'Gulabo Sitabo' trailer: Bachchan, Khurrana offer a wacky slice-of-life comedy
The first official trailer of Shoojit Sircar's highly-anticipated movie Gulabo Sitabo is here. In line with his signature style, Sircar's upcoming movie promises to be a wacky slice of life comedy drama. The movie brings together Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana on screen for the first time. It has been penned by Juhi Chaturvedi, the acclaimed writer of films like Piku and October.
It tells the story of a landlord and his tenant
Gulabo Sitabo tells the story of Mirza (Bachchan), a 78-year-old landlord of an old and depleted haveli (mansion) in Lucknow, and Baankey (Khurrana), his shrewd and sly tenant. The film has been produced by Ronnie Lahiri and Sheel Kumar under the banners Rising Sun Films and Kino Works. Vijay Raaz and Brijendra Kala also feature in supporting roles.
The duo is perpetually at loggerheads
As the trailer reveals, Mirza and Baankey are not too fond of each other. In fact, the landlord-tenant duo is perpetually at loggerheads and one leaves no chance to taunt the other. To get rid of his tenant, Mirza decides to sell off his beloved building, but since the mansion is of archaeological importance, it cannot be sold without government's permission.
It's a must-watch for families, said Bachchan
Earlier, Bachchan described the movie as a "must-watch for families at home." "I had a wonderful time working with my very talented co-star Ayushmann Khurrana. Even though we are constantly bantering in the film, it has been a pleasure working with him for the first time...and we are pleased to bring Gulabo Sitabo to audiences across the globe," he added.
'Gulabo Sitabo' is a special film for me: Khurrana
Khurrana, who made his Bollywood debut with Sircar's Vicky Donor, said, "Gulabo Sitabo is a special film for me. It made me reunite with my mentor Shoojit da after Vicky Donor." The actor added, "What I love about the film is its sheer simplicity - the fleeting moments of simple humor in the banter between a landlord and tenant makes this film really special."
'Gulabo Sitabo' will release on Prime Video on June 12
Gulabo Sitabo is the first big-ticket Bollywood movie to skip theaters and release directly on a streaming platform, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic which resulted in indefinite closure of cinemas across the country. It will be out exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on June 12.
So relatable and funny, said Anurag Kashyap
However, film fraternity remains divided over digital releases
Soon after it was announced that Gulabo Sitabo would be released directly on Prime Video, it escalated into a major controversy, as the decision did not sit down well with film exhibitors. Major theater owners like PVR and INOX openly voiced their disapproval of the move. However, the Producers Guild defended the decision and said that digital releases are the need of the hour.