Actor Zain Imam, who shot with Aftab last week, has undergone a test
BOMBAY TIMES (September 12, 2020)

Aftab Shivdasani took to social media to tell people that he has tested positive for Coronavirus. The actor, who is currently under home quarantine, wrote, “Recently, I started showing minor symptoms of a dry cough and a mild fever and I got myself tested for COVID-19. Unfortunately, the results came out positive and under the medical supervision of doctors and the authorities, I have been advised home quarantine. I request all those who may have come in contact with me recently to please get yourself tested just to be safe. With your support and good wishes, I will recover soon and be back to normal.”

Aftab, who had started shooting a project, Poison 2, in Lonavala, further added, “I can’t emphasize more the need to socially be distant, use masks and sanitisers as much as possible as it can save lives. We will win this together (sic).”

Talking about Aftab testing positive for COVID-19, Zain Imam, who was shooting along with him, said, “We returned to Mumbai on Wednesday. The following day we learnt about Aftab testing positive for COVID-19, and so, we underwent a test, too. I hope the results are negative. I am taking precautions and not stepping out. I had a few meetings lined up, which I have cancelled now.”

Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 10, 2020)

The Coronavirus pandemic caused Bollywood film productions to come to a standstill in mid-March. While TV shoots resumed shooting in June, films and web series were still waiting it out, until recently. Now, as shoots are resuming, actor Akshay Kumar has left for London, UK to start his film, Bellbottom. He was accompanied by the film’s cast Huma S Qureshi, Lara Dutta and others.

Incidentally, Kumar was also one of the first actors to shoot a commercial during the lockdown. Talking about resuming work, Kumar recently told Hindustan Times, “I don’t think I’ve ever stayed away from the camera for this long and now, there’s a newfound excitement.”

Actors Dhanush and Sara Ali Khan are also set to begin shooting for director Aanand L Rai’s romantic drama Atrangi Re in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. Khaali Peeli, starring Ishaan Khatter and Ananya Panday, is also set to resume shoot soon. Late last month, Yoodlee Films became the first production studio to start shooting for two full-fledged feature films Comedy Couple and Zombivali.

“Shooting in this time is a different experience all together. But the production house is taking precautions,” says director Nachiket Samant, who is helming Comedy Couple.

Precautions and safety measures are paramount for those who have resumed work, says Siddharth Anand Kumar, vice-president, Films and Events, Saregama (Yodlee Films). He adds, “Things are a little more expensive also. But that’s okay. We are shooting, and things are going well. This period is a testament to the adaptability of humans.

Not just films, shoots for web series, which are not less grand than a film shoot have also begun. Director Ken Ghosh, who is helming Abhay 2 admits that these are indeed difficult times but that does not mean that people will sit at home. “There were a few rejigs required because some part of the series was shot before lockdown and some parts had to be shot post it. A web series is no less than shooting a film and that is always a challenge,” he says.

Actor Chunky Panday, who stars in the series, says, “It is a challenge to work with fewer crew members, but it was smooth. There will always be a fear among all of us but we have to move on.”

So, is it at all challenging for actors to adapt to this new way of shooting? Actor Aftab Shivdasani, who has started shooting Poison 2, doesn’t think so. “I didn’t have any problems at all. The day prior to the shoot, the crew had set up everything, and all of it was done before the actors came on set,” he explains.

Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; August 2, 2020)

Actor Aftab Shivdasani, who tied the knot with UK-born Indian model Nin Dusanj in June 2014, has become father to a baby girl. Their bundle of joy arrived on July 28 in London. Aftab shares, “Both Nin and I are looking forward to this new phase of our lives as parents.”

The couple is yet to zero in on a name for their newborn. “We have a few options. We will see what suits her the best and decide soon,” says the actor.

Ask him about adapting to the new role, and he replies, “It’s just been a few days, but our lives are pretty much run by her. She decides the amount of sleep we get, which is not much (laughs!). I want to be a hands-on father, and so, I’m involved in everything — be it changing nappies, singing her to sleep or comforting her whenever she needs it. It’s incredible how the tiniest feet leave the biggest footprints in our hearts.”

Aftab Shivdasani turns producer with a supernatural outing that rolls in October
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; July 28, 2020)

Only a week after Aftab Shivdasani and wife Nin Dusanj Shivdasani announced the launch of their production house Mount Zen Media, the couple is gearing up to bankroll their first film, Dhund. Currently neck-deep in pre-production, the actor-producer hopes to take the horror film on floors by October.

"Dhund is not a conventional horror film; it is an intelligently crafted story that will play mind-games with the viewer. It will be shot abroad and we are currently looking at possible locations. The process may take longer than usual as there is so much uncertainty around the world," says Shivdasani. In the meantime, he is ascertaining the cast of the project that is co-produced by Prerna V Arora. "We will have the added responsibility to adhere to safety guidelines when we go on floors," he says.

As told to Sonam Joshi (THE TIMES OF INDIA; July 5, 2020)

I’d been shooting for the web series Poison 2 for 40 days, when it was interrupted by the lockdown. When I returned to the set this week, it was a bit like being on a guerrilla shoot (you know the kind in which there is a skeletal crew, and you have to shoot quickly.) We had a minimal crew of 10-15 people, with just one assistant director and no outsiders. Everyone wore masks, gloves, carried sanitisers, and kept a distance. At the entrance of the set, there was a massive board with the dos and don’ts.

Everybody on set has already been tested for Coronavirus, and we have daily temperature checks but at the back of your mind there is a what if. I wouldn’t say it’s unnerving. You are just more on guard all the time. If someone comes close by mistake, I step back and we give each other a look that we need to stay away from each other. I wear a mask and gloves and sanitise myself constantly.

It’s funny. On the first day, I gave a rehearsal with a mask on and the director said, ‘Let’s do the take’. I said okay, and got ready for the shot. After a pause, he turned to me and said, ‘I’m waiting for you to take off your mask’. We have gotten so used to wearing a mask that I didn’t realise I had it on!

We wear a mask during rehearsals too. I guess it is difficult for the director to gauge the actor’s expressions with this but it is a small price to pay for staying safe.

If there are scenes involving physical proximity, we work around them or postpone them for when things get better. There was one scene where I was to hold someone’s collar after an altercation and that was taken out.

My hair and makeup are done separately since there can be only one person in my room at a time. I take off my mask for makeup but put it back on immediately after that. When we are having lunch, all the staff is sitting 2-3 metres away from each other. There is no buffet table, everyone gets a packed lunch and a designated area to sit.

It is quite strange to interact with humans though, because I haven’t met anyone for months. We’ve forgotten how to be social because you’re just speaking to people on phone or Zoom calls. I miss hanging out together the most, carefree without any concerns. You can’t just sit, chat and have a meal together. You can’t even hug each other or shake hands. Everyone is just saying namaste or hey from far. We all miss being free, but one has to accept the reality and work with it for the time being.

This is the new normal.

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; May 3, 2019)

Though Aftab Shivdasani and Shreyas Talpade have been a part of many comedies, their next outing, Setters, is based on the malpractices in the education system. While Shreyas plays a setter responsible for the criminal practices, Aftab essays the role of a cop who wants to bust the scam. In a candid chat with Bombay Times, the two spoke about being stereotyped as comic actors and dealing with social media. Excerpts:

Over the years, you both have been stereotyped as actors who are best suited for multi-starrer comedies. Setters being a crime thriller must have been refreshing.
Shreyas: People have almost forgotten that I started my career with films like Iqbal and Dor. They were serious films. Over a period of time, our association with comedies became really strong. After solely doing comedies for the past few years, I am glad I am doing something like this. I was pleasantly surprised when I was offered a subject and a role with grey shades. Every actor has an urge to do something else, reinvent himself and films like these give you that opportunity. People’s expectations from us are films like Masti, Grand Masti and Golmaal, so getting a serious film was refreshing. We have tried to play our parts with utmost sincerity and I hope that comes across.
Aftab: What Shreyas said is true for me as well. I started off with Mast and Kasoor and was appreciated for them. Then I did some love stories and comedies like Awara Paagal Deewana, Hungama and Masti, and people suddenly started identifying me with those genres. Yes, stereotyping happens to a certain extent. There is a perception that guys like Shreyas and I are more suitable for comedy films. Both of us were trying to find something that’s lucrative and substantial. You need a good script and a director to project you the right way. We hope we get accepted in a film like Setters, which will open the doors to more films like these. Also, it works both ways; a lot of actors, who are known for serious roles, don’t get offered comedies either.

What is Setters all about?
Shreyas: Setters is based on education and employment mafia. I think all of us have heard about this when we were in school or college…someone selling a question paper for a certain price. I had a perception that these leaks happen at a local level and maybe four-five people are involved in it. When I read the story, I told Ashwini (director Ashwini Chaudhary) that it’s quite an imagination and he corrected me by saying, this really happens. A massive mafia is involved in this. It’s structured and organised, comprising educated and tech-savvy people, who know how to crack the legal system. I am the ‘setter’ here, who’s a bad guy.
Aftab: I am the good guy, a cop, who is after this ‘setter’. It’s a cat-and-mouse game, more like catch-me-if-you-can. The story is about oneupmanship. We both have to be on top of our game to outdo each other. The kind of gadgets and technology the setters use are advanced, so, as someone in charge of security, we have to be one step ahead of them.
Shreyas: There’s no preaching here. It’s an entertainer based on a concept that’s real.

Aftab, after Great Grand Masti (2016), you disappeared from Bollywood in a way. Why did you go missing?
I did two South films and a British film after Great Grand Masti, which I didn’t really speak about because I wanted to test the waters. Even the English film is a content-driven, serious film, which will release sometime this year. I wanted to see what it’s like to work outside my comfort zone, which is Bollywood. Having said that, if I was offered interesting films here, I would have chosen them but I didn’t get any, so I waited for the right opportunity. When Setters came my way, I was excited to play a police officer, who wants to bust a racket and imprison the culprits.

Shreyas, people often look at you as a good fit for supporting cast. Do you think you have been slotted in this category?
That did happen to a certain extent with me. I am not from a film family or don’t have a film background, and when people like me are approached by seniors or friends in the industry, it isn’t easy for us to say no. They’ll say, yeh kar lena and you do it, even when you are not completely convinced about those films. You fear that agar woh bura maan gaye toh baat failegi ki yeh ladka akdu hai. You learn the hard way to be assertive. It’s your career after all. If you are not convinced about a film, what will you portray on screen? Certain films will work, certain won’t, but there came a point when I decided to take a break. I might as well tell stories that I am convinced about instead of acting in ones that I am not. So I got into production (Marathi) and then directed the Hindi remake of Poster Boys. I’d rather do what I want to do and, of course, you have to wait for a right script like Setters.

Aftab, you started off as a child actor with Mr India. Do you think the chances of burning out are a lot more when a person starts out that early?
Isn’t that an advantage? I don’t look at it as a burnout; you get a head start. You gather experience with time and there’ no substitute for that. If you love what you do, you will never burn out. If I wasn’t an actor, I wouldn’t know what to do with my life. I am an extremely passionate guy and I am happy that I got an opportunity to start off at an early age. I developed a liking for the camera from a young age and decided that I will be around it till the time I die.

Does being a part of a certain group in Bollywood help in terms of getting work?
Shreyas: Yes, to a certain extent. Those things (hanging out with certain people) can get you one film at the most, but eventually, you will have to survive on your talent. If you are good at your work, you don’t have to worry about kal kya hoga?
Aftab: Your talent speaks for itself. There are so many people who have had successful careers despite not being associated with groups. They made it on their own. Social circles don’t forward your professional career. You shouldn’t get into a group because you want work. People shouldn’t know you for the amount of drinks you had with them, but the kind of talent you have.

What are your thoughts on the changing phase of paparazzi and domination of social media in India?
Aftab: People with millions of followers are popular on a virtual platform, which is social media. Does that translate to box office collection? No. They might get money to endorse a brand as a post, but are they happy making that as a career? If yes, then that’s great. But I think real popularity is when people will pay to watch your film because they genuinely like you for what you do and what you are. That’s true appreciation. I heard this beautiful quote, ‘This social media freak had thousands of friends on Facebook. But when he died, no one showed up at his funeral.’ All you get is RIP. It’s good to be on social media — use it, be on it, but that’s not the world we should be living in! It’s virtual. Don’t get lost in it.
Shreyas: I make it a point to call people on their birthdays instead of posting a message on social media. I believe in meeting my friends and extended family. My sister was surprised that I wasn’t on Instagram. It felt like a crime. I am on the platform now. I agree with what Aftab says, online validation might not translate into professional success. As far as the paps are concerned, people who work with us now say things like, ‘Sir, airport ke liye kaunsa shirt pehnoge?’

Aftab, you must be relieved that your family can see Setters as it’s been passed with a ‘U’ certificate. It’s something that’s not common with your films.
My last ‘U’ certificate film was in 2011. I haven’t had a ‘U’ certificate film for eight years! Setters has been certified ‘U’, not even ‘U/A’, so I am throwing a party for it. I do regret that over the years my audience shifted from ‘U’ to ‘A’.

Setters, produced by Lovely Films Production and NH Studioz, releases today. 

As told to Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 8, 2018)

My father had instilled in my brother and I a sense of self-reliance. Even during vacations, we were expected to earn our pocket money doing odd jobs, like cleaning the car or arranging the wardrobe for which we would get paid Rs 10 to Rs 20. So I started working when I was really young and looked forward to growing up and earning some big money.

When I was in the eighth standard, I assisted my dad (Ravi Tandon) on a movie he was making during the school holidays. I was on a threemonth break after my 10th standard board exams before enrolling for college and joined Prahlad Kakkar at his ad agency. Around the same time I got a call from ace photographer Shantanu Sheorey’s office saying he was on the hunt for new models and wanted to click me. I didn’t take that offer seriously because I was plump then, wore glasses and my hair in a long plait, and didn’t think I had the look of a model. So I started working on prep and post-production with Prahlad.

I would take bus No. 231 from Juhu to Santacruz and then a train to Mahalakshmi from where I would walk to Prahlad’s office at Everest building. Even after college started, I continued working with him, attending lectures from 7am to 10.30 am after which I would leave for work and return home only around 11pm because ad shoots can be erratic. If it got extremely late, we called Mohammed bhai, who had a private taxi to drop the girls home. Sometimes I would take a lift with my friend Farah Khan Ali, Sanjay Khan’s daughter, who was also interning with me and had her own car.

At the office I would even sweep floors. There was this huge sign underlining the fact that we were not Prahlad’s workers but his slaves. In today’s day and age it’s a politically incorrect declaration but back then we took it as a joke.

Once, Aftab Shivdasani, who was about 10 then was shooting a chocolate ad at the office. He had to keep eating chocolate and after the 24th or 25th take he got sick. I had just swept the floor and was standing with a clapper board waiting to announce the next shot and give the clap.

Suddenly I saw Aftab gag not once but twice, and realising that if he threw up I would have to wipe the floor clean, I chucked the clapper board and started desperately looking for a bucket but couldn’t find one. Prahlad’s lips were quivering in slow motion, “He is going to puke.” I didn’t know what to do and helplessly spread out my hands. Aftab puked on them and I ran to wash them.

I initially worked for Prahlad for free as it was an internship, then he started paying me a salary of Rs 1,000 a month. He used to keep telling me, ‘You are not meant to be behind the camera, you are wasting your time.' When I got Patthar Ke Phool, Prahlad said ‘Just go ahead and say yes.’ I didn’t even take any acting or dance classes, I just signed the film and next day I was on set shooting.

I’m yet to collect my salary from Prahlad because once I got busy with movies, I forgot all about it. But I do remember I once did an ad for noodles for which I got Rs 500, my first paycheque, and bought a tape recorder for my mother. She used to love listening to the radio and would turn it on when she woke us up for school so a tape recorder was the best gift for her.

When I was 16, I was offered a jeans ad. At Film City I met this young, handsome guy who was modelling with me. He looked at me and exclaimed, “You should be doing movies!” He repeated this to my mom and I snapped, “I don’t want to do movies.” He later admitted that even he was not interested in modelling and wanted to be a designer. That man was Manish Malhotra.

A year later, I was shooting for a magazine cover after signing my debut film Patthar Ke Phool with Salman Khan and Manish was designing my clothes.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 14, 2017)

Adapting the dialogue from the 1994 Suniel Shetty-starrer, Gopikishan, “Mere do do baap…” to “Mere do do maa and I’m proud of both of them,” Sohail Khan presented an award to step-mom, Helen. Seated in the front row, the entourage of B-townies including Ileana D’Cruz, Bobby Deol, Huma Qureshi, Farah Khan with tennis ace-bestie Sania Mirza, Urmila Matondkar, Aftab Shivdasani, Zeenat Aman, Poonam Dhillon, Neha Dhupia and Athiya Shetty cheered them on before proceeding to party all night.

The stars interacted with Dr Nowhera Shaikh and Supreme Court advocate Vineet Dhanda and his wife Puneet. “Bobby who had flown in with the ladies, joked that he was not able to catch up on his sleep because of their constant chatting,” laughed one of the guests, revealing that after the event, Farah, Sania and Huma took off to the latter’s pad to celebrate the tennis star’s 31st birthday, which she brought in two days earlier.

“There was a chocolate cake, music and Huma’s chefs had prepared a delicious meal of mutton curry that the girls binged on.”

Sohail and Bobby also rocked the night with their Delhi buddies. Suniel and Athiya Shetty stayed in as they had a 6 am flight to catch with a script narration for Athiya four hours later.