Actress also reveals why Varun will make a bad chat show host
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 30, 2019)

Katrina Kaif who was recently on Neha Dhupia’s chat show was asked to name a co-star who she cannot trust with a major secret. She instantly singled out former beau, Ranbir Kapoor.

That’s not all. When Neha asked her to name a co-star who cannot match up to her in dance, the actress quipped, tongue-in-cheek, “I want to say all of them.” She then went on to reminisce about the lyrical song, “Pashmina” in Fitoor, Abhishek Kapoor’s Indiansed Great Expectations. “I love him, he is fantastic, but I feel Adi (Aditya Roy Kapur) struggled a little bit… or a lot… in the song. It was a difficult song and he wouldn’t listen to me,” she flashbacked.

Saying that when she offered him advice, he didn’t want it, she pouted, “If you are trying to pick me up, lift me up, swing me around and do some jumps too, then I am going to be able to give you some help. But if you don’t want to listen on how to carry me, then what can be done.”

Seeing that she was in the mood to talk, the Colors Infinity show host then prodded her on who, in her opinion, would make for a really bad chat show host: Arjun Kapoor or Varun Dhawan? Katrina instantly replied, “Bad chat show host? Varun Dhawan, because I don’t think he will let you talk,” before bursting into peals of laughter.

Neha then prodded the actress’s BFF, Anaita Shroff-Adajania on who would make a really bad jodi with Katrina—Tiger Shroff or Ranveer Singh. Before Anaita could respond, Katrina butted in to say, “Oh, I think they will both actually look really good. I feel Tiger and I should do an action film, and with Ranveer it should be something irreverent, crazy and wacky!” Well said!

Meena Iyer (DNA; December 21, 2018)

Abhishek Kapoor had to literally walk through fire to see his tragic love story, Kedarnath, through. For starters, it couldn’t release in Uttarakhand, where it is based. Also, the film, made against the backdrop of the 2013 floods in the pilgrim state, almost drowned under financial hurdles (not of his making). But hats off to the filmmaker who doggedly brought his labour of love to fruition and emerged victorious.

Gattu, as he is popularly known, reveals his state of mind today and hopes to move forward with those fresh scripts that he has been giving finishing touches to.

Now that Kedarnath has released, how are you feeling?
I feel good. This one was quite a tough one to make. However, I’m happy that people are liking it. So, it feels great (smiles).

It’s a downer that it couldn’t release in Uttarakhand.
Yes, it is. I wish they would hear the voice of the rest of the people who are watching Kedarnath in theatres and enjoying it. There’s nothing offensive in the film. The censor board (Central Board of Film Certification) has gone through it with a microscope. They have done their job. There is nothing for anyone to fear it or get offended by it. Sometimes, you can’t win them all.

It hasn’t happened to you in the past.
It has never happened to me.

You had the honour of introducing Sara Ali Khan. She got a lot of praise for her performance.
Yes, Sara is quite a spark. She’s got a great personality, and she brings that to her part. There is a lot of her in her character (Mukku/Mandakini) that has gelled really well.

Did you revisit and analyse your movie post its release?
I’m happy with the way it’s gone. I made the movie I wanted to make it. As a filmmaker, you evolve. If you see any of my films, you’ll realise that I don’t repeat myself. They are not in the same world, they have non-identical characters who are from diverse strata.

This one (Kedarnath) is a different animal and it’s made for the people. And the kind of stories and problems we touch upon are deeply Indian. This country hasn’t changed much in the past 20 years. We’re still dealing with the same old issues that exist even today.

Is that why a part of the movie has a slightly retro feel? Was that deliberate?
Yes, it’s deliberate. Every time, you can’t make a film to please the critics. It’s important to know your craft and have enough control over it. But it should not come in your way, with who you’re talking to. If you’re addressing certain issues, there should be clear communication for whom you are making a movie. I don’t think filmmakers should get confused about their target audience.

This movie is made for the people at large because I really believe that this is a story for the present day. We’ve never been more divided due to our communities than we are today.

Your film does touch upon community and caste.
Community, caste and our places of worship. Everything that can divide us is dividing us. Next will be which door you can enter the temple from and which door you can’t. These people can enter, those people can’t. This is an extremely important film in the present-day scenario. And the simpler it is told, the better. That’s why it’s made in a certain way.

I’ve made movies in the past, too. You aspire for different things at different stages of your life. In the earlier phase, you want critical acclaim so that people recognise you for your craft. After you have established that you know your craft, then you have a platform to say something beyond just repeatedly trying to prove yourself. And I think that’s the film I attempted and that’s what I made.

Did Kedarnath satisfy you as a filmmaker?
It has an old-school vibe to it. The additional part is that we have the backdrop of a beautiful 2,000-year-old temple, where the deity sits, that has gone through a storm. And when a calamity of that kind hits, all the silly issues that we create among ourselves go back to nothing. We should see the bigger picture of where we’re going as people, that’s what the film is trying to say.

There was an opinion that said you should have given more to the love story between Sara and Sushant.
That is all talking in retrospect. I really respect your opinion, because you’ve seen the film with more clarity than me because I’m so close to it.

But there are expectations from you because you are the kind of director who puts his passion into the story-telling.
That’s not the problem. It’s the kind of expectations that people have of me after they’ve seen Rock On!! (2008), Kai Po Che! (2013) and Fitoor (2016). And whether they have liked it or not, they have not seen that as a filmmaker, my attempt is to unlearn, go back to zero and make a film like a newcomer again, so I can discard my previous work. Every time a filmmaker helms a movie, it’s not the truth. There are different sides to it and a director shows his perspective on things, which is his truth.

To get into a new film, I can’t carry my ego, image or credibility. I’m servicing an idea. I have to listen to it as it will tell me how it has to be told. So, I try to leave my ego out of it and just start off as if I’m absolutely new again.

I wanted to tell some of the critics, ‘Why don’t you see it for what it is?’ They are thinking yeh bhi ho sakta tha, yeh Abhishek kar sakta tha, because they are probably calibrating what I could have done in a crafty way. Maybe it didn’t require that much of craft. Instead, it required that much simplicity, so that the last guy sitting in the theatre could hear us. That was the attempt.

How soon will you move on to your next film?
I’ve been working on exciting stuff lately. Some probably with new people, some with established actors... they are different kinds of material. So, I can’t wait to start them. Maybe in the next 10 days, I’ll take a short vacation and then jump right into the next one.

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; December 2, 2018)

Ever since Kedarnath was announced, it has been in the news for more reasons than one. Apart from the fact that it marks Sara Ali Khan’s debut, the film has had a tough journey what with it being embroiled in litigation over monetary issues, another producer taking over and the release date being juggled. But Sushant Singh Rajput, who plays the male lead, is unperturbed. When I meet him, he looks fresh and relaxed. Though he has already done a few interviews, there is no sign of fatigue or boredom. On the contrary, he answers every question animatedly. Here, the actor talks about his outing as a pithoo (porter, who carries pilgrims on his back), getting caught in the #MeToo Movement and why his co-star, Sara, deserves the spotlight...

How challenging was it for you to play a pithoo?
For me, as an actor specifically, it was not a challenge at all. When I perform in a film or on stage, if I connect with it, the last thing I think is, is it challenging? Of course, here the character had to lift someone and walk on a 45-60 degree steep plain. That, too, at a place where oxygen is less. You not only carry weight, but also say the dialogues. When it would rain, it would become slippery. Pithoos are generally of two kinds, one holding the horse and the other with the basket-seat that I am carrying. But in most of the scenes I have both, which is rare. Now, I think, it is not that difficult.

What kind of prep did you have to do for it?
I did two-three things before the shoot began. First, I sent my team, my friends to Kedarnath because I was shooting for something else. They stayed there for a week and talked to the pithoos.

They befriended them, walked with them up and down the hill, interviewed them and documented the entire thing. When they came back and I saw the videos, I created Mansoor’s (his character) room in my house in Mumbai. That’s what I do with all the characters I play in films. It’s a fun thing, nothing to be taken seriously. So in Mansoor’s room I had a gas cylinder, a stove, a khatiya and ghaas-phus. After that, I went to Kedarnath and interacted with the pithoos. I wanted to know their mindset, whatever I could gather from talking to them in broad strokes. Then there was the script, which was detailed enough, and the director who had caught the nuances. I incorporated all that into the character. There were a few things here and there that I had to do and develop some skills which wasn’t difficult given the time I had. I was paying attention to the nuances, some of which I understood but could not feel and wanted to feel them. That was the challenge and I think that part goes beyond films. As a group, we don’t tend to acknowledge nuances.

The film has grabbed attention as Sara Ali Khan’s launch vehicle. Did you feel a little left out?
Not at all. I can justify why I’m not getting affected. First, I know where it (the curiosity) is coming from, and why people are interested. I understand. I also understand that no matter what kind of reputation you have before you step in films, over a period of time it’s not so important. Your talent will speak. Second, will there be such curiosity for somebody who is not a starkid? Absolutely not. But the great thing about Sara is — what she was when I met her for the first time and all the hard work she did for the things she performed in the film before she started it — she is so sharp — she deserves that buzz and curiosity. Is it more than what it should be? Yes, but as I said, she deserves it. You will know when you watch the film. That’s my opinion, I could be wrong, but mostly I am right (smiles). Five years ago, I made my debut. I have done five-six films so far, but a debut film feels good, right? It is a very special thing. It is her time to shine, I have no problems at all.

The film sees you reuniting with director Abhishek Kapoor after a fallout...
There was no fallout. The only thing is such negative stories have a virality. They are remembered. People like to talk about that. If you google, that will pop up first. Google is a popular marker but not the right marker. Also, if there is a negative story and I’m not asked, I don’t deny it. People think if he is not denying, it is true. So, let me assure you, there was no fallout. Yes, we were working on Fitoor together and everything was right. And then suddenly there were so many things to manage, technical, dates and other things. I couldn’t manage the circumstances, something came up. He also couldn’t manage it, but at that point only, we decided to collaborate again.

Kedarnath also got embroiled in controversy and shooting was stalled..
That didn’t matter because those chunk of dates, (when it was stalled) I was shooting for some other film. It was not as a consequence of what had happened to Kedarnath, but it was already planned that way. So, even if the film’s shooting would have been underway I would be busy with the other movie. In any case, whatever happened, good or bad, the film has turned out exactly what we wished it to be.

Recently, you got caught in the #MeToo movement when there were reports of Sanjana Sanghi accusing you of misbehaviour...
(Cuts in) She didn’t accuse, it’s an assumption and that’s the problem — it’s not a fact. Five per cent stories said that the actress accused me, but you remember that. As I said that’s what happens with negative stories. However, the first time she spoke, she told the truth (denying any misbehaviour). If you ask me about the #MeToo movement, it’s a good thing, it’s important and should absolutely happen. There were casualties and I was one of them, which is unfortunate. Casualty in terms of being misunderstood. Was it a rumour? Yes. But the more we talk about it, the more I get harmed, so we should not (smiles).

Asserting that she showed potential early on, Kedarnath director Abhishek Kapoor on how he mentored Sara Ali Khan for her big Bollywood launch
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; November 19, 2018)

In a bid to employ fresh faces for his offerings, director Abhishek Kapoor has introduced many artistes in B-Town, including Sushant Singh Rajput and Prachi Desai. yet, playing mentor to Sara Ali Khan for Kedarnath was a different ball game.

"Sara comes from a film background, but doesn't have any acting experience. You've got to start from scratch to make [such artistes] film-worthy," says Kapoor, who has taken on the responsibility of launching Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh's daughter in the world of movies. "Sushant and Prachi had experience in television, and Rajkummar [Rao] had done other work. In contrast, Sara had no experience. But she had a spark; she is intelligent and has a strong personality."

The love story set in the temple town sees Khan play Mukku, a Hindu girl, who faces her family's wrath when she falls in love with a Muslim porter, essayed by Rajput. Crediting Khan for being "a good listener" and grasping the nuances of her character before facing the camera, Kapoor says, "[However], there's a difference between understanding a character and becoming it. On some days, she'd be off the mark, and at other times, she would be in the right state of mind. We've had some battles on set, and I've been quite the taskmaster. But it was in the best interest of the film; so that when people see her on screen, she shines. By the end of the film, Sara was flying, especially in the dramatic scenes."

The director has left the failure of his last offering - the Aditya Roy Kapur and Katrina Kaif starrer Fitoor (2016) - behind him. "I should have made it on a smaller budget," he rues, adding that the marketing team associated with the project insisted on making it a love story that could cater to the masses. "The film was adapted from Great Expectations, which is the story of an old woman who was jilted by her lover in her youth. It wasn't supposed to be a love story. I had an idea that [this had happened] when I finished the film."

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; November 5, 2018)

After courting controversy, production delays and casting challenges, director Abhishek Kapoor’s Kedarnath is finally gearing up for a release at the box office. But the filmmaker knows he can’t take it easy just yet. With the first song of the film, Namo Namo, releasing today, Abhishek is in the midst of wrapping up the film’s post-production. He spoke to BT about his experience of working on one of the most challenging films of his career. Excerpts…

Kedarnath has had quite an eventful journey. You’ve faced controversies, delays and just about every other production challenge possible. How does it feel that the film is about to release?
Once the film starts playing in theatres, and does well for itself, maybe then I will be relieved. Frankly, it wouldn’t have affected me much even if Kedarnath would have released in 2019. But I’m happy that 2018 gave us this wonderful opportunity to put the film out there. On a personal level, I feel good that after going through such a tumultuous journey, the film has entered its conclusive phase. The promotions have begun. I am not taking it easy. There is a lot of ground that needs to be covered. We’re ready to fire on all cylinders now.

After Fitoor (2016) released,you had apologized on social media for disappointing moviegoers. Do you feel nervous about the reactions to Kedarnath?
No. I’ve had a few successes, and now, some failures, too, which is a good balance. I have understood that failure teaches you so much more; success just feels good. Failure teaches you the art of introspection. When you introspect, you don’t just figure your weak points, but also put everything you’ve understood into your work. Eventually, you see your creativity grow and your horizons expand. The experience rejuvenates you and puts you on track. Every movie is made with a lot of love. Sometimes, films don’t receive the love they seek, but that doesn’t have to be taken negatively. For that matter, critics should not be taken negatively either. Some of them really offer you insights into what could have made your film better, while others gauge your current work on the basis of your repertoire. Also, not every critic is a lighthouse, so you have to absorb the necessary inputs in the right spirit.

You’ve set a Hindu-Muslim love story against the backdrop of the cloud burst that flooded Kedarnath. What drew you to this incident in particular?
It was a massive calamity and thousands of people lost their lives and livelihood. I have been to Vaishnodevi several times. The pilgrimage and the journey you make to catch a glimpse of the deity struck a chord with me. I wanted to tell a story about that side of India. Our cities are competing with the best of the world, but a visit to pilgrim sites like Kedarnath and Vaishnodevi shows you a more religious side of India. We are one of the only countries where people trek long and difficult terrains, carrying fragile and old people on their backs, to seek blessings from God. I decided to revisit what happened in Kedarnath because I wanted the audience to understand the magnitude of the calamity and feel the pain of those who braved it. As a community, Kedarnath forms the epicentre of our beliefs. It’s so strange that the temple stood unaffected, despite so much water gushing in with exceptionally high force. One of the layers of my story is about keeping one’s faith alive in the face of difficulties.

Casting Sara Ali Khan and Sushant Singh Rajput as the lead pair made headlines. While one is a debutante, the other has not had a happy run at the box office in the last two years. Does that put added pressure on the project?
No, I don’t think so, because I have not made a film to launch anyone. Today, I don’t feel any pressure whatsoever because I have a film with a compelling story which must reach people. Without that, you can’t have the drive to make a film while facing adversities, right? If your agenda is clear, nothing can pressurise you or put you in a corner. Yes, I know that there was talk about which film Sara will eventually debut with — Kedarnath or Simmba. I never set out to make a launch film for her. I met her, spoke to her and felt she has it in her to breathe life into this character. I think it’s more important to see whether she’s good in the film, which I think she is and I hope people agree with my thought. As for the toss-up between Simmba and Kedarnath, the sentiments are the same on both the sets, and Rohit Shetty and I want her to shine in both our films. As for Sushant, every actor has his share of ups and downs; that doesn’t take away from his performance or an impactful story.




A few months ago,when Kedarnath was caught in a legal tussle and the shoot came to a halt, what was the reaction from the team and the actors?
Let me set the record straight — the production of Kedarnath didn’t halt for as long as it was reported. We had trouble with our business partners and we were in the midst of a hurricane, but we moved on with the film, all guns blazing. Today, we’ve put that entire episode behind us and moved on. So, I don’t want to talk too much in detail about what happened. In that phase, there was nothing we could do, except finish our work and hope for the best. Trust me; we have been through a lot as a team. We could only emerge from that with self-belief and faith in our project. There was nothing else that could have given us the energy to keep the film on track. I have gained the experience of a lifetime. Besides that, I think the battle is not over yet. The real teachings of that phase will become evident once the film releases.

Saif Ali Khan, in his interview to BT, had said that he felt bad for what you went through and thanked God that Rohit Shetty and Karan Johar had sheltered his daughter Sara during the phase. What’s your reaction?
I completely understand his concern as a parent. I also understand what Amrita Singh must have felt during that phase. It was my sole responsibility to hold on to my film and bring it out well, because I was the only one who could do that. Not everyone would have understood what I was thinking then. As a producer and director, I couldn’t lose track of Kedarnath, come what may. I would not be here if I didn’t hold on to my film. It was a daunting situation and one that could have shattered my project completely. For Sara’s parents, it looked like their daughter’s debut was in jeopardy. They had to find their way around the situation and they did what they could do best for her.

Kedarnath also seems to have taken a toll on your relationship with your cousin Ekta Kapoor, your former partner on the film…
My film is my biggest priority right now. From the time Ekta and I parted ways on the film, I have surged far ahead with the project. I haven’t had the time to look behind and assess what the collaterals have been for me. Once the film is out, I will take time out to go back and understand what the implications have been, if any, on my personal equations with people.

While you braved the professional ordeal, on the personal front, you also welcomed your second baby. How did your wife Pragya handle the pregnancy and pressure of the film, as she, too, is a producer?
In the course of making this film, I understood so much more about Pragya. It’s only during testing times that certain hidden aspects of people’s personalities come to the fore. We were right in the middle of a difficult film like this when she was pregnant. I was divided between the film and her, but I was also beaming with pride to see just how well she operates under tremendous pressure.

You started the film by visiting the Kedarnath shrine. Do you plan to visit the temple again before release?
I don’t think I will make it to the temple before it closes for winter, but when it opens again, I will be at its doorstep with my faith intact.

'Fearless' Sushant Singh Rajput takes rumours about his professional and personal life head-on
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 14, 2017)

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; July 8, 2017)

From the time we last met, there’s been a remarkable change in Katrina Kaif. Otherwise hesitant to talk about her personal life, she accepts the emotional turmoil that she’s been through last year. It has made her stronger and a better version of herself. Today, she doesn’t get riled up about whatever is written about her — good or bad — unlike in the past when rumours would upset her. Talking to me, while munching on makhana, Kat gets candid about success, failure, the unique world of Jagga Jasoos, being Ranbir Kapoor’s heroine before-and-after their much public break-up and how she has grown in the last year.

You have completed around 14 years in the industry. Has your way of perceiving success and failure changed?
Of course. First, you respond to it like a child responds to a candy or to a kick. Or maybe, like a chocolate and biscuit sometimes (smiles). When you succeed, you are like, ‘Yippee, yay, party all night!’ Honestly, I didn’t see that much of failure in the earlier part of my career. So, didn’t really feel the lows of it. For me, the biggest experience of lows came with Fitoor and Baar Baar Dekho. Actually, not so much with Fitoor but Baar Baar Dekho’s failure really hit me. I did go through that process at that time. Now, I think I am a bit more balanced about it. I understand things better. There are a lot of things that are far beyond your control. The kind of back-to-back successes or support the audiences gave to the films I was a part of, at one point, that was anyway supposed to break. It’s not just for me, it will break for everyone. That’s the law of nature. Of course, it wasn’t fun when it did. But I’m more balanced right now.

Do failures make you work harder?
There’s really no room for me to work harder. There’s no harder work for me, you know what I mean? In fact, I keep reminding myself to take a step back because I work too hard. I think, in some way, it gives me a lot of gratification and peace that yes, I’m still in a position where I’m working with amazing actors, directors and getting good scripts even after my last two films not doing well.

That is also something you have to be careful about in this industry. You cannot place your value on success or failure. If you are good at your work and people believe in you, as an actor or performer, and you have the credibility with the audience, you won’t need to go up and down with every film.

Jagga Jasoos is a musical adventure. Is it a space you enjoy watching as a viewer?
Yeah, it is. I grew up watching films like Sound Of Music, Mary Poppins, Beauty And The Beast, My Fair Lady... I love that space and more recently, there was this film called Across The Universe. It didn’t do so well at the box office, but it was an amazing film. It’s a complete musical, amazing and very ahead of its time. When Dada (Anurag Basu) came up with this idea, I thought he had merged the two worlds — one that was a musical and the other which had the universal appeal of an adventure film. I always felt that this film was going to take time.

Ranbir has admitted that he wanted to shelve the film at one point. Did that thought ever cross your mind?
Yes, it did. In January last year, I felt that this film may get shelved. That was for a very short period of time. But after that and before that, I always believed that it was going to be made and we would finish it.

You went through a lot that time personally, and the last time you told us, you couldn’t give 100 per cent to your work before because you had other priorities. Comment.
Every day on the sets of Jagga, both Ranbir and I have been very passionate about the film. There wasn’t a lapse of interest for us because of the uniqueness of being on the set and what Dada was trying to create. In terms of the last year-and-half for me, I did have to get back into a different pace and rhythm at work. I think, I had to do it very quickly and I did that. I knew what I needed to do and I was determined that when Jagga went back on floors, I would give it my all; because back then, it was the only film I had. I could not allow anything come in the way of that.

There was a time you used to get really upset about all that was written about you. Are you more chilled out now?
I’m more accepting as long as it’s well within the realm of decency. Yes, I do think that I have become a little easier and I’m not so affected or bothered by everything. It’s also been that much longer. How long can you get affected by the same thing? But the amount of conjecture that people have regarding everything — well, I do find it a little humorous. It doesn’t greatly harm or bother me.

Your co-stars have always spoken about the energy you bring on the sets and off it. Post the break-up, was it difficult to get the same Katrina off the camera?
Whether it was, how difficult it was, is honestly something that will stay with me. And only with me. Not even with Dada. Because it’s not something I want to discuss. Not now, maybe. You can never say about the future, but definitely not right now. Whatever it was, however it was, it will always stay with me.

Post break-up, all the versions were coming out. Except yours. Did you feel cheated that time?
A really big lesson for me in the last year or so has been to not have a strong opinion about what the other person should do. That other person could be my mother, sister, husband, boyfriend, lover — whoever it is, we are all individuals. I may have an opinion on what’s right by me for you to be doing. But that’s what my version of what is right. It doesn’t need to be yours, too. But whatever a person does, I believe they are doing it for themselves. One individual should never deny another the right to do whatever they want to.

There were reports that you said you don’t want to work with Ranbir again. What if Jagga becomes a franchise as planned?
Honestly, none of us is thinking about that. I can give you that in writing. Firstly, I have got my few films lined up. So does Ranbir. And we all are waiting for that Friday to see the response to this film. There’s no thought beyond it. People might feel that we think and plan a lot, more than what we do, but right now, we are all here and our eyes are on that Friday.

But initially, it was meant to be a three-part series, with the second part beginning right from where this one ends. Has it been designed that way?
Lots of film are designed that way. This is also one of them. But it all depends on the outcome of the first one. In design yes, in principle yes — all of us, including Dada, thought it would be a series. But we all have to wait and see.

Purvaja Sawant (BOMBAY TIMES; July 7, 2017)

A young director who was on the verge of casting Roy Kapur thinks it’s an error of judgement
Subhash K Jha (DNA; January 20, 2017)

It looks like a sorry 2017 for Aditya Roy Kapur. Not that 2016 or 2015 were any better for him. In 2014 Aditya had a big box office dud with Yash Raj Films — Daawat-e-Ishq, that sank. In 2016 he was in UTV’s big budget bonanza Fitoor, that bombed. And now he began 2017 on the wrong note with Ok Jaanu with Karan Johar that has got a lukewarm response.

A young director who was on the verge of casting Roy Kapur thinks it’s an error of judgement. “Aditya thinks he’s choosing correctly. But he’s choosing the correct banners, not the scripts. By simply opting to work with Yash Raj, UTV or Karan Johar, he can’t ensure a successful film. Only the script can do that.” Says a trade analyst, “All he has to do is to choose the right type of films. He will learn from his mistakes. But yes has to pull up his socks NOW otherwise this industry is very harsh. They will write him off after one more flop.”

Says critic Raja Sen, “I haven’t watched Ok Jaanu, but judging from everything else he’s been in, I haven’t been at all impressed in any way by Aditya Roy Kapur.”

The year gone by has seen Disney India (formerly UTV Motion Pictures) deliver the highest grossing Hindi film ever (probable) in DANGAL and THE JUNGLE BOOK which is the highest grossing Hollywood film in India ever and both films are the biggest BLOCKBUSTERS ever for Disney India but it is has shut operations in India. Not only does it have these huge grossers but there is also BAAGHI which was a hit at the box office and is now running riot on television with almost 60 lakh impressions on first viewing and has hit 30 lakh plus impressions three to four times in repeat. Put into perspective these repeats are higher than the premieres of Shah Rukh Khan's FAN and Akshay Kumar's AIRLIFT and RUSTOM. This is no mean feat for a small film. Basically the five most popular films of the year in 2016 in India going by theatres and television are SULTAN, DANGAL, (this order can change in time) THE JUNGLE BOOK, HOUSEFULL 3 and BAAGHI and three of these of belong to Disney India. There has been a FITOOR and MOHENJO DARO but the huge popularity of the three above films more than counteract that.

It is rare to see a studio shut operations in the same year that they have delivered such hugely popular films but that is exactly what has happened to Disney India. This year the decision makers at Disney India would have seen what the audience wants as you have to be stupid not to see after such hugely successful films and on top you have also seen your content which has failed with the audience. It would give a clearer view of what Hindi cinema is all about. But this clearer view is probably too late as the American bosses have pulled the plug. The plug has been pulled because of what we call the DIL CHAHTA HAI syndrome which was probably there in the studio (and many others).

DIL CHAHTA HAI syndrome is

1. There was a film in 2001 called DIL CHAHTA HAI which a section (a fairly large section) of the industry for some reason followed in its story telling and its narrative style despite it being a poor film and rejected and by most of the audience at the box office and even more on television after. More about this fiasco (for the industry) on another day.

2. You make films which you want to make (DIL CHAHTA HAI) which is actually correct and what everyone should do but the problem is when the audience is kicking you in the teeth again and again then there has to be some rethink. It was not just Disney (then UTV) but the whole brigade which thought DIL CHAHTA HAI cinema was the way forward. It was okay at the time though as it was all corporate money and table profits so the audience opinion did not matter much but it had to tell as eventually someone somewhere had to cover the losses.

Disney India (formerly UTV Motion Pictures) started in 1997 with DIL KE JHAROKE MEIN (Manisha Koirala, Vikas Bhalla) which was a disaster were a part of this DIL CHAHTA HAI brigade post the release of the 2001 film and had their first hit in 2006 with RANG DE BASANTI and the same year had KHOSLA KA GHOSLA which no one saw but was raved about in the media and probably this brigade in the industry also. Actually even RANG DE BASANTI was more talked about than what it actually achieved at the box office and after on television. The company continued with this type of cinema which was never going anywhere not in India at least but there were some huge bright spots like hugely appreciated films like ROWDY RATHORE and CHENNAI EXPRESS and well liked acquisitions like RACE and YEH JAWAANI HAI DEEWANI.

Then in late 2013 they hit the jackpot as Disney wanted its share in the Indian market and took over UTV Motion Pictures but Disney is a blockbuster studio. When someone like that comes to India they expect the blockbusters and biggest films but here what they got was DIL CHAHTA HAI cinema and duds like HAIDER, KATTI BATTI and FITOOR etc. which would have been a shock to their system. THE JUNGLE BOOK despite being a foreign film is more Indian in its story telling and emotions than all these films. There were blockbuster acquisitions like KICK and PK but one was highly priced while the other on commission so returns were not huge as the success of those films warranted. This was more than counteracted by acquiring of poor films like PHANTOM, TAMASHA and MOHENJO DARO at fancy prices where just the first named alone more than killed the profits on KICK and PK and this would not have gone down well in at Head Office in California.

The irony of it all is that just when a studio is coming out of some misconceptions (has to be after DANGAL, THE JUNGLE BOOK, BAAGHI and there was also last years ABCD 2) it has to shut up shop which is sad. Actually the misconceptions could have come out earlier when a ROWDY RATHORE and CHENNAI EXPRESS was there but there is a fluke like BARFI in among them and that gives hope that this can be the correct road especially if the people making creative decisions believe in that road. But if you dig deeper into all the facts and figures of BARFI everything is crystal clear that it can happen but rarely and post its theatrical run there is only rejection as though numbers came in theatres its through a minority and wider audience was not interested.

The other sad part is that Disney India is a powerful distribution outfit today with a huge presence in all the circuits and now despite this clout it will not be releasing any Hindi films barring the pending JAGGA JASOOS unless headquarters in California have a rethink. A rethink could actually mean a much better Disney India after what has happened in 2016 but if its still DIL CHAHTA HAI syndrome then there would not much hope for this industry.

Note - Some films in the list will be acquisitions released as a distribution concern

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; January 5, 2017)

Aditya Roy Kapur on his plans to make music, romance and bonding with his siblings
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 15, 2016)


Three years ago, when he strummed the guitar in Aashiqui 2, there were many who actually believed the performance was for real. And they were not completely off track. Aditya Roy Kapur reveals that when he was in St Xavier’s College, he had a band and recalls one particular show at St Cathedral’s for a 12th standard farewell bash. “Of course, the main reason for going was to see the girls,” he chuckles, but admits that he’s not just been singing and playing the guitar, he’s even penned 40 songs.

Talking about his first big hit, he remembers director, Mohit Suri, taking him into the studio and recording a track with him, which he’d play after Arijit Singh’s to help him get into character. “Later, I played a few of these soon-to-be-chartbusters for the unit, and Shraddha (Kapoor) insisted I do something with this talent of mine. She’s always been encouraging but I treated music as a hobby and never pursued it seriously,” he acknowledges.

That’s going to change. In the next one year, Aditya plans to come out with his own album. “It’ll be in English, some form of rock, with songs I’ve written and guitar, drums and electronic,” he informs, adding that he’s interested in giving playback only if his voice enhances the composition.

Another resolution is to work a little more since he’s happiest on a film set. He has Ok Jaanu coming up. It’s the Hindi remake of Mani Ratnam’s 2015 Tamil romantic drama, O Kadhal Kanmani, which featured Dulquer Salmaan in the lead. Aditya admits he loved the original and was blown away by the performances but insists that the fact that their film is in Hindi, will change a few things. Point out that Dulquer’s fans are waiting to tear into him, aggrieved that Karan Johar didn’t launch their hero in Bollywood, and Aditya insists he’s not taking any pressure that would give him an attack of nerves.

“The blueprint given to us was pure gold and much as I loved the original, the idea was to just be myself. It’s a relevant subject, I see a lot of my friends grappling with the same questions, unsure about whether to live in and get to know your partner better or take the plunge. Our film doesn’t make a case for live-in relationships nor does it run down marriages. It just juxtaposes one against the other seamlessly through the lives of two couples,” he rationalises.

What would he opt for? “For me there’s no right or wrong. Just do things your way,” he asserts. “Everyone wants companionship, that’s why the institution of marriage is celebrated. But as far as I’m concerned, forget talking about it, I avoid even thinking about marriage. The day I meet someone I want to spend the rest of my life with and feel I’m ready for it, I’ll think about it.”

Buzz is, he’s getting serious about a makeup artiste, Marianna Mukuchyan? “She’s just a friend. We got clicked a couple of times and people put two and two together. I’m happily single, thank you,” he states firmly.

Since Aashiqui 2, there’s been plenty of speculation about Shraddha and him, even talks of an engagement. Though Aditya’s denied ever being in a relationship with her, have these rumours ever made them awkward with each other? “Never!” he insists. “As a public figure you learn to take such conjectures in your stride and as an actor, it comes with the job. For three years these rumours have come up and morphed into different stories. Now we don’t even acknowledge them.”

Has Shraddha changed over the years, you wonder, and he admits she’s achieved all her dreams, including playback but is still the girl he met before Aashiqui 2. Has he achieved his dreams? “It’s hard to say because acting just happened and I’ve just gone with the flow.”

There’s talk of another Karan Johar production and one action flick? “That’s news to me, but if it’s true I’ll be happy to do them,” he smiles. “I was lucky to get OK Jaanu after my last film failed. We started shooting a month after Fitoor released so there was no time to wallow in depression,” he reflects.

His brother, Siddharth Roy Kapur, is set to start his own studio. Will he act in one of his films? “Why not? There are three of us—Sid, Kunaal and me—and though we all think differently, it’d be fun to collaborate,” he avers. There’s also talk of Sid building a bungalow so they can all live together. “Really? That too is news to me. I’ll call Sid immediately and tell him I want the top floor,” he signs off with a laugh.

Katrina Kaif on why her attitude towards Baar Baar Dekho is different from her previous two films...
Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; August 29, 2016)

 Her last two films Phantom and Fitoor could not spell magic at the box-office, but Katrina Kaif isn’t disheartened. She’s raring to go. With Baar Baar Dekho, she admits. “I think we all have put our best foot forward. I have tried to give 1,000 per cent to this one.” She is still the same reserved person she always used to be, measuring her words and always saying the right things. Visibly tired after a long day of interviews, Katrina still sits down for another one with a smile. And we begin our chat. Excerpts:

Kala Chashma is getting better reactions than Chikni Chameli. Agree?
To me, it’s hard to see the difference. Kala Chashma is a great track to get. That also, after a long time. Probably after many years, I felt there is a kind of energy in the song. Bosco and I have an amazing equation together and he was one of the first people to push me into dance and get me to do things right. Then, there was Sid... dancing with him in the song was amazing. Those things drove all of us to come up with something really fun, something clutter-breaking.

Phantom and Fitoor didn’t do well at the BO. You think Baar Baar Dekho will break that jinx?
First of all, I don’t think it’s a jinx. I feel, in both those films (Phantom, Fitoor), my concentration was not 100 per cent. My priorities were slightly different at that point in time. I guess I was in a very relaxed space. My focus was not 1,000 per cent like it should have been on a film set. That was also an important lesson for me to learn. If a person takes things for granted or takes it easy, it will always show and the film will obviously suffer. I know I could have done better. Not that I didn’t try, I did. Especially in Fitoor, we all tried a lot. But maybe, I could have tried harder and could have given more.

Given a chance, would you like to see what’s in store for your future?
I would not mind seeing it if I really got a chance.

But if you could go back in time and change something, what would it be?
I don’t think we should regret any decision we make. I think everything you’ve done, as long as you’ve done it being true to yourself, then you should not punish yourself or kick yourself for what you’ve done. If I could tweak anything about myself, it would just be to worry or stress less.

You’re doing back-to-back films with Karan Johar after many years. Why the long wait?
There hasn’t been such a long wait. As actors, the media sometimes reads too much into things. There is no planning as such. You do the scripts that you like and most of the times, it’s a matter of coincidence. There aren’t banners that you choose where you are restricting yourself to working with only a certain banner or person.

You play different ages in the film. What was your first reaction when you saw yourself as a 60-year-old?
We had the best prosthetics team in the world. So I was very happy. We had loads of fun. Playing a 60-year-old was not even an issue. It was not distracting. Nitya (Mehra, director of the film) had done a lot of work with us. We didn’t just walk on to the set trying to execute this film. We had discussions about each phase. We did a lot of look tests to check how we looked. Nitya was very clear about how she saw both our characters at every age, knowing exactly what they would be feeling. That was priceless guidance to have.

Baar Baar Dekho is clashing with Freaky Ali. Comment.
This is the first time anyone has mentioned this to me. I don’t think the clash will affect any of the films because they are two very different films. Had the genre of both the films been the same, that would not be a good idea to clash. Everyone would love to have a solo release, of course. We announced the date a year ago. We obviously could not shift it. I think the producers of Freaky Ali also felt it was a good date for them as well. There’s enough space for everyone.

Shilpi Sampad (MID-DAY; July 5, 2016)

We are already halfway into 2016 and have seen a mix of actioners, romantic dramas, biopics, thrillers and comedies keeping their date with cinebuffs. But if an assessment of the box office has to be made, Bollywood seems to have encountered more speed bumps than smooth roads in the first six months.

Four and a half dozen films released within this time period, but only two — Airlift and Housefull 3 — managed to break into the Rs 100-crore league. Both films starred Akshay Kumar, but they belonged to diverse genres — the first one was a drama-thriller while the other a leave-your-brains-at-home comedy.

Trade analyst Amod Mehra says, “It wasn’t a very exciting first half. There were some hits, and many average grossers and flops. The only silver lining was that except May, every month had at least one film of which people took notice — Airlift in January, Neerja in February, Kapoor & Sons in March, Baaghi in April and Housefull 3 in June.”

Trade folk suggest the first half of most years is more or less lacklustre, but what took them by surprise was the steady dominance of Hollywood at the Indian box office. “No Hindi release could match up to the might of The Jungle Book, which did a solid business of Rs 175 crore here. Then came Marathi film Sairat, collecting Rs 90 crore and giving many Bollywood films a run for its money. It was undoubtedly, the surprise package of the year,” adds Mehra.

If sources are to be believed, Hollywood films made over $ 61 million at the Indian box office in 2016’ s first half in comparison to the $ 62 million they made in all of 2014 what with several of them overshadowing Bollywood releases. “The Conjuring 2 released alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui- starrer Te3n and collected Rs 3 crore more on its opening day. Overall, it minted Rs 50 crore, which is the highest for any English language horror film in India,” says exhibitor-distributor Akshaye Rathi, adding that other Hollywood releases like The Jungle Book, Captain America: Civil War and Deadpool were some films that gave B’wood a tough time.

Rathi says “small is big” has clearly been the highlight of this year so far. “Small films with controlled budgets emerged victorious at the box office. Airlift and Neerja were the best examples,” he adds.

As far as the biggest disappointments go, Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Fan and Katrina Kaif and Aditya Roy Kapur’s Fitoor take the cake. Made on a big budget, the former just about broke even while the latter incurred losses. Even Azhar and Udta Punjab couldn’t cash in on the controversy that they were embroiled in. “One thing is clear,” says Mehra, adding, “The audience wants entertaining films, irrespective of the genre or language.”

DNA (February 19, 2016)

Now that Fitoor’s fate is close to sealed, the truth can be told. Apparently, during its shooting, director Abhishek ‘Gattu’ Kapoor and his producers had “innumerable creative differences” over how the film should be shot and later, marketed.

Says a source close to to Abhishek, “Gattu wanted to do a faithful adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. He never wanted to make his film solely about the love story between Katrina Kaif and Aditya Roy’s characters, Noor and Firdaus. In his screenplay, the dramatic conflict is between Tabu and Kat’s characters.” But the producers had a different plan, it seems.

Says the source, “The plot moved away from being about the conflict between the mother and daughter (played by Tabu and Katrina) and became a Kat-Adi love story.”

Also, as it turns out, there were several arguments about the filming of the Pashmina track, which wasn’t part of the film. Gattu opposed the shooting and airing of such a song. But the producers went ahead and released a romantic music video for the song without the director’s approval.

Sarita A Tanwar (DNA; February 15, 2016)


Fitoor was an odd choice. what attracted you to the script?
There is nothing odd about it.

I mean, too niche a film...
Actually, when I read it on paper, it didn’t seem like a niche film. The way people are processing it now, it might appear to be so, but it seemed like a very relatable kind of story that people could connect with. It was very Indian in the sense the main protagonist is someone who is not from an upper class or anything. He is a Hindi speaking boy from the Dal lake experiencing love. It had the whole rich girl and poor boy dynamics, so you’d think that would be able to cut across all demographics. Even how Tabu’s character is, the way she speaks... it’s not elitist, it’s not alienating. It’s not about a thing about rich people’s problems so it seemed to me that if you can emotionally touch a chord with the script, it could cut across all sections. So yeah, it didn’t seem to be like a niche film.

The director Abhishek Kapoor is known to make niche films...
Fitoor is his most commercial outing, I think because it’s a love story. I think love stories are inherently commercial and universally kind of loved.

Did you watch the films or read the novel before you began to shoot? How did you prepare for the role?
I didn’t read the novel. It’s not because I’m lazy, that’s Katrina’s theory (laughs). I didn’t read it because it was adapted as a screenplay and very different from the book. They were two very different things. I had seen the Ethan Hawke's film Great Expectations quite a while ago and I didn’t really like it. It didn’t really fulfill me emotionally, it left me a little cold. It is a very tricky film anyway, it’s not an easy film to make but visually that film really stuck with me. The reason I didn’t read the novel was because I didn’t want to confuse myself like say he has adapted it so there was something in the script that was not in the novel. Yeah, I’ll be playing something else.

What was the most difficult part of preparing for Fitoor?
There were quite a bunch of things. Like physically like I had to work hard because after Daawat-e-Ishq, I had to lose a lot of weight. That was pretty intense, like in 10-11 months, I lost 17 kilos. It was very psychotic. It was like an obsession or a madness. I wouldn’t have one even one sugar free in my coffee. But that kind of centered me and this character needed to be subdued. I speak fast, I am a born-in-Bombay guy. For Noor, I had to be a little more centered, quiet and reticent. Also the way he speaks, his body language.. I spent some time in Kashmir, I went for a recce and stayed back. I spent some time with the locals just to kind of get some ideas, their mannerisms, lingo, to get little clues.

What else?
I did some art classes because I had to look convincing in that whole thing and welding, that was fun. That was a few months, a couple of months. It all didn’t come into the film as you know stuff gets edited out... I did some stuff like melting metal, like fun stuff. It’s perks of the job to be able to learn new stuff. That apart, I had to get myself emotionally charged up for this role. Because it’s like this guy loves a girl from the time he is a kid and continues loving her even though it’s not reciprocated. That’s something I have not been through, thankfully so I had to get that right. Because your love not being reciprocated, is not really nice.

Do you think this generation can relate to something like that? Aren’t they all about moving on?
It is not a generation thing, I feel. Humans like to feel loved back, if they don’t they are won’t pursue it endlessly. Maybe more, I guess, you move on faster, probably so. But kids are growing up very fast nowadays that’s for sure.

Was this part of obsessive lover part of Noor completely unrelatable to you?
I can only pursue someone up to a point. I have never gone through a situation where I have tried to woo someone who was not showing mutual interest. No, but I don’t think that’s my thing. I don’t know if I can love like that. I never had to go through it. Lucky me, touchwood. I think it is relevant because love is something that is through all the ages you love and I think we are all alike. But in films, we need to show things that are heightened versions of reality. You want to see someone that is larger than life. You want to see stories and lives that you don’t see every day. So, you have to show the audience a love so great... because they are also coming to see it and want to be convinced.

What was the best part of playing Noor for you?
I think it was the mental thing of trying to just wrap my head around how he is. Because you know you have to rationalise. How has he lived all these years and still he is painting her and it’s all about Firdaus and how he is able to live like that, just to understand that. I don’t know if it’s come across or not but emoting that was challenging. This is the one film — I might be boring and all — but I was waking up before time everyday just to get on the sets because the world he was creating for me was so novel. The story was interesting and the journey of the character goes and being able to look at situations through this character was exciting. And to imagine how it would be for a small-town boy to come and just experience this, was thrilling. I was feeling so excited to get to play this part that every day was like a dream for me.

Is there something in Noor that you identify with?
I think that he is passionate and I find that I am passionate about a few things. If I am in a relationship, I’m kind of invested about my work. I find that acting is something I love doing from the last few years. I try to get it right and yeah, I am passionate about cricket and singing.

Were you happy with the way you played your character? If you could go back and change something what would it be?
Every film of mine, when I watch it, there is something I wish I had done differently. I cringe a lot while watching my films. But I do pat myself on the back sometimes, and it is important to do that, too. And more important to later, let it go. But I know there are some things for sure. What it was in Fitoor, I don’t want to let out. That’s not right because I’d rather people find it.

What’s this about you being the best kisser?
Well whatever it is, I think it’s great. I have to thank Gattu for that. (Laughs) And no, we haven’t kissed.

You have done three romantic films back-to-back. Is that deliberate?
Yes, the three solo-hero films that I have done have been romantic films, but it’s not deliberate. I would like to explore different genres as well, though within the lover- boy zone, all three have been very different roles. I’d love to do an action film. I grew up watching them, so I’d love to do them. I’d love to do comedy.

What’s your favourite genre to watch?
When I was growing up it was Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan stuff, but now I like watching a good drama. It depends on the mood. Sometimes, you want to watch an action film, or a good solid drama. Or if you have had a heavy week, a no-brainer light film...

What about horror?
I love horror. I don’t think we have cracked it over here, because being scared is such a universal feeling that horror can strike a chord anywhere, if you are doing it well. Somehow we look down upon the genre.

Yes, we don’t see any of the big actors and directors venturing into that space.
True, we don’t even make many murder mysteries, you know?

How romantic you are on a scale of one to ten?
I would say five.

This Valentine’s Day, Katrina Kaif on the idea of being in love and out of it as well
Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; February 14, 2016)


What does love mean to you?
Perseverance. See there are many explanations which I can give you here. This is something that can cover 35 pages or 20 editions of the paper. It’s not just about the laughing, smiling and the holding hands or the beautiful feeling that you have when you are in love. It’s also about sticking together through tough times. It’s about believing and supporting the other person. More than that, you need to have faith in the zidd (stubbornness) of your own love. When we talk about being stubborn, it’s usually taken in a very negative connotation but if you remove that, it becomes perseverance. Refusing to let go of that belief is all that you need to sustain a relationship.

Has doing an intense romantic film like Fitoor altered your perception on love?
Not at all. I don’t subscribe to such theories. You need to learn, understand, dissect, indulge and divulge into every aspect of your character. You need to know who she is or who he is when you go on set. But I don’t believe that you need to take that person with you necessarily. Like one can have different thoughts in the head, you can still hold on to your true essence of being yourself and be completely involved in portraying a different character in a film.

If you had to dress up for V-Day, what would you pick?
If I was going out on a Valentine’s Day date or advising someone who was going on one, I would just say be very comfortable. Don’t wear something that you would be awkward in or adjusting all the time. You should not wear anything that you would need to fidget with all the time. Wear something you have worn before, which you have previously tried out. You don’t always have to go for a new outfit. Be yourself and don’t worry about how you are looking!

What’s your idea of a perfect date?
For me, I have never been a person who’s kind of obsessed with dates. It’s not about the location or what you are doing or the dinner or the restaurant. It’s about who you are with and the time you are spending together. So you can be sitting on Carter Road just having a vada pav and talking. That can be beautiful date. You can be in the fanciest restaurant with a person you don’t connect with and that will end up being a miserable date!

Being a celebrity, you probably can’t eat a vada pav on a street.
(Cuts in) Of course, I can. Watch me!

When was the last time you did that?
So many times. Maybe not so recently, but I have done this a lot of times in the past, even after I started my Bollywood career and people recognised me. I don’t fear my celebrity status at all because it doesn’t restrict me from going to places. You just need to be a little selective. Maybe you won’t go to let’s say, Carter Road, but some other road where there’s less of a crowd. You can still make it work for you and live a very free life. You don’t have to feel imprisoned by the fact that you are a known face.

What kind of a person are you when in love?
Complete. My belief and vision of love is very, very complete. I think I have learnt a lot also over the years. As you grow and you mature, your understanding of love takes different turns. You learn new aspects about it. You learn the importance of supporting the other person’s vision, their desires, their goals and not just trying to sustain the feeling of love you have between the two of you. Love is important for most people and there are very few people who would say Love does not matter to me. I definitely belong to the former. For me, it’s super important. Very few things can substitute the feeling of being happy in love.

One thing you will never accept when in love…
That’s a very hard thing to say because one can’t control the other person. That’s human tendency which you have to accept. No matter how much you love someone, you cannot control or dictate his/her actions. Let’s rephrase it a bit. One thing I feel is essential in a relationship is honesty. Also, a little kindness and being true to your words help.

One thing you don’t do when in love…
I would never cheat on somebody or hurt someone’s feelings. I am always very honest.

What’s the most romantic thing someone has done for you?
That I don’t know. For me, romantic gestures haven’t held as much weight as the time. The time spent with the person you connect with deeply and who you love.

What’s the most special thing you have done for someone?
I will let that remain a secret between me and that person! (Smiles)

What does someone need to do to sweep you off your feet?
Nothing at all, if he’s the right person! (Smiles)

One thing your relationships have taught you…
That there’s always more to learn and you can always evolve, learn and grow in your relationships just the way you do in your work. Rethinking, looking into things. I have learnt to adapt to the changes in the other person. Also, it’s very important to believe in what you are saying and commitment is something I stand by. Some people don’t value that enough. Some relationships don’t value that enough. Personally, respecting your commitment of love to somebody is giving yourself respect too. If I respect my choice, I am giving mysef respect by honouring that commitment. I read a very beautiful line about love recently. It says: ‘If you treat love with the dignity and respect it deserves, it will serve you the entire life’. That sums it up. I probably haven’t got it exactly right, but basically what I mean to say is if you treat love in terms of behaviour and attitude to your relationship, that love in return will be there to support you.

You have always been private about your love life. Is it a conscious thing?
For the most part, yes! Conscious is the wrong word, but it just happened. How it happened, I honestly don’t even remember. (Laughs) That’s quite a few years ago. Later and gradually, it became obviously something much more consciously. Till today, that remains largely and for the most part, something I have tried to maintain.

You have closely guarded your personal life and there has always been speculation…
Always! And there will always be speculation. (Smiles)

Are you more comfortable with such speculation now?
Being comfortable and being used to something are two different things. Am I used to it? Is it expected? Yes, absolutely! Will I ever celebrate or rejoice it? I doubt it! I don’t think anyone wants so many observations and opinions on what’s going on in their personal lives.

Can you be friends with an ex?
Of course, I think that’s possible. Firstly, no one person has the authority to speak on love. But in general, we see so many people who have shared past histories and remain friends. So why can’t I be friends with an ex? I have been friends with few of them in the past.

Last year’s debacle Shaandaar proved that even films that seem like for-sure great entertainers can turn out to be damp squibs. Fitoor gets added to this list. It’s a film that had everything going in its favour – great star cast, a successful director, a superb production house, soulful music, stunning locations and adapted from a classic novel. Alas, despite so many strengths, Fitoor fails to entice and entertain!

The story of the movie: Noor (Aditya Roy Kapur) is a fine painter based in Srinagar. He gets a chance to work in Delhi and showcase his paintings. In the capital city, he meets Firdaus (Katrina Kaif), whom he used to love a lot as a kid. Firdaus too had feelings for him and it gets reignited. However, their love story is not going to be easy, chiefly because of Firdaus’s mysterious mother, Begum Hazrat (Tabu).

Fitoor has a fine beginning and does have some engaging moments in the first hour. However, it’s nothing extraordinary and once Noor-Firdaus get intimate, the film starts falling. The conflicts in their love story never seem big enough and hence very unconvincing. Also, the chemistry between the lead pair is lacking. Begum is a great character but at places, it doesn’t make the desired impact. Also, her sequences in the end could have been better executed. There are moments in the second half where the film does catch one’s attention but again, the following sequence takes the film back into the unexciting phase.



Fitoor rests on fine performances but none of them would list in ‘one of the best performances of the year’ category. Aditya Roy Kapur does a fine job and it’s great that he’s playing different kind of characters. His body in the film is enviable and he ensures he gets to flaunt it regularly throughout the narrative. Katrina Kaif as always looks extremely stunning. She gives her best shot and it’s sad that despite featuring in a film that gives her an author backed role, it won’t add much to her career since the film itself is not memorable enough. She has a superb screen presence and deserves better films and better performances. Tabu plays a complicated character and tries her best to do justice. Ajay Devgn (Muazzam) in fact is the best performer in the film. Although he just has a special appearance, his scenes take the film to another level. Rahul Bhat (Bilal) is strictly okay. Aditi Rao Hydari (young Begum) and Akshay Oberoi (Mufti) do a fine job. Master Mohammed Abrar Sheikh (little Noor) and baby Tunisha Sharma (little Firdaus) deliver great performances and dominate the first 20 minutes of the film quite well. Lara Dutta (Leena) is fine and looks quite pretty. Kunaal Khyaan (Aarif) makes his presence felt. Others are okay.

Amit Trivedi’s music is soulful but sadly, most of the songs are not allowed to make an impact. Ranga Re is an awesome track (superb instrumentals) but is wasted in the film. Same goes for Haminastu. Viewers will be disappointed to know that the video of Aditya-Katrina dancing in the Pashmina song is missing in the film. But Pashmina’s audio and title song thankfully are neatly incorporated. Hitesh Sonik’s background score is exhilarating. Anay Goswamy’s cinematography is very stunning. The locales are beautifully captured. Supratik Sen and Abhishek Kapoor’s screenplay is not engaging enough. Supratik Sen’s dialogues however are layered, sharp and make a lot of sense. Abhishek Kapoor’s direction doesn’t quite work, which is shocking since he rocked with Kai Po Che. But then the script itself isn’t exciting and hence he couldn’t do much in the direction department. He just couldn’t involve the audiences in the drama which seems scattered and very unconvincing. He surely has the ability and hope he gets back to his form with his next film!

On the whole, Fitoor is a disappointing and dull fare. It has so many plusses going on in its favour but the unexciting script and direction ruin the show. Avoid!

My rating - ** out of 5!