By Subhash K Jha
If Katrina Kaif gave her best performance so far in Kabir Khan’s New York it is now Kareena Kapoor’s turn to pull out all stops and deliver a walloping histrionic sixer in Rensil d’Silva’s Kurbaan. In uncannily similar roles.
Both the actresses are featured in near-identical roles, of a wife who discovers her husband to be a closet-terrorist.
Coincidentally both the films are located in the city of New York
Secretly both Katrina and Kareena see the role of the terrorist’s wife as a turning point in their respective careers.
But what about the similarity between the two characters?
Kurbaan director Rensil D’Silva doesn’t deny the similarities. “If there are similarities between Kurbaan and New York then that’s fine. I’ve high regards for Kabir Khan as a filmmaker. If Kurbaan reminds audiences of Kabir’s film then I’m fine with that. It has worthy recall-value.”
However Rensil cautions that every work on terror and terrorism has its own mood and purpose. “There can be any number of films on two people falling in love. It’s about how the individual director interprets the emotion of love. Likewise with the theme of terrorism. It’s open to a multitude of interpretations. I’d like to believe my films is essentially different from Kabir’s.”
Kabir Khan was on the way to Cairo for the Cairo Film Festival for the screening of New York on Monday when he was contacted.
Khan said, “What can I say about the similarities between the two films that you’re pointing out? Kurbaan looks like a well-made film. If they’re similar then I’m sure that the audience that appreciated my New York will also take to this film.”
But the real fight will be between Kareena and Katrina, both portraying similar roles and vying for the same popular awards at the end of the year.
