Emraan Hashmi set to explore laugh riot with Sab First Class Hai, which revolves around common man's struggles to fulfil his aspirations
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 25, 2020)

Call it a coincidence or a calculated move, but Emraan Hashmi has maintained a distance from comedies despite his knack for exploring different subjects. Now, as Bollywood is heading back to work, the actor has greenlit his first laugh riot, Sab First Class Hai. The film — to be directed by Balwinder Singh Janjua who previously developed the script of Saand Ki Aankh (2019) and Mubarakan (2017) — narrates how the common man sometimes goes beyond his means to fulfil his aspirations.

Hashmi, who has given us everyday heroes in Shanghai (2012) and Tigers (2018), believes Sab First Class Hai studies greed and its intrinsic association with class disparities, through the lens of humour. "The film is a hilarious yet sensitive story about how the protagonist can go to any length to fulfil his needs. In the bargain, he may lose his family, his standing in society, and gets caught in a situation he cannot find his way out of. Balwinder's script is a laugh riot, but has its poignant moments as well," explains the actor, adding that he came on board right after the first narration.

Though he has yet to wrap up the shoot of Sanjay Gupta's Mumbai Saga, Hashmi is hoping to take the satire on floors by the year-end. Janjua, who has doubled up as the scriptwriter with Rupinder Chahal and Anil Rodhan, says he was keen to present the actor in a new light. "From the beginning of his career, Emraan hasn't shied away from bold or negative parts. He has been stereotyped due to his past roles. When he heard the narration, he realised that this is the right script to break the image," says Janjua. The filmmaker is conducting virtual tours in a bid to zero in on locations amid the current travel restrictions.

The actor-duo collaborates for the first time with a quirky story revolving around a dusky girl in Haryana
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 16, 2020)

In the 21st century, it seems strange to be talking about colour bias, but the fact is that the stigma against dark skin tone is still rampant in many cultures, including our own. India continues to be obsessed with fair skin, correlating it with beauty and spawning a multi-million-dollar industry replete with skin-lightening treatments and fairness creams. Touching on the subject of fairness in a ‘lighter tone’, comes a quirky comedy titled Unfair And Lovely. Set in Haryana, it is the story of a dusky girl battling dee-prooted societal prejudices, with Ileana D’Cruz in the titular role of Lovely, opposite Randeep Hooda, in a first-time pairing.

The actress is excited to have landed what she describes as a “very relatable character” in Lovely after her first Hindi film, Barfi!. “This role is different from all my earlier work and a challenging one. The character requires a lot of sensitivity and I’m waiting to see how it unfolds. I can assure you that the film will leave you with a smile,” Ileana insists.

Randeep is equally kicked about attempting a genre he is not usually associated with, given his intense portrayals. “I do have a lighter side to me and when I heard this story, I was instantly hooked,” he shares. The film marks the directorial debut of Balwinder Singh Janjua, the screenplay writer of Saand Ki Aankh, the biopic of the revolver daadis, Chandro and Prakashi Tomar, and Anees Bazmee’s romcom, Mubarakan, which had also featured Ileana.

Last year, Dinesh Vijan’s Bala, which revolved around the woes of a prematurely balding bachelor, played by Ayushmann Khurrana, had a parallel track which touched on this subject, with Bhumi Pednekar, his classmate and later his lawyer, out to prove to the world that her complexion did not make her any less beautiful. Carrying forward that thought, writers Anil Rodhan and Kunal Mandekar have spent a lot of time deciding how to treat the subject in a way that is novel and light. The film targets a 2021 release.

Zoya Hussain cast opposite actor in filmmaker’s yet-untitled production
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 7, 2019)

Mirror had earlier reported (April 25) that even as Sanjay Leela Bhansali is gearing up to take his next directorial, the Salman Khan and Alia Bhatt-starrer Inshallah, on the floors, he has roped in Randeep Hooda to play the leading man in his yet-untitled production. We have now learnt that Zoya Hussain, who made her Bollywood debut with Anurag Kashyap’s Mukkabaaz, has been paired opposite the actor.

The film marks the directorial debut of Balwinder Singh Janjua, who has previously written the Arjun Kapoor and Anil Kapoor-starrer Mubarakan, Kapil Sharma’s Firangi and more recently, the Tushar Hiranandani-directed Saand Ki Aankh featuring Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar. “Zoya fit the role perfectly and has already begun prepping for her part. After a few rounds of workshops and reading sessions, she will start shooting in the first week of October in Delhi with Randeep,” informs a source close to the development. A mystery-thriller with comic undertones, the film sees Randeep in the role of a cop and has lots of twists and turns.

While Randeep recently wrapped up shooting for Imtiaz Ali’s tentatively-titled #AajKal with Kartik Aaryan and Sara Ali Khan, Zoya will next be seen in the Rana Daggubati-starrer multilingual, Haathi Mere Saathi.

This is Bhansali’s fifth production in the recent times, after Tuesdays And Fridays, featuring Anmol Thakeria and former Miss India International Jhataleka Malhotra, Malaal, which introduced Jaaved Jaaferi’s son Meezaan and Bela Segal’s daughter Sharmin, Abhishek Kapoor’s film on Balakot air strike and Inshallah.

Filmmaker’s next production, a thriller with comic undertones, is set in a small town; will roll in August
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 25, 2019)

Even as Sanjay Leela Bhansali gears up to take his next directorial, the Salman Khan and Alia Bhatt-starrer contemporary romance Inshallah, on the floors, Mirror has learnt that another film that he is producing has found its leading man in Randeep Hooda. The yet-untitled thriller is likely to go on the floors in August. According to a source close to the development, the film is a mystery-thriller with comic undertones and is set in a small town. It marks the directorial debut of Balwinder Singh Janjua, who has previously written the Arjun Kapoor and Anil Kapoor-starrer Mubarakan, Kapil Sharma’s Firangi and more recently, the Tushar Hiranandani-directed Saand Ki Aankh featuring Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar.

“Randeep plays a cop in the film which has a lot of twists and turns. Balwinder has been working on the script for a long time and recently started pre-production. He will start the recce shortly,” added the source. Randeep who will next be seen in Imtiaz Ali’s tentatively-titled #AajKal which is fronted by Kartik Aaryan and Sara Ali Khan and alongside Hollywood actor Chris Hemsworth in Dhaka has previously played a cop in Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai, Kick, Jannat 2 and Baaghi 2. “Randeep suits the role to the T and will begin his prep closer to the shooting date,” the source informed.

This is Bhansali’s fifth production after Tuesdays And Fridays, featuring Poonam Dhillon’s son Anmol Thakeria and former Miss India International (2014) Jhataleka Malhotra, untitled film with Jaaved Jaaferi’s son Meezaan and film editor sister Bela Segal’s daughter Sharmin, Abhishek Kapoor’s film on Balakot air strike and Inshallah.

Lakshmi V (BOMBAY TIMES; July 22, 2017)

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; July 22, 2017)

Arjun Kapoor has beaten Sonam and Harshvardhan Kapoor in sharing screen space with Anil Kapoor. Mubarakan is also his first full-fledged comedy. He is the only actor from his generation to play a double role for the second time after Aurangazeb. He jokes, “With Anil chachu in the film, you need to have a double role!” Here, the actor talks about the challenges of playing twins, sharing screen space with himself, talking to tennis balls, working with his chachu and more.

This is the second time you are playing a double role after Aurangzeb. Was it easier or tougher this time?
Both the films were tough and fun. No actor looks at work as easy or tough. If you think it’s too easy, you are not going to put effort in it, if you think it’s too tough, you will get scared. Both the genres are unique — Aurangzeb was a drama thriller, while Mubarakan is an absolute family entertainer. The dynamics between the two characters are different. I played brothers in both the films, but in Aurangzeb I didn’t share screen space with myself. They were two different characters, who live their own lives and one pretends to become the other. The only time we met was in the last 10 minutes of the film. Whereas in this film, I am sharing screen space with myself through the film, which was very exciting. At the same time, it made me nervous, too.

How challenging was it to play the two characters?
I had to develop an equation on how the two brothers would behave and also how an elder brother feels towards his younger one. I had to imagine doing all of it with myself. They are twins so there is an overlap of personalities. The thing is Karan is the bully, while Charan is the docile one, who gets bullied because he is submissive. I am Anshula’s older brother and I have bullied her. So that part I knew, but here I had to do it to myself, which was exciting.

Did you play the two characters alternatively or shot one the entire day and the other the next day?
I used to shoot both the characters alternatively. I must have swapped Karan and Charan four-five times a day. In the morning, the whole scene would play out with the director Anees Bazmee, the DOP along with the VFX camera. Who I would play first used to depend on the scene. If Karan’s is the more proactive one, with more conversation, I would do that first. I used to have a body double, Bali (Balwinder Singh Janjua), who was also the writer. He used to sit with me and perform as Charan. If there was Anil chachu, Ileana (D’Cruz) and me in a scene, Bali used to play Charan and I would be Karan. He would perform with us in the scene. After the scene, I would go and watch the video to see where the actors were standing, how they reacted to Charan, how many times they looked at him, when did Charan take a pause, who did he look at... I would watch everything minutely. I had to match what Bali did and perform on top of it. I would then go back in the frame and all the other actors would be removed. Tennis balls would be kept as their eyes! The audio with Karan that was already shot would be played. I would then perform as Charan looking at the tennis balls!

Was there any point when you got confused?
No, never. When I used to wear the pagadi, I would start feeling like Charan. I had enough time to breathe and get into the character. I would focus and calm myself down. The pagadi always helped.

Before Sonam and Harshvardhan Kapoor, you have managed to share screen space with Anil Kapoor...
(Cuts in) Technically, my father worked with him before, but yes on screen I am the first! For me, the best part was the fact that Anil chachu called and told me about Mubarakan. He said, ‘I have heard this script and I think it will be perfect for you’. That for me was the biggest compliment! And also that he felt I am good enough to share screen space with him. I went in relaxed and happy and didn’t have that pressure ke Anil chachu kya sochte hai mere baarein mein. That phone call made me realise that I am worthy enough to work in a comedy with him. Validity from a fellow actor that he trusts you is important, especially, in a comedy.

The two of you share an amazing chemistry. What kind of equation do you share with Anil?
We are not the typical chacha-bhatija. We are like brothers, friends, chacha-bhatija, all together. More often we are like brothers where he is the younger one and I am the older one! He calls me Arjun chachu and I call him Anil chachu. It’s always been like this. You can’t fake it with with your family.

There have been reports about you doing the sequel of Namastey London. Is it true?
The only film I will be doing after Mubarakan is Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar as that is officially announced.

The film will see you reuniting with Parineeti Chopra after Ishaqzaade.
Yes. The first co-star is always special because you have shared more than screen time together. Our journey started together. After Ishaqzaade, we wanted to work with each other for the last five years, but we didn’t find the perfect material. Also, Dibakar (Banerjee) is a special talent so while it is exciting to pair up with Parineeti again, what is more exciting is we both are coming together for a perfect director who can explore another aspect of our chemistry.

Of the characters you have played so far, which is close to your heart and which do you identify with?
Identifying with a character is very different from one that is close to my heart. I don’t identify with Parma of Ishaqzaade, but he is close to my heart because that’s the first time I behaved like that. However, I identify with Krish from 2 States and he is also close to my heart. On the other hand, I don’t identify with Kabir of Ki & Ka but that philosophy, that thought is close to my heart. I feel why women should bear the brunt of being homemakers and if they are they should be respected for that. The journey of Gunday is also close to my heart. You might not equate with the character or the beliefs, but you always retain something from the film.

What is your takeaway from Mubarakan?
Right now, I am so busy promoting the film, talking about it that I can’t figure out because hum sirf baatein kar rahe hain.

Have you seen the film?
No. I haven’t seen the entire film. I haven’t even seen Ki & Ka till date.

Why is that?
Whenever I used to go for the screenings, the film would have already started. Balki (director) would tell me to watch it, but I wanted to see it aaram se. Also, when you see a film and your work in it close to the release, you start doubting it though people were saying nice things. I also had a little tashan that I want this film to be seen by the audience and get their reaction. It was such a special film for me that I let it go to the audience, and I think it worked. I know it shaped up the way we had imagined it to be.

After hosting Khatron Ke Khiladi, are you open to doing more TV?
I am always open to all avenues. But I would like to be a host because I don’t think I am a good judge. I am not that kind of a person to have an opinion on other people’s work, and what they are capable of. I prefer hosting and entertaining. Whatever the format of a show I would like to be the entertainer. I don’t want to sit and have an opinion. I like making people smile, engage and entertain.

What about a web series?
It’s still too early in the day to say we are ready for it because the material has to be very good. You need to see the growth of digital medium because a lot of stuff is already being made. I would be definitely interested as long as I see quality work coming out. Right now, we don’t have any references. Ek baar ubharna shuru ho... we will automatically sense the kind of value the digital series have.