After walking the red carpet at TIFF, Randeep Hooda has returned to his home turf to shoot a movie and is horsing around with a polo club of his own in Gurgaon
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 22, 2015)


September 13 was Randeep Hooda's lucky day. He walked the red carpet at the just-concluded 40th Toronto International Film Festival with the team of Deepa Mehta's upcoming crime thriller, Beeba Boys, which had its North American premiere at TIFF's 'Gala' section. It brought back memories of his debut film, Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding, which premiered at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival and bagged the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. "I was a kid then, hiding behind everyone else, but this time I put a sure foot forward. And though the rain ruined our parade, the standing ovation at the end of the screening was a real high," exults the actor.

His rush-rush schedule meant he missed out on a tete-a-tete with Johnny Depp, who was in Canada too with his film, Black Mass, but he got to meet The Life and Death of Peter Sellers actor and internationally acclaimed producer, Geoffrey Rush, whose class act in Shine bagged him an Oscar, the BAFTA, a Golden Globe, a SAG Award and The Critics Choice Award. "He's from Melbourne and since I've spent some time Down Under, we had stuff in common to talk about besides cinema," laughs Randeep.

There have been some quibbles about Deepa's film with The Hollywood Reporter saying "it's too quirky a project to travel far, and its main appeal should be to Indians in Canada and the U.S. where the offbeat humor should make the most sense". Randeep points out that given Deepa's track record, maybe the critics were expecting a more serious film. "But the audience was laughing at the right points and enjoying the Sardar humour. And later on the streets, we were greeted with shouts of 'Hey, Beeba boys'," he reminisces.

He admits that since he had not seen the film before, there were some apprehensions. "Some of my scenes were edited, but no complaints as long as it works for the screenplay and the director. And the critics have been really kind to me. I wasn't expecting such a super response," he says.

So, has Deepa spoken to him about her next film yet? Randeep admits that they have been discussing a lot of ideas but haven't locked on anything yet. "It's nice to collaborate with the same people because you're in your comfort zone and can do things better with the communication lines more open. I have been talking to others too but talks take a long time and till things don't materialise, you don't talk about it," he says evasively.

Randeep returned from Toronto to his home state Haryana where he's filming Laal Rang via Mumbai and Delhi, jet lagged. "I got into the vanity van, into my costume, and it was a real culture shock. From Karnal to Toronto, it's been a long journey, for me as a person and as an actor too. It's heartening when locals now, clued in to my whereabouts, thanks to the social media, ask me, "Toronto kaisa tha?" he laughs.

Meanwhile, Randeep has launched a Polo Club in Gurgaon with the intention of making polo and equestrian sport more accessible. "I don't want to bring down its aspiration quality but I want to make polo more accessible to people and clear the misconception that it is an expensive sport. It's cheaper than hiring a cricket pitch and equipment," he says, adding that there are plans to start such clubs across India.

His new initiative must have made his horses happy? He guffaws, "I haven't had time for a chat with them. May be some of them are jealous but they will understand that its for the larger good."

MUMBAI MIRROR (September 15, 2015)

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 3, 2015)

Gulshan Grover is gearing up for the unveiling of Deepa Mehta's gangster drama, Beeba Boys, at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 13. While another actor would have been brainstorming on which couture brand to wear, Gulshan casually points out that he has enough designer suits in his wardrobe. "I've been to enough film festivals around the world and have realised that it's not so much about what you wear as what you did, on screen and off it," the actor smiles.

He recalls how a journalist friend of his, Kirk Honeycutt and his wife Mira Advani Honeycutt, had arranged for a two-minute meeting between Johnny Depp and a girl who wanted an autograph for her mother, who was a crazy fan of the actor. "She was telling him how her mom had seen all his films, several times, and Depp offered to fly her down so he could meet her personally. Everyone was flabbergasted but Johnny arranged for the tickets, got a car to ferry her from the airport, and spent quality time with her, sending a thrilled fan home with several mememtoes," narrates Gulshan.

He's looking forward to a meeting in Canada with the talented, drool-worthy Hollywood actor, who was told by Angelina Jolie in The Tourist, "Twenty million dollars worth of plastic surgery. And that's the face you choose?" Depp's Black Mass, also featuring Joel Edgerton and Benedict Cumberbatch, will be playing at the Gala section too. Johnny plays an infamous gangster and FBI informant.

Interestingly, Gulshan himself plays a mafia boss in Canada, in Deepa's film. Robbie Grewal runs his business like a serous enterprise till the Beeba boys with their fascination for fast cars, fashion and power challenge his authority. "And when the boys mess with the 'Bad Man' they are going to have a bad time," he says menacingly and you can almost see the bullets flying, the blood spurying and bodies going down.

Gulshan admits that Deepa Mehta, out of her comfort zone with a new genre, was like a woman obsessed. She wanted nothing but the best on the set and while she was her usual warm, affectionate, charming self with her actors, they also got a piece of her mind when they missed her point.

It happened with Gulshan too when during a family scene with his wife and daughter, his kingpin persona suddenly crept into his behaviour. "I thought that the power he wielded would be there at the back of his mind, the fact that he could at any time pick up the phone and order an assassination. But my interpretation was not in sync with Deepa's. After pack-up I returned to the hotel and had just walked into the lobby, when the Wi-fi came on, and boom, I had a four-page-long, email from an upset Deepa making her point clear," he reminisces with a laugh.

The next day, he went on the sets and didn't veer away, even slightly, from his brief. That evening, he was just getting out of his car in front of the hotel, when he got a call from Deepa's assistant informing him that she would be picking him up in an hour. "She took me out to the best restaurant for a drink and dinner, telling me how much she had loved my performance that day," Gulshan smiles.

He was in Toronto recently, for a special screening of the film organised for the team, at which a poster of his was unveiled. "The next morning, I got a call from the distributor telling me I had nailed it," he exults, hoping for similar reactions in Toronto.

Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; August 30, 2015)

Known for his casual demeanour, Ajay Devgn is currently deliberating on the designer threads to wear on the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2015, which begins on September 10. The actor knows that he will have to give his trademark half-unbuttoned-shirt look a skip. As producer of Parched, which premieres at the festival, he is now keen on making a sartorial statement.

Along with Devgn, there are several other Bollywood and indie filmmakers gearing up for international fests and not just at Toronto; the 20th Busan, Venice and the London film festivals are also lined up in the coming months.


Small fights, big victories
Though Devgn has been part of Bollywood for over two decades, this is the first time he’ll be attending an international film festival. And he can thank his first international production, Parched, for prodding him to take this first step. “I steer clear from film events. I prefer to be away from their glitz and madness, but I’m excited to attend TIFF because it celebrates world cinema. It’s heartwarming for me to see my support finally getting the appreciation it deserves,” says this actor-producer.

He adds, “Parched is about the small battles that women must fight to win the big war. It is the story of four women from a village who break the shackles of tradition. Then, maybe, along the way, we can correct some of the wrongs that women have suffered since eternity.” The film, directed by Leena Yadav and penned by Leena and Supratik Sen, has an ensemble cast of Bollywood names like Radhika Apte, Surveen Chawla, Adil Hussain and Tannishtha Chatterjee. The film is a co-production between India, UK and USA that has award-winning filmmaking talent like Academy Award winning cinematographer Russell Carpenter (Titanic, Antman), Academy Award nominated film editor Kevin Tent (Descendants, Sideways), Academy Award and BAFTA winning sound designer Paul NJ Ottosson (Zero Dark Thirty, Spider-Man, Hurt Locker).

Boys will be boys
Another Bollywood presence at TIFF will be Randeep Hooda with Deepa Mehta’s Beeba Boys. The flick is a gangster drama about Vancouver’s underground drug and arms scene, populated by third-generation Indian immigrants in Canada. It has been selected for the Gala section of TIFF. It’s also competing at the London Film Festival, which kicks-off from October 7.

Randeep is excited about attending the festival and is keen that Deepa puts him up in a fancy apartment as was done during the shoot of the film in Vancouver. His Beeba Boys co-star, Gulshan Grover, no stranger to the American-Canadian festival circuit, will surely provide some tips. Grover’s character is based on a real Indo-Canadian who was fascinated with crime and guns.


Keep it short
Also at the Toronto fest is Megha Ramaswamy’s Bunny, a silent short film, that revolves around a girl who is mourning her dead pet. She wanders off into the woods to make some startling discoveries.

Last year at TIFF, Megha had  showcased her short documentary, Newborns, about acid attack survivors. “It’s encouraging and exciting to show at Toronto twice in a row in the competition section. Toronto audiences are film enthusiasts who pay attention to detail and it is the best platform a new film can ask for. Also, TIFF is such an unaffected festival. It’s remarkable that all the project from India are authored by women,” she says.


Busan calling
Hansal Mehta’s Manoj Bajpayee-Rajkummar Rao starrer Aligarh will premiere at the Busan International Film Festival, starting on October 1. The film, written by Apurva Asrani, will be screened in the A Window on Asian Cinema section. Aligarh, based on a real-life incident in Uttar Pradesh, revolves around a professor who is suspended by his university for being gay and a journalist who investigates his story. Aligarh director Hansal Mehta feels, “It’s a special reward to a fantastically dedicated team.” Busan is Asia’s biggest film festival and being selected as part of such an excellent line-up is an achievement enough for him.

Forbidden territory
Also at Busan will be producer Manish Mundra of Drishyam Films’ Black Horse Memories, his first Turkish- Kurdish production, directed by Shahram Alidi. It will premiere in the competition section and will have its Asia Premiere in the Wide Angle section.


Musical journey
Another Busan-bound film is Mozez Singh’s musical drama Zubaan, with honours of being the opening film of the festival. The screening will also be the world premiere of the drama which features Masaan actor Vicky Kaushal and actress-singer Sarah Jane Dias. Zubaan is a story of a young man who has a fear of music and is set in Punjab and Delhi. Vicky Kaushal says, “I will be going to Busan. It is a great honour for us. As my other film Masaan is also being screened, it is a double honour for me.”


Venice rhapsody
Pyaasa, Guru Dutt’s 1957 classic, is the only Indian restored film for world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 11 in the Competition Section. It will compete with 20 other prestigious restored films from the world for the coveted Venice Classics Award, conferred on the best restored film. After Venice, the film will do the rounds at other international film festivals. The film is being restored and will have a worldwide released in theatres by Ultra Media & Entertainment.

Sushilkumar Agrawal, CEO, Ultra Media & Entertainment says, “There is a huge fan following of Guru Dutt all over the world, many of whom have not been able to see this ageless magic in its original form and glory. It took us nearly four months to restore this film frame by frame.” Also at Venice is Visaaranai (Interrogation), a Tamil film directed by Vetrimaaran. The film is based on Chandra Kumar’s novel Lock Up, dealing with police brutality. The movie will be part of Orizzonti or Horizons — the section second in importance to Competition.


Island City by Ruchika Oberoi is also travelling to Venice. The film follows three stories set in Mumbai and stars Vinay Pathak, Amruta Subhash, Chandan Roy Sanyal and Tannishtha Chatterjee. Competing at Venice Days, it has also been invited to the 31st Warsaw Film Festival for a screening on October 9, in the non- competitive section.

Ruchika Oberoi says, “The journey of the film started in Venice in 2012 when I travelled there with the script of Island City as part of the NFDC Screenwriters’ Lab. It feels great to be able to come full-circle and premiere the film in Venice Days, a section known for selecting original and innovative works.”

Randeep Hooda's gangster drama, Beeba Boys, has been selected for the TIFF Gala and is in Competition at the London film fest
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 13, 2015)

Deepa Mehta's Beeba Boys, a gangster drama inspired by real incidents, has been selected for the prestigious Gala section of the Toronto International Film Festival which opens on September 10. It's also in Competition for the London Film Festival in October. Lead actor Randeep Hooda is happy but cool.

"I'll be representing not just my film but my country too and I'm not going with an 'I'm an Indian and so glad to be here' attitude. Only 15 films have been selected from over 500 entries for the TIFF Gala, the main category, as is the Competition section at the London fest. It's a big honour. I'm not going with my tail between my legs. I'll be on par with all the A-listers there," he asserts.

He admits that since Deepa is an Oscar-nominated filmmaker, this kind of a huge international exposure had been at the back of his mind.

"Every actor's desire is to reach out to a huge audience, globally," he points out, reminiscing about a career which began with Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding. "It was one of the most popular Hindi films, cutting across cultures and countries. It took me to a lot of festivals. I recall the film winning the Golden Lion and the Laterna Magica Prize at the Venice Film Festival in 2001 where it premiered."

After that Randeep moved to Mumbai and since he was looking for something equally big, didn't sign any film for four years. "I did theatre with Naseer saab (Naseeruddin Shah) with whom I'd done Monsoon Wedding. After 14 years, life's come a full circle."

Unlike most Indian actors he didn't dream of rubbing shoulders with Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan but imagined rubbing shoulders with the Johnny Depps of the world. "He's cool, I like his laidback attitude. But I've never been star-struck, even as a child," he insists.

Will he be going alone? "As of now, yes, and my only request to Deepa was to get me an apartment. Even when we were filming, she put me up in a beautiful apartment. That's the only way you become a part of a country and its culture. By the end of the shoot, everyone was at my pad enjoying the farewell parties," he laughs.

This time she's booked him an apartment in the same building as the festival. "So I'm pretty sure the whole team is going to end up there after the screening. Anyone else is welcome too. There'll be no hotel rules to stop us from making a night of it," he says.

Prod him on which designer he'll be wearing and he points out that the Beeba Boys look has created a flutter in Canada. "But I won't look anything like my character Jeet then since I start a new film, Yeh Laal Rang, on August 18. But if the team wants to create that cool look for the red carpet, I'll go along," he shrugs.

And what are the chances of the film picking up an award? Randeep says that's hard to predict till it's screened for a larger audience. "But I know for sure that it will give the other films a run for their money. No one is going to laugh at the film or us. They may laugh with us but not at us," he signs off, confidently.

Gulshan Grover, who played a sardar in Deepa Mehta's 1947—Earth, reunites with the Oscar-nominated director after 17 years in her first action thriller
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 25, 2015)

Gulshan Grover started out hating Deepa Mehta after she dropped him from her 1996 film, Fire. "I was to play Nandita Das's husband. In fact, I was the one who introduced Nandita to Deepa at a dinner at my place. Then, suddenly, she was in and I was out," he reminisces, adding that after this he swore never to work with either of them again.

He only relented when Aamir Khan called, twice, to persuade him to play a sardar in Deepa's 1998 Partition drama, 1947: Earth. It was hard to refuse Aamir who's been a friend since they worked together in Love Love Love. Ajay Devgn was requested to adjust the dates Gulshan had allotted for Hindustan Ki Kasam so he could go back to 1947. And there, on the sets, he fell in love with the director who had entrusted the bad man with a rare positive role which got him raves from Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Anil Kapoor and Aamir himself.

Cut to 2015. Today, Gulshan is being appreciated for his performance in another Deepa Mehta film, Beeba Boys. He plays Robbie Grewal, a sardar again, but this one's a mafia don who's feeling threatened. "When I showed Jackie (Shroff) the trailer, he was hooked onto one of my lines, 'These boys are starting to irritate me' and kept repeating it all evening," Gulshan laughs.

So is Robbie the modern-day Bad Man, the unforgettable Ram Lakhan character? Gulshan points out that Robbie is more of a drably dressed family man who plays golf and visits religious places but also deals in drugs and dabbles in crime. When he reported for the shoot in Canada having actually grown a beard this time, Deepa told him he'd have to spend his evenings with his reel life wife and daughter because she wanted them to look like a real family. Gulshan, who likes to be alone with his scenes after pack-up, tried to wriggle out of the "assignment" but Deepa insisted they dine together at restaurants paid for by the production. "My wife, Monica Deol, who was Canada's first MTV VJ, is a celebrity of sorts, but for her and the other Indian-Canadian actors who played the Beeba boys and had to badmouth me, I was a Bollywood star with 400 films behind me. They were like fans who remembered every dialogue from Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat to Ram Lakhan. Even my on screen daughter, whom I always called Chutki, and the sardarji who was on the sets to tie my turban for every take were starry-eyed," reminisces Gulshan.

The film is gearing up for a Toronto premiere and he is looking forward to a Punjabi Scarface. An action thriller is a new genre for Deepa but Gulshan is quick to point out that there's plenty of human drama and emotion amongst the bullets and blood. "There was a time when I would fight with Deepa for real. Now, I'm fighting for her on reel. If my performance is any good, all the credit goes to her. She would brief me after pack-up with a four-page email and if the work was good, take me out for a drink," he smiles.

Beeba means good in Punjabi. For every bebe (mother) her son is a beeba boy. Is he Deepa's beeba boy now? "No, that's Randeep (Hooda) and the other boys. I'm her beeba friend who's moved from hating her to loving her," he guffaws.

Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 11, 2014)