Kriti Sanon credits producer for ensuring Housefull 4 did not suffer after Sajid Khan, Nana Patekar were ousted following #MeToo accusations
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; February 21, 2019)

When the #MeToo wave hit India last October, director Sajid Khan and Nana Patekar were among the many accused of sexual harassment. The two, who were shooting for Housefull 4 in London then, were promptly dropped — while Farhad Samji took over the directorial baton from Khan, Patekar was replaced by Rana Daggubati. Kriti Sanon, one of the leads in the multi-starrer, credits producer Sajid Nadiadwala for taking swift action against the alleged offenders while ensuring that the Akshay Kumar and Bobby Deol starrer did not suffer in the bargain.

Recounting the episode, Sanon says, "We would wake up to multiple #MeToo stories every day. We were angry, shocked, disappointed; but at the same time, we were glad that people were talking about it. As far as Housefull 4 is concerned, the credit goes to Sajid Nadiadwala who handled the situation well. The shooting was stalled only for two days, post which we were back on track."

Sanon recalls how the unit came together to ensure that the comic caper did not miss its deadline. "We had to reshoot a lot of portions since Rana replaced Nana Patekar, so Nadiadwala put in extra money [into the film] despite it not being his fault. A lot of important sequences, including the climax, were shot after the change happened. Yet, we were able to finish the film a day prior to the scheduled date."

She is glad that the #MeToo movement has brought about a much-needed change in the industry. "I never felt unsafe on the sets of Housefull 4 or any other film. But the movement has brought in a sense of fear where people are more cautious. Now, they don't want to have meetings at home; they insist on meeting at a public place. The industry has become alert."