Months after Rannbhoomi was pushed, Badrinath director Shashank Khaitan puts actioner with Varun Dhawan on the backburner
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; May 29, 2019)

Close on the heels of Dhadak's (2018) release, director Shashank Khaitan had announced that he was reuniting with his favourite actor Varun Dhawan for an espionage thriller. Touted as an ambitious action entertainer, the film was to be backed by Karan Johar, thus completing the troika behind the Dulhania series. However, in the latest development, the project — which was to go on floors this year — has been put on the backburner as the director has not been able to crack the script. Interestingly, their epic war saga, Rannbhoomi, was pushed to make way for the thriller.

Confirming the news, Khaitan tells mid-day, "I had cracked a great first half, but I botched things up in the second half. Since there is so much great material coming out [from the industry], I felt that if I don't have anything new to say, I shouldn't say it. So as of now, I have put the film on the backburner."

While it would be convenient for him to imagine a third instalment after Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014) and Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017), the filmmaker doesn't want to cash in on the franchise without a strong script. "It's a franchise that has been loved. So, Karan, Alia [Bhatt], Varun and I are conscious that we don't want to do it just for the money. If I come across a script that naturally lends itself to the franchise, we will do it."

For now, he is enjoying his stint as a judge on the second season of Dance Deewane. "I like its unique concept of having three different generations competing," he says.

Over the years, Bollywood has seen a rise in the number of female technicians, but cinematography is one area where women DoPs (Director of Photography) are still trying to make inroads. BT speaks to women cinematographers to find out the challenges of working in a male-dominated profession
Lasyapriya Sundaram (BOMBAY TIMES; April 30, 2018)

Recently, during an interaction with the media, superstar Amitabh Bachchan rightly pointed out how during his earlier days, the only women present on the set would be the actress and her mother. Cut to present day, a movie set is seen teeming with women doing various kinds of skilled jobs. There are many areas of filmmaking where women have created a space for themselves and made their presence strongly felt. However, in the area of cinematography, it’s been tougher for them to make inroads. While close to 100 female DoPs (Director of Photography) are currently active in the Indian entertainment industry, only a handful helm projects in mainstream cinema. Though many technical fields in filmmaking boast of gender parity, cinematography, not just in India but even in Hollywood, hasn’t turned out to be a level-playing field.


‘IT’S TOUGHER FOR WOMEN CINEMATOGRAPHERS TO GET THEIR BIG BREAK IN FILMS’
Priya Seth, who has shot big-budget films with A-list actors like Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan in Airlift (2016) and Chef (2017) respectively, points out that it is director Raja Krishna Menon, who was instrumental in helping her fight the inherent sexism in the industry. She says, “For women cinematographers, the system doesn’t help in getting them their big break. It’s somebody who believes in them who gives them the opportunity. For somebody like me, it was Menon who gave me a fair opportunity. When I was going to shoot Airlift, the question that was posed was, ‘Will she be able to handle the pressure?’ These questions are never asked when a man is involved. There hasn’t been a systemic change in the industry per se. However, overall there has been a visible increase in the number of female cinematographers in the past 10 years in the industry. But in mainstream cinema, there aren’t that many. Also, what happens is that people want to work with those who they are comfortable with. It’s basically a boy’s club. That’s where the crux of the problem is.”

‘WOMEN ARE FAR BETTER AT ORGANISING THAN MEN’
Director Raja Krishna Menon shares, “The general perception is that women are better with emotional subjects rather than action-driven content. But I don’t endorse this as it’s a question of perspective. I like to take advantage of the difference in perspective that one’s gender brings about and I don’t see it as a drawback. It’s a technical field and the camera used to weigh 50 odd kilos until recently. Perhaps, it’s the fault of gender stereotyping that many women in the past didn’t opt for cinematography. It’s also seen as a physically demanding job, as opposed to something like editing. Many producers and directors are men and possibly, they find it harder to work with women technicians because they haven’t done it. More women need to come out and shoot films like Airlift and prove them wrong. In fact, I am surprised how often I am asked why I chose to work with a female cinematographer on Airlift. I knew I was going to work with Priya and her gender was something that didn’t even cross my mind. Someone like her makes my job easier. In fact, I work with many female crew members on my set. Women are far better at organising than men.”

After training under cameraman Binod Pradhan, cinematographer Sunita Radia, who shot the Ajay Devgn and Ileana D’Cruz starrer Baadshaho (2017) and Hate Story 4 recently, reiterates, “Cinematography has been a male-dominated profession. Eighteen years ago when I started out, there weren’t too many women in the camera department. Earlier, it was believed that women couldn’t carry heavy equipment. One has to carry approximately 12-15 kilos as that’s how much a camera weighs.”



‘WE HAVE TO PROVE OUR WORTH TO GET THE JOB’
Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) graduate Neha Parti Matiyani, who kicked off her career as an independent cinematographer after having assisted cameraman Ravi K Chandran for five years, shares that unlike many others, she didn’t have to struggle a lot to get a break, as she had started her career working in films made by Karan Johar. The lady who shot the Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt-starrer Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017) states that, while getting a break might be difficult, once that happens, nobody makes bones about whether the cinematographer is male or female. She elaborates, “People are opening up to working with female cinematographers. It is assumed that men are good at their job until they go completely wrong. When it comes to women, they have to prove their worth before everyone starts believing that they can do the job. As a cinematographer, you have a minimum of 35 people working under you. That’s not all; you have to practically run the set. Once you shoot a big film successfully, there is no stopping you. Then, gender ceases to be a point of contention. But I can’t deny the fact that if a man and woman had the same qualifications, then the man would get the job.”

‘THE AUDIENCE’S PERCEPTION IS THAT A DOP IS ALWAYS MALE’
Citing an example about the deep-rooted sexism that’s prevalent, Sunita adds, “A reviewer who had critiqued Baadshaho praised my cinematography in the film and referred to me as Sunit Radia, assuming that I was a man. The perception is such that the cinematographer is always male.” Priya adds, “Today, I have done big films and I know that I am talented; earlier, I was questioning my capabilities because I didn’t know any better. It took me 10 years longer than my male counterparts to reach where I am today. Nobody will accept it, but it’s a fact.” Cinematographer Fowzia Fathima who started out in the late 1990s with Mitr: My Friend, after having trained under P C Sreeram, states, “At that time, work would rather go to a lesser-equipped male DoP than a well-trained female. It’s because of the mindset. There was an innate confidence and belief when a man was behind the camera. However, today there are more women entering the field and there is a slight shift in perspective. Sometimes, the perception that cinematography is a man’s job’ is often used as a tool to deny women DoPs opportunities.”


‘YOUNGSTERS NEED TO HAVE STRONG WOMEN ROLE MODELS IN FILMMAKING’
Given that a number of young female cinematographers are trying to break stereotypes and make a mark, Fowzia along with other colleagues including Deepti Gupta (who was the DoP for Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd, 2007) and Savita Singh (who was the DoP for Phoonk, 2008) formed the Indian Women Cinematographers’ Collective’ (IWCC) last year on International Women’s Day. Fowzia says, “Women DoPs formed the collective to register their presence, for the younger generation to have a peer group and strong women role models in the field of cinematography to identify with. Essentially, it acts as a professional support group. We launched the collective last year and today, we have more than 100 members. A concerted effort to encourage women to be a part of every department of filmmaking is the need of the hour.”

BOMBAY TIMES (January 16, 2018)

It’s not often that an actor races ahead of his peers, and, riding on his versatility, establishes himself as a bankable name, irrespective of the genre.

Post the success of Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Judwaa 2, Varun Dhawan, who began his acting innings with Karan Johar’s Student Of The Year (2012), has done just that.

Some industry veterans attribute his good run at the box office to smart choices of roles and films. A big-ticket actor observes, “After Main Tera Hero and Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Varun chose a serious subject like Badlapur and then followed it up with a dance film, ABCD 2. Also, he has an intense movie, October, lined up after outings with lighter content like Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Judwaa 2. He doesn’t seem to believe in playing it safe.”

Another filmmaker points out, “Varun is seamlessly shifting genres and roles, giving the audience variety. He seems to have found a way to balance the Salman Khan and Govinda kind of entertainers along with dark and intense subjects.”

No wonder then that Varun, who has a huge fan following among the teens and kids, has consistently enjoyed an impressive success ratio at the box office. In fact, his films have registered high viewership on satellite television as well, with Judwaa 2 clocking the highest ratings after Dangal among the movies broadcast in 2017.

With Shoojit Sircar’s October and a couple of other interesting subjects in the pipeline, Varun is all set to up his game in 2018, too.

Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; January 1, 2018)

Varun Dhawan is in a happy space. After enjoying a good run at the box office, the year that went by also saw him moving into his new, sprawling fourbedroom apartment, not far from his parents’ home in Juhu. All charged up to welcome 2018, the actor talks to BT about his career choices, director daddy David Dhawan, how he is gradually growing up and the movies that he is betting on in the future. Excerpts...

Last year saw some interesting, smaller films win accolades and garner good numbers at the box office, while some big-ticket projects shockingly failed to hit the bullseye. Interestingly, both your movies Badrinath Ki Dulhania (BKD) and Judwaa 2 emerged winners in a year that wasn’t considered the best for Bollywood in terms of big business...
A lot of films that released before BKD had not done well. Demonetization had happened and people weren’t going to theatres to watch movies. When it released, BKD didn’t just do well, it did very well. Shashank Khaitan (director) had worked on it for more than a year and we were all stressed. Even Alia (Bhatt) was worried that this was her only release in 2017. Eventually, the film fared better than my expectations. With Judwaa 2, we were dealing with a different pressure. GST (Goods & Services Tax) was just implemented and prior to that period, six to seven films, including big projects and much anticipated ones, had flopped. There was also the pressure of doing justice to a remake. A lot of people had doubts whether I could pull off Judwaa 2. The decisions to make these films were not taken in a day, like chalo yeh banate hain. Shashank worked on the idea for BKD for a year, likewise with Judwaa 2. My dad worked on conceptualizing and casting for eight months before we started working on the film.

In 2017, both your films were massy, commercial entertainers, but in the past, we have seen you in a film like Badlapur, which was a dark and intense subject. What kind of subjects are you drawn to?
As an actor, when I’m offered something, I get into the genre. Whatever people think of the film, I live every character that I portray. After Badlapur, I needed to take a break from an intense subject and do four-five different films. I had youngsters telling me that they wanted to see me in lighter movies. There is a different audience for Main Tera Hero, Badlapur and Badrinath Ki Dulhania. Now, I’m returning to the intense genre with Shoojit Sircar’s October. It took me nine films to earn a director like Shoojit. With him, I was ready to surrender and do a film that not many would do. Like Badlapur, October, too, is the kind of subject that is not explored in our country. At the same time, it is commercial and will appeal to everyone, irrespective of the language.

Masala movies give you a mass and pan-India reach and that is what attracts actors to do more such films. Your views?
It is essential to do mass films not for numbers, but for the reach and popularity. It’s a misconception that films which do well are masala movies. If a film does well, it’s because people have enjoyed it, irrespective of the genre. People love and enjoy movies like Golmaal Again and Judwaa 2. There are many people who believe that films that are money spinners are not good. In our industry, I feel our filmmakers have stopped making Indian films. Take Fukrey Returns for instance — its language is so Indian and hence, people enjoyed it.

Through the late 80s, 90s and 2000s, your father David Dhawan churned out hits with his Manmohan Desai-inspired masala entertainers, even though the critics snubbed him. A certain section of the audience (critics included) are fairly judgmental about this brand of cinema. Do you think your fan-following has helped his movies like Main Tera Hero and Judwaa 2 click?
I don’t understand why we judge success with the result. This is a creative field and everyone has his/her opinion. While dad is given tremendous respect by his peers, pseudo intellectuals are too critical. If you don’t like such movies, don’t see them, but don’t tell people who like it to not like it. People can make up their own mind, and no one should have the power to tell someone what to do. So many directors have faded away, but he has a good success ratio and is still making films. The problem is that a few people, who don’t like dad’s films, are telling others to not like his work. As an industry, we need to become more thick-skinned, and understand how much we should rely on people’s views on social media or any other media. If people start looking down on commercial cinema, the industry will shut down. Year 2017 was a wake-up call; you have to make entertaining films to draw people to the theatres.

Reports are rife that your dad and you are teaming up again for the remake of Biwi No. 1…
It sounds good, but it’s just a rumour. It is too early to say whether we will team up soon and what we could work on next. He is not an 18-year-old; for his health and in general, I want him to take it easy. Biwi No. 1 might seem exciting and people have been asking us about it, but honestly, there is no truth to it at the moment. Right now, I’m busy with October and another new film.

The general observation within the industry circles is that you have chalked out the smartest strategy among your contemporaries. While exploring subjects like Badlapur and October, you’re also doing the Salman Khan and Govinda kind of massy entertainers…
There’s no strategy. I choose subjects from the heart. Strategy comes after the film is made, while marketing it. After Judwaa 2, I’m doing something very different and I won’t be seen dancing shirtless. When people try to figure me out, I tell them it’s not possible, because even I can’t figure myself out. At some point, I might take a sudden turn or make a switch. I think you need to have that much guts as an actor. When I do a different film, people ask why I am taking a risk and when I do a fun film, they want me to do another fun film.

Year 2017 witnessed a big fat Bollywood wedding. Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli tied the knot far away from the limelight at an exotic location. Since you have moved out of your parents’ home, is wedding on the cards anytime soon?
Honestly, I would love to do that, but I don’t know how my parents would react to it. Being Punjabis, they would want to do it the traditional way. The next step is something every individual wants to take at some point,but right now,it’s not on the agenda. I have just I HAD moved into my new house, and I want to enjoy this part of life for a couple of years before I think of the next step. It took me a while to get here, it’s a big achievement. It’s also important to enjoy moments. I had this big change happen to me while shooting for October in Manali earlier last year. I was surrounded by nature and there weren’t too many people around, so I would often find myself just staring at the sky and relaxing. I’m not the kind of person who loves nature, but I was so overtaken by the beauty of the moment that I realised that we don’t take time to sit and think about what we want to do; we just end up being robots. Right now, I’m in this Sufi zone, if I may say so. The next 12 months will reflect the mood and the zone I am in.

All excited to kick-off 2018?
It’s going to be a testing time. For me, 2017 was a great year, box-office wise, but in the world around, there were disturbing events. Donald Trump’s election didn’t go down well with people, there were conflicts in the Middle East… after all, a war in any country affects the mood of the people across the world. I hope and pray 2018 will be a good year for all of us. Personally, bahut masti kar li, ab 2018 is the year to grow up. Who knows, I might become a kid again in 2019 Let’s see!

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; December 25, 2017)

Varun Dhawan had a great 2017, with both his releases, Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Judwaa 2, ruling the box office. While the actor has been collecting gongs at award galas, he has also been honoured on social media. According to Twitter India’s annual ranking list, the Badlapur actor is the favourite Gen Next star for the second time in a row.

The elated actor says, “It feels great that people are talking good things about me. Twitter is a fun place if you don’t take it seriously, and I kept that in mind. I was myself on the platform. Thanks to my activities on Twitter, people could relate to me. I am always open to constructive criticism, and don’t give a damn about those who spread negativity. I even got an e-challan from the Mumbai police [for posting a picture on social media of a selfie with a fan mid-traffic]. We launched the songs and special sneak peeks of Judwaa 2 and Badrinath Ki Dulhania for my fans on Twitter, and I’m thankful that the films had a massive reach on social media.”

Shah Rukh Khan, like last year, has topped Twitter’s most talked about celebrity list. He is followed by Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar. Among the ladies, Deepika Padukone has topped the list, replacing last year’s winner Priyanka Chopra. The Piku actor is followed by Anushka Sharma, Chopra and Alia Bhatt. Sharma, who tied the knot with cricketer Virat Kolhi earlier this month, announced her marriage on Twitter. Her post has been lauded as the Golden Tweet Of The Year, as it got the maximum number of retweets.

Among the top moments of the year, Baahubali 2 and Tamil film Mersal created maximum buzz. With one million tweets in a day, Mersal topped Twitter’s conversation charts.

The two biggest blockbusters on television this year have to proved to be two dubbed Telugu films. BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION was expected and set an all time record high. The film ran riot on television with even its repeat run being higher than the second best film DANGAL. The big surprise was DJ which also managed to do get over 1 crore impressions and beat many big Hindi films like TUBELIGHT, KAABIL and RAEES.

The Telugu dubbed films fare very well on television but it is around the 50 lakh impression mark and repeats hold a little lower than that but DJ just went to another level on first screening. DANGAL had a good first screening but on repeats its not fared as well as the other big film of last year SULTAN. SULTAN now can be easily called the biggest hit on television of the films released last year. DANGAL is also behind Aamir Khan's 3 IDIOTS and PK also taking into account repeat viewings but is better than DHOOM 3.

COMMANDO 2 and NAAM SHABANA were the surprise HITS on television while the two Akshay Kumar films proved to be SUPER HITS compared to last year when AIRLIFT and RUSTOM did not fare well on television. TUBELIGHT also fared much better on television than in theaters with a good opening and a few repeats managing decent numbers but the repeat numbers are unlikely to come again further down the line. BADRINATH KI DULHANIA was about fair while the other theatrical HIT this year HINDI MEDIUM proved to be a flop. The top films on television this year are as follows. The numbers are impressions which are the number of television sets viewing the film.
1. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion - 2,60,54,000
2. Dangal - 1,62,54,000
3. Toilet - Ek Prem Katha - 1,09,25,000
4. Jolly LLB 2 - 1,08,50,000
5. DJ - 1,05,34,000 (Telugu film Duvvada Jagannadham dubbed)
6. Tubelight - 1,02,61,000
7. Kaabil - 86,93,000
8. M S Dhoni - The Untold Story - 80,94,000
9. Shivaay - 62,92,000
10. Commando 2 - 61,36,000
11. Munna Michael - 59,26,000
12. Raees - 52,56,000
13. Baadshaho - 52,03,000
14. Badrinath Ki Dulhania - 49,68,000

‘Masterji’ feels that choreographers today lack originality and that her thumkas can’t be replaced or reinvented
Kunal Guha (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 10, 2017)

How has dance evolved in the last two decades?
There’s barely any originality left to say that it’s evolved, most only copy moves from the West. There’s no creativity, only copycats. If I see two songs from a film, the movements look similar.

In the early 90s when you did three shifts a day, what was the role of a dance number in a movie?
I’ve completed seven songs in nine days once but that doesn’t mean I would copy myself. I would always try to bring out new movements. The songs would carry the story forward in movies then. Now, it’s only item songs with no continuity.

Does the present state of choreography upset you?
I am disappointed often, like when I saw my own Tamma Tamma going to dogs [in Badrinath Ki Dulhania]. Even my song Neend Churayee Meri, which was copied in Golmaal Again, didn’t come out superior to the original. We are getting used to the circus that’s going on now.

You’ve often spoken of your healthy dislike for item numbers, why is that?
Dislike ka reason hain ki aaj kal koi original nahin hain. If you look at Helen’s numbers, you’ll notice that there was a different Helen — different costume, hair, makeup, eye colour, movements — in every number. At the time, all choreographers were bent on making their own name. Now, they are not bothered about whose movement it is, it’s about how much crowd can they gather. So even if a song requires 10 dancers, they will put 20 because they get cut from every dancer.

What do you feel your moves continue to inspire?
It is because we chose such moves that even if someone tries to re-compose them, it’d seem off. Imagine redesigning moves for Ek Do Teen or Humko Aajkal Hain, it would seem misfit. Children were my best audience as they have a great memory and I would make my moves simple so that they would have recall.

Madhuri is your protégé. How did you react to Ghagra, choreographed by Farah Khan?
I didn’t like her moves in that song. Madhuri is my best protégé and my favourite of hers is Dola Re [Devdas] where I blended classical forms such as Kathak, Bharatanatyam and Natwari. Between us, we’ve always maintained that if a choreographer has been decided, don’t recommend me. People have different preferences, so why force me down someone’s throat? If there’s an empty slot, then call me. Farah was always decided for that film so Madhuri couldn’t recommend me.

You’re known to be a task master? Were actors scared of you?
Yes, I am strict and I am very particular about being on time as I’m never late. So those who came late for the shoot would have to bear my wrath. One of them was my darling student, Govinda. Bohot daatti thi aur baat bhi nahin karti thi for the entire day as punishment.

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; September 29, 2017)

She’s spunky, spirited and spontaneous. Interviewing Bhumi Pednekar is a pleasant surprise as she’s a far cry from her on-screen persona. She may have proved her mettle in a slew of off-beat films — Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, and Shubh Mangal Saavdhan— with serious plot lines, but off screen, she can be silly and fun. She’s sporting enough to answer the questions we pose without batting an eyelid. The true-blue Mumbaiker talks about things she loves and hates, her take on style, pick-up lines, dealing with break-up and relationship gyaan...

What’s on your mind right now?
The fact that Shubh Mangal Saavdhan has worked so well!

On a scale of 1-10, how badly do you want to sleep now?
100!

What has made you really angry today?
The traffic!

One motto in life you swear by:
Live each moment as it comes.

What turns you on?
Food.

A turn off?
Body odour!

What kind of a lover are you?
I’m super passionate.

What do you love most about Mumbai?
Oh my God, it has to be everything. Mumbai is in my blood, it’s an emotion. I can write a book on how much I love the city.

How do you handle the jetlag?
I just sleep it off!

What’s the best and worst colour to wear?
The worst colour is a greyish military green with ochre and the best would be red!

Have you ever cut your own hair?
Never ever!

Who’s your style icon?
Currently, I really like Gigi Hadid. And Marilyn Monroe is an all time favourite.

What trend will you never get tired of?
Wide-legged pants.

What trend you wish never came back?
Crimped hair.

What accessory you would never leave your home without?
My ring.

What is your favourite memory from childhood?
Dancing to Chaiyya Chaiyya at every dinner party.

If you had to be a Disney character, who would you be and why?
Ariel, because I was always fascinated about a cross between a human and a fish, which is a mermaid. I feel like one all the time.

Best advice from your mom?
That, you are beautiful inside and it doesn’t matter what people think of you.

Other than family, who do you call for advice?
My best friend Sharmi.

The most romantic thing someone has done for you?
Back in the day, there was this boy I was seeing. He actually filled the entire room with roses and made a path out of them. It was pretty romantic.

What’s the most romantic thing you’ve done for someone?
I made a scrapbook for someone in college, with a lot of pictures and a whole bunch of memories, which took a lot of time. That’s the most romantic thing I’ve done.

Ever had a heartbreak / a failed relationship?
Oh, yeah, of course!

How did you deal with it?
I cried and then, I got over it.

Do you give or take relationship advice?
I do both. I have a lot of advice to give to people, most of the times. (Smiles)

Who are you advising now?
My friends, all my girls who are struggling with their boyfriends. I’m always giving them advice.

What’s the patent advice you’ve been giving them?
That they are boys! (Laughs)

What would you never tolerate in a relationship?
Disrespect. I will walk out!

Would you ever be on Tinder?
If I wasn’t an actor, maybe!

Were you on Tinder when you weren’t an actor?
No, unfortunately, Tinder wasn’t that big when I was not an actress.

One night stands or a long term relationship?
Long-term relationships.

Who was the last person you called?
My manager Hetal.

What did you talk about?
Do we have the dress right?

Any marriage plans?
None at all. (Laughs)

What’s your favourite pie?
I’m such an apple crumble, apple pie person!

Who is your girl crush right now?
Priyanka Chopra

Why?
I have actually adored her since I was 10 maybe, when she became Miss India. She’s just super strong and I crush on all strong women!

What’s your most used emoji?
The monkey hiding his face.

Do you have any tattoos?
None at all.

What’s one thing about you that you wish more people knew?
That I’m actually an urban girl and nothing like the characters I play. (Laughs loudly)

What sport are you the worst at?
Football.

Best show on Netflix right now?
Vikings, that’s what I’m watching right now.

The last Internet video that made you laugh?
I actually saw this video where these kids spoofed the entire trailer of Toilet (Ek Prem Katha). I found it adorable!

What do you think of horoscopes?
They are fun, I read them every day in the morning but I don’t remember them after five minutes. (Smiles)

Favourite song to sing in the shower?
It can be anything, no song is fixed. But recently, I have been really fixated on the title track of Badrinath Ki Dulhania. I don’t know how it happened.

Your signature dish?
Pizza.

What’s the favourite dish your mom cooks?
Bharta.

Do you cook?
Not at all!

How many kids do you wanna have?
Three.

Favourite drink?
Nimbu paani.

Favourite dessert?
Apple pie or a gooey chocolate brownie.

Which is the best night spot in Mumbai?
Currently, I don’t know as it’s been over a year as I went out. (Laughs) Growing up, I will tell you the clubs I used to visit. I loved Privy, Ra, there’s Poison for Saturday Nights. But Privy is my place to be!

Favourite place you’ve visited?
Ibiza. I love it. I go there every year.

If you were a super-heroine, what would your power be?
I want the power to just attract all the positives from people and use it for my betterment. But I want them also to have it.

What’s your spirit animal?
Butterfly. Because I think I’m a free spirit, someone who’s very easy and I believe in evolving with time. That’s a butterfly’s circle.

What’s that one thing you have to have for a shoot?
Upinderji!

Do you have an alter ego that comes out during shoots?
No, but it comes out at home. When I’m angry or when my sister and I fight, then all our alter egos come out. (Laughs)

Your most memorable cover?
I have done too many. But my first cover was for Women’s Health where they celebrated my weight loss. That was really special.

The biggest moment in your career so far?
Getting Dum Laga Ke Haisha.

When was your first photoshoot?
In life? I was probably three. It was for nothing. My parents got me totally decked up, with red lipstick, silver jewellery and I’m legit pouting.

What exciting fashion stuff do you have coming around the corner?
I’m more of a film person. But since I was promoting, I was wearing bomb clothes everyday.

Want to have your own Barbie doll?
Ahh, yes! But I’d like my Barbie doll to be in my Dum Laga Ke Haisha avatar.

Favourite lipstick colour?
Velvet Teddy.

What time do you go to bed?
10.30 pm.

Ever sleep with make-up on?
Never!

How long have you gone without your phone?
Only while I’m asleep.

How often do you look in the mirror?
I have lost count. Any shiny, reflective surface and I’m checking myself out!

The best part of being an actor?
That you get to play these different people, to have an alternate personality every three months.

What’s the worst part?
Nothing that I’ve faced yet.

Your favourite app?
Instagram.

Fav movie this year?
Toilet - Ek Prem Katha and Shubh Mangal Saavdhan.

The most expensive thing you bought recently?
My car!

What fetish do you have?
I’m just a shopaholic. I have hordes of clothes that are still tagged.

Which is the worst pick up line used on you?
Did you just fall from heaven because you look like an angel? People have used some really cheesy ones on me, that too in Europe. I was shocked.

Books or movies?
Books.

Chocolates or cakes?
Chocolate cake.

SRK or Salman?
Salman!

Friends with benefits or one night stands?
Friends with benefits

What’s that one thing you will never do ever?
I will never ever live away from my family.

What’s the other language you can speak other than English and Hindi?
The language of love.

How much cash do you have right now?
I don’t know. Maybe Rs 3,000-Rs 4000.

What are the five things you cannot live without?
My phone, my books, my make-up, my food and my clothes.

Did you lie during the interview?
No!

MID-DAY (September 19, 2017)

Stars often go on a promotional blitzkrieg ahead of their film’s release, believing it to be a key factor in determining the movie’s success. So, it comes as a surprise that Varun Dhawan has not been spearheading promotional events for his upcoming film, Judwaa 2. A source close to the actor reveals going easy on the promotional events is a deliberate move on Dhawan’s part.

The source says, “From song launches to multi-city tours and sharing film- related posts on his social media handle, Varun had done it all as part of Badrinath Ki Dulhania promotions. Many of his contemporaries had pointed out how he had gone overboard with the film’s publicity, which made him do a rethink.”

Turns out, Dhawan feels his upcoming comedy enjoys strong recall value, owing to its 1997 original featuring Salman Khan. “Since Judwaa 2 has already aroused audience curiosity, he doesn’t mind going slow on the publicity.”

Dhawan will kickstart promotions only 10 days before the film hits the screens.

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 4, 2017)

The last seven months in Bollywood have been marked by a distinctive onslaught of remixes of ’90s hits. Shaad Ali recycled A R Rahman’s foot-tapping composition “Humma Humma” from mentor mani ratnam’s 1995 film Bombay for his Aditya Roy Kapur-Shraddha Kapoor love story OK Jaanu in January. It was followed by Badrinath Ki Dulhania, which saw Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt borrow tunes and moves from Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit’s “Tamma Tamma”. Come March, Abbas-Mustan’s romance-thriller Machine which launched the former’s son Mustafa, threw it back to Mohra’s “Mast Mast”. Then, there are upcoming films like Lucknow Central, Tumhari Sulu, Baadshaho and Poster Boys falling in step with Monsoon Wedding’s folksy “Kaavan Kaavan”, Sridevi’s iconic “Hawa Hawaii”, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s ghazal-qawwali “Mere Rashke Qamar” and Daler Mehndi’s “Kudiyan Shehar Diyan” from Arjun Pandit respectively. And the name that binds them all together single-handedly is Tanishk Baagchi.

Speaking to Mirror earlier (June 6) the 30-year-old composer had been disarmingly evasive as he argued that remixes have been around for a long time, pointing to Shefali Zariwala’s “Kaanta Lagaa”. But Apoorva Mehta, CEO of Dharma Productions which produced OK Jaanu and Badrinath Ki Dulhania, says that recreations come with the pressure of expectations. “But Tanishk’s compositions are fresh, with a vibe that connects with the youth, and simultaneously are a perfect tribute to the original,” he explains.

Shabbir Ahmed, who has worked with the music director on “Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast” as an additional lyrics writer, raves about his passion and sound quality. “He catches the right musical notes and dances in his seat to get the feel of his tune,” Shabbir laughs at the memory.

Nikkhil Advani, the producer of Lucknow Central, who went a step further and got Tanishk to further remix Arjunna Harjaie’s recreated version of “Kaavan Kaavan” for promotions, had been so confident about the composer’s talent, that he’d been recommending him all over town even before he hit pay dirt. “I think filmmakers are reaching out to him because he has executed so many recreations successfully,” Nikkhil reasons, adding that Tanishk’s original stuff is just as fantastic. He’s just heard two tracks Tanishk scored for Lucknow Central and two more for Baazaar, including “Kem Cho, Majama” for Saif Ali Khan who plays a Gujarati stock broker in the film. “He is not only extremely knowledgeable about music but the way he approaches a song, whether recreated or original, is unique,” Nikkhil avers.

Surprisingly, Tanishk himself isn’t too kicked about recreations. T-Series head honcho Bhushan Kumar who offered him “Mere Rashke Qamar”, also agrees that they should be collaborating more on original music. “But we are here to entertain and it’s a public demand we are fulfilling. I’ve explained to him that he is not just remixing an original track but recreating it. He works really hard on these compositions, changing the tune and even the antaras but retaining the original feel. He is doing a great job,” applauds Bhushan.

Abbas who knew Tanishk even before he entered the film industry says Mustaan and he have several of the youngster’s original compositions. “Since he was doing the entire Machine album we also asked him to recreate “Tu Cheez Badi”. We believe these recreations are making the originals even more popular. Tanishk will compose even for our next which we are currently scripting,” promises the man in white. For his sake we hope that this time he will be allowed to give his own mast mast tunes.

Katrina Kaif decodes her reticent behaviour and tackles the perception that she’s friendlier with the boys rather than the girls
Upala KBR (DNA; May 31, 2017)

While Katrina Kaif was being written off last year, the actress was in talks with all the three Khans and now that the announcement has come, she has more films on the floor than her rivals Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra. The reticent actress in back in the game. On one hand, she is acting with the younger actors like Sidharth Malhotra and Aditya Roy Kapur, on the other, she has films with all the senior stars. And while she doesn’t believe in camps, she is friendly with all the actors. How does she do it? Here the actress talks about family matters, living on her own, her choices and being guarded. Read on...

Your Baar Baar Dekho co-star Sidharth Malhotra keeps talking about moving his family to Mumbai because he feels lonely. Do you feel that way, too?
Yes definitely. It gets lonely without your loved ones and family in a city like Mumbai. It is a huge added bonus of having the support system of your family — whether you live with them or next to them in close proximity. There are so many advantages at so many levels, but it is a little tough as everyone has their different lines of work. But you never know. We will see...

You have signed Aanand L Rai’s film with Shah Rukh...
(Interrupts) With every film, comes a speculative story announcement! That’s the one aspect of my life I never play around with because that is my work at the end of the day, and a place where one must behave in an absolutely professional manner and till the time it’s confirmed and signed, I don’t believe it’s right to discuss or talk about it. Every actor and director should have that comfort of being able go through that process in a professional manner without added eyes on the project.

It’s said that you asked Rai to drop Deepika Padukone when she was approached for the film?
I don’t think any actor in today’s day and age is going around putting stipulations on their director. I am not comfortable talking about or having discussions on any film. I would rather like to give the directors their professional space to sort out or go through this process.

You share a great equation with Arjun, Sidharth Malhotra and Aditya Roy Kapur. Do you find boys easier to get along than girls?
Not at all. It depends on who it is. I got along very well with the girls on the Dream Team tour — Alia Bhatt and Parineeti Chopra — and was probably friendlier with them than the boys. We would work out and go shopping together or see a film. with every human being it depends who and I am not the kind of human being who bonds instantly with any and everyone but I have my own bonds with people — especially those who are more amiable, nice and chilled out.

Why haven’t you signed a film with Arjun or Varun? There haven’t been offers or nothing exciting?
I don’t know! (Laughs) It’s a funny thing with Arjun and Varun because we have known each other for a long time now and we have many a funny story from our earlier stories. They are people I have known for the longest time and there’s a lot of fondness, love and warmth between us. I guess when the right film comes it will happen…

You were always very guarded. Even on a show like Koffee With Karan. Can’t you ever let your guard down?
Huh? I got an award for being the best person on Koffee With Karan! People thought I was the best person on the show even though like I said on the show, it’s not a judgment on your performance as it happens in the movies but just a chat show.

What films have you watched recently?
Badrinath Ki Dulhania, Kaabil and Begum Jaan. I loved them all.

Fans of yours and Hrithik Roshan are eager to see you both doing another film together after Bang Bang. On a Twitter poll you won hands down as Hrithik’s hottest co-star.
(Laughs) Really? Let’s send those poll results to all directors and producers in the film industry so that we sign a film soon!

Subhash K Jha (DNA; April 12, 2017)

Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi, while addressing a gathering on rising violence against women at Goa Fest 2017 in Panaji, blamed movies for promoting sexual harassment.

It was a sentiment echoed by a few viewers, who had criticised the recently released Badrinath Ki Dulhania for glamourising stalking.

Not too long ago, an Indian security guard accused of stalking even avoided a conviction in an Australian court after blaming his actions on a passion for Bollywood movies.

Maneka said that movies have always portrayed the idea of sexually harassing a woman in order to win her love. According to her, such portrayals could actually promote violence against women.

We asked a few actresses if this was the case. Here’s what they had to say...

Pooja Bhatt
Bollywood, Hollywood and advertising objectifies women. In most instances, it is not the cause of crimes against women and the absence of it cannot be the cure either. Crimes against women (which I label violence against women) begins in the womb for most Indian women as most people would rather abort a female foetus and hope for a male heir. This was around since before Bollywood existed.

Pooja Bedi
Maneka sounds just like the Khap Panchayat guy who blamed mini skirts for rape. Or the idiots who say chow mein and mobile phones are responsible for rape. Criminals are responsible for rape. A decent good man would never commit atrocities against women. By her logic, every man on the Censor Board should be a heinous threat to women since he sees films and that, too, without cuts.

Shabana Azmi
It’s a sweeping generalisation to say that every Indian film shows romance that starts with stalking. Definitions change with times and in today’s lingo, a few films do show stalking as a legitimate precursor to romance. This needs to change and should start with actors being sensitised to their responsibilities as artists. No does not mean yes after a while! No means no! PERIOD! Young filmmakers like Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap and Dibakar Banerjee feel strongly about this and have taken a conscious decision along with others to not legitimise stalking in their films.”

It’s that time of the year when everyone is awaiting their appraisal, the film industry is no different. Here’s the report card of how films fared in the first quarter...
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; April 3, 2017)

Bollywood has had a good start in 2017. As many as four films have done Rs 100 crore business in three months creating a record of sorts! Despite clashing at the box-office, this year’s biggest releases, Shah Rukh Khan’s Raees and Hrithik Roshan’s Kaabil churned out over Rs 100 crore each. So have Akshay Kumar’s Jolly LLB 2 and Varun Dhawan-Alia Bhatt starrer Badrinath Ki Dulhania. Raees grossed Rs 110 crore, Jolly LLB 2 minted Rs 108 crore, Kaabil raked in Rs 103 crores and Badrinath..., which is still running in theatres has already collected Rs 107 crores and is expected to do business of Rs 122 crores.

“This is the first time since the concept of Rs 100 crore films came into our lives with Ghajini in 2008, that we’ve had Rs 100 crore films in three consecutive months! It’s a great new sign. Also, earlier, producers wouldn’t release their big films over the Holi weekend, but that myth has also been busted by Badrinath Ki Dulhania, so it’s a good, new trend,” says trade analyst Amul Vikas Mohan.

Film exhibitor and distributor Akshaye Rathi agrees that Raees, Kaabil, Jolly LLB 2 and Badrinath Ki Dulhania stand out in the first quarter for its business. “Jolly LLB 2 and BKD particularly, as these films catered to universal audience. People went out on dates to watch these movies and families went together, so they were universal fun films,” he explains.

Biggest misses
Even as the trade is rejoicing the windfall of blockbusters, there are disappointments like OK Jaanu, too. “Some films have under-performed, the most notable among them being the Saif Ali Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut-starrer Rangoon. It hasn’t got any money back for the people involved,” says Amul.

The Vishal Bhardwaj directorial made on a budget of Rs 67 crore managed to make only Rs 22 crore. It brings to mind the disastrous Fitoor, which incidentally released in the same month as Rangoon, last year, ie February.

Last year, this time
No doubt, compared to the last year’s first quarter, the performance this trimester at the box-office has been good in terms of more movies making it to the coveted Rs 100 crore club. But last year wasn’t bad either. Airlift, a Republic Day weekend release crossed Rs 100 crores. Neerja (February) and Kapoor & Sons (March) made a business of around Rs 70 crore. “A Republic Day release, doing Rs 100 crore business is nothing new, but films that release in February and March usually don’t do the kind of business Neerja and Kapoor & Sons did. The first film to do Rs 80 crore business in March was Race in 2008. But the fact that this year’s releases in the same months have reached Rs 100 crores is a good turnaround,” says Amul.

Interesting second quarter
Even the next quarter looks promising with several big releases — the eagerly-awaited sequel of Baahubali, Baahubali — The conclusion, Half Girlfriend, Meri Pyaari Bindu and Tubelight slated in April-May-June. “The tent pole obviously is Baahubali (April 28), and Tubelight (June 23) is the other big one. The opening month and the closing month of this quarter are poised with these blockbusters. The Fate Of The Furious 8 (April 14) is also big. These are the three films people are really looking forward to,” reckons Akshaye. He adds that this quarter has a nice spread of films coming up. Some are blockbuster material and some interesting fare for the niche audience. “A Begum Jaan is not for everyone, it is for specific collective audience, then there’s something like Noor that caters to a different audience. Meri Pyaari Bindu is an urban multiplex film, Half Girlfriend about a Bihari boy and Delhi girl is for the masses. There is some entertainment for every kind of audience, which is good for cinema to sustain. Else people will seek alternatives like piracy and the Internet and it will be difficult to bring them back to cinema,” he points out.

Potential blockbusters
Amul observes that there are a couple of potential Rs 100 crore movies on paper with Baahubali being the biggest film ever. “It’s a hectic quarter and May is looking tight with Sarkar 3, Half Girlfriend and Meri Pyaari Bindu, which are huge on people’s wishlist. Post that June is looking slightly off right now, because Toilet — Ek Prem Katha has shifted to August, but there is Salman Khan’s Tubelight, which comes after Eid and is poised to be Rs 100 crore film.” Akshaye adds that the Kabir Khan-Salman combo has never gone wrong. Besides, the subject of Tubelight is universal. As for Baahubali, Akshaye predicts that it is a potentially highest grossing movie — including all languages — bypassing even the figures of Dangal. “The figures these kind of films get in Telugu market are much bigger than some of the biggest Hindi movies. In Hindi alone, we are anticipating on day one approximately Rs 25 crores, and that plus Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam business can be a game changer.”

Clearly, the coming three months have a mixed bag of films — small content-driven cinema, fantasy flicks as well as the typical masala fare. Which among these will hit the bullseye, become a surprise hit or let us down? Your guess is as good as ours.

While his peers are on the defensive in the raging nepotism debate; star kid Varun Dhawan offers a sobering take
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 25, 2017)


After the release of their last film, the Shashank Khaitan-directed Badrinath Ki Dulhania, which is being hailed as the season’s biggest blockbuster, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt have diametrically opposite plans ahead.

While the 24-year-old actress is set to embark on a six-month break from films, the 29-year-old actor has dived headfirst into prep for the London schedule of Judwaa 2, directed by dad David Dhawan, before he leaves for the film’s 40-day UK schedule next month. It will be followed by Shoojit Sircar’s untitled next.

“I can never take a long break, I would go crazy and drive everyone around me mad as well. I have to be doing something or the other at all times, my new house that is being built right now, I may just go downstairs and start painting the walls if I have nothing to do” admits Varun.

So, no vacations after every film, like his contemporaries? “I’d love to but I’ve already shot a week for Judwaa 2 and now it’s time to get back to the film. I play twins so it’s important to spend time with the director and on the script. Once the sequel wraps, I plan to take some time off before I start Shoojit’s film which is written by Juhi Chaturvedi and will show me in a new light,” he informs.

What about a recent airport sighting of him with steady date Natasha Dalal and reports of a Bangkok vacation? Varun has clarified that he was in the Thai capital to shoot for a commercial and not for ‘me’ time.

Meanwhile, the actor is basking in the success of his last release, which, he points out, conveyed a social message without being preachy. “People seem to have liked it. It feels good when a character becomes iconic. I have been getting letters from all over the country, be it UP or Rajasthan. The idea of doing a character like Badri is to make him memorable; it’s one of my most special characters. Growing up, I would hear about the dowry menace and women not being treated as equals so it was exciting to get script where I could make some kind of a statement about such issues,” Varun exults.

But one particular scene in the film, in which Varun’s character is seen being molested while Alia and her girl gang giggle at his plight before rescuing him, has met with sharp criticism from the homosexual community. “Out of 10, if two don’t like something, that doesn’t count as mass opinion. People who felt that way are entitled to their opinion, it’s totally fine with me. It was supposed to be a funny scene and meant to portray how Badri’s male ego is shattered. In 3 Idiots, there’s a scene where a character confuses a Hindi word for ‘balatkar’ (rape). People should have been offended by that as well. We didn’t mean to hurt anyone’s sentiments and if we did so unknowingly, we apologise,” the actor says earnestly.

Varun and his Dulhania, along with other star kids, have been the subject of discussion and diatribe since Kangana Ranaut kicked up a storm on Karan Johar’s talk show by describing him as the “flagbearer of nepotism”. Varun offers up a sensible take on the much-discussed topic, saying, “I definitely think if you’re born into the industry you get easier access but that’s about it. I have never denied that, but after that, only talent and hard work sustains you. Nobody is ready to burn money just because you have a filmi lineage. Superstars in every era have come from outside the industry and that will continue to happen because cinema is nobody’s birthright.”

Meanwhile, Tiger Shroff is set to take the Student of the Year franchise forward with the second installment. The first one, produced and directed by his mentor, KJo, marked Varun’s debut, along with Sidharth Malhotra and Alia’s. Any tips for the new student? “Punit Malhotra is a capable director and Tiger is doing well in his career. I’m no one to give advice to anyone at this moment,” he shrugs.

He’s topped the unprecedented acclaim of Sriram Raghavan’s Badlapur (2015) with four commercial projects. Is another gritty project in the pipeline? “I just want to do good films. The idea is to take the industry forward with fresh content. That’s why it’s important to work with directors you haven’t collaborated with before. My goal has always been to do entertaining films that reach out to the entire country, that’s the only plan I have,” he signs off.

Lasyapriya Sundaram (BOMBAY TIMES; March 25, 2017)