Did You Know? Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Chopra & Kareena Kapoor Khan Starrer Aitraaz Was Based On An American Sports Star? (Photo Credit: IMDb & Wikipedia)
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Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Kareena Kapoor Khan starrer the film Aitraaz was released in 2004. Director duo Abbas Mastan’s film received generally positive reviews from critics and even after so many years it is still remembered today for its memorable performances.
The film, which tells the story of a man accused of sexual harassment by his female superior, was a commercial success, grossing over ₹260 million at the box office against a production and marketing budget of ₹110 million. But did you know on whom the film was based on? Scroll down to know.
Back in 2004, Akshay Kumar during a conversation with Rediff.com revealed, “Aitraaz is based on the life of [American] basketball player Kobe Bryant. He was sued for sexual harassment. This film is going to create a new kind of mainstream genre.”
It is also worth pointing out that the film was not a biopic of Kobe Bryant but was loosely based on the sexual harassment case.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who played the role of antagonist in the film, received several accolades and even bagged several awards for her performance. The film received ten nominations at the 2005 IIFA Awards, winning three.
Meanwhile, Akshay Kumar’s film Bell Bottom has been released today in theatres. Recently, he spoke about releasing the film during Raksha Bandhan weekend instead of Independence Day weekend. During a conversation with Bollywood Life, he said, “See, it is not my call. Mr. Vashu Bhagnani, who’s the producer of the film, he takes the call. So, I have no idea about this. I’m just going according to what he wants. I think, according to Vashuji, the 19th of August is much better, so yeah, they’re seasoned people, they know much better.”
Previously, Khiladi Kumar also spoke about the box office prospects of the film to the media in a group interview. As quoted by Indian Express, he said, “The pressure is that Maharashtra is still closed and 30 percent of the money comes from Maharashtra. And because only 50 percent occupancy is allowed so half of the rest of the 70 percent share is also gone. But we have to take a risk. I am keeping my fingers crossed.”
