What’s Welcome To The Jungle got right? According to Raveena Tandon, two things at least. Director Ahmed Khan’s ensemble comedy embraces its absurdity unapologetically. It also offers its female actors the opportunity to be an active part of the slapstick comedy. 

“We’ve evolved from the era when the heroine’s only job in a comedy was to look pretty and act shocked at the hero’s antics,” laughed Tandon, pointing out that Welcome To The Jungle — that stars Disha Patani, Lara Dutta, and her alongside Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, and others — doesn’t follow that trope.

“The biggest change is agency. Female characters aren’t just reacting to the plot anymore; their choices and blunders move the story forward.”

Even as the small changes are appreciated, Tandon asserted that there is still a long way to go. “Actresses today are brilliant at self-deprecation and physical comedy, yet writers hesitate to give them the outright hilarious roles, slapstick, or absurd lines. We are still cast as the voice of reason reacting to the funny men. Films like Chaalbaaz [1989] or Andaz Apna Apna [1994] are etched into cinematic history because the women were devastatingly funny. There is still a lingering hesitation to back a mainstream comedy spearheaded by women.”

Tandon’s three-decade filmography includes several popular comedies, from Andaz Apna Apna to Dulhe Raja (1998) and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998). This time, it was the film’s absurdity that made her say yes.

“[Some] critics ask, ‘Where is the logic?’ But comedy has often been about the joy of absurdity — look at the works of Mel Brooks, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, or Jim Carrey. If someone is looking for logic in a film meant to be an escape, they are missing the genre’s purpose,” she stated.

Kriti Sanon, one of the top actresses in the industry today, is basking in the appreciation and love she’s getting for her film Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya (TBMAUJ), in which she effortlessly plays a robot and looks stunning while at it. The National Award-winning actress talks to us about playing risky roles, her craft and more.

I always felt that people equated good performances to intense scenes and emotions. This character lacked emotions, so I didn’t expect the response to be this overwhelming. To convince the audience that I am a machine in the film was extremely tricky. I knew it was a challenging role, which is what made it easy for me to take it up. There couldn’t have been many references for a character like this.

When I heard the role for the first time, I found it exciting and over time, it became even better. To strike a balance between human and robot as a humanoid was tough. When I was trying to look for a reference, the only reference I could see was Scarlett Johansson’s voice in Her. I couldn’t find references to robots as characters where they were so close to being humans, which made it exciting for me as an actor.

I have always been looking for an out-and-out comedy film. Female actors are not perceived for roles in the comedy genre. Some female actors, like Sridevi ma’am, Madhuri (Dixit Nene) ma’am and Juhi Chawla, have attempted comedy. Personally, I have enjoyed watching films like Andaz Apna Apna, Chaalbaaz and a movie like Queen, which was more of a feel-good film with comedy organically weaved in it.

“People told me that you were completely like a robot, but we felt for you, and that’s what I was trying to achieve. The challenge was to be like a robot, not falter, and seem human-like at the same time. Consistency was the key. At the screening, I saw my sister (Nupur Sanon) laughing and thoroughly enjoying it. She loved Mimi, and after watching this film, she said, this is my best performance to date. Nupur is honest and critical, so her positive reaction meant a lot to me.”

When director Pankaj Parashar made Chaalbaaz (1989) with Sridevi in a double role opposite Rajinikanth and Sunny Deol, little did he think that 30 years later, the film will be turned into a franchise. Titled Chaalbaaz In London, the film will feature Shraddha Kapoor as the two central characters, for which she is reportedly expected to undergo training for action scenes as a part of the prep. Underlining how special the film is for him, Pankaj says, “When I made Chaalbaaz with Sridevi, I wanted the film to be ahead of its time. It’s the same thought with which we’re attempting Chaalbaaz In London. It’s a new film set in a new world that takes all the changes since then into account — with an attempt to use music and the original tracks from Chaalbaaz in a unique way.”

Pankaj Parashar says, “These elements will be a part of the world in which the film will be set. It’ll be challenging to create something in these times, which is at least five years ahead in terms of thought, execution and layering.” The team hopes to begin the film by the end of this year.

The filmmaker is aware that there will be comparisons with the cult classic. “When I made Chaalbaaz, I knew there were films like Seeta Aur Geeta and Ram Aur Shyam before it,” he says, adding, “They were immensely successful films and comparisons were inevitable. Chaalbaaz is a part of Sridevi’s legacy now, and hence, we have a tremendous responsibility on our shoulders to live up to the word ‘chaalbaaz’. I cannot rule out comparisons, which people will draw between Shraddha and Sridevi. But when they see the film, they will know that there was no need for that.”

For Pankaj, making Chaalbaaz In London is also a personal challenge. He shares, “We’re not remaking the previous film, but we are attempting a new story in a completely different zone with a new set of characters. It will have a lot of action and a very intense emotional track. As a filmmaker, I love the fact that I have big shoes to fill. Even 30 years later, people have Na Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai on their playlists. I have some sort of a name to live up to, and I happily accept the challenge.”

Theatre actor Aseem Hattangadi was only six years old when he was initiated into his parents', Rohini and Jaydev's acting professions. “We had to tell him. He came crying home one day, because kids in the building were teasing him that his mother is a 'bhoot',“ laughs Rohini, as she throws a glance at her 31-year-old son seated next to her, at their Bandra apartment.
The 63-year-old veteran, much-feted for her path breaking role in Saaransh (1984), is referring to the funny scene in the 1989-film Chaalbaaz, where her step-daughter in the movie, Sridevi, applies garish makeup on her face. “My husband and I sat him down and explained, 'we essay roles and we are not the characters we play'," she shares. “To make things clears, we even got the VHS of Chaalbaaz and invited all the kids from the colony to watch it with us. When the scene came on, Aseem got up and yelped, 'meri mummy bhoot nahi hai, woh uska role hai!'"

It was an early lesson, but much of theatre and acting was ingrained in the actor, known for his performances in plays like Mamtaz Bhai Patang Wale and The Bureaucrat, “subconsciously". “I was in class VII when I watched Vijay Tendulkar's Ghashiram Kotwal, and class VIII when I saw Ratan Thiyam's Chakravyuha, which blew my mind. I didn't understand the aesthetics, but they were doing martial arts and there was sparks on stage," he says. “Today, I can put that in context, but back then I couldn't conceptualize, I was just picking up. It went into my subconscious bearing."

Rohini, whose father (Anant Oak) was a theatre director in Pune, can certainly relate. “Yet, when we would advise him to work in Awishkar's children's plays, he hardly ever showed any interest," says the actress, who ran a theatre production, Kalashray, along with her husband.

Aseem's break was more of a chanced one, we learn. “I was in college when theatre formally happened. There was this one director who came up to me and said in Marathi, 'Tu natak karto ka? Stagewar ubha rahasheel?' It's literal translation is to stand. I thought they'll make me a sentry, but I ended up acting in the play and enjoyed it," says Aseem. “But I actually took up the play because I wanted to bunk classes."

The experience encouraged Aseem to take up acting more seriously. “When he told us that he would like to be part of theatre, my a husband told him 'if you want to a do theatre, then first work backstage'," shares Rohini. “So he worked backstage on plays like Aprajita, Wada Chirebandi and several other productions."

Following in his parents' footsteps, Aseem aspired to pursue a course in theatre at Delhi's National School of Drama, but was rejected. “I was fresh out of college and had little experience in acting," reasons Aseem. “It came as small blow, but I guess people on he selection panel had their reasons."

Rohini, on the other hand, took he rejection less lightly. “Honestly, he was very upset for two days," she says. “I was made to understand that children of alumni are given reference. But his application was ejected. And we didn't want to speak to the NSD director, because if he was not getting in on the basis of his merit, then there was no point in pushing."

Aseem took up a course at Pune's Film and Television nstitute of India. It was only after he completed his formal training in 2006, that he acted in Badal Sircar's Evam Indrajit, directed by his father. The play was well-received, and they hoped to stage everal productions together. But he following year, Jaydev was diagnosed with cancer. Rohini on her husband's suggestion continued to work on daily television soaps, Betiyaan and Char Divas Sasuche. “Commitment was commitment. Besides, somebody had to work. There were hospital bills to pay," says Aseem, candidly. “In a sense, it was good that I didn't get much work then because somebody had to be there. I call it a divine ploy. Though it was a crisis, it was managed well."

Before he succumbed to the terminal illness, Jaydev hoped to stage Ramdas Bhatkal's Jagadamba, based on the life of Kasturba Gandhi, a role that got Rohini a BAFTA for her portrayal in Richard Attenborough's Gandhi.

The play was put in the backburner. “It was Kakade kaka who wanted to stage the play on Jaydev's first death anniversary,“ says Rohini. “But I couldn't go beyond the first three pages of the play that Jaydev discussed with me. So, I involved Aseem."

Aseem suggested that the play should explore the relationship Kasturba shared with her sons Harilal and Manilal. And the two collaborated on the play. At the rehearsals, she was Rohiniji ma'am. “It's something I have picked up from my parents because I saw them following a certain theatre decorum while working where they were not each other's husband and wife, but co-actors,“ says Aseem. “Public display of family affairs is annoying anywhere, why just restrict it to the stage?"