Had it not been for the Coronavirus-triggered pandemic, Ishaan Khatter and Ananya Panday’s Khaali Peeli would have opened on June 12. And six days before the film’s release, the city’s black-and-yellow cabs would have gone off the roads and into posterity. So, Maqbool Khan’s directorial was a tribute of sorts to the taxis which have been ferrying Mumbaikars for decades. “Since the cab is a prominent character of our film, the audience would have gone down memory lane recalling their own rides,” the director points out.

But the best laid plans can be hit for a six by an unknown virus. In the last six months, not a single film, since Irrfan Khan’s Angrezi Medium, has opened in theatres. And so, though Maqbool would have liked to see his film on the big screen, he has been forced to go the direct-to-digital route like so many other filmmakers before him. “No one had anticipated Coronavirus and we are all heartbroken we had to let go of a theatrical release. But there is a lot of money involved, and with no certainty of when this pandemic will end, OTT comes as a saving grace,” he asserts. The film will now be unveiled on October 2, Gandhi Jayanti.

Meanwhile, the action-thriller ran into a controversy following the launch of its first song, “Beyoncé Sharma Jayegi”, with many objecting to the lines “Bhadkeeli, nakhreeli, chamkeeli, lachkeeli, Tu jo kamar yeh hilayegi, Tujhe dekh ke goriya, Beyoncé sharma jayegi”, claiming that the word “goriya” used alongside the American pop singer Beyoncé reeked of racism. Following the backlash, the makers tweaked the lyrics to “Duniya Sharma Jayegi”. “We never imagined people would think along these lines, maybe we were ignorant because the word ‘goriya’ has been used for ages now. We apologize if anyone was offended. We come from a middle-class background and would be the last ones to promote racism,” Maqbool clarifies.

Buzz is, Beyoncé’s legal team reached out to them threatening legal action. “No, there was no communication from their end. Seeing that the lyrics were being taken out of context, we tweaked them ourselves,” he sets the record straight.

The story revolves around Ishaan, whose life changes drastically when Ananya takes a ride in his cab. The actor, who played a boy-next-door in his two films so far—Beyond The Clouds and Dhadak—steps into the Bollywoodish commercial space for the first time. “I wanted to turn Ishaan from a boy into a man and he underwent an amazing body transformation to bring my vision to the screen,” he raves.

Maqbool gets back to feature films after nine years, preoccupied with television for almost a decade. After the break was it difficult to get an A-List cast on board? “I first got myself a producer duo in Ali Abbas Zafar and Himanshu Mehra. Ali is a big name in the industry after films like Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, Tiger Zinda Hai, Sultan and Bharat. So, it was not that difficult for them to set up an appointment with actors, who liked what was written and things fell into place,” he avers. Any inputs from Ali? “He has a very commercial outlook and knows how to mount a film big. He made our script a little more larger-than-life and that gave it a certain scale. He liked the vibe as this is the kind of cinema even he believes in,” Maqbool concludes.

Sources say Khaali Peeli team to rewrite Beyonce Sharma Jayegi as pop star trademarked her name a decade ago
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 10, 2020)

The makers of Khaali Peeli have faced severe backlash over the song, Beyoncé Sharma Jayegi, with netizens slamming the line — Tujhe dekh ke goriya, Beyoncé sharma jayegi — for its racist undertones. Now, the team of the Ishaan Khatter and Ananya Panday-starrer may have a bigger legal battle in its hands unless it takes corrective measures. It turns out the production house had not sought approval from the pop queen, who had trademarked her name over a decade ago, thus barring its usage for commercial purposes.

A source from the production house reveals, "Beyoncé has not only trademarked her name, but also won a long legal battle to copyright daughter Blue Ivy's name. In a pre-emptive move, the makers are now planning to rewrite the song to avoid legal repercussions. A final call will be taken this week. With the dance number being called out for racism, it will be an unwise move to take on an international star like Beyoncé, especially at a time when the Black Lives Matter movement has set the stage for equality."

mid-day sent a detailed e-mail to Beyoncé's team, besides reaching out to the film's spokesperson. While the pop star's team did not respond till press time, the producers declined to comment.

After Nora Fatehi's Pachtaoge 2.0 is slammed for being a rip-off of Queen Bey's 2014 single, actor-dancer claims she turned to the works of several idols, including Madonna, Billie Eilish, for inspiration
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 17, 2020)

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But we wonder what Beyonce might have to say about Nora Fatehi's new single, the female version of Pachtaoge. After the song dropped over the weekend, Fatehi was trolled on social media following anonymous Instagram handle Diet Sabya's observation that the video is strikingly similar to the international pop star's 2014 single, Mine.

As we get in touch with the actor-dancer, she sounds surprisingly sprightly for someone in the centre of a controversy. "I felt good seeing myself in an artistic zone. We have done something different from the usual style of shooting music videos in India," says Fatehi, who also conceptualised the offering. The video, directed by Rajit Dev, aims to depict the different stages of heartbreak symbolically. "As we started working, we looked at different visuals, costumes and iconic looks of pop stars from my favourite tracks that would illustrate our concept perfectly."

Is that when she chanced upon Beyonce's Mine? "I am inspired by Beyonce, among other stars. Mine was one of the many reference points, in terms of dancers, set-up and mood. However, the outfit was inspired by Mother Mary, not her," she asserts. Incidentally, the video of Mine was inspired by Michelangelo's sculpture Pietà that depicts Jesus on the lap of Mother Mary. "We also referenced the [works] of Madonna, Billie Eilish and Zayn Malik. Billie's dark subliminal-themed offerings represent the kind of zone we wanted for this number. My second look was heavily inspired by Black Swan [2010]; it made sense to adopt that look to depict the toxic stage of heartbreak."

Even as she agrees that the songs belong to "a similar zone", Fatehi argues that Pachtaoge is novel in its choreography. "Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's new track [WAP] has the same concept as Beyonce's Haunted. That doesn't mean it was copied; it just implies that the zone and messaging are similar. I am happy if people feel [Mine and] Pachtaoge have a similar vibe. I always take inspiration from my idols and pay homage to them through my work. Here, the choreography is original as are the cinematography and the emotional storyline."


(From left) Natalie Portman in Black Swan; Nora Fatehi in the video

Hiren Kotwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 3, 2020)

What was your first reaction to your character in Malang which reportedly has some negative shades?
It’s different from what I’ve done before and yet closer to who I am. Since the film is a thriller, a genre I love, I can’t divulge much. But yes, it has grey shades, all the principal characters do.

Despite the bikini shots and sizzling liplocks, director Mohit Suri insists that the film will showcase Disha Patani, the actress.
My performance became possible because of him. He saw me in a character I couldn’t.

So, are you buddies now?
We’re friends, but he’s not a buddy. He’s my mentor, I respect him for who he is, how he has presented me.

Our heroes are getting older, their heroines younger. There’s a 27-year age gap between you and your Radhe hero, Salman...
It was a dream come true to work with Jackie Chan in Kung Fu Yoga. He was 65 then. Ditto with Salman (Khan) sir, the biggest star in our country. Age is just a number. When I’m 50, I’d want to work with an 18-year-old. After just my second film, I got to work with Salman sir in Bharat, which gave me my first commercial song, “Slow Motion”. I don’t know if I deserve this. I’m glad to get an opportunity to dance, act, do action.

Bagging a second film with Salman even before your first film released. So, are you a part of his camp now?
I hope I am. I don’t know. Maybe you should ask him.

What’s happening with KTina, which is reportedly based on Radhe Maa?
It’s not about Radhe Maa. You’ll find out more at the right time. I was filming Malang, and now I’m shooting with Salman sir. We’ve finished one schedule of KTina and will resume after Radhe.

Are you now confident of pulling off a solo-heroine film?
Conscious, not confident. Malang has Aditya (Roy Kapur), Anil (Kapoor) sir and Kunal (Kemmu) too.

You started out with small parts in films like M S Dhoni - The Untold Story. Would it be different if you debuted as a leading lady?
Your debut film can put you under a lot of pressure, but fter a few auditions, I realised that I wanted people to go beyond the hair, makeup and outfit, and relate to the girl on screen. I was happy to be a part of a biopic like M S Dhoni and people accepted me even in a smaller part. Then Baaghi 2 happened. I never thought I’d get this far.

Kiara Advani, your co-star in the Dhoni biopic, made a mark with Kabir Singh. Star kids Jahnvi Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan, Ananya Panday also pose competition…
We are all special and doing different kinds of movies. There aren’t too many Fridays with solo releases so there’s enough work for everyone. I believe in feminism and equality. At the end of the day, it’s the work that speaks. You’re lucky if people like you, that cannot come with birth or be bought. Nepotism exists in every industry. My sister is in the army. If she has a child, they will have an edge over others if they decide to join the forces. Instead of being jealous, it’s better to work your way up, on the strength of your talent.

Did you ever want to take up another career?
I wanted to become an Air Force pilot, but it’s good I didn’t. I don’t like travelling, I get motion sickness. My family is happy and proud of what I’ve achieved in the fim industry.

Were you upset when, after Bharat, Ali Abbas Zafar cast Ananya Panday in his first production, Khaali Peeli?
Why get upset? It’s not as if I won’t work with him again.

And Shraddha Kapoor reunites with Tiger Shroff in Baaghi 3…
Unfortunately, my character died in Baaghi 2, but I’m doing a song.

You recently wore a dress similar to Beyonce’s...
I’m a huge fan. I love her and look up to her. She is a mega star and a brilliant performer. When she steps on stage, it’s like a Goddess has arrived!

You’ve often been spotted with Tiger Shroff, yet he doesn’t acknowledge your relationship...
What relationship?

DNA (December 10, 2018)

Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal’s pre-wedding celebrations took place in Udaipur over the weekend. Pop star and Grammy winner Beyoncé arrived in the City of Lakes yesterday afternoon. There was much buzz about the international icon’s performance for the soon-to-be newlyweds even before her arrival.

The Ambanis played the perfect hosts and pulled out all stops to ensure that their guests were looked after very well. Before the Single Ladies singer got on stage on Sunday night, the celebrations on Saturday evening were thoroughly enjoyed by the guests. White chandeliers, red roses and shimmery lights added to the charm of the Udaivilas Palace. A large statue of Lord Shrinathji was seen at the venue. The sangeet ceremony began with a maha-aarti of the deity.

More musical festivities followed soon after. The entire Ambani family was seen on the stage this evening. While Nita and Mukesh Ambani performed a romantic track from the film Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Akash Ambani and fiancée Shloka Mehta shook a leg to the song Khabar Nahi from Dostana. Isha and Anand, who will tie the knot on December 12 at the Ambani residence in Mumbai, expressed their love through a performance on the number Mitwa from Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. Nita along with her sons Akash and Anant danced on Mahi Ve from Kal Ho Naa Ho. Bollywood singer Arijit Singh sang numbers like Jiya Jaye Na followed by Kabhi Jo Badal Barse and more. The venue was bathed in blue lights for the private concert. Parineeti Chopra, too, crooned a few tracks for the guests.

Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, Karisma Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor, Rhea Kapoor, Karan Johar, and many more marked their presence at the function dressed in beautiful traditional clothes. Ranbir Kapoor and buddy Aditya Roy Kapur flew to Udaipur together late on Saturday night. Besides Beyoncé, Sunday morning also saw the arrival of Rekha, dressed in traditional attire, at the Udaipur airport. She was accompanied by Disha Patani. Maniesh Paul and Sukhbir were also snapped here.

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; December 8, 2018)

The high-profile wedding of Isha Ambani — daughter of business tycoon Mukesh Ambani — and Anand Piramal, is around the corner.

Bollywood stars have reached Udaipur for the pre-wedding celebrations that include sangeet and mehendi. While it is known that Beyonce will be performing at the sangeet, a source reveals that acts by Shankar Mahadevan and Amit Trivedi are also on the cards.

"It will be two days of grand song and dance sequences. Beyonce's solo performance is the highlight. Singer-composers Amit Trivedi, Shankar Mahadevan and Parthiv Gohil have been roped in, too. They will belt out their hit numbers." The source adds that A R Rahman is likely to perform at the wedding reception on December 15.

Yesterday, the Ambanis kicked off the four-day-long Anna Seva in Udaipur that will see them feed three square meals to over 5,000 people. A specially curated exhibit that will showcase 108 traditional Indian crafts, has also been set up at the venue.

Frank Gatson Jr, choreographer to Beyonce, Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez, on working with the actress on his first Hindi film and the culture of ‘Yes Men’ around celebrities
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 28, 2018)

Frank Gatson Jr, who has worked with music icon Beyonce for 15 years and directed videos of her biggest hits, “Single Ladies”, “Run The World” and “Crazy In Love”, believes two qualities define a superstar. “You have to be a warm person, and you have to work very hard. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse,” he tells Mirror on his maiden India visit.

The choreographer, who started in 1986 as a back-up dancer in Michael Jackson’s music video of “Smooth Criminal”, has been staying at a service apartment in Bandra for the last 15 days, to where he retires after working till 2 am at Film City with Fanney Khan actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on a lavishly mounted song. Atul Manjrekar’s directorial debut is produced by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Bhushan Kumar.

“I was to visit India from Dubai in April but couldn’t despite having an entire day to spare as there were visa and paperwork issues. So, Atul flew to Dubai for three hours to watch me work and hang out. It was clear that the film was important to him and I decided to give it my all,” Frank recalls.

The makers wanted him to come up with something that wasn’t “very Bollywood”. “That was a challenge because music is supposed to tell you what to do but this song’s beats were essentially Indian, and I wanted to stay true to the culture. However, it’s turned out to be an international number,” says Frank.

He makes a note of the heterogenous nature of the dancers’ community in India. “During auditions, I came across many dancers who aren’t from India but work in Bollywood. It’s like someone coming into my all-black neighbourhood and hiring white dancers. I didn’t like it, but luckily, I was able to find some fantastic dancers. Initially, it was supposed to be Ash with only female dancers but then I came across this incredible guy, hard-working and respectful, and added him in,” he informs.

An Indian song with a strong international vibe posed another challenge. Frank, who has worked with some of the world’s best, including Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez in his 36-year career, argues that age-appropriate choreography trumps everything that is current and cool. “You cannot give Ash dance steps that look too young. She is not 19, she’s a woman and a mother. I had to make it likeable,” he explains and believes he got it spot-on because after a long night of rehearsals, Ash wanted to do another take at 3 am. “She was so happy with the way the sequence shaped up, she hugged me and introduced me to her family,” he says, all praise for the “hard-working and professional”dancers he has worked with in India.

But he feels there’s room for improvement when it comes to rehearsals. “The dancers mark your moves but recreate them only halfway till it’s time for the final shot. Two of the greatest performers I’ve worked with, Michael Jackson and Beyonce, went all-out with each rehearsal,” he argues. “I wish I could turn everyone’s volume up.”

He has a strong opinion on celebrity culture as well. “I have a theory. Divas aren’t talented, they just got lucky. I refuse to collaborate with artistes who don’t want to work hard. I’d rather work with talented performers who don’t settle for mediocrity,” he asserts.

Frank also points out that the culture of ‘Yes Men’ around celebs is a worldwide phenomenon and the biggest threat to talent. “Once, Beyonce asked her entire team how she was doing at a rehearsal and they were like 'this is nice… you are cool,' and she started looking for me. She realises the importance of honesty. She is great, but there’s always scope for improvement. The problem with a lot of big stars everywhere is that they don’t get told the truth enough,” he avers.

Speaking of the evolution of the music business, Frank states that it is very visual today. He explains, “You don’t hear Beyonce anymore, you see her, you experience her. Artistes must sing, dance, be nice for the cameras. That’s the new world.”

His tryst with Bollywood aside, he admits to being quite clued into the industry. “The West sees Bollywood as a big deal, we talk about Indian movies all the time. I loved working on Fanney Khan, it was like working on a version of (the Catherine Zeta Jones and Renee Zellweger-starrer Oscar-winning musical) Chicago,” he says.

Varun Dhawan gets into rapid fire mode. He shoots back replies to our quick volley of questions...
Upala KBR (DNA; July 28, 2016)


Beyoncé or Rihanna?
Right now, Rihanna. I love her and find her music amazing. Beyoncé is great, but Rihanna is cool for coming in and doing the kind of stuff she is and how she’s doing it.

My song of the moment...
Currently, I am listening to Sau Tarah Ke from Dishoom.

What music do you listen to?
I listen to a lot of hip-hop and R&B, Drake, The Killers, The Doors. I also listen to a bit of house music here and there. I love listening to soothing music like Alia (Bhatt’s) unplugged version of Main Tenu Samjhawan.

Flirty or intense romance?
Intense.

Qualities that draws you to a woman...
Honesty, compassion and caring

Qualities in a woman that puts you off...
Gossip and negativity.

Is there a Miss Perfect?
There is no Mr or Miss Perfect in this world. We are imperfect beings living in a perfect world which we have made imperfect.

Live-in relationships are…
To each his own.

Love is…
Eternal.

Describe yourself in five words?
No. I am indescribable because I am infinite as that’s the way we were made. We get put into boxes and compartments by other human beings and not God.

One professional mistake you will never make...
It was great advice given to me by Ranbir Kapoor. He told me never to wish bad for any of my contemporaries. I don’t know why he told me this, but he did so at the beginning of my career.

Three things you wish you had…
Nothing material… material mein leke kya karenge… sab toh chala hi jaana hai… that’s why when people say I have bought a house, I think land mera nahi hai, woh chala jayega. It belonged to someone else, went to another and will go again elsewhere. It’s a momentary ownership. I would like to have a time travel machine where I could just go from one place to another, peace to every region and a way to keep my parents always with me.

Three people you rely on/trust completely...
Aman and Ankit — my best friends since childhood (junior KG) and Natasha (Dalal).

An average day in your life…
Get up in the morning, go to the gym, go for work (shooting or film promotion), dubbing, trying and meet a friend at night, if possible, to feel normal again or play Playstation.

Mantras you live by...
Evolution is a mystery

Three qualities you wish you had
I wish I could fly, be invisible and could sleep longer peacefully.

A funny thing about your pet?
I love dogs. Angel (my beagle) goes to sleep anywhere at inappropriate times.

The oldest thing in my wardrobe is…
I have a lot of T-Shirts, my school jerseys which are signed, which I am very sentimental about and are still there in my wardrobe.

Your fave denim?
I love jeans. I am endorsing a brand called FBB which has their own brand jeans. They can stretch and are comfortable. We can run, jump and fall with it.

Ria Lawrence (MID-DAY; May 28, 2016)

History is witness to what happens when two greats from different backgrounds come together and create music. Case in point: Ravi Shankar and George Harrison, Sunidhi Chauhan and Enrique Iglesias, Sonu Nigam and Kylie Minogue, and who can forget, Akshay Kumar and Snoop Dogg in Singh is Kinng. Needless to say, the results are heady with two powerhouses bringing their own magic to the table.

And AR Rahman is no stranger to international collaborations. He has worked with The Pussycat Dolls and living legend Mick Jagger from The Rolling Stones earlier. But, from the current generation of international artistes, who would he want to work with? In a candid interview for a show called Music Diaries, Rahman opened up about his favourites in the music industry. He shared that working with singer-songwriter Beyoncé tops his wish list and also coolly said he is not too keen on working with Justin Bieber, who was named Top Male Artist at the recent Billboard Music Awards. “I have hung out with Beyoncé and Jimmy Ewing. We were supposed to do an album,” Rahman said, before quickly adding, “Not Justin Bieber. Let’s leave him alone for now!”

When asked to choose if he prefers to listen to hip-hop or heavy metal, Rahman said, “I’d rather keep quiet. Because my life has been in music so much, sometimes I don’t really like to listen to anything. Silence actually brings your inner voice out more than getting cluttered with so many other songs.”

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 28, 2016)

After an impromptu performance at a watering hole in Delhi's hip Hauz Khas last July, British rock band Coldplay took their India connection to the next level with a subsequent visit to Mumbai to shoot the music video for their new single, "Hymn for The Weekend" in October.

Now Sonam Kapoor does a cameo in the song, which is the second single of the band's seventh album, A Head Full of Dreams. When contacted, the elated actress confirmed the news, "I love Coldplay's music and so does the world. It was a huge honour to be a part of the video. It's a great concept and I had a lot of fun shooting for it."

The 30-year-old actress plays a mystical muse in the video directed by Ben Mor. "Sonam shot for a day last October at the Golfa Devi Temple in Worli and the Vasai fort," informs a source close to the actress. The video also features American pop diva Beyonce, who has also lent her vocals to the track.

The single is a follow-up to the album's first number, "Adventure of a lifetime," which became the band's 21st UK Top 40 hit and stayed in the top 10 for six weeks.

Sonam's sister, Rhea Kapoor, who often styles her looks conceptualised her appearance for this video too. "They zeroed in on a desi look with Sonam in a ghagra choli and wearing the traditional mang tika and a nose ring," adds the source.

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin sent the Indian social media into a meltdown when, accompanied by music composer Vishal Dadlani, actress Freida Pinto and members of the comedy collective, AIB, he turned up the Summer House cafe and belted out a few of the band's hits, including Paradise and Viva La Vida.

Martin and Freida had travelled to India with a non-profit organisation that is working to end extreme poverty by 2030.