Ahaan Panday and Ananya Panday dancing to ‘Saat Samundar’ at Alanna Panday’s sangeet; (right) Ahaan dancing to ‘I Am The Best’

He is not an internet star, but even before he broke out with Saiyaara (2025), Ahaan Panday was already being talked about. The reason? His dance videos from sister Alanna Panday’s wedding had gone viral. While everyone expected Yash Raj Films (YRF) and Mohit Suri to cash in on it in his debut film, the director opted to keep his character intense. But here’s the clincher — fans wanted to see him dance. So, in his second, yet-untitled film directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, Ahaan will play the quintessential larger-than-life hero, complete with dance numbers.

“Ahaan, [who is currently shooting in the UK], is going to can a dance number next month, prep for which is underway. A four-day shoot for the song is being planned in Manchester. The sequence will show Ahaan in his effortless best and that’s how Aditya Chopra and Ali want to present him onscreen,” informs a source, adding that the shoot will happen at the end of the UK schedule.

YRF will lock a top choreographer for the number in the next few days “because the visual and dance forms have to be unlike anything YRF has done before”.

“Apart from daily dance rehearsals, he has also been working on stamina, body conditioning, camera [placements], music beats, expressions, signature hooksteps, and building the effortless swagger needed for a big Bollywood hero song since the number is designed as a high-energy commercial track mounted on a large scale,” adds the source.

Filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar recently shared a behind-the-scenes look from his upcoming project, featuring the leading man, Ahaan Panday.

Now, a source tells us, “Shoot begins on March 30 in Mumbai’s YRF Studios for a 27-day schedule. Then, the team will travel to UK for a 60-day shoot in May. All the actors are currently in action training, and will be till end of March.”

When contacted about his lead, Ali, 44, is all praise for Ahaan. “He doesn’t perform emotions, he feels them. And as a director, that’s a rare quality to find. The camera has a way of catching the truth and with him, the truth is always there in his eyes,” he says.

Only one film old in the industry, with his debut Saiyaara being a surprise hit, Ahaan, 28, will take on the action-romance genre in the upcoming film.

Ali adds that Ahaan “brings a modern energy to classic romantic leads”: ‘It’s always amazing to work with raw, new talent and Ahaan, to me, is at the top of the league from his generation.”

In his second innings in the movies, Bobby Deol is offering us quite a few surprises. If the senior actor shone in The Ba***ds Of Bollywood barely two months ago, he threw a curveball by headlining Anurag Kashyap’s Bandar. Now, it looks like he’s got another ace up his sleeve. mid-day has exclusively learnt that Deol has been roped in for director Ali Abbas Zafar’s next, which will be led by Ahaan Panday of Saiyaara fame and Sharvari. From what we’ve heard, the senior actor will play an adversary to Panday in the yet-untitled action drama.

A trade source, however, points out that Deol isn’t the antagonist in the story. “It will be incorrect to call him the villain. His character is in an authoritative position in the film, but there is more than meets the eye. As the story progresses, Bobby’s character is shown having grey shades, which influences his dynamics with the hero,” shares the source.

A string of negative roles has come Deol’s way in the past few years — from the game-changing Animal (2023) to Aashram and Kanguva (2024). In the upcoming Alpha too, he will be seen as the antagonist to Alia Bhatt and Sharvari’s spies. The source tells us that Zafar wanted to avoid showing the senior actor in a similar light in his next.

“Ali and producer Aditya Chopra were certain from the start that it can’t be a menacing and an all-black role as Bobby has done such parts. The director crafted a larger-than-life persona, keeping Bobby in mind, but at the same time, gave the character personal motivations and shades of grey. Bobby came on board only a week ago.”

Soon, Zafar will head to England for the film’s recce (Queen’s city calling showbiz’s new prince, Nov 5). If things go as planned, the project will roll in the first quarter of 2026.

What is Bollywood’s newest star, Ahaan Panday, doing after the smashing success of Saiyaara? Moving full-throttle into his second film, an action drama to be helmed by Ali Abbas Zafar.

mid-day has learnt that the director is headed to the UK in December for a month-long recce before the shoot kicks off in February 2026.

Sources tell us that the action drama, produced by Aditya Chopra, will be primarily shot in London, Birmingham, and Manchester, with some portions planned in Leeds.

A source breaks it down further, saying, “Ahaan’s Saiyaara made upwards of Rs 550 crore globally. That has given Ali and Aditya Sir the confidence to go all out with his second film. For most part of December, the director will scout for locations in London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Leeds that will add to the storytelling when they are presented on the big screen. Almost 80 to 90 per cent of the movie will be shot in England.”

We’ve heard that Panday is simultaneously prepping for the project, especially since this will be his introduction to the action genre.

The source adds, “His debut film presented him as a devoted romantic hero. With the second venture, Aditya sir wants to project him as an action-romance star. He has been undergoing hand-to-hand combat training and weapon training.”

In a significant escalation of the controversy surrounding the film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, producer Vashu Bhagnani has lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against the film’s director Ali Abbas Zafar, co-producer Himanshu Mehra, and finance head Ekesh Randive. The allegations, registered on December 8, 2024, at the Bandra Police Station, include financial fraud, forgery, and criminal misconduct.

The FIR, initiated following a December 2 court order, lists multiple charges under the Indian Penal Code, including Section 120B (criminal conspiracy), Section 406 (criminal breach of trust), Section 420 (cheating), Section 464 (making a false document), Section 468 (forgery for cheating), Section 471 (using a forged document), Section 500 (defamation), and Section 506 (criminal intimidation).

Bhagnani has accused Zafar and his associates of conspiring to inflate the film’s budget from the originally approved Rs. 125 crore (excluding actor fees) to Rs. 154 crore without proper justification. Specific allegations include forging invoices, overspending on luxury accommodations, equipment rentals, and hiring external vendors without necessary approvals. The FIR also claims that Bhagnani’s signatures were forged to misappropriate funds.

According to the FIR, the irregularities began after Bhagnani signed a four-film contract with actor Akshay Kumar in February 2021, with Bade Miyan Chote Miyan as one of the projects. Later that year, Zafar was brought on board to direct and write the script, Mehra was assigned as co-producer, and Randive was appointed to oversee financial management.

Through his movies, Ali Abbas Zafar has given us memorable action heroes—be it a wrestler finding lost glory in Sultan (2016) or an unstoppable NCB officer in Bloody Daddy (2023). That makes us wonder what happened of the action heroine we were promised. In 2019, the director had announced a superhero film with Katrina Kaif. With Bade Miyan Chote Miyan having hit the marquee, will his next be Super Soldier with Kaif?

“Super Soldier is not happening right now. I’m in talks with Katrina for an action film. I think she is an actor who aces action. There is a script we both like, and it will get made soon,” says the director.

The genre often requires a big canvas and a lavish budget. Zafar points out that the film’s math has to work out in an industry that is skeptical of going all out for women-led movies. Fortunately, the box-office success of Crew has dispelled some notions about all-women film’s prospects.

“Right now, the stakes for every action film are high. I know I will make that film. But I can’t deny it is harder to make a female-led action movie. That said, a success like Crew makes it easier. The film doing big numbers is an encouraging sign for the makers. Every movie’s mounting is directly proportional to the box-office numbers it is expected to generate. I don’t agree with it entirely, but it is a business ultimately.”

In the past few years, action has become Zafar’s beat, making one forget that he had forayed into movies with the rom-com, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011). Why did he never explore the genre again? 

“I would love to make a rom-com, but I’m yet to get a script that will take me back to the genre. It seems I don’t have a story like that within me anymore. Today romance is dying, or adapting in this social media era. One needs to feel romance to write it, and a lot of romantic films have worked because the writing was good. Mere Brother Ki Dulhan was made when we were naïve; it was an honest film about kids who were confused about matters of the heart.”

When we get on a call with Ali Abbas Zafar, he has just wrapped up the post-production of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. But you don’t hear the day’s strain in his voice. Instead, the director is relaxed, confident of the Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff-starrer. It marks his third Eid offering after the blockbuster Sultan (2016), and Bharat (2019) that didn’t do wonders at the box office.

“With Bade Miyan…, the expectations are different from that of a Salman Khan-starrer. In the past year, every kind of action film has been made. But for me, action is secondary; the story is primary. I am confident this story is new compared to everything that has been seen,” says the director.

Kumar and Shroff have been quintessential action heroes, but Zafar states it doesn’t take away from the film’s novelty.

“Akshay sir has been doing action for 30 years, and Tiger since he was launched in 2014. But I’m using their potential in a way that the audience will feel it’s new. Tiger Zinda Hai [2017] was an action film, but I made it nothing like Ek Tha Tiger [2012]. The first film was about romance, the second was a rescue mission. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan is about two heroes who don’t take life seriously; they have a wicked sense of humour. The film is designed like a comic book.”

The April 10 release also stars Manushi Chhillar, Alaya F, and Prithviraj Sukumaran as the antagonist. It’s easy to see that the action entertainer hinges on Kumar and Shroff’s chemistry. But the director doesn’t view it as a two-hero offering.

“I was writing a three-hero film set in current times. What is happening around us technologically and what our armed forces are going through form the backdrop. It is a three-hero film—two good guys, and one anti-hero. Prithviraj plays a strong role. The heroes are saving the day, but it is the super-villain who is creating the chaos. As for Akshay sir and Tiger, they are disciplined and love martial arts. My action directors loved them more than I did. They had two stars who could pull off anything.” 

With only a day to go for the actioner’s release, we ask Zafar about the Mr India reboot that ran into troubled waters with the original’s makers. “I wouldn’t say Mr India is not happening as of now. We have a good script. We’re working towards it. Let’s see where it goes.”

Villainy is not new to Prithviraj Sukumaran. The Malayalam actor previously played the antagonist in a few movies, including Krithyam (2005) and Kuruthi (2021). What’s different about Bade Miyan Chote Miyan then, which sees him lock horns with Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff? Sources say that unlike brawny baddies who are all about force, director Ali Abbas Zafar has designed Sukumaran’s character as a stylish anti-hero, an ambitious scientist who uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to achieve his goal.

A source reveals that Sukumaran was Zafar’s first choice for the role. While the actor’s wide popularity was a factor, the director had another reason for his decision.

The source says, “Ali thought of Prithviraj for the role, owing to the kind of credibility he has as an actor. While the director has designed the film as an Akshay and Tiger action fare, he has developed a broad arc for the anti-hero. The character Kabir is depicted as a suave, highly intelligent scientist who fights using his mind, not force. Ali felt that Prithviraj would be the right fit, given his persona. When the actor read the script, he realized Kabir had a meaty role.”

We hear the actor sports a cool look in the upcoming Eid release. The source adds, “The makers have kept his look under wraps, and did not even reveal it in the teaser.”

While Zafar and his business partner Himanshu Mehra previously backed Jogi (2022) and Bloody Daddy (2023), Bade Miyan Chote Miyan marks their first big production. The filmmaker, who is producing the entertainer with Vashu and Jackky Bhagnani, is upbeat about Sukumaran’s casting, as he says, “I’m fortunate to work with a south superstar like him. Prithviraj is a brilliant actor, and I learnt a lot from him.”

Why would the makers of a big-budget tentpole movie, starring Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff, decide to shoot it in the middle of nowhere? That was our first thought when we landed on the set of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan near Wadi Rum in Jordan, on the last day of the shoot. The term ‘in the middle of nowhere’ is not being used lightly here—wish we could show you images from the shoot; unfortunately, they are under embargo. But picture this: dramatic clouds against the blue sky, unending desert and rugged mountain ranges as far as the eye can see.

From Mumbai, it took us two flights and a four-hour drive from Amman to reach Wadi Rum. From there, Mohammed, also known as Michael Schumacher, drove us down to the location for another 30 minutes as we battled gusts of cold wind and three degree temperature. Then, there was a trek to the spot where the unit was shooting. Enough to make a fellow scribe joke, “Only Akshay and Tiger are cut out to do this every day.” He was right.

Soon, there was respite as we heard some Hindi in the air. Sure enough, we had reached the set —a 250-people unit shooting a song with Kumar, Shroff and leading ladies Manushi Chhillar and Alaya F. On this day, choreographer Bosco Martis was running the set, discussing steps with director Ali Abbas Zafar for the final okay.

While we shivered underneath our two jackets, Shroff was practicing his steps shirtless. “I’m loving the warmth of the sun,” he told us enthusiastically. This is perhaps the passion that goes behind making an action extravaganza —actors, director and the crew going to any lengths to give you the big-scale feel. The big-screen magic comes at a price.

Though in Jordan, the price is significantly less. In the past few years, the country has been the site of some major productions, including Dennis Villeneuve’s Dune (2021) and John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023). 

Producer Jackky Bhagnani explains that the local crew is trained, cheap and easily available. It’s inexpensive to shoot here with the rebates the government offers, even allowing 10 months of shoot without any additional taxes. What lures Zafar though is the stunning visual palette, from the sea to the mountains, from the rustic to the grand.

After an eight-hour shoot, we all headed to the film’s wrap-up party, where we watched the action thriller’s making. If the teaser was action-packed, the film promises much more—tanks, a helicopter, some cars being blown up, all of which Jordan has in surplus supplies. The country’s military has helped the Royal Film Commission of Jordan maintain replicas and real weaponry from as far as World War I. For the Indian audience, Zafar and Bhagnani have found untapped locations. What helps is the seamless functioning since the locals have an undying love for Hindi movies. 

We experienced it first-hand as we headed to Aqaba, Jordan’s coastal city, on our last day of the visit. Aqaba is marked by a strange confluence; to its south is Saudi Arabia, to its west Egypt and not too far away is Israel. As we had coffee at a waterfront, the owners played the song, Bole Chudiyaan, for us.

Evading talk of how the region has been a hotbed of activity in recent times, they discussed how they can’t get enough of Bollywood. A shopkeeper at Petra, which is barely a two-hour ride from Aqaba, even offered us a few freebies since we come from the land of Kareena Kapoor Khan, making us realize that Bollywood is bigger than we think. 

Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (BMCM) will get an exotic touch as the entire team, including actors Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff, head to Jordan to shoot for three songs, which will happen between January 19 to February 2.

Akshay says, “I’m excited to shoot in Jordan. I’ve never been there, but I’ve heard it’s a beautiful country. BMCM has superb action and requires a certain terrain. Vashu ji (producer Vashu Bhagnani) and director Ali (Ali Abbas Zafar) have chosen Jordan with a lot of thought.” They’ve also shot in Mumbai, London, Scotland and Abu Dhabi.

The songs will be choreographed by Bosco Martis, shares a source, adding, “The makers are going all out to make the songs a visual spectacle for the audience. They are taking a crew of 400-500 people, including 200 dancers.”

Going to Jordan is a bold move by the makers as it’s in the centre of three conflict zones. Sharing the reason behind their choice, producer Jackky Bhagnani says, “Jordan is amazing in terms of landscape as it has desert, mountains and good structures.” The film will release on Eid this year and also stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Sonakshi Sinha, Manushi Chhillar and Alaya F.

BMCM will see Akshay and Tiger unite, which has led to high anticipation among fans. Ali says, “It’s a big-ticket film coming on a big day. The action in the film has been executed by Akshay and Tiger without the use of too much VFX and body double.”

“I find myself in a good space today,” says Sanjay Kapoor, who has recently been seen in a string of interesting OTT projects. The actor seems to be in a phase where he is reinventing himself with every new project that he is doing. He talks to BT about how it took him so long to get his due and how he feels about where he is.

Self-admittedly, Sanjay, who will soon be seen in Sriram Raghavan’s film ‘Merry Christmas’, is in the best phase of his career with the kind of work he is doing on the OTT medium.

He says, “OTT has ushered in a great phase not just for me, but for most actors. For one, age is not a bar. Secondly, it is not dependent on the hits you’ve given. It’s no longerki ye bikta hai toh agar ye theek bhi kar lega toh chalega. It is sheer hard work, experience, and talent that will get you good projects. It’s a change that we are seeing in the film (big screen) scenario as well. Today, content is king, and good content needs talented artistes. OTT has extended the longevity of an actor as well as films. In fact, it has revived the 90s for me.”

Sanjay was once dubbed ‘the oldest newcomer’ in Bollywood when his debut film, ‘Prem’, took six years to complete. He was 30 when his first film hit the big screen.

He recalls, “Shekhar (Kapur) was to direct it before Satish Kaushik took over. It didn’t happen for some reason, and I lost out on my prime years for no fault of mine. ‘Prem’ and ‘Raja’ were released a month apart in 1995, and people rejected ‘Prem’ as it was outdated. Hurdles and long waits can make you doubt yourself. It was tough to go through that phase, but that didn’t make me disillusioned or bitter because that’s not my personality. I take the good and the bad in my stride.”

The actor, who has been a part of projects like ‘The Fame Game’, the ‘Lust Stories’ anthology, the film ‘Bloody Daddy’ and ‘Made in Heaven 2’, adds, “When people ask me for advice for aspiring actors, I say, ‘Keep on working because nobody can take away your talent from you. I’m living proof of the fact that success in this field may take time. Also, don’t sell yourself short’.”

The actor is no stranger to the whims of showbiz, and the delay of his debut film was not the only time he saw his career slow down. “I often wonder why people didn’t sign me after my work started getting appreciated, especially after ‘Luck by Chance’ (2009). You don’t always have answers to these whys. A short film like ‘Lust Stories’ changed the game for me. I see my glass half full now,” he observes, adding, “How many actors have survived 30 years? Trust me, if you’re a 90s actor having done typical roles, it’s not easy to get a breakthrough in OTT. I got in because of my hard work, sincerity, and dedication. I was always on my toes and when I got the opportunity, I grabbed it with both hands. Many other actors who had started with me have faded into oblivion.”

One day, a message from filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar seemed to wipe away all the questions that Sanjay may have harboured about the numerous delays and hurdles he encountered throughout his Bollywood journey. “You are the most underrated actor ever,” read the filmmaker’s message to the actor after the release of ‘Bloody Daddy’. Sanjay says, “It feels great to hear this after 30 years!”

Hailing from the illustrious Kapoor family of Bollywood, Sanjay is aware of his place in the industry. He says, “I am not living in la-la land to think all projects shall be around me. I understand that not every project can be a ‘Fame Game’ that revolves around Madhuri (Dixit-Nene) and me. While I don’t live in a fool’s paradise, I don’t want to be a part of a project where I am not contributing anything, especially when things have come to me after such a long time. I am being a little careful and taking up interesting characters that stay with the audience for long.”

Last month, comedian-actor Sunil Grover shared on Instagram a video of him sitting in the midst of vegetable vendors, selling garlic. Explaining Grover says: “I feel good looking at life from their perspective. Someday, I want to open all these shops and do all kinds of things.”

The 42-year-old adds, “I spend as much time with them as I can. By sitting with them, you can look at life through their eyes. And it’s not now... Since childhood, I’ve been fascinated by [such] things.”

On the work front, Grover has two major projects in the pipeline — Sunflower season 2 and (film) Blackout. Opening up about his journey, he says, “Comedy is a difficult form of art, so is acting. The approach to both the things is very different. While transitioning from comedy to acting, there were challenges. I give credit to Ali Abbas Zafar (director) especially, for believing I can pull off Bharat (2019). Mostly, makers have an image about comedians. They think, ‘Log hassne lag jaenge kya?’ [One must] think beyond what one has been doing.”

“If I had to succumb to the ways of the commercial film world, it would have happened long ago. I have been around for 20 years in this industry. I don’t think it is in my DNA.”

Rajeev Khandelwal took the audience by surprise with his recent outing as a baddie in ‘Bloody Daddy’. However, the one thing that has not changed from his journey starting with ‘Aamir’ (2008) to now, is his craving to stay away from clichés – in roles, movies, or just the way he wants to live his life.

“I don’t take myself or for that matter, life seriously. It’s meant to be lived and enjoyed to the fullest,” admits the actor. Rajeev sits down with us, for a heart-to-heart, by the sea at Marine Drive, pausing only to take in the light breeze. Excerpts.

While ‘Bloody Daddy’ has received a lot of appreciation, Rajeev almost did not do the film. He reveals, “I just could not see myself in the role of an antagonist, because years ago, a director friend of mine was in discussion with me for the remake of ‘Sleepless Nights’ (‘Bloody Daddy’ is an adaptation of the film), in which I was to play Shahid Kapoor’s character. I let go of the project as he wanted me to produce it, too. So, when ‘Bloody Daddy’ was offered to me, I wondered whether I would be convincing enough. I took that leap of faith when director Ali Abbas Zafar said that the joy of making me do something different is much bigger than having any actor who is an obvious choice for the character. So, it was not a planned move.”

‘A star is somebody who shines bright and is accepted across mediums. He has an audience waiting to see him everywhere. However, today it is usually an outcome of a PR overdrive. You are made a star’

‘It’s not only about visibility and grabbing eyeballs but also about satiating your creative hunger. I can’t agree to do a bad script just to become a part of a big setup, a camp or to be visible. I wouldn’t have left everything (the stardom he attained on TV) if I wanted to conform to the popular norm’

After the success of ‘Aamir’, the audience expected Rajeev to follow it up with multiple projects. However, he took up far and few projects. Ask him if he regrets it and the actor says, “Not many people know that after ‘Aamir’, I had signed a commercial film by a top filmmaker and even shot for the poster. It didn’t take off and I ended up wasting a year and a half on it. But I don’t have any regrets because it was my choice to stick around to do that film. Following that, I declined several commercial films because I didn’t like the scripts. I would rather be seen in a short film, which people find worthy of their 10 minutes and appreciate my work. It’s not only about visibility and grabbing eyeballs but also about satiating your creative hunger. I can’t agree to do a bad script just to become a part of a big setup, a camp or to be visible. I wouldn’t have left everything (the stardom he attained on TV) if I wanted to conform to the popular norm.”

‘I don’t see transitioning from TV to films as any kind of graduation for actors. The only aspect that separates the two is the box-office numbers’

Not the one to be swayed by stardom, Rajeev is known to be grounded. He says, “I had already tasted commercial success during my stint on TV, hence, I didn’t crave it. If commercial success means people recognizing, loving, whistling, and cheering for you, I had seen all of that with my TV show and I left it willingly. I could have remained a slave to this idea of success or moved on to new things, which might not get me the same amount of adulation but made me happy as an actor. I was craving something else which I got to taste with ‘Aamir’.”

‘I am not fond of too much attention. When people tell me that I am grounded, I feel that’s because they have come across 10 people who aren’t. So, I don’t read too much into it. At the end of the day, all of us are regular people trying to run our kitchens. I want adulation for the characters I play, and not for me’

Actor Ronit Bose Roy’s last few projects, including Thugs Of Hindostan (2018), Shamshera (2022) and Shehzada, failed to impress the audiences or work at the box office, but the actor prefers to look at the brighter side.

“These films are allowing me to build a bridge between me and filmmakers like Rohit Dhawan and Ali Abbas Zafar,” shares Roy, confessing that Shehzada was one such movie that he did only for its director, Dhawan. Without hesitation, the actor calls these no-brainer projects “a vacation”.

The 57-year-old explains, “In some films, performance isn’t needed. There’s barely any prep; you just get in there and be true to your role. These are like a vacation where you go on set and chill. And I don’t mind it because simultaneously, I’m also getting to play lead roles in other smaller films.”

While the failure of these films often leads to fans questioning his choices, the actor says he’s aware of their disappointment, and hence, he often writes to them on social media that he has no choice but to keep working. “Wahi baat hai, ‘marta kya na karta’. You can’t even say no to projects because it’s your job, and you have to continue doing it,” the Bloody Daddy actor says, adding, “Though I’m always aware what I’m getting into, there have been times when you are promised something, and then the results are something else. Those are the times you feel underutilized also, but then you can’t do anything about it.”

Nonetheless, Roy is happy with his career trajectory because of other factors, including good money. “I’m paid three times more than the next guy who’d do the role. That means there’s respect for my name and face. People recognize me as a good actor and that matters,” he ends.

Action comes easy to Ali Abbas Zafar. One only needs to skim through his filmography or see his latest offering, Bloody Daddy, to understand the director’s command over the genre. It’s not surprising then that his next, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (BMCM), too is an action entertainer. But the stakes are high as the project unites two of Bollywood’s biggest action heroes, Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff. “The principal photography of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan is complete,” begins the director.

“It was a difficult film to shoot. Its universe is [similar to that of] mainstream commercial entertainers, but it reflects a lot of things happening around us today. The biggest challenge was to keep the film’s grand scale intact, while bringing in realism.”

The Kumar and Shroff-starrer went on floors in Mumbai in January. Working with the best in the genre, Zafar says he had the added responsibility to dial up the action quotient. “I had to do justice to their craft and up the ante with them. It was also a challenge to write their characters. While you have to show them as heroes, they ought to have soul and emotional depth. Also, Akshay and Tiger’s fighting style is different [from other actors]. So, the action we have adopted is grittier.”

Expect lots of guns, tanks and car explosions, says Zafar. He adds that he roped in international stunt coordinators — from Craig Macrae and Katja Hopkins who have worked on Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), to Tadahiro Nakamura who was a part of the Bullet Train (2022) crew — for the film.

BMCM — also starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, Sonakshi Sinha, Alaya F and Manushi Chhillar — has been shot in Scotland, London, the UAE and India. With it, the director emphasizes that he has continued his signature style.

“My movies are always raw with real stunts. When I write [the scenes], I visualize them. So, when I am on the film set, I can see [it translating] in front of the camera. For me, CGI is a supporting tool; over 80 per cent of the stunts have to be performed.”

Big-screen entertainers, from Sultan (2016) to Tiger Zinda Hai (2017), have been Ali Abbas Zafar’s forte. But his language of cinema changed, as he moved to digital entertainment with Tandav (2021) and Jogi (2022). With the upcoming Bloody Daddy, the director brings his signature larger-than-life treatment to streaming platforms.

Zafar says, “From the beginning, it was a conscious decision to make this film for an OTT platform, so that we don’t have to go through any censorship issues later. The film’s visual language is a little graphic. We were clear that we wanted to make the action look raw and real.”

At the centre of the actioner — adapted from the French film, Sleepless Night [2011] — is Shahid Kapoor playing a Narcotics Control Bureau officer, who has to return a seized bag of drugs in exchange for his abducted son. The Jio Cinema offering has fulfilled the actor-director duo’s long-standing wish to team up.

“We’ve known each other from the time I was an assistant director on Badmaash Company (2010). After I became a director, I often told him that the day I find a good story for him, I’ll bring it to him.” 

Kapoor was the first name that came to his mind for the actioner. “Shahid liked the idea. When I wrote the script and went to him after three months, he could see himself clearly as Sumair.”

The director admits that his leading man and he have different sensibilities in cinema. Bloody Daddy then is the marriage of the two schools of thought. “Shahid likes to do credible films, and I come from a mainstream background. So, we had to find a common ground, on paper and on set. Sometimes, before a scene, he’d tell me that it’s [over the top]. I’d then tell him, ‘What I’m doing with you is only 50 per cent of what I would’ve done with Salman Khan.’ Sometimes, we would do things his way. It was a good marriage of creative minds.”

Action film franchises are common. Zafar agrees that the movie — also starring Ronit Roy, Sanjay Kapoor and Diana Penty — can lend itself to a franchise. “The film is designed in a way that leaves the narrative open-ended. Tomorrow, if you [want to make] a sequel, it can easily be done. But it all depends on the love that Bloody Daddy gets.”

After spending two decades in showbiz as an actor, Vivan Bhathena now has direction on his mind. “It’s all about finding the right project,” he says, adding, “I’m finally making the move towards direction and writing for myself.”

The actor does have his plate full at the moment. “I am working on two-three web shows right now. I even have a film coming out, helmed by Ali Abbas Zafar. There are active talks for film from the south industry. So there’s a lot going on currently,” he shares.

Now, with his heart set to get on the director’s chair, he is pitching his ideas actively: “I’m trying to find the right people to work with… Whom I can sell my scripts to and direct it myself.”

Opening up about what pushed him into direction, the 43-year-old says, “It’s always been on my mind. For me, it has been about creation right from the beginning. I have been a photographer for about 10-12 years. Now, I am trying to channel it through another lens.”

According to Bhathena, it all boils down to how well you communicate with your actors. “As an actor, you bring in a very unique perspective. But as a director, it’s all about your ability to communicate with the actors. I think it will be easy for me to handle my actors, as I can completely understand what goes through an actor’s mind, what their insecurities are, and how to tackle them,” the Sooryavanshi (2021) actor says, revealing that it was the initial financial crunch that held him back for a while.

“Now it is time to explore my passion, and see what the future holds for me. I’d like to transition slowly and steadily to different things. But in no way am I going to quit acting. As long as the projects are interesting, I’ll definitely keep doing them. But direction is something that I am really looking forward to try my hands on in the future,” ends the actor, who first made an appearance in the music video Maine Payal Hai Chhankai (1999), and went on to star in shows such as Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Chhoona Hai Aasmaan and movies like Chak De! India (2007), Dangal (2016) and Bimbisara.

Ali Abbas Zafar has little time for a breather. While the shoot of his next with Shahid Kapoor, tentatively titled 'Bloody Daddy', has been wrapped up, the director was busy with the release of Diljit Dosanjh-starrer 'Jogi' until last week. Now, it’s time for him to focus on the reboot of 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan'. The film, on its announcement in February, had generated much interest, owing to its leading men—it will see Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff share screen space for the first time.

The director reveals that he wanted to make a high-octane action thriller by bringing the two heroes together. “I wanted to make a cool action film with two of the most celebrated action heroes [in Bollywood]. Akshay sir has been [exploring] the genre for a long time, and Tiger is a new kid on the block who is creating waves with his style of [stunts]. So, my idea is to bring the old and new school together, and create some cool hand-to-hand combat and action sequences,” says Zafar, evidently excited at the possibilities that the new project presents.

The original 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan' (1998) was an action-comedy featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Govinda, and Raveena Tandon. With the reboot, Zafar is likely to change the tone to make it a full-blown action spectacle—a genre he previously explored with 'Tiger Zinda Hai' (2017). The pre-production is on in full swing to meet the Christmas 2023 deadline, says the filmmaker.

“We will announce the leading lady soon. We will start shooting in the first week of January 2023. I am excited to do a big actioner after a long time. We are done with our location scouts, and are now working on the action sequences. The film is set across Europe and the Middle East, and most of our crew is international.”