RGV's Rann versus PPC's Raftaar

By Subhash K. Jha Bollywood Hungama News Network

There're two films on newsroom activities being readied right now. But neither Ram Gopal Varma's Rann nor Shamim Desai's Raftaar 24x 7 can use the stand-alone title 24X7 because that's a title patented by NDTV.

Although Sanjay Dutt, who has the rights for the title 'India', has finally agreed to let the Big B use India for Rann. But the title problem remains unsolved.

On the other hand, PPC is also going ahead full-throttle with the completion and release of their own media film Raftaar 24X7 which stars Aditya Pancholi as a suave very stylish media baron. A poor man's version of the media baron played by the Big B in Rann.

While Ram Gopal Varma is busy putting together his own film on a media war, there's a war of another kind brewing for the film from behind the scenes.

Debutant director Shamim Desai's Raftaar 24X7 is being rapidly readied for release. It stars Aditya Panscholi as a suave media baron while Emraan Hashmi plays his favourite protégé.

Rann features the Big B as the media baron while Riteish Deshmukh plays his protégé

Both the films are about the conflict between bona- fide news and sensationalism in contemporary times. And Percept seems determined to make the best of the interest generated by the media theme in Ramu's Rann.

Interestingly, Aditya Panscholi who plays a pivotal role in Raftaar 24X7 was also meant to be part of Rann. But he was later replaced by Mohnish Behl.

Could it because Ramu wanted to avoid any overlapping between the two media films? Says Pancholi, "Yes I was part of Rann. But I'm not in it. Ramu's film takes a panga with the media. Raftaar 24X 7 is something else altogether."

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