When Siddharth Roy Kapur joined the Indian film industry in 2005, he brought with him a corporate perspective to a business largely driven by legacy film families and independent producers. Over the years, he has combined that business acumen with a willingness to take creative risks, backing films that have earned both critical acclaim and commercial success. As Founder of Roy Kapur Films and a member of the TOIFA Advisory Board, Kapur shared his insights on the business and craft of filmmaking with students at Whistling Woods International, as part of the TOIFA Knowledge Lab masterclasses. Excerpts:

Going from the corporate to the creative world didn’t feel alien to me. When the film industry realised that I lived and breathed cinema just as much as they did, I got embraced by this industry quickly. I enjoy being around creative people, being involved in decisions that are not black and white. In fact, the corporate world felt too binary & straitjacketed for me.

If the idea is more plot-driven, then it tends to work for cinema. If it’s more character-driven, it works better as a series as you need to live with those characters over long periods of time. For instance, Rocket Boys was a saga of two individuals, Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai, who were close friends and rivals. Their careers span across multiple decades and across a whole arc of our modern history, so it just felt like a series.

For Indian cinema to find a global audience, it’s very important to be able to find subjects where the emotions transcend all boundaries, but are very authentic to the sense of place, time and people. The Lunchbox is about a tiffin service in Mumbai, which is such a unique thing that doesn’t happen anywhere around the world, and within that you’re addressing loneliness which is something that everyone anywhere can feel. Dangal was about a Haryana wrestling family, but it explored father-daughter dynamics, which is again a universal theme.  

I think there’s no doing away with the star system completely because we love being fans of stars, it’s in our culture. I was talking to Javed Akhtar saab recently, and he was telling me that ever since he entered the industry, there’s been a lament that the star system is destroying Bollywood. Today, the good thing is that audiences are indicating that if you give us something without a star that compels us to visit theatres, like Main Vaapas Aaunga or Mirzapur, we will come in hordes for that too.

When asked about what dinner table conversations are like when the entire family of actors Vidya (Balan), Aditya and Kunaal come together, Siddharth said, “We discuss what we’re eating and laugh a lot. We share our stories, share information or vent depending on who’s had the most dramatic week. Four of us are working in an industry that’s so volatile and sensitive, so the best way we can support each other is by being there for each other.

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AI exists and we need to embrace the ways that it will improve our storytelling. But I think what’s important is that they need to have copyrights for the use of someone’s likeness or voice. Without that if it runs rampant, you’re trampling on people’s moral, professional and personal rights. Even Hollywood has not figured it out right now. But I think it will happen in time. 

Mumbai: Noted writer-filmmaker Ved Rahi, who directed pictures like ‘Prem Parbat’ and ‘Kali Ghata’, and the popular TV serial ‘Gul Gulshan Gulfam’, passed away at the age of 93 on Sunday.

His skills as author and poet drew from a rare command over Hindi and his native Dogri.

Ved Rahi was born in May 1933 in Jammu to Mulk Raj Saraf, a pioneering journalist of the state. He attained prominence as a Dogri writer in his hometown, following which he decided to move to Mumbai to test the might of his penmanship.

Rahi’s success spanned over 25 films. His fame arose from having written the screenplay or dialogues of movies like ‘Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi’, ‘Pavitra Paapi’, ‘Aap Aaye Bahaar Aayi’, ‘Beimaan’, ‘Mome Ki Gudiya’, ‘Sanyasi’, ‘Charas’ and the sparkling ‘Bezubaan’.

As his career blossomed, Rahi took the leap into direction with films like ‘Prem Parbat’ (Yeh dil aur unki nigaahon ke saaye), ‘Kali Ghata’ (Shashi Kapoor, Rekha) and recently, ‘Veer Savarkar’ in 2001. Sadly, both ‘Prem Parbat’ and ‘Kali Ghata’ are lost to viewers.

Rahi was a familiar name on Doordarshan through the 1980s and 1990s thanks to serials like ‘Gul Gulshan Gulfam’, ‘Meera’, ‘Katha Sagar’, ‘Zindagi’, ‘Ehsaas’ and ‘Rishtey’.

His former neighbour at New Sarvottam Society in Irla said, “He stayed here in Andheri for very long. But since many years he was with one of his two daughters. I remember that the print of his movie ‘Kali Ghata’ got destroyed in a fire. He had assisted Ramanand Sagar after he came to Mumbai. Several people from his production house bought flats in Sarvottam society.”

Rahi won the Sahitya Akademi Award for his Dogri short story collection ‘Aale’ followed by the Rahul Sankrityayan Award and the Kusumagraj Rashtriya Sahitya Puraskar.

He is survived by two daughters Anju Patel and Poonam Advani.

Suraj Nirmal earns Rs 30,000 a month operating machines at a garment factory near Kalyan. On a good day, a few seconds of footage outside a Bollywood star’s bungalow can bring him almost as much. Not bad for someone whose first job in Mumbai paid Rs 6,000 a month to mark where buttons would be stitched onto shirts.

Then there’s Kisan Rajbhar, who divides his week between Thane’s labour naka and celebrity haunts. When nobody hires him, he is off chasing Bollywood stars with fellow vlogger and erstwhile detergent salesman Umesh Chauhan.

On one such outing, as actor Tiger Shroff left a football ground in Juhu, Rajbhar heard what he thought were firecrackers. Only when a shard of glass struck his head did he realise shots had been fired, leaving Chauhan with a gunshot injury, Rajbhar hurt by shattered car glass, and both in the news.

Mumbai is now used to the scrum at Bollywood’s doorsteps. But the familiar paparazzi share the pavement, and are sometimes outnumbered, by independent YouTubers and social media vloggers armed with little more than smartphones and a working knowledge of where the stars live, eat, gym, or play football.

Nirmal, 28, arrived from UP’s Taranpur village in 2014 and initially made videos on exploring Mumbai on a budget. He soon discovered that Amitabh Bachchan’s bungalow was a bigger draw than Juhu Beach when his video crossed two million views. These days, he films celebrities whenever he can catch them. When he can’t, there’s always the house itself, accompanied by a little narration about its famous occupant. His subjects are varied, from Shubman Gill and Jeetendra to Salman Khan’s house and the graves of Meena Kumari and Jagdeep.

Many like Nirmal have no background in photography, much less in Bollywood. They came looking for ordinary jobs and discovered that a celebrity sighting could be turned into content, and content into money.

Veteran celebrity photographer Yogen Shah has done the headcount. “Suppose an actor comes out of a restaurant in Bandra and 50 people are waiting outside. There may be 15 established photographers. But who are the remaining 35?”

Quite a few, he adds, were once delivery workers, security guards, street vendors, and daily wagers. “An Amazon delivery boy who brought parcels to my house and would pass on tips about celebrity sightings became a photographer himself.”

These newcomers have become a ready pool of recruits for established paparazzi teams. Deepak Yadav, for instance, once delivered ice to Film City sets and tipped off photographers about which stars were shooting where. Eventually, he began turning up with a camera instead of ice. Four years later, he’s on veteran pap Manav Manglani’s team, with a million Instagram followers of his own.

Rajbhar, from UP’s Jaunpur, sold vegetables from a handcart and vlogged about his wholesale market trips and evening tally. The vlogs did better than the vegetables. One crossed 1.2 million Facebook views and earned him $100, which cleared his debts but vanished soon.

“I knew someone from our village in Mumbai who was making a living running a YouTube channel. I thought I could do the same,” he says. Within three months of trailing the celebrity circuit, he had over 10,000 followers.

Nirmal has seen what more views can bring. With 45,000 YouTube subscribers, 46,000 Instagram followers, and 3.5 lakh on Facebook, individual videos have earned him Rs 3,000–Rs 10,000. “The highest I’ve made is Rs 1 lakh.”

For all their time around film stars, these aspiring paps aren’t exactly starstruck. “It’s fun to see famous people, but I don’t have any special interest in Bollywood. It’s a job for me, just as acting is for them,” says Nirmal. Unlike the factory work, though, this job offers freedom and the chance of a windfall. “I have to give eight hours a day to my garment job to get paid at the end of a month. Here, I’m free as a bird.”

Their entire production studio fits in a pocket. The phone doubles as camera and editing suite, with most learning the ropes from YouTube tutorials. Just as essential is a network of fellow vloggers who divide the turf between Pali Hill, Khar, and Juhu, exchanging sightings, tips, and, sometimes, footage.

Their working calendar is a curious mix of birthdays, restaurant and gym outings, and, increasingly, celebrity deaths. A birthday might mean hours of camping outside an actor’s home, hoping for a wave or a glimpse. News of a death sends them scrambling for the funeral venue. A star car spotted outside a restaurant sets off the grapevine. Otherwise, there’s Instagram, Google, and plenty of guesswork. Unlike organised events, where invitations and identity cards determine who gets in, a public pavement needs no invitation and serves these vloggers just as well as a red carpet. The industry, too, is embracing this new breed.

“Now vloggers get called first because they have millions of followers even in small towns and villages,” says a veteran paparazzo, requesting anonymity. “I remember vloggers being invited to the Bigg Boss set ahead of traditional media.” PR agencies hand ready-made promo videos to small creators who charge as little as Rs 500 a post.

“Event organisers also pay them just to bring more cameras into a venue and make a film or music launch look busy,” says Shah. “Some manage to build sizeable followings within two years and earn up to four times what an experienced paparazzo makes,” adds another veteran.

The old guard grumbles that the growing crowd makes stars reluctant to pose. “Anyone with a mobile phone turns up and says he’s a pap. Then somebody makes a frivolous comment or shoots from an odd angle, and the actors think we’re all like that,” says Shah.

There are now lessons in how to behave around stars. In 2023, senior entertainment photographers formed the Mumbai Image Flash Foundation, which has 57 members attached to established paparazzi teams. At its annual meetings, younger photographers are reminded not to shout “Arre aye, aye!” at stars, intrude with their cameras, or ignore requests for privacy. Several stars even help fund the foundation through voluntary, one-time contributions towards motorcycle accident insurance, hospital bills, and replacement cameras.

Manoj Mahara, 33, knows something about starting at the bottom. He arrived from Nepal, cleaned homes, ran errands and washed cars before persuading celebrity photographer Ramakant Munde to take him on as an assistant. He spent two years learning the trade without a salary before joining Viral Bhayani’s team.

When his younger brother needed a kidney transplant costing around Rs 36 lakh at Nanavati Hospital, Mahara says Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Boney Kapoor and Shilpa Shetty helped his family. “They looked after me like family,” he says. “Even the camera I now use was a gift from Ranbir Kapoor after the success of Animal.”

The independents get none of this. Nirmal happened to miss the outing that left Rajbhar and Chauhan injured. His parents now tell him, “Earn less, but stay safe.” Rajbhar, despite a narrow escape, has no plans to slow down. “Suppose I burn my hand making rotis. Should I stop cooking?”

Amit Sadh and Tigmanshu Dhulia have joined hands for Vardi, a short film by the Uttar Pradesh Police that pays tribute to the courage and sacrifice behind the uniform.

Sadh portrays martyred STF Inspector Sunil Kumar, the first UP Police officer to be posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra, India’s second-highest peacetime gallantry award.

Directed by Dhulia, the film was released on October 21 to mark Police Commemoration Day 2026. Looking beyond the encounter that claimed Kumar’s life, Vardi portrays the emotional void left in the family of a police officer who dies in the line of duty.

For Sadh, the decision to join the project was immediate. “I got a call at 10 at night from Tigmanshu Sir, who has been a mentor and guiding force in my career, about this film and how he was directing it. By 7 the next morning, I was on set. That’s how much this story meant to me,” he says.

Sadh portrays Inspector Sunil Kumar of UP Police’s Special Task Force (STF), who made the supreme sacrifice during an encounter with members of the Mukim Kala gang in Shamli on January 20-21, 2025. Despite his injuries, Kumar continued to lead his team before succumbing on January 22.

Rahul Srivastava, IPS, Superintendent of Police and Public Relations Officer to the Director General of Police, UP, who led the film’s creative direction, says the idea originated within the police department.

“The film began when Constable Kapil Dinkar from our Social Media Centre came up with an evocative script and voice-over. Kapil, who was also invited to Samay Raina’s show for his creative pursuits, had written a deeply moving narrative. I felt it could be brought to life cinematically. The idea received the DGP’s approval, and that is how Vardi came into existence,” he says.

The film was initially planned in Lucknow but was eventually shot in Mumbai. Srivastava shares, “I had initially planned to shoot in Lucknow, but time constraints meant we shifted the shoot to Mumbai. I approached Tigmanshu Dhulia just a day before the shoot and explained the urgency. After he agreed, the script was quickly finalized and the shoot plan was ready within a few hours. He shot continuously for almost 17 hours with a crew of nearly 100 people. We had worked with Tigmanshu earlier, in 2018, when he directed On Duty, a film based on a real UP112 incident. That film, too, was conceived within a few hours on a tight schedule. He has always supported our projects, including those that need to be completed at short notice.”

For Dhulia, the film’s appeal lay in portraying the policeman as a person, rather than reducing him to an image of fearlessness.

He says, “A policeman doesn’t stop being a husband, a father, a son or a vulnerable human being when he puts on his uniform. We judge them by what they do in public life and expect them to be fearless, available and unbreakable, often forgetting that they too have personal lives and battles of their own.”

Uttar Pradesh DGP Rajeev Krishna, under whose guidance the film is produced, says, “Vardi is a humble tribute to the brave police personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty. Dedicated to martyred STF Inspector Sunil Kumar, who was posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra, the film honours his courage and devotion while remembering all those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of the nation. I am grateful to the Bollywood film industry for joining us in bringing socially relevant stories to the screen.”

For actor Tahir Raj Bhasin, Diwali in Delhi is not just a festival; it is a city-wide celebration that feels like a wedding. Having moved to Mumbai at 23 to pursue acting, the actor says he still prefers being in the Capital during the festive season whenever his shooting schedule allows.

“Though Bombay is all about the extravaganza of Ganpati, people in Mumbai don’t understand Diwali. In Delhi, the city completely transforms. It’s like one big wedding ceremony, with all the streets lit up and markets looking festive and decked with lights. If I’m not shooting, my preference is always to be in Delhi for Diwali because that vibe is unmatched anywhere in the world,” he says.

And that one tradition that particularly makes him nostalgic is Delhi’s Diwali card parties. “My favourite Diwali memory, and this only Delhi people will understand, are the card parties. They start 15 days before Diwali. So I’m already getting FOMO because I have messages from friends inviting me to their card parties, and some saying that they’ve started playing cards already an I am missing out on hat fun,” he says.

Beyond Diwali, exploring the city is always on his to-do list. He likes to “revisit familiar places while discovering how rapidly the city is changing”. “Humayun’s Tomb holds memories of college picnics, while Lodhi Garden remains a favourite escape... My generation is the sort of pre-malls generation, where we were really used to using public spaces to hang out,” he says, recalling spending time at monuments and parks before catching a film or meeting friends at Khan Market.

From coffee at Depaul’s to momos in Chanakyapuri, his old haunts remain close to his heart. If he had an entire day free in the Capital, he would begin with a jog at Lodhi Garden, head to Defence Colony for breakfast, stop for gelato and rolls at Khan Market, and wind down at Sunder Nursery before exploring Hauz Khas Village.

While Delhi remains home, Mumbai has taught him patience. Bhasin recalls arriving in the city at 23, expecting projects to move much faster than they do. “When you shoot a project, it often takes months for it to be edited, go through post-production and colour, and then release. Patience is something that you learn with time in this industry,” he says.

And sometimes you have to turn down projects despite the lure of the money. But he also has no regrets about turning down projects. “The journey is too short to be looking over your shoulder,” he says, adding that in Mumbai, “your nos are as important as your yes-es. One has to know that it is as important to pass on stories not worth doing as it is to choose the ones to pursue.

For now, he wants to pursue, “as slice-of-life drama would be amazing,” he says, and a “comedy-drama that would be diametrically opposite to the crime thriller” Mardaani. He is also keen to explore detective dramas, particularly a role involving an investigative agency and solving crimes

He adds that he prefers stories that challenge familiar formulas, “It is an artist’s job to take risks, and I enjoy telling clutter-breaking stories.”

While celebrities often shy away from admitting to cosmetic procedures, Dollyy Javved, who has been part of shows such as Chhoriyan Chali Gaon and Alliance, is candid about her experiences with enhancements, including chin fillers and Botox. She believes there should be greater openness around cosmetic procedures, particularly because public appearances can create unrealistic expectations about natural looks. According to her, being honest about such choices can help people understand that appearance is sometimes the result of treatments and enhancements rather than simply genetics.

She says, “What is there to hide? Getting fillers and undergoing cosmetic procedures is normal. It is important for people to know that a lot goes into looking a certain way and that not everything is natural. Some people choose not to disclose their cosmetic enhancements for fear of being trolled, which is why greater acceptance of such choices is necessary. I am open about it because I do not care about trolls. I have always been authentic and do not shy away from discussing these things because I see no shame in them.”

Growing up, Dollyy was often told that the scar on her forehead affected her appearance, but she has never viewed it as a flaw. She believes that comments about physical features can influence how people see themselves, particularly during their formative years, when they are still developing confidence and learning to accept their appearance. For her, self-acceptance is not something that happens overnight; it takes time and the ability to look beyond other people's opinions.

She recounts, “Since childhood, people have told me that the scar on my forehead is not pretty and that I should get it removed. Personally, I have never seen it as a flaw. Learning to love yourself is a long journey. When you become a teenager, you start nitpicking your flaws, sometimes because others point them out. It is important to tune out such comments and for people to be more compassionate towards others.”

Her experience with cosmetic enhancements has also been about discovering what works for her rather than following a particular beauty ideal. She has tried different procedures, but that does not mean she intends to retain every enhancement. Her decision to dissolve her chin fillers, for instance, came after she realised that she preferred her natural facial shape. She also credits her sister, Uorfi, for encouraging her to consider lip fillers, something she had been contemplating for a while.

Explaining how she arrived at these choices, Dollyy says, “I had always wanted to try lip fillers because I used to overline my lips excessively, to the point where they looked bad. My sister, Uorfi, suggested fillers, so I decided to try them. I got lip fillers about a year ago and also had Botox injected into my masseter muscles. When I got my lip fillers done, the doctor suggested adding a little chin filler for symmetry. However, after a year, I realized I was happy with my round face, so I got the fillers dissolved.”

Saiyami is set to mark an exciting new chapter in her career with her international debut in an upcoming Indo-Russian drama directed by Maksim Kuznetsov.

Bringing together creative talent from India and Russia, the film marks a cross-cultural collaboration that explores the universal language of cinema through a compelling, drama-driven narrative.

Shot across Russia and India, the project offered Saiyami an opportunity to step into an entirely new cinematic environment, working with a predominantly foreign crew and experiencing a different filmmaking culture. The film also marks her first visit to Russia, with the actor describing the experience as both refreshing and creatively enriching.

Speaking about her experience, Saiyami Kher told Bombay Times, “This was a completely different and new experience for me, working with an entirely foreign crew. We shot in Russia, and it was my first time there. Moscow was beautiful, and the overall film experience was incredible. The working atmosphere was very different from what I’m used to, and I really enjoyed being part of this collaboration. I hope this is the first of many more international projects to follow.”

She added, “As an actor, it is always exciting to step outside your comfort zone and immerse yourself in a new environment. Working across cultures gives you a different perspective on storytelling and allows you to learn from people who approach cinema in their own unique ways. It was a wonderful opportunity to experience a different creative process, and I’m grateful to have been part of it. While it’s still too early to share details about the film, it is a drama with a very strong female lead at its heart.”

While details about the film remain under wraps, Saiyami describes it as a compelling drama. The project brings together Indian and Russian creative perspectives, with the collaboration extending beyond borders to create a shared cinematic experience.

Jugal Hansraj, who won hearts as child artiste Rahul in Shekhar Kapur’s Masoom (1983), returns to the franchise with Masoom: The New Generation. As he reunites with Kapur decades later, Jugal looks back on the cult classic, his journey from acting to writing and directing, and what returning to Masoom means to him. Excerpts:

My first distinct memory is of Shekhar coming home one evening after speaking to my dad over the phone. He told us about his film and played Tujhse Naraaz Nahin Zindagi on the tape recorder. My first reaction was that I didn’t want to do the film because my friends at school would call me a cry baby, as Rahul was teary-eyed in some scenes. It was a childish reaction, but I was only nine. Soon, Shekhar started visiting us often and we became good friends. I remember attending the recording of Huzoor Is Kadar, where I met R D Burman and Suresh Wadkar. R D Burman was very friendly and took me around the studio to introduce me to his musicians. Even when the film started, it felt like a family. We all stayed in one big bungalow and often had meals together. It was only much later, when I grew older, that I realised the calibre of the people around me — Gulzar saab, Naseer ji, Shabana ji, R D Burman, my co-stars and, of course, Shekhar. It was his first film as a director and what a storyteller he is. Masoom will always remain a very special memory for me.

I keep a low profile, but that’s by choice. I did five-six films after Masoom as a child, including Subhash Ghai’s Karma and four films with Dharam ji, all blockbusters. After a break, I returned as a lead actor in 1993-94 with Aa Gale Lag Jaa and continued acting until around 2006-07, when I began working as a writer-director. My first film as a director was Roadside Romeo, India’s first feature-length animation film. It won three National Awards, including Best Director for me. Later, I directed Pyaar Impossible! too. I continued acting in films (Nadaniyan), television commercials and web series (Mismatched and The Family Man), and have also become a published author. I haven’t left acting or films at all. Projects not doing well don’t discourage me. The cliché about child actors becoming flop actors is not true. There were some very good projects with big production houses but things didn’t materialise. The important thing is to keep working hard, improving, learning and being sincere to your work. As for the Masoom image, I’m extremely grateful to audiences for still giving me so much love and affection. It’s never been a burden to be known as the Masoom boy; instead, it has filled me with gratitude.

I’ve just shifted base to New York. As a freelance actor, one moves from project to project, so when I’m not on an acting assignment, I’m back in New York. As an author, one can write from anywhere. Luckily, I get to keep coming back to Mumbai for acting assignments, so I never really miss it. Mumbai is always home. I’m in New York as my wife has a career there and our son goes to school there.

I had been reading about Shekhar planning this film and was keenly following the story. When I got a call from him, it was a wonderful feeling to be wanted back in this project. Working with Shekhar again is like life coming full circle. He was so good with all three of us young actors (Urmila Matondkar and Aradhana Srivastav). He has the ability to speak to people at their own level. If it’s a child, he speaks to them in a way that they understand. He adapts for different people.

Like society around us, our films, too, evolve constantly. Films and streaming platforms have thrown up some great actors and storytellers in recent times. Audiences have also evolved and are open to new experiences. Though there will always be challenges, it’s a great time for storytellers, actors and creative people. I’m happy to still be able to do good work and appear in some good projects, and also tell my own stories through the books that I write.