Singers Anu Malik, Shaan, Ila Arun and Baba Sehgal have guest turns in her upcoming home production
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 8, 2018)  

Mirror had recently reported (August 4) that Kajol’s next, Helicopter Eela, will feature the actress in two looks that move from a college-goer to the single mother of a teenager, played by this year’s National Award-winning actor Riddhi Sen. We have now learnt that the filmmakers have roped in singers Anu Malik, Shaan, Ila Arun and Baba Sehgal for special appearances.

“Since the role spans from the ’90s to 2018, with Kajol playing an aspiring singer, we wanted to recreate the music scene of that decade for one of the most important sequences. And since it was vital that we keep it authentic, we decided to get in touch with these four industry stalwarts who graciously agreed to be a part of the film. They haven’t changed much over the years so that fit the part well. Kajol’s Eela meets all of them separately at a party and we had a great time shooting it,” informs director Pradeep Sarkar, adding that the film, which is produced by Ajay Devgn and Jayantilal Gada, also features several lesser known musicians.

Interestingly, cars from the ’90s also played a vital part in making the sequence ‘real’. According to the National Award-winning filmmaker, the film’s team has incorporated the cars that musicians travelled in at the time. “For such shoots you have to transport yourself to that era. Also, since they are all playing themselves, I wanted the shoot to be spontaneous and believable, so we avoided rehearsing them,” Sarkar points out.

The shoot doubled up as a reunion for the musicians. “Bahut gaana bajana hua (there was a lot of singing and playing instruments), it was a complete riot. You’ll have to see it to believe it,” the director signs off.


Clockwise from top: Shaan, Baba Sehgal, Anu Malik, Ila Arun; Kajol (right)