Marking his first cohesive music piece in seven years, Sound of Soil is veteran Punjabi artiste Gurdas Maan’s 46th album. Maan brings a gamut of sounds together in this nine-track offering, touching upon subjects ranging from the meaning of life, the essence of time, and desire.

“The album has nine songs, like the navratna. A favourite on this list is a traditional Qawwali number that I first heard 40 years ago, and continued to play on several stages over the years. I wanted the young generation to have the opportunity to enjoy this song that has been dear to me,” says Maan, who was keen to present an album after having released a spate of singles in the past few years.

Having trained his attention to preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of Punjab, the artiste, 67, continues to perform to packed audiences across the globe. But a discussion on the manner in which younger Punjabi artistes have commercialized the genre appears to evoke more joy than criticism. 

Acknowledging that the genre has broken cultural barriers, Maan credits artistes like Diljit Dosanjh, Karan Aujla, Ammy Virk, and Gippy Grewal for “adding their own flavour to Punjabi music” and appeasing a wider audience. “Several artistes in the UK and USA have also promoted the genre and created music that people can dance to. This is a wonderful thing.”

On his part, however, he turned down offers when his “conscience didn’t allow” him to pursue them. “During my time, songs that had double meanings were promoted. I was also offered record deals if I agreed to create them. However, I did not want Punjabi music to be stereotyped. I didn’t want people to say, ‘Punjabi gaane aise hi hote hain.’ I want people to remember that artistes like Baba Bulleh Shah, Amrita Pritam, and Shiv Kumar Batalvi also [wrote Punjabi poetry] that did not have dual meaning. Sure, several rappers write about addiction, and young [music listeners] are getting what they want from them. But I want to encourage young artistes to write with intention, and create [poetry] that warms people’s hearts, and educates and motivates our children. We want to be proud of the songs that our artistes create.”

Citing that mental health illnesses like depression are prevalent among children, he points to an incident that reiterated his faith in his music.

“I was told of a young man who was living in Australia, and was prepared to leave [the country] due to poor circumstances. Someone introduced him to my music, and he decided to rebuild his life after hearing it. He worked from the ground up to become the sous chef [of a restaurant]. When I met him four years later, he cried and told me the effect that my music had on him. Today, unfortunately, Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims are all talking about breaking [relationships]. No one is talking about bringing people together. The young generation needs to work with the mission of creating an impact and spreading [positive] messages. Money cannot be the only intention behind creating music. You need to have passion for your country and [the desire] to serve it.”

Regional star Gippy Grewal gifts kada to Aamir during his recce in the state, actor to sport it in Laal Singh Chadha
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; September 24, 2019)

In the six months since he announced Laal Singh Chadha as his next, Aamir Khan has been undergoing a physical transformation for the part while director Advait Chandan is polishing the script. Ahead of the film — an adaptation of Tom Hanks' starrer Forrest Gump (1994) — rolling in November, the superstar and his team went to Punjab for a recce in the second week of September. Turns out, during the trip, Punjabi singer-filmmaker Gippy Grewal gifted Khan a kada (a bracelet worn by Sikhs) that has now found pride of place in the movie.

A source in the creative team reveals, "Gippy Grewal is an Aamir fan. Whenever the superstar goes to Punjab, Gippy makes sure to meet him. Recently, when the actor went to Punjab for a recce, Gippy joined the film's crew and helped them zero in on locations. Since he knew that Aamir plays a Sikh in the movie, he gifted the superstar the Guru da Kada as a token of good luck. Aamir was touched by the gesture, and promised the Punjabi singer that he will sport the kada in the film."

Interestingly, Khan — knowing that Grewal would have a strong command over Punjabi — sought his help in giving the finishing touches to the script. Another source says, "Since the film has a lot of Punjabi dialogues, Aamir requested Gippy to oversee the screenplay. However, as Gippy was busy, he put his Ardaas Karan co-writer, Rana Ranbir, on the job. Rana recently had a meeting with Aamir and Advait in Mumbai, and offered his suggestions on the script."

BOMBAY TIMES (August 2, 2019)

Guru Randhawa became the latest victim of attacks on Punjabi singers while he was on a tour to Canada. On July 28, Guru, who was performing in Vancouver was attacked by a Punjabi man from the audience who insisted getting on stage while Guru was performing. On Monday, Guru returned to India from his US/Canada tour and his managers posted the clarification of the incident as, “Guru is back in India with four stitches on his right eyebrow and mega successful USA/Canada tour. The incident happened on July 28 in Vancouver when Guru told one Punjabi man not to come on stage while he was performing for the audience.”

While this was a case of a hurt fan who was refused proximity to the singer, Punjabi singers have been in the centre of controversy for some time now since Parmish Verma (right) was shot at by gangster, Dilpreet Dahan in Mohali last year. Following this incident was a set of extortion calls to singers including Gippy Grewal and singer, politician Balkar Sidhu.

In February this year, a bloody fight erupted during the concert of Elly Mangat and Sidhu Moosewala (left), in Surrey, Canada. Though there was no verification about the reason behind the scuffle, some attributed it to personal rift between local artists in an inebriated state.
----------------------------

CONCERTS AND FOREIGN TOURS BECOME BREEDING GROUND FOR ATTACKS ON SINGERS

Earlier in June, there was news of singer Karan Aujla also being attacked in Surrey, Canada. It was claimed that notorious Punjabi gangster, Sukhpreet Budda was behind the attack. However, that claim was not verified by the Punjab police as stated by Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, IG, Punjab Police Organised Crime Control Unit, who said, “We are verifying both the posts and the location from where they have been made. They don’t seem from anywhere in India.”

When Gippy Grewal approached the Mohali police against the extortion calls last year, a case was registered against, “Dilpreet Dhahan after Gippy informed us that he received an extortion call from him," said Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kuldeep Singh Chahal.

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; July 27, 2019)

Filmmaker Dinesh Vijan and director Rohit Jugraj have one thing in common - they’ve both learnt the ropes of their business by taking risks. Dinesh decided to signed Rohit to helm Arjun Patiala, a spoof comedy, after seeing one of his Punjabi films with Diljit Dosanjh. Dinesh and Rohit had a frank and fun conversation with BT about their film, which also features Kriti Sanon and Varun Sharma, and the changing face of the comedy space. Excerpts:

Comedy as a genre is gradually changing with newer sub-genres being introduced to the audience. What do both of you make of this trend?
Dinesh: Comedy is the most successful genre that we have today. David Dhawan is one of the most successful filmmakers we have in the industry, in terms of commercial success, and he understands comedy the best. So far, all of my films have had an element of humour in them. The thing is aap logon ko hansa-hansa ke kuch batayenge toh woh jaldi samjhenge. We spoke of live-in relationships with a family angle in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s style with Luka Chuppi. That made the film accessible to everyone. Even in Arjun Patiala, the humour is such that it can be consumed by everyone.
Rohit: Punjabi cinema has some sort of hold on comedy; they do it really well. I think the audience has been ready for variety in comedy as a genre. We, as filmmakers, have taken longer to convince ourselves to try something out-of-the-box.

Dinesh, after successful films like Stree and Luka Chuppi,you decided to back a film like Arjun Patiala, which is a spoof comedy – a genre that has not been explored much in Bollywood…
Dinesh: I would say that this is the most experimental film we have made so far. While it’s out there, in a strange way, it’s also risky because we are breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to the audience. My company and I have backed films like Stree and Go Goa Gone in the past, which explored new territories. Even here, while there is a pre-existing base, the film is self-deprecating, which is quite new for the business and us. It will be interesting to see how many people this appeals to. We’ve broken the very format of narrating a film where we are saying this is a mandatory love song or an item song. We’ve turned the cop genre on its head.

Over a period of time, you’ve tapped quite a few unchartered territories, as a filmmaker, business-wise isn’t it safer to try something that’s worked in the past?
Dinesh: It’s a spoof comedy that makes fun of itself with a clear story and characters that take themselves very seriously. We haven’t made fun of any other actor or film while trying to do this because it’s not fair. For us, the real challenge was to tap those people who didn’t laugh when they saw the trailer because they didn’t quite get the humour in it. As a filmmaker, I have always experimented with my content, starting with Being Cyrus and Go Goa Gone. Badlapur was an experiment with Varun Dhawan playing such a dark character at the beginning of his career. Stree was a horror-comedy, and films like Angrezi Medium, Bala, Imtiaz Ali’s next, Roohi-Afza and Made In China are also content-driven, with an underlying layer. I’m proud of the line-up. Arjun Patiala leads the pack because it opens first. I remember, when released the trailer of Go Goa Gone, people didn’t know how to react. As a content creator, I’m only trying to gauge what can break the clutter over the next two years. I’ve never taken the audience for granted. My film is an experimental product, and I’m not shying away from that.

Self-deprecation is neither easy to depict nor easy for an audience to consume and accept…
Dinesh: I was ridiculously confident about Stree and Luka Chuppi because somewhere, I knew they would work. Go Goa Gone was an experiment, a zombie film where no one knew how the audience would react. These genres, over a period of time, develop a cult following, which takes time and effort. When writers Sandeep Leyzell and Ritesh Shah came to me with Arjun Patiala, I felt they had the right intent – they wanted to make a film that laughs at itself.

Rohit,you made your last Hindi film, Superstar,a few years ago.Between that and Arjun Patiala, you’ve made some Punjabi comedy films. Why make a comeback with a spoof comedy?
Rohit: The first Punjabi film that I made was Jatt James Bond, which was a thriller-comedy. After working in the Punjabi film industry, I realised that there could be so much variety in humour. For me, it’s a form of spirituality. I have realised that Punjabis generally tackle everything with a pinch of humour and they get past things or drive home their point well. I had gone off the radar from Hindi movies because here nobody lets you make the films you want to if your previous films have flopped. It had happened with me. When I moved to Punjabi films, I got a chance to work with top stars like Diljit Dosanjh and Gippy Grewal, and I understood a lot about stories and the numerous ways in which they could be told. About a year ago, when Dinesh and his writers told me about this film, it hit me somewhere. I was blown away with just how self-deprecating they intended it to be. Writer Ritesh Shah is known for some serious films, and I wasn’t expecting this from him. When Dinu said that we have to break the forth wall and talk to the audience, it was important to understand the four walls to know which one to break. My team had even warned me against me doing this film, but I decided to give something unique a shot.

How difficult was it to explain a film like Arjun Patiala to its actors?
Rohit: They came around fairly easily because they liked their parts; we have had a deeper discussion in this interview than we had with them (laughs!). They just had to believe in the characters and do their bit.

What do you make of the spoof comedy genre which is already quite popular in the West?
Rohit: I think films like Hot Fuzz, Scary Movie and Deadpool are quite popular. Spoof comedies from the West have been massy, and yet, very sophisticated. Their humour has grown on the audience over time. The ultimate thing in any film is its entertainment quotient. We don’t need to have a hangover of the West. If our superhero film doesn’t entertain, the audience will question it. The reason people are more accepting of what they see in Hollywood films is because they say things convincingly and in an entertaining manner. In our spoof comedy, we’ve not aped anything from any existing film. We have done our own thing, and if it entertains, irrespective of whether one has seen a spoof comedy before or not, people will like it.

Diljit Dosanjh, Jassie Gill, Isha Rikhi and Gippy Grewal

Deepali Singh (DNA; August 4, 2018)

Diljit Dosanjh was a household name in Punjab because of his films and singing career there, but Bollywood woke up to his talent only two years ago when he made his entry into Hindi films with Udta Punjab. The actor shone as a policeman caught in the world of drugs. This year’s Soorma proved, yet again, that the Punjab film industry export is not willing to settle for lesser roles and is here to stay.

The Punjabi superstar’s successful entry in Hindi movies has certainly been an encouraging factor for more actors from Pollywood — as their film industry is commonly known as — to look towards making their mark in Bollywood as well. Coupled with it, is the fact that Punjabi films have been doing extremely well in the last couple of years and have come under the radar of Hindi filmmakers who are scouting for new talent there.

While Jassie Gill will be seen opposite Sonakshi Sinha in Happy Phhir Bhaag Jayegi, Isha Rikhi was the female lead in Remo D’souza’s recent production, Nawabzaade. This April, Punjabi TV actor Sahil Vedoliyaa was also seen in the Varun Dhawan-starrer October. Punjabi superstar Gippy Grewal, too, acted in Lucknow Central (2017), although the film itself did not fare well at the box office.

Getting Noticed
Jassie, who made his acting debut in Punjabi films with Mr & Mrs 420 in 2014 and followed it up with movies such as Dil Vil Pyar Vyar, Mundeyan Ton Bachke Rahin and Oh Yaara Ainvayi Ainvayi Lut Gaya, was pleasantly surprised when he got a call from director Mudassar Aziz’s office. “Mudassar sir had seen a music video of mine called Nakhre and he liked what he saw. When he called me, I had no clue which film or what role he was planning to offer me. I had not seen Happy Bhaag Jayegi till then, but knew that it was a good film and had received a lot of appreciation. So when I was told I have been chosen for the sequel of the movie and that too opposite my favourite actress Sonakshi Sinha, I thought, ‘Yeh toh kamaal ho gaya’!

Bollywood wasn’t on the horizon for Isha as well, but things fell into place and she found herself playing the female lead in Nawabzaade. The actress, who has done films like Jatt Boys Putt Jattan De, Happy Go Lucky and What The Jatt, is happy that she is getting to explore another film industry apart from Pollywood. She says, “The Punjabi film industry has grown tremendously over the past few years and we are being looked upon as good actors.” "There are a lot of Bollywood actors, too, who are doing well here. It’s great to get such opportunities,” says Isha, adding that she’s getting to learn with each passing day. Ask her if Punjabi films will take a backseat if her Bollywood career takes off, and she says, “I’m looking for performance-oriented roles in good movies. It doesn’t matter what the language is.”

Bollywood On The Lookout
When director Jayesh Pradhan was looking to cast a fresh face for his directorial debut, Nawabzaade, he auditioned a number of girls from Mumbai. Finally, he found his female lead in Isha. “Instead of saying that Punjabi actors are looking towards Bollywood, I’d like to think it’s the other way around. It’s not just their good looks but also their acting talent and dedication that’s making them such clear favourites. As for Isha, I knew the instant I met her that she is right for the film,” he says.

The emphasis on realism and authenticity in Hindi cinema these days and filmmakers looking to cast actors who would do justice to their roles, is another reason, Jassi feels Bollywood is looking towards Punjabi actors. Citing the example of Diljit, Jassie says the actor lent an authenticity to the characters he portrayed in both Udta Punjab and Soorma. “When we used to watch movies during our college days, my friends and I would lament the caricaturish ways Punjabis were shown. Even the sardars’ turbans would not be shown tied in the proper manner or the language would not sound authentic. So, if the character is originally from the region, the audience connects with them more,” he explains. Since a lot of business comes from the North, Jassi feels it’s natural to look for actors from the regional film industries based there.

Massive Fanbase
If one takes a look at the social media accounts of actors from Pollywood, one would be able to get an idea of the massive fanbase that they enjoy. And it is these fans who come to the theatres in large numbers with their families and spread the word when their favourite Punjabi actors star in Bollywood films. Isha, who was recently in Chandigarh for the promotions of Nawabzaade, was overwhelmed with the response she received from her fans there.

“They were really encouraging and told me ‘Madam, assi te film zaroor vekhni hai’ (we will definitely watch the film)’,” she says, adding that Punjabi fans tend to be really loving towards their stars, and are always rooting for them to explore good opportunities. Although there will be many Punjabi film fans who must have watched the film for Isha, director Jayesh insists roping in the actress’ fanbase wasn’t his intention when he cast her, although it clearly is a plus. “I wasn’t looking at that angle. I just thought Isha suited the character of my movie and went with that intention,” he says.

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 26, 2018)

Soon after wrapping up Anurag Kashyap’s Manmarziyan, Taapsee Pannu took off to Glasgow to kick off Sujoy Ghosh’s Badla. Also, featuring Amitabh Bachchan, the revenge drama is being produced by Shah Rukh Khan, Sunir Kheterpal and Akshai Puri.

Mirror has now learnt that the 30-year-old actress is all set to collaborate with Sunir again for a romcom. It will be directed by Punjabi actor, singer, songwriter and director Gippy Grewal. The film, tentatively titled Dare And Lovely, will mark Gippy’s directorial debut in Bollywood. In 2016, he directed the Punjabi film Ardaas in which he had a cameo.

“The film is set in Punjab with Taapsee playing a girl searching for her roots. She heard the script a few months ago and loved the subject. She has verbally given her nod to the project but has yet to sign on the dotted line,” informs a source close to the development, adding that Gippy was approached because the makers are impressed with Ardaas.

Gippy who had made his acting debut in Bollywood with Govinda’s daughter Tina Ahuja in Second Hand Husband and was recently seen in Lucknow Central with Farhan Akhtar, seems to have developed a bond with his leading lady. Taapsee took to Twitter in April to wish him luck for his recent Punjabi war film Subedar Joginder Singh in which he plays the titular role. He has already started on the prep of Dare And Lovely. The search for a leading man is on.

Lasyapriya Sundaram (BOMBAY TIMES; June 2, 2018)

Gippy Grewal is one of the most popular singers and actors in the Punjabi entertainment industry. The artiste, whose Punjabi film Carry On Jatta 2 released yesterday, spoke to BT about how he struggled to establish himself as a singer, his foray into acting and why he wants to do more Bollywood films. Excerpts…

Did your song Angreji Beat from Cocktail (2012) help you gain recognition on a pan-India level?
Before the song Angreji Beat was used in a Hindi film, I was recognised for my work only in Punjab. In fact, when I had collaborated on it, the idea was that it will cater only to a Punjabi audience. However, when it was used in Cocktail, it made me popular in other parts of the country as well.

Where did your passion for singing stem from?
Music runs in the blood of Punjabis. I used to perform on stage while in school. In 1996, I shifted from my village in Punjab to Chandigarh. I was drawn towards Punjabi folk music, but I also started learning music formally. My first album, Chakkh Lai, released when I was just 18 years old. In fact, I struggled a lot to make a mark in the field of singing. To establish myself as a singer, I had to do many stage shows. Eventually, in 2004, one of my songs became a huge hit and catapulted me into the limelight.

How would you describe your style of singing and who’s your musical inspiration?
I am inspired by the great Punjabi singer, Amar Singh Chamkila. All the songs I sing are inspired from folk music. Only the beats and the compositions are presented in a manner that hook the urban audience.

After establishing yourself as a singer, what prompted you to take up acting in Punjabi cinema?
Around 2005, I was a very popular singer and the youth of Punjab related to me. This resulted in many film offers coming my way. The Punjabi film industry was also finding a new lease. Some of the films that were being made were good. As a child, not only was I interested in singing, but I used to do a lot of theatre as well. When I began my singing career, I thought about acting in movies, too, but the quality of Punjabi films was not very good. As it is, I had to struggle to establish myself in Punjab and I didn’t want to come to Mumbai and struggle to become an actor. In 2009, Jimmy Sheirgill’s team came to me with an offer. The film was Mel Karade Rabba (2010). Though I played the second lead, the film turned out to be a huge hit. Since then, there has been no looking back.

Do you consider Jimmy, Diljit Dosanjh and yourself as the artistes who have revived the Punjabi film industry?
Diljit and I had a lot going for us even before we became actors, because we were famous for our singing even in the overseas market. The audience that appreciated our music, came to see our films. They might not have watched Punjabi films earlier, but because we acted in films, they were keen to watch us. When I sign a movie, the one thing that I ensure is that the project has good technicians. The quality of filmmaking has improved and that’s why more people want to watch Punjabi movies.

Your recent film, Carry On Jatta 2, released six years after the prequel, which was a hit. Why did it take you so long to make the second part?
Making sequels was not a trend in Punjabi cinema. Whenever I would meet my fans, they would keep asking me when we were going to make the sequel of Carry On Jatta 2. But it took time for things to fall into place in terms of story and finances. This film is not a sequel; it is a brand new story, but the flavour is the same.

Tell us about your upcoming projects in Punjabi cinema?
After directing Ardaas (2016) and producing Manje Bistre (2017), the next film that I will be backing is Mar Gaye Oye Loko. It falls in the fantasy and comedy genre. Fantasy films are not made in the Punjabi industry. So, it’s a first attempt of sorts. Then we will be making Manje Bistre 2.

While you made your acting debut in Bollywood with Second Hand Husband (2015) and followed that up with Lucknow Central (2017), your work in Hindi cinema is not very frequent…
I do get offers from Hindi films, but I don’t want to do some of them because I worry that my Punjabi audience might question me about my choice of roles. They might ask me, what was so great about the character or what was the Punjabiat in it. Lucknow Central was a film I did because the role in it was appreciated by my Punjabi fans, even though the film didn’t do well at the box office. I aspire to do at least one or two films in Hindi every year.

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; September 16, 2017)

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; August 11, 2017)

Farhan Akhtar’s love for music is well- known — the actor has crooned several numbers in his previous outings, Rock On (2008), Rock On 2 (2016) and Dil Dhadakne Do (2015), among others. Akhtar has now tried his hand at a cappella for the song Ek Kabootar, Do Kabootar from his forthcoming film, Lucknow Central, where he plays a jailbird.

A cappella is essentially a style of singing, solo or group, without any instrument accompaniment. Director Ranjit Tiwari says the idea of including this form of music came from daily life incidents. He says, “Sometimes, when we are talking to someone, the person is tapping his foot. It is from here that we got the idea of giving these traits a musical bend. So, while writing the characters of the film, these traits naturally became a part of them.”

Producer Nikkhil Advani says that they explored the a cappella style as the song is based in jail and the inmates wouldn’t be familiar with musical instruments. “Since the jail inmates aren’t competent with musical instruments, we decided to incorporate body percussion and a cappella techniques. We got ace percussionist Taufiq Qureshi on board, he added a lot of layers to the song.”

The makers also brought world famous body percussionist Bharat Verma on board to train the actors, including Akhtar. “Everyone — Farhan, Gippy [Grewal], Deepak [Dobriyal], Rajesh [Sharma] and Inaamulhaq — submitted themselves to learning this technique and have actually performed it in the song.”

Nikkhil Advani’s next is being shot in a replica of Lucknow Central Jail
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 31, 2017)

After a glimpse of the Lucknow Central jail that has been recreated in Film City for Ranjit Tiwari’s eponymous Farhan Akhtar-starrer (January 23) from the outside, Mirror has now got its hands on some pictures of what the jail looks from inside.

“Eighty percent of the film is set in this jail so it was important to make it look convincing. The team is currently shooting the cast’s introductory sequences and smaller portions of gang wars that happen inside the jail. In the midst of all that, Farhan’s character is in the process of scouting for mates for his music band. The schedule kicked off from January 10,” informs a source close to the development.

Farhan and his co-stars recently filmed a rain sequence amidst tight security, for which water tankers had been hired for the most part of the day. Diana Penty, who has stepped in for Kriti Sanon as the leading lady after the latter walked out citing scheduling conflicts, has begun shooting as well.

While speaking to Mirror (November 28) earlier, producer Nikkhil Advani had revealed that the film is inspired by a true story of convicts sentenced to life imprisonment in the Lucknow Central jail. “They start a band and discover pride, self-confidence, a reason to wake up every morning,” he had said.

Punjabi actor-singer Gippy Grewal, who had made his Bollywood debut alongside Tina Ahuja in Second Hand Husband, Deepak Dobriyal and Rajesh Sharma (of Tanu Weds Manu Returns fame) and Inaamulhaq (Filmistaan) play Farhan’s prison mates. Manav Vij, who was last seen in Abhishek Chaubey’s Udta Punjab, will feature in a pivotal role.

DNA (October 20, 2015)

Punjabi superstar Gippy Grewal is said to have been roped to do a cameo in Aamir Khan’s next film. Gippy was spotted on the sets of Dangal recently. Earlier last year, there were reports of Aamir making his Punjabi film debut with Gippy. In fact, Gippy had even visited Aamir’s house to discuss his proposal and convince him to act in his film. However, looks like things have changed and now Gippy might be seen doing a scene or two in Aamir’s film. Trust Aamir to turn things around. Poor gippy must not even have realised how this ‘role reversal’ happened

Tina Ahuja talks about everything from her much publicised debut, the ensuing delay and being Govinda’s daughter
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; June 15, 2015)


Dressed in blue jeans teamed with a black tee, Tina (it was her friends who gave her the pet name and insisted that she use it as her screen name) is ready to be grilled and takes every question on her chin giving some sweet and delightful answers. Read on...

Relieved that finally your debut film is ready to hit the theatres?
I wouldn’t say that, but I am very happy and looking forward to the release of Second Hand Husband. Earlier too, I had a lot of offers, but I didn’t want to take up anything just because there was a lot of pressure on me as articles about my debut were being written. I know where I come from, the legacy I have to take forward and the comparisons that will be made. So, unless I was sure about the script I didn’t want to do a film. If I wouldn’t have got something as good as Second Hand Husband, I would have happily sat at home. It’s not as if age is an issue, I am still young!

Weren’t you doing a film directed by Lovely Singh?
Yes, I was, but things went wrong between him and the producer. They had some issues and Lovely decided he will not direct the film anymore. So, I took a break and six months later started meeting people again for work.

But your father could have easily got you in touch with people in the industry...
He always told me to do things my way. Moreover, I don’t ever want my dad to call up producers and recommend me. He is a superstar and I don’t want to bring him down. I have seen other people calling him to recommend them! If I want work, I have no issues calling up or meeting producers. I have already told a few producers that I would like to work with them. In fact, I was the one who called Smeep Kang (director of Second Hand Husband) after I saw one of his Punjabi films. I got Smeep’s number from a friend, called him and said that I wanted to work with him. A few months later, Smeep called me as he was planning to make his debut in Bollywood. He offered me the film at a time when I was in two minds about actually getting into movies or not. I was like, Accha hoga toh theek hai, nahi hoga toh I am happy at home.’

What went wrong with Dabangg? Weren’t you supposed to do the film before Sonakshi Sinha?
Not at all. I have met Salman Khan only three or four times in my life and I am too shy of him. When I was a kid, he was my favourite actor. There would be articles about how despite being Govinda’s daughter, I liked Salman! I don’t have the guts to ask him to launch me.

It was your father, who approached him. Later, there were issues between them.
These were just rumours. He never told Salman to launch me. He always said, ‘If Salman has supported me to get back into films (Partner) after I quit politics, it doesn’t mean meri beti ko bhi launch karega. Usne theka nahi leke rakha hai hamara. We should be grateful for what he has done and not expect too much’.

Who are your close friends from the industry?
Nobody. My father never gave filmi dinners or parties. Once he came home, he switched off from films. Yes, as a kid, I used to go to birthday parties and the others would come to mine, but growing up I had normal non-filmi friends. As a kid, I used to eat in the school canteen, watch movies in theatres without security even then. All these things keep you grounded and make you more real.

Any do's and dont's he has advised you to follow?
When I told him I wanted to be an actress, he sat me down and explained the pros and cons of the profession. He told me it involves a lot of hard work. He has always treated me like a princess at home, so he was a little concerned. The rest, he said, ‘Handle it your way.’

What kind of father is he?
Very chilled out. Earlier, he did not have much time at home, because he was shooting for films. We had to adjust according to his schedules. We would go on his sets, and grab some time to meet him. Summer vacations used to be spent abroad because he would be shooting in foreign locales. He is not strict, but there are certain things he doesn’t like — drugs, drinking and smoking, which I refrain from in any case.

Is he okay with you kissing on screen and wearing swimsuits?
I don’t know because we haven’t discussed it. Second Hand Husband is a neat and clean film, so that question didn’t arise. Jab hoga tab dekhungi kya reaction hai! This film is a romcom with a social concept, that of alimony. I am playing Gippy Grewal’s lawyer and girlfriend.

What have you learnt from your father?
Being passionate about work, giving your 100 per cent and doing justice to the character. For my character, Gurpreet, who is from Punjab, I gained seven kilos. I worked a lot on how she would look and dress up. And now, I am trying to get back to my size six. This is something I learnt from my dad. I know people used to talk about his late-coming on the sets, but he was right in his own way. He was doing six-seven shifts a day, so you can’t expect him to be on time. I have also learnt to not take anything to heart. If there is one hit, there will be one failure. Even superstars have equal stress after giving blockbusters. So, it’s better not to give unnecessary importance to it.

Any producers and actors on your wishlist?
I love a lot of them, but my favourite producer-director is Vipul Shah. Among actors, I want to work with Akshay Kumar.

Will we see you and Govinda together in a film?
If the script is good, definitely. However, I don’t want him to play my father. It will be too emotional. I want him to be my chacha or mama in a fun film (grins).

When will he produce a film for you?
It all depends on his mood! One film (Abhinay Chakra) that he has produced is still to release. It will hit the theatres this August. I don’t want to stress him out more. He should concentrate on one movie at
a time.

Namrata Thakkar (DNA; March 17, 2015)


Talking about the song, which is titled Do You Know Baby, the singer-actress said, “I am happy to add the glam quotient with the promotional track, which is sung by Gippy Grewal. The song has a lot of energy; it’s cool, stylishly shot and has a catchy hook. Also, you will see me grooving with Gippy. After Angreji Beat, it’s his second song in Bollywood and that’s why it’s important.”

The B-town beauty further added, “You might see Paresh Rawal grooving a bit in the song as well.”
Sophie’s last item number in Bollywood was Aala Re Aala, which featured in Shootout At Wadala. Last year, she did a dance number in Mahesh Babu starrer 1: Nenokkadine.

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; July 4, 2014)

Subhash K Jha (DNA; July 2, 2014)

Govinda is quite upset with reports that suggest that his daughter Narmmadaa will finally make her debut opposite Punjabi superstar Gippy Grewal.

He doesn't just deny the news, but also expresses concern over "unfounded" stories. "It hurts me because it hurts my child. There are repeated announcements about Narmmadaa's debut which turn out to be untrue. These hurt her personally and jeopardize her career prospects. We have waited a long for her debut. We are in no hurry to see her sign her first film. We'll wait as long as it takes to find the best possible vehicle for her."

He adds, "She has learnt to be patient. I can understand her feelings. It's not nice to be constantly reminded about something she is waiting for."

PAPA PRACTISES PATIENCE, TOO!
Patience is a virtue Govinda himself practises as he readies for the release of his home production Abhinay Chakra, postponing the film's release, originally due August-end, to "improve the product" after his team saw the edited film and thought the action scenes needed to be boosted. There's buzz that he will call in Hollywood technicians to work on these scenes.

Without giving much away, he says, "I am in no hurry to release my film. A few weeks' delay won't make any difference to me in terms of finances.But it would make a world of a difference to the end-product."

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; June 28, 2014)