A LOOK AT SUSHANT SINGH RAJPUT’S BOX OFFICE PERFORMANCE

June 14 seemed like any other Sunday. But then, at 2 PM IST, news came in that prominent actor Sushant Singh Rajput has ended his life. It was a bolt from the blue and has led to brouhaha like never before. Instead of getting into it, let’s look at the track record of this actor at the box office.

Sushant Singh Rajput has been a part of 11 films till now. Of which, 9 have already released in cinemas. Drive released on Netflix while Dil Bechara, the official remake of The Fault In Our Stars, remains unreleased. Out of 9, 6 films were decent successes at the box office.

He started his career with Abhishek Kapoor’s Kai Po Che, released on February 22, 2013. Despite having newcomers and being a bit of a niche film, it created buzz among urban audiences. It opened at Rs. 3.68 crore which was great and it’s lifetime was Rs. 43.58 crore. The same year, he was then seen in Yash Raj Films’ Shuddh Desi Romance. This film created a bigger hype which led to a fine opening of Rs. 6.38 crore. Incidentally, it co-starred Parineeti Chopra, whose sister Priyanka Chopra’s film Zanjeer released on the same day. Zanjeer was more commercial and yet had a dismal opening of Rs. 2.84 crore. Shuddh Desi Romance meanwhile netted a lifetime of Rs. 46.26 crore. It became clear that in a span of 6 months, this newcomer had given two successive hits.

In 2014, he was seen in a 20-minute appearance in Aamir Khan’s PK. The actor rocked the show despite limited screen time and in fact, dominated the climax. It emerged as an all-time blockbuster, earning Rs. 337.72 crore.

Few months later, in April 2015, he acted in Detective Byomkesh Bakshy, directed by Dibakar Banerjee. Despite being very niche, Sushant’s presence helped the film get an opening of Rs. 4.01 crore. The word of mouth was positive but wasn’t enough to attract audiences in hordes due to it’s theme. Hence, it ended it’s lifetime with Rs. 26.21 crore. This was Sushant Singh Rajput’s first flop.

1 ½ years later, in September 2016, Sushant Singh Rajput bounced back with M S Dhoni - The Untold Story. It was based on the life of celebrated cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Despite having a run time of 185 minutes, it had created humongous excitement and had an opening of Rs. 20.13 crore! Sadly, the word of mouth was a bit mixed. Hence, it had a lifetime of Rs. 119.09 crore. Though this was a huge figure, the high cost of the film prevented it from being hailed a ‘Super Hit’. It was, at best, a hit.

In June 2017, he gave another flop in the form of Raabta. It was a much-talked about film thanks to Sushant’s pairing with Kriti Sanon. Songs worked but trailer didn’t. Hence, the opening was poor at Rs. 4.63 crore. Word of mouth was horrible and hence, collections came down in the weekend instead of increasing. Its lifetime was just Rs. 21.68 crore.

Almost after 1 ½ years, Sushant Singh Rajput’s Kedarnath released. The word of mouth was mixed but the opening was huge, at Rs. 7.09 crore. It’s lifetime was huge at Rs. 70 crore. 6 months later, he was seen in Sonchiriya. This was an odd man out. Films like Raabta and Detective Byomkesh Bakshy at least had some sort of respectable opening. Sonchiriya, meanwhile, opened horribly at Rs. 1 crore! There was no growth and the lifetime was a mere Rs. 5.63 crore! The word of mouth was excellent but the theme was such that audiences were just not interested.

Sushant Singh Rajput’s last theatrical release was Chhichhore. It was directed by Dangal director Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Fox Star Studios and Nadiadwala Grandsons. It opened at Rs. 6.92 crore which was decent. However, the word of mouth was crazy and hence, audiences went to see it in hordes. From Rs. 6.92 crore on Friday, it jumped to an insane Rs. 16 crore on Sunday! The numerous holidays in the weekdays along with public response helped the film immensely. It’s lifetime was Rs. 147.32 crore and hence, it emerged as a super duper hit!

Hence, one can see, Sushant Singh Rajput’s track record, despite flops, was quite good. Even opening day numbers were fine, though it was never record breaking in most films. Yet, the opening day figures prove audiences liked his work and came to see the films for him, amongst other reasons. It’s highly unfortunate that he’s no more today. If he was, he would have done quite well for himself and given us many more entertaining and meaningful films. RIP.

BOMBAY TIMES (April 26, 2020)

A month of Coronavirus lockdown has changed a lot for Indians. As per recent data, the online search trends during this month reflect this change.

KANIKA KAPOOR BECOMES THE MOST-SEARCHED INDIAN CELEB
Till the beginning of March, Kanika Kapoor was known as the Baby Doll singer. The playback singer was popular, but hardly the talk of the town. That, however, changed last month when she was tested positive for COVID-19, followed by a controversy on her social appearances in the week preceding her diagnosis. In fact, Kanika was so talked about in the last few weeks that she dethroned Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Rajinikanth to be the most-searched celebrity as per a release by Yahoo India.

According to a statement released by the search engine, “Kanika Kapoor wasn’t just the most-searched female celebrity, she was the most-searched celebrity among both male and female celebs, throughout the lockdown.”

RAMAYAN TOPS LOCKDOWN ENTERTAINMENT SEARCH
Last month, when Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar announced the return of Ramayan on small screen, it brought back childhood memories for many. And now, the show has topped the mostsearched entertainment source chart.

As per the search engine, “It was entertainment as usual pre-lockdown, with netizens in India searching for Bigg Boss, Drive, Tanhaji, Housefull 4 and Good Newwz as their top entertainment searches. After the lockdown, Ramayan broke through overnight to become the top entertainment search after it was rerun on Doordarshan.”

Monika Rawal Kukreja (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 19, 2020)

With a lineage of films that mostly include romantic dramas and commercial potboilers, one won’t really expect Karan Johar to step on to uncharted grounds. Yet, he has done it time and again with films such as Dostana, My Name is Khan, Kalank or even his latest anthology, Ghost Stories. In a candid chat, Karan talks about why there’s a constant need to step out of the comfort zone and how the web empowers writers that in turn empowers content in cinema, too.

You’ve directed as well as produced content on the web. What’s it about this space that you find to be most intriguing?
For storytellers and content creators, it’s a Renaissance period. The digital space is just exploding, and tremendous content is coming out on various platforms. The web is empowering writers, and I’m glad because we needed to be empowered. Web content is driven by writers, and the moment they’re empowered, they’re more motivated, and therefore, are writing even better feature films. So, this explosion digitally has also empowered content in cinema.

Your production, Drive (2019), didn’t fare well. Do you regret releasing it on an OTT platform?
The initial plan was to release it theatrically, but then I realised the way the content has gone, it would be better for it to be on a digital format. And it was very brave of the OTT platform also to take the leap along with me. There are thousands of stories being told, so, sometimes you need to shake up and break the clutter with certain decisions. That’s what we did with a film like Drive. I’m not speaking about the film because that’s for people to judge.

Your latest outing, Ghost Stories, is a genre that audience wouldn’t relate to the brand Karan Johar. While directing it, how much did you personally connect with it?
Horror and I don’t connect at all, and very honestly, they’ll not happen again. This is my first and only horror story that I’ve made for Netflix. It’s not a genre that I enjoy watching, so why should I enjoy making it?

So, was it more of a challenge?
Yes, because I felt like this gives me the ability to be out of my comfort zone and tell a story being uncomfortable. I think every filmmaker should be, at one point, uncomfortable to tell a story because that challenges their core directorial spirit. So, making this horror anthology has been the most challenging schedule in my 21-year-long journey.

Why don’t we see many anthology films releasing in a theatre?
It’s a format much attuned for the digital zone because we, in cinema, are very used to the syntax of storytelling — an escalated drama, a mid-point where you come out, chat about it and go back. Here, we have four narratives, four stories that start and stop one after the other that you’re more likely to watch in your private space. What’s great about anthology is that it gets you to chat about each film and also you compare them with each other.

Drive is a long-delayed film from the banner of Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and helmed by Dostana director Tarun Mansukhani. There’s a lot of negativity surrounding the film because of the delay and that because it released directly on Netflix. The first 15-20 minutes however are great, which turns out to be a pleasant surprise. But shockingly, the film then goes downhill. The story is either too unconvincing or too complicated. There are far too many twists and turns and instead of impressing the audience, it ends up bewildering them. And it’s very difficult to believe that the characters in the film are able to even enter Rashtrapati Bhavan, forget even robbing it! I hope President Ram Nath Kovind never sees this film; or else he’ll be either enraged or be highly amused to see the way the makers have done a mockery of the security at Rashtrapati Bhavan! Talking of performances, Sushant Singh Rajput tries too hard to look cool but ends up looking awkward. That’s unfortunate as he’s such a talented performer. Jacqueline Fernandez in fact does way better and looks convincing as the head of the gang. Sapna Pabbi leaves a huge mark and looks gorgeous. Vikramjeet Virk is decent. Boman Irani and Pankaj Tripathi are very entertaining. Vibha Chibber is decent. Songs are forgettable and the way ‘Makhna’ song is forced in the film will shock you, more than the film's twists! All in all, Drive is a big disappointment and will drive you nuts!

My rating - ** out of 5!

Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; October 31, 2019)

“Digital shows have a massive reach globally which is why I love them,” says Sapna Pabbi, who has appeared in digital series such as Breathe, Four More Shots Please, and The Trip, among others. “I am really grateful for the opportunities I have been blessed with in my career so far. I came to Mumbai without a plan and it’s been seven years and I’m still enjoying the projects I get to be a part of. I think, it’s the best time to be an artiste, thanks to the web. It has opened so many doors for me. Though, I believe that it is the content that matters over the platform, overall,” she says.

After her last web show, Bombers, Sapna wrapped a cameo for a movie, which was recently shot in London, UK, and earlier shot for a short film with Aparshakti Khurana. “Apar is such a natural entertainer. We had a lot of fun on the shoot. He is so talented. He kept us up through the night shoots with his acoustic sing-alongs,” says Sapna, who is also excited that her film Drive co-starring Sushant Singh Rajput finally releasing on an OTT platform tomorrow.

Ask the actor if she has been typecast in the industry and Sapna says, “I really haven’t thought about that. But I do get that ‘series girl’ often, and, of course, the Khamoshiyan (2015) actor stuck for a bit. The songs of the film are still very popular. Personally, I feel all labels are temporary assumptions, so I try not to take them seriously. I make the choice whether they stick or not. Working on the web show, The Trip, changed things for me. I went for content that I enjoyed and believed in rather than thinking about the platform. And I’ve continued to work by that motto ever since,” she signs off.

Jacqueline Fernandez on taking acting classes in LA, getting out of comfort zone & learning to express emotions which are alien to her
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 31, 2019)

Her last film released almost a year ago and since then Jacqueline Fernandez has gone missing from the race. Turns out she was taking acting classes at the Ivana Chubbuck Studio in Los Angeles. The lady has trained Hollywood A-listers like Charlize Theron, James Franco, Brad Pitt, Halle Berry, Gal Gadot and Gerard Butler, so it was the place to be for pretty Miss Sunshine.

“Even though I’ve been a part of the film industry for a decade now, I’ve never really studied acting and it wasn’t something I could learn here in a classroom. In LA, Ivana takes on individual students, you grow as a person and your craft evolves,” she informs, saying it was one of her life’s best experiences and something that will come in handy with future projects.

The actress says Ivana is keen to visit India and she would love to bring her to the country so aspiring actors and working professionals can explore different techniques with her. “You never know what works for you till you try it,” she points out knowledgeably.

Back in B-town, Jacqueline wants to take a step back and get a little more experimental with roles but is quick to clarify that this won’t take her away from her commercial Hindi cinema. “That’s me, I love to entertain people, make them laugh, sigh and dance,” she asserts. “But as an actress, I want to discover myself, do things a little differently, add to what I have done before. So, now, it’s all about balancing the two.” Following this train of thought, she has jumped onto the digital platform and is all set to play a serial killer. “The work I’ve done in the past were no-brainers really, I could pull off many of these roles without too much effort. But since the last couple of years, I’ve been looking for scripts that will take me out of my comfort zone, a film that will be on my shoulders,” she admits.

But a serial killer? That’s as far removed as is possible for a happy-go-lucky person who seems to be friends with the whole world. “But that’s the challenge!” she exclaims. “When I’m asked to show emotions like anger, jealousy, sorrow and hatred it gets really tough because there’s nothing to fall back on. That’s not to say that I will go looking to experience them, it’s something you feel intuitively when you play certain characters. That’s the beauty of acting.”

Prod her on what makes her angry and after a reflective pause she says, “I really don’t know, I’ve held it back for so long. I don’t explode or implode but it’s important to understand and portray certain emotions as it will make me more rounded as a performer.”

Meanwhile, her next release Drive has been delayed yet again. Disappointed? “No, I’m not because the special effects need to be done well and that takes time. Both Tarun (director Tarun Mansukhani) and Sushant (co-star Sushant Singh Rajput) have done a great job. Action is my favourite genre and in this case the action is slick and stylised. It will release in a couple of months and you will see,” she says confidently, adding that she regularly goes in for combat training. “It’s a great stressbuster and it makes a woman feel physically strong and powerful. I also learnt weaponery when in LA, how to handle knives and guns,” she makes the surprising revelation. Meanwhile, during Race 3, Salman Khan introduced her to art. How many paintings has she done since? “Just one artwork, I’ve been neglecting art,” she sighs, acknowledging she had an instructor on the set during Race 3, had got herself an easel, paper and paints, and painted a lot. “I will definitely get back to it, I still have my easel. It was wonderfully therapeutic,” she beams.

Another thing she’s been neglecting is her love life. “I have been focussed on work for so long and these things can’t be forced or planned,” she reasons, quick to add that she’s a die-hard romantic. “All actors are,” she concludes with a smile. 

With visual effects taking longer than expected, their action-thriller won’t arrive in theatres on June 28 but is expected to release later this year
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 20, 2019)

The action-thriller Drive, featuring Sushant Singh Rajput and Jacqueline Fernandez, was accelerating towards a June 28 opening, but according to sources close to the development, it has applied the brakes to take a pit stop before continuing with the ride. “The post-production is taking longer than expected since the film is high on action with multiple racing scenes. Since the bar of action has been raised by both Bollywood and Hollywood spectacles in the last couple of years, the visual effects team is taking its time to get the scale right,” revealed a source. Producer Karan Johar had introduced it as the first film in a fun franchise with the idea of spinning India’s very own Fast and Furious series.

Set against the backdrop of car racing, the film directed by Tarun Mansukhani went on the floors on March 1, 2017 and was targeting a Holi 2018 release. However, a delay in shooting led to it being pushed to September 7, 2018, and then June 28, 2019. “The final edit has been locked, and presently the film is in the final stage of post-production. Contrary to reports that it is being re-shot or will be premiered on the digital platform, Drive is on course to a regular theatrical release in the second half of the year,” the source promised.

The film marks Tarun’s return to direction 11 years after Dostana in 2008, featuring Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra and John Abraham as leads. Sushant essays the character of a stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway expert and embarks on a dangerous ride with his neighbor into the heart of the underworld. “It has a lot of thrills and chills and will keep viewers on the edge of their seats. A new date will be announced soon but it will drive into the theatres in 2019 for sure,” the source signed off. 

Sushant Singh Rajput claims he’s spoilt for choice and is just waiting to see how his next film fares before deciding which of these projects to roll with next
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 8, 2019)

An unsaid rule of the industry that early morning interviews seldom start on time was hit for a six when Sushant Singh Rajput, sporting a black Tee which read ‘Psycho Billi’, walked into a suburban hotel well before the scheduled time of 11 am. He kicked off the tete-e-tete by explaining his choice of films, from the justreleased Kedarnath to the upcoming Sonchiriya, Kizie Aur Manny and Chhichhore. “The choice is usually between being an actor or a star, but I’ve figured a third option, which is just do good films without being described as an actor, a star or an engineering dropout. These are but small nouns that stop me from looking at the big picture,” he points out.

He goes on to pontificate further on the subject saying that there can be multiple reasons for doing a film, from name and fame to money and a message. “But everything in filmmaking is inter-related so when a social message is misplaced, it becomes a comedy, and when you misplace the character the audience is rooting for, it becomes a tragedy. Also, if there is no truth, it becomes fiction. So, it is an actor’s job to understand the script and work towards creating a good film,” he lectures sounding like he’s back in school, this time as a professor.

The once-upon-a-chocolate boy has jumped into the intense zone. He is quick to disagree, insisting with grave seriousness that we will see him laugh a lot in Chhichhore. “But honestly, I don’t contemplate genres when signing a film, that’s for the audience to figure out. Nor do I believe in establishing a connect with the audience which in time translates into a loyal fan base. That’s how an efficient salesman would think, not an actor. That’s not our core competence,” he maintains, adding that for him it’s all about interesting characters and exciting stories.

Abhishek Chaubey’s daku drama, Sonchiriya, set in the Chambal, is one such film for which he actually learnt the local language as major chunk of film requires him to interact in Bundeli. “Everyone was focused on creating an authentic character that retains the local flavour. For me, it was equivalent to a kid learning English,” he smiles. We move on to Mukesh Chhabra’s directorial debut and Sushant informs that their film is an adaptation of the bestselling novel, The Fault In Our Stars, and has got nothing to do with the Hollywood film. “We are not remaking the film, just adapting the book,” he reiterates, hours before he flies off to Paris for the film’s final seven-day schedule.

Bring up Nitesh Tiwari’s campus drama and he turns mum saying they will not be successful in building a campaign if he talks about the film at this point in time.

He will next be seen in Drive with Jacqueline Fernandez. The action-thriller has been in the making for a while but unfazed by the delay, Sushant promises that there is hardly a dull moment in the film. “And that’s quite an achievement,” he beams.

Meanwhile, the space drama, Chandamama Door Ke, and the biopic on paralympain Murlikant Petkar are in a limbo which perhaps means his date diary after these three films is clear? “I’m in talks for 12 films, I don’t know which of them will begin first, but the two films you mentioned are still in the pipeline. It’s for me to decide what to do next and that would depend on how my next film fares. There is no film that I want to do that I can’t do,” he says with supreme confidence.

His last release, Kedarnath, which launched Sara Ali Khan met with a mixed response from both the critics and the audience, but for its leading man, it was a success. “The film has done extremely well and I am talking from a global perspective because I don’t want to differentiate viewers based on boundaries created by wars,” he maintains.

Point out that he’s often criticised for being too vocal, even obtuse, in his thoughts and with a dismissive shrug he says criticism doesn’t bother him. “The human species would become extinct if everybody said the same thing. I am okay with criticism if it doesn’t stop me from doing the stuff I want to do. If you give me more money and fame, I will keep it because I am smart, but if I don’t get it, I won’t worry because I have enough already,” he adds.

Meanwhile, Sushant’s ex-girlfriend, Ankita Lokhande, is making her film debut in the period drama Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi which opens this Republic Day weekend. Prod him on the film and he says, “It looks great and if I am not wrong it is tracking really well. I have known Ankita for a long time and she is a brilliant, effortless actor. I hope the film does justice to her capabilities and does well for everyone involved,” he concludes. 

Sushant Singh Rajput does not want to get attached to immaterial things and spends a good part of the week fishing, swimming and star-gazing when he is not shooting
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 1, 2018)

Even though he is juggling between the shooting of Nitesh Tiwari’s Chhichhore and promotion of Abhishek Kapoor’s upcoming Kedarnath, Sushant Singh Rajput admits that he tries to visit his second home in Pavana for three days once every week. “The sky is clear there and I can gaze at the stars through my telescope or go boating on the lake close to my place which is like a session of cardio in itself. I also enjoy fishing and swimming. On the terrace, I have a 5 x 5 golf carpet to practise my driver shot,” smiles the 32-year-old actor, quick to inform that his homes in Bandra and Pavana are both rented properties because he doesn’t want to get attached to immaterial things. “The only property that I own is on the moon, besides the Maserati which was a childhood dream.”

Interestingly, Sushant extends the same philosophy to acting. “I act because it fascinates me, there is literally nothing more to it. If you give me extra money, I’ll keep it. If you give me extra fame, I’ll use it wisely. But these are just by-products of my profession and not the reason I took it up,” he asserts, adding that his interests also lie in astronomy, artificial intelligence, exponential technologies and sustainable energy. “I am closely working with someone to create a knowledge structure for students and bring back the Vedic technologies. Sixty-five per cent of the kids entering kindergarten this year, if they work 20 years later, they will be dealing with technologies that have yet to be invented. So, we plan to enable them in things that will equip them for such challenges in the future. The idea is not to add or edit subjects or conduct tests but create a knowledge structure. I am also collaborating with NITI Aayog (the policy think-tank of the Indian government) and few globally renowned institutions to make things happen,” informs the actor.

Of late, Sushant is rarely spotted at B-town’s social dos and in B-town but is quite active on the social media, intriguing with his self-musings which range from science and life to everything in between. “It wasn’t intentional, it just happened. The change started while I was shooting for Kedarnath in the temple town and now I know exactly why I am doing what I am. It’s as simple as looking at the same thing differently through history, science or any other tool and making it far more exciting,” he reasons.

Speaking of Kedarnath and his long-time association with the director, the actor informs that after he quit television and in 2012 was working in theatre while toying with the idea of going abroad to learn filmmaking, Kai Po Che! happened. “TV actors are often conditioned to think that they are not as good as those working in films, but Abhishek was always very sure of me and his appreciation of my first shot gave me a lot of confidence. It helped me understand the importance of protecting and nurturing someone. I will always hold him in high regards,” says a grateful Sushant.

Kedarnath, like Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat in the recent times, has been targeted by fringe groups on grounds of love jihad and “hurting Hindi sentiments”. The film’s leading man argues that there is an informed and acknowledged government body, the Central Board of Film Certification, to look into these matters. “If there is a problem, it’s for them to demand that it be edited. Like Titanic, Kedarnath too is complete fiction with a real incident from a few years ago as the backdrop,” Sushant maintains.

Talking of controversies, his name cropped up in wave of Bollywood’s very own #MeToo movement when reports had suggested that he had behaved inappropriately with his Kizie Aur Manny co-star, debutante Sanjana Sanghi. The actress on her return to the country from the US, denied these allegations and cleared her co-star. “I felt I was misunderstood at the time. At the same time, the #MeToo movement is much needed and should be discussed. Of course, when such things happen at such a big scale there are bound to be casualties. I was the unfortunate one but I still believe that the more we discuss the subject, the better it is,” he rationalises.

Next year, Sushant has four releases — Abhishek Chaubey’s Son Chiriya, Tarun Mansukhani’s Drive, Mukesh Chhabra’s Kizie Aur Manny and Chhichhore. “Drive is set to release soon, and I hope the teaser of Son Chiriya comes out with Kedarnath in theatres. Chhichhore, which I am presently shooting for inside the IIT campus in Powai, has taken me back to my engineering days and helped me play the part well,” Sushant signs off.

Sushant Singh Rajput on coming to terms with the rumour mills and why he is building a base for himself which is a few hours’ drive from Mumbai
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 29, 2018)

It was a working birthday for Sushant Singh Rajput, who turned 32 on January 21, and that’s just the way he had planned it. “The idea of having a great birthday is to do what you like and I like acting. So, this year, I gifted myself the opportunity to shoot with a director I’ve always wanted to work with,” exults the actor, who is currently in Chambal filming Abhishek Chaubey’s untitled dacoit drama.

Prod him on whether he is concerned for his safety in the dreaded ravines and Sushant informs that he is far from apprehensive. “According to a recent survey, a man on his way to office in a busy city can die from at least 1000 different reasons. That’s reason enough for me to take one big risk for a great script,” he says with a laugh.

Okay, so he’s one fearless hero but what if he was abducted? What would, according to him, the reallife dakus demand as ransom? “My job probably, but they won’t get it. It’s taken a lot of effort to reach where I am today from where I was and I’m not going to let it go,” Sushant says fiercely.

Abhishek Chaubey, who has previously made films like Dedh Ishqiya and Udta Punjab, is known to be a perfectionist. While his leading man will not be drawn into discussing his prep as he’s yet to see if it is effective as is or needs more work, Sushant shares that according to him the most important job of an actor is to first convince himself that he is the character. And that’s one of the things he likes about Bhumi Pedneker, his co-star and fellow dacoit in the film. According to Sushant, Bhumi is a terrific actor who works incessantly on character-building. No wonder, then, that he is quite gung-ho about sharing screen space with her. “I’m a fan of anyone who works this way. We discuss many things, I observe and learn from how she does what she does,” he explains.

Before this, Sushant was shooting with another Abhishek— Abhishek Kapoor—for Kedarnath, which reportedly revolves around a Hindu-Muslim couple caught in a crisis in the temple town. In the time of love jihad, isn’t he afraid the film might run into controversy closer to its release for its communal undertones? “Most of our films emphasise on unity rather than divisiveness, ditto Kedarnath. Yes, today, we have come to fear many things, but these fears should not come in the way of us doing what we like,” Sushant asserts.

After two schedules, shooting on the film has come to an abrupt halt and if rumours are to be believed, Abhishek Kapoor is making changes to the script. True? “Absolutely not!” he retorts. “Most of the film is complete, only a small but very important chunk remains to be shot for which extensive preparation is required, hence the break.”

Next up is the adaptation of John Green’s 2012 bestselling novel The Fault In Our Stars that revolvs around a cancer patient who is forced by her parents to attend a support group, where she meets and falls in love with another cancer patient. The male protagonist is wheelchair-bound. Recently, Kalki Koechlin had revealed that for Margarita With A Straw she had roamed in a wheelchair for a month as part of her prep. What kind of efforts will he put in given his dedication to the craft? “There are degrees to which an actor can dig into a character but the bottom line is convincing yourself that you’re the character which is the first major step in convincing the audience,” he reiterates.

Many names, including that of Varun Dhawan and Aditya Roy Kapur, were doing the rounds to play the leading man. Did he worry about them landing the coveted part? “My life is very close to Alice In Wonderland. I’m curious about a lot of things but since acting is the most exciting, I invest all my time in finding a good script with a good director. After that there’s no time to think about anything else,” he smiles.

Meanwhile, he’s raced to the finish with Tarun Mansukhani’s action-thriller Drive. What’s delaying the release of the Karan Johar production? “We recently shot a scene and a song, the special effects are in the works. Post production takes time,” he explains, leaving the release date to the makers. However, you have to ask if, given his love for cars and the training he underwent, he would like to drive on the racing circuit someday? “Not as a professional but yes, whenever I get time, I do race with my friends in the circuit. My next goal is to get a flying license and I’ve already started working towards it,” he beams proudly.

Sushant has also been running an education programme and recently sponsored a trip to the US Space Camp Center for two school-going students. What other plans does he have to make it beneficial to students across the country? “A recent survey found that over 60 per cent of kindergarten kids will work for and with technologies that are still not invented. So, just educating kids is not enough, what we teach them is equally important. I’m working with a handful of extremely intelligent futurists/behavioural economists on the knowledge structure of education systems,” he says proudly.

It’s been a while since he bought a new apartment. When does he plan to shift in? “I am building a place which is a few hours’ drive from Mumbai and offers me more space. I’ll have a telescope room, a gaming VR room, a library, my own park… Money cannot buy you such luxuries in the city,” he points out.

While both he and Kriti Sanon have repeatedly denied being in a relationship, they fuelled speculations by bringing in the New Year together with their Raabta producer- director Dinesh Vijan in Switzerland. “I insulate myself from the daily news and have a Teflon coating on me for the times I get to hear about them. I’m largely unaffected by any kind of news, good or bad,” he says.

Bharati K Dubey (DNA; January 25, 2018)

Dharma Productions is probably the first Bollywood production house to shoot in Israel. They have shot their upcoming film Drive, directed by Tarun Mansukhani, which stars Sushant Singh Rajput and Jacqueline Fernandez in the Middle East country. Dharma CEO Apoorva Mehta speaks about Israel and his plan to have a theatrical release there.

What prompted you to shoot Drive in Israel?
I believe we are the first production house to film there. The narrative of Drive needed a certain portion to be shot abroad. Our director Tarun was looking for a location that offered all the cinematic trappings in one place — a scenic city scape, frisky beaches and location that was a blend of cultural heritage and the affluence of modern city. Our executive producer was in touch with the Tourism minister, who told her that we could look for Israel as an option.

There are reports that you will shoot Brahmastra there as well...
No, we are not going back to shoot for Brahmastra, but we are working with one person residing in Israel. He is Ido Portal, a holistic movement specialist, who is helping us with the styling for Brahmastra. We shot a dance-and-song sequence, which turned out to be a wonderful experience. We were very impressed with the way things were planned and laid out for us, so everything went off smoothly.

But do Bollywood films release in Israel?
There was a time when films did release in Israel. I remember meeting the distributor, but I think mostly the releases were on TV. Israel is a small territory and they are still not ready for it.

Do you intend to have a theatrical release of Drive?
There is a thought to release Drive in cinemas in Israel. We will definitely work around it, if we have somebody who can support us there. We will work with the Consul General and the Tourism Minister.

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; January 11, 2018)

Ever since Sushant Singh Rajput started shooting for Kedarnath, there has been speculation about his tiff with the makers of the film. While both Sushant and Prernaa Arora (of KriArj Entertainment) continue to maintain silence on the topic, now the latter, who is also backing Anushka Sharma’s Pari, has decided to go head-to-head against her own Kedarnath actor this Holi.

With Padmavat being rescheduled to hit the screens on January 25 (there still hasn’t been an official confirmation about the same), a lot of rejig has happened with respect to the release of the next few films in the coming months. The Manoj Bajpayee-Sidharth Malhotra-starrer Aiyaary has moved to February 9, while Prernaa and Karnesh Sharma (from Clean Slate Films) have decided to shift the release of Pari, which was earlier slated to come on the same day along with Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety.

Once Neeraj Pandey and co. decided to take up the same date, the team of Pari wanted to avoid a three-way clash. So, now the horror thriller is set to open in cinemas on March 2 which will also be a good holiday weekend for Holi. However, last year Dharma Productions had already announced the release of Tarun Mansukhani’s Drive, starring Sushant and Jacqueline Fernandez, on the same date.

This means that Sushant will now clash with the producers of his next film. Will they stick to their original release plan or reschedule the movie? Only time will tell.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 10, 2017)

Jacqueline Fernandez and Sushant Singh Rajput, who arrived in Tel Aviv to film a song sequence for Tarun Mansukhani’s upcoming thriller-drama, Drive, will be club-hopping through Rothschild Boulevard, where bars and café are open all night, making it the most sought after party destination in Israel. The unit filmed for two days in the city, shooting a song composed by Tanishk Bagchi.

“Israel is a party place and has great weather. We are going there to capture its vibe and hope to get it right. In the film, Sushant and Jacqueline, along with their friends, are heading there for a holiday,” Tarun had told Mirror (September 28) earlier. According to a source from the sets, Sushant, who is accompanied by his trainer, Yeshu Talari, has been diligently working out on the beach every morning at around 5am.

"The work days are long, usually 15-18 hours, and surprisingly, both Indian and Israeli fans have been lining up outside the set watching Sushant and Jackie shoot and interacting with them after pack-up,” adds the source. The cast and crew also travelled to the historic middle-eastern city of Jaffa for sight-seeing on Monday and later met the Israel Tourism Minister, Yariv Levin. Today, before the party begins, the duo will be meeting Sanam, the popular Mumbai-based rock band spearheaded by Sanam Puri, with Samar Puri, Venky S, Venkat Subramaniyam and Keshav Dhanraj.

Post the gig, they will all hit terrace breweries, and swing by gallery bars. They also plan to stop at the beautifully restored yuppie neighbourhood of Neve Tzedek with its chic wine bars and hipster-fuelled, renaissance-themes clubs. Drive, also featuring Boman Irani and Pankaj Tripathi, was announced last year by producer Karan Johar. Tarun, who debuted with the John Abraham, Abhishek Bachchan, and Priyanka Chopra-starrer romcom, Dostana, returns as a director after “seven years and 345 days” with a film about cars, racing, mind games and living in the fast lanes.

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; October 10, 2017)

With his Bollywood outings edging on romance and biographies, Sushant Singh Rajput has infrequently given his fans a glimpse into his physical prowess. Now, Rajput’s Instagram posts boast of an enhanced fitness level, which makes reports of him losing seven kilos for his next baffling.

Singh recently jetted off to Israel to film a song for Tarun Mansukhani’s Drive, also starring Jacqueline Fernandez. The actor plays a racer. Singh was put on a strict diet to “get into shape” for his part, a source tells mid-day. “Given his previous commitments, Sushant had little time to prepare for this song until he arrived in Israel. He had to sport a lean look, and lose seven kilos within three months. His trainer, Yeshu Talari, travelled with him so that his fitness regimen was on track. He also put him on a ketogenic diet for 15 days.”

Highlighting the principles of the diet, Talari says, “Keto is a diet high on protein and fat, and devoid of carbs. The reduction in carbs puts the body into a metabolic state, called ketosis. We followed this regimen for a fortnight, and subsequently switched Sushant to a low carb diet. He consumed protein every three hours.”

A typical day for the actor commenced with an hour of cardiovascular training, before he began shooting for the rest of the day. Given that racers can lose as much as three kilos in a single race, the shriveled look was essential for the part. “We conducted a mix of functional training, CrossFit, weight training and TRX [ Total Resistance eXercises],” Talari said.

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; October 7, 2017)

Sushant Singh Rajput is currently shooting for Kedarnath. It is learnt that he will zip off to Israel to shoot a song with leading lady Jacqueline Fernandez. The film will release next Holi. Here, SSR talks about his nude scene in the film, and why his film is nothing like the Hollywood movie by the same name...

Jackie plays a street racer in the film, tell me about your role...
I’m playing exactly what Jacqueline is playing. When the film releases, you’ll get to know why I’m saying this. Whatever she says she’s playing, it has got to do with what I play in the film. Wait for it. The film is all about ‘what’s gonna happen next’.

The film seems to be about street racing, cars and speed...
It’s really fast-paced. But even if you don’t find it that fast throughout, the thrill element of what’s going to happen right after, will keep you hooked. I always wanted to do this kind of a stylish and slick action film. There are too many chase sequences, which are all required and not there for the heck of it.

Is it a remake of the Hollywood film, Drive?
Absolutely not. It’s not a remake at all. Trust me, if it was a remake of the Hollywood movie, they wouldn’t want me because then, they would have rather cast a better-looking actor. There would be Ryan Gosling, not me! (Laughs)

There’s a scene which you claim isn’t full monty but still not quite. Comment.
I don’t have inhibitions; because I need to convince you that I’m the part. And if I have to do something to make sure you are convinced, I would do it. I’m getting paid for it! (Laughs)

Were you comfortable filming that scene?
Why wouldn’t it be comfortable? Why should I be thinking about this? If I have to cry in a scene, I’m actually crying. Now, that’s not a comfortable thing to do. Because I, normally, am emotionally detached. So, I don’t cry. But when I cry in a film, I have to come up with something exactly similar to feel what I have to at that point. I feel that and cry. That’s exactly what I do. Actors are not supposed to feel comfortable most of the times, if his character isn’t comfortable.

What if it gets censored in the film?
I don’t even think about it. Do I think of whether people would come to watch that? Or my film? No, I’m not obsessed with that. If they watch it, I’ll feel good. But that happens on that Friday and that’s about it.

Upala KBR (MID-DAY; September 30, 2017)

While filmmakers are gradually accepting that box-office clashes are inevitable, not many are willing to lock horns with a mammoth production like Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati. With several obstacles plaguing the shoot of the Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor-starrer, Padmavati will miss its November 17 release date to hit screens two weeks later. The development has affected films that were set for a December release, including John Abraham’s Parmanu, with the actor-producer now choosing to defer it to February.

Co-producer Prernaa Arora says, “Parmanu is small compared to Padmavati. It’s not wise to pit our film against Bhansali’s. We’ve locked on the February 23 date since Anushka Sharma’s Pari will release earlier that month, and Akshay Kumar’s Pad Man is also eyeing an April date. Also, we don’t want to interfere with Fanney Khan [starring Anil Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan] or Tarun Mansukhani’s Drive, which releases in the following months.”

Interestingly, a clash with Aditya Chopra’s Hichki, which marks actor-wife Rani Mukerji’s return to Bollywood, doesn’t bother Arora. “I am good with it [clash] because the films are different. Also, sometimes, two good films can come together. We have no other option right now,” she says, citing that a January date would limit certain viewers from turning up in theatres because “it’s chilly in North India in January.”

While Abraham’s film was scheduled for a December 8 release, Arora says it would be “ sandwiched” between Padmavati ( December 1) and Tiger Zinda Hai (December 22) if it was not deferred.