The Hindi film industry just about got to parity with last year with the super success of BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN when two back to back duds hit in the form of BROTHERS and DRISHYAM. This has taken the yearly business below the levels of last year as the business of DRISHYAM and BROTHERS could not match the business of ENTERTAINMENT and SINGHAM RETURNS.

Last year ENTERTAINMENT and SINGHAM RETURNS grossed 205 crore nett between them and prior to release, the DRISHYAM and BROTHERS total was expected to be more and on a worst case scenario to at least match that.

The figures have not just fell short but fallen short by a distance as the combined business of DRISHYAM and BROTHERS will hardly touch 140 crore nett. BROTHERS has emerged a big flop all over while DRISHYAM is average in Mumbai with expected nett business to hit 30 crore but with just 13 crore nett coming in Delhi/UP and not even 6 crore nett in East Punjab, the film has failed outside Mumbai circuit.

The combined cost of DRISHYAM and BROTHERS is around 175 crore and the Indian theatrical share will be a shockingly low 67 crore. Its a sad state of affairs when the profits of a rare blockbuster like BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN are wiped out in four consecutive Friday's (DRISHYAM, BANGISTAN, BROTHERS, ALL IS WELL). Actually more than wiped out as these are not the only releases over the past four weeks.

The business in 2015 till date stands at around a little over 1500 crore while in the same period last year it was 1600 crore. The scenario in 2015 is very bad as its coming after no growth in 2014 and this year looks to be going the same way so it will mean business at a standstill for two years.

Gaurav Dubey (MID-DAY; August 8, 2015)

A day after Bangistan makers announced that their film had been banned in Pakistan, chairperson of the Sindh Board of Film Censors, Fakhr-e-Alam, has contested the claim. The film starring Riteish Deshmukh and Pulkit Samrat is about two suicide bombers, one Hindu and the other, a Muslim.

Says Alam, “Bangistan has not been imported into Pakistan till date. Unless a local distributor imports it and applies for certification, we cannot preview the film. Until we preview the film, we cannot give a verdict on it. Till date, we have not received any application.”

On Thursday, producer, the film’s producer Ritesh Sidhwani had tweeted saying: “#Bangistan banned in #Pakistan #UAE I’m now told may be #Singapore as well. Can the censor boards in these countries give us a written explanation clearly specifying what did they find offensive in our film. I’m shocked as to how they have missed the message (sic).”

Some reports claimed that the Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC) in Pakistan had decided against certifying the film after a preview on Wednesday afternoon also requested all the provincial boards to impose a ban on Bangistan. However, Alam insists that he neither received any request for certification nor instructions from the CBFC authorities to ban the film. “Maybe, the CBFC received an application, but that usually doesn’t happen since the distributor sends it to all provincial boards at the same time. Perhaps, I am missing a link. But I just checked with my staff again and we have not got any application,” he adds.

When we contacted Sidhwani to comment on Alam’s allegation, he asked us to speak to Pranab Kapadia of Eros International, who is handling the overseas distribution for Bangistan. Kapadia clarifies, “There are three Censor Boards in Pakistan. The first application was made in Islamabad and when they rejected it, we submitted the film in Lahore. However, they too rejected it. So, we didn’t see any merit in applying in Karachi (capital of Sindh) because the central board had already refused to certify it.”

Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; August 7, 2015)

While the Censors in quite a few countries have decided to ban Riteish Deshmukh and Pulkit Samrat-starrer Bangistan, a local religious outfit is said to have demanded a stay on the film’s release in India for “ offensive content”. Apprehensive of an untoward situation, the actor duo has asked for police security as the film hits the marquee today.

A source says, “The film revolves around two suicide bombers, one Hindu and the other, a Muslim. Both Pulkit and Riteish know what the consequences can be if someone misunderstands their characters. And such controversies have happened in the past. Therefore, they have asked the makers if they can be provided with additional security on the release day, which is today.” So far, the film, which was given a U/A certificate, has been banned in Pakistan,

UAE, Singapore, Kuwait and Bahrain after their respective censors found its content objectionable. Another source says, “After it was banned in a few countries, the Censor Board in India has received a letter from the Hindu Legal Cell demanding a stay on its release. They are objecting to the portrayal of a Hindu as a terrorist in the film. They have also taken exception to a scene in which Pulkit dresses up as lord Hanuman and is later seen indulging in terrorist activities.”

The film’s spokesperson confirms the story, stating: “ Additional security arrangements have been made for Pulkit and Riteish to avoid any mishaps. Even the makers of the project are taking precautionary measures since the film releases today.”

Director Karan Anshuman says, “Some Hindu outfit has taken objection to the film and written a letter to Censor Board, but I don’t know if it will affect the release.”

Composer Ram Sampath talks about the making of the wacky soundtrack of Bangistan
Kasmin Fernandes (BOMBAY TIMES; August 7, 2015)

WILL BANGISTAN TURN OUT TO BE ANOTHER FUKREY?

Excel Entertainment over the years has been associated with qualitative cinema. Hence, despite the low buzz, there’s some sort of excitement for Bangistan, that releases tomorrow. It stars Riteish Deshmukh, Pulkit Samrat and Jacqueline Fernandez and is directed by Karan Anshuman, who rose to fame as a critic of Mumbai Mirror. The film is based on a great idea. Bangistan is actually a fictional country, divided into 2 parts – North Bangistan is Muslim dominated while South Bangistan is Hindu dominated. Two people from both sides are brainwashed and sent as suicide bomber to a world religion conference in Poland, leading to madness and laughter. The film gives a message, as per the makers, but is not preachy. Songs haven’t worked at all but the idea of Bangistan has somewhere caught attention.

The film was to release last week. But since Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Baahubali were going strong and Drishyam would have served as strong competition, the makers decided to shift ahead by a week. However, tomorrow it’ll face competition from the Hollywood biggie Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation that’ll surely open better than Bangistan. But Bangistan can score if response is good. 2 years back, Excel came up with Fukrey, a film that looked entertaining but lacked buzz. Expectedly, the opening was poor but the word of mouth was so positive that it emerged as a commercial success. Bangistan gives out a similar vibe and if all goes well, it can also work.

The other release of the week is Jaanisaar. It is directed by Umrao Jaan director Muzaffar Ali and stars Imran Abbas and Pernia Qureshi. It is a period drama and has been shot very well, as evident from the promos. It doesn’t seem like a caricature and attempts to give an authentic depiction of 1870s Lucknow. Sadly, it doesn’t look that exciting. Its release itself is very low and the collections are going to be extremely poor.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE BANGISTAN OR JAANISAAR AND WHY? DO LET ME KNOW!

 

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 6, 2015)


A day before its grand opening in Dubai, Karan Anshuman's directorial debut, Bangistan, has been banned in United Arab Emirates. In Singapore too, the filmmakers will have to approach the reviewing committee, hoping they will clear the release. "I'm shocked, Dubai is a large market and this decision will affect us," producer Ritesh Sidhwani told Mirror.

On July 25, Pakistan had banned the Riteish Deshmukh-Pulkit Samrat starrer after viewing the trailer. Ritesh had approached the Pakistan High Commission, clarifying that the satire was not anti-Pakistan. He was prepared to go there, with his director and actors, and screen the film for the authorities and members of the censor board to convince them not to take snap judgements on the basis of the trailer alone. But they were not interested in extending an invitation to him and his team.

"There is a certain backdrop to the content and the film certification boards need to watch the film in totality. Why make a hue and cry when there is nothing negative in the film? The only people who might be offended by the film are the terrorists," Ritesh argues.

He is all praise for the Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Pahlaj Nihalani, who after a screening on July 22, praised Bangistan for its novel content and treatment. The film was cleared with six verbal but no visuals cuts and a U/A certificate.

"We only hear negative things about our Censor Board and Pahlaj Nihalani but I salute them for their balanced and progressive decision. They viewed the film objectively and cleared it certain that it does not provoke violence, hurt religious sentiments or instigate terrorism," reasoned Ritesh. But a fringe group which calls itself the Hindu Legal Cell does not share the opinion of the CBFC. The secretary of the organisation, a certain Prashant Patel, issued a letter to the Censor Board asking for a stay on the release. He was objecting to a Hindu being portrayed as a terrorist. The letter mentioned an objectionable scene in which Pulkit is dressed up as the Hindu God, Hanuman, and later seen indulging in terrorist activities.

Bangistan is a comedy-drama about two aspiring suicide bombers on a mission to change the world. The blundering terrorists are Hafeez Bin Ali who renames himself as Ishwarchand Sharma, and Allah Rakha Khan who changes his name to Praveen Chaturvedi. The film follows their journey to the end when they realise their folly and abort their mission. "Before we planned the release, we had several focus group screenings for different religious groups across different cities. No one raised any objections. On the contrary, the film imparts an important, positive message to the youth of today," said Ritesh.

BOMBAY TIMES (August 6, 2015)

Jacqueline Fernandez opens up on the Kick-ed out barb, reveals that Varun Dhawan and she have adopted a monkey
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 5, 2015)


When she was a year old, Jacqueline Fernandez fell in love with Tinkerbell. She was one of the seven dogs, two cats, a turtle and many fishes Jacky grew up with. As a child, she adopted a mouse which she kept inside her doll house till her mother discovered it and ordered her to take her pet outside. Tinkerbell died when Jacky turned 21, and she's missed her first love, ever since.

"Now, Varun (Dhawan) and I are adopting a monkey. We met Coco during the shoot of Rohit Dhawan's Dishoom in Morocco. We're waiting to bring him home as soon as the formalities are completed," says Jacky, who plans to hire an army of servants to look after all the other pets she plans to bring into her home.

The actress was in Morocco for 15 days and returned on Sunday with her new bestie, Varun. "He shares my sense of humour. Last week, he took my phone and started posting random pictures on my Instagram account. When I asked him to stop, he posted a shirtless picture of himself and tagged it, 'My Varun, the best in the world. He's an angel and a voice of reason in troubled times, taught me so much!'" Jacky guffaws.

Buzz is, she's dating Arjun Kapoor. The query is greeted with peals of laughter, "That's absurd and Arjun will agree! I giggle when people hook us up."

She continues to giggle when asked about why Salman Khan said at a function in Dubai that he has Kick-ed her out of the sequel of their action thriller. "I find it funny when people say that we're 'cut off'. Salman would never disrespect me or any woman. Even if he did say that he had Kick-ed me out of Kick 2, it wasn't meant to hurt me. Casting is his decision, he doesn't owe me anything. Our relationship goes beyond professional commitments," she asserts.

Apparently, he made amends by replacing Parineeti Chopra with her in his next home production, Jugalbandi, featuring Saif Ali Khan. "Jugalbandi is an interesting film but Salman's the best person to answer this question," she says cagily. "All I can say is that I'll always be there for him, now and forever."

Jacky has also been bonding majorly with Sonam Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra. "Girls can be friends too," she points out. "Sonam is fun to talk to and I look up to Priyanka. Actresses are gradually warming up to me as I stay clear of any gossip and don't judge. Instead, I make a conscious effort to stay happy," she smiles sunnily.

Jacky is eagerly waiting for the release of Karan Anshuman's directorial debut, Bangistan, with Riteish Deshmukh and Pulkit Samrat. She plays Rosie, the owner of a cafe in Poland, who takes the boys on a tour of the city. "Rosie is energetic and lively," she says. "Riteish knows when to crack a joke, where to draw the line and how to snap in and out of his role. And Pulkit is shy," she quips.

The 29-year-old actress, who owns a high-end restaurant in Colombo, is planning to open a branch in Mumbai and bring Sri Lankan cuisine to the city. "I enjoy making business investments and my Bollywood career has given me the means to do so. Opening another restaurant, launching a clothing line and turning producer are my goals for next year," she says.

Film critic-turned-director Karan Anshuman admits he'll never write a review again
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 28, 2015)

During his three-year tenure as Mirror's film critic, Karan Anshuman admits he never gave a Salman Khan film a good review. Kick was no exception. But when he greeted Jacqueline Fernandez with a cake which had 'Congratulations for Kick's 200-crore' iced on it, Karan, who makes his directorial debut with the satirical Bangistan, knew he had moved to the other side. "It was my sell-out moment," he agrees. "I will never return to reviewing films again."

"I took a David Dhawan film to the cleaners once. The review went viral. It must have affected the film's business too," he reminisces, saying that when he met David recently, for the first time, he wanted to kill himself. "He is the nicest person I've ever met. If I was to review a David Dhawan film today I'd never write it the way I did."

The former critic insists that he has tried hard to not compromise on all that he had written against in his reviews. "But it's impossible to be idealistic," Karan says. "I've disliked using sound effects to cue in humour but am doing it now because our audiences who're tuned into TV comedy shows expect it. There's no room for subtlety. Many will disagree with several things in the film, but I'm reasonably proud of it. I hope it's a memorable watch."

His script was green-lit by producer Ritesh Sidhwani immediately and though he tried to share with Zoya and Farhan Akhtar his plan on how it'd translate on screen, they were not interested. "They told me to go do my thing in Poland," he laughs.

He, however, found an unexpected brat in Genelia D'Souza who would frequent the sets and remind her husband and the film's hero, Riteish Deshmukh, how Karan had run down his performances in his reviews. "She loves to mess with Riteish's head," he laughs good-naturedly.

Pulkit Samrat plays the parallel lead and Karan admits that when his name came up, he started browsing through his reviews wondering what he had thought of him as an actor. "I realised that I had written paragraphs about his fabulous performances in Bittoo Boss and Fukrey and could trust my own judgement," Karan jokes.

He reveals that initially, he did not like the title Bangistan as he thought it was too quirky and had wanted to set the film in London or New York as he is familiar with both these cities. "The final decision was to go to Poland since it is neutral to all religions. There are around 4,231 religions in the world. I put together the obscure ones for a visually appealing climax. You might spot Darth Vader in there too, that's my religion," he chuckles.

The chuckle is replaced with a frown when you bring up the subject of Pakistan banning his film over one scene in the trailer. "The Indian censors loved it, but the ones across the border had a problem with Aarya Babbar's character measuring the size of his beard. Ridiculous! I hope they see the entire film and realise it's all about choosing your own faith," he grouses.

Towards the year end, Karan will move on to create a 12-episode miniseries, Khel, which will release only online, on an Indian streaming service like Netflix. "It is an intense, tellall sports drama that will take you behind-the-scenes of the IPL," he signs off.

BOMBAY TIMES (July 25, 2015)

The film's producer is willing to screen his film across the border to prove it is not anti-Pak
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 23, 2015)

Salman Khan's Eid release, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, may have set the cash counters ringing across the border, but the Riteish Deshmukh-Pulkit Samrat satire, Bangistan, has been banned in Pakistan. Taken by surprise by the decision, the film's co-producer, Ritesh Sidhwani, will fight it out.

"Basing their judgement on the trailer alone, they have decided that the film is anti-Pakistan and anti-Muslim. If anything, it's anti-terrorism and since Pakistan is as much a victim of this global menace as any other country, it is in their interest to screen the film. It's message is that it's foolish to give up your life for a cause you'll not live to fight for," says Sidhwani who has written to the ministry asking for a review of the decision.

He has applied for visas, for himself, director Karan Anshuman and his actors, Riteish and Pulkit, to visit the country, if only for a day. "I'd like to show the film to the ministry and the censor boards to prove that our intentions are fair," he says.

Bangistan is about two suicide bombers, Hafeez Bin Ali/ Ishwarchand Sharma (Riteish) and Allah Rakha Khan/Praveen Chaturvedi (Pulkit), who've been brainwashed into an explosive mission but eventually realise the death wish is futile exercise. Ritesh argues that such suicide pacts are common to both countries and the need of the hour is to show brainwashed youngsters that it's a path to nowhere.

Was the quirky music video with Riteish as Osama bin Laden and Pulkit as Saddam Hussein one of the reasons the Pakistanis turned squeamish, even though Ajay Devgn's Drishyam opens on the same day, July 31, there? He retorts, "The promotional video doesn't reflect the content. Our story is set in a fictitious country called Bangistan.''

BOMBAY TIMES (July 23, 2015)

No ghanta, qafir, minority, dalaal, saala and saali in Bangistan
Subhash K Jha (DNA; July 22, 2015)

Producers Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar can breathe a sigh of relief. Their satire on cross-border terrorism Bangistan has been cleared by the Censor Board with verbal cuts. The film, directed by former film critic Karan Anshuman, opens July 31.

A source close to the project reveals that the chairperson of the censor board Pahlaj Nihalani praised the film for its novel content and treatment. “The film was given a U/A certificate with six verbal cuts. The words that had to go were ghanta (used as an abuse, in case it doesn’t ring a bell), qafir, minority, dalaal, saala and saali. No visuals were cut,” says the source.

BOMBAY TIMES (July 22, 2015)

In case a person wants to join Al-Qaeda, here are some of the questions he would need to answer.
(Taken from the application form available on the net). 'Have you ever been to jail or prison? Have you received any military training? How many trips have you taken to Pakistan? Were you previously affiliated to any group? Have you ever joined Afghanistan theatre? List the types of passports you possess? Have you used a real or forged passport for your current travel? Do you wish to execute a suicide operation? What objectives would you like to complete on your jihadi path? Who should we contact in case you become a martyr?' Clearly the induction into Al-Qaeda seems to require more the willingness to give up one's body than one's intelligence.

Bangistan, a joint presentation of Excel Entertainment and Junglee Pictures, is an upcoming satire that deals with the subject of how futile it is for youngsters who are recruited by militant organisations by brainwashing them in the name of religion. The film deals with the subject of fundamentalism through the story of two boys (played by Riteish Deshmukh and Pulkit Samrat) who are brainwashed to become terrorists. Finally, of course, you realise how futile it is for terrorists who are brainwashed into giving up their lives for serving the interests of a few power-seeking leaders. The film finally delivers the message of peace.

Responding to the application form of Al-Qaeda, one of the two lead stars of Bangistan, Riteish Deshmukh who is also coincidentally an architect by education, said, “While the course in Architecture is for construction and Al-Qaeda for destruction, it certainly seems easier to get into Al-Qaeda than get into architecture.''

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 22, 2015)

Last week, Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein were resurrected in a Mumbai studio for a music video. Riteish Deshmukh slipped into the shoes of Osama, once the world's most wanted terrorist, while Pulkit took on the avatar of the Iraqi Hitler. The actors then turned rappers.

The video is the brainchild of Anand Doshi and his Shudh Desi Raps team, who had been toying with the idea of a battle royal between the deadly (no pun intended) duo but didn't know how to pull it off and with whom. When the Bangistan team approached them, the brainstorming translated into Al Lights, Al Camera, Al Action!

"Riteish has Osama's eyes and smile. When I saw him on the set in the get-up and sporting a beard, for a minute I believed Osama had returned to life. He even tied the pagdi himself, giving us five hours of his undivided time," marvels Anand, whose research included going through all content available and watching every video to pinpoint mannerisms, walk, talk and other distinctive facets to make the character look believable.

There was plenty of material and footage on Osama but not many videos on Saddam which made Pulkit's job difficult. "He surprised us by strolling onto the set with a face that looked much fuller than usual because he had stuffed cotton balls in his mouth," laughs Anand.

He portrayed the modern-day Dictator as a playboy terrorist chilling out with girls and provoking Osama, "I'm Admiral General, Mr. Supreme Leader, I get every girl even if I don't need her, I lived in a palace...you lived like slave, when I was with your wife...you were rotting in a cave. Mere plans sunega toh teri daadi jhad jaayegi...Meri Dictatorship se Hitler ki mooch badh jaayegi..." Pulkit rapped Yash Thakur's lines in one hour flat.

Riteish was equally quick in underlining the fact in Kabul ki Hindi that boom and kaboom is music for Osama who claims, "Wright Brothers ke plane ki funding main hi kiya karti, jab bhi koi zyaada ooncha tower banaayegi, log kahegi ruk jaa varna Osama aa jaayegi." In an ironic twist however, the plane he is riding doesn't blow up the tall tower this time, but is blasted out of space by a Machiavellian Saddam before he dangles from the noose.

The End for the two? No, because as Osama points out, "Humpe Oscar winning movie bhi banaati, story fake hoti phir bhi award jeet jaati... Hum mari nahi hum to sumdi mein satak gayi, tum to ek sissy ki tarah phaansi pe latak gayi."

Saddam reacts to the taunt saying, "My death was as fake as your movie story...When they said I was hanged, I was chilling with a gori. I was a superstar ever since I was born, you got caught coz you were busy watching porn. You like big beards but shaving is my style, this weapon of mass destruction will kill you in just a while."

Saddam farts, Osama's beard is on fire and the two actors make an appeal for shanti not kranti, pointing out that a bigger danger than terrorism are fights in the name of region and religion. "That's the message of Bangistan," says Anand who has spent four sleepless nights in the office bringing the green CG screen to life with an array of visual effects.

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; July 21, 2015)


Your last couple of films Fukrey, O Teri, and now Bangistan saw you playing a parallel hero and not a solo hero, which is how you started. Comment.
All my films are solo hero movies simply because I believe the hero of the film is always the story! I am not concerned about the length of the role or what the other person is doing. If I am convinced about my role and see myself in that particular character, I do it. Other things are secondary — who is the producer, the director, whether it will be marketed well or get a good release. If you think of only solo hero films then there wouldn’t be a Dil Dhadakne Do, Dil Chahta Hai which are great films or for that matter Rang De Basanti.

What did you like about Bangistan?
It’s a fun film. I flipped out when I heard the story and the way it was going to be narrated. It’s about these two people who hail from a country called Bangistan, which is divided. Riteish’s character is from North Bangistan and mine is from South Bangistan. Both have their own fundamentalist groups and we have been brainwashed by our leaders to become suicide bombers. We are terrorists who land up at the same place in Poland to carry out some bombings. It’s a hilarious ride from there. It is completely satirical — conveying a deep message, but in a funny manner. It is quirky and cool.

Though your debut film Bittoo Boss failed, you managed to get a big break again with Fukrey. Do you consider it your second launch?
No. I think of it as my first commercial success. Every film has its own journey, its own fate. If I look back from where I came, I think I have had quite a fair innings. I have grown with every step. Yes, my debut film didn’t do well, but that got me Fukrey. The producers saw the promos, the songs and thought of contacting me.

Since Bangistan is from the same producers as Fukrey you must be banking on it...
They are known for their quirky, out-of-the-box humour and sensibility. They do things differently. It’s got Riteish with his impeccable sense of comic timing and I have done my stuff.

There have been reports about you and your co-star Yami Gautam getting too close off-screen. What is your reaction to that?
It’s great to see the film getting promoted nicely. Time and again we have seen that whenever a romantic film is being shot, there is a tendency to link the lead actors and promote the film.

Are you saying somebody is promoting it knowingly?
Well, if somebody is writing about it, then somebody is promoting it!

What is your equation with Salman Khan?
I admire him a lot and I am lucky he adores me. That’s the equation we share, but it’s a personal thing and I don’t like to talk about it.

Watching you on screen, one gets a feeling that you ape him...
(Cuts in) I always say I would like to be the kind of person Salman is off screen, but I don’t think I ape him on screen.

Now, that he is a producer, will he cast you in any of his films?
I don’t know. If a film works for everybody, then he might. But my love for him is unconditional.

Asira Tarannum (MID-DAY; July 20, 2015)

When the team of upcoming comedy Bangistan shot for an episode of Comedy Nights With Kapil recently, the film’s lead actress Jacqueline Fernandez was nowhere to be seen. Industry sources claim the actress was deliberately not included in the plan on the insistence of filmmaker Sajid Khan, who was hosting the show that night. Reason? Sajid, who was in a relationship with Jacky for three years, was apparently in no mood to come face-to-face with his ex-flame before a live audience.

Says a source, “As per the initial discussion, Jacqueline was to supposed to promote the film along with the film’s heroes, Riteish Deshmukh and Pulkit Samrat. However, when Sajid found out her scheduled visit to the set, he requested the channel authorities to exclude her from the plan.” The source adds that the filmmaker also suffered a back ache due to the hectic shooting schedule.

Sajid Khan, however, laughs off the buzz, saying: “Not true at all. Have you seen Jacqueline anywhere in any promotions of Bangistaan? So why single out this show? Your news is wrong and no, my back didn’t hurt.”

The film’s spokesperson also denies the story saying, “From the time we spoke to our channel partners, we had clearly communicated that Jacqueline wouldn’t be part of any on-ground or on-air promotions and had discussed only Ritesh and Pulkit being part of Comedy Nights.”

Comedy Nights With Kapil is currently being hosted by different Bollywood personalities as the original host, Kapil Sharma, is nursing a back injury. Before Sajid, Arshad Warsi hosted one episode of the sketch comedy show.

Seema Sinha (BOMBAY TIMES; July 18, 2015)

Reza Noorani (BOMBAY TIMES; July 17, 2015)

Riteish Deshmukh on the trade, changing trends, being on a career high as an actor and producer
Sarita A Tanwar (DNA; July 14, 2015)


Unlike many heroes who start off with solo careers and stubbornly continue doing those till they are forced to retire, Riteish made the most of what was available to him. He came from an affluent background and could have continued making films mainlining him, but he didn’t let his ego get in the way of his dream. Today, he in the position to pick and choose films. I don’t know if success is always sweeter when it comes after a struggle, but it’s got to be lot more satisfying. Today he has earned the position he is at, along with respect. In the last two years, he has come into his own. He is flying high professionally and personally, but remains the same grounded guy I’d met during an interaction during the release of his first film. Here he talks about being on a high, career-wise, about changing attitudes in the trade and the way ahead.

The last two years have been rather significant for you in terms of your career. What do you attribute that to?
I think there are two things. I felt that the growth of the industry in terms of approach towards actors and not trying to cast them in the same roles, trying offbeat casting and people also being excited to see someone new in that role. Probably that has helped. I was lucky enough to have that opportunity be it, acting in Ek Villain, producing Balak Palak or doing a film like Lai Bhaari. Eventually, all these things timed out well for me. Thanks to them, I got Bangistan and YRF’s Bank Chor, which are not the typical comedies that I am associated with.

Grand Masti and Ek Villain took you to a different level, both crossing Rs 100 crores. In Marathi, it was Lai Bhaari that created new records. Is there a feeling of vindication?
One thing I learnt in the last ten years is that once the Friday is over, it’s the past. You have to let go. I have seen a lot of people who are living on Fridays that have really gone back. Saturday is a new day, Saturday is the reality check, you have to move on. As an actor, I feel the only day you should enjoy or be sad about is a Friday. Saturday you have to go out and start work again.

That’s easier said than done, no?
I know, but I have been a part of films that have not worked and of films that have been successes, but I don’t carry either forward. All that matters is the experience that you had while working on the films. Yes, it’s easier said than done, but I consciously try to work towards that, because everyone is on top of the game, everyone is doing great. There is so much to learn from female actors as well as from male co-stars. I saw Ranveer in Dil Dhadakne Do, and he was incredible, the way he did it. It was so easy and so nice, he was so wonderful. So it’s not about, ‘Oh, if I would have done the role would I do the same thing?” It’s about... he did it so differently so what I can do in my next film, that will be so refreshing? I got a chance in Ek Villain and I tried my best, I did my best but the film is done. What next?

You’ve always been a hero of the masses. With Bangistan, are you trying to reach out to a different set of people.
No. Till the time Ritesh Sidhwani called me for Bangistan I never thought that I would be the actor that Excel would approach or Yash Raj would want me for a lead for Bank Chor, but I was glad they had thought of me.

Bangistan looks too similar to Welcome to Karachi.
They are two different films. But it’s about two people caught in two different situations about India-Pakistan so in that way they are alike, but nothing else.

The director of Bangistan used to be a film critic. And he has always voiced his dissent at the kind of films you have done throughout your career. When your director shows contempt for the kind of films you have done, how do you relate to him?
That’s a very interesting question. For many years, I’d stopped reading reviews. So when I was told Karan Anshuman was directing, I was like ‘Okay.’ I don’t hold it against anyone if they dont like any film of mine. I am like ‘you didn’t like the film, everyone’s choice is different, so it’s okay.’ During a conversation much later, I mentioned to him that I had not read any reviews and at the time Grand Masti had released and Genelia told me he reviewed it. Karan said, “Read my review, I have in fact praised Grand Masti”. That’s the time I read the review.

He had praised it?
Yes, he had praised Grand Masti. More than anything, what I like about Karan or any director for that matter is when they narrate the film with a conviction. And it’s important how much a director understands cinema. I go with that feeling. And when Karan narrated it, it was wonderful. I didn’t know and I am not against any director who has had a flop film, no film, successful film...

As a hero, do you find attitude towards you changing after recent successes?
Whose attitude?

The film industry, in terms of the films that are being offered to you?
Yes. For sure. The films that have been offered to me now are different. Also, there are certain roles that people thought I would have done earlier, I like the fact that they now say, “Nahi, nahi... Riteish yeh role nahi karega”. In a way I’m glad they have decided to not approach me with certain kinds of roles.

You refused Kya Kool sequel because you consciously wanted to move away from that genre, but you are doing Great Grand Masti due to the emotional pressure from Indra Kumar. True?
I didn’t do Kya Kool... 3 because I wasn’t doing any adult comedies. Let me just say that I am doing GGM only for Indra Kumar. The only multi-starrer that I am doing right now are Great Grand Masti and Housefull 3.

You’ve emerged as a star in your own right now. Does it then become difficult to do films like Housefull 3 where you are sharing attention?
No. I am doing Housefull 3 because it’s my franchise. I feel it’s my film and I have grown with it, my career has grown with it and above all it has Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, so I am working with my friends. There is no competition in terms of, there will never be a time when I am trying to do outdo Akshay or he is trying to outdo Abhishek. Everyone is comfortable and confident about their space.

One hears that now you are rather firm on the choice of heroine opposite you. She has to be of a certain stature. Is that correct?
No, no, not at all. I have never ever got into the casting of a heroine.

Has this change in your stance of doing a certain kind of cinema happened because of fatherhood?
In a way, yes. Marriage and fatherhood are two big life changing things. When you are single, your responsibility is for the day or for the week. When you become a husband then you start planning for the next one year or two years. But when you become a father, your life view suddenly shoots up and extends to the next ten or next fifteen years. And it’s great because I am looking forward to this responsibility.

Lai Bhaari has also given you a lot of responsibility towards Marathi cinema. One hears that you are getting the entire Marathi industry under your wings now.
Lai Bhaari was an attempt to do something more commercial within Marathi space and I’m glad it was received the way it was, and I think I am trying to just be a small contributor in this big wheel.

But suddenly, everyone is looking at you as the new hope of Marathi cinema.
I know I think it’s their bigness (sic) to look at me that way, and I will always try to live upto that. But there have been, and there are legends in Marathi cinema right now, who are doing their best and everyone is contributing towards success of the industry. There are so many advantages in Marathi cinema with regard to the kind of films you can make within limited budget and appreciation that you look forward to because those cinemas won’t be even attempted in the Hindi formats, unfortunately. Marathi cinema is the second choice in the State of Maharashtra, the first choice is always Hindi and we are struggling but hoping that changes. There are a lot of things happening. Hopefully, there is some film that will come and break the Rs 50 crore barrier. We have just broken 40. Hopefully 50 and 60, and Marathi cinema becomes stronger.

Lastly, most actors shield their children from the media. You have set a trend by coming out in the public with the baby pictures on social media. What was the thought behind that?
I wanted him to be part of my father’s birthday. It was my father’s 70th birth anniversary, and it coincided with Riaan’s six months, so we wanted to make that day special. Also, we have travelled with him and are going to travel in the future too. So why all the hiding and telling people, ‘Don’t click pictures’? It’s pointless. Especially, in this day of mobile phones, everyone is a paparazzi. So, we decided to put his pics out there and now I am not bothered. Whoever wants to click can click, but that was a special day and we wanted to make it extra special.