Karan Johar´s Dostana

Karan's film with Tarun Mansukhani titled Dostana

By Subhash K. Jha, February 6, 2008 - 18:35 IST

It's a proud moment for Karan Johar. Because he has decided to name his new production starring Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra after a hit film of his father from 1980. The film directed by his assistant Tarun Mansukhani is set in Miami, the shoot for which starts this summer. And it's just been named Dostana.

Says Karan Johar, "For a long time we had no title for Tarun Mansukhani's brilliant script. It's funny, sassy, hilarious…and it's about the friendship between these two guys played by Abhishek and John. So, I don't know why it took us so long to hit on the right title. Dostana, it is. I was waiting for Tarun to return from location scouting before firming in on the title."

Karan gets nostalgic about the title. "You know when my father produced Dostana in 1980 when he was going through hard times. But all the three principal actors Amit Uncle (Bachchan), Shatrughan Sinhaji and Zeenat Aman co-operated to the fullest. That's how the film was made."

So is the new Dostana a love triangle like the old one? "Ha! Well, yes and no. Though it's a love story. There's a never-before twist in the tale. All I can say on-record is that we've never had a love triangle like this before. And you'll never see Abhishek and John playing something like this again," promises Karan.

He's also relieved that there was no title hassle. "For Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna I had to ask Aroona Irani aunty. She sweetly gave me the title in exchange for a pappi (kiss). For Dostana, I had to kiss nobody, except my father's memory