‘Papa Kehte Hain Bada Naam Karega’, the catchy line from a popular Bollywood film, is the title of the upcoming new Hindi film, to be produced as a joint Oman-India venture.
The film, to be directed by Harleen Singh and produced by Delicious Sahadevan, R. Chikara, Harleen Singh and Dr. Deepak Sharma, will feature Oman’s new singing sensation Haitham Mohammed Rafi, who recently won a popular music contest in India. The film will be shot mainly in Oman and will be launched under the Hit Productions banner.
This Bollywood film builds on the cricket frenzy that rules the world of sports in India and captures Oman’s growing interest in cricket, as it unravels the story of a young boy who aspires to play cricket at the national level. It is an inspirational story that traces his growth from his hometown in India to Oman, where he comes after a series of disappointments in realising his cricket dream.
Talking about the film at a press conference, Harleen Singh affirmed that the film will be shot mainly in Oman and will be ready for release by the end of the year. Pre-production of the film is expected to take about a month, following requisite permissions from the authorities for the film.
Although the cast is yet to be finalised, the Bollywood film is expected to bring up many surprises, creating a complete entertainment package for viewers everywhere. Many local artistes are scheduled to feature in the film that has already set the celebrity quotient with Haitham Rafi.
Singh brings to ‘Papa kehte…’ his long experience in the industry as a director of short films and music videos. He has to his credit a short film titled ‘Khwaaish’, which was showcased at Cannes in the short film category. He was mentored early on by his father, a playwright and director. He was 15 years old when he began assisting his father in putting up plays. However, his tryst with the camera began much later; it was under the banner of Hit Productions that he began making corporate films and short films.
For the upcoming Bollywood film, Hit Production and Delicious Sahadevan will group together with the production house in Oman. Sahadevan is the founder of Delicious Dance Academy (DDA) a music and performing art institute based in Muscat; he has earned repute in the Indian film industry, following his stint as an assistant choreographer in many hit Hindi films.
Dr Deepak Sharma, who is a part of the production team, is a noted name in the field of Homeopathy. His late father V. P. Sharma, a recipient of President’s award for scouting, was a well-known personality in Oman. He was associated with Indian school Muscat from 1983 to 2004. He played in Ranji matches in India and contributed much to cricket.