Subhash Ghai gives a thumbs-up to Nikhil Advani's Hero

When filmmaker Nikhil Advani met the Showman Subhash Ghai on Saturday to narrate his interpretation of Ghai’s 1983 blockbuster Hero Nikhil never imagined Ghai would respond so warmly to the new-age Hero. Apparently Nikhil has completely re-written Hero, giving a new-age twist to every character and situation in the original. Says a source close to the project, “Salman Khan who produces the Hero remake wanted every character and situation from the original to be changed. While Jackie Shroff was a soft-hearted goonda in Ghai’s Hero Sooraj Pancholi would be a hardened criminal in the remake. The entire original script has been dismantled and deconstructed by Nikhil Advani and his co-writer Umesh Bist. Nikhil went to Ghai as a gesture of respect for the creator of the original material. He didn’t expect his re-mixed Hero would get such a thumping approval from Subhashji.” Normally, remakes leave the original directors very pissed off. Basu Chatterjee and Sai Paranjpye have still not forgiven Sooraj Barjatya and David Dhawan for what was done to Basuda’s Chitchor and Sai’s Chashme Budoor. Ghai surprised Nikhil with his warm reaction to the reloaded version of Hero. Says Nikhil, “I considered it a moral duty to narrate my interpretation of Hero to Mr Subhash Ghai. I went to do the needful on Saturday. He not only gave his full approval he even signed my script with a warm message. I am overwhelmed. Normally filmmakers do not respond kindly to remakes.” Says Subhash Ghai, “Yes, I heard the script of Nikhil Advani’s Hero written by Umesh Bist and Nikhil Advani. I think they’ve done a fantastic job of contemporizing my script to suit today’s tastes while keeping the essence spirit and soul of the original intact. I am happy to co-produce the Hero remake with Salman Khan. It’s a sure-shot ‘hotboiler’ script and promises to be a big blockbuster. I am sure Nikhil Advani will do full justice to it.”