During the lockdown last year, singer-composer Kavita Seth released Rangi Saari, a contemporary rendition of a popular thumri, in collaboration with her son, Kanishk Seth. While it took time to pick pace, it became a raging sensation on social media this year with actors, influencers, and social media users joining the bandwagon, as they made videos and reels with the track playing in the background.

“I saw a video where a guy was putting butter to his bread and Rangi Saari was playing in the background. Roz hi kuch na kuch naya dikhta hai. While some are dancing to it, others are chopping vegetables to the track,” says the singer with a laugh.

Seth shares that she had spent no money in promoting the song and that makes this success even more special. She says, “Humne socha ki isko khubshoo ki tarah phailne dein. It saw wider popularity during Diwali, when a few Bollywood actors made reels on it. It made me realise that you can’t achieve everything with money. You might be able to buy likes, but if a song is genuinely good, it will surely travel far and wide, organically.”

The musician, who has gained popularity for her ghazal series Main Kavita Hoon, recently performed at a virtual ghazal concert. Talking about how the millennial generation is open to traditional music, Seth says, “They have an appetite for Sufi, ghazal and thumri. A lot of songs composed by me from A Suitable Boy (2020) were also well-received. If the audience didn’t appreciate such music, these songs wouldn’t have become popular.”

She adds, “There was a time when the live audience would only enjoy upbeat dance tracks. Now they have begun appreciating Sufi numbers. It’s great that the audience is open to listening to good music in its truest essence.”

At a time when most big-ticket films are shying away from the marquee, makers of Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari took the brave step, making it the first Bollywood release post the pandemic. Leading man Manoj Bajpayee is grateful that people stepped out to watch the comedy despite the current scenario. "It was a risk and a triumph. More than anything, it was a gesture to indicate that we, as the film industry, support theatres," he says.

Manoj Bajpayee, who recently won the Best Actor gong at the Asian Academy Creative Awards for his performance in The Family Man, is eagerly awaiting its second season. However, the past few weeks have been perplexing for artistes and filmmakers dabbling in digital entertainment. Earlier this month, the government brought the video-streaming platforms under the ambit of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. Even though rumours suggest that the platforms may have to apply for approval of the content they wish to stream, details of the regulation are unclear.

Ask the actor if he is wary of the move, and he states, "I don't believe it's a gag order. I staunchly oppose censorship, but people are unnecessarily reacting before understanding what it entails. When OTT platforms initially came to India, they had absolute freedom. Some filmmakers went overboard with expletives and depiction [of gore and sex]. Eventually, quality work like The Family Man, Scam 1992, Asur and Delhi Crime came in. Filmmakers are consciously restraining themselves to tell stories more responsibly." To make his case, the actor adds how makers Raj-DK (Raj Nidimoru, Krishna DK) had a constant discussion on the sets of The Family Man about the usage of expletives in the series. "If our show is watched by every member of a family, it will be good for us. We are mindful of what we show on screen."

In telling the story of an undercover intelligence officer, the Amazon Prime Video venture offered a sharp political commentary. However, over time, a shadow of fear has loomed large over artistes who try to reflect politics in their work. Does he feel threatened? "The Family Man sparked a healthy conversation on subjects that mattered to us. The idea of art is to mirror society and allow the audience to have the dialogue. Storytellers aren't supposed to take a stand; being part of the solution is the government's job. An artiste doesn't need to bring his politics to his work. Sometimes, I feel there's unwanted pressure on actors to take a stand when millionaires and billionaires get away remaining silent." Bajpayee is optimistic that the second season of the espionage thriller will be unscathed despite the I&B Ministry regulation. "I won't presume things and won't worry till there is reason to. If the worst happens, we will decide where we stand."

But surely, he can't discount the extent of moral policing that filmmakers are constantly being subjected to — recently, an FIR was registered against Netflix India for depicting a kiss between a Hindu woman and a Muslim boy in a temple, in A Suitable Boy. Bajpayee, however, brushes off these fringe elements. "Since time immemorial, fringe elements in some far-flung corner of the country have been objecting to something we have made. This has happened to some of my films as well. India has a massive number of people, each with his own agenda. I don't think there's a reason to worry about it."

Ishaan Khatter talks about his varied project choices, his views on OTT release for films
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 4, 2020)

Actor Ishaan Khatter’s three-year-old acting career has been as unconventional as it could get. How many newcomers have started off with an international, non-masala film like Beyond The Clouds (2018), then done a typical romantic drama Dhadak (2018), and again taken off to the West for Mira Nair’s series, based on the novel A Suitable Boy?

Contrary to what people might think, he had to audition for his first film, and didn’t bag it just because he was from a filmi family. Khatter tells us, “I didn’t even know what the future had for me. All I knew was that I am terribly in love with cinema. I love the fact that I got to audition for my debut film, and it chose me on merit, no other reason.”

As for his different choices, he tells us he has heard a variety of opinions. “People who are important to me were very supportive. I think my mother always understood more closely where my choices come from, but most people are also understanding, with time, why I make certain choices. I got questions from the start, people still say use labels like ‘unconventional’. I am trying to not sound pompous. I know it may be unprecedented that a young actor starts with an international film. For me, I never sought the sensational aspect of that,” confesses the 24-year-old.

Currently, Khatter has his hands full with horror-comedy Phone Bhoot, war drama Pippa, and waiting for the release of his next, Khaali Peeli.

Amid the Coronavirus pandemic, many films had to forego a theatrical release and opt for a digital one. There are rumours of Khaali Peeli, also starring Ananya Panday, heading the same route. Ask Khatter his take on this, and he says, “I think these are decisions that are more relevant for producers. They are the ones who understand the economics and invest the money into the film. Though as an actor, I think the vision of the film is a priority for me, and the way we imagined Khaali Peeli was always that it would be seen in theatres. We made it like that.”

However, considering the current crisis, and how theatres are still closed, Khatter seems prepared for anything. So, is he okay with an OTT release? He says, “Right now, we are not in a situation where one can be indulgent. Like I said, I would much prefer it in theatres if we can wait it out. It depends entirely on how the next few weeks and months will go, so I am not going to be childish and adamant about things.”

Khatter tells us that the film has been made in such a manner that a theatre going audience would have enjoyed it a lot. “The story has a large appeal. It’s an entertaining film, thrilling and interactive, the kind of film to watch in theatres. So far, anyone closely related to the film who has seen small bits, they said yeh toh cinema mein dekhni hai,” he confesses.

Gearing up to shoot pending portion of Khaali Peeli, Ishaan Khatter on how the film marks his first outing as mainstream Bollywood lead
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; August 19, 2020)

"It's a funny position to be in," admits Ishaan Khatter, who has been waiting for the past five months to complete a day's shoot and call it a wrap on Khaali Peeli. The endless wait seems all the more unbearable for the actor who counts the Maqbool Khan-directed venture as his first brush with mainstream Hindi cinema. Cherry-picking projects such as Majid Majidi's Beyond The Clouds (2017), Shashank Khaitan's Dhadak (2018) and Mira Nair's A Suitable Boy, Khatter believes he has stayed away from the trappings of a Bollywood hero, so far. "It's my first hero role, so to speak. I have never seen any of the characters [I played so far] as heroes; that's not how they served the stories. But Khaali Peeli is an entertaining Bollywood movie, so the rhythm of my character is inspired by the Hindi film [protagonist]," he observes.

Hushed whispers suggest that producer Ali Abbas Zafar is seeking a digital premiere of the movie, which also features Ananya Panday. However, Khatter says he belongs to the old school of thought and romanticises the experience of going to the cinema. "As an actor, the screen size shouldn't matter. But as an audience, watching a film in a cinema changes the experience. Films made for big screens are shot in a certain way, and every aspect of the film is built taking into account that it will finally be experienced in a large dark auditorium. I hope Khaali Peeli has a theatrical release because we always imagined it as a [big-screen] outing."

Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 29, 2020)

At just 24, actor Ishaan Khatter has managed to create his own space with films such as Majid Majidi’s Beyond The Clouds (2018) and the latest being the series A Suitable Boy with acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair. He has literally grown up being surrounded by the art form (his parents are actors Rajesh Khattar and Neelima Azeem, and Shahid Kapoor, his brother). While he has come so far in such less time, Bollywood itself is seen as a place where there are not equal opportunities for everyone, and talent maybe isn’t the only thing required to make it big.

And not mincing any words the actor says, “No, of course not, there are so many factors and things that weigh in to your success, or your positioning or recognition, whatever it is that people define success by. Opportunities are not always equal, but everybody has their own journey. Sometimes, people are given opportunities before their time, or above their capabilities, and they are not able to make much of it. Sometimes, people get opportunities despite the fact that they deserve more than what they’ve been offered. They make their place through their hard work and consistency.”

Adding that “it’s not one’s business to mull and cry too much about opportunities”, Khatter adds, “Anyone could do that, and could be like ‘mujhe yeh nahi mila, woh nahi mila’, but I feel what’s more important is to make the most of what you get. And eventually yes, if you really have the legs you will get your space and light, your moment. That’s what I believe. But no, I don’t think it’s all about talent, there are many other factors.”

Elaborating more on these factors, the actor says he has personally seen people who are hard workers, surpass talented people. “I know of people who are talented but didn’t quite develop it into a skill. So yes, it depends. While there is a lot of judgment outside, I don’t think people fully understand how things work. It’s really an amalgam of so many factors — hard work, luck, being at the right place at the right time and preparation — that result in you getting your space,” reveals Khatter who has Khaali Peeli opposite Ananya Panday, and Phone Bhoot with Katrina Kaif lined up next.

Currently garnering praises for his act in A Suitable Boy opposite Tabu, he reveals that at one point, he was almost not going to be able to do it. Khatter tells us, “I was in talks for another thing when this came around. It was one of those things destined to happen. It all started when I was called in to audition for the part of Maan. This was back when my first two films hadn’t released. I think it was in March of 2018, just before Beyond The Clouds. I was asked to read for a part and I auditioned. I didn’t know very much about the book, I only knew Mira Nair was directing it. After the first audition, my second meeting was with Mira di. She decided she wanted me to play the part. It always started off with the opportunity of working with her, and then Tabu playing Saeeda Bai. It was a very exciting opportunity.”

As Mira Nair's A Suitable Boy premieres on BBC, Ishaan Khatter hopes his love story with Tabu will remove the stigma around older woman-younger man romance
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; July 28, 2020)

Not many actors in Bollywood can boast Majid Majidi and Mira Nair projects on their résumé. If the collaborations are a testimony to Ishaan Khatter's talent, they are also telling of his urge to go beyond the conventional Hindi film hero. As Nair's A Suitable Boy dropped on BBC over the weekend, the period piece introduced the global audience to the tender love story of Maan Kapoor and Saeeda Bai, essayed by Khatter and Tabu respectively.

"One has to be free in their creative expression. Within the narrative itself, it's not a common phenomenon for someone as young as Maan to be in a passionate relationship with Saeeda bai. That's what makes it extraordinary," exclaims Khatter, aware that an older woman-younger man romance, unfortunately, continues to raise eyebrows even today.

Stating that Nair has woven the track masterfully, lacing it with gay abandon and sensitivity in equal measure, the actor hopes that the series challenges the taboo of unconventional love stories. "We have many taboos in our society. Through films and art, we can start a dialogue and bring in a new point of view. Mira is not the kind of director who believes in spoon-feeding the audience; she tells her stories unabashedly. This [Maan-Saeeda romance] is one story that couldn't be watered down."

An adaptation of Vikram Seth's novel of the same name, A Suitable Boy tells the story of Rupa Mehra's efforts to find a groom for daughter Lata. Even though it is set in post-Partition India, Khatter believes the material shares similarities with today's times. "When I read the script, I could draw parallels. There has been a lot of talk about the secular fabric of our country, and Mira has explored it through her narrative. Things have changed since 1950, but the story remains relevant."

Actor sets up isolated booth to record for A Suitable Boy, ahead of Sunday UK release
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; July 26, 2020)

While most of the artistes associated with A Suitable Boy had wrapped up dubbing for the project before lockdowns were imposed in different parts of the world, Rasika Dugal was among the few who had to complete recording her portions at home to meet the film's United Kingdom release date, today. "Mira [Nair, director] is in New York, and the other actors are either in London or Delhi. It was nice to meet everyone online to wrap up [the dubbing]. This was an unusual experience because I had to make a soundproof booth by [cordoning off] an area in my home. It was unusual, yet surreal," says the actor.

An adaptation of Vikram Seth's 1993 novel by the same name, the film is the first to bring the story of a woman's search for a suitable husband to the screen. Certain that no other director could have enabled this story's unfolding as beautifully as Nair could, Dugal says, "I don't feel the sense of nervousness around her because she takes care of everything. She is experienced; it's easy to submit to someone when you trust them."

While the film, which also stars Ishaan Khatter and Tabu, releases in the UK today, Dugal is glad that viewers across the globe can enjoy the offering on Netflix next month.

Apart from the fact that the digital medium serves as the primary source of entertainment for cinephiles, Das credits the platform for increasing employment opportunities as well
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; July 12, 2020)

The success of his last web offering behind him, Namit Das has trained his attention towards his next, Mafia that aired on July 10. As the brightest of B-Town have been gradually opening up to the possibilities of the digital medium, Das was among those who realised its potential, early on. "It is the need of the hour and I can't imagine what the Coronavirus lockdown could have been without it. I was never hesitant to explore this platform," says the actor, who was last seen in the acclaimed Sushmita Sen-starrer, Aarya.

Apart from the fact that the digital medium serves as the primary source of entertainment for cinephiles, Das credits the platform for increasing employment opportunities as well. "It enables creators to come up with more stories, and actors to find employment. It has the potential to lift an actor's career," he says, quick to add that despite its immense reach, he doesn't see the platform getting the better of mediums like cinema or television. "Everything will co-exist," he says. A suspense thriller, Mafia, says Das, revolves around six friends who find themselves in unexpected situations. "[An event from the past] affects them and viewers realise that everything that looks rosy from the outside, is not actually so."

Meanwhile, Das wrapped up shooting for Mira Nair's A Suitable Boy before the lockdown was imposed. "A Mira Nair project is always on an actor's bucket list. Working with her is a dream come true."

Working with the filmmaker in the adaptation of A Suitable Boy, Rasika Dugal says Mira Nair helps push boundaries
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; May 3, 2020)

"Her energy is contagious," says Rasika Dugal on being thrilled to tick 'working with Mira Nair' off her bucket list. The actor insists that the filmmaker is a class apart from other directors as she helms the six-part BBC series based on Vikram Seth's novel, A Suitable Boy.

Dugal, who has wrapped up her scenes in the series says, "Despite working for so many years, Mira has the enthusiasm [of a newbie]. She brings unexpected energy to an otherwise dull scene. Reading how the script will unfold on paper, is usually very different from the outcome. When she directs the scene, it's almost magical."

She reiterates that Nair pushes boundaries with every actor. "She has a child-like energy on set. She gives you a freehand [to perform], then designs it accordingly at her end. As an artiste, it is a surreal experience to be directed by Mira as she knows how to get the best out of her actors," says Dugal, who plays the character of Savita Mehra Kapoor.

Dugal only has one regret. "I don't share much screen time with Tabu," she says, and hopes that the future yields more opportunities.

Even as he disagrees with the novel's resolution, Namit Das on bringing the hero alive on screen in Mira Nair's A Suitable Boy
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; April 14, 2020)

When you sit through nearly 1,500 pages of Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy, you expect a fairy tale ending. But Seth doesn't give his readers the pleasure — in a surprising climax, an unlikely suitor by the name of Haresh Khanna marries the feisty protagonist, Lata Mehra, even as the readers root for her union with her college sweetheart, Kabir Durrani. In an interview, the author had famously stated that he himself questioned his heroine's decision to marry Haresh.

As Mira Nair brings the book to life as a BBC series by the same name, we ask Namit Das, who plays Haresh, if he struggled to imbibe the character that suffers from an inherent disadvantage. "I questioned [the climax] myself when I first read the book in 2015. After 1,500 pages, you feel a bit cheated with the ending," he quips.

Of course, he is assured that Nair, with her mastery over the craft, will be able to sell the unconventional couple with conviction. The auteur has another advantage — she shares a deep bond with Seth, whose creation Haresh was inspired by his father, Prem Seth. "Vikram is one of the producers on the show, and we spent a considerable amount of time on set with him. As I went through the process of filmmaking, I realised that Haresh is modelled on Vikram's father. One has to understand that the unusual romance between Leila Seth and her husband Prem is mirrored in the book through the union of Lata and Harish. Even in Leila Seth's autobiography On Balance, there's a chapter that draws similarities between Haresh and Vikram's father. Mira is close to Vikram and his family, so all the characters have been designed with a personal touch."

The prep wasn't easy for Das, who had to transform into a paan-chewing shoemaker from a bygone era. "I learnt the art of shoemaking, in theory. I would sit with a cobbler on the cobbled street near [Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj] Terminus in Mumbai and practise mending shoes. Mira was also sure that she wanted us to be comfortable in the clothes that we would be wearing at shoot. [Since the book depicts the '50s] I got high-waist pants at home and used to sleep in them. I did this so that when at shoot, I had a lived-in experience and it didn't look like I was trying them on for the first time."

Even as Nair has brought together a powerful ensemble cast that includes Tabu, Ishaan Khatter and Vijay Varma, it is inevitable that some characters from the literary world haven't made the transition to screen. "Andrew Davies [writer] and Mira have managed to keep the essence of the novel intact," states the actor, adding that the director is "brilliant at adaptations". "The Namesake [2006] is a masterpiece. She beautifully blends the Indian culture with the understanding of the Western world. Her focus is always on characters who take the story ahead, which is why her ensemble films work perfectly."