Showing posts with label Anita Raj. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anita Raj. Show all posts
Actor Anita Raj, entrepreneur son Shivam Hingorani look back on unlikely beginnings, shared love for fitness
2:42 PM
Actor Anita Raj and her son, entrepreneur Shivam Hingorani look back on unlikely beginnings, a shared love for fitness and the discipline that shapes both their lives
Nisrin Saria (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 19, 2026)
Dressed in a white sleeveless top with matching trousers and pearl earrings, actor Anita Raj nudges her son, Shivam Hingorani, to show off his side profile. “Mom, you’re too filmy. Let’s just pose naturally,” he laughs, adjusting the sleeves of his beige linen shirt. On the terrace of the 63-year-old actor’s Pali Hill home, the exchange ends in laughter and an effortless photograph.
A few minutes later, Hingorani, 37, points towards a glass penthouse across the neighbourhood. “That’s Sanjay Dutt’s home,” he says, recalling his days as an assistant director on Agneepath. Once Dutt realized he was Anita Raj’s son, the two would wave and occasionally chat across the buildings. It remains one of his fondest memories from his first job in films.
His introduction to showbiz was, however, somewhat less glamorous. “In my first interview, I was asked whether I would serve tea or carry air-conditioning equipment,” he says. “Once you’re on a film set, everyone is equal.” Raj smiles, adding that his first pay cheque is still framed at home.
Hingorani earned Rs 5,000 a month and spent nearly four years working as an assistant director. “I learnt more in those years than anywhere else. There was so much competition that I was simply grateful to be on set.”
Legacy reimagined
Raj’s route into films was almost accidental. She never planned to become an actor. Although her father, Jagdish Raj, holds the Guinness World Record for playing a police inspector in 144 films, she remembers a sheltered childhood. “My sister and I learnt Kathak from Gopi Krishna,” she says. During one annual performance, filmmaker Yash Chopra spotted her and later invited her for a photoshoot. “Those photographs spread like wildfire through the industry,” she recalls.
Offers soon followed. “Tahir Hussain wanted to meet me. Then I signed Prem Geet, which became my first release.” She also credits Hrishikesh Mukherjee with her screen name. “He asked my surname. I said Khurana. He replied, ‘That won’t work. Your father’s name is Jagdish Raj, so you should be Anita Raj.’ That’s how I got my name.” Once Prem Geet became a hit, her career took off.
Shivam’s ambitions, on the other hand, were clearer. By 16, he knew he wanted to direct films, hardly surprising given that his father, Sunil Hingorani, is a filmmaker. He studied filmmaking in New York before spending four years as an AD.
“Everyone in their early twenties should be ADs,” he says. “It’s like army training. You grow disciplined, humbled and you learn to be responsible.” By 24, though, he realised his future in that line would depend on a handful of producers. “That made me feel insecure. I wanted to build something I had more control over.”
In 2018, he founded health company Ace Blend and later completed a two-year diploma in nutraceuticals from Huntington College in Texas to strengthen its scientific foundation. Today, he jokes that he’s “like Walter White from Breaking Bad, except instead of selling illegal drugs, I’m selling nutritional supplements.” The company focuses on evidence-backed formulations and has just launched a plant-based Vegan Omega supplement.
A 61-minute plank at 59
Not surprising, given that he has been no stranger to fitness. At age 59, his mother held a plank for 61 minutes at Otter’s Club after a CrossFit session in 2022. Raj says she had only planned to reach 10 minutes, but then kept going as a crowd gathered.
Of course, that did not come out of nowhere. Fitness has been a part of Raj’s life since she was 12, when she began practising yoga with her mother at home. In her early twenties, she became obsessed with aerobics, rushing to classes after film shoots and earning the nickname “Indian Jane Fonda”. In fact, it was that reputation that led to one of her earliest fitness ventures. “Pammi Bakshi [noted editor at the time] kept telling me, ‘You’re always exercising. Why don’t you release your own fitness [video] cassette?’” says Raj.
“I thought I didn’t know enough. But I already practised yoga and exercised regularly, so we went ahead with it.” The tape was recorded over two or three days at Famous Studios, but by the time it released nearly a year and a half later, she was pregnant with Shivam. “I remember telling the producer, ‘The cassette is called Keep Fit With Anita Raj and I’m anything but fit at the launch.’”
Like many women at the time, she believed weight training was only for men until she met fitness coach Parvez Mistry at 35. She travelled from her home to Colaba every day for five years to train under him, and says it completely changed the way she understood exercise, nutrition and strength. “I fell in love with weight training because I could see the changes in my body,” she says.
It was that discipline, built over decades, that eventually led to the 61-minute plank. “I never intended to set any national record. It just happened,” she says with a laugh.
These days, her routine begins at 5.30 am; she’s at the gym by 6.30 am for an hour of weight training or CrossFit. Then, she heads to Film City, where she plays Kaveri Poddar in Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. “Whether it’s television or films, you have to put in the same effort because the audience knows exactly how you’re portraying a role,” she says.
Role reversals
While Raj built her fitness philosophy through discipline and instinct, Hingorani approaches it through science. Preparing for his wedding to Renu Oberoi in the Maldives in 2021 became one of his experiments. “I weighed every ingredient I ate. Every drop of oil was measured because I wanted to see what would happen if I went all in,” he says. It left him in the best shape of his life, but also convinced him that such perfection isn’t sustainable. Today, he trains four times a week, lifts heavy weights, and gives sleep and recovery the same importance as exercise.
“General fitness is completely achievable with balance. You don’t need to chase six-pack abs.” The dynamic at home has changed since then, too. Raj was the one who introduced him to an active lifestyle, but Hingorani now oversees the family’s nutrition, from supplement schedules to spotting missed meals. “Earlier, parents guided their children on food and health. Today, children often know more because information is so accessible,” he says.
They still train together sometimes. “She surprises me every time,” he says. “She does pull-ups with me and she’s incredibly strong.” They are also planning a family holiday after years. “We travelled a lot when Shivam was younger,” says Raj. “Those are some of our happiest memories.”
One habit, however, hasn’t changed for Hingorani. “Whenever I get a day off, I head straight to the theatre. Nothing compares to watching a film on the big screen.”
Sanjay Dutt is a fighter, will emerge triumphant-Arshad Warsi
9:13 AM
As industry reels under shock after Sanjay Dutt is diagnosed with lung cancer, Arshad Warsi, who was to join him next month for comedy, Sadak 2 co-star Gulshan Grover and Subhash Ghai send strength to the superstar
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; August 13, 2020)
"We spoke when he was hospitalised last week; he assured me he was fine," begins Arshad Warsi, yet to come to terms with the news of Sanjay Dutt being diagnosed with stage three lung cancer. A wave of shock and disbelief fell over the industry on Tuesday as word spread that Baba was ailing. It was heard that the actor, who announced that he was taking a break from work, will soon head overseas to seek treatment.Warsi, the Circuit to his Munna on screen and a close friend off screen, says Sanjay Dutt will tide over the testing times with his positivity and will power. "I don't know anyone who would have survived [the difficulties] that he has faced head-on. Despite the situations, he has an air of positivity. I have never seen him crib about his hardships. He will emerge triumphant here too; he is a fighter." The two were slated to begin filming the comedy, Blockbuster, next month. The shoot is likely to be deferred until its leading man is fighting fit again. "Films can come and go, but people like him are rare. I pray that he gets better."
Subhash Ghai, who gave Dutt one of his biggest hits Khalnayak (1992), has seen the senior actor evolve as an artiste over the decades. "My directorial venture, Vidhata, was his second film after Rocky. We go back a long way. God is with him in all his crises."
They may have aged gracefully into their sixties, but Gulshan Grover remembers Dutt as the tough guy on the set of Jaan Ki Baazi (1985). "While shooting an action scene, he cut his hand and was bleeding profusely. While Anita Raj and Kimi Katkar were nervous that he is losing a lot of blood, he was coolly smoking a cigarette as the doctor administered stitches without giving him anaesthesia," he laughs.
Maanayata Dutt issued a statement, urging fans "to not fall prey to unwarranted rumours". "God has again chosen to test us to overcome the challenges ahead. All we seek are your prayers and blessings," she said.
Rinzing Denzongpa and I went to the same school-Malvika Raaj
7:59 AM
Malvika, Anita Raaj’s niece, pairs up with Danny Denzongpa’s son to play a sniper in an action-thriller; the Jyoti Kapur Das directorial rolls in April
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 26, 2019)
Veteran actor Anita Raj’s niece, Malvika Raaj, has been signed as the female lead opposite Danny Denzongpa’s son, Rinzing, in the action-thriller Squad which goes on the floors in April. Malvika was chosen for the role from among 30 hopefuls. This, however, is not her first stint in front of the camera. “I played the younger Kareena Kapoor in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham,” informs Malvika, adding, “The film will always be special as that’s when I realised I wanted to act.”Talking about her character in the film which chronicles a battle royal between the Special Forces, Malvika informs that she is a sniper who goes by the name of Aria. “She’s very knowledgeable about weapons which is important to the storyline. There’s a lot of action and a little bit of romance with Rinzing,” she smiles.
Quiz her on her homework and the actress reveals that she has already started training with the action team, and will soon start training in special weapons.
Mirror had earlier reported (January 5) that producer Nilesh Sahay has got Jyoti Kapur Das on board as the director. She is among the very few women directors to step into a genre which has traditionally been a male bastion. Malvika is eager to start shooting with Jyoti. “I am glad that we are breaking from stereotypical thinking that a woman can’t direct an action film. These days there is no gender differentiation and I am pretty sure my director will nail it,” she avers.
Malvika goes on to reveal that the comfort level is high since she has known Rinzing for a while now. “We were in the same school and grew up in the same social circle. When we were young, we even attended each other’s birthday parties so now sharing the screen with him is going to be a lot of fun,” she smiles.
Finally, how did her aunt, Anita Raaj, react to the news of Malvika following in her footsteps into a lead role? “She knows Rinzing better than I do as he shares a great bond with her son. My aunt has always been very supportive and it will be interesting for her to see both Rinzing and me in the same film,” she says.
Squad will take off on the sets in Mumbai in April, followed by a prolonged schedule in Budapest. The action will be designed by Kier Beck of Mad Max: Fury Road fame.
Anita Raj returns to the marquee after six years for biopic on Deendayal Upadhyay
7:43 AM
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 2, 2018)
Anita Raj, who was last seen on the big screen in Samir Karnik’s 2012 romcom Chaar Din Ki Chandni, is set for a comeback. The actress will be seen in the biopic of Deendayal Upadhyay, an RSS thinker and co-founder of the political party Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the precursor to Bharatiya Janata Party, as his sworn sister Lata Khanna.
“I was really impressed with the story and immediately agreed to be a
part of the film. It’s a profound role as during Deendayal ji’s last
days, his sister Lata played an important role. I don’t know much about
her and will start my research soon with the guidance of our writer
Dhiraj Mishra,” Anita tells Mirror.
The actress had featured in Ramesh Bedi’s 1996 film Gehra Raaz, which was followed by Aanand L Rai’s Thodi Life Thoda Magic in 2008. Ask her about the long absence from the big screen and she says, “It was intentional as nothing interesting was coming my way. Also, I was concentrating on my family and workouts as I am a heath freak. But times have changed, and better roles are now being written for actresses. I took up TV shows, 24 and Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani and thoroughly enjoyed doing them. As an actor I don’t see any difference between films and TV.”
Reiterating that she would never regret the sabbaticals, Anita says that she has fond memories of her early days in the industry. “I have worked extensively with Sanju (Sanjay Dutt), Dharam ji (Dharmendra), Raj ji (Babbar), Shatru ji (Shatrughan Sinha), and Mithun (Mithun Chakraborty). All of them were really kind to me. I learnt a lot while working with them. From the time I entered the industry with Prem Geet, I was always treated well as everyone respected my father (actor Jagdish Raj). It was because of him that I came into the industry,” she signs off.
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