"Hijack is set in a 'Die Hard' mode" - Kunal Shivdasani 
By Joginder Tuteja, February 27, 2008 - 14:54 IST
For a Bollywood follower, the name Kunal Shivdasani may sound a little unfamiliar. But quiz an industry insider and you would realize that Kunal is a man behind close to 300 commercials as a director for some of the most notable brands in the country. With close to 20 years of experience behind him, the 35 year old (yes, you read it right) director is now making an obvious transition to the world of movies with Shiney Ahuja starrer Hijack.
"I won't deny that movie making was something I was eventually looking at getting into," divulges Kunal, "It's an obvious transition. I knew I had to be in this business and working on hundreds of advertisements kept bringing me closer to the big screen medium."
Hijack is an action thriller. It is about an airplane, which is hijacked by a group of terrorists. One of the passengers is a young girl who happens to be Shiney's daughter. In the film's climax, Shiney gets into the plane, foils the hijack and saves not just his daughter but also other passengers with his presence of mind and some dare devilry.
"You would see Shiney in a role like never before. Also, the overall narration and look of the film has been done in Hollywoodish style. I can proudly say that Hijack bridges the gap between Bollywood and Hollywood. Set in a Die Hard mode, Hijack marries style and technique with a sensible script, which is the heart and soul of the film," says Kunal excitedly.
"If you look at any of the Die Hard films, you would observe that the narration is always centered on the plot and never looses its way. There are no unnecessary tangents and even though there is action all around, an undercurrent of emotions is always prevalent."
He adds, "Also, it is not about super heroes or super humans. It is about sheer courage, presence of mind, high intelligence and some common sense that the hero possesses. It's the same in case of Hijack too where Shiney's character follows these qualities."
"Shiney has surprised everyone," reveals Kunal, "He has done all his stunts himself. Action choreographer Allan Amin has gone all out to get some phenomenal action happening in the film. There are stunts like two choppers flying one over another and that too at the speed of 100 kmph. It is not a child's play and though we could have probably got somewhat similar effects with CG, the team insisted on doing it all in real. I am glad I had such a committed crew in place."
Hijack is looking at releasing on May 2nd or 9th. While Esha Deol is the leading lady in the film, K K Raina, Mona Ambegaonkar and Kaveri Jha form the rest of the cast. Produced by Kunal Shivdasani himself along with Dinesh Vijan, Hijack is presented by EROS entertainment.
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