1. Wazir is an idea that producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra has lived with for many years. Finally he sold it to director Bejoy Nambiar. Apparently Vinod showed Bejoy a cupboard full of scripts to choose from. Bejoy picked this.
2. Though the title is taken from the chess board and though the Big B and Farhan Akhtar are seen playing chess in the trailer and posters Wazir has nothing to do with the game of chess. The title comes from the name of the film’s villain. This is the first mainstream Hindi film since Ghajini to be named after the antagonist.
3. The Big B, Amitabh Bachchan and the Cool Dude Farhan Akhtar have been together earlier as actor and director in Farhan’s Lakshya. This is the first time they are working together as co- actors.
4. During the shooting Farhan bombarded the Big B with questions about his old films, many of which were co-written by Farhan’s father Javed Akhtar. Farhan’s favourite Bachchan films are Sholay and, ummmm, Don. Why aren’t we surprised?
5. The film’s director Bejoy Nambiar has earlier made the high acclaimed Shaitaan and the not-so-well-received David. So this is his fifth film. Confused? Let me explain. David was actually three different stories about three different heroes named David.
6. Neil Nitin Mukesh who had played one of the Davids in Nambiar’s David assumes the role of the terrorist-villain Wazir. Neil recently played a slightly negative role in Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. In Wazir he turns outright villain.
7. Both Shaitaan and David got Bejoy Nambiar into trouble with the censor board. But Wazir sailed through without any cuts. Sanskari censor chief notwithstanding.
8. Aditi Rao Hydari who is paired with Farhan Akhtar brings the much-needed element of sunshine and romance in the film. Her laughter was the big morale-boost on the sets. There was so much positivity on the sets that director Bejoy Nambiar decided to tie the knot with girlfriend Sheetal Menon just two weeks before this film’s release.
9. For the first time Farhan Akhtar has performed stunts on screen, and that too of a very dangerous kind. Bejoy Nambiar was not quite sure Farhan, with his image of the singing poetic romantic, could skid down a crowded slippery road on a mo’bike without breaking bones. Farhan insisted. He made no bones about it.
10. Ironically Wazir stars two actor-singers Mr Bachchan and Mr Akhtar. But neither sings in this film. It’s not the right occasion, you see. However they did sing the track ‘Atrangi Yaari‘ as a promotional song for the film.
