Times are changing and more and more novel and unconventional topics are being tackled in our films. But homosexuality is one such subject where we have slightly lagged behind. Here, we are not talking about caricature gay characters inserted in films for cheap laughs but realistic depiction of such people. Interestingly, Hollywood and many of our web series too are based on this idea. Even regional films on homosexuality have thrived. However, a handful of Hindi films have had protagonists playing gays.

So what’s stopping Bollywood for getting into it full throttle like its contemporaries? The biggest problem is that despite Supreme Court decriminalizing homosexuality and increase in awareness, it’s something that still remains a taboo. And films made on taboo topics can be detrimental. Akshay Kumar’s film on sanitation, Toilet – Ek Prem Katha, worked very well as this was a still a topic that can be discussed. But when he attempted to spread awareness about sanitary pads in Pad Man, the desired result was not achieved. Toilet – Ek Prem Katha earned Rs. 132.07 crore while Pad Man, despite having better word of mouth, could reach only till Rs. 78.22 crore.

Shockingly, none of the LGBT film of Bollywood has even seen a commercial success. Fire was the first such film in this genre. However, it was met with violent protests due to which the film was withdrawn. Sometime later, it was re-released after the Censor Board imposed cuts. Though it ran without any problem, the earnings were paltry.

Then, Split Wide Open, Rahul Bose-starrer, came next in this genre. But it was so niche that it went unnoticed. Karan Razdan’s 2004 flick, Girlfriend, was a story of an obsessive lesbian. It had immediately come after Murder, which popularized the idea of films with intimate scenes. It had loads of steamy and sleazy scenes and hence, it didn’t do much for the LGBT movement. And it was an average grosser at the ticket window.

Many other films then came up but were mostly small-budget. My Brother Nikhil, Onir’s first directorial, came all of a sudden, and as expected sank without a trace. Margarita With A Straw got a bit noticed but didn’t have any commercial trappings. Same happened with Aligarh. Angry Indian Goddesses was a fine piece of cinema and had an unexpected lesbian angle but viewers couldn’t give it a chance because of its very elite feel. Dunno Y Na Jaane Kyun, meanwhile, is considered to be a success story, and even has a sequel. But those who have seen it call it shoddy piece of cinema. And in cinemas, it was a big time disaster.

Karan Johar made two films and both have done a lot to make homosexuality mainstream. His 2008 flick Dostana was an average grosser and many even criticized for being cheap. However, homosexuals call this film a blessing as it at least ignited the conversation. During 10th anniversary of Dostana, prominent LGBTQ rights activist Harrish Iyer had told this writer, “Dostana broke the taboo. It was a landmark film as it mainstreamed the issue. It brought the conversation to the dining table. Dostana almost became a word for gays. People would say ‘Yeh log dono Dostana karte hai’ instead of saying ‘Yeh dono gay hai’!” He futher adds, “Karan Johar has done a lot of service to the homosexual community by bringing the conversation out from the closet into the open.” 8 years later, Karan Johar produced Kapoor & Sons. This was a hit film but homosexuality formed a very small part of the flick.

Last year, a lot of expectations were rested on Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga. It featured a mainstream actor like Sonam K Ahuja in the role of a lesbian. What’s more, her real life father Anil Kapoor played the part of her dad, and there was also Rajkummar Rao and two popular songs too add to the impact. Sadly, the film received mixed response. On top of that, the taboo topic obviously and also the serious nature of the film kept audiences away.

But now, we have a film that can finally emerge as the first box office success in this space - Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan. It stars Ayushmann Khurrana and Jitendra Kumar as the lovers with Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao, Manu Rishi Chadha and Maanvi Gagroo playing supporting parts. The trailer was unveiled few days back and has been loved for its clever writing and the feel good mood of the film. What’s great is that someone like Ayushmann Khurrana has backed it and that too at this stage of his career. Right now, he’s on a roll and how. He has had 6 back-to-back hits, and it all started with the first part of this film, called Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, which was based on performance anxiety. Ayushmann is known to take up such topics in his films like sperm donation, late pregnancy etc in his films and these movies are family entertainers, without too many embarrassing moments for the traditional audiences.

Due to these reasons, Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan has a very high chance of becoming a hit at the box office. The costs also seem limited and even if it does a business of around Rs. 55-60 crore, it’ll be in the safe zone. One might argue that a value of a film should not be judged by the amount of money it makes. After all, films like My Brother Nikhil, Fire etc also have been significant films of this movement, notwithstanding their box office outcome. But when a film on gays becomes a hit and gets whole-hearted acceptance, it’ll encourage more and more producers and even mainstream actors to back such projects. And this, in turn, will serve the larger cause and bring social acceptance to LGBT in a small but significant way. Hence, here’s hoping that Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan turns out to be a great fare and that it gets the success it deserves!

Debarati Sen (BOMBAY TIMES; December 3, 2017)

A true artiste is never really restricted to a single form of expression. Multi-faceted, they usually begin early by dabbling in many areas and eventually, excelling in quite a few. Anushka Manchanda is one such artiste. She began her journey into stardom as a teenager, by winning one of India’s earliest reality shows to bag a place in the country’s first all-girl band, Viva. Since then, she has donned multiple hats with élan — singer, music producer, songwriter, video editor, biker babe and an actress. Excerpts from an interview...

You were in your teens when you won the Viva talent hunt in 2002. How was the experience, especially since you had never really planned a career in music?
I was 17, and hadn’t even finished school. I had no idea what I was getting into, but everybody around me, including my teachers at school, told my parents that this was the right thing to do. We were meant to migrate to the US earlier that year, but I had an accident which delayed the move. Now, I believe that everything, no matter how bad it seems at the time, happens for the right reason.

Viva was a glamorous band, which had four talented, young and gorgeous girls. Did you ever feel that the music industry did not take you seriously?
Right after Viva split, I became a VJ and one of my first shows was V Launchpad. One day, I did an impromptu jamming session and as soon as I stopped singing, I saw all these indie musicians looking at me incredulously. One of them said, ‘Hey, you can actually sing!’ I grew up on rock and roll, and felt like a fish out of water in the pop band. So, to finally get acceptance from others felt pretty good. Having said that, if I could go back and give an advice to my 20-year-old self, it would be to not worry about being accepted.

It took you four years after Viva to make your Bollywood debut with the title track of The Golmaal – Fun Unlimited (2006). That song is still popular. How did it feel to be appreciated for your first attempt at playback?
If there was a person from the band who had the least chances of being a playback singer, it was me. So, when these songs started to come in, I was shocked. However, I didn’t overanalyse it and just went with the flow. I landed the song because Vishal and Shekhar (music directors) had heard my voice at a show I was hosting. Needless to say, that track turned out to be super lucky for me.

While you were an untrained singer, the music industry, including Bollywood, has always laid a lot of emphasis on the singers being formally trained. Did you ever face any disadvantage because of that?
Yes, I felt that it was such a big drawback. I had played the piano for many years and my basic knowledge was strong, but mostly, I grew up listening to Aerosmith, Rage Against The Machine, Prodigy, Metallica and Apollo 440. So, my style and approach were completely different. It worked for me at times, but many times, it didn’t. For example, once I had to record a song for Jatin-Lalit and I spent most of the time crying in the bathroom because I just couldn’t sing in that style well enough and I felt so bad about it.

Since the Golmaal track, you have sung over 100 songs in films. How has the journey been?
It’s been an adventure. I actually learnt everything about singing on the job. There is this soft side to my voice that I didn’t get to explore much in Bollywood, but I use it a lot for advertising. I wish I could do more of that in films, too.

What’s your take on the current scene in Bollywood music? Over the last few years, do you think that it has changed a lot?
Honestly, it’s a bit confusing. There are so many new, talented artistes in the music industry. But then, there are also songs that make you question everything you believe in. In all humility, let me say that it hurts when I hear remakes of old songs that don’t do justice to the original. I’m not a purist, but some things are sacred.

You have also dabbled in acting, with Pan Nalin’s Angry Indian Goddesses that won critical acclaim, globally. Tell us about the experience...
It was educative — I learnt about filmmaking, acting processes and methods. I also learnt about myself and what I am capable of. I was surrounded by technicians and artistes who were passionate about what they were doing, and it reinforced my conviction about the kind of work I want to do.

Do you find acting as cathartic as music? Or did you explore it out of curiosity?
After Angry Indian Goddesses premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, an article was published about 15 breakthrough actors from the festival and my name was on the list. That gave me a high and I want to do more work that excites me.

Having been successful in various fields, what do you see yourself as — a singer, model, actress or VJ?
Whenever someone asks me that question, I say that I am a new music producer who has been singing for many years. I have also edited some music videos for which my brother, Shikhar Manchanda, and I composed the music.

Anirban Das (MID-DAY; April 20, 2016)

The Pan Nalin directed Angry Indian Goddesses (2015), which was well received in the film festival circuit, is all set to get a prequel. Soon after the release of the film, Pan was asked about its sequel but he didn’t reveal much. The director has now confirmed that the sequel will be made only after gauging response to the prequel.

Says Nalin, “The scripting process for the prequel is currently on. We felt that the backstory of all the characters needs to be told. We already have some part of it ready, but are fleshing out more details to make the prequel even more interesting.” If everything falls in place, the film will go on floors in September and some A-listers will also be a part of the project.

Adds Nalin, “All the girls from the first film will be a part of it. We are trying to manage their dates and plan to go on floors in September. Plus, there will be a leading star to play one of the boyfriends and a top actress for a cameo in the film. We cannot name anyone as the talks are on.”

Subhash K Jha (DNA; December 28, 2015)


CBFC chair Pahlaj Nihalani has already sent his explanation to the I&B ministry. Says Nihalani, “We are in a Catch-22 situation. Karo toh gaali, na karo toh gaali. When we were strict with the vulgarity quotient, we were called prudes. Sanskaari became a gaali. And to endorse obscenity was seen worthy of taali. So, we certified some films with scenes and dialogues that we would otherwise have never passed as they went against our guidelines.”

However Nihalani is quick to point out that the scenes being shown in the forthcoming sex comedies are illegal. “The steep level of vulgarity in the trailers was brought to our notice. And we were shocked to see scenes and dialogues that we had censored, being used in the trailer. In fact, the makers of Angry Indian Goddesses put together scenes deleted from the film and posted them online. Do they know it’s a culpable crime?”

Nihalani is not the least apologetic about his pro-government leanings. “Yes, I am a proud soldier of the BJP and I firmly believe Narendra Modiji is the present and future of the country. But I’ve a mind of my own. And I know what is good for the film industry as I’ve been a producer for 40 years.”

He concludes, “As long as I am the chairperson of the CBFC, I’ll do what my conscience tells me is right. Brickbats have never bothered me. I won’t buckle under pressure from vested interests.”

Subhash K Jha (DNA; December 10, 2015)


Tannishtha’s scenes were edited out not only in India, but also abroad. Now Tannishtha has sworn off love-making scenes. Heterosexual or same-sex. Says the actress, “This is my third film in a row where my intimate scenes have been chopped off. My love-making scenes in Leena Yadav’s Parched and Bikas Ranjan Mishra’s Chauranga have also been edited out. I won’t do any more intimate scenes. There is no point in doing them when all the effort goes to waste.”

Censor Board's demands get more bizarre, as makers told to replace 'bhagwan' with 'uparwala' and the images of goddesses blurred out
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 1, 2015)

The Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC), in particular its 'sanskari' chairperson, Pahlaj Nihalani, has the online community in a tizzy with its 'cuts', 'mutes' and 'alternatives'. After denying James Bond the licence to kiss in desi theatres (Mirror, November 19), the censors instructed the makers of the upcoming Hate Story 3 to replace the word 'bhagwan'.

According to a source, one of the leading men, Sharman Joshi, says in the film, "Uss bhagwan ko mein jeetne nahin doonga." The makers were told that the word 'bhagwan' might hurt the sentiments of a certain section of the audience. "They didn't argue but simply replaced 'bhagwan' with 'uparwala'," adds the source.

Interestingly, the makers of another film which also opens this Friday, Angry Indian Goddesses, were also asked to explain the use of the word 'goddess' in the title. "We pointed to the speeches of politicians in which the gathered audience is addressed as 'deviyon aur sajjanon', arguing that the 'devis' here, like in the film, were not 'goddesses' but 'revered Indian women'. Our logic convinced the members of the Revising Committee and the title was retained. But we had to blur out the images of the goddesses in the kitschy calendar art in the opening scene and also a poster of the goddess Kali," informs the film's producer Gaurav Dhingra.

Given how leery our censors have become about sex in recent times, the erotic content of Hate Story 3 also drew some frowns, in particular the word 'sambhog' which translates as 'sexual coupling' and was passed in the trailer. The argument given was that Karan Singh Grover's westernised character wouldn't use such erudite Hindi words.

"Again on the suggestion of certain Board members, 'sambhog' was replaced with 'milan' and 'bas***d' with 'rascal'," informs the source, adding that unlike the Bond makers who wanted a 'U/A' certificate, the makers of Hate Story 3 had applied for an 'A' certificate so they weren't asked to make any drastic changes which would alter the story or the screen life of a character.

However, it was an ordeal for Angry Indian Goddesses, Nalin's film on female bonding with the Examining Committee refusing to give an adult certification and offering no 'official' reason for their reluctance. Later, on the suggestion of an industry know-all, the makers voluntarily decided to mute out the cuss words before going to the Revising Committee.

At the end of that screening, they were handed a list of another 16 words that needed to be muted and told to incorporate two insertions, 'Smoking is injurious to health' and 'This is a work of fiction.' What's even more baffling for the makers is that the word 'sarkar' has been muted, as also 'adivasis'. In fact, 'adivasi' has been muted in one scene and has stayed in another.

"From 'orgasm' and 'dildo' to 'sexy', 'maal' and 'Indian figure' our ladies have lost their voice. There's a scene in which they're going out to lunch and a good-looking guy passes by, and one of the ladies says, tongue-in-cheek, 'Lunch to samne se aa raha hai.' The word 'lunch' has been muted in the sentence. A kiss has also been deleted and a love making scene shortened," says Gaurav who has sold his female buddy flick in 60 countries without a single cut and screened it at international film fests across the world, including the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), to standing ovations.

He couldn't afford to go to the Tribunal since that would have further delayed the film which was supposed to open on November 12. "We pushed it to November 27 and then December 4. Any more delay and I would've run out of my promotional budget and never been able to open in the country where the storys set and screen it for our primary audience," reasons Gaurav.

HATE STORY 3 VS ANGRY INDIAN GODDESSES

This Friday will see the release of 2 adult-certified films but both are as different as chalk and cheese. An analysis of these two films:

HATE STORY 3: It is third part of the series and stars Sharman Joshi, Zareen Khan, Karan Singh Grover and Daisy Shah. It is directed by Vishal Pandya and like Hate Story 2, it is produced by Bhushan Kumar. While Karan was associated with Alone, that was promoted as an erotic thriller, Sharman, Zareen and Daisy have surprised audiences with the promos and songs of the film since they have never ever done such kind of roles before. The trailer of the film gives an indication that there’s more to the movie than merely the hot songs. The songs have been noticed. The erotic quotient obviously will be a huge drawing factor but how many scenes will be retained in the movie remains to be seen. It can have a good opening, similar to Hate Story 2. If it manages to get appreciation, it can turn out to be a decent success as it has no competition till December 18.

ANGRY INDIAN GODDESSES: This seems to be an indie film but is a completely masala entertainer. It stars Sandhya Mridul, Sarah Jane Dias, Anushka Manchanda, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Pavleen Gujral, Rajshjri Deshpande and Amrit Maghera. The story revolves around these 7 women, all of whom have gathered to celebrate the pre-wedding bash of their film who is getting married in Goa. The film has been screened at various international film festivals of the world where it has received thunderous response. I was fortunate to see the film at the 17th Mumbai Film Festival and it’s a must watch movie! It also can become a box office success if word of mouth is positive. But opening is going to be low as not many people are aware of the film. Also, it has a very urban touch which unfortunately wrecks havoc with a film’s box office prospects.

WHICH FILM YOU’D LIKE TO SEE AND WHY? DO LET ME KNOW!

DNA (November 22, 2015)

Pan Nalin, director of Angry Indian Goddesses, is working towards organising a special screening for Shah Rukh Khan. He made a short documentary on Shah Rukh Khan long before he made his first feature film Samsara. After movies like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, when Shah Rukh Khan was the No. 1 star in India, Pan Nalin was approached by France’s Canal Plus to make a documentary to commemorate the hundred year of invention of cinema by the Lumière Brothers, where he had proposed a film on Shah Rukh Khan. Pan says, “When my editor Shreyas Beltangdy completed editing the trailer of Angry Indian Goddesses, the very first person I shared it with was Shah Rukh. He watched it, loved it, watched it again and expressed a desire to watch the film! So now we will work towards organising a special show of AIG for Shah Rukh.”

MUMBAI MIRROR (November 20, 2015)

After rave reviews across International Festivals, Angry Indian Goddesses, directed by Pan Nalin and produced by Gaurav Dhingra is ready to release in India on 4th December. The movie, touted as India's first female buddy film with a stellar star cast, puts modern-day Indian women at the heart of the story.

The makers of the film interviewed a couple of thousand women from various walks of life as a part of their research when the script was being put together, to make it as authentic as possible. The research and writing team spent two years uncovering facts and figures about the contemporary Indian woman, her achievements, her problems, her issues and her dreams.

Director Pan Nalin's vision of the film stemmed from his observation of the highly unrealistic portrayal of women in Indian Cinema. He quotes "A huge percentage of Indian Cinema is filmed through the male perspective. Women being so tolerant by nature rarely protest about this. It's only while talking to them did we realize how seriously they want to see a realistic portrayal of women and girl bonding. Since many years, I was longing to do a film with firebrand Indian women in lead roles because shockingly, 96% of women-roles in Indian cinema is only for decoration; being a lover (means being sexy), or playing a mother, or a sister whose "izzat" the hero or the big brother must protect. Or she is the ultimate item girl!! A guy must have a gun and girl - but it will always be a guy's movie. A girl gets glamour and a 'gaana' -but still it's a guy's movie! Be it action, romcom, thriller... only the man must eat screen time, say the great lines, and get the girl in the end. Even the recent lot of all Bollywood buddy movies run high on male testosterone, as if women don't "buddy" each other!!"

The film was test screened across 17 cities in India prior to its worldwide release, and the results were explosive! The test audience which was an equal mix of both female and male, was blown away by the refreshingly true representation of women on celluloid, and were able to instantly connect with the characters.

Angry Indian Goddesses, produced by Jungle Book Entertainment and presented by Nandish Domlur of Protein Entertainment is slated for an all India release on 4th December. The promos of the film promise one roller coaster ride of a film. They have evoked a huge curiosity amongst both women and men alike, to see for the first time on Indian screen what REALLY happens when 7 girls come together!

Subhash K Jha (DNA; November 19, 2015)


Says a source, “Major portions of the film have been hacked off by the Examining Committee. The biggest sufferer is actress Tannishtha Chatterjee, whose role has been drastically reduced.” She confirms, “The film that fetched me so much acclaim abroad and the film that has been cut by the Censor are two different entities. Now, my role is almost nothing.”

The film’s producer Gaurav Dhingra has now taken the film to the CBFC’s Revising Committee where hopefully some, if not most of the cuts would be restored. Says a source close to the film, “Regrettably, we don’t have the time to put up fight as our release is just two weeks away.”

Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; November 16, 2015)

Nothing sells like sex and the makers of upcoming erotic thriller, Hate Story 3, want to prove that. Keen to get a solo release window on December 4, they have ensured that Milap Zaveri’s Mastizaade and Mozez Singh’s Busan film festival opener Zubaan delay their entry into theatres.

Buzz is that makers of the two films were also looking at December 4 for a theatrical release. As soon as word spread, Hate Story 3 producer Bhushan Kumar apparently requested the two producers to release their films at a later date.

Says a source, “Bhushan asked them to delay the release of their films. He is keen that Hate Story 3 get a clear window. Moreover, he bought all the spots on channels for promotions. Since he also heads a music company, they refused to promote the music of other films.”

Says Mastizaade director Milap Zaveri, “Bhushan sir personally sat through the music sittings of my film with me. So, in a way, it’s almost like his own film. When he requested us to not clash with Hate Story 3, it was the least that we could do. Both films have the potential to hit bull’s eye — they will in 2015 and we, in 2016.”

Mastizaade stars Sunny Leone while Zubaan features Masaan actor Vicky Kaushal. Adds the source, “Having a Sunny Leone-starrer alongside would have led to division of business while Zubaan would attract the niche audience.”

Meanwhile, now Pan Nalin’s Angry Indian Goddesses (AIG), which was slated to hit the marquee on November 27, will now reach theatres on December 4 to avoid a clash with Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone-starrer Tamasha. Says Nalin, “We will be releasing AIG on December 4. We have received fantastic reaction at film festivals. Our film will be released abroad in 2016, but we want the Indian audience to see it first.”

Bhushan remained unavailable for comment.

BOMBAY TIMES (November 16, 2015)

From left: Anushka Manchanda, Sandhya Mridul, Sarah Jane Dias, Pavleen Gujral and Rajshri Deshpande at the mid-day office. Pic/Datta Kumbhar

Five actresses talk about everything that make women happy, gloomy, emotional and furious
MID-DAY (November 12, 2015)

When five woman of substance — Sandhya Mridul, Anushka Manchanda, Pavleen Gujral, Sarah-Jane Dias and Rajshri Deshpande — visited the mid-day office recently for a no-holds barred chat, it turned out to be one amusing conversation. The five actresses, who feature in the upcoming film, Angry Indian Goddesses, touch upon all things feminine and feminist. Excerpts from the conversation:

State of affairs
Sandhya: The film plays out like as a conversation about recent, critical issues plaguing the country — things that make your blood boil and piss you off. Today, people start receiving threats for posting anything on their personal social media accounts. That is ridiculous. There is no freedom of speech. We are supposed to be a democracy.
Anushka: We don’t live in a democracy. We live in hypocrisy. We are hypocrites. Passing comments at women on the streets is common.
Rajshri: I recently visited an NGO where I met a girl who suffered burns after a random person threw acid on her.
Pavleen: If something pops up in front of our eyes that we can’t ignore, it makes us angry.

Male bashing
Anushka: I don’t know why people are assuming that we would bash men in the film; as if we don’t have a life.
Sarah: Feminism, just like spirituality, is easily misconstrued. Somehow, I find that even though we are progressing rapidly, people need to put things into boxes. So, the general perception is that if seven women are in one film, they must be bashing men. It’s like they don’t have a life and can’t talk about other things.
Sandhya: We love men. We know of a lot of supportive men. I think feminist is not a bad word; it’s just about standing up for yourself.

As she straddles two cultures, model-turned-actor Amrit Maghera confesses she is quite beginning to enjoy the best of both worlds
Mitali Parekh (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 8, 2015)

In the last years of the 2000s, you couldn't escape Amrit Maghera's face. She loomed over the city from hoardings, she infiltrated your homes with her many television commercials and shone on the ramp. The face of India's largest cosmetic company (Lakme), her rise was quick, especially for someone who had come to India from the UK as a backup dancer with 30 others.

And then in 2012, she went back home to London. There were rumours of drug addiction, rehab and an affair with a high-ranking official from within the brand. "That's rubbish," says Maghera, who is now 32. "I am completely against drugs. I was getting acting offers and I wanted to work internationally. So I went back to London to study acting." Three years on, she's coming back as Joanna in the soon-to-release Angry Indian Goddesses.

Maghera acquired from her father her Scottish-English lineage and from her mother, her Punjabi blood and a surname. She knew only her Indian agent when she came to the country at the age of 23. "It was a little tough at the beginning. I was quite young and naive. Some people tried to tell me who to be," she says. "I was told that every time I step out of the house, I should have a face full of makeup and that I should wear heels at all times. I had no family here, so things were harder. I remember when I was chosen to be the face of Lakme, a couple of my model friends turned their backs on me. I guess you meet some immature people wherever you go, but I did make some very good model friends too."

She says, the move back home and the shift to a new industry was challenging. "I had to learn to (start from scratch)," she adds. "I had to queue up for auditions and wait for hours. But though I would have to audition, I would still be recognised in India. I had to tell myself that I was grateful, that this was my life and I had to work hard and be humble." The gift of a mixed heritage is that she looks "ambiguous". "I find it so interesting that in India, people like to make use of the fact that I am half-English and from the West, like the character I played in the [2014] movie Mad About Dance," she says. "In England, the people I work with love to use my Asian roots." Maghera, who had been seen in the Punjabi movie Goreya Nu Daffa Karo, is now on British TV as Neeta Kaur on the daily soap Hollyoaks. "My character in Hollyoaks is very ditzy — she's a 25-year-old barmaid and a step-mom to three children who are her own age. She's so much fun to play as she's quite far from how I am in real life."

Maghera was not hoping to come back to India, but she now feels grateful that she has a career which spans two countries. "I feel very lucky that I'm in a position to be able to go back and forth for shoots and for promotions. Scriptwise and project-wise, I want to do anything that excites me," she says. "Like playing Joanna. She's Frieda's cousin (Sarah-Jane Dias's character in Angry Indian Goddesses), and like me, she is half-English. I am so glad that [casting agent] Dilip Shankar and [director] Pan Nalin cast me. I loved working in a mainstream movie with all these women and no lead male actor."

Maghera's Joanna is someone who seems only occupied with living. "She soaks up every small thing, such as butterflies, the small things in life which anyone else would take for granted," she says. "There was a detailed character sketch for each person and part of this was that Joanna lost her father when she was young. So Nalin and Dilip gave me this diary and I had to write letters to my father at age 5, 12 and so on, as well as many other exercises, to become Joanna. Sarah-Jane and I would hang out for hours and even fall asleep in the same bed because we were shooting in this spooky village in Goa."

Maghera is also a trained dancer and says that she gets offers to choreograph for movies. "It's a part of me, but I think I will tap into that when, say, I am 60. I would rather focus on one thing now and perhaps do movies that bring in all my strengths. I'd like to do an action movie, which would use my dance talents. I'd really like to work with Anurag Kashyap. I've known him for a few years now. He's a cool guy, and I'd also like to work with Vikas Bahl," she says.

Ask women in India about their lives and dreams and fears and one will realize that all of them are very angry…about something or the other. Many films have been made on them but still a lot is left to be desired. Angry Indian Goddesses not only talks about these issues in a very entertaining manner, but also turns out to be maybe Bollywood’s first ‘women buddy’ film. And it has been made so beautifully that these goddesses are sure to win your heart!

The story of the movie: Frieda D’Silva (Sarah Jane Dias) is a photographer who stays in Goa. She invites her friends – singer Madhurita aka Mad (Anushka Manchanda), top corporate employee Suranjana aka Su (Sandhya Mridul), Delhi-based housewife Pamela Jaiswal aka Pam (Pavleen Gujral) and activist Nargis Nasreen (Tannishtha Chatterjee) to her place to celebrate an important occasion. They are joined by Frieda’s cousin Joanna aka Jo (Amrit Maghera) and the maid Lakshmi (Rajshri Deshpande). What starts off as a simple break form their lives turns into much more and provides them not only loads of happiness but also some tragic, sad and exhilarating moments.

Angry Indian Goddesses begins on a high note which is bound to be loved by all. It might look like a niche film but honestly, it’s not! It’s as commercial and as massy as it can get. Each character is well sketched and thought of and the interactions that each of them has are funny and quite touching. Few scenes might seem unnecessary at first but later, one realizes their relevance. In fact, this is a great part of the film – everything falls into place very nicely. Few scenes where the ladies talk about rapes and regressive laws might seem a little preachy and out of place but then, isn’t how we also talk when with friends? The second half of the film has some great moments. The dumb charades one is just awesome! The film goes on another level in the last 20 minutes. The tension is brilliantly created and keeps viewers gripped onto their seats. The final scene is applaud-worthy.



Angry Indian Goddesses is laced with some terrific and memorable performances. Sarah Jane Dias gets a great chance to prove her worth as an actress with this film. She is a natural and after Angry Indian Goddesses, here’s hoping that she gets floored with offers. Anushka Manchanda, a singer in real life as well, plays her part with great conviction. In a few scenes, she totally dominates the show. Sandhya Mridul is great in her fiery role. But she balances it well by exceling in the emotional moments as well. Pavleen Gujral is adorable and in her breakdown scene, one likes her even more. Tannishtha Chatterjee has a late entry but once she enters the narrative, she brings a lot to the film. Amrit Maghera is lovely. She gets to play a wonderful character and she does total justice to it. Rajshri Deshpande is a talent to watch out for. Her sunglasses are sure to become a rage! Arjun Mathur (Zain) and Anuj Choudhry (neighbor) look quite dashing. Adil Hussain (cop) handles his part well.

Cyril Morin’s music is quite nice. ‘Zindagi’ leaves a mark. But the best song of the film is Kattey (Ram Sampath; from Coke Studio). It is quite exhilarating! Swapnil Sonawane’s cinematography is raw but each shot has been filmed very nicely. Aradhana Seth’s production design is funky and goes well with the mood of the film. Pan Nalin, Subhadra Mahajan, Dilip Shankar, Arsala Qureishi’s story is promising. Dialogues are witty, funny and straight out of life. Screenplay is very effective. Pan Nalin’s direction is simply outstanding. There was a high chance that he could have gone wrong but he just gets it right. There are a lot of themes in the film and without being preachy, Pan tells a lot. And most importantly, he entertains while talking about the issues! But the best part is he keeps the viewers hooked from start to finish. Even the thriller element towards the end comes out nicely. Hats off to Pan and hope he makes many such great films!

Some of the best scenes:
1. The first scene
2. The girls assemble at Frieda’s house
3. Suranjana sees Nargis at Frieda’s house
4. The girls get harassed on the road
5. The girls discuss about harassment and also oral sex
6. The gun and temple scene
7. Joanna talks to Lakshmi near the beach
8. The dumb charades scene (SUPERB!!)
9. Pamela breaks down
10.The last 20 minutes

On the whole, Angry Indian Goddesses is one of those must watch films that has to been in theatres, come what may! Performances are terrific and the themes and issues taken up in the film are bound to strike a chord with audiences, males as well females. However, it is neither a boring, preachy film nor is it a ‘niche’ movie. It is highly entertaining (even thrilling) and is as massy as it can get! At the box office, it clashes with Tamasha (on November 27) and viewers should definitely try to find time to see it. And if all goes well, Angry Indian Goddesses can be the next Talvar! Highly recommended!

My rating - **** ½ out of 5!

Gaurav Dubey (MID-DAY; October 14, 2015)

Rumour mills are abuzz about Tannishtha Chatterjee dissociating herself from her upcoming Hindi film, Angry Indian Goddesses, touted to be Bollywood’s first female buddy comedy. Sources say the actress skipped its trailer launch since she was keen to go Down Under for the promotions of her international film with ex-Australian pacer Brett Lee.

Says a source, “The makers tried to ensure the presence of the entire star cast, but Tannishtha was more interested to promote her Hollywood film, Unindian with Brett Lee. Despite working out a date as per her convenience, she offered excuses and gave them a slip.”

With the film slated to release next month, the makers decided to go ahead with their plans minus Tannishtha.

The film’s spokesperson was unavailable for comment while a source close to the actress defended her, saying, “She had already allotted her dates to the Hollywood project with Brett Lee and was supposed to travel to Australia for the marketing campaign. She could not keep herself free for the Angry Indian Goddesses event.”

MUMBAI MIRROR (October 5, 2015)

These films received rave reviews in the international festival circuit; will screen in Mumbai for the first time


DHEEPAN
Winner of the prestigious Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival 2015, Jacques Audiard's Dheepan will screen in the Rendezvous section. The French drama follows a former soldier, a young woman and a little girl who pose as a family to escape the civil war in Sri Lanka.


45 YEARS
Andrew Haigh's 45 Years features in the World Cinema section. Impeccable as an old, married couple who have to cancel their 40th wedding anniversary when one of them has to undergo bypass surgery, Charlotte Rampling as the wife, Kater Mercer, won the Silver Bear for Best Actress and Tom Courtenay, as the husband Geoff, bagged the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival.
 

TAXI
The New York Times stated that Taxi should be a must-watch on every filmmakers list this year. A part of the film is about an encounter between two Iranian filmmakers, one, the film's director Jafar Panahi and the other, his niece, a sharptongued tween Hana, who must make a short movie as part of a school assignment, consistent with the government's censorship rules. It received the Golden Bear and the FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) prize at Berlinale.


ANGRY INDIAN GODDESSES
Pan Nalin's cosmic drama about Indian goddesses losing their heads and finding their hearts, Angry Indian Godesses received a standing ovation at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). It is a special screening at MAMI.


THITHI
Debutant director Raam Reddy describes Thithi as "a little piece of India's soul". The Bangalore based director confesses that he had absolutely no idea that he'd be a filmmaker, "specially a playful one". A dramatic comedy about how three generations of sons react to the death of Gowda, a cranky 101-year-old man, will be screened in the International Competition section. The film bagged two awards at the 68th Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland, including the prestigious Swatch Award for Best First Feature, awarded by a separate jury.

Pan Nalin's film, 'Angry Indian Goddesses', was the toast of TIFF
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 25, 2015)


Pan Nalin, whose first Hindi film, Angry Indian Goddesses bagged the first runner-up prize for the Grolsch People's Choice Award at the recently concluded Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), couldn't be happier. Even though they lost to Room by a really narrow margin, the director of internationally acclaimed films like Samsara and Valley of Flowers admits that it was a big high to make an impact in a jungle of 300 movies featuring big Hollywood names like Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Sandra Bullock and George Clooney on the red carpet, with a small-budget, India-rooted subject. It's a first for an Indian film in a category which has been dominated by American and British film wins.

"We went to Toronto with no expectations, just happy to be selected as a special presentation. We'd planned for five to six interviews, we ended up giving 120 to mainstream media. On the streets, people were calling out to the 'angry young goddesses', and that included my co-writer, casting director and associate Dilip Shankar and me," laughs Nalin, who went on to explain the concept of ardhangini (half man half woman) to his North American counterparts. "The most overwhelming reaction came from an American guy who walked out of a screening, asked me if he could give me a hug, quipped that he wished he could have left his d*** in the theatre and just walked away. I was so deeply touched."

The director recalls how he was the only guy in a class of nine girls at National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. Over the years, he's heard actresses ruing the fact that few made films that revolved around women. So then Dilip and he, with like-minded actresses like Tannishtha Chatterjee and Kalki Koechlin, decided to make one. And while brainstorming zeroed in on a female buddy film since that was a subject not explored on screen before despite there having been great films on bromance like Dil Chahta Hai, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, 3 Idiots and Delhi Belly to name a few.

The film was a revelation from the auditions itself when Nalin discovered that while actors were all about bodies and dialogue delivery, actresses had so much more to offer. "We auditioned 800 girls, 200 by Dilip and me personally. And we discovered that most of them could sing, dance, speak five languages fluently, swim and even ride. Rajshri Deshpande, one of the seven goddesses, has learnt Kathakali in Kerala and done three months of mountaineering in the Himalayas. Indian women are full of shakti and talent," he raves.

The film was shot in Goa because research threw up the fact that it is one of the safest destinations in India where women in groups can be left alone to party. And it's a bachelorette party that these goddesses meet for at Sarah-Jane Dias's Portuguese-styled family home. She's quit the world of advertising to return to her roots and pursue photography. She invites her friends over, among them a CEO from Bangalore, a struggling singer from Mumbai and a trophy wife from Delhi, to open a Pandora's box of surprises.

"The research also threw up that while Indian women are sexually harassed and oppressed, our country also had the longest-ruling woman Prime Minister in Indira Gandhi, several MPs and MLAs in Parliament, the maximum number of CEOs, the highest number of female activists, the first all-woman commercial flight and the first paramilitary women's force. "But despite this, I realised 10 minutes into a conversation with any woman, whether she was in Mumbai, Bangalore, Gurgaon, Delhi or Ahmedabad, that they are all angry about something. And I also realised that goddesses take on a ferocious avatar to create change, a new world order, so the title," smiles Nalin.

Encouraged by the appreciation at TIFF and the curious interest it has sparked back home, he is planning a pan-India release in November soon after the festivals of the goddesses. "This is the first time I'm making a film in Hindi and I want it playing in every neighbourhood theatre here. I want to prove to distributors and exhibitors that you don't need big stars to pull an audience, goddesses are enough. The film has already been acquired by all the Middle-Eastern countries and that's a high. I want women there to see our goddesses at play," he asserts.

Nalin's next film in English, the first Indo-New Zealand co-production, Beyond the Known World, is in post-production currently, and he is ready to kickstart his second Hindi film after this one releases. Quiz him on what it's about and he quips, tongue-in-cheek, "It's about insane Indian Gods and might just feature dozens of men."

MUMBAI MIRROR (September 15, 2015)

What does it take to create Indian content for the world? Filmmaker pair Pan Nalin and Gaurav Dhingra spill the secret
Ananya Ghosh (MID-DAY; September 6, 2015)

Pan Nalin — the versatile brain behind Wagale Ki Duniya — meets us at the Versova office he shares with co-founder of Jungle Book Entertainment, Gaurav Dhingra. Their first venture, was the 2013 documentary Faith Connections inspired by the Maha Kumbh Mela held in allahabad. In 2014, they joined hands with Canadian producer Fred Fuchs for the television series, Greeks, which follows the 326 BC Indian invasion of Alexander. Still under development, the budget for season one is around $ 30-40 million. For now, however, nalin and Dhingra are excited about a project closer home — their first full- length Bollywood film, Angry Indian Goddesses, which will premiere at TIFF in 12 days. Excerpts from an interview:

How did your paths cross?
Dhingra: Having worked in the production department for Rang De Basanti and as line producer for Delhi 6, I met Pan in 2006 on the sets of The Valley of Flowers, where I was production manager. After the film, we went our separate ways only to reconnect again. That is when we realised that we have similar visions when it comes to filmmaking.

What’s keeping you busy?
Dhingra: We are working on Beyond the Known World, a film co-produced by the New Zealand High Commission; an English TV series with Fuchs based on Alexander the Great’s India invasion. And, among other things, we have developed content for Saadat Hasan Manto’s Toba Tek Singh and an Indo-Chinese martial arts film.

Why choose television?
Nalin: The production quality of television in the UK and US is far better than even Hollywood films. Many mainstream scriptwriters are writing for television as it gives them more scope. Also, people are looking towards the East for stories and there are hardly any tales from India in the market. We pitched a few ideas and Greeks got selected. It is a fictional account based on real incidents. We have done a lot of research to make sure that the content is not just good, but great.

Speaking of content, was it tricky filming Faith Connections, considering the Kumbh Mela is well documented?
Nalin: (laughs) The Kumbh is not just about a mass gathering, the holy dip, and the abundant photo-ops. It is about real stories of real people — all bound by faith… religious or otherwise. From a mother who has lost her child in true ’80s Bollywood style, to a pantshirt baba, to a 10-year-old who either wants to become a sadhu or join the mafia, the characters we found intrigued us to no end. Eventually, I had to call in more crew and equipment. We just wanted to tell the stories of a few people we found interesting.

How did you manage to hold on to your camera?
Nalin: There were police and security guards at every inch. But, they had areas earmarked for the media and that caused us some problem, as we wanted to shoot certain people and not politicians taking holy dips. In order to roam around freely with our equipment, we had to convince authorities of our purpose and get relevant permissions. We had eight people in three separate teams following the characters we thought would have a story, and we’d often lose them in the crowd.
Gaurav: Even the basic amenities, which for us included battery chargers for our cameras, were hard to find. We had to keep local ‘runners’ who would run back and forth from where we were shooting to a place where we had kept a generator to get the batteries charged.

What prompted Angry Indian Goddesses?
Dhingra: Women-centric stories are seldom told in the right manner. Even today, a film is called Mardaani… as in ‘like a man’. In Gulaab Gang, women kick and fight like men. Why can’t women be women and still have their own film? We wanted to make a film where they are in their own space. Our girls are no Jhansi Ki Ranis, just girls… albeit a bit angry.
Nalin: While auditioning, we realised that women can be b** chy about one another, and yet stick together like glue. Their ‘buddyness’ is different from the let’s-forget-the-world-and-have-beer friendship that guys share.