Social media apps are giving celebrity lookalikes a shot at stardom
Sharmila Ganesan Ram & Ketaki Desai | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; September 22, 2019)

When you return late from work, what’s home like? A) Utensils thunder in the kitchen B) The food tastes a bit too salty C) The wife is yelling D) The wife is eerily silent.

Even before Amitabh Bachchan could finish reading out the fourth option, the hospitalised 13-year-old girl pre-emptively answers on her taxi driver father’s behalf: Option D. And for a brief frozen moment after the absent “computer mahashay” locks the option, when Bachchan hands the driver a bouquet in place of a cheque for a crore, the driver watches his dying daughter come to life. Surely, it does not matter to this father that the bodyguard-flanked, six-foot-tall celebrity who had entered the cancer hospital in Pune where his daughter is counting her last days and played KBC with him wasn’t really Big B but, in fact, a small P. That’s how professor Shashikant Pedwal (left) convinces himself of his 30-year-old white lie.

Every time Pedwal, a 47-year-old Pune resident who teaches things like plumbing, welding and fault-finding at Lonavala’s Industrial Training Institute, dyes his dark French beard white and uses words like “anushasan” in that unmistakable baritone, it’s hard to find technical faults with his transformation. So complete is the illusion that Pedwal not only startles audiences when he ends his corporate events saying: “I am not Amitabh Bachchan” but also his big Tik Tok fan base who reacted to the disclaimer with comments like: “No sir, you are Amitabh Bachchan. You must be playing a character called Shashikant Pedwal in a new movie.”

With over 53 lakh followers on Tik Tok, Pedwal — who dispenses paternal, moral and seemingly government-friendly motivation on the short-video app — is the patriarch of a virtual galaxy of lookalikes who are basking in the reflected viral glory of their lacquered Bollywood blueprints. Occupants of this low-rent parallel glamourverse include Delhi-based aspiring dietitian Gaurav Arora (right) who is what you would get when you put Virat Kohli through a wash cycle, Punjab-based rustic auto driver Sushant Khanna (left) who feels covert pride when addressed as “Sallu Bhai” on duty, London-born model Alina Rai whose five lakh fans think she resembles Katrina Kaif even though she “doesn’t see it”, and Vadodara-based Jio employee Imran Jam who appears at birthday parties and weddings as ‘gareebon ka Ranveer Singh’.

Straddling the double life calls for consistency, if not discipline. Even though passengers rarely look at him closely enough to notice the rustic Salman in him, 30-year-old Khanna makes sure his fans don’t ignore him by regularly mouthing the actor’s angry dialogues in a burst of five to six videos that he posts in one go. “This takes about an hour and a half and I usually do this after coming back from 12 hours of riding my rickshaw in the heat,” says the bhai jaan from Kalka village. Not everyone is comfortable with being perceived as carbon copies. This is why 24-year-old model Alina Rai declares: “I don’t see myself as associated with Katrina or as her lookalike.” However, Rai’s newly acquired manager hints at “meetings” with Bollywood celebrities.

Arora — who has amassed over four million fans as Kohli and landed many offers including TV and gigs — frequently stumbles upon comments that ridicule him for using Kohli as his meal ticket. But he has learnt to shut them out just as he did the bullies on the cricket ground during his days in the under-16 district-level team a few years ago. “What’s Kohli doing here? Why’s he bowling with his left hand?” the seniors would derisively ask as Arora, a formerly chubby left arm spinner, got ready to bowl. “Just like Kohli sir, I’ve stopped reading and replying to comments,” says Arora, who has mastered the skipper’s “aggressive” on-field game face so much so that “people now think I am arrogant.” The 24-year-old himself nurtured the same stereotype about his “mirror image” until he met the skipper on the sets of an ad recently and was astonished to discover Kohli’s “down-toearth” self.

But imitation can be an expensive affair. Arora, an aspiring dietitian, can’t afford Kohli’s vegan lifestyle but studiously maintains a gym and chiefly fruits-and-vegetables diet regimen that keeps both his body and his pockets light. Forty-seven-year-old Pedwa — who has been honing his Amitabh voice for 30 years by watching every Bachchan movie and writing down dialogues in a notebook — has enraged his parents on many occasions with his costly obsession. Even now, Pedwal — a father of two — spends close to Rs 35,000 a month on costumes and makeup. “You’d think I am mad. I have 55 costumes in my cupboard,” says Pedwal.

The viral fame sometimes leads to opportunities. Pedwal —who is playing Bachchan’s body double in an upcoming Marathi film -- has travelled to Israel, Dubai, Mauritius and Qatar while Jam — who has yet to properly monetise his lipsyncing videos as a Ranveer Singh rip-off — hopes to commercialise his new-found love of acting. “I would love to get into the Bollywood line. It’s just a matter of getting that one big opportunity,” says the Jio employee whose caller tune speaks for his state of mind — apna time aayega.

BOMBAY TIMES (September 15, 2016)

BOMBAY TIMES (September 13, 2016)

Zinia Sen (BOMBAY TIMES; September 12, 2016)

Kriti Kharbanda on her co-actor Emraan Hashmi and making her Bollywood debut with Raaz Reboot
Neha Maheshwri Bhagat (BOMBAY TIMES; September 10, 2016)

BOMBAY TIMES (September 5, 2016)

Writer-director Vikram Bhatt on how he attained nirvana through a song
MUMBAI MIRROR (April 5, 2016)

After Kriti Sanon, Gaurav Arora gets cosy with Kriti Kharbanda, while shooting in sub-zero temperatures
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 21, 2016)

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 19, 2016)


The fourth instalment of Raaz took off in Sinaia four days ago with Emraan Hashmi and Kriti Kharbanda facing the camera for a scene which has them chatting in a hotel lobby. It appears in the second half. They look warm and comfortable, which is far from how it really is. Emraan, who is returns to the franchise three years after Raaz 3D, describes the climate shock, saying "straight out of the pan and into the refrigerator".

It's winter in Romania and director Vikram Bhatt is filming in sub-zero temperatures. "The hands freeze in 30 seconds," he says, drawing closer to the heater. "A decade ago, I shot Elaan in the snow but it was not so bad. On Monday it was minus 18, Emmi is frozen and so is Kriti," Vikram laughs.

He is all praise for the local crew who are hospitable and helpful, teaching their 'brave' Indian counterparts how to survive the Transylvania winter. "They are telling us what food to eat and how we can protect ourselves from the blizzards and biting cold. The winter wear we brought with us from Mumbai packed up at the hotel reception," Vikram admits. Now, it's Tuica and Palinca alcoholic beverages distilled from plums for the B-townies.

Kriti makes her Bollywood debut in Raaz Reboot. Vikram describes her as a good actress. "Having done many films in the South makes it easier for her," he adds.

Gaurav Arora who makes his debut in Vikram's Love Games plays a debonair banker who heads the East European Finance Consortium in Raaz Reboot. "The joke amongst the crew is Gaurav jab ayega thand main uski band bajegi. He is carrying something or the other for everyone since he is arriving late," laughs the director. Emraan plays a fashion photographer who has rehabilitated himself after a stint with drugs and alcohol abuse, not to mention a nasty temper. "The point being is the seemingly good bad or is the seemingly bad good," he says enigmatically, adding that this Raaz looks like none of the films they've made before. "It's a whole new and white world. Fabulous, it better reboot!" he signs off.

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 19, 2015)

Early on Friday, at around 10 am, Mahesh Bhatt posted three tweets hitting out at the unnamed Censor Board Chairperson, Pahlaj Nihalani. In the first one he pointed out, "We live in oppressive times. We in Bollywood now have, one of our own as a thought police!"

This was followed by: "Instead of calling the process of limiting our self expression & dissent as "censorship", he calls it "concern for our SANSKRITI!"

His tirade ended with, "This guy feels that we Indians are ready to support repression as long as it is done by hiding behind the high sounding word 'our tradition'."

When Mirror caught up with the filmmaker, who was driving down from Pune, he admitted that his ire had been sparked off by his upcoming film's (Love Games, starring Gaurav Arora and Patralekha) recent brush with the Examining Committee of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Bhatt, who attended the screening, was encouraged when the Regional Officer and the other members admitted to liking the film and the fact that there was no effort to titillate even though it journeys from dirty sex to pure love. "But then they wanted certain four letter words muted out and kisses pruned down to a few seconds. What was shocking was that they didn't want the hero (Gaurav Arora), a drug addict reformed by love, to be shown consuming hard drugs. How can I show him cured of his addiction unless I establish the fact?" asks a mystified Bhatt.

He points out that in 1989 he'd launched daughter Pooja with Daddy, revolving around an alcoholic father cured by his daughter's love. "The film, which came in the pre-digital era had several scenes of a drunk Anupam Kher. It was aired on the national broadcaster, Doordarshan, and the present Union I&B Minister, Arun Jaitley, had liked it. Today, when every kind of content is streaming into our homes, how can such restrictions be imposed on us?" he questions.

Bhatt argues that since they applied for an adult certificate, not 'U' or a 'U/A', these cuts are not acceptable. "We will now go to the Tribunal," he informs, pointing out that India has become a force to be reckoned with worldwide because of our constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression. "Now the Board is trying to strangle freedom of thought and expression. Makers are now practicing pre-censorship, fearful of the outcome when they pick up their pen."

Bhatt is peeved with Nihalani, who he stood up for at the time of the latter's appointment, arguing that he'd headed film trade bodies and campaigned for the industry's cause. "He was one of us, fighting against the moral code of the censors. Now he has taken us back to the Dark Ages. The CBFC has become the Censor Board," Bhatt signs off.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 20, 2015)

Three years after Raaz 3D, the fourth instalment of the horror franchise will kick off in Romania in January. It marks South star Kriti Kharbanda's B'wood debut. Writer-director Vikram Bhatt confirmed the news, "Yes, the film features Emraan Hashmi, Kriti Kharbanda and Gaurav Arora. All three characters have shades of grey."

Delhi girl Kriti, 27, is a model-turned-actress who started out with the 2009 Telugu hit Boni. She has done several Kannada films since and is currently wrapping up her first Tamil film, an action comedy set to release in 2016, Bruce Lee. She will start shooting for Raaz Reboot in Mumbai next month.

Mahesh Bhatt, who discovered Kriti, said, "You can't fish in your own pool and come out with something new and sparkling. So we go to distant places looking for fresh talent. Kriti has already made a mark in the South and has a powerful role in the film."

Vikram has been wrapping up another twisted love traingle, Love Games: Loving Dangerously, with Gaurav, Citylights actress Patralekha and Tara Alisha Berry. "The world will wake up to Gaurav's acting in Love Games and Raaz Rebooted will strengthen his position," Bhatt asserts, quick to add that that there can't be a Raaz film without nephew Emraan, whose character has a fresh dimension in the latest film. "It will be a quantum leap forward from the previous films in terms of content."

Books, chocolates, shoes, cosmetics, coffee... B-town's bold and beautiful reveal all that makes their world go round
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 26, 2015)

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 12, 2015)

Till now known as Kriti Sanon's boyfriend, Gaurav Arora kicks off his first film, Vikram Bhatt's Love Games, with Patralekha and Tara Alisha Berry, in Cape Town today.

Earlier, the 28-year-old model was in the running for the lead in Aashiqui 2 and Khamoshiyan. "I had even auditioned for Aashiqui 2 but things didn't work out. However, with Love Games, everything was finalised in just one meeting," he sighs with relief, adding that the film is a sexy, twisted love triangle. "Vikram sir is a poet, I love the way he writes and answers my questions on the script."

Gaurav has been instructed to not divulge any details about his character and after some prodding reluctantly reveals that his screen avatar, Sameer aka Sam, is a regular guy who everyone can relate to. "The idea of playing a typical hero is outdated now," he points out, saying prep included workshops and script reading sessions with his costars. "I'm trying to look really presentable on the screen."

And how's he going to handle the reel life love games? "Well, when two people are in love, it's obvious that they will kiss but nothing in the film is forced or superficial, it's all situational. And we will adhere to the Censor Board's guidelines. I come from a small town in Madhya Pradesh, my father is a farmer and my mother is a homemaker, so I know my boundaries," asserts the actor, who will be in South Africa for the next 45 days before the film moves to Mumbai for a wrap.

Quiz him on Kriti and he is quick to retort, "We're just good friends."

The duo has known each other since their modelling days and been in touch since. "But we are not dating," he insists. "Kriti is a good friend and we have known each other for a long time but of late, she has become really busy with films too," he says. 

MID-DAY (July 31, 2015)

Director Vikram Bhatt has decided to put his next film in the Murder franchise on hold as his mentor, Mahesh Bhatt, felt it was not feasible post the debacle of his last venture, Mr X. He now plans to begin shooting for another film with a fresh story as well as star cast.

A source says, “Vikram had another script in hand and after discussing it with the Bhatts, got a nod.
The film will go on floors on August 9 in Cape Town. He has decided to call it Love Games, a title that he had reserved for Murder. It will star Patralekhaa, Tara Alisha Berry and mark the debut of model Gaurav Arora, who is rumoured to dating Kriti Sanon.”

Confirming the development, Bhatt says, “That narrative was going to be Murder 4, which seemed tired, worn out and fatigued at moment. So, Vikram pulled out another script from enormous work he has been doing all this while, which captivating story of the times we live in. The film shows physical passion and also connects to the heart so touches lust and peaks love. The shooting will start in Cape Town.”

Stating that the casting couldn’t have been better, adds: “Vikram, after the humiliating defeat of Mr X has got a new DNA. I see new beginning for him,” adds Bhatt.

While Patralekhaa says she is looking forward the shoot, Vikram says, "I am excited because something I have never done. (It is) Twisted and sexy.”

Sonup Sahadevan (MID-DAY; June 2, 2015)

Grapevine has it that Kriti Sanon, who will be seen in Rohit Shetty’s Dilwale, is in a relationship with model Gaurav Arora. The one-film-old actress was a model before stepping into Bollywood and is said to have met Gaurav during her initial catwalking days.

Says a source from the fashion industry, “Everyone knows about Gaurav and Kriti being a couple. Since Kriti has made it big in Bollywood now, their relationship is being spoken about only in whispers.” Kriti, however, denies the buzz, saying: “I am not dating anyone right now. I am very much single. I have very few friends in Mumbai and Gaurav is one of them. I have known him since my modelling days, but there nothing more than that.”

Gaurav, too, rubbishes the news. “I know her really well since my modelling days, but we have never dated,” he adds.