Completing 15 years in the industry, Katrina Kaif says her appetite for taking risks has just increased
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; May 27, 2019)

It is easy to notice the shift in Katrina Kaif. She doesn't want to play second fiddle in a hero-oriented script, nor does she want a song-and-dance routine. Having silenced her detractors last year with her uninhibited act as an alcoholic fading superstar in Zero (2018), Kaif says she is ready to take on roles that will tap into her acting potential.

"As actors, we evolve and keep learning new things. [We need to channel this] experience in our work," says the actor, who has completed over 15 years in the industry. "I am in a position where I want to take risks and want to be part of things that are layered. At this point in my career, I am not looking for something glamorous or a song-and-dance routine. I have already done those things. What appeals to me today is finding the characters and the complexities that my character goes through. And that's because of who I am today."

Point out how her next, Bharat, is as mainstream as they come, and she reasons, "Bharat is a larger-than-life film, but for me, that is incidental. When I was part of Sheila Ki Jawaani or a film like Dhoom 3 [2013], it was because those things appealed to me then. [But now] I want to find roles that I haven't attempted before."

Even as she sifts through multiple scripts that come her way, Kaif has only greenlit Akshay Kumar's Sooryavanshi after Bharat. Reuniting with one of her first co-stars has been a cherished experience. "Initially, I was a little hesitant, but things went smoothly from the first shot. Akshay has been so supportive throughout my career."

On his maiden trip to Mumbai, Christian Bale tells mid-day that there's no escaping Batman for him, but he doesn't mind it at all!
Mayank Shekhar (MID-DAY; November 27, 2018)

Batman, as it were, entered Mumbai — possibly India's very own Gotham City — without making much of a show about it; and he quietly left last night, after attending the global premiere of Andy Serkis's Mowgli, set to stream on Netflix on December 7. We're referring to Christopher Nolan's Batman from the Dark Knight trilogy — actor Christian Bale, of course. And if we did initiate that tiring Delhi-Mumbai debate, about which surely Bale has no clue, the national capital would definitely win in his books.

For, he admits, as we meet for a brief one-on-chat at the JW Marriott, Juhu: "I've had no opportunity to be up and about [in Mumbai] at all. But I did bring over my family, and landed in Delhi five days ago. We did the 'golden triangle' — Jaipur, Agra. We had been to Rajasthan before — Jodhpur, in 2011 — when we came here for The Dark Knight Rises."

It is however Mumbai, showbiz-central, where the impact of his immeasurably wide body of work is most likely to be felt. We bring up one of Bollywood's youngest super-stars, Varun Dhawan, as an instance. Dhawan had revealed to us not long ago that a moment of epiphany — when he felt wholly drawn towards seriously taking up acting as a profession — occurred to him, during college, when he was first blown away by Bale as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho (2000).

Does he receive these sorts of compliments in unlikeliest corners, when he travels especially? "I have to say, it's one of the first times I've heard that (laughs). I hope that he [Dhawan] is enjoying himself. I hope I'm not responsible for [something he] regrets." Touching upon another indelible influence of his work in B-Town, we bring up Dhoom 3 (2013) — one of the biggest, local box-office successes of all time — which was undoubtedly a nod to (if not partly plagiarised from) the Bale-starrer, Prestige (2006). Has he at least come across such instances before? "No, it's lovely to hear that, though. Maybe I'm just oblivious to it. But it sounds rewarding," Bale says.

You can sense that this calm/casual indifference towards public appeal is very much part of Bale's intrinsic personality, rather than a put-on for the press. Delving deeper into this aspect, and how that seamlessly flows into his craft, he says, "I definitely find that staying somewhat oblivious helps me as an actor. One inanimate example of that is I've chosen not to learn too much about camera lenses. Many actors I work with, and respect immensely, will always ask [about lenses] to understand how close the camera is. I never ask any of that. I don't care. To me, film acting is the same, regardless. You perform truthfully."

He adds, "What [checking out the frame] would do is actually make me too aware of the incredible job the camera-people are doing, which could be intimidating [during a performance]. So, being in denial [of camera, lights, crew] is very much a part of what acting is about." Bale's latest release though, live-action wizard Serkis's Mowgli: Legend Of The Jungle, would've had him dig into an altogether another skill-set, given it's a motion-capture pic that, unlike simply voicing for animation, merges an actor's face and performance, with the computer-generated image, so the black panther on screen is as much as Bagheera, as it is Bale himself!


Christian Bale in The Dark Knight

Over a career spanning 32 years, Bale, 44, who's been nominated for the Oscars thrice (for American Hustle, The Big Short), won once (for The Fighter), has been rightly lauded as a strikingly strong exponent of the 'method' school of acting — in line with Robert De Niro in the '70s—physically, mentally, wholly transforming himself into rather intense roles. Did playing Bagheera in Mowgli seem a relatively more relaxed, down-time for him then? "It's a different level of intensity, because it's sporadic. Usually with a feature film, [once] you start, you know you're going to perform the character for months, and then it would finish. With this [Mowgli], we started it when my son was two months old. He's now four. We would revisit [the role], go back once a year in the room, re-do portions after the principal photography in the actual locations was done."

Given that Bagheera roams around jungles with an Indian village settlement nearby (in keeping with Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book), to mercilessly push the analogy, the role of the desi leopard might be the closest Bale's come to playing a desi character, if you may. Either way, if there's a part that he's likely to be associated with, regardless of where he's in the world, Bale admits, "It'll always be Batman. And I'm proud of that. It'll always be the most iconic, and probably the most successful series of films, that I'll ever make. I recognise that. Chris [Nolan] and I are fortunate to have gone on to make three of them. Therefore, it's lovely when people do talk about it. But it's also equally rewarding, when people mention [my] other films."

Of course, there's a whole lot more!

BAAGHI 2, GOLMAAL AGAIN, JUDWAA 2 and TIGER ZINDA HAI are proving to be huge blockbusters on television. In fact if we take out the two BAAHUBALI films then these four films are the biggest blockbusters this decade as per the numbers of their viewings in the first 6-12 months.

TIGER ZINDA HAI has beaten the figures of other YRF films like DHOOM 3 and SULTAN by a margin and is already close to 4 crore impressions in four screenings. This is the best out of all the 300 crore nett plus grossers apart from BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION and BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN. But BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN had a huge premiere while fourth viewing was down to 30 lakh impressions. JUDWAA 2 and GOLMAAL AGAIN have crossed 5 crore impressions while BAAGHI 2 is off to a flyer

Its interesting to note that all films are franchise films though JUDWAA 2 being a franchise film is arguable as the first film was so many years back. Below are the figures of the four films till date on television. The number is the impressions which is basically the number of television sets which viewed the film.

Judwaa 2
1st - 1,52,66,000
2nd - 92,78,000
3rd - 63,78,000
4th - 64,53,000
5th - 40,60,000
6th - 34,14,000
7th - 42,80,000
8th - 35,65,000
TOTAL -  5,26,94,000

Golmaal Again
1st - 1,63,52,000
2nd - 1,58,71,000
3rd - 82,70,000
4th - 51,50,000
5th - 49,16,000
6th - 42,19,000
TOTAL - 5,47,78,000

Tiger Zinda Hai
1st - 1,37,04,000
2nd - 1,03,96,000
3rd - 71,82,000
4th - 74,14,000
TOTAL - 3,86,96,000

Baaghi 2
1st - 1,61,45,000
2nd - 90,84,000
TOTAL - 2,52,29,000

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; January 20, 2018)

After a few misses at the box office, Katrina Kaif has finally hit a home run with her last release. The leggy lass will be next seen with Shah Rukh Khan in Zero and Aamir Khan in Thugs Of Hindostan. She talks to After Hrs about reuniting with the Khans and working with filmmaker Aanand L Rai for the first time.

Are you happy with the reactions to the teaser of Zero?
I’m happy that people have loved the teaser. Zero is SRK’s baby. He is so deeply involved with the technology part of his films that half the work is done there. He has set up a technology team and put together some of the best people in the business for it. So on that front, I can close my eyes and trust him blindly because I know the level he’s trying to achieve with this film.

What was your reaction when you saw the teaser for the first time?
I have seen a lot more than what is out and I can assure you that it’s going to be a film to watch out for. I feel what he and Aanand L Rai have envisioned is revolutionary. We tend to look down on our films, which involve graphics and CGI and VFX, but Zero might break those notions.

But it had a different concept earlier, which was altered...
Yes, it was a different film altogether when it was first offered to me. It went through a lot of changes in the last two years. The movie that you will see now is completely fresh, which is why it’s not titled Katrina Meri Jaan, although the initial plan was to call it that.

Where do you fit in now?
I play a character which is a satirical take on an actress. I have seen it happen in English films but I have never seen something like this done before in a Hindi movie. It’s very dramatic.

You are working with Aanand L Rai for the first time. How has the experience been?
Aanand sir is incredible to work with. He really pushes you to that limit, extracting the best out of you. He is not a director who will just land up on set and expect you to nail a scene. Rather, he will hold your hand and guide you through it. This film is not about action or heroism, it’s just the characters which is so wonderful.

But he’s known for his hinterland connect. Do you think that the huge audience reach helps a film of this stature?
Anybody who knows the audience and has that confidence of having a connect with the masses is always comfortable with the project they are putting together. Aanand sir is definitely one of those people. The most important thing about him is that he’s a great storyteller. But the fact that he gets a bulk of audience coming in from the remotest corners of India shows how well he understands the pulse of the pan-India audience. Zero is also a film which will have something for everyone. All of us will come out of theatres, with a different take on life.

Zero and Thugs of Hindostan are both two-heroine films. For a movie where you have another female actor, what do you look for before saying yes?
What matters the most is my role in the film. I’m doing exciting things in Zero and Thugs Of Hindostan is extremely exciting. Shooting for Thugs is a lot of hard work because we’re trying to create something different and visually stunning. I’ve worked with Aamir in Dhoom 3 and he’s got a sharp sense of what works. Then, there’s Aditya Chopra who’s one of the most important people in my life. He knows how to push me in different avenues. I’ll be training a lot for my action scenes and my dance sequences for the film. All this will definitely keep me busy for the next four to five months, at least.

But there has been constant chatter about your role being shorter than that of Fatima Sana Shaikh in Thugs. Comment.
All this doesn’t matter. Let’s stop trying to find ways to create some sort of drama when there’s none. Everyone in the film is more than happy to be part of a project like this — whether it’s Aamir, Amitabh Bachchan, Fatima or me. All of us are excited and working together. It’s Aamir and Victor’s film and whatever information they want to reveal, at whatever time they feel is correct, I leave it to them. It’s entirely their call and that’s how the production house works. It’s too monotonous for me to try and add to the drama.

Having worked with the three Khans again, has your equation with them changed at all professionally?
Not really. Obviously, I’ve a very different equation with Salman. But Shah Rukh and Aamir are amazing. They are all different as no two individuals can have the same personality. I’m just happy that I’m getting to work with all of them again.

Meena Iyer (DNA; December 26, 2017)

A Khan is to Bollywood’s Christmas, what Santa Claus is to the rest of the world. Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, and Shah Rukh Khan are harbingers of good luck and cheer. The triumvirate comes bearing gifts in the form of huge box office collections.

When Aamir released Ghajini (2008) during Christmas, he set a precedent of sorts. Not only did the film pave the way for the coveted Rs 100 cr club, but it also made other superstars realise the potential of the holiday season; clearly the 10-day window from Christmas Eve until January 2 set the cash registers ringing across the globe and proved to be the most lucrative for Hindi cinema, too. “The period starting from Christmas until New Year is the most profitable for a film to hit the marquee,” says exhibitor-producer N R Pachisia. He adds that unlike Diwali, which has pujas, card parties and family traditions (like bhaidooj) to accommodate besides films, the Christmas-New Year holidays are mainly reserved for having fun, relaxing and watching movies. “So, movies released during this period, really do bring in enviable numbers,” he states.

For years on end, Christmas holidays were the most-sought-after phase to release Hollywood flicks in India. However, over the last nine years, Bollywood too has reaped big profits during this time frame. “And, mostly it’s a Khan who has always benefited,” says a trade expert. Aamir has, of course, proved to be the smartest as far as getting Christmas into his kitty goes. In 2009, he released 3 Idiots (Rs 202 cr), in 2013, he had Dhoom 3 (Rs 265 cr), in 2014 he had PK (Rs 325 cr) and his 2016 Christmas release Dangal (Rs 375 cr) is the highest-grossing Hindi film ever.

Following closely in Aamir’s footsteps was Salman, who brought Dabangg 2 during Christmas 2012. Though the film wasn’t able to replicate Aamir’s box-office magic, it did earn a commendable Rs 148 cr. It also made Salman aware that besides monopolizing Eid-ul-Fitr, he could capitalize the Christmas time, too.

In fact, this year, he brought his highly-anticipated Tiger Zinda Hai and the espionage thriller has managed a blockbuster opening. “If the opening trend is closely monitored, the film may go on to do huge numbers,” says trade analyst Girish Johar. Reports say that in just three days, TZH had already crossed the Rs 115 cr mark, making the industry rejoice because from here on, the sky is the limit.

Unfortunately for Shah Rukh Khan, the holiday period of 2015 didn’t prove very lucrative when his Dilwale clashed with Ranveer Singh’s  Bajirao Mastani. Since Bajirao received bouquets and Dilwale got brickbats, SRK had to settle for less at the box office. Still in that year, Christmas cumulatively saw a box office collection of Rs. 314 cr.  So, the period didn’t fail the films. In fact, Ranveer tasted his first mega success with Bajirao Mastani.

Everyone in the trade now agrees that the Christmas weekend has emerged as the highest revenue-generating period. In the last decade, this phase has stolen a march over other festival weekends like Eid-ul-Fitr and Diwali.

So far, actors have been civil and reserved different festivals for themselves. However, after the thumping opening of TZH, one can expect a Christmas clash in Bollywood.  Going forward, each of the B-Town biggies is going to try and reserve Christmas for themselves. SRK has already laid claim to Christmas 2018 for his untitled Aanand L Rai film. And, Abhishek Kapoor’s Kedarnath with newbies Sara Ali Khan and Sushant Singh Rajput is meant to release on the same day. As of now, Ranveer is slated to arrive a week later with Simmba.

Like we said, suddenly there’s a war-like atmosphere building around the Christmas period. Will there be cheers or tears, who knows. but many Bollywood egos will definitely be at play.

[Figures (nett gross): Box Office India]

The question that pops up in the mailbox regularly is that why is not the business of dubbed versions not included on the website especially when major Hindi films are dubbed in other in languages. Basically dubbing films is a token gesture and business will be in the 3-5% range of the Hindi version. Even a film collecting 10 crore nett in Hindi can be dubbed and it can do upwards of 25 lakhs nett.

The biggest problem is when dubbed business is included than you have to include films of that language as well to have the correct picture. Then the tax picture comes into play as a film doing a huge proportion of its business in Tamil will be paying much less tax than a predominantly Hindi film so NETT numbers make little sense. This can be explained better by the two charts below. First one is the top ten grossing films in HINDI and then the second one is top ten grossing films in all languages. In the second one  some regional films come into play, even the topmost one then becomes a non Hindi release.

Top Ten Grossing Hindi Films NETT
1. Dangal (2016) - 3,74,53,00,000
2. PK (2014) - 3,37,72,50,000
3. Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) - 3,15,49,00,000
4. Sultan (2016) - 3,00,67,25,000
5. Dhoom 3 (2013) - 2,60,63,00,000
6. Kick (2014) - 2,11,63,00,000
7. Chennai Express (2013) - 2,07,69,00,000
8. 3 Idiots (2009) - 2,01,37,25,000
9. Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015) - 1,94,30,50,000
10. Ek Tha Tiger (2012) - 1,86,14,50,000

Top Ten Grossing Films NETT (All Languages)
1. Baahubali (2015) - 4,19,56,00,000
2. Dangal (2016) - 3,87,28,00,000
3. PK (2014) - 3,37,72,50,000
4. Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) - 3,15,49,00,000
5. Sultan (2016) - 3,00,67,25,000
6. Dhoom 3 (2103) - 2,71,63,00,000
7. Robot (2010) - 2,13,84,00,000
8. Kick (2014) - 2,11,63,00,000
9. Chennai Express (2013) - 2,07,69,00,000
10. Kabali (2016) - 2,05,16,00,000

As can be seen above, the dubbed business changes the rankings totally. Another point to note is when a film is dubbed into another language then that business is not coming from a HINDI film, sometimes even the name is changed.

The figures in GROSS for all languages will change the rankings due to lower taxes for regional films and those are the ones that have to be used when you are not comparing like for like and they will put up tomorrow.

GST (Good and Service Tax) is supposed to be implemented soon and it will probably be one slab across the country which will give fairer playing field but its probable the state governments will give some sort of exemptions to regional films to make tax lower while there will be no relief as usual for Hindi films which always get step motherly treatment from the government. The plus will the highest slab in GST will be a little lower than the present taxes at an all India level.

DISHOOM became the highest rated film on television as far as 2016 releases are concerned. The numbers it recorded were excellent and if we convert some of the old TRP rating into BATC then it is bigger than films like KICK, DHOOM 3 and ROWDY RATHORE. The theatre footfalls of DISHOOM were 76 lakh apprx and if we add to its premier television showing numbers its a total of over 1.70 crore making it the third most watched film of 2016 after SULTAN and HOUSEFULL 3. It comfortably beats AIRLIFT by around 20 lakhs and the television numbers of the second biggest grosser of 2016 RUSTOM are yet to come. SULTAN leads with only its theatre footfalls with television yet to be added. The rating are impressions (BARC) which is basically the number of television sets that viewed the films on their respective premieres.
1. Prem Ratan Dhan Payo - 2,51,19,000
2. Dishoom - 95,44,000
3. Housefull 3 - 78,16,000
4. Baaghi - 69,88,000
5. Dilwale - 67,61,000
6. Sanam Re - 56,66,000
7. Bajirao Mastani - 54,76,000
8. 1920 London - 40,14,000
9. Ghayal Once Again - 38,61,000
10. Sanam Teri Kasam - 37,01,000

1920 London was a rare bright spot for horror genre a few weeks back. The film did phenomenally well for the horror genre. SULTAN will be making its way on to television screens in mid October and will hit top spot for 2016 but remains to be seen if it can beat the record of PREM RATAN DHAN PAYO.

SULTAN has come and gone and lived up to expectations with business set to finish around 300 crore nett but the year is still trailing last year after seven months. The business in the first seven months for Hindi films is less by around 90-95 crore nett from last year with DISHOOM the last release of the first seven months still to be accounted for but its unlikely it will cover that much and square things up. This year has seen a Salman Khan starrer and a Shah Rukh Khan starrer so far plus an Akshay Kumar brand film which is three big films. Last year was one big Salman Khan film while the Akshay Kumar ones - BABY and GABBAR IS BACK - were not happening films though the latter did fair business eventually. Basically despite a better line up so far in the first seven months the business has still not grown.

The footfalls are down around 6% this year from last year for Hindi films which is probably not a big issue but the the fact they are 22.5% down in the last three years is a big problem. They are down despite the bigger blockbusters like SULTAN, BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN and PK getting more footfalls than a blockbuster like DHOOM 3 did a three years back and even more than 3 IDIOTS got seven years back. Its a bleak scenario and the only way it can change is if the films outside the Khan's festival releases get a large audience to the theatres. A good start would be Akshay Kumar with RUSTOM and Hrithik Roshan with MOHENJO DARO giving the footfalls a real push. But its likely the clash will play spoilsport and they will not get the footfalls they would have if they released apart. And it makes little difference if they find some appreciation or not as big films like these need at least one solo week to achieve their potential.

Aamir Khan on never making compromises and how that has held him in good stead in his career
Sarita A Tanwar (DNA; March 27, 2015)

While his contemporaries – Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan -- will have two releases this year, Aamir Khan's next release will come two years after his last release. His thought: Let them do two films in one year. I will do one film in two years. But that's not surprising. That's how Aamir is, he follows his own path. The actor, who recently turned 50, discusses why he won't do what everyone else is doing, why he needs to get back into nine per cent body fat for Dangal. And remembers the incident that changed his professional life forever.

Tell me about your next release Dangal?
It's written and directed by Nitesh Tiwari, a writer-director who has done Bhoothnath Returns and was the co-director along with Vikas Bahl on Chillar Party. 

Have you seen these films?
No, I have not seen either actually. I loved the script and the manner that he narrated it. I could see that he has visualized it. What I have seen of his work is he has made these the latest KBC campaign. He also wrote those films and he directed those films and those impressed me. 

Dangal is based on a true story?
Based on, but it's not strictly that. It is dramatised. 

Are the kind of films being offered to you now, different from the ones you were offered a decade ago?
I am happy with the films I am being offered, but I talk about the films I am not doing. Are the films offered to me different from what I was being offered back then? Not really, no. They're pretty much the same actually. The same means that there are a good mix of things that are offered to me. Dangal is very unusual. Some of them are very mainstream. 

Both SRK and Salman are now doing two films in a year. What are the chances we will see Aamir Khan doing that?
Unlikely. I mean I did shoot Dhoom 3 and PK simultaneously for a bit, but that was because I couldn't manage it any other way. It was not meant to be that way. It happened that way. But I don't think I will do that again. I mean Dangal is taking me two years to make. I am doing prep for six months. I am learning Haryanvi, I am learning wrestling. The next six months that's all I am doing; getting ready for the role. I become the character... 

Maybe if you do two small films, you can probably do two films in a year as well?
I do small films also. Taare Zameen Par was a small film. So was Dhobi Ghat. They didn't have that kind of scale. I don't think the scale of the film really changes, or the number of days; not for me. The amount of effort that goes into a film is identical, whether it's a small film, big film, expensive film, not so expensive film. The effort is the same. Time taken is the same. 

But your contemporaries will have so many more films in their filmography as compared to you. That doesn't worry you?
No, no I am not worried. The quantity has never impressed me. I have never gone for quantity. What excites me is the journey that I live through while I am doing the film. Like PK came out in December of 2014. My next release which is Dangal will be December 2016, two years later. So instead of two films in one year, I am doing one film in two years. I don't know how to work faster. See, now for Dangal, I explained it to you. I am putting on weight, I can't play any other role in that. Suppose another film is offered to me, I might have to lose weight for that and I have to do both together. I can't.

As for comparisons... actually, I am not competing with Shah Rukh or with Salman or anyone. The fact of the matter is that I don't think we are playing in the same stadium. Like the kind of films I choose are very different from the kind of films Salman chooses or from the kind of films Shah Rukh chooses. I am not being qualitative about it, I am just saying that that's not my kind of cinema. I can't get myself to do that. 

Shah Rukh has the classes and Salman has his masses. what do you have?
(Smiles) I hope I have both. I don't think about this, I like to challenge myself and I like to challenge my audience. I like to surprise myself and I like to surprise my audience. So I have not followed any set pattern, I have not got any image. I want to do work that excites me. Each time it is something new and different, I can't do the same thing again and again, it's too boring for me. Each one is different, so I am not even competing with Shah Rukh and Salman. I don't think we even belong in the same space, if you ask me. 

Do you know what you will do post Dangal?
No I don't. I don't have a film lined up. 

What if someone came to you with a good script right now?
I won't read it because I don't want to be distracted by anything, I am very decided about this. I am happy doing what I am doing, why to waste time. 

But what if the script is amazing? You can always lock it now and do it later. Because later if might not be available to you.
Sometimes, that happens.. Occasionally I listen to scripts suddenly when I feel like it. But by and large, once I have got a script – like Dangal right now -- I will not listen to other scripts, I am very clear about that. I might start listening to scripts sometimes in January because we start shooting in September. September-December four months we shoot. Then I have to lose weight. 

Wouldn't it have been easier to shoot those portions now and then gain weight?
I prefer to do it the other way round. I have four months in which to get to nine percent body fat. Again come back to nine percent, how I was in Dhoom 3, that's the look. So that's the other part of the look. So I'll shoot that in May. It will take me four months, January-April to get into shape. So in that thing of getting into shape and losing weight, I can't shoot at that time. That's when I hear scripts, read scripts to plan for the future. 

You drastically change your looks for each of your films. Do you consciously choose scripts that need you to alter your appearance and body type?
I mean, my head doesn't work that way. So I am finding it difficult to answer this question... I am not an actor who thinks of what I want to do. It never occurs to me what I want to do. In fact, I have no plans whether I want to do an action film now or comedy, I have no such feeling in me. I believe that films have to happen organically. The organic way is the way a writer thinks of what he wants to say and a story comes out there. Then a director gets involved with it. Sometimes, the director is also the writer and I come in afterwards when the casting is happening and when I experience what the writer and the director have in mind, that either excites me or it doesn't. When it excites me, I do the film and I go into a new space. I could have never thought of Dangal. I never thought of Lagaan, I didn't think of Dil Chahata Hai, I didn't think of 3 Idiots, I didn't think of Taare Zameen Par. These are all films that came out of different people's minds and I got attached to them because I got excited about it. That entire new window suddenly opens for me and I don't know from where it's going to open. That's my excitement. I don't think what I can do, I don't think like that. I just want to do films that I enjoy doing, that I feel excited about. 

Well, you are in the position to do that now.
I am getting to that. I am really grateful for the kind of freedom I have enjoyed in doing the kind of work I believe in and the work that I want to do. I have also fought for that, but I have to also accept that are forces which are much larger at play that I actually can't control. So while I have fought for that freedom, at the same I have had the privilege of having that freedom which I am very grateful for. Not everybody has that privilege. 

You have earned that privilege.
No, that's a different matter. I am saying that from the beginning... Okay I'll take you back a little bit because that was the turning point in my life. See my first film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak released in early 1988 and it became a big hit. So within the next few months, I signed eight or nine films and when the shooting of those films began and some months passed, I realised what a mess I had got myself into. I was very unhappy with the kind of work that I was doing. I was working with people whose sensibility was very different from mine. I am not saying that it was good or bad, but I was very unhappy. I used to come home and cry. I am not exaggerating and I used to wonder what am I doing, this is not what I had planned. This is not what I had wanted. But that was also a learning experience for me. That was when my foundation was being built. That was my realisation coming from a lack of experience quickly turning into an experience. Then these films began releasing and they started bombing and the media called me a one-film wonder and rightly so. In all fairness, they weren't wrong. It was then that I knew my following films to come were even worse... 

Please continue...
So I realised the situation I was in and that I was already unhappy about doing those films. I was in a jam and at that time I swore to myself that no matter what, I was never going to do a film unless I am really happy even if it wipes me out of the industry. I still make mistakes. Films are difficult to make. Sometimes, you start with something in mind and you end up somewhere else. But I am going to be very excited and happy otherwise I am not doing the film. Anyway, my career was at its worst at that time and my films were flopping. I felt I was in quicksand, I could see myself drowning in it slowly. I was sinking and there was nothing I could do to stop it. On the one hand, I had decided I was not going to sign films, I was going to finish these, and by the time those got over, I'd have no offers, so at that time some very important thing happened. 

What was that?
I got a call from Bhatt Saab. He said 'I have a script for you.' I got maha excited and I said, 'Thank God.' See Bhatt Saab was his peak that time. Saransh, Arth, Naam all these films had just released. So when he called me, I said, 'Thank God this is the one thing I needed to save myself.' Just the announcement that I am doing a film with Bhatt Saab would give me a new lease of life. I can absorb another four flops. So I went to meet him and he narrated the script to me. And I didn't like it. I was devastated. I asked Bhatt Saab, 'Can I sleep over it?'. He said, 'Ya, ya, think about it, we'll meet tomorrow evening.' So the next evening I went to meet him. So I went home and I was like, 'What should I do?' My logic and my practical side was telling me do the film, so what if I didn't like the script? Just do it because that one announcement will give your career a lease of life and then you can do other stuff that you like. But I didn't want to break the promise that I had made to myself which was I am not going to do a film unless I was happy with it. So do I save my career, do I follow my heart? Anyway I went back to him the next day and I said 'I am really sorry Bhatt Saab, but I can't do the film. I have to be honest with you, I didn't like the script and who am I to tell you what a good script is and what is not. But if I am not excited, I can't do it, that's all I have to say and probably after this you won't work with me. But that's the honest truth and maybe I am making a big error right now but I have to be true to myself.' It was very difficult for me to say that because I had seen my career disappearing in front of me. He was very sweet. He said "No, no, don't worry, if you don't feel like doing it, you should not do it ". Later on, we went on to do "Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin". But what I am trying to say is that that was the turning point in my life. If I had compromised that day, my career would have been something else. I would have constantly been compromising. When at my worst, I held on to my dream. I was honest to myself, I didn't compromise with what my heart wanted. At my worst, I did that. Later on, that one decision gave me so much strength that it made me feel that 'Chalo, I may not have a career after this, I don't know what's in store for me. But at least now I am finally living and working the way I want to. I am not doing something that I am not happy with.'

Thereafter, I have done films which I wanted to do. I may have still made mistakes. I may have still done films that have not turned out that well. But from then onwards to now, I have done films that I have believed in.

Gaurav Dubey (MID-DAY; March 5, 2015)

The promos of Dibakar Banerjee's 'Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!' with the Kolkata of 1943 as the backdrop have grabbed much attention. The trailer introduced the eponymous under-cover investigator, played by Sushant Singh Rajput, but the identity of the bad man is still under wraps. While the makers remain tight-lipped about it, the grapevine is buzzing with rumours that Aamir Khan was their first choice to play the villain.

Says an insider, "Around the same time when Aditya Chopra narrated the story of Dhoom 3 to Aamir, Dibakar had approached him with his script. Both were challenging, negative roles for two YRF films. He was in a dilemma, but then finally decided to take up the 'Dhoom 3' offer."

Dibakar confirms the report, stating: "I wanted to make 'Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!' after 'Khosla Ka Ghosla'. I was in talks with the studio and we thought the best guy to play the baddie was Aamir. We narrated the script to him. I didn't know that 'Dhoom 3' was on the slate next with Aamir as the villain. He passed on my script. Two years later, we met after the Byomkesh teaser released and he said he loved it. I guess YRF's gain was YRF's loss."

The filmmaker, however, refrained from revealing the villain's identity.

Anshul Dhamija & Boby Kurian (THE TIMES OF INDIA; January 30, 2015)

Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; December 14, 2014)

Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 25, 2014)

The boy who stole hearts as the young Aamir Khan in the actor's last film, is now gearing up for a television debut.

Siddharth Nigam has been roped in to play the title role of Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat in an upcoming serial.

The 14-year-old schoolboy is training in martial arts, sword fighting and horse riding. A source told Mirror, "He trains for two hours every morning in various stunts. He is even growing his hair to look the part of the Mauryan emperor."

Acclaimed author Ashok Banker, who makes his television comeback after nearly two decades, is scripting the show.

Reveals the source, "The actor who will play the grownup Asoka has still not been cast. For one year, it will be Siddharth all the way."

Manish Mishra (DNA; August 6, 2014)

Her humanly-impossible-to-achieve abs can give any model or Bollywood actress a run for her money. The UK-bred buxom beauty Elena Fernandes is looking at making a foray in Bollywood. We came across her images when designer Wendell Rodricks posted her pictures on his Instagram account. We are still recuperating from the multi-sensory assault they wreaked on us and decided to take a pell-mell plunge into the fascinating life of the model who is half-Peruvian with a Goan father. Read on ...

Have you considered acting in Hindi films?
I have always been proud of my Indian heritage and enjoy working in India; it is famed, of course, for Bollywood. I would love the opportunity to star in a Hindi film as I love the positivity and happiness that they encompass. I feel that they unite India. To be a part of that and to be immortalised in a Hindi film would be a dream come true. Who wouldn’t want to be in a film by Homi Adajania like the popular Cocktail or of course the popular Dhoom franchise with the gorgeous Katrina Kaif.

Are you fluent in Hindi?
My father is Goan and my mother is Peruvian. My father particularly has always encouraged my development with languages and supported my journey through India. I am currently studying Hindi and find that it is a beautiful language. I always try to practise as I travel around India which I know produces a few laughs for the rickshaw drivers in the Bandra area of Mumbai.

You are from the UK but you live in Spain. How has the global exposure influenced you?
I was born and raised in the UK but fortunately have been successful in India. I shot for the Kingfisher Calendar 2013 and also editorial spreads for Vogue India and Elle. As a professional, the global exposure has shaped my career on an international level and shaped my understanding of different cultures and work ethics. As an individual I am humbled by the support, love and development I have received from different individuals around the globe and that has shaped me to be the individual I am today, appreciative of the opportunities that I have been given and understanding the value of the position that I am in.

Who are your favourite Bollywood directors and stars? Any favourite Hindi film?
I couldn’t possibly choose one favourite Bollywood director and film. I love Ayan Mukerji’s Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Dhoom 3 by Vijay Krishna Acharya, Chennai Express directed by Rohit Shetty, Ek Tha Tiger by Kabir Khan, Heroine directed by Madhur Bhandarkar, and of course Cocktail, the first Bollywood film I watched on my flight as I left India. I’m sure you can already guess by the films that I have listed that my favourite stars are popular and beautiful Katrina Kaif, Kareena Kapoor Khan. Among the male Bollywood superstars Saif Ali Khan, Salman and Shah Rukh Khan are my favourites. I would love to work with these talented individuals as they are the foundation of Bollywood.

What’s your impression of the Indian film industry?
My impression of Bollywood is that it is kind a like Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. I honestly feel like it’s the most relatable factor amongst Indians. Watching a Bollywood film allows us to forget about few grim realities for some time and allows everyone to connect with each other, laugh, dance and sing.

CHECK OUT THE HOT IMAGES OF ELENA FERNANDES POSTED BY WENDELL RODRICKS

Asira Tarannum (MID-DAY; June 20, 2014)

It has emerged that writer Mansoob Haider filed a case against production house Yash Raj Films in the Bombay High Court a few months ago.

The writer claims that Dhoom 3 was copied from his script; the final hearing for the case was held on Thursday and has been adjourned till today morning.

Apparently, Mansoob had sent his script to YRF a few years ago as part of a talent hunt contest. The script was registered under the Copyrights Board Of India in 2006 in Delhi and he has a certificate saying so.

Sources say that the writer, after watching the film, made several calls to the production house, apart from doing its rounds. “Mansoob spoke to Aditya Chopra's secretary who asked him to email his complaints and address the letter to Aditya, which he did. A representative from YRF then got in touch with him and told him that since the film has released, it's debatable whether the script has been copied or not. They even offered to look at his next script but the writer refused this, saying that he just wants credit for this script,” says a source.

When all communication between him and the production house is said to have failed, he filed a case against the production house.

When contacted, Mansoob Haider said, “I can't comment on the matter as it is sub judice. The hearing has been adjourned till Friday morning.” A spokesperson from YRF too refused to comment on the subject.

DNA (May 12, 2014)

Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; March 26, 2014)

Over the last few years the economics of Bollywood, in some ways, has gone wrong. Many a times films don’t fail, budgets do. Our ‘A’ list male actors earn more from a film than the producers of the film, which is unique to us. If a producer is lucky and lands up making a blockbuster, a producer could be struggling to make just 5-10 crores whereas the big male star could have made upto 50 crores as the big male stars today don’t just charge their fees, but also want revenue share. Over and above, stars sometimes retain their satellite rights and could ask a share in the overflow at the box office. The power equation has somewhere gone wrong in Bollywood, which is leading it to become more and more risky and unprofitable for the producer. If you see Hollywood, while a film like Iron Man 3 may have landed up doing a business of over 6,000 crores, the male star there doesn’t charge 1,500 crores. While they too charge a large fee, the fee is only a fraction of what the producers make, that is vice versa in Bollywood. It’s the producer that arranges the money, puts the project together, manages all the egos and then has the herculean task of marketing it in a highly competitive scenario. And all this too only if the film has made money. God help the producer if the film doesn’t do well at the box office. While the star still stands to make his large fee, the producer actually loses his money and needs to be content with the positioning that he thinks he has gained by working with a big star.

We were the first to highlight in our paper that women-oriented films can actually make money and how they are a relatively low risk proposition for a producer. We have seen that coming true with both Queen and Ragini MMS 2, which have both been made on relatively modest budgets and are both hits. Of course the catch is, you can’t do without a decent script, director and actress. While Queen is selling on the quality of story telling and the performances, Ragini MMS 2 is selling on sex and horror as a genre. Bottom line is, they will land up making more money for their respective producers than films with bigger stars, which have either made losses or have just scraped through with a marginal profit. Thus comparatively, it is more sensible to make a Queen than to make a Boss or a Himmatwala or a Besharam.

More importantly, producers need to come to terms with the fact that the Indian audience is evolving each day. While his appetite for good cinema, stories that entertain and touch you is increasing, the ability to suffer a pseudo intellectual cinema or brain dead film is rapidly diminishing and that is clearly reflected in the box office numbers. Our audiences are mature and have an eclectic taste for all kinds of good cinema, be it a The Lunchbox or a Bhaag Milkha Bhaag or a Queen or even a Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-leela, but they are not willing to suffer films like Boss and Himmatwala beyond a point. From sex to horror to romance to action, anything sells but the story needs to connect.

Is there a way forward for the industry? We believe yes.


1) MAKE WOMEN-ORIENTED STORIES: As that could make more money for the producer. While the male actors need to be paid less, the actresses can do with a little higher pay cheque.

2) FORMULA FILMS DON’T NECESSARILY WORK: The industry needs to recognise and come to terms with the fact that formula films have stopped working in the last one year and that every film cannot be a Rowdy Rathore. To become a blockbuster, you must be able to make films, at least like a Dhoom 3 or a Chennai Express or a Krrish 3 that entertain you. You can’t just produce a poor film and hope for it to sell on the basis of just an ‘A’ list hero.

3) SOME FILMS DON’T FAIL, BUDGETS DO: Produce films based on potential return on investment as against cost plus basis and then trying to recover that money. Producers need to start thinking of making films basis the potential of the script to make money at the box office and then working backwards on the costs, as against first spending the money and then trying to make it profitable even though it lacks saleabilty at the box office due to the high cost. One of the key reasons that may make a film unprofitable is overpayment to the ‘A’ list hero which makes the amount required to make a film break even unreal.

4) BACK NEW TALENT: Invest in new talent, be it directors, story tellers or actors otherwise an ‘A’ list hero will continue making money whereas the producer will be left twiddling his fingers, wondering if they will break even or be lucky to scrape through with just a couple of crores.

We as a country are mad about our films and our film stars. Producers need to make good films catering to different tastes at a price that is real so that our films can be profitable. Only when they are profitable and the power equation between the producer and actor changes can we have a healthy industry.