. Agility needed, not muscles of Krrish 3!". Stardust. 27 September 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  18. ↑ "Ashutosh Gowariker hires 'The Hobbit' stunt coordinator for Mohenjo Daro". The Times of India. 27 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Ashutosh Gowariker files complaint against union members for disrupting shoot". Bollywood Hungama. 23 September 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  20. ↑ "Ashutosh Gowariker revisits Bhuj to begin pre-production of 'Mohenjo Daro'". Deccan Chronicle. 1 December 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  21. ↑ "Ashutosh Gowariker revisits Bhuj to begin pre-production of 'Mohenjo Daro'". Mid Day. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  22. ↑ "Hrithik Roshan in Bhuj to shoot for ‘Mohenjo Daro’". New Delhi: The Indian Express. Entertainment Feature Service. 27 January 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  23. ↑ "Hrithik Roshan's Mohenjo Daro shoot to begin in South Africa in October". India Today. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Mohenjo-daro.