Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; March 13, 2018)

Last week, Kangana Ranaut and Rajkummar Rao took everyone by surprise with the quirky and zany posters for their upcoming film Mental Hai Kya. Not much has been revealed about the plot, except that it celebrates the ability to stand out in a crowd. But did you know that Kareena Kapoor Khan was the first choice for the movie? Says a source from the team, “In 2013, Ekta had pitched the idea to Bebo. She wanted to get Kareena and Emraan Hashmi on board for the film, which was previously titled Badtameez Dil. But it never materialised.”

KAREENA FELT THE MOVIE WAS TOO BOLD
The reason Badtameez Dil never took off was that Kareena wasn’t game for it. Adds our source, “Bebo felt that the storyline was way ahead of its time. It was dark and explosive in many ways. It also had several bold scenes and nudity. Kareena politely refused the film and it was put on the back burner.”

KANGANA’S THE PERFECT FIT
Now, five years later, the makers have altered the script a bit. Says the source, “The team has reworked the story, which has turned out even bolder now. Kangana loved it and agreed to do the film immediately.” After she came on board, the producer roped in Rajkummar. “Ekta feels people are ready for a film like this and Kangana is perfect to play the main role. There’s no denying that she’s a terrific actress. Her never-give-a-damn attitude echoes with her on-screen character, too,” adds the source.

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 24, 2014)

Mirror was the first to report (July 19) that Akshat Verma, who wrote Delhi Belly, is turning director with a dark comedy based in Mumbai. After working on the script for two years, Akshat had roped in Neil Bhoopalam and Kritika Kamra to play the lead pair.

Now, the studio producing the film has decided to scrap the project after deeming it financially unfeasible.

"The dates of the actors were finalised and the locations were locked. The shooting was to begin in December. However, at the last moment, the studio felt that the film doesn't justify the budget and the project was shelved," said a source in the film's unit.

When contacted, a spokesperson from UTV said: "We did like the script. But since the budget exceeded the amount initially agreed upon, we've decided not to proceed with the film."

Interestingly, this is the second film of Kritika Kamra's to go in cold storage. Previously, she was signed for Ekta Kapoor's Badtameez Dil, which was to be directed by Akshay Roy, but the project never took off.

Vanity Fair has been put on the backburner again but the girl shortlisted for it to be seen in Sonam Nair's adult comedy, No Sex Please, We're Indians
MUMBAI MIRROR (September 18, 2014)

Last June, a film titled Badtameez Dil was announced with much fanfare following a casting coup. Emraan Hashmi and Kareena Kapoor had been roped in by two of industry's most powerful producers, Ekta Kapoor and Karan Johar.

However, the film, went into a limbo. Eventually, Emraan opted out of the project. The film was to mark the directorial debut of Akshay Roy who has assisted in films like Taare Zameen Par and The Namesake.

"Akshay was still writing the script when I consented to do the film. I don't really know what happened after that. Everybody just walked away from the project," Hashmi had earlier told Mirror (June 23).

After Emraan's exit, the project was reportedly taken to Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra but the 'students' were busy with other commitments and that's when the notion of casting newcomers, preferably star kids, came up.

The project was back on track (Mirror, June 14) and was to roll in September. Disha Patani, a model, had been shortlisted and the rest of the cast was in the process being finalised when Karan supposedly had a change of heart.

"He felt that Disha would be more apt for another of his productions, Sonam Nair's adult comedy, No Sex Please, We're Indians," says a source close to the development. "Now, Vanity Fair has been indefinitely delayed. They're still trying to salvage it but can't get the right actors. Sonam's film will go on floors first with Disha."

Karan Johar, Ekta Kapoor and Akshay Roy chose not to respond to our text messages.

Emraan Hashmi on his son's fight with cancer and the much talked-about international debut
Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 24, 2014)

Emraan Hashmi has an hour to go before starting the shoot of Kunal Deshmukh's Raja Natwarlal and he is spending the time, pacing around his hotel room while the repeat telecast of a football match plays on TV. It's obvious that his mind is not on the sport. "I'm thinking about the character of a conman I have to slip into soon. Just like an actor aspires to be an Amitabh Bachchan or a Dilip Kumar, it is a conman's dream to to become a Natwarlal, the biggest conman. That's why I insisted we change the title from Shaatir to Raja Natwarwal. The film has all elements of a potboiler," explains the actor.

He admits that his return to the 'Bollywood potboiler' format is a conscious attempt to reclaim his box-office standing after twin disasters, Ek Thi Daayan and Ghanchakkar. "Both were experimental films but didn't work. In our industry, if a film is accepted, it's a huge hit, otherwise it's a damp squib," he sighs.

However, he continues to experiment with a Mr. X which is a departure from the traditional Bollywood format. Then, there is Danis Tanovic's film, White Lies, which he has already completed. Danis, whose No Man's Land bagged the Oscar for Best Film in the Foreign Language category in the same year that Lagaan was nominated, will visit India in July to work on certain portions of the film. "We are hoping to premiere it at the Venice Film Festival in November," he informs.

The past few months have been particularly traumatic for Emraan after his four-year-old son Ayaan was detected with a tumour in January. The actor flew him down to Toronto for treatment. The child is on the road to recovery and Emraan admits that getting back to work while his son was battling a serious illness was the most difficult thing in the world. "You need to switch gears and focus. I shot both Raja Natwarlal and Mr. X for a month in South Africa, while Ayaan was getting treated. Throughout his illness, I managed to hold fast to the belief that everything will be alright. He's healthy and back home now," Emraan smiles, adding, "Obstacles come along but you can't give up. You have to dive in and swim through."

And what about the Karan Johar-Ekta Kapoor's joint production, Badtameez Dil in which he was to star opposite Kareena Kapoor? "Akshay (director Akshay Roy) was still writing it when I had consented to do the film. I don't really know what happened after that. Then, everybody just upped and walked away from the project. Now I hear, it's happening, but with different actors," he shrugs nonchalantly.

This isn't the first film which hasn't panned out for him. "It happens all the time," he admits. "The Dil Hai Ki Maanta Nahi remake too was announced. but I haven't heard a word since."

Unlike other stars, Emraan isn't seen endorsing a brand or even spotted at award shows. "I used to dance at shows earlier but then I evolved," he laughs, and adds, "Let's just say I don't look at award ceremonies to validate myself as an actor." Then what does he look at? "The box-office," he quips.

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 14, 2014)

Ekta Kapoor and Karan Johar's first joint production, Badtameez Dil, was announced last year, with Emraan Hashmi and Kareena Kapoor in the lead. The project got delayed and eventually the lead pair also opted out. However, now it is back on track and will go on floors this September.

Directed by debutant Akshay Roy, it is loosely based on the William Makepeace Thackeray's classic novel Vanity Fair, which was a satire on the society of 19th century Britain. While the producers were keen to start the film last November, the team at Balaji felt the film version of the book required extensive rewriting.

A source close to the production revealed, "An early draft based on the book was ready last year but the film has now gone back to the writing board and as we speak the script is being given the finishing touches. The initial idea stems from the novel and the social dynamics are inspired from the book, but now the setting has become contemporary Delhi. It is a story of two manipulative people who cross each other's path on their way up the social ladder."

Confirming the same, the film's co-producer Tanuj Garg said, "Till last year, the plan was to re-imagine the basic plot in the book, but now the script has gone through extensive development and tightening and has been substantially Bollywoodised."

The film is expected to release in early 2015. The tome was earlier famously adapted by Mira Nair, who cast Reese Witherspoon as Becky Sharp in an elaborate period drama.

Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; March 24, 2014)

David Dhawan’s Main Tera Hero is a full-on masala entertainer, with Varun in the lead. We have learnt that in the film

Varun spoofs Ranbir Kapoor’s hit song Badtameez Dil from the film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.

The spoof is a bhajan that Varun sings to the Badtameez Dil track. The parody, called Bholenath, was choreographed by Varun himself. Varun plays a naughty hero in the film who uses his pranks and his mind to woo his two actresses Nargis Fakhri and Ileana D’Cruz. And while Varun may have had his way with his actresses in the film, we will wait for April 4 to see whether he has managed to fit in the shoes of being a David Dhawan hero.

Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 20, 2014)

It's been over two years since he’s taken a break. Every time he planned one, a film stretched its deadline and another followed. Pritam confesses he is an abysmal failure in time management even after a management grad made him a quadrant. "I don’t even have time to follow the quadrant,” he sighs, pulling a face.

But this time the self-confessed workaholic has decided not to sign any film till June-July and during this time he intends to take a few trips. “Through a social networking site I've found old friends ánd I want to meet them, particularly a classmate who lives in Pune and has been inviting me to visit him for ages. I also want to visit my hometown Kolkata, take my parents to an Ayurvedic health centre in Kerala and my kids to Disneyland,” he chirps with the excitement of a child.

From 18 films a year he’s come down to six and intends to cut down to two to three. Coming up are Shaadi Ke Side Effects and Holiday. There's also Phantom and Jagga Jasoos though the latter will probably arrive in 2015. “I’ve got a lot of offers post Dhoom 3 but I’m not signing anything till I’ve taken a break. Then maybe I’ll take on a few musical romances, a genre I like best,” he says.

Pritam admits that Phantom, a spy thriller, offers little scope for music but he was wowed by Kabir Khan’s script. Ditto for Jagga Jasoos, a detective movie, but he’s sure Anurag Basu will do something with the music and equally sure they'll be debating over the songs till the CD is out. He has a good feeling about Shaadi Ke Side Effects and wants to make music like Jab We Met, Life in a... Metro and Barfi! "Romantic songs come naturally to me but after a few item songs worked that’s what directors want,"he says.

Top of the list is Dhoom machale. The phrase came from Aditya Chopra and the riff he’d sing on the sets became its signature theme. “Today you can’t take the franchise forward without a Dhoom machale. I’ve re-worked the original twice and there are instant comparisons and disappointment. But if I don’t, there will be more disappointment. It's a Catch 22 situation,” he says, happy the franchise is getting bigger.

Any pressures from directors to toe a hit line? There are “but 70 per cent of the time I don’t give in and even when I do it’s never without a fight”. Occasionally, there are directors like Ayan Mukherji who back him all the way even when he makes last minute changes.

Was Badtameez Dil an attempt to esatablish Ranbir Kapoor as the modern-day Shammi Kapoor? “No, for me it was a tribute to Kishore Kumar. The gibberish lyrics reminiscent of his Eena meena dika. Had he been alive, he’d have sung it,” Pritam asserts.

Muses and references have got charges of plagiarism levelled against him. He admits in the initial stages he made a few mistakes and the tag stuck. But now he's original. His erstwhile partner Jeet exploded on the scene with Aashiqui 2. Any chance of the two collaborating on a score? “Our parting was amicable but I don’t see us getting back together.”

He impatiently brushes off a lock from his face and blurts out, “I will cut my hair so no one recognises me when I am travelling. I'd shave too but before that, I need to lose weight or my cheeks will pop out!”