Thaindian News

By Subhash K. Jha
Mumbai, April 28 (IANS) Get set to hear Hrithik Roshan speak in Spanish. Besides the two-hour-10-minute Hindi and one-hour-30-minute English versions of “Kites”, the film will be released in Spanish as well.Confirming this development Sanjeev Lamba, CEO of Reliance Big Picture, said: “Yes, we are indeed on the verge of closing a deal for a Spanish version of ‘Kites’. While the Hindi and English versions would cater to a mass audience across the globe keen on seeing Hrithik Roshan, we must not disregard Barbara Mori’s fan following in the Spanish belt.”

While the Hindi version of director Anurag Basu’s “Kites” will be released May 21 and the English a week later, the Spanish version will come little later.

“The only difference between the Hindi and English versions would be the length. Brett Ratner, who has edited the English version, took out all the songs and some of scenes which were seen too Indian in spirit.

“Otherwise both versions are the same in spirit. Our western audiences don’t have the patience to sit through lengthy foreign films. The English version is super-fast and snappy,” said Lamba.

The length of the Spanish version of “Kites” is expected to be the same as the English. According to Lamba, the global interest in watching Hrithik romance Barbara Mori puts “Kites” in a very different league from other Bollywood films.

Reliance Big Pictures is now looking at releasing a larger number of prints globally than even “3 Idiots”, which had opened with 1,700 prints in India. “Kites” is expected to top that figure with approximately 1,750 prints in India.

“We will release around 2,300 prints across the world. There will be 250 prints in the US and 100 in the UK,” said Lamba.

The producers are looking at “Kites” as the Indian film that would finally crack the Western market.

“‘Kites’ is not what the Bollywood formula is perceived to be in the West. The language of love is universal. We’re hopeful that this film will get a new profile of western audiences interested in Indian cinema,” said Lamba with fingers crossed.

Barbara is expected to play Hrithik’s host in Mexico when the Spanish version of “Kites” releases there. In a manifestation of a cultural exchange programme, she has even offered to do a Spanish film with Hrithik.