Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj has denied that his new movie Rangoon, which stars Kangana Ranaut, Saif Ali Khan, and Shahid Kapoor, has anything to do with the 1942 American wartime classic Casablanca.
Here is what the action-packed trailer of Rangoon indicates: a story set during World War II and a love triangle between the leads. Saif Ali Khan plays a smooth-talking film producer who cannot help but remind us of suave nightclub owner Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) from Casablanca, down to the kiddo/kid reference.
Ranaut plays Julia, a movie star popular for her on-screen derring-do. The character has been inspired by the 1930s stunt movie star Fearless Nadia. Ranaut channels her “inner Bergman” in the trailer, exuding the allure associated with Ingrid Bergman’s Ilsa, the mysterious and captivating heroine of Casablanca. Shahid Kapoor is Nawab Malik, Julia’s bodyguard, who accompanies her on a trip to the Indo-Burma border. His character probbaly does not have anything to do with Paul Henreid’s fugitive leader (Victor Laszlo) in Casablanca.
Pankaj Kumar’s striking cinematography, together with visual effects and a grand production design, are backed by generous co-producers Sajid Nadiadwala and Viacom18 Motion Pictures. Along with these box-office baits, a catchy snippet from the Bloody Hell dance number composed by Bhardwaj, intensifies the wait for Rangoon’s arrival in theatres on February 24.