Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; June 18, 2020)

Like most of us, actress Nupur Alankar had saved penny by penny, over the years, thinking that it would help her tide through rainy days. However, today, even with a healthy ‘bank balance’, she is grappling with acute financial distress. So much so, she can’t afford medical intervention for her mother, who is suffering from multiple health complications, including Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD), rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and pulmonary hypertension.

Nupur’s life turned upside down following the Punjab & Maharashtra Co-Operative (PMC) Bank collapse last year. Her family’s accounts, including her own, were frozen. To make ends meet, she sold off her jewellery and also borrowed money from her friends and relatives. She tells BT, “My mother had a mild heart attack in 2018. She couldn’t take the PMC collapse and suffered three more attacks on October 8, 13 and December 8, last year. However, she refused to be hospitalised, fearing that it would be a costly affair. I started practising alternative therapies as a secondary source of income, but it stopped due to the Coronavirus pandemic. By then, we had exhausted all our savings. My husband (Alankar Srivastava) and I had no choice but to rent out our flat for extra money and shift with our respective parents. However, the lockdown worsened my financial woes as my tenant vacated the flat. I had to borrow money to repay her down payment.”

Friends and members from the fraternity did help, but eventually, she had to explore other options. She shares, “Help poured in from many friends, but the medical and other expenses kept rising. Then came a point where I started approaching various NGOs for free medicines. Soon, I realised that things had further spiralled out of control. That’s when I posted the details regarding my mother’s health complications on a crowdfunding platform. I was apprehensive initially, but my friend, actress Rajeshwari Sachdev, convinced me to do it for the sake of my mother. I have no shame in asking people for money, it’s for my mother’s treatment. I am especially grateful to Akshay Kumar, Renuka Shahane, Ayub Khan, Hetal Parmar, Darshan Jariwala, Manoj Joshi and CINTAA for helping me.”

However, the struggle is not over yet. Nupur says, “My mother can’t be hospitalised because of her flailing health, which makes her more susceptible to the novel Coronavirus. For now, we will have to make do with whatever medical aid we can arrange for her at home.”
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Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 18, 2020)

On June 9, actor Renuka Shahane had, in a Facebook post, sought financial help for her friend, actor Nupur Alankar. A few days later, they found an “angel” in actor Akshay Kumar.

“An angel from our film industry has helped Nupur…At a time when there is this raging debate about people not being there for each other, this angel has proved that there are gems like him who will stand by someone in need…@akshaykumar ji A man with a heart of pure, unadulterated gold,” Shahane tweeted.

Alankar was in need of ₹6,00,000 for her mum’s treatment, and her social media appeal caught Shahane’s attention. “I feel Akshay sir is bhagwan ka roop,” Alankar continues, “He doesn’t know me, yet he came to my aid. I don’t have words to express how grateful I am. He didn’t ask for any papers or test reports; he transferred more than what I needed to my mother’s account. I can never thank him enough.”

The actress dazzled in Cactus Flower, one of her most brilliant English stage appearances some reviews place ahead of Ingrid Bergman's performance in the same film. Pic courtesy/ Shernaz Patel

The passing of actress Ruby Patel (1933-2020) closes the curtain on a luminous era for Parsi and English theatre, sparkling with her powerhouse presence which was truly a class apart
Meher Marfatia (MID-DAY; May 17, 2020)

"Arre, aapri Ruby can give Ingrid Bergman a run for her money!" declared a grand dame in clear, clipped tones. No one from the audience refuted or shushed her. They had seen Ruby Patel slay the stage in either Oogi Dahapan Ni Daadh or Cactus Flower — respective Parsi and English adaptations of the 1969 Hollywood hit—as she brilliantly reprised Bergman's role in the romcom that included Walter Matthau and Goldie Hawn.

No actress possessed Ruby's poise, beauty and talent blazing through 70 plays in as many years of an acting career. Her actor-producer husband Burjor and she formed a devoted couple in theatredom, charming three generations. Her Gujarati theatre debut was Piroja Bhavan in 1954, introduced by writer-director Adi Marzban.

The Patels emerged as a widely adored lead pair of Marzban's comedies bannered by Cooperative Players till the mid-1960s. Joining the Parsi arm of Indian National Theatre (INT), they delivered a string of thumping successes such as Tirangi Tehmul, Gher Ghungro ne Ghotalo, Taru Maru Bakalyu, Lafra Sadan, Lagan Khel, Rang Rasiya and Hello Inspector. Finally, Burjor Patel Productions helmed popular plays touring East Africa and America, which received rave reviews.

Not as final, it proved. Theirs was a comeback to die for. When they returned to Bombay after 21 years in Dubai where Burjor headed marketing for Khaleej Times, I was elated to be assigned an interview for a weekend paper. Two years later, I started recording their theatre journey for my own research on Parsi theatre. We got to know each other better, teaming for the stage production based on that book, Laughter in the House.


In Hello Inspector, the 1973 INT thriller where she has been considered superior to Elizabeth Taylor essaying the role in Night Watch, the Hollywood hit released that year

It was Ruby I sought at each rehearsal after rounds of hi-hellos. Sitting beside her was at once calming and energising, educative and entertaining. She was great fun. As funny should be. Pure ghela-gaada. Sans malice. If backstage banter slid a bit into bitchiness, hers was the softly lilted intervention: "Umm-hmm, chaalo, let's rehearse again?"

That came from the way they were, the finesse with which stars of our growing up years conducted themselves offstage. Never mind how riotously incorrect (read sexist, classist, ageist) the scripts they followed on it. The couple's actor-producer daughter Shernaz was happiest at hide-and-seek with her siblings in corridors and greenrooms of halls like Birla, Tejpal and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan—"We ran through men sticking on moustaches and women draping chiffon sarees. We tiptoed between sets nailed in, prop telephones getting wired. Someone pinched my cheeks while practising lines. Someone sang loudly doing a jig. Someone quickly hushed himself cracking a not too clean joke as I passed. There were non-stop laughs, chai, batata wadas… this wonderful spirit of family only those in theatre understand."

To talk theatre with Ruby was to be privy to an abiding passion that ran so deep, it was her very life. "We travelled to Gujarat by bus with plays for a month every year," she shared one evening. "Sent to live with my parents, our three children were devastated. Waving goodbye, they threw 'Come home soon' cards into our luggage." Among compensating treats, they demanded their favourite mithai from Ahmedabad. Without realising it, Ruby mentored several then aspiring actors. In a condolence message to the Patels, actor Darshan Jariwala has said, "Her superlative performances importantly taught me the discretion between truth and fallacy on stage. I rate her streets ahead in Hello Inspector to Liz Taylor in Night Watch. And thank God she walked on the stage when I began learning the craft."


Adi Marzban briefing Burjor and Ruby Patel for Mari Pachhi Kon, a bittersweet 1958 drama with the actress in one of her favourite roles. Pic courtesy/ Meher Marfatia, Laughter in the house: 20th-Century Parsi theatre

Theatrical luminosity apart, Ruby redefined grace. In another note to Shernaz, actress Karla Singh wrote: "Ruby and I worked together on my first play, Noises Off. I was scared and insecure, but Ruby was gracious and reassuring. I watched and learnt from her immense talent and impeccable comic timing."

Her nurturing instincts gently bubbled behind the scenes throughout our Laughter In The House experience. She raised quality interaction with actors across ages to another level. I caught fleeting glimpses of unforgettably warm moments. Ruby hugging nervously waiting in the wings, soprano Farah Ghadiali, tenderly encouraging, "Sweetheart, your voice is as beautiful as you are." Ruby straining on tilted toes (she the diminutive dynamo) to tighten a bow on Danesh Khambatta's dagli coat unravelling seconds before his entry. Ruby politely requesting the pianist for a change to G Minor as the note to strike for her song. Ruby worrying whether the NCPA canteen had fried enough chicken farchas as per her recipe—she was a fabulous cook—to serve as an interval snack.

Actor Danesh Irani recalls, "When we first met, Ruby Patel was sitting by the window of the NCPA Sea View Room. It was the initial reading for Laughter In The House. I had heard of her iconic performances, and was in awe. She carried herself with absolute grace, dressed in signature kurta and pants, hair perfectly brushed, a smile on her face. Over time, Danesh Khambata and I grew close to her, Danesh even more than me. He referred to her as his girlfriend and Ruby Aunty loved it."

She enjoyed different terms of endearment: Rubs to Burjor and to Rahul da Cunha, Ruby Mummy to Rajit Kapur, Ruby Mai to Jim Vimadalal, Ruby Ben to the Gujarati drama fraternity, Aapri Ruby to the Parsi community.

Is our actress supreme really at rest? From her perch of peace, she may just be showing the heavens a starry turn, winning fresh fans in that firmament. The stage lights here have dimmed. Glow on up there, dear Ruby.


Leading the women in a spirited riposte to the men in the mock battle-between-the-sexes qawwali finale of Laughter In The House. Pic/ Sooni Taraporevala

(L-R) Paresh Rawal, Divya Dutta, Darshan Jariwala, Abhimanyu, Mrunal Thakur, Vijay Raaz, Abhishek Banerjee, Sharman Joshi, Grusha Kapoor and child artist Ricky Patel

BOMBAY TIMES (February 20, 2020)

Director-producer Umesh Shukla and Sony Pictures Films India have joined hands for a hilarious family entertainer, Aankh Micholi. The film features Abhimanyu and Mrunal Thakur in the lead. Abhimanyu had recently won the Filmfare Best Debut Actor award, and this will be his second outing with the studio.

Apart from the two, the film, which will be shot across India and Europe, has an impressive line-up of actors, including Paresh Rawal, Sharman Joshi, Divya Dutta, Abhishek Banerjee, Darshan Jariwala, Grusha Kapoor and Vijay Raaz. It has been written by Jitendra Parmar.

Vivek Krishnani, Managing Director, Sony Pictures Entertainment India, says, “As a studio, we are always looking out for engaging and riveting stories that can not only charm the audience, but also evoke strong emotions. With such a stellar ensemble and Umesh in the driver’s seat, this Diwali will truly be a rib-tickling roller-coaster ride for viewers worldwide.” Umesh Shukla shares, “Aankh Micholi is close to my heart and I am proud to have been able to bring such an exciting cast together. Since it’s a family entertainer, we thought of releasing it on Diwali, and I can promise that the audience will be in for a laugh riot.”

Aankh Micholi, produced by Sony Pictures Films India, Umesh Shukla and Ashish Wagh’s Merry Go Round Studios, is scheduled to release this Diwali

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 5, 2019)

October 2 was Bapu’s 150th birth anniversary but for Darshan Jariwala this day has been Gandhi season since Feroz Abbas Khan’s 2007 biographical drama, Gandhi My Father, a performance which bagged him the National Award for Best Supporting Actor. Spanning almost half a century, the film examined the relationship between Gandhiji and his eldest son seen in the context of a larger mission and through the eyes of Harilal, both equally disappointed with the other, and this creating a lifetime of bitterness despite their mutual love. Darshan admits that every year, around Gandhi Jayanti, he finds himself fielding questions about his much-applauded act, questions which range from the “ridiculous” to the “sublime”. “One particular journalist asked me to repeat something I had said and he had read before. I suggested he copy paste the text,” he shares with a wry chuckle when asked to define “ridiculous” and almost instantly the conversation promises to be as interesting as the film which dared to portray a man we have lionized as the Father of the Nation, as a ‘flawed’ father himself.

In the eyes of the actor who lived him on screen however, the character was not flawed. Darshan reasons that if there was anything Gandhiji could be faulted on, it was that he thought listening to someone whose point of view was not correct, was a waste of time. “There were times when, because of his moral values and conviction, he missed out on certain things, particularly with respect to dialogue with his son, which, if pieced together, might have resulted in greater good for both. On my part, I have now developed the art of patiently listening to even idiotic rantings. I simply count from 1 to 10 to stop myself from exploding,” he quips, tongue-in-cheek.

For the 61-year-old actor, the role of the Mahatma was a personal challenge because he had to consciously stop being himself on screen and become an empty vessel so Gandhi could emerge. “I’m a short-tempered man myself and quick to respond to provocation. For this film, I had to calm myself with meditation and yoga, squeeze out every drop of empathy and achieve equanimity,” Darshan reveals.

Other actors, from Ben Kingsley (Gandhi) and Annu Kapoor (Sardar) to Rajit Kapoor (The Making of the Mahatma), Naseeruddin Shah (Hey Ram) and Dilip Prabhavalkar (Lage Raho Munna Bhai) have played him too, but as Darshan points out, they have been different Gandhis from his so there’s no question of comparison or inspiration, covert or overt. Rather he had to look at the territory charted out by the script and view the role accordingly.

“There was one particular scene when a disappointed Harilal decides to abandon his father’s vision in South Africa and return to India. That’s when it first dawns on Gandhiji that because of lack of communication between them, he may have lost his son. It was shot in three different locations, including the interiors of a workshop and a football field, at different times and in different parts. It was a challenge to go back to the moment each time and recapture it’s emotional intensity,” he reminisces.

Darshan is all praise for Akshaye Khanna who played Harilal, despite the fact that they were on screen together just seven-eight times, but contributed to Darshan’s performance with his own. “Had it been a lesser actor, I might have had to work harder,” he admits.

And does he think the son was justified in judging his father so harshly for not putting forward Harilal’s name for a scholarship to study law in England so he could become a barrister like him and fight for his causes in India? “He had his reasons, he believed all the children in the ashram were his own and didn’t want to take any advantage for his selfless service. Since he was in the public eye, he wanted to lead by example and given the strength of his convictions, it never bothered Gandhiji how others judged him. But in hindsight, he realises he may have erred and even apologises to Harilal. For me, he was never a flawed character seen in the context of what he was doing. Rather, I think Gandhiji was disappointed by both his son and the nation, they both let him down,” he rues, pointing out that while we’ve been moving away from his ideals, his essence is still everywhere. “We’ve been trying to murder Gandhiji since 1948 without realising that he’s impossible to kill because he wasn’t just a man, but a body of thoughts.” That, for me, is “sublime” in the true meaning of the word.

Struggling actor Rupesh Kuber, who, while battling lack of offers and pressure to quit on his dreams, suffered a heart attack
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 9, 2019)

A heart attack at the age of 30, that’s the price Rupesh Kuber had to pay to survive in show business. On July 29, the actor was scheduled to return to Mumbai after a visit to his wife in Indore. He was to start looking for acting jobs, but the plan went awry when he suffered a heart attack and had to be hospitalised immediately. With medical costs putting a dent into his already dwindling finances, Rupesh turned to the Cine & TV Artists Association (CINTAA) for help.

He has been a member of the film body since the last four years but CINTAA has a rule that they cannot offer monetary assistance to anyone who has not been with them for at least five years. That, however, was not a deterrent in this case. “As soon as we learnt about Rupesh’s condition, we reached out to our members asking for voluntary contribution for his treatment,” says Darshan Jariwala, vice president of CINTAA. Rupesh admits that with their contribution and the little money he had of his own, he cleared his bills.

The actor had got his first break with a small role in Crime Patrol in 2014 after two years of struggle, going on to appear in other TV shows, Lapataganj and Neeli Chatri Waale. He has also done 10 short films. “Things started unravelling in 2016 when I had to take a short break to attend to my ailing mother. I was away in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, and had to let go of many promising opportunities,” he rues.

Rupesh had to make more trips to his hometown over the next two years as his mother’s health kept deteriorating. “It was during this period that I got married. I was spending so much time out of Mumbai that eventually I lost touch with people,” he sighs.

Since out of sight is out of mind, the actor had to begin afresh every time he returned to the city. “I used to sleep for just three hours a day, I lost my appetite because there were days when I ate just once. I had no money to send back home,” he reminisces from Rewa where he is recuperating.

Talking about what led to the attack, he says, “In the last one month, I returned home empty-handed every day. The fear of not getting work, coupled with pressure from back home to quit on my dream, got to me in the end. I was scared to start all over again at the age of 30.” For now, he has been advised a month’s rest. But once he gets the green signal, he promises to resume work. “I’ll pay back all those wonderful people who have helped me,” he concludes.

Deepali Singh (DNA; November 20, 2016)

The likes of Rajit Kapur, Shernaz Patel, Kumud Mishra, Asrani, Alok Nath and others are going digital. The online medium is youth-oriented and experience brings a refreshing take to this rather clutter-breaking platform. So, imagine our surprise when we saw the otherwise sanskaari babuji Alok Nath go all Sinskaari on us and dole out gyaan on everything from premarital sex to role-play. The series failed to take off, but it made a point.

At this point in their lives, these actors have seen and done it all on their preferred mediums — TV, films and theatre. The internet is a whole different creature. Alok echoes the sentiment. “I think my contemporaries and I are at a stage when we have been there and done that,” he says, “We are at a stage when the kids have grown up and doing their own thing. We want to do stuff now that excites us because we have done so much. We want to do a variety of stuff and if we get that variety on web, why not?”

Medium doesn’t matter

Speaking to this newspaper a couple of days ago, Satish Shah, who is making his debut in a web series based on his popular TV show Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai, had said, that "The medium didn’t really matter. I will be working with the same set of actors and same set-up and it will be as good or better than before,” he told us.

Indeed, most actors agree that the platform doesn’t really matter. Acclaimed actor Kumud Mishra, believes that they are here to act, and not to worry about which platform it’s shown on. The actor, who played the role of the lovable father Chinmay Sharma in TVF’s latest web series Tripling, says, “I have liked almost all of TVF’s work. They are new people with interesting ideas and that honesty reflects in their work,” he says, of his reasons for working in the show.

Theatre and film actor Shernaz Patel, who played the role of his wife in the same series, admits that the digital platform is great for people like her who are too scared to commit to television’s huge demands. “Frankly, nobody’s watching television anymore because everyone’s watching web shows. This is the future. Either you embrace it, or you miss out on a wonderful opportunity,” she adds.

Interesting storylines

When Kumud talks of interesting storylines and characters, he isn’t just parading another line. Earlier this year, Permanent Roommates Season 2 saw veteran actor Asrani playing Dadaji and creating mischief in the lead couple’s life and Sachin Pilgaonkar as the grandfather who does not believe in imparting sex education to kids in Y-Films’ Sex Chat with Pappu and Papa.

While Tripling had Shernaz playing a mother, she did not shy away from giving relationship advice to her son. In Y-Films’ Bang Baaja Baaraat, she is shown kissing a much younger Neil Bhoopalam. “I’am lucky that both the shows I did had me playing fun characters, breaking moulds,” she adds.

Youth connect

While the actors agree that they don’t have the target audience in mind when they take up such projects, they admit that it is an added plus that the youth is able to relate to them in these shows. Says Kumud, “In fact, a lot of people have come to know about me because I have been a part of a web series,” he agrees.

Talking about his own experience in Sinskaari, Alok admits he was apprehensive about taking on the show. “Then I thought, it’s a transition to another medium and I should try it. As far as films are concerned, the kind of roles I have been doing all my life have dried up. We get roles in television because the small screen is still in the regressive mode. Oldies are still goldies there. But when it comes to the contemporary content, we are nowhere. So when I got an offer to do a web-series, I latched on to it,” he says.

Perhaps Darshan Jariwala, who played the role of the quirky father in Permanent Roommates Season 2, sums it up when he says, “Nowadays, youngsters want to click a selfie with me, not because I am a National Award winning actor for Gandhi My Father, but because I acted in PR-2!”

Gaurav Dubey (MID-DAY; August 5, 2016)

Abhay Deol may be busy promoting his upcoming film, Happy Bhaag Jayegi, along with Diana Penty and Ali Fazal, but the actor is also eyeing the lead role in an international TV show titled, The Good Karma Hospital. We hear he is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that he is part of the medical drama.

Says a source, “Abhay auditioned for the show around four weeks ago. Well-known casting director Seher Latif (she has cast for The Lunchbox, Zero Dark Thirty and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel among others) auditioned him. In fact, he even met the show’s director, Steve November recently.”

The Good Karma Hospital, a contemporary series, follows a team of British and Indian medics as they cope with work, life and love at an over-worked and under-resourced cottage hospital.

Adds the source, “The show is set in Goa and will feature both Indian and British actors. Artists like Ashish Vidyarthi, Darshan Jariwala and a number of Bollywood actors besides Abhay have also auditioned for the role. At the moment, the makers are confused between Abhay and a theatre actor to cast in the lead role. The shoot will commence mid-August in Sri Lanka followed by Goa.”

Abhay’s spokesperson denied the buzz.