As told to Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 7, 2020)

I have a vague memory of my first day on a film set. I was shooting a song for Bekhudi, with Rahul Rawail (director) and Kajol (co-star). I had to tear through fake cobwebs and emerge, singing a line that went, “Chaahat Ki Raahon Mein, Kyun Itna Darti Hai” in the song “Mujhe Kya Pata Tera”. It was not easy because my expression had to change as I went from “chaahat ki raahon mein” to “kyun itna darti hai”. I might just about pull it off today, but, back then, straight out of a boarding school in England, I was petrified. I must have performed really badly because soon after, Rahul Rawail threw me out of the film, complaining I wasn’t showing enough interest. That shot, I have to admit, was particularly appalling.

I lost Bekhudi to Kamal Sadanah, but fortunately, I landed Parampara, which Yash ji (Chopra) was directing. My first shot was by the swimming pool, at Jaipur’s Rambagh palace, which was passed off as Mayo College in the film. When my grandfather turns up at the college unexpectedly, I had to turn around, see him and smile. Today, I understand that there has to be a gap between me registering his presence and smiling in response, but back then, such technicalities escaped me completely. I was pretty bad in Parampara, too, and my voice didn’t help.

Fortunately there were several big names in the film, so either I must have stood out like a sore thumb or simply gone unnoticed. I still don’t know which.

Acting was an ongoing nightmare. During Aashik Awara, which came around the same time, I was in awe of Sharad Saxena who rattled off his lines with ease because I was having a tough time with mine. The torturous songs with choreographer Saroj Khan ji made it worse.

I had been kept far away from films and groomed for a career in academics. But I was not cut out for it and unwilling to spend my life behind a desk, I started looking for other opportunities. Some of my friends suggested acting and it became an option because there wasn’t another. I went to a couple of acting classes. Sham Kaushal tried to train me for action scenes on the beach, but I was frivolous about everything back then which had my parents really worried. My youth was not particularly glorious in terms of responsibilities and achievements.

When did acting become serious business? Well, there were certain milestones, but basically, I just went with the flow, trying to figure out what was expected from me. Dil Chahta Hai was a turnaround because for the first time, I could be myself on screen rather than aping someone or adjusting to a different school of thought. In the first Race, I was offered the younger brother’s role, but I asked if I could play the older brother instead. “It’s not as exciting,” I was told, and I pointed out that it was “more responsible”.

Around Baazaar, I began to approach acting differently, perhaps because it heralded a new wave in Hindi cinema, giving actors like me a chance to reinvent. The change in attitude and performance is an on-going process and has to do with the fact that this industry is now recognised by the government. Earlier, there was a distinct difference between who I am and what I did despite writing ‘actor’ next to ‘profession’ on my passport. Now, that gap has been bridged and with each new project, I’m thinking how to act better.


Saif Ali Khan with Kajol and Rahul Rawail on the sets of Bekhudi; a still from Parampara

Chitrangda Singh explains why she is selective about work, admits direction is on her bucket list
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 15, 2020)

For Chitrangda Singh, the lockdown, enforced to deal with the Coronavirus pandemic, is a time to bond with her son Zorawar. “His safety is most important and it feels good to be around him,” says the actress from Delhi, admitting that after initially enjoying time off from work, the self-isolation is now weighing heavy. “You start out missing the outside, then reach a stage when you enjoy being home, then… Emotions are see-sawing.”

She shares that when she was growing up, a friend of her father’s told her that it’s good to be bored sometimes because this pushes you to explore and discover new things about yourself. “I’m sure when we look back at this time in future, we will think of all the good that came out of it,” she asserts. So, what has she discovered about herself? “That I can make a very good mud brownie cake anytime,” Chitrangda laughs, admitting that she’s baking again after years and has also done some charcoal sketches, which is another hobby she has gone back to.

She will next be seen in Sujoy Ghosh’s Bob Biswas opposite Abhishek Bachchan. It’s been almost two years since her last onscreen outing, Baazaar. The actress insists she’s being selective for a reason. “I was just waiting for the right project with the right people. I didn’t want to only play the emancipated woman, one who is either a superwoman or a seductress. If I’m not happy, it is difficult for me to show up at work every day. I am in a good space right now and happy that I took the time,” she reasons.

On the subject of her next, she says she’s been wanting to work with Sujoy for a while. “I love the way he portrays women in his films. We came close to working together once before, but it didn’t work out,” she shares, going on to rave about “amazing actor” Abhishek and how he underplays his role. “Saif (Ali Khan, her Baazaar co-star) is also a subtle actor with his own nuances. Ditto Abhishek, who is also a walking encyclopedia with so much to share.”

Chitrangda was shooting for the film in Kolkata when the outbreak brought everything to a halt. “I was supposed to start another film after wrapping up Bob Biswas around this time, but now everything has been pushed indefinitely,” she sighs.

In 2018, she turned producer with the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer, Soorma, a biopic on India’s former hockey captain, Sandeep Singh. She had also announced a sequel to it. Prod her on this and she says, “I have the rights to another person’s incredible life story, who is also a real-life hero. We have a director and writer on board and the script is being developed. We were waiting for some things to fall into place when the pandemic struck. It has been in limbo since, but the film will definitely be made. Stories of underdogs rising attract me and Soorma 2 will be no different. It won’t be a sportsperson, but the story is as inspiring.”

Five years ago, Chitrangda did a special song, “Aao Raja”, in Akshay Kumar’s Gabbar Is Back. Any other song in the offing? “No. I did that for Akshay and Mr Bhansali (Sanjay Leela Bhansali, producer). I am always open to experimentation and to doing something new. That’s also why I started writing and producing,” she points out. Direction next? “No plans yet, but it’s on my bucket list, as is wakeboarding. I tried it once and was horrible at it. But some friends tried it and found it exciting, so I want to get better at it. When things get back to normal, I’d like to take a trip to Bali maybe,” she signs off.

As told to Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 6, 2019)

When I was studying mathematical economics and econometrics at the University of Nottingham in the UK, they encouraged us to intern during summer breaks. So, when I returned to Mombasa, Kenya, where I grew up, I took up a three-month internship with the Diamond Trust Bank. I was 19 and it was my first proper job. It was a 9 am to 5 pm shift and I spent time in the front office, helping with accounts and deposits, giving clients information and similar duties.

A couple of days in a week they’d tutor us on how a bank operates and its core functions. It was interesting but not the most exciting job in the world. While there, I realised I actually wanted to travel the world, tell stories and experience life in different ways. But studies were important, so I went back to the University and completed my three-year degree course. I learnt a lot, for example: how a certain econometric formula came into use and not just its application.

After completing my education, I moved to India. I wanted to explore the country, learn about it and its people as I’d been away for so long. I travelled from Ladakh, Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh to Punjab and Agra and on to Patna and Bodh Gaya. In the process, I rediscovered my home.

I also started working as a ghost writer for a screenwriter. I can’t reveal the identity of the person or the project, the job was to nurture my filmmaking aspirations. I did this for a year-and-a-half and got paid a monthly sum of Rs 7,500. This was my first income and the logical thing would have been to save every rupee, but I followed my heart and took my sister Soniya out for lunch.

While travelling and ghostwriting, I was also teaching guitar to kids. My teacher from Kenya had also moved to India to teach at a school in Firozabad, and one day she called to ask if I’d like to teach there for a couple of months. I grabbed the opportunity and along with the guitar, I also taught mathematics.

Teaching was one of the most enriching experiences of my life. The first day the kids were shy and hid behind parents, teachers and friends. Slowly, they started listening to me. You have to come up with different ways to teach them, keep it simple and fun. It helped me evolve as a person.

When I returned to Mumbai, I joined a few acting schools like Anupam Kher’s, learnt method acting from the Jeff Goldberg Studio and studied with Abhay Joshi. I then assisted Sanjay Leela Bhansali on Bajirao Mastani. During this time I uploaded a few portfolio pictures on Instagram. They got me Nikkhil sir’s (producer Nikkhil Advani) Baazaar, directed by Gauravv K Chawla.

Radhika Apte on issues like nepotism, pay parity and airport looks
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 15, 2019)

Last year, you acted in three films—Pad Man, AndhaDhun, Baazaar and three digital shows. Life sure is hectic.
(Laughs) It is, but now I’m on a script-reading break. The hunt is on for interesting content.

Was it a conscious move to associate yourself with indie cinema and off-beat content?
It wasn’t a plan if that’s what you are saying. The reason to do a film is the script, the director and character and what I am looking for at that point of time. It needs to challenge me.

After Badlapur and AndhaDhun, any plans to collaborate with Sriram Raghavan again?
People don’t discuss work without a bound script. He has been writing something for a while now, but I have no idea what his next film is.

Your recently released Hollywood film, The Wedding Guest, met with mixed reactions…
(Cuts in) Every film meets with mixed reactions—some love it, some hate it and some are neutral. It’s their opinion, one can only take constructive criticism in a positive way. (Director) Michael Winterbottom’s films are always been different and so evoke mixed reactions. That’s what prompted me to work with him.

How different is the work culture abroad?
People there are always on time and they pay on time. These are the two significant differences.

Next up, a Hollywood spy thriller set against World War II with you playing Noor Inayat Khan, the first female wireless operator to be flown into occupied France. When can we hope to see it in India?
It’s not a very big film and I’ve no idea if the producers plan to release it in India.

Back home too, many women-centric films are being made.
Yes, things have changed, but it needs to be on a much bigger scale. Even today, there is a yawning gap between films with male and female protagonists.

What’s your opinion on pay parity?
If Salman Khan brings in Rs 200 crore and I bring in not even a crore, it’s obvious that he’ll be paid more since he is adding value to the box-office. I don’t dispute that but I have an issue with actors who don’t contribute to ticket sales. Hey, even the mother of a lead character is paid lesser than the father. That needs to change.

And as an outsider, how do you react to nepotism?
I don’t like the word outsider. If I’m a director and my son wants to be an actor, why shouldn’t I launch him? The industry today is a blend of both worlds. On one hand there’s Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Kangana Ranaut who were not born into a film family but have made it big and then there are the star kids. I like that abroad you can go to drama school and then for auditions like everyone else for a role. It’s a fair playing ground there. With casting directors in Bollywood, things are changing here too.

What about airport looks, how much of a pressure is it to look good?
I don’t consider that a part of my job. I don’t need to wear fancy clothes to the airport, I’m not at work there.

That’s a honest reply…
(Laughs) I can’t keep my mouth shut when something warrants an honest opinion. There are times when I know I should have kept mum, but I just can’t. 

Bollywood is quite ruthless or some would say, practical. An actor’s box office track record plays a very important role in determining if the actor will survive in the rat race or fade into oblivion. Several actors, who were once ruling or were ‘the next big thing’ have stopped getting work after giving back to back flops. A few of them are still securing films for ‘nepotism’ reasons or for having solid connections. But an actor who stands out in this regard is definitely Emraan Hashmi.

The actor started out in a big way. He is credited as the pioneer of making sex and kissing scenes mainstream in Bollywood. Earlier, it was only B-grade films that would mostly deal with skin show. However, with his second film Murder, it all changed. It was a fully A-grade film and yet had some scintillating lovemaking sequences, with co-actor Mallika Sherawat. The fact that it had super-hit music also helped in getting audiences to cinemas in large numbers. Not just frontbenchers but all sections of society gave the film thumbs up. As a result, the film that was made on a shoestring budget earned almost five times its investment. It made it clear that audiences are ready for bold content and thus began the trend of A-grade actors and actresses shedding their clothes and inhibitions on screen.

As for Emraan Hashmi, he repeated his act in many other films. He mostly played morally wrong, twisted, rebellious character that has a way with women. As a result, the masses whole-heartedly accepted him with open arms! I remember watching Baadshaho two years back on the first day at Mumbai’s premiere single screen complex, Gaiety-Galaxy. Emraan himself came there during the intermission and the way the crowd went berserk was seen to be believed! It was as if an actor of Salman Khan’s stardom was present in the auditorium! And Emraan enjoyed this popularity even when his films were failing.

The initial phase of his career was more or less fine. There came a point in 2006-07 when lot of his films flopped. But with the super-success of Jannat in 2008, his career got a new lease of life. He then followed it up with more hit films like Raaz: The Mystery Continues, Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai, Murder 2, The Dirty Picture and Jannat 2. With Raaz 3 in 2012, he reached the pinnacle of success and everyone thought sky would be the limit for him. Alas, the opposite happened. After Raaz 3, he acted in 11 films out of which only Ek Thi Daayan was an average grosser. The rest of the 10 films were all flops! Some of the films were not masala, which is his forte, and he tried his hands in experimental cinema. Then there were two films – Rush and Ungli – that were delayed. But the rest of the films like Raja Natwarlal, Raaz Reboot, Azhar, Mr X, Baadshaho etc were all conventional, mainstream films. But none of these films had a well-written script. Even the music score, once his forte, in these films wasn’t up to the mark. His last film released recently, Why Cheat India. It was an important film for him as he had turned producer. Unfortunately, the film never opened well due to lack of buzz. Public reaction was negative due to which it couldn’t even cross Rs. 10 crore!

Despite such failures, Emraan Hashmi is not yet out and is going nowhere. He has an important film in his kitty, The Body. It is the remake of the Spanish film of the same name and is directed by Jeethu Joseph, who directed the original Drishyam. Besides Emraan, it also stars Rishi Kapoor and Sobhita Dhulipala, the latter who is making waves at presence thanks to her web show Made In Heaven. Recently, another remake of a Spanish thriller Badla did roaring business at the box office and it remains to be seen if The Body also gets similar kind of success. And post the debacle of Why Cheat India, Emraan was signed on for another exciting film, titled Barf. It co-stars none other than mega star Amitabh Bachchan. This is a courtroom drama and it also features Annu Kapoor and Saurabh Shukla.

And that’s not all. Emraan Hashmi is also simultaneously working on the Netflix show, Bard Of Blood. It is adapted from a book of the same name and is backed by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment. It will be aired this year and is expected to be a rage, on the lines of last year’s Sacred Games. This web series starred Saif Ali Khan who surprisingly also had a similar journey like Emraan Hashmi. Even his films didn’t work back to back and finally he tasted success on the OTT platform. At the same time, his film Baazaar was his rare success after ages. It remains to be seen if Emraan also has a similar trajectory. He is a fine performer and as a person, he has been no-nonsense and non-controversial. As he turns 40 today, we give him our best wishes and here’s hoping he continues to get work and that he continues to entertain us!

Rachit Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; January 17, 2019)

Slowly but steadily, Radhika Apte has cemented her spot in the world of movies. In 2018 alone, she had three bigticket releases — PadMan, AndhaDhun and Baazaar. But she reveals that a calendar full of releases isn’t her ideal year. She would rather spend time shooting for films than promoting them and seeing them release. Perhaps that’s why she has no qualms about working in small, but promising movies like Bombairiya, which releases this week. In a conversation with BT, the actress talks about walking the path of showbiz differently. Excerpts from a freewheeling chat…

You play a film publicist in Bombairiya, that’s a character you must have been familiar with from your day-to-day life. Did playing this role give you a new perspective on the world of promotions and PR?
I work with film publicists every day, but you view their job and life from your own perspective. But having played one in a film, I now have a point of view from their end. I realised that to be a PR, you just have to do certain things to get things done. It’s basically about dealing with a lot of egos and getting people to do things that they don't want to do.

The film highlights the frantic life of Mumbai and its citizens. Since you relocated from Pune, having once viewed the city of dreams and ambitions from the prism of an outsider, how has your perception changed about the city?
I feel the title of the movie is quite appropriate because the word ‘bairiya’ describes a place like Mumbai very well. People migrate to this city for work and to realise their dreams. It’s basically a place full of different energies coming together. Even though the city is such a chaotic place, it gives you a lot. Life in a place like Mumbai can be quite frenetic and demanding, but the fact that people extend so much warmth and compassion towards strangers also makes it very interesting. For me, the strongest connections with the city are because of my friends and work. That’s what draws me to Mumbai, the most.

When you work in a relatively small-budget film like Bombairiya,does that give you more creative freedom and satisfaction?
I shot for Bombairiya almost three years ago. Again, the budget or scale of a film should not make a difference to an actor; you have to put the same effort in every movie, regardless of the production scale. I enjoy being involved in the creative process and I am happy as long as my role and the story are exciting. This year, too, I will start work on a small film, but it has a superb script and characters. That's all that matters to me.

Slowly but surely, you have carved a niche for yourself in commercial cinema. Not just Bollywood, you’ve also had the chance to play strong characters in South films. How does it feel to be acknowledged as an acclaimed and sought-after actor?
I’ve had a hectic, but very memorable 2018 and I am really grateful for films like Pad Man, AndhaDhun and Baazaar. It obviously feels greats to receive the appreciation and the success for your hard work, but I am someone who likes to look ahead instead of looking back. Instead of dwelling on the past, I would rather look forward to the coming months and my upcoming releases. Unfortunately for me, I spent the major part of 2018 engaging in film publicity rather than doing good work.

While you’ve worked in several movies off late, do you feel that you are being offered too many supporting roles? Would you prefer to work in films where you have more prominent roles?
The length of the role doesn’t really matter, what matters is how much you connect with your character and how engaging you find the story to be. In a film like AndhaDhun, the story centres around Ayushmann Khurrana and Tabu’s characters, so I can’t expect my role to be longer. But I must add that I am not satisfied working in a film for just five, ten or fifteen days. I really enjoy the process of working on a role and telling a story, so, I want to work on many more films and want to be able to dedicate more time to work on my characters. I just want to keep working on good stories, challenging roles and make money, too (laughs!).

Part of being a movie star means that you have to cater to the media glaze and be in public eye. Do you find the process of promotions a bit tedious?
I don't enjoy film promotions at all. I have to do them, but I can’t lie. It’s not a process that I look forward to at all. I would rather spend that much time and energy fleshing out a character and working on my performance in a film. Having said that, when I am on a holiday, I don’t like to think about work. I prefer to do things at their designated time.

You’ve been married to film musician, Benedict Taylor, since 2013. Do you feel the perception towards married actresses still matters in the film industry?
I don’t think marriage has anything to do with my work. Being married doesn’t really affect a woman’s career at all. The world knows that I am married. I feel that my marital status has no bearing on the kind of work that I am offered.

How much do friendships and connections matter in the film industry? Does striking a chord with your director help with getting opportunities in the future, too?
I have had the opportunity to work with some fantastic filmmakers like Sriram Raghavan and R Balki, so I don’t mind exploiting those connections and getting more work in the future. I work in the film industry for creative satisfaction, probably more than for the money and commercial acclaim. So, if establishing connections with these fabulous storytellers results in better work in the future, why not?

Khalid Mohamed (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 27, 2018)

There’s this thing called ‘the forgiveness factor’. Oftentimes you forgive the scenes, moments and cliches which coerce you to squirm in your seat.The snag is that that even the most tolerant viewer can forgive the cringebinge but not forget them.

Factoring that element in, here’s my take on the 12 elements of apna movies which could be erased or at least reduced with a sleight of the imagination.

Yesterday once more
Tsk, two of the major chartbusters — “Dilbar Dilbar” from Satyameva Jayate and “Ek Do Teen” from Baaghi 2 — were sort-of-remixes of the perennially popular dance tracks from Sirf Tum (1999) and Tezaab (1988) respectively. Belly-twirler Nora Fatehi shooed in for Sushmita Sen and Jacqueline Fernandez had the guts to shake and shimmy a la Madhuri Dixit.

Yet, the video clips of both the re-jangles scored gazillion hits on YouTube and in fact, became the selling points of the action flicks. So why don’t I want more of the samesame? No reason except there’s something direly deja phew about this.


Quite tyresome
Towards the finale of the powblam-kaboom saga Race 3, Salman Khan has hinted that there will be yet another edition of Bollywood’s retort to The Fast and The Furious. Quite wisely, he has also hinted that he may not star in the follow-up in which somersaulting luxury vehicles go up in smoke, and steal the show from him right till the minute he famously takes his shirt off to display his iconic bare chest.

In any case, the franchise without its orignators Abbas-Mustan is like Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark. To crash or not to crash is the question.

Offers to be refused
Endless Godfather spin-offs are still going over-the-top in uber feudal, rural mansions ruled by an ageing despot, flanked by a good son, a bad son, a daughter-in-law, a bahu-to-be, slavish domestic helps, and lackeys galore. Add corrupt cops and a venal politician or two and there you are palpitating to the body count all over again. Enough!


The montage bug
Nine times out of ten, songs are picturised as montages. Nowadays, directors are wont to merely stick to brief random shots of the hero or the heroine or at locations ranging from the snowy Alps and the arid deserts to upmarket coffee shops to the Gateway of India (where pigeons are disturbed to fly while pecking at lunch) and rocky seasides. No lip-syncing required. These quickie shots are bunged together by overstressed editors for what has come to be known as ‘the background number’, and woohoo, the job’s done.

Ever since frontline choreographers – Farah Khan and Remo D’Souza – switched to direction and Saroj Khan semi-retired, elaborate dance set-pieces belong to the archives. Come back, Farah, Remo and Saroj ji to the sphere where you seduced generations of spectators to go gaga over super naach-gaanas. Believe me, montage musical sequences get my goatee.

What’s the good word?
The pronunciation of one word, in particular, gives me the heebiejeebies. The word is ‘chahiye’ meaning need or want. For some mysterious reason it’s mostly pronounced as ‘chai..ye:’ (which could be misundersood as a call for tea break). The correct way to say it is ‘chhahiyai’. Google for confirmation.

As for the niceties of Hindi diction, forget it. Katrina Kaif continues to speak as if she has just returned from the English meadows. Forgiven but not forgettable. Sincere suggestion: keep a diction coach on the sets or at least at the dubbing studio.


Inspiration or copycatting
The custom of lifting Hollywood stories is as old as the hillocks. Of late, though, the trend was on the downcurve. Which is why I was boggled by a near-photocopy of Oliver Stone’s expose of the wiles of Wall Street, emblemised by the ruthless Gordon Gekko in an Oscar-winning performance by Michael Douglas.

Now replace Douglas ji with Saif Ali Khan sir and the original protege, Charlie Sheen by newcomer Rohan Mehra. And whaddya know? Baazaar is out to blindside the movie market. Not one but two creative minds, grab the honours for the write stuff produced by Nikkhil Advani who should know that Mumbai’s Dalal Street is not quite a facsimile of New York’s Wall Street. If there was a fleeting acknowledgement of the source material, it escaped me completely. Perhaps I need a new pair of spectacles.


Dialoguebaazi
So they no longer cry out oud, “Maa, main first class first pass ho gaya” (“Mom I’ve topped the college exams”), “Tujhe jalaakar raakh kar doonga” (“I will burn you to ashes”) or “Kanoon ke haath bahut lambe hote hain?” (“The hands of the law are very long”). Thank you for that.

Now how about quitting half-clever variations of “Bade bade deshon mein aisi chhoti chhoti baatein hoti rehti hain” (“In big countries, small things do happen”, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge), “Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahin namukin hai” (“It’s not only difficult but impossible to catch the Don”, you-know-which-film) and “Aata majhi satakli” (“Now, you’re making me really mad”, Singham). Satakli is right.


VFX overload
In the near as well as the distant future, I’d rather watch a story being well-told – with seamless direction, clean photography and able performances. Although claims are made that out technical pizzazz rivals that of Hollywood’s Spielbergs and Lucases, excuse me while I snigger. Sure, once in a bluish moon, the Baahubali series and 2.0 are more than competent in the special effects department. Moreover, when it comes to wearing 3-D specs, I feel like a kid in a wonderland. More sound and spectacle than substance.


Hospital visits
Blood blotches, bottles of drips, lights on in the surgery room, injection being pierced into a hand, wounds throbbing – you get the drift. But you have to close your eyes tight and ask the brave person in the next seat, “Is it done?” Can’t take such endurance tests by directors really.


The end
Finally the show’s over. The house lights come on, the cleaners are at work removing the popcorn tubs. Hang on though, there’s the stray song-and-dance which was used in the promotional videos but couldn’t be fitted into the film. Cool but in the process, the end credit-titles of the supporting cast and technicians zip by in such a small font-size that you need a telescope to read them, contradicting the credo of team spirit. Not fair.


Cosmetics tip
I’d dance on the streets to celebrate a movie in which Jacqueline Fernandez, Kriti Sanon and Sonakshi Sinha don’t slap on globs of war paint. Being natural helps and how. Take a tip from Taapsee Pannu (in her better films), Alia Bhatt and do check out the ever flawless complexion of Madhuri Dixit. Seriously.

Van Gogh walls
Whenever the hero or the heroine plays the role of a celebrity artist, he or she paints masterpieces. His or her canvases litter the walls of a cushy home. But these are either blow-ups of Van Gogh or Da Vinci. Worse they’re kitschy pictures of scantily dressed tribal belles, household pets, sunsets and sunrises. Incidentally, if a gallery exhibition scene is shown, you balk and squawk at the abstract wiggles and squiggles. I can’t call this freedom of artisic expression. I can just tell that the director and the set decorator haven’t ever been to a gallery.

THUGS OF HINDOSTAN IS A BIG-TIME DISASTER; BRACE FOR A ‘DRY’ NOVEMBER!

It still seems like a bad dream but the fact is that it has happened. The big Diwali release, Thugs Of Hindostan, has emerged as one of the biggest disasters of recent times. The bad response to the film was out as soon as the first show was over. Interestingly, the collections were historic on the first day (Thursday November 8) and it became the first movie to touch the Rs. 50 crore mark in a day!

The collections were going to come down the next day, as it happens after a film takes such a historic opening and also because the response was not favourable. But the first shock came when Friday collections were Rs. 28 crore, more than 50% down from day 1. Day 3 was Saturday which was a weekend and collections were expected to be in the same range as day 2, if not worse. But alas, the collections came further down to Rs. 22.75 crore! The hope was then that the Sunday collection would be better as Sunday is a bigger holiday than Saturday. Shockingly, the collections slipped further to Rs. 16.75 crore on day 4!

The weekdays began on Monday and trade dreaded as to what will happen now. And as feared, the collections on Monday were just Rs. 5.25 crore and while on Tuesday, it’s Rs. 4.25 crore. The 6-day collections are Rs. 128 crore and by the time the week ends, the collections would stand at Rs. 135 crore. The lifetime of the film won’t even reach Rs. 150 crore. And the expectations were that the film would cross Rs. 150 crore by Sunday itself! Even worse is that the collections of Thugs Of Hindostan will be less than Race 3, which was also an underperformer, but it had still managed to collect Rs. 166.15 crore in its lifetime.

There have been films in the past that released on Diwali and they have underperformed like Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Happy New Year, Ra.One, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Blue etc. Most of these films weren’t flops but not blockbusters either. Thugs Of Hindostan is the first big disaster of the festival. And noboby expected it to be such a big debacle considering that it starred Aamir Khan, who enjoys a lot of trust among the audiences. But then times have changed and if the word spreads that a film is really bad, then audiences are not going to spend a bomb on the tickets. To control the damage, the rates of the tickets were even slashed to ‘normal rates’ and not festival rates. Yet, the audiences simply didn’t turn up as they had already made up their minds.

What has added to the woes, particularly of exhibitors, is that there’s no other significant Hindi film releasing tomorrow and next week. The next significant Hindi release is directly on November 29, when 2.0 will be out. Tomorrow will see the release of 3 Hindi films – Mohalla Assi, Pihu and Hotel Milan. All three carry little buzz and won’t be able to make a mark. Pihu has a slight chance as it’s a very unique concept. The English releases – Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald and Bohemian Rhapsody – have a better chance in excelling.

The biggest gainers out of the entire situation are the holdover films. Badhaai Ho out of these is doing the best business and benefited a lot thanks to the debacle of Thugs Of Hindostan. The film is doing better than last week’s weekdays and it is all set to now cross Rs. 130 crore mark! Andhadhun, which will enter seventh week tomorrow, is also doing well at lower levels and would now cross the Rs. 70 crore mark. Lastly, even Baazaar didn’t fall as much as was expected and can reach the Rs. 25 crore mark.

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; October 26, 2018)

"I am lucky that Baazaar chose me," says Rohan Mehra when we settle down for a chat in his suburban hotel room that overlooks the sea. "There was great struggle attached to my debut. I chased Nikkhil [Advani, producer] for this, and relentless rounds of auditions [ensued]," says the son of late actor Vinod Mehra, as he makes his entry into the industry as a stockbroker from Allahabad, who comes to Mumbai to work with Shakun Kothari (played by Saif Ali Khan).

The actor admits his casting in the offering that deals with stock market trading was a game played by destiny. "Gauravv [Chawla, director] called me to audition for a different film. But that didn't work out. He had told me simply that [Baazaar, the other film he was working on] was not for a newcomer. Still, I secretly sent him an audition [video]."

Months passed by before he got a call to take the discussion further. "It's a fabulous character. I did my best to crack the accent and personality [needed for this role]."

As it would be for any debutant, working with Khan was educational for Mehra. "Watching him work and listening to him speak is the best learning [experience one can get]. He says things with wisdom, but not with the intention of preaching. We bonded over our British humour and would often laugh [so much that] the director would have to separate us. I count myself lucky that my first film is with such a huge star; one who is grounded and humble."

Having reiterated that nepotism had no role to play in his career, Mehra points out that he had never even met his father. "He passed away when my mother was pregnant with me. I was born here [India] but shifted to Kenya [Mombasa]. I was far away from Bollywood. My town had one single-screen. I didn't grow up thinking I'd do this. I grew up wanting to be an investment banker. India always spoke to me, so I wanted to settle here. Even Nikkhil didn't know of my lineage when he signed me on."

Baazaar has a great and very engaging first half. The characters are very well established. Saif Ali Khan’s entry scene is quite powerful and whistles and claps worthy. It is surely one of the best scenes in recent times and this surely ranks as one of the best performances of this versatile actor! Post-interval however, the film begins to drag and gets too convenient and unconvincing. The build up to the climax is nice but then in the last 5-10 minutes, the film again falters and ends on an unfair note. And contrary to reports, Baazaar is not inspired by Wall Street or The Wolf Of Wall Street. Saif, as mentioned before, is too good and he surely is in his element playing the wicked businessman. Rohan Mehra makes a confident debut and has a fine screen presence. Radhika Apte looks stunning and performance wise, she is first rate as always. Same goes for Chitrangda Singh and she has a crucial part in the second half but has very less screen time. It’s disappointing to see such a fine actress getting a raw deal, first in Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3 and then in Baazaar. Overall, this is a surely a nice one time watch!

My rating - *** out of 5!

HALF A DOZEN RELEASES TOMORROW; BAAZAAR TO DOMINATE!

Like it happens every year, the pre-Diwali period is here and it’ll be riddled with plenty of small releases. Every year, such films flop big time and yet, the makers don’t get the drift. Tomorrow, as many as 6 films would release and only the first one seems to be interesting and carries some buzz. My analysis:

BAAZAAR: It stars Saif Ali Khan, Chitrangda Singh and Radhika Apte and marks the debut of Vinod Mehra’s son Rohan. It is produced by Nikkhil Advani and is the directorial debut of Gauravv K Chawla. The film was ready almost a year back but didn’t get any buyers. Therefore, a perception was generated the film is poor. But after the success of Saif’s web show Sacred Games, the film again generated interest and ultimately, Viacom18 Motion Pictures came on board. When the trailer was unveiled, people were pleasantly surprised as it seemed quite interesting and entertaining. The dialogues were massy and Saif looked in great form. Rohan too seems promising while Chitrangda and Radhika seem to have an important role. Songs didn’t pick up and also, the reach would be limited as it’s about stock exchange which many don’t follow. Still, the opening can be in the range of Rs. 2.50-3.50 crore.

KAASHI - IN SEARCH OF GANGA: It stars Sharman Joshi and Aishwarya Devan and is a massy thriller. The film was unknown when it was made and got noticed a bit when the trailers came out. Sharman looks in form and the film’s trailer is intriguing. However, there’s a fear that the film might get preachy and symbolic in the end which won’t be accepted by the target massy audience. The film has chances only in single screens of hinterland.

5 WEDDINGS: It stars prominent actors like Rajkummar Rao and Nargis Fakhri. Shockingly, the buzz is negligible. Agreed that it was meant to be a festival film but still, a film starring these two actors ideally should have had some awareness. The film is releasing without noise and many don’t even know it’s going to be out. The opening hence can be disastrous.

DASSEHRA: This is a 5-year-old film of Neil Nitin Mukesh that’s releasing now, just like Ishqeria, which came out last month. Also starring Tina Desai, this is a cop drama with a dash of action. The film looks dated but also seems to be a timepass action flick. Few mass centres might accept this film but it’s box office prospects are dim. However, on television, it can work.

THE JOURNEY OF KARMA: It stars Shakti Kapoor and hottie Poonam Pandey. The film looks disastrous from the trailers and it won’t get a lot of audiences despite the skin show. The makers were panned recently when they tried to misuse the #MeToo movement for their film’s promotion. They tried to start a rumour that Shakti Kapoor sexually harassed Poonam Pandey. But even a layman could smell that the makers were lying and hence, it never became big news and rightfully so.

There are two more films releasing tomorrow like Gaon – The Village No More and Chal Jaa Bapu and they’ll all bomb on the first day itself.

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

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; October 25, 2018)

It’s a known fact that Saif Ali Khan is an interesting conversationalist. Be it movies, history, politics, global issues, or current affairs — you can trust the actor to engage you in a stimulating chat. If and when he isn’t aware about certain things, which is rare, he has no qualms about asking those around to enlighten him. His eloquence, outspokenness and knack of being politically incorrect adds to his Nawabi charm. Ahead of the release of his next, Baazaar, he talks to BT about box-office success, his son Taimur being a social media sensation and why he admires Amitabh Bachchan and Anil Kapoor. Excerpts...

You have completed 25 years in cinema. Despite giving some wonderful performances in unconventional films, many of your recent movies didn’t translate into box-office success. Does that bother you?
It’s not uncommon. A lot of good films do not work. It’s interesting to know how the box office functions. There’s quality, there’s mass appeal and sometimes, there’s a lot of gap between the two. The Holy Grail is achieving both, but that’s rare. The trick is to strike a balance between the two. There are some films that have a stronger shot at the box office. Some of the films that I do, have more of an outside chance, but I was hoping that Kaalakaandi would be more mainstream. I thought that it was a really good movie and so was Chef.

Is it disheartening to see films with unique content not being received well by the audience?
Naturally, you are disappointed when these films don’t work and you wonder if you are doing something wrong. You question many things like yourself and whether you are doing the wrong kind of movies. I don’t want to take the pressure though (smiles). I leave it to the producers. If he feels that he should make a film in a certain way, he should. Baazaar is more commercial, Chef could have been more commercial, but the director gave it a European approach, which I was okay with at the time. It’s a risky area. Vikram Malhotra (producer), Raja Menon (director, Chef)... these guys have made Rs 100-crore films before. I think it’s a phase. You get certain things right, certain things wrong, but you’ve got to just keep working. Eventually, if you know what you are doing and if you are a good actor, hopefully something turns out that makes sense. I am spending my time trying to become a better actor, learning more about my craft. I am lucky that I am being offered interesting opportunities. More than making money, I am interested in quality roles.

Since Baazaar deals with the game of money and stock market, many are curious to know if it has similarities to The Wolf Of Wall Street...
Not at all. Baazaar is about what money means to different people. Money is called a whore sometimes, because it pretends to be something it isn’t. The Wolf Of Wall Street was more about American excess, corruption of society and the absurdity of American capitalism taken to an extreme. It’s also about drugs, parties and debauchery — it’s a completely different world. We can never get there in our movies because a Gujarati businessman (his character in Baazaar) comes from a very different methodology. It’s in a very Mahabharata space, which is an epic for us. That’s the way an Indian guy may operate mostly. He may believe he’s religious while taking you for a ride. Baazaar is not a sex-and-drugs kind of drama. It’s more about morality, money and legitimacy. Just look at our mythological epics to know what matters to an Indian. What is the class of your background and values? How far would you go to achieve want you want? People pretend to be pure and holier-than-thou, but they also justify violence. We’re talking about a philosophical explanation of fulfilling your dharm; the film falls into that space. The way the story unfolds is tense and pulls you in slowly. Also, you don’t have to understand investments to like this film. It’s about ambitious people and the repercussions of their actions.

Your policy of playing age-appropriate roles is a rare trait among most A-list Indian actors.
I grew up on international films and we used to make fun of how you cannot play a college boy at a certain age. Forty-year-olds going to college, I mean, that can look demented (laughs!). I want to be like Anil Kapoor and Mr (Amitabh) Bachchan. I want to be a fit 60-year-old like Anil. It’s amazing. I am not worried about competing with anybody. I want to be in my space. I feel there are so many dramatic stories to tell at this age. What a father goes through is as exciting as what the kids are going through. We should be a complex film industry that has stories for every age group. Like Hollywood, we should make our Twilights and campus romances, as well as have something more serious for the adults as life gets serious. The experience of reading Anna Karenina in school and then at 45 is completely different. Life changes and it’s nice to be able to express yourself from that point of view. I was telling this to Imtiaz Ali the other day, when we were talking about a love story. Too early to talk about it, but that’s also for a certain age and it’s cool. There’s always this wisdom that comes with age. Also luckily, the film industry is changing. Actors like Anil and Mr Bachchan, these guys are beacons for their respective age and I want to be one for my age, too. The stories will find you if you are fit and correct enough for the part.

Let’s talk about Taimur. What do you make of people stalking him on social media and he being a paparazzi’s delight?
Being photographed all the time while coming out of the house with him used to bother me, as I looked a bit slobby. Now, I dress up a bit, and I have got a nice pair of track pants (smiles), but it’s a bit of a pain. Taimur makes people happy, I understand that. He is always smiling, even at four in the morning, when I am half asleep. People have had interest in this kid ever since he was born and I can’t keep him away. I’d rather not have him photographed, but I can’t physically hide him and if I do that, the paps will be persistent. I want him to grow up as a normal kid, but he won’t. I don’t know whose fault that is and I am not pleased about it. The only option I have is to treat this as normal and make it as civilised as possible. There’s a nice relationship between the paparazzi and Indian stars. We have a clear understanding. We stop for a picture and respect the media and they respect us. They are not chasing his car or jumping on him while he is going to school and they shouldn’t. This becomes hectic when you run away from the paps and could lead to a scenario like Lady Diana’s where she was avoiding the paparazzi. If she’d given that photograph, they wouldn’t have chased the car. Also it’s the age of social media. If Tiger Pataudi and Sharmila had a kid today, even I’d have been photographed. Sara (his daughter) was such a cute kid! Taimur is from a different time. I had never been interested in anybody’s kids, so I don’t understand it (frenzy), but I respect it.

Initially, there was a lot of brouhaha about Taimur’s name…
I have now given him a soft nickname — Tim Tim, which takes the edge off Taimur. I think of India as a secular country, I don’t think of it as a Hindutva nation. I understand that there will be a right wing movement in the country because of independence and the creation of Pakistan and this idea of identity forming that is ours. I understand Hindutva. The scariest ideologies have a bit of truth to them. But my idea of India is that in my blood and his blood and on this earth, there have been so many people who have come and gone. Alexander the Great, Chandragupta Maurya, Babur, Humayun, Taimur and various other people. Whether they were good people, bad people, violent people, doesn’t really matter in my head. People have called Rama violent. We have had these conversations. To me, it’s a great name. Taimur means iron and I like it. He’s not named after a particular person, but even if he’s named after anybody, this is a part of us and history. We can’t pretend that we have been around only after 1948. That’s not what India is. India is the land of Kama Sutra, Yoga, Mohenjo-daro, Harappan civilisation, Mahabharata, including Taimur. It’s all a part of our history.

Will we see you playing Sara’s screen father in your next home production? There were speculations about it.
No. It was a nice idea, but acting is a very selfish business. You don’t want to act with your daughter, because you’d be worried about how she’s feeling all the time. The only time I’ll offer her a film is when I feel she is facing trouble in her career. If she didn’t have a Karan Johar film or Kedarnath, I’d offer her a father daughter story to help, but if she’s okay with Dharma and I am happy, Karan can be her father. Sara is already a good person; I want her to enjoy being an artiste and an actor.

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; October 24, 2018)

Late actor Vinod Mehra’s son Rohan Mehra, is gearing up to flag off his acting career with Baazaar. He might be a star kid, but he grew up in another country, far from the glitzy bylanes of Bollywood and the conversations of film industry insiders. The young actor, who had to work hard to land his first role, speaks to BT about his father, finding his way back to Bollywood and realising his true dream of being an actor. Excerpts…

Are you excited about the kind of reactions your debut film, Baazaar might receive?
I wish the film would open tomorrow and not on Friday, because I am really impatient. I want everyone to see it right away and I am so blessed to be in this situation. Not everyone gets a chance to experience this. I’ve waited a long time for it. Yes, waiting in the wings made me anxious and I doubted what I was doing. In retrospect, maybe this is how it was meant to be. In the process of waiting for the film, I grew up, matured and I developed a sense of what life has to offer.

You grew up in Kenya, far away from the film industry in Mumbai. Did those experiences have any impact on your dreams and aspirations?
I grew up in Mombasa, Kenya. It’s a small town, far away from arts of any kind, where everyone aims to follow typical careers like banking, medicine or engineering. I wanted to be an investment banker. Funnily enough, my first film revolves around the stock market. At 18, I moved to England to study mathematics and economics and I did well. But, my heart wasn’t in it. I wasn’t as passionate about numbers as I was about music, movies and stories. I decided to make a career out of that. I came to Mumbai, after completing my education, to work in the film industry. I was ready to work in any capacity – assistant director, photography, music, acting – I just wanted to be a part of the storytelling process. I tried a bit of everything, believing that it will help sharpen my skills.

You weren’t the first choice to play Rizwan in Baazaar. How did you land the part when the makers weren’t keen on casting a newcomer?
I was auditioning for films and had put up a couple of photos from a shoot on my social media page. Gauravv K Chawla (director of Baazaar) saw those and called me for an audition. That film didn’t take off, but the company was keen to do something with me. Maybe, I had created an impression. I remember reading about Baazaar, which was Nikkhil Advani’s (producer) homage to Trishul (1978). It fascinated me. I approached Nikkhil to cast me in it, but he didn’t want to even talk about it. After a lot of persuasion, he gave me a scene to enact, just for fun. I kept working on the scene with his inputs for months and kept reading that the role had been offered to several actors. Eventually, he decided to cast me because he was convinced with my audition videos.

Baazaar does not seem like the traditional first film for a star kid. Did you consciously opt for an unconventional debut?
I don’t think I would have wanted it any another way. Maybe, the unconventional nature of my debut will make it stand out a little bit. It’s given me a chance to step out of the song-and-dance routine. In Baazaar, I have worked with some really big names, right at the beginning of my career, and that has been scary and nerve-racking. But, it’s all turned out to be fine eventually and the entire team made me feel comfortable.

Your father Vinod Mehra passed away before you were born. Do you think your journey would have been different had he been around?
I don’t know how to answer that. Honestly, while growing up I didn’t ever get a chance to know him. From everything I hear, I realise that he was a really lovable guy. My mother was still pregnant with me when dad passed away and she moved away from Mumbai, when I was a toddler. I’ve grown up watching my mother closely. Had I lost her, I would have really felt the pangs of separation and missed her immensely, because she’s part of all my memories and we have shared a life together. It’s difficult to imagine how my father would have reacted to watching me on the big screen, but trust me, I did think about that a lot. Especially, the day we were launching the trailer.

Which of your father’s films are your favourites?
Anurodh (1977), Ghar (1978) and Bemisaal (1982). I rooted for him in Bemisaal, even though his character had grey shades. Ghar was such an unconventional love story and far ahead of its time. Anurodh is a film you can always empathise with. My father had a pleasant screen presence and that’s something I have tried to imbibe, too.

You are the son of a Bollywood star, but your story and upbringing don’t really fit into definition of a star kid.
Every clique or circle has the insiders and the outsiders. I am on the fence looking inside. I am an accidental star kid, because I grew up away from Bollywood, in a neighbourhood where there were no stars or their families. No one treated me like a star kid. So, I’ve never started a conversation in my life talking about the fact that I am Vinod Mehra’s son. People within the industry weren’t affected by that either. Even when people found out whose son I was, they continued to do their job, unaffected, which is great and that made everything seem normal to me. People did tell me that they’re huge fans of my father’s work, but gladly it didn’t change their attitude towards me.

There have been rumours, romantically linking you with Tara Sutaria who makes a debut in Student Of The Year 2…
That’s an occupational hazard. You will always be watched and people will try to gather stuff about you all the time. But right now, I don’t know if I have time to fall in love with anyone except for my work.

Radhika Apte speaks up on #MeToo movement and believes that it needs to be handled in a constructive manner
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 23, 2018)

You have always been open about sexual harassment and had slapped a South actor who tried to touch you inappropriately in the past. What is your take on the #MeToo movement that has led to many women outing other predators?
I’m very pleased people are calling out sexual harassment, it’s high time this happened. It’s coming out in an explosive way but it’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s a lot of more s**t out there. I’m hoping we come up with a constructive way of dealing with it It’s also important to be fair. This is a tricky one because it’s a sensitive subject. Sexual abuse shouldn’t be happening at any workplace or even in personal life. The kind of things that are coming out should not be tolerated. Period.

Your last release, Sriram Raghavan’s thriller AndhaDhun also featuring Ayushmann Khurrana and Tabu, is a certified hit. You played was a new age girl, Sophie, with a mind of her own and a really chic look.
Isn’t it wonderful the film’s doing so well! And we didn’t even publicise that film much. AndhaDhun’s success is a perfect example that if a film is good, it will run. I love Sriram’s work, we had done Badlapur three years ago and I’m glad I did this film even if I had a small part.

Talking about looks, in mainstream cinema sometimes the look makes perfect sense and other times you don’t understand why we are dressing up so much. Fortunately, I’ve grown up on a diet of Bollywood films so it’s not difficult to visualise these looks. It’s a good thing when you get to dress smart but believe me, it’s tough wearing six-inch heels all day!

After 13 years in the industry, how was it like pairing up with a debutant, the late Vinod Mehra’s son, Rohan, in Baazaar.
He’s one of the most hardworking and sincere people I’ve met. And since he’s travelled around the world and has different hobbies, there was lots to talk about. My character, Priya, is an ambitious girl who can go to any lengths to get what she wants. Yet at the same time there’s a certain vulnerability about her triggered off by her dilemma over what’s right and wrong which makes it interesting.

Do you dabble in the stock market in real life?
I’m clueless. During the shoot I would even blank out on the information fed to me. But Rohan is very knowledgeable about stocks and shares and I would go ask him. (Laughs) It would embarrass him, and he’d ask me to not tell anyone.

On the film front you have two international projects, The Wedding Guest with Dev Patel and the Lydia Dean Pilcher directed World War II spy drama along with Stana Katic and Sarah Megan Thomas. What’s the status quo on them?
I have completed both films. Lydia’s film is yet untitled, while The Wedding Guest premiered at the Toronto Film Festival (TIFF). But sorry, got to be tight-lipped on details.

Meena Iyer (DNA; October 23, 2018)

Saif Ali Khan is in dual mode. He is at a suburban hotel promoting his October 26 release Baazaar and is also babysitting his one-and-a-half-year-old munchkin, Taimur Ali Khan. But his mood is upbeat. Wearing his hair back in an interesting man bun, the actor allows his make-up artiste to touch up his face for a few seconds after we have entered his hotel suite. He then packs the entire entourage off, saying, “Let me do my interview in peace.” Of course, for those like his immediate manager and a couple of PR girls who insist on hanging around, Saif’s instructions are even clearer. “Choose a corner for yourself, switch off your mobiles and make yourselves inconspicuous,” says the actor before he gives us his undivided attention. Without wasting a second, we ask:

So you are playing the Wolf of the Bombay Stock Exchange in Baazaar?
Kind of, I suppose. People have compared it to Leonardo Di Caprio’s The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013) (TWOWS), but actually Baazaar can’t be that. They have drawn parallels to the Michael Douglas-starrer Wall Street (1987), too, which it is probably closer to. But it’s not a copy of anything. Baazaar has got enough originality to keep me excited and engaged. The Indian business community is unique enough to tell its own story. We’ve never seen the Gujarati angadiyas, but there could be a Dallas or Dynasty happening in some of the big homes. TWOWS is a story of corruption and insane excess, which we can’t do in Bollywood, unless we show someone blown out of their heads on 10 grams of cocaine. TWOWS goes hand-in-hand with drugs, partying and excesses, but we’re not in that zone.

Is this your first attempt at playing a Gujarati character?
It probably is. I realised what’s happening in terms of acting, when I watched Bajirao Mastani recently. I felt that we’ve started changing the way we look and sound for every film. I had done it in Omkara (2006), but now it’s become a norm. I sounded like a Punjabi guy in Sacred Games, now I’ve got this Gujarati touch in Baazaar. I was happy I was able to do it because I’ve been a terrible dubber. One of the nannies of my daughter Sara (Ali Khan) was a Gujarati. She used to say, ‘Ainyaan aav, baisi jaao’ and all those things. There are a lot of Gujaratis and Punjabis around us. So subconsciously, one has heard the way they speak.

So you’re playing a grey character in the film?
Yeah, he is the antagonist. He’s the bad guy who looks like the good guy. The film is not really about the stock market. It’s about money and how it’s something you think can be the answer to all your troubles. It raises questions like how far will you go? Will you cross the line? And if you do, where does that lead you? Does money mean so much that it seems like a goal and once you get there, maybe you’ve given up on all the important things that you wanted? Is love more important? What’s money to a rich wife, every powerful businessman and to a struggler? So it means different things to all these people. What I love about the movie is that the background tells you what kind of a film it really is. It’s serious but it’s got soul and morality. It is about good and evil. It’s about a guy on the ledge who is about to commit suicide. It’s not something that is shallow and rushed, it unfolds gradually. For a first-timer like Gauravv (director Gauravv K Chawla) to make something at this pace, it’s impressive. I like these kind of performances and films as they absorb you. You get to entice people, which is interesting.

How was it teaming up with Chitrangda Singh?
I’m very fond of her. She is quite down to earth.

The first season of Sacred Games has earned praise, Baazaar releases this Friday. Next, you have Hunter and Taanaji, besides your home production. In other words, these are busy times.
Hunter with Navdeep (Singh) and Aanand L Rai is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I think when you do something like this, it actually broadens your horizons. You know this is easy to say, but it’s a slightly traumatic experience. It’s a bit painful like exercising, before you build your muscles. It was two hours of make-up followed by an hour of travel in rough terrain! I love cinema and I don’t mind driving and chugging to get to do something difficult in an amazing location. But when it was actually on, it was kind of hard.

Shooting for Hunter was the exact opposite of working in Taanaji that was shot against a green screen. The latter is great for actors as you can concentrate on yourself and your performance. But for Hunter, it was all real; the ravine, the fort and it was magical to bring these places alive, from history. So, many Rajasthani places seem like a dead ghost in the background when you drive past them. But when you go there and dress it up with an army of men and horses, it suddenly comes alive. It’s an impressive experience, and director Navdeep (Singh) is deeply passionate about his work. You have to be a mono maniac of some sorts. You’ve to be obsessed to carry so many people for so long in those circumstances.

I heard Kangana (Ranaut) say that actors don’t like to get their hands dirty. I would like to show to her what we did. I’ve got pictures, where we were shooting during the monsoon and I was covered in mud and flies because of the fake blood, which is sweet. Jeez, it was hard and I would just fantasise about reaching home and getting clean. I would think about getting a bottle of Blue Label and Chinese food and sitting in the balcony (laughs).

Sorry to digress, but what is your take on the #MeToo Movement?
My take is that I hate bullying; it’s something that doesn’t exist in my universe. It’s disgusting, but the attitude needs to change. Many people have been using women, which is sleazy and wrong. It’s great that people are talking about it. If it changes things, and this kind of stuff stops happening and women are safer, then it’s good.

You’ve launched a banner again, Black Knight Films.
Yes. The idea behind Illuminati also was to kind of protect myself. There was a time in the past when big production houses would try and create content for me. Now, they’ve signed their own people. Every big production house has a little camp of their own, which is great, just the way it should be. I want people to look after me and there are enough out there to do so. But I have to find them and hire them. You have to take control of your own destiny and career and say, ‘I want you guys to find me something that’s right for this energy, you know the kind of person I am, what I excel at in terms of work. So let’s find that, create that.’ Also this time, I’d like to own the company rather than be lazy (smiles).

Have you and your partner Jay Shewakramani set any goals, like the number of films you will produce in a year?
There are no goals. He’s taking one film at a time. Or maybe we’ll make two movies at a time. I really like Jay and that’s why we’ve made a good deal. I don’t want him working in my company and then wanting to control him. Let him have his company, let me have mine, we’ll collaborate together on this and tomorrow we can team up with somebody else. I can collaborate with Dinu (Dinesh Vijan) on his film. I’m looking forward to that. It will be balanced because then we’ll have no expectations from each other.

Is another film with Nikkhil Advani also on the cards?
No. The films that are happening at the moment are Taanaji, Hunter, our own home production and Go Goa Gone’s sequel. Imtiaz (Ali) and I have met and chatted. It’s too early to say anything right now, but there maybe something in the future.

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 22, 2018)

Batla House went on the floors on Sunday. How does it feel to live out a four-year dream?
My writer Ritesh Shah has lived the dream longer. He spent a year researching and meeting people before coming to me, thinking the maker of D-Day, Airlift and P.O.W.: Bandi Yudhh Ke was the best person for this film. At the time I was preoccupied with other projects. When I finally picked up the script, I couldn’t put it down. I just felt it needed some more work. (Smiles) I didn’t know it’d take four years and 30 drafts before we could take it to the floors. I have never felt more energised or more nervous.

Nervous, why?
It’s such a huge responsibility. I’ve to be fair to both sides. It’s not just the story of then ACP Sanjeev Kumar Yadav who in 2008 with a seven-member Special Cell Team barged into Flat 108 of L-18 Batla House in search of Atif Bashir, Chief of the Indian Mujahideen believed to be behind several bomb explosions across India between 2003– 2008 culminating in a series of blasts in Delhi. It’s also about three young students of Jamia Millia Islamia—Okla University in our film – who were accused, arrested or killed. I need to be able to look at those who shared their trauma with us in the eye, to hear them say that justice was done when they see the first copy. I know this film will trigger discussion, conversation…

...Maybe even controversy?
My production house is already being asked by various people to share the draft even though Batla House is not a documentary but a work of fiction inspired by true events. For that matter we are also getting enquires from certain communities asking if they’ve been correctly represented in my upcoming film Baazaar despite it being cleared by the CBFC. All I can say is that we are a responsible production house who despite being given a choice of ‘U/A’ and ‘A’ accepted an adult certificate for Satyameva Jayate because we didn’t want to expose kids to graphic violence.

Has John Abraham who plays the protagonist met DCP Sanjeev Kumar Yadav who headed the encounter?
Yes, they’ve had a few meetings during which John absorbed certain nuances in his speech and body language which he wants to incorporate into his character. He’s been taking Urdu lessons as a large part of the narrative is in it.

Getting back to Baazaar, why has it taken the film so long to come to the theatres?
We were looking for the right partner who believed in the film, in my choice of Saif (Ali Khan) to play the protagonist and in newcomer Rohan Mehra to play the second lead. Also, in debutant director Gauravv Chawla. We found it in Viacom18 who will market it well.

Weren’t you supposed to direct Baazaar yourself?
I was, but then my sister, Monisha Advani who is my production partner, suggested I listen to what Gauravv had done with the first 30 pages of the script. By the time he came to the third scene I knew he was the best person for the job. Even Saif who’d told me he wanted me on the set everyday, called on the second day to say I didn’t need to be there. He’s an intelligent guy, and because he reads and thinks so much, he needs a director who can can answer all his questions.

I’ve been busy with Moghuls. So far everything I’ve done, I could see happen before my eyes. But every shot in this series needs some kind of VFX. I had to imagine snow here and mountains there. It was a challenge. We’ve just wrapped up the first episode.

Your take on #MeToo?
This has been a year of churning and I’m glad that the world is finally waking up to women’s rights. My sister and my other producer partner, Madhu Bhojwani, headed an HR company till they retired and I convinced them to join me. Sixty per cent of our work force are women and certain guidelines regarding sexual harassment were already in place in our company before all #MeToo exploded. I can assure that no woman is unsafe or unprotected with us.

Saif Ali Khan on how Sacred Games boosted the confidence of filmmakers in him, and how he will continue to reinvent himself
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; October 21, 2018)

Your last theatrical release, Kaalakaandi (2017), and your upcoming film, Baazaar, both were delayed. Does this affect you as an actor?
It depends on why a film is delayed. In the past, there have been instances of films with bigger actors not releasing at all, and I would wonder why. In my case, Kaalakaandi was a low budget experiment and they had to find the right release date. There was also a discussion about releasing it directly on Netflix. Even for Baazaar, they were looking for the perfect time to showcase it. If someone says that my last few films haven't done well and hence the next can't be released, I would feel bad, but that was never the case.

But that was the word in the trade circuit. It was only after the success of Sacred Games, that makers decided to come out with the film.
I wish the situation was different and my films had worked, but what can I do about it? I would be more than satisfied if some of my recent releases would've done well [laughs]. But, by nature, I am happy and content. Over the years, I've become a better actor because I've realised that my energy and confidence does not depend on a Friday verdict. I know my job and over time have understood it better. I believe, that there is certain amount of karma in my profession. If you are good at your work, looking great and performing well, at some point of time, everything has to work out.

Did you ever lose confidence when your films weren't doing well at the box office?
Not when it comes to doing my job. I've been around in the industry for many years and it has never been a smooth sail. I've had my share of ups and downs and I am generally a confident person. The kind of experiences I've had in my life, the education and awareness I received through reading has always given me the confidence to talk to anyone. At the same time, I am not ashamed to admit that I am often clueless. My mother [Sharmila Tagore] tells me that my father [Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi] was the most confident man she had ever met. I'd like to believe that I've inherited that quality. I have always been a late bloomer. So, I am hopeful that things will eventually fall in place. I want to look like Anil Kapoor and work as long as Amitabh Bachchan and just keep getting better [smiles].

So what really changed with Sacred Games?
It has given me a sense of validation. We were talking about confidence and it also comes from working with like-minded people, understanding the craft and not getting stuck in the past [successes of Dil Chahta Hai and Omkara]. It constantly changes and now, I am the guy from Sacred Games. I feel on top of my game. The other day I was telling my manager that I am reading books on acting, approaching the craft differently and trying a lot of new things — people have reacted positively towards it. Many people take courses to improve their skills, but as an actor, it was something new for me. I was studying and applying my techniques. There are so many actors in that set up and they are really good at their job. Working with them has improved my acting chops.

With the on-going #MeToo movement, reports suggest that the second season of Sacred Games may not happen.
Personally, I don't think there should be any issue because Netflix takes these kinds of situations seriously. They will find the right way forward. House Of Cards still got made with changes to the cast. So, I am hoping we will too by taking the necessary step.

At the same time, you have four films [Hunter, Taanaji: The Unsung Warrior, Go Goa Gone sequel and Jawani Janeman] in various stages of filmmaking. Do you feel secure now?
I don't know about feeling secure, but I am working with some top class directors. Anurag Basu and Sriram Raghavan have both offered me films. So, if my last few releases haven't worked, then why are they approaching me with work? These directors give me a lot of confidence because they don't judge based a few setbacks. Fortunately or unfortunately, I don't like to live in a paranoid universe. If not films there will be something else to do. I could even be managing a hotel in Pataudi. I am not scared of the future.

And how do you not fret about the future?
You must have the ability to appreciate things and that is something I learnt from a friend. He always tells me to celebrate life. I guess the most basic thing is to celebrate a weekend. My whole life is on my phone with the collection of photos that I have. There are times when I see my photographs with Taimur, or some candid shots of having a drink and chatting with my friends. Then, I also see my look as a Naga Sadhu [Saif's character in Hunter] and I feel that somewhere I have done a good job. Touchwood, I am satiated because I have never praised myself and I am happy to put myself down and learn again.

Back to production
Saif Ali Khan dissolved his old production house, Illuminati Films, with Dinesh Vijan (their last association was Happy Ending in 2014) and went back into production with his new company, Black Knight Films. He says, "The thought process is that someone should look after me. We are planning to create a business model that will look after my career, be it a big or small budget film that can take care of my career rather than to expect calls from Yash Raj Films or Dharma Productions. I have made films in the past, so why not just carry on with it? I don't want other people to look out for me."

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; October 20, 2018)

There’s more to her than just a glamorous personality. She’s a talented artiste and now a film producer, too. Chitrangda Singh has donned several hats in her career that took off back in 2003. She admits that she wasn’t looking to be an actor, and hence wasn’t focussed on making it big in the profession. While her acting career hasn’t seen a high in a long spell, her first production, Soorma, has cemented her space as a film producer. In conversation with BT, Chitrangda talks about her forthcoming film, Baazaar, why only actresses are asked about catfights and why the #MeToo campaign has found approval in India, too. Excerpts…

Baazaar is your second release of the year, earlier, Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3 didn’t turn out as you would have wished for. Given that your role in Baazaar isn’t all that long, what sort of expectations do you have from the film?
It’s very important because every film counts. It either adds to you as an actor or just affects your career. It doesn’t always come out looking the way you expect it to. Your performance is not highlighted the way you wanted it to be. So, Baazaar is important, because Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3 didn’t get the response we expected. I wasn’t happy with the way things turned out for me in particular.

You also turned producer this year with Soorma, a sports drama. Your foray into production was unexpected.
Firstly, I think everyone knows that I wasn’t doing much work since 2014-15. I was also going through a bad patch in my personal life. While I was away from movies, I found time to work on ideas that I had written a long time ago and I started developing scripts. That’s the time when I met hockey player Sandeep Singh and because I was in a writing zone, I penned his story. It turned out to be an unbelievable idea for a film, better than anything I could think of. I decided to make the film and because I took the rights, I promised him that it will be made without any concoctions. So, eventually, I turned producer, but I was more involved with the creative side. It was a great learning curve and while you’re just on the creative side, it’s still a lot of work. It took us a while to find a corporate partner, because the response to the script initially wasn’t welcoming. A lot of biopics were in the pipeline at that time. Besides, no one expected me to produce a film. The thought was, ‘Arey, isko bhi producer banne ka shaukh chadha hai. Sabko producer banna hai.’ I heard that line quite often. I’ll give them the benefit of doubt, because people are hesitant till you don’t prove yourself, which is fair.

Is it tough to balance between acting and film production?
The worlds overlap to a large extent, which is why so many male actors have been doing it for years. It just gets you more ownership and control of a project that you anyway invest so much in. In the male actor’s case, it’s also their name and image that matters. With Soorma, I’ve just familiarised myself with the process of film production. It’s not that simple, you have to make a few films and experience things to learn what it is like to be a producer.

Women started making films as early as 1926 but even today, their numbers are dismal when compared to the men. Also, a woman’s entry into the filmmaking business is often met with scepticism.
I don’t blame people. I don’t want to make this about men and women. Both male and female actors will be asked as many questions if they change tracks. You need to prove yourself in the film industry. Once you’ve done that, no one asks questions. If Anushka Sharma wants to make a film tomorrow, no one will question her now. It takes time and a few films to get there. Yes, we do need more women to make films, which will make it look as normal as it is for men.

Although you have a relatively smaller role in Baazaar, do you think women, overall have been getting better-written parts than before?
The audience just doesn’t want to watch formulaic films anymore. There is a change and women are becoming more integral to the storytelling process. The characters don’t always have to be feminists and/or inclined towards women’s liberation. Take Alia Bhatt in Raazi for instance. You don't need a man to carry the plot ahead. This is the reality of life. That’s how important women really are.

At the trailer launch of Baazaar, Radhika Apte and you were asked about being comfortable with each other during the shoot. Two men working together seldom brave questions about being comfortable while sharing screen space. Why do you think such questions are posed only to women?
Were Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor asked the same question? I think it’s the nature of the profession. Actors, irrespective of their gender, are greedy and selfish about scripts and roles. They seek the best for themselves because they’re trying to impress the audience. They want to be seen, and seen well. Having said that, I don’t know why men are rarely asked questions about how it was working with their male co-star because they are just as concerned as women are about their role, work and space. I think women are asked such questions because they are perceived as people who fight. Probably, they really have to fight to get what they deserve because nothing ever comes easy for them. Women are anyway more expressive, volatile and emotional than men. Among my cousins, my brothers fought lesser than my sisters. It’s not about being sexist; it’s just that women are more vocal and expressive, and not in a negative way. It’s so refreshing that we’re fiery and spontaneous unlike most men, who are so prim, proper and practical.

Two years ago, you had stormed out of the film Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, because you didn’t agree with the kind of (intimate) scene you were asked to shoot.
I was crying on the set when he (Kushan Nandy, director) kept on telling me that I have to do as he tells me to. He was almost frantic when he jumped on the bed and started showing me how to rub myself against Nawazuddin Siddiqui. At one point, even Nawaz walked away from there. I don’t know if that is me being fiery; that’s just me. There was a female producer and a female make-up artist and everyone watched silently. It’s so strange. Today, I support Tanushree Dutta and everyone else who has spoken up about times when they experienced horrible things at work. Better late than never! You know what? It was being reported back then as well, but it wasn’t getting picked up. I think with the #MeToo campaign in the West, the cause has found some sort of approval here, too. I just hope men who are supporting this movement aren’t just doing it for the sake of sounding cool.

Why do you think women often choose to remain silent after hostile experiences?
In our society, it’s widely accepted that men need not be penalised for sexual exploitation. It’s just taken for granted. I know of mothers who would look away if their little girls tell them about being sexually targeted by someone. We hear of these stories, I have seen my friend go through this when I was in class eight. It’s in our nature to feel ashamed when something happens to us and not confront men when they wrong us. Now that we are talking, we have sent out a message that no one needs to be quiet, that the fabric of our society needs to change.

It’s been 15 years since Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, but your career didn’t quite add up to the promise you showed in your debut film.
When I look back at my filmography, I, too, feel that it’s a little too random. Maybe, the reason is that I didn’t look to become an actor and so I didn't have a strategy. Luckily, I debuted with a film like Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi. Then, I took a six year break, because I wasn’t looking to work at that time. Eventually, I realised acting is my true calling and I came back here. I’ve been in and out of the profession since then. When you stay away from your work space for too long, you suffer. Six years is a very long time to pick up from where you left off. I made some big mistakes — I refused some really big films, which I shouldn’t have. The breaks I took to sort out my personal life also took a toll on my repertoire, but I am grateful that my work has been decent enough to keep me relevant. That’s the reason I continue to find work and now, produce films. I think I have got far more acknowledgement than the volume of work that I have done.

What do you think kept you going during your tough times?
I didn’t have a choice; I just had to keep going. The one thing that kept me happy and excited was cinema and that’s probably why I started writing. I’ve penned two scripts — a love story and a children’s film. I plan to make at least one of them next year. I also produced a film which saved me in a way. I had to find something to keep me excited. This is just the amount of perfection you can possibly manage in a lifetime.