BOMBAY TIMES (August 18, 2017)

Chitrangda Singh storms out of Kushan Nandy's upcoming action-thriller while filming a love-making sequence with Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 14, 2016) 


Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Chitrangda Singh's Babumushai Bandookbaaz directed by Kushan Nandy has hit a roadblock again with the leading lady storming out of the set on Sunday. Before she left Lucknow, the 39-year-old actress told the makers that she no longer wanted to be a part of the action thriller.

Mirror (Dec 24, 2014) was the first to report that while shooting in West Bengal, Kushan had got into an altercation with the Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India and shooting had abruptly ground to a halt. After a year-and-a-half, he resumed shooting in Uttar Pradesh from last week but from day one, Chitrangda and he were at loggerheads.

Confirming this the film's script, dialogue and screenplay writer, Galib Asad Bhopali, informs that though she's known the story since the past two years and that the cobbler she plays is bold and blunt, Chitrangda didn't like the way her character was shaping up. "She had objections to the lovemaking scenes, in fact to almost every other scene, and even refused to kiss Nawaz. She lost her cool when they were shooting a love-making scene on Sunday. The actress fumed and stormed out," says Galib, adding that the makers did try to convince the Desi Boyz actress not to quit on them but to no avail.

"We started looking for a replacement immediately after she left and should have someone on board soon. Of course, we will have to re-shoot her sequences."

Nawaz will continue filming till June 17. He plays a contract killer.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 8, 2015)

Mirror had earlier reported (December 24, 2014) that filmmaker Kushan Nandy, who had been shooting in West Bengal, had been rubbed the wrong way by the local film association of Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India, and had to pack his bags. Having been extorted of Rs 55 lakhs, Kushan had announced to the media that he would never return to the state for a film.

Now re-titled Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, the same film, featuring Nawazuddin Siddiqui as a contract killer and Chitrangda Singh as a local cobbler, has been shifted to Uttar Pradesh and will be set against a North Indian backdrop. "I had originally written the film with the Bihar political scenario as the backdrop. But Kushan, who had wanted to highlight the growing gang rivalries and murders in Bengal, decided to refocus the script. When things didn't work out, I made changes and went back to the original set-up. We begin shooting in Bihar in December," script, dialogue and screenplay writer, Galib Asad Bhopali told Mirror, adding that the unit had wished to roll in November but since, Nawaz had allotted to dates to Raees, featuring Shah Rukh Khan, he was not available for shoot. "The film will be shot in a one-marathon, 40 day schedule, but things could change depending on Nawaz's dates," he says.

The film also features Tahir Raj Bhasin, who made his debut in 2012 with Kismat, Love Paisa Dilli, as Nawaz's rival. "He is not the villain in the film, but a competitor. He too plays a contract killer who murders for as low as Rs 5000," Bhopali points out. The actors have been taking workshops to get their roles right, specially Chitrangada who has even managed to mend a few torn shoes all by herself.

"The film epitomizes the angry, young hero, like Mr Bachchan did in his films - Deewaar, Mr Natwarlal, Sholay and Amar Akbar Anthony, and Nawaz will be seen in a short-tempered avatar, drinking rum and eating mutton," Bhopali asserts, adding that Roopa Ganguly who was signed on to play a politician modelled around Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, will not reprise her role. "We are casting an actress to be seen as a North Indian, politician, typical to the region. The characters draw heavily from real life situations in the region," he insists, pointing out that the character will now resemble the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mayawati, who served four terms as the head of the Bahujan Samaj Party.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 23, 2015)

When Delhi Belly actor Kunaal Roy Kapur was offered the role of Shiva in Ankush Bhatt's satire on religion and the Hindu trinity, 3 Dev, he immediately turned it down. But after two more narrations he was convinced that this would be the role of the year. "Shiva, fondly called Bhola or Bholenath, delivers the most blunt, to-the-point lines, irrespective of where he is," says Galib Asad Bhopali, son Asad Bhopali, poet-lyricist and Gulzar's frequent collaborator. The younger Bhopali, based in Mumbai, is the script, dialogue and screenplay writer of this upcoming film.

The film follows the journey of three youngsters who move from the city to a small village, where they are mistaken to be Gods. Ravi Dubey, better known as Siddharth Khurana in the TV soap, Jamai Raja, is seen as Brahma, the Creator, while Bipasha Basu's Alone co-star and steady date, Karan Singh Grover, is perceived as Vishu, the Protector. Kunaal, of course, is Shiva.

"It's an imaginary village and each character draws qualities from their mythological counterparts. Karan, who is Vishnu's avatar of Krishna, is a romantic and is always chasing women and playing a mouth organ, the modern-day flute. Ravi as Brahma describes the meaning of everything in great detail, for instance a simple word 'dhoka' is elaborated as 'Aap woh kar rahe ho, jise karne se aap mere emotions ke saath aap theek nahi kar rahe ho'. His confusing speech makes for great comic timing," laughs Bhopali.

The film, which goes on floors on October 15, in Mount Abu, has music by Sajid-Wajid. Singer-musician, Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is flying down to Mumbai, this week, to croon a peppy number around the three boys.

The film also features, Kay Kay Menon, as the boys' mentor. "He will remind you of the righteous Dilip Kumar from Karma. He is their advisor and peace keeper," says the writer, Bhopali, who started scripting the film in 2014, careful not to hurt the sentiments of any religious groups or the public in general.

Casting for a modern-day Parvati, Lakshmi and Saraswati is currently underway in Mumbai.