Has Rakesh Roshan, the super salesman (who made a table profit even with the indifferently-received Krazzy 4), made a killing by pre-selling his new Hrithik film Kites for Rs 120 crore? “Where have people got that from,” wonders the slick film-maker. “Because the question of selling Kites so soon doesn’t arise at all.” The film trade may be abuzz over the big deal but the truth is RR is too good a businessman to look at short-term gains when he can afford to wait and play a much bigger game.

He couldn’t sell the concept of Krrish internationally as India’s answer to Superman, as it essentially remained just another successful Hindi film. But Rakesh Roshan hasn’t given up the Western dream. “Kites will be a big, expensive film because I want to sell it in the international market,” discloses Roshan Sr. “We’re making it on an international scale, it will be top quality entertainment with no compromises. The action sequences will match international standards.”

His big plus is that Kites is a subject where the lingo won’t matter. It can be seen and understood anywhere in the world. “The boy (Hrithik) and girl (US-based Barbara Mori) don’t understand each other’s language. She speaks only Spanish while he could speak any language — English, Hindi, Bengali, French, anything, since she won’t understand him any way. And then slowly they begin to relate to each other because ultimately it’s all aami tomake bhalo baashi!” laughs the producer. You can understand the slip into Bengali since RR’s director, Anurag Basu, is a Bengali. Rakesh Roshan himself is half-Bengali — mom Ira was a Bengali who married the Punjabi musician, Roshan. In fact, dida was a great favourite with Hrithik Roshan until she passed away a couple of years ago.

For Anurag Basu, this is the big jump because he has so far been dabbling in small- budget, Bhatt-backed movies like Murder and Gangster. Enviably, he has a 100 per cent hit rate as all the three films he directed have been commercially successful. His first foray outside the Bhatt world was Life In A…Metro for UTV which was also a modestly budgeted film but was, once again, extremely well received. It certainly bowled over the Roshans who happily brought Anurag into their fold to direct Kites, a subject Rakesh Roshan had been toying with for a while.

“We’ll be shooting a long spell of about 70-80 days in Las Vegas and New Mexico from this July,” says Rakesh Roshan who retains the infectious enthusiasm of a first-timer when he talks of his films. “I’ve already done a recce, not once but twice.” With a flair for also having a good time, you may be sure that it was a recce and recreation for RR!

By the way, Hrithik Roshan will finally get to rest his knees and generally relax this year. The only film he is getting ready to shoot for in 2008 is his own production, Kites. “The action sequences will be car chases and stuff like that,” explains Rakesh Roshan. “So Hrithik doesn’t have to undergo any intensive training like he did for Krrish.” Or Dhoom:2 or Jodhaa Akbar, all of which were physically very strenuously demanding films.

“Hrithik can relax a bit this year,” says dad. “Until I start Krrish 2 with him next year. And then it’ll be back to gruelling training for him!”

Hey, psst!

* It makes sense for Anurag to direct Kites and not Rakesh Roshan himself. Basu’s Murder, Gangster and Metro have all had intense romance and well-shot kissing scenes while RR is not at ease with complete romance — especially if he is to picturise a kiss between his son and the heroine!

* You haven’t heard the last of the Kandahar hijack. There’s a strong whisper that producer Pehlaj Nihalani who has always had a hotline to BJP leader Jaswant Singh, will be making a film on the Kandahar incident. The talk is that the former minister for external affairs will not only allow portions from his book A Call To Honour to be filmed but will also give more inside dope on it to his producer-pal. Shh, Shatrughan Sinha is slated to play Jaswant Singh. And Hema Malini, also a BJP member, will be a part of the film. Enough reason to keep Sinha within the folds of the party for the moment!

Bharathi S. Pradhan is managing editor of Movie Mag International