Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 1, 2017)

While Mumbaikars found themselves scrambling for shelter and altered schedules to remain indoors in the wake of Tuesday's torrential downpour, the resilient Bollywood industry continued to clock in hours on set. The team of Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar's Fukrey 2 battled all odds to continue filming at Andheri's Filmalaya Studios, a source from the production house tells mid-day.

"The shoot could not have been pushed back since Ali [Fazal, cast member] was set to leave for Venice on Friday to attend the premiere of his Brit film, Victoria ^ Abdul. Filming had already been deferred last week due to Ali's poor health. So, the team had to continue shooting on Tuesday," the source says.

That the unit was stranded within the studio due to waterlogging was also reason for them to continue filming. "There were frequent power cuts, so, they had to use alternate sources of power. Also, given that Varun Sharma [cast member] lives near the location, food was supplied from his home since restaurants in the vicinity were shut."

Shooting for the title track, which is also the promotional number, was underway, and was the last sequence to be canned to complete the film. To cheer the cast and crew after wrapping up the film, director Mrigdeep Singh Lamba threw an intimate bash.

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 3, 2016)

The 2013 comedy, Fukrey, had ended with Bholi Punjaban (Richa Chadha) landing up in jail following a well thought of ploy by the four boys — Pulkit Samrat, Ali Fazal, Manjot Singh and Varun Sharma. In the sequel, said to be a funny revenge saga, Bholi returns from prison and won’t spare the men who duped her. Going by the story itself, the spotlight this time round is on Richa, and that doesn’t seem to have gone down well with the other actors.

Word from the corridors of Excel Studios is that the four male leads are still renegotiating their remuneration even as the film is set to roll a fortnight later. The boys aren’t too happy that a female actor has been handed a better deal in what is a quintessentially bromantic film.

A unit hand informs, “Payment to talent is based on their market value and their role in a film. Since Richa has a big part to play, she has been offered a lump sum amount. She has signed the contract and started prepping, which involves losing a lot of weight.”

Ali had green- lighted the movie before his Hollywood film, Victoria & Abdul, was announced. He returns to India on November 11 and is yet to sign the contract, we hear. Pulkit, who apparently was the most commercially viable actor of the lot till last year, has suffered a setback after his last outing, Junooniyat, didn’t fare as expected, adds the unit member.

“Manjot, too, had a bit role in Azhar, which bombed at the box office. Though Varun last did Dilwale, Fukrey will help revive his mojo. None of them intends to back out of the project, but they are all yet to sign on the dotted line. They’re talking money and aren’t happy with Richa being paid more.”

While Varun refused to comment, Ali’s spokesperson reasons that since he has been out of India since August, he will sign the contract once he is back. Pulkit’s spokesperson maintains, “He has signed the contract and will start shooting in mid-November.”

The team takes off to Delhi on November 17 and the film’s first schedule begins on November 19. Ali is expected to join the shoot three days later.

An Excel insider, on the condition of anonymity, quips, “Arguments over payment are commonplace. These are minor hitches that eventually become irrelevant in the long run.”

After repeatedly postponing, makers start shoot without Fazal, who is working on aH’wood film in London
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; October 4, 2016)

The ensemble cast of Fukrey — Pulkit Samrat, Ali Fazal, Varun Sharma and Richa Chadha is set to return to the big screen next year. But, with Ali signing a Hollywood project, Victoria And Abdul, starring Judi Dench, the film’s shoot has constantly been delayed.

The first schedule was supposed to roll out in the beginning of this month, but had to be pushed back to mid- November to accommodate the actor’s dates. Now, Ali has made the makers reshuffle the schedule all over again. Tired of waiting for him, the team of Fukrey 2 has now decided to start filming without him.

A unit hand says, “Ali told them flatly that the prep cannot be done from the set of his current film for which he is shooting in the outskirts of London. A considerable amount of time needs to be spent on his look for Fukrey 2. This would have caused further delay and we couldn’t have begun shooting before November-end. Mrigdeep (Singh Lamba, director) and Ritesh (Sidhwani, producer) have decided to begin shooting in early November.

Ali can join the cast when he is back. ”Since Ali’s first hit, Fukrey, was under Excel Productions’ banner, co- producers Ritesh and Farhan Akhtar, and Mrigdeep have been thrilled about his Hollywood movie. But, at the same time, holding the film’s shoot for one person can lead to monetary loss. In the current climate, a film with that budget cannot stretch shoot period,” adds the insider.

Despite repeated calls, Mrigdeep and Ritesh remained unavailable for comment. Ali’s spokesperson, however, confirms, “There were some changes, but now things are back on track. Ali had to manage his dates between both films which had extensive schedules. He returns to India by mid-November, after which he will start shooting for his part in Fukrey 2. ”

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 3, 2016)