When Mahesh Bhatt took to Twitter in October 2014 to announce the title of his next, he said 'Nark: To Hell and Back' would hurl the audience to 'heaven'. However, the recent developments on the project are far from divine. The Ali Fazal-Richa Chadha starrer has failed to take off and the industry is abuzz with news about the project being indefinitely postponed and apparently undergoing an overhaul.
The film was to be the directorial debut of writer Shagufta Rafique, who has penned several of Bhatt's flicks including 'Aashiqui 2' (2013). Says a source, "Initially, the project was postponed due to production reasons. Then came in the news that the director wasn't happy with the casting and will probably look at other options. Whatever the reason, the project has come to a standstill."
However, Pooja Bhatt, one of the producers of the film, says, "The only thing that held up Nark was the screenplay as the final draft of the dialogues was not ready. It has nothing to do with the cast. In fact, such rumours undermine the blind faith the entire cast - Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal, Mukul Dev, Ajaaz Khan and Imaan - have in me."
She says 'Nark' was to be filmed in October-November 2014. As that did not happen, it will now have to wait until she finishes her other two films, 'Cabaret' and 'Love Affair', which are slated to go on floors next month. "My budget and timeline are written in stone. If one film gets postponed on account of something as vital as the screenplay, it cannot eat into the planning of the next. Also, when Mahesh Bhatt, Pooja Bhatt and Bhushan Kumar give their nod to the cast, there is nothing left to say," she adds.
