Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek bachchan photo

Dhun comes nine years after Rajiv Menon’s last movie as a director, Kandukondain Kandukondain in 2000.

Confirming the news, Rajiv Menon has been quoted as saying, “Yes…Abhishek and Aishwarya are starring in my next directorial venture titled Dhun. It’s a film where music plays a very important role. The film goes on floors sometime in June this year.”

Dhun will be shot in London and Mumbai.

As is obvious from the name, Dhun is said to have a musical backdrop. Further details about the story are not available at the moment, except denials that the story of Dhun is not similar to that of the Amitabh Bachchan-Jaya Bachchan starrer Abhiman.

I find it wierd that the question was asked in the first place. Just because music plays an important part in Dhun, and it stars the son and daugher-in-law of the lead pair in Abhiman, why on earth should the storyline be the same?

I am inclined to think that, if anything, there is more of a likelihood that Dhun may be based on some English classic film or book, since both the movies that Rajiv Menon has directed were based on classics. Minsaara Kanavu (Sapnay) was based on The Sound of Music, and  Kandukondain Kandukondain was based on Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.

Dhun will be produced by Eros International.

Rajiv Menon is the cinematographer of Bombay (1995), Chaitnaya (1986), Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000), Morning Raga (2004),  and Guru (2007).

Rajiv Menon has directed movies like Minsaara Kanavu (Sapnay in Hindi) with Kajol, Prabhu Deva, and Arvind Swamy, in 1996, and Kandukondain Kandukondain starring Mammooty, Aishwarya Rai, Tabu, Ajith Kumar and Abbas, in 2000.

Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai are currently shooting for Mani Ratnam’s Ravan, which will be released in 2009.

Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan have previously starred together in Dhai Akshar Prem Ke (2003), Kuch Na Kaho (2003), Umrao Jaan (2006), Dhoom 2 (2006), and Guru (2006). Of all these, only Mani Ratnam’s Guru was a hit.