Chitrangda Singh explains why she is selective about work, admits direction is on her bucket list
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 15, 2020)

For Chitrangda Singh, the lockdown, enforced to deal with the Coronavirus pandemic, is a time to bond with her son Zorawar. “His safety is most important and it feels good to be around him,” says the actress from Delhi, admitting that after initially enjoying time off from work, the self-isolation is now weighing heavy. “You start out missing the outside, then reach a stage when you enjoy being home, then… Emotions are see-sawing.”

She shares that when she was growing up, a friend of her father’s told her that it’s good to be bored sometimes because this pushes you to explore and discover new things about yourself. “I’m sure when we look back at this time in future, we will think of all the good that came out of it,” she asserts. So, what has she discovered about herself? “That I can make a very good mud brownie cake anytime,” Chitrangda laughs, admitting that she’s baking again after years and has also done some charcoal sketches, which is another hobby she has gone back to.

She will next be seen in Sujoy Ghosh’s Bob Biswas opposite Abhishek Bachchan. It’s been almost two years since her last onscreen outing, Baazaar. The actress insists she’s being selective for a reason. “I was just waiting for the right project with the right people. I didn’t want to only play the emancipated woman, one who is either a superwoman or a seductress. If I’m not happy, it is difficult for me to show up at work every day. I am in a good space right now and happy that I took the time,” she reasons.

On the subject of her next, she says she’s been wanting to work with Sujoy for a while. “I love the way he portrays women in his films. We came close to working together once before, but it didn’t work out,” she shares, going on to rave about “amazing actor” Abhishek and how he underplays his role. “Saif (Ali Khan, her Baazaar co-star) is also a subtle actor with his own nuances. Ditto Abhishek, who is also a walking encyclopedia with so much to share.”

Chitrangda was shooting for the film in Kolkata when the outbreak brought everything to a halt. “I was supposed to start another film after wrapping up Bob Biswas around this time, but now everything has been pushed indefinitely,” she sighs.

In 2018, she turned producer with the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer, Soorma, a biopic on India’s former hockey captain, Sandeep Singh. She had also announced a sequel to it. Prod her on this and she says, “I have the rights to another person’s incredible life story, who is also a real-life hero. We have a director and writer on board and the script is being developed. We were waiting for some things to fall into place when the pandemic struck. It has been in limbo since, but the film will definitely be made. Stories of underdogs rising attract me and Soorma 2 will be no different. It won’t be a sportsperson, but the story is as inspiring.”

Five years ago, Chitrangda did a special song, “Aao Raja”, in Akshay Kumar’s Gabbar Is Back. Any other song in the offing? “No. I did that for Akshay and Mr Bhansali (Sanjay Leela Bhansali, producer). I am always open to experimentation and to doing something new. That’s also why I started writing and producing,” she points out. Direction next? “No plans yet, but it’s on my bucket list, as is wakeboarding. I tried it once and was horrible at it. But some friends tried it and found it exciting, so I want to get better at it. When things get back to normal, I’d like to take a trip to Bali maybe,” she signs off.

Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 1, 2020)

Shruti Haasan, who juggles Tamil and Telugu films along with Hindi, and has eight of the latter in her decade-old acting career, says she is in an “interesting phase”. “I’ve never played the mainstream Bollywood heroine. Though I did commercial projects like Welcome Back and Gabbar Is Back (both 2015), I have never focused 100% on Bollywood, which might have offended some people. Right now, I have my music career and the roles I got in south films were better, so I’ll wait for something really exciting to come my way,” she says, adding she has a music tour coming up.

Shruti’s next Hindi project is a short film, Devi, which co-stars Kajol among others and is about abuse, violence and gender discrimination. “When a film is about social awareness and consciousness, you want to make sure that it is presented in a sensible, sensitive and impactful way. We should be using these points not as a novelty but value the integrity of the issue itself, which are present in this film and that’s what drew me to it. Women should support each other, band and form a united front. It’s a subliminal message that this film focuses on, including disparity among women and women banding. It is about a disturbing reality for women in India and boldly goes there,” she shares. Shruti’s last project was the American action drama television series, Treadstone.

Of course, working with Kajol was fabulous she reveals. “Growing up, I have been the biggest fan of Kajol and she is such a brilliant performer, a fun and vivacious person. It was an amazing experience to watch her perform, see her professionalism and what she brings to the table as an actor,” she says.

Aware of the way women are projected in cinema, Shruti admits in the larger sense, “there are very few films that blatantly discuss female-oriented subjects”. And as female actors, in a general setup, she wouldn’t want the characters she plays to align with non-feminist ideals. She says, “You don’t want to promote certain things. So when I pick up films, I try that within the larger narrative, my character’s voice is there for a reason. Of course, in the past, I have done films where the woman’s voice is completely irrelevant to the narrative. That is not something I want to continue to do, or enjoy doing now. Today, I pick up roles that are not in-your-face-feminist, but integral to the narrative and I ensure that my characters are sensitive and impactful.”

Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; June 5, 2019)

‘Is the funnyman getting serious? That’s the question haunting many of his fans ever since it was revealed that Sunil Grover plays Salman Khan’s friend in Bharat. While he does not reveal much about his role in the film, he admits that serious roles are finally coming his way. Here’s what Grover had to say about this transition in his career and his equation with the mercurial Khan...

One expects you to do comedy in every project that you take up. Is it the same with Bharat as well?
Bharat is a Salman Khan film, which makes it huge in terms of story, production value and star cast. I feel fortunate to play a pivotal character in such a big project, which came to me at a time when I was confused about what to do. I play Salman’s friend, Vilayti. My comic scenes are situation-based and not character-based. I enjoyed working with director Ali Abbas Zafar, who is clear about what he is making. The producers — Alvira and Atul Agnihotri — made me very comfortable. And then there is Salman (Khan) sir, who is a huge star, but he gives you your space to work. Initially, it felt strange to share table with Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif during lunch. I tried to act cool, but aap kitna cool dikha doge, shakal par toh wannabe likha hua hai na.

Your journey has been a long and arduous one; it took time before people started acknowledging your talent. Do you ever think about what took you so long and what is it that you are doing right today?
Long journey allows you to experience a lot of things, as a human being and as an artiste. If you don’t have that experience, you can’t connect with people. It’s only in the last five-seven years that people have started to recognise and love me. It becomes a habit and one might tend to take that love and recognition for granted. However, we shouldn't forget that they love us for our work. I often head back to my hometown (Mandi Dabwali, Haryana) to meet my relatives, as that helps me stay grounded. There should be a reality check all the time. Agar woh kam ho jaata hai toh logon se bhi connect kam ho jaata hai. You become superficial and that reflects in your work as well. Also, when you get things after a lot of struggle, you value it more. I was a voice-over artiste for almost eight years. Back then, I aspired for a car and the basic luxuries in life. I didn’t realise that I was getting to work with four or five creative people, who were conditioning me to develop a better understanding and perspective. I thought that I was just making money, which wasn’t the case. Today, I can attune myself according to any filmmaker. I have been strongly associated with comedy, but now, I am being offered serious roles. I did a film called Gabbar Is Back (2015), where I didn’t have a single comedy scene and still got acknowledged for it. And though I got busy with comedy shows after that, serious roles still come my way — big or small.

Why don’t we see comedians playing the lead in big films, the way it is in Hollywood?
One must start trying with me (laughs!). On a serious note, there is a phase for everything and cinema keeps changing. If something works, people follow that trend, but someone has to take the first step. Also, there are different kinds of comedies — for example, Badhaai Ho and Stree. Through such films, the grammar of comedy will change with time. The audience will realise that it’s not important to make faces to make people laugh.

You got a film like Pataakha, which was directed by Vishal Bhardwaj. The fact that it didn’t work must have upset you....
It was a dream to work with Vishal Bhardwaj, who is such an accomplished director. While the fate of the film was in the audience’s hands, I enjoyed working in it. I believe in the saying, ‘Karm karo, phal ki chinta mat karo’. Yes, I would have been happier had the film worked at the box office, but failures can’t stop you from working. You have to come out of it and move on.

Do you agree with the saying that it takes a tragedy to make a comedian?
I am lucky not to have seen many tragedies, barring the incidents of losing some loved ones. While growing up, I was always seeking attention, as I felt that I never got it. My father had a transferable job and we would move to a new city every few years. I had to adapt to new places, schools and friends. When I moved to a big city like Chandigarh from a small town, everything was a challenge. Body language, addressing each other… English was also a huge challenge; abhi bhi hai, but uss time bahut zyada tha. I had a classmate who asked me, ‘Where do you hail from?’ I didn’t know that the word ‘hail’ could be used in that sense. I told her that I was just thinking about it. She never sat next to me after that incident, and avoided me totally for the next three years till my final year. 

As told to Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 30, 2019)

In my next film (Ali Abbas Zafar’s Bharat), I play Salman Khan’s friend Vilayati, who shares his life journey with the protagonist. It is the biggest film I’ve been a part of. I had to prepare a lot, which involved multiple readings of the script. Each time I went through it, I found a new layer to my character.

Ali sir’s brief said that my character would have lighter moments, but they should not be treated or portrayed as comic. They should be an outcome of emotions which Vilayati goes through with (Salman’s) Bharat. Before I started shooting, I attended workshops to understand the character better. So far, my work has been dominated by caricatures and comedy. Here, I had to do the same thing but in a serious way. Ali sir’s vision for my character was crystal clear and I followed his instructions.

Practicing for the dance sequences, which I haven’t done much of in my earlier work, gave me a lot of confidence. It was not easy, but I worked hard at it. Working with a superstar like Salman keeps you on your toes. He not only made me comfortable on set, he gave me enough room to experiment and make suggestions.

Before this, (Vishal Bhardwaj’s comedy drama) Pataakha, which released last year in September, was a big challenge for me as an actor. Since the film (revolving around two warring sisters) was set in small-town Rajasthan, it was important for me to speak the local Marwari language with the right accent so my portrayal of Dipper Naradmuni, the nosy neighbour who is always instigating the sisters against each other, would appear convincing. I didn’t have a speech trainer, but every scene and every dialogue, penned by Vishal himself, was written in such detail, that it made the learning process easy. I just had to keep rehearsing till I got it right. It was difficult initially, because I had to match the accent with the expression, but once I got the hang of it, the performance flowed seamlessly. In fact, in many scenes a lot of what I have said and done was impromptu and instinctive.

I recall one scene which had so many layers. My character goes to meet Badki (played by Radhika Madan) and tries to convince her that her father loves the other sister (Sanya Malhotra) more. I had to play the Naradmuni subtly, without making my intentions obvious. I read that scene 30, maybe even 40 times, to understand it and then I just let loose. Today, it ranks among my favourite scenes from the film.

Vishal is democratic and leaves his actors free to perform, fixing the camera according to our movements. So an actor learns to be alert all the time. I also learnt how to cut kheera (cucumber) in a certain way for the film. Unfortunately, it didn’t make it to the final edit. Among other odd jobs, my character sold thinly-sliced cucumber to school children and I learnt how to do it like the street vendors, quickly and perfectly. Maybe I will use that skill at home now.

Tiger Shroff and Shraddha Kapoor’s Baaghi (2016) was another difficult role for me as I played the heroine’s father, a character that was years older than my real age. I streaked my hair grey and picked up a Punjabi accent for the part, besides observing people of that same age group and how they respond to distress situations.

My prep for Akshay Kumar’s Gabbar Is Back (2015) was very different. I played a police car driver named Sadhuram. When I started researching the character, I decided he would be an introvert, so that his outburst in front of senior officers would make an impact. That scene required some high-voltage histrionics after an under-played performance earlier.

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

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

Shabinaa Khan on wanting to be a creative producer and how her journey so far has all led up to this point
Sarita A Tanwar (DNA; May 22, 2016)


Why did you make a Marathi movie?
Because both the movies I made (Gabbar Is Back or Rowdy Rathore) were big-budget films. I always wanted to make a small film. In fact, I wanted to go and study in New York after GIB for five weeks to do a filmmaking and editing course as I wanted to learn something. I was going to be doing Rowdy 2 anyway after that, but I thought, ‘Why not make a small film and learn the same thing here?’

Do you speak Marathi?
Not many people know that I am from Kolhapur and I speak fluent Marathi. We have a house in Kolhapur. We are Marathi Muslims and that is the reason I wanted to make a Marathi film.

How did you greenlight this project?
It’s a very strange story. I bumped into the director who made the pilot for my first TV serial back in 2002 at a temple and asked her what she was doing next. I thought we could do TV again. So, we met over coffee later and she told me, ‘Why you don’t make a Marathi film? Let’s do a film with Swwapnil Joshi.’ He came to my office. We didn’t have a script at the time, but for nine months, we brainstormed. That’s how we came up with Laal Ishq.

Are you familiar with Marathi cinema?
Very. I see a lot of regional cinema. I watch all Tamil, Telugu and Marathi films. I would never do a film without knowing everything about it. I am a Libran, so I would never do something that I cannot control and if you don’t know something, you cannot control it. Every Sunday, I watch a movie with my mom. She comes to my house and after lunch, we take a nap and then I put on a movie. So, of late, because I am making a Marathi film, I’m watching a lot of Marathi cinema. I recently watched this film Katyar Kaljat Ghusli. I was so impressed with it. It has one of the finest storytelling and screenwriting I have seen. It’s an amazing history-based film about a Muslim singer and a Hindu Pandit singer.

If making a small-budget film was the driving factor, why didn’t you make a small Hindi film?
My only thing is, that I make a commercially entertaining movie, and I feel the small Hindi movies are all in a different genre completely, which is not my cup of tea. In Marathi cinema, you can even make a small budget film on the scale of a Rowdy Rathore. In three or four crores! So I’d rather do a Marathi film with a genre I am comfortable with, than a Hindi small film with a genre I am unsure of. An offbeat film is not my sensibility. I like to make and watch the same kind of films. I love making films that are entertaining. I do not like depressing films. I like films that make me laugh, make me cry, make me dance and by the end of it there is a culmination of the entire story. I don’t like question mark ends. When I enter a theatre, I want to forget all my problems. After the film ends, of course, I have to return to my problems. But for those two-three hours, I need to shut down.

Why have you only done co-productions with SLB?
Because I am really happy and comfortable making films with Sanjay. He is a hands-on producer. I am like a crybaby. Anytime I am stuck, I call him. I consider him my guru. Whatever I know about filmmaking, I have learnt from him. I am even doing mixing and background score… He has taught me so much. I was an assistant on Black. I will never leave Sanjay. I will always make films with him unless he decides to leave me.

What has making a non-Hindi film taught you?
I learnt the commercials of a small-budget film. I also learnt that there are friends in the industry. My entire team of Rowdy and Gabbar did this film at the Marathi industry pay scale. Everybody has come down to not half but to 10 per cent of their fee and I am really impressed by that.

Tell me about it
My film is an intense love story which has a backdrop of murder so you can call it an intensely romantic thriller and the story is told through the hero and the heroine who are the prime suspects.

Sounds like The Affair.
It’s like that but I didn’t have The Affair in mind. There is a very, very old foreign film Rashomon, which I love which has the same concept, but the story is original.

Did you at any point think of making it a bi-lingual?
No. When I am going in one direction, I don’t go idhar udhar. I have my two Hindi films which are there and this I always wanted to make in Marathi. But, yes it is releasing with subtitles in quite a few screens everywhere.

How did you get into production?
I stopped designing for a while and I was going through a phase of no work. I was always creatively inclined. I used to sit with Ekta (Kapoor) for script sittings, etc when that phase was happening and I would crib to her. They say everyone has three or four angels that come in their life. Ekta is one of them in my life, who made me make a serial and she launched my company. So I made two serials in 2002.

What did you know about production at the time?
Very little. She did everything. She helped me. She would sit with me for editing and say take this out, do that, put this background and I made 45 episodes that made money. Today, whatever I am in production, is because of these three people — Ekta Kapoor, Shobha Kapoor and Sanjay Bhansali.

Please continue...
Then I tried from 2002 till 2010 to make serials, but nothing worked. I think because TV was booming at the time, so everybody was getting into it. In 2009, I told Sanjay, ‘Let’s make movies together.’ I knew Sanjay because I had designed clothes for Khamoshi and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Then, for Devdas, he worked with Abu-Sandeep. Then in Black, I was the AD and didn’t do the clothes.

Why did you become an AD?
Because I wanted to learn filmmaking. I never wanted to do clothes. I was only doing clothes because I was getting to go to London to shop, and I was enjoying all that. I had no inclination, though I had the flair for it. So when I told Sanjay, ‘Let’s make movies together.” He said, ‘Yes, get a script. So for four years, we looked around, but nothing interested me and nothing interested him.’ In the meantime, I was doing Akshay’s and Ajay’s clothes. I was doing a lot of films… Then one fine day, I thought that Akshay needed a change after seven-eight years of the same Hera Pheris and Housefulls, I thought: Let’s get him back with action. Without meeting Akshay, I went to meet Prabhu Dheva. I said, ‘Prabhu Sir, I want you to direct a film for me and I want Akshay. I want you to him bring back to action.’ This was soon after Wanted. He said, ‘I am on.’ I came back and I told Sanjay about Prabhu sir and he said also said he was on. He said, ’I see the spark in you and you’ll do it. I asked him, ‘So can I tell Akshay, you and I are doing this film and ask him if he wants to do it?” Sanjay gave me the go-ahead. Then I met Akshay. When I spoke to Akshay, he was doing Khatta Meetha. I was doing his clothes for that film, and one day, I said to him ‘Akshay, I want to do a film’. He asked, ‘Kaun direct kar raha hai?’ I told him. ‘Who is the partner?’, he asked. I said Bhansali. ‘Chalo I am on,’ said Akshay. Then I went looking for a script and then I got Rajamouli’s second film to be remade in Hindi.

That’s a crazy beginning.
(Smiles) It’s a long journey and it’s my 26th year in the industry. My designing career also began like that, haphazardly. I was in college with Salman. He used to sit behind me. We knew each other since school. I don’t even remember how it began, but he’d finished Maine Pyar Kiya and was looking for a new designer. I went to become an air hostess in Saudi. I resigned in one day and came back. In those days, it paid like three lakh a month. It was most prestigious, as there was no Emirates and all that then. I came back and I was in depression, wondering what to do. My parents were like ‘We asked you not to do it’. So Salman said ‘Listen, just do my clothes’. I told him I don’t know anything about designing. He said, ‘I also don’t know acting, we’ll do it together’. And then I worked with Salman for 17 years!

Do you want to direct someday?
I don’t want to direct. I don’t want to be the captain of the ship. (Laughs) I like to fire the gun from someone else’s shoulder. I like to be a creative producer because, as a director I would have to take certain calls which could be right, could be wrong. I want someone else to take those calls so that I can tell that person ‘Arre yeh mat karo, yeh karo’.

You have the reputation of being a devil of a boss. Comment.
(Smiles) I just feel that other people always find people who are super-efficient, to be monsters.

Not true.
With filmmaking, it’s different.

How so?
Because there are certain things that you need to do at a certain time. There are time limits, there are deliveries, there are date hassles, there are too many irritants.

Not everyone is a monster.
Farah (Khan) is also a monster. I think people who are that highly talented, they all have some quirks. Everybody has them and I am a Libran. When I lose it, I really lose it.

The final footfalls of 2015 are as follows.
1. Bajrangi Bhaijaan - 3.55 crore
2. Prem Ratan Dhan Payo - 2.28 crore
3. Bajirao Mastani - 1.88 crore
4. Dilwale - 1.53 crore
5. Tanu Weds Manu Returns - 1.50 crore
6. ABCD 2 - 1.22 crore
7. Welcome Back - 1.09 crore
8. Gabbar Is Back - 1.08 crore
9. Baby - 89 lakhs
10. Singh Is Bling - 83 lakhs   

The top ten releases of 2015 sold around 15.85 crore tickets. The comparable for 2014 was 16.90 crore tickets sold which outlines 2014 had better films bringing much more people to the theatres although the business in terms of nett or gross is similar.

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 29, 2016)

Bajrangi Bhaijaan easily had the highest footfalls in 2015 and also the highest this decade. Another Salman khan starrer Prem Ratan Dhan Payo was second on the list and was the only other film to be above 2 crore. The top ten footfalls of 2015 are as follows.
1. Bajrangi Bhaijaan - 3.55 crore
2. Prem Ratan Dhan Payo - 2.28 crore
3. Bajirao Mastani - 1.86 crore (expected)
4. Dilwale - 1.55 crore (expected)
5. Tanu Weds Manu Returns - 1.50 crore
6. ABCD 2 - 1.22 crore
7. Welcome Back - 1.09 crore
8. Gabbar Is Back - 1.08 crore
9. Baby - 89 lakhs
10. Singh Is Bliing - 83 lakhs

All four Akshay Kumar starrers nearly made it into the top ten with only Brothers being just outside in 11th place. The top ten films sold 15.85 crore tickets and despite Bajrangi Bhaijaan being the highest for fourteen years it was still less than last year where the top ten sold 17 crore tickets approx.

Pahlaj Nihalani stays silent while IMA says they will wait till the end of June for a reply to their legal notice
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 16, 2015)

In the first week of May, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) had sent a letter to I & B Minister, Arun Jaitley, complaining against the Akshay Kumar starrer, Gabbar Is Back, alleging that it portrayed the medical fraternity in a negative light. The IMA took offence to a particular scene which showed doctors 'treating' a man who was already dead with the intention of squeezing out more money from the deceased's family.

The letter demanded that that the objectionable scene be "immediately withdrawn from the film" which opened on May 1. And till then, the film should be "immediately censored and banned".

The letter was drafted by Dr. K K Aggarwal, the National General Secretary of IMA India, who was peeved that his "noble profession" was being shown as corrupt and thereby creating a wrong public perception. He wanted a disclaimer at the beginning of the film stating that the offensive scene was only pointing to a few black sheep and not the medical profession in general.

"If that doesn't happen, then we would urge doctors to ban not only this movie but all other Akshay Kumar films that will release in future," he had warned.

On May 25, Naik, Naik & Company, the lawyers of Viacom 18 Media Pvt. Ltd., the film's coproducers, replied saying their clients were perplexed to receive the notice three weeks after the film's release. It was pointed out that Gabbar Is Back was a remake of a 2002 commercially successful Tamil film, Ramanna which since it released 12 years ago has been "exploited through various modes, mediums and formats, including television and the internet, and has not received any claims or objections of such a nature from your organisation".

The reply to the notice added that the Hindi remake had carried a disclaimer at the beginning. "Hence the viewers were left in no doubt about the fact that the film is a fictional and dramatized portrayal of events which have not been targeted towards any person or religion or profession," it stated.

The reply further claims that the CBFC had passed the film with a U/A rating on close examination of the contents of the film, including the scene in question. "Our clients state that since the film is a fictitious depiction of events and is not in violation of any constitutional and/or statutory guidelines as assessed by an expert body, our clients are not bound to adhere to any request made by your body, which includes stopping the exhibition, screening of the film, deletion of the scene in question from the film, removal of the said scene from the film, to tender a written apology to the doctors in general or your client in national newspapers or to pay damages of a sum of Rs 5,00,00,000 towards defamation."

Upon receiving this reply, Dr Aggarwal told Mirror, "The producers have told us that the film is a work of fiction and also had a disclaimer at the beginning. So we can't say anything to them. We have also sent a notice to the Censor Board asking why they have let the scene pass. Our legal team has advised that we wait for their reply till the month end or else we will move the court against CBFC."

CBFC Chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani chose not to respond to our text.

BOMBAY TIMES (May 22, 2015)

Sushmi Dubey (THE TIMES OF INDIA; May 9, 2015)

Indian Medical Association (IMA), representing over 2,50,000 doctors from across the country, has written to Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairman Pahlaj Nihalani, Health Minister JP Nadda and the I&B ministry for removing certain scenes from Gabbar Is Back which show doctors in bad light.

In one of the scenes, the movie purportedly shows doctors providing medical treatment to a person who is had died even before being brought in.

Threatening to take to the streets, doctors have asked the government to ban the film till the scene is removed.

"The movie is a total instigation of the general public against the medical profession. With violence against doctors on the rise, such unjustified messages through the movie will only add fuel to the fire," IMA wrote in the letter sent to Nihalani and various government departments.

Doctors say the comment made on doctors is loud and in bad taste. "Such comments will harm the faith and trust that patients place on doctors in times of distress and this trust is very important in the doctor -patient relationship," IMA secretary general K K Aggarwal said.

Over 75% of doctors across the country have faced at least some form of violence, initial findings of an ongoing study recently revealed. Doctors are found facing maximum violence when providing emergency services, with as many as 48.8% of such incidents reported from incentive care units (ICUs) or after a patient has undergone surgery, the study said. Patients' kin are often found guilty of such actions. According to the findings, data of past five years show attendants of patients were involved in 68.33% of violent acts.

Some experts the actual situation is even worse as many do not report violence. Patients also complain about lack of transparency, sharing of information and overcharging by many private hospitals, some of the problems that Bhansali's film highlights.

Who isn’t fed up of corruption? Won’t we like to see the corrupt babus, netas, builders etc being taught a lesson for their wrongdoings? Gabbar Is Back provides us that pleasure, in a make believe world of course. The manner in which Gabbar infuses fear into the corrupt officials and forces them to toe the line is quite superb and the highlight of the film. Despite not-so-great execution, Gabbar Is Back still works as it touches the common man’s heart!

The story of the movie: Professor Aditya (Akshay Kumar) turns into Gabbar for reasons best known to him. As Gabbar, his aim is to punish the corrupt in his own way. The moment he starts doing it, the corrupt officials feel the scare and turn into honest sevaks of the people. Obviously, the police cannot be mute spectators and hence try their best to desperately nab Gabbar. However, it is not just the police who is after Gabbar. The powerful tycoon Digvijay Patil (Suman Talwar) too wants Gabbar to be eliminated at any cost.



Gabbar Is Back begins with the slick and well-presented opening credits during which the title song is played. The makers don’t waste time and straight away come to the point from the first scene. Gabbar’s ways might surely shock but knowing the amount of corruption that exists in the country, it seems convincing and even justified. However, after a great start, the scene where Aditya is teaching his students seems a bit fake. But it is well connected with the sequence that follows, involving the goons. And again, that is a scene that people will surely relate to. After all, isn’t it frustrating to see political parties forcing people to have a ‘bandh’? Shruti’s (Shurti Haasan) entry is funny. However, the best part of the film is the hospital sequence just before the interval. Every viewer, who has been fleeced by these so-called ‘messiahs of God’, would identify with this outstanding scene and it’s sure to get lot of claps and whistles. The intermission point brings a nice twist to the film. The entertainment continues in the second half as well. However, at places, the film is too quick. Also, the execution isn’t consistent and this affects the impact as well. The ending has the punch for sure, on the script level. But in the film, it’s not as effective. However, the final scene is killer!

Expectedly, it’s Akshay Kumar who takes the cake. As always, he’s in total form and looks super cool in his bearded look. He always has the edge in such roles because he seems convincing when he fights with half a dozen goons all alone. And in the hospital scene, he just kills it! A marvelous performance from a marvelous actor! Shruti Haasan is decent and prevents herself from becoming irritating with her character’s obsession for Google. Suman Talwar is loud, as per his character's demand. Sunil Grover (Constable Sadhu) delivers an excellent performance. He has always been projected as a comic actor. But with Gabbar Is Back, he proves that he can perform any kind of role if given an opportunity. Jaideep Ahlawat (Kuldeep Pahwa) gives a very sincere performance and leaves a mark. Ishita Vyas (Veena) is fine as the constable and gets noticed for her lovely banter with Sunil Grover. Kareena Kapoor looks stunning and rocks in her special appearance. Chitrangda Singh doesn’t quite impress. The actors playing the doctor, the inefficient cops and the students also do a good job.



Music is strictly okay. There are just 3 songs and Teri Meri Kahaani is the best of the lot. However, Sandeep Chowta’s background score is quite exhilarating. Nirav Shah’s cinematography is impressive. A R Murugadoss’s story is brilliant and has the common man connect. However, one wishes if he had even directed the film. Krish’s direction is fine but could have been better. Also, parallels may be drawn to Ungli that released recently although Gabbar Is Back is much better than Ungli. Though Gabbar Is Back gets predictable at places and gives a been-there-done-that kind of a feeling, the film has its moments that are novel. The entire Sunil Grover track is quite interesting and gives a distinct touch to the film. Lastly, Rajat Aroraa’s dialogues as always are witty and clap worthy.

Some of the best scenes:
1. Gabbar’s entry
2. Gabbar bashes up goons outside college
3. Gabbar meets Shruti
4. Gabbar does his 2nd attack
5. The hospital and interval scene
6. Sadhu’s outburst
7. The last 20 minutes

On the whole, Gabbar Is Back is a fine massy entertainer that works despite the blemishes mainly because it talks about the corruption faced by the aam aadmi. The manner in which Gabbar teaches a lesson to the corrupt men is quite interesting and makes for a great watch. The intermission point steals the cake and is surely the best part of the film. Akshay Kumar as expected gives a terrific performance and Sunil Grover too leaves a huge mark. Here’s hoping Gabbar Is Back works and brings back the ‘achche din’ at the box office, that is facing rough weather since quite some time!

My rating - *** ½ out of 5!

Akshay Kumar on his worst vice — spending hours playing on his iPad
Subhash K Jha (DNA; May 1, 2015)


Gabbar Is Back: Your thoughts on playing a character named after the greatest villain of Indian cinema?
I know, tell me about it. (Laughs) I couldn’t have just played a simpleton called Gaurav. No!! It had to be Gabbar (laughs). In all honesty, as daunting as it was and still is — if I may add — my character had to become like Gabbar.

But why would any hero be called Gabbar?
My name in the movie is Aditya, it’s not until I have no other option left, do I become Gabbar, just to put the fear into people and take revenge for my losses. I’m not playing or trying to reincarnate Gabbar.

But for a hero to be called ‘Gabbar’, is like calling Tom Cruise ‘Osama’ in his next?
When one has a certain mission to accomplish, it’s Gabbar’s mentality you need! I think what we’ve done by making Gabbar a brand, when anything needs to be done slightly out of legal context, when a ‘No’ just doesn’t suffice, become Gabbar and the job will be done.

Your last film Baby also dealt with an important political issue; your next film Airlift is also from newspaper headlines. Are you rapidly moving away from escapist comedies to socio-politically relevant cinema?
It’s not a deliberate move, but I’m enjoying my new wave of cinematic experience right now, that’s all. I will never leave my comedy antics. In fact, right after all my so-called ‘serious cinema’, I’m going straight into Housefull 3 and releasing Singh is Bliing. So not to fear my friends, my funny bone is still well and truly intact, just loving the reality-based drama of life right now (smiles).

Do you feel that our nation’s politics needs urgent reform? Ever been tempted to join politics?
I’ve never been tempted to join, but I do like to support and encourage those politicians who do bring great things to our people. Despite the many that give our nation a bad name, there are also many who stand up for what’s right and what’s needed. They must not be lost in the corrupted crowd. There is good and bad in us all, it’s what we choose to focus on that matters.

As an actor who takes keen interest in the trade, what’s your take on the box-office slump this year?
My view is, we need to concentrate on what the audience is looking for, in a film right now. Rather than making what we are obsessed with, we need to ensure we are fulfilling their expectations more than our own. One can make a great film, but released at the wrong time or in the wrong circumstances, it can disappear into oblivion. There is still hope, many eagerly-anticipated films are coming out later this year, so let’s wait for them, you’ll see the slump vanish just as quick as it came.

On the other hand, Hollywood spectacles like Fast & Furious 7, and Avengers 2 are doing well. As a top action hero of Bollywood, why do you think our action films can’t compete with Hollywood?
That’s because they spend more money than a Bollywood film could ever dream of spending. Our market can neither afford nor take the chance with such risky figures. Avengers 2 may be terrific, but let Hollywood spend what they want and do what they’re good at and let Bollywood spend what we can and make what we’re good at. The grass is always greener on the other side. You need to know when to stop gazing at what will never be and focus on what can be. Our nation will never be able to afford a cinema ticket like that in the west, therefore our revenue will never add up to what it costs to make such grand films.

What is the one thing that you’d like to change about yourself?
I would eradicate the need to want to play on my iPad. As much as it’s been a technological breakthrough, it has also stolen many hours of my time that I wish I had never wasted playing on it. I sometimes use it as an excuse for ‘me time’. That’s pretty much my worst vice in life, other than that, I’m a pretty good boy, to be honest. Boring I know, but honest.

Composer Chirantan Bhatt talks about Teri Meri Kahaani and Coffee Peetey Peetey from Gabbar Is Back
Kasmin Fernandes (BOMBAY TIMES; May 1, 2015)

GABBAR IS BACK – 1ST SUPER HIT OF 2015?

Akshay Kumar had a great start in 2015 with Baby. Thanks to the high costs, it wasn’t a huge hit but it was loved by people and trended very well. Now, Akshay Kumar is back with Gabbar Is Back, a film that has created way more hype than Baby. It is directed by southern director Krish and it’s a remake of A R Murugadoss’ Tamil film Ramana. It is produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali (who also backed Akshay’s biggest hit Rowdy Rathore) and co-stars Shruti Haasan and Jaideep Ahlawat and also Chitrangda Singh, in an item song.

From the promos it is evident that it’s a hard-hitting action film and deals with corruption faced by aam junta on an everyday basis. Also, Ramana worked big time with the audiences. Hence, Gabbar Is Back has a high chance of connecting with the masses. The promos indicate that the film has ample masala and action and hence the film has an advantage. Sadly, none of the song has worked because of which the hype is limited, not maddening as seen during Rowdy Rathore.

Nevertheless, the film can still make a mark as it releases on a Holiday (Friday 1st May is Maharashtra Day and Labour Day). Also, there’s no other substantial competition for the next 2 weeks (Piku and Kuch Kuch Locha Hai that release on May 8 are not big films). Hence, if the response is positive, Gabbar Is Back can turn out to be the first super-hit and this is something that the industry is yearning for desperately.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE GABBAR IS BACK AND WHY? DO LET US KNOW! 

Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; April 30, 2015)

Sanam Puri alleges that he has not been given credit for a song in Gabbar Is Back
Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 29, 2015)

Singer Sanam Puri, who is the lead vocalist of the band, Sanam, recorded Coffee Peetey Peetey, a romantic song for Akshay Kumar's upcoming action thriller Gabbar Is Back. He was shocked when the album released with the song but his name missing from the credits. While the voice is definitely his, the singer who's getting all the applause is Dev Negi.

An upset Sanam told Mirror, "It's really disappointing. I recorded the song two months ago and at that time the Gabbar team was really happy with it. I don't know what happened in the interim."

He admits that he'd heard that his version of Coffee Peetey had been dubbed by another singer and was prepared to hear the song in someone else's voice. "But they eventually released my version without giving me the credit. Now only my regular listeners will know it's me, the rest think the voice is Dev's. It's so unfair," he lamented.

Didn't he try to reach out to the production house? "I did, but nobody bothered to enlighten me or correct the error," he groused.

The film's producer Shabinaa Khan chose not to respond to our text message.