Imran turns a baddie in KIDNAP

New Delhi, Sep 30 (IANS) After the “Dhoom” series, director Sanjay Gadhvi returns with crime thriller “Kidnap”. Releasing Thursday, the film starring Imran Khan is about a young guy who masterminds a series of events and circumstances that force a rich man to commit crimes to save his daughter, who has been kidnapped.

The film, also starring Sanjay Dutt and Minissha Lamba, has been rumoured to be on the lines of Hollywood film “Ransom”, but the director rebuffs it. “‘Kidnap’ is halfway between what I believe in and what is expected of me. But it is not a remake of the Mel Gibson-starrer ‘Ransom’. ‘Kidnap’ will establish me as a filmmaker of more gravity,” Gadhvi had told IANS.

After the hit movie “Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na”, this is Imran’s second film and expectations are high from the newcomer. Imran, who played a lovable non-violent guy in his debut film, has gone for a complete role reversal. He would be seen as a cold-blooded kidnapper in the movie.

Minissha too has gone for a glamorous makeover for the film. The story revolves around Kabir Sharma (Imran Khan) who kidnaps Sonia (Minissha Lamba), daughter of a rich guy called Vikrant Raina (Sanjay Dutt) to settle old scores.

Kabir kidnaps Sonia, who was estranged from her father ever since she turned 10. Kabir does this not for money, but to play a game. The game requires Vikrant to be on the run and complete a series of tasks. He must follow Kabir’s orders to save his daughter.

While kept as a hostage, Sonia falls in love with Kabir. Though Imran has a meaty part in the film, the director says “Kidnap” is Sanjay Dutt’s film.”The movie is a Sanjay Dutt vehicle,” said Gadhvi. Sanjay apparently agreed to play Minissha Lamba’s father in “Kidnap” without a second thought.

“I think Sanjay wanted to do a father-daughter film for a long time. In the film, he doesn’t get to see his daughter for eight years. Somewhere he connected with that situation on a personal level.”

The director also feels Imran is a bonus for his film and that it took him only three seconds to decide on the actor as soon as he saw him for the first time. Gadhvi’s “Kidnap” will clash with Abhishek Bachchan-starrer action fantasy film “Drona” that is being touted as the actor’s biggest project ever.