Good news for Bollywood vis a vis Akhilesh Yadav's ascension in UP. The young Samajwadi heir-apparent is most passionate about Bollywood and is anticipated to throw the doors of UP wide-open to filmmakers from Mumbai.
Directors like Prakash Jha and Sudhir Mishra who've faced road-blocks of their filmmaking plans in UP are already gearing up for the changed circumstances within the State.
Prakash Jha was not allowed to take the massive B to the schools of Uttar Pradesh through the promotion of Aarakshan. But now Sudhir Mishra who have been grappling to get the large B into Lucknow for Mehrunissa is finally planning his first schedule within the city.
To one's surprise one got to understand that Akhilesh Yadav is a huge Heavy Metal enthusiast and an enormous fan of Bollywood music and films.
Says a source, "Akhilesh has the most important number of Heavy Metal songs and albums culled from all internationally. Even diehard Metal enthusiasts could be impressed by his knowledge and number of Metal music."
According to an overly reliable source, Akhilesh has some really close friends within the Mumbai film industry, the nearest being director Arjun Sablok of Na Tum Jaano Na Hum fame.
Akhilesh and Arjun return far and apparently have very close family ties. In reality the 2 buddies together planned all of the Samajwadi Party election campaign. Sablok shot all of the Samajwadi electoral films. But with constant and persuasive inputs from Mulayam Singh's son who masterminded the Samajwadi victory in UP.
Says a source, "The turning point in Akhilesh's political career was when his wife Dimple lost the elections to Raj Babbar. He decided to modify his approach to target his politics to a younger more forward-looking portion of voters. And that included addressing his political aspirations to the young neglected and uneducated portion of UP. Akhilesh began planning the Samajwadi Party's Ummeed Ki Cycle election campaign nearly two years ago. He took Arjun Sablok into confidence. Arjun was flying out and in of Lucknow constantly, planning and shooting a chain of films."
Now that the campaign has worked Arjun, we hear, could be shooting his next feature film in Lucknow and other parts of UP.
When contacted Sablok was somewhat reticent about his rapport with the brand new shining star of Uttar Pradesh. "It doesn't seem right to flaunt one's proximity to power. Jointly I WILL NOT deny that Akhilesh and that i return a ways. We're family friends. And yes, he did invite me to shoot the entire campaign films. I shot all 6 of the Samajwadi's electoral films. Akhilesh was hands-on within the process."
Sablok admits Akhilesh's understanding of cinema is "considerable" and will surely herald a brand new era in Uttar Pradesh's relationship with Bollywood.
Says a source, "Shooting within the State had become almost impossible. Films based in Uttar Pradesh like Dabangg were shot near Mumbai. But now Dabangg 2 will take Salman to Lucknow and Kanpur."
