Showing posts with label Harshad Mehta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harshad Mehta. Show all posts
Ajay Devgn calls me only when he knows something is special-Abhishek Bachchan
8:11 AM
Bringing a fictionalised tale inspired by Harshad Mehta in The Big Bull, Abhishek Bachchan says moral responsibility to not glorify the protagonist rests with the director and actors
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; March 30, 2021)
In early 2019, Abhishek Bachchan’s neighbour-friend Ajay Devgn called him to discuss a film he was producing. “He calls me only when he knows something is special. He is like an elder brother. Out of my love and respect for him, it’ll be a blind yes,” begins Bachchan, recounting how director Kookie Gulati, writer Arjun Dhawan, Devgn and he came together to create the world of The Big Bull, and its principal character Hemant Shah. “Kookie had a clear vision about the journey of a man with big dreams. He wanted it to be an emotional journey for the audience rather than [delving] into the technicalities of the story.”
But a fictional narrative inspired by the life of stockbroker Harshad Mehta poses a cardinal problem — how does one maintain the character’s essence while being careful not to glorify him? “I don’t know if the moral responsibility of the subject [rests with] the writers. Storytellers shouldn’t bother with morality. When the producers, actors and the director step in, that’s when the moral responsibility steps in. I was clear in my initial discussions that if Hemant is aspirational, he also has to be shown as a flawed man. Hemant initially lives in a chawl, and then owns an apartment with a swimming pool in the balcony. He is so taken in by the world he has created. He has human frailties, and I like the fact that he slips. We have not tried to whitewash him. The audience has come of age, and wants our heroes to be real and flawed.”
Hansal Mehta’s Scam 1992, centred on the same subject and starring Pratik Gandhi in the lead, took the nation by storm last year. Bachchan knows that topping it will be a tough act. “All my life, I have been compared to the best in the business. It doesn’t frazzle me,” smiles the star son.
True to his generous nature, Bachchan says he loved Scam 1992. “It’s such a well-made show. But in terms of design and intention, series and movies are different disciplines. A web series has the liberty of time, and hence, will have depth and detail. In cinema, you have to make the story pacy. The two shouldn’t be comparable.”
Harshad Mehta has a natural style and swagger. So, dialoguebaazi of Scam 1992 wasn't forced-Karan Vyas
8:11 AM
.jpg "Karan Vyas")
Scam 1992 dialogue writer Karan Vyas discusses penning punch-lines that could steal hearts as seamlessly as film's muse Harshad Mehta stole money
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 1, 2020)
It is not often that we come across films whose power-packed dialogues complement its clutter-breaking storyline. If Hansal Mehta's Scam 1992 had an intriguing narrative to appease viewers, its dialogues have only enhanced the experience of watching Harshad Mehta's story unfold on screen.
Man of the moment, dialogue writer Karan Vyas says it is the persona of the film's muse that inspired his writing. "Harshad has a natural style and swagger. So, the dialoguebaazi of the show wasn't forced. The 90s' flamboyance strongly influenced people's language. I wrote to capture the essence of this man. Can you imagine a broker putting up his billboards on Marine Drive?" questions Vyas, still humoured by the absurdity of the situation.
When working on a character that invited the wrath of people, Vyas says he had to approach the task with an unclouded opinion. "He had no vices—he didn't drink, he wasn't a womaniser. He was blinded by ego. You need to understand the psyche of a guy who says, 'Old school ho ya new school, sabke syllabus mein ek common subject hota hai, profit. Aur woh mera favourite subject hai'."
Some of his cherry picks include the line, 'What is success? Failure ke baad ka chapter.' Harshad's colleagues told him that he'll never go far, because of the Shani in his kundali. The writers introduced the line, 'Jab dil mein money ho toh kundali mein shani hone se kuch nahin hota,' to highlight how stubborn he was. Vyas's favourite, he says, is, 'Why is there no common woman? Because women are always special.'
The Big Bull is inspired by the stock market, not Harshad Mehta-Anand Pandit
8:33 AM
The Big Bull producer Anand Pandit unfazed about similarities with Hansal Mehta's Scam 1992
Uma Ramasubramanian (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 29, 2020)
"Abhishek Bachchan is raring to resume work," says Anand Pandit, co-producer of The Big Bull, which is loosely based on the 1992 financial scam in the Indian stock Market. Coincidentally, Hansal Mehta's Sony LIV series titled, Scam 1992, also deals with the Harshad Mehta scandal. But the producer is confident that his movie is different. He says, "The Big Bull is inspired by the stock market, it is not based on any one particular individual." He refuses to comment on the similarity between the two films as he has "only seen the teaser," and has no information about the storyline.Set to release on Disney+ Hotstar, the film was to initially roll in July, but it was pushed back after Bachchan tested positive for Coronavirus. "While Abhishek is keen to start shooting, he wants to ensure that precautions are being taken. The safety of the cast and crew is top priority. We are working out the modalities now. Most likely, the shoot will take place in mid-September. We only have a few days of shoot left, It will be wrapped up soon," says Pandit.
When Ajay Devgn announced The Big Bull, we were already shooting-Hansal Mehta
7:59 AM
As he tackles series on Harshad Mehta's stock market scam, director unfazed by comparisons with Abhishek Bachchan - Ajay Devgn's Big Bull
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; December 17, 2019)
When financial journalist Sucheta Dalal exposed the 1992 securities scam, it not only sent shockwaves across India's financial sector but also marked the downfall of the wizard of Dalal Street, Harshad Mehta. Now, filmmaker Hansal Mehta is gearing up for a retelling of the Rs 50 billion scam with the web series, Scam 1992 - The Harshad Mehta Story."He had a natural gift for speculation and entrepreneurship, and an eye for loopholes. This ingenuity coupled with brash self-confidence made him the Big Bull of BSE. He was often called Amitabh Bachchan of the stock market," explains Hansal, adding that the Pratik Gandhi and Shreya Dhanwanthary starrer — produced by Applause Entertainment and adapted from Dalal's book, The Scam — will be as much about his meteoric rise in the stock market as about his imminent fall. Quiz him if he sought the permission of Harshad's family, and he says, "No, we went by the book. But I know that the family will thank me for making this show. I am decoding the financial system for the audience."
It is not surprising that Harshad's larger-than-life story is also being explored by producer Ajay Devgn in the Abhishek Bachchan-fronted crime thriller, The Big Bull. Does he not worry about comparisons? "When they announced their film, we were already shooting. Our approach is different from theirs. I have been told that they've taken the outline of the story and created a work of fiction from it."
Ajay Devgn-Indra Kumar to co-produce The Big Bull, a film inspired by Harshad Mehta?
3:48 PM
DNA (December 21, 2018)
Fourteen years after they worked together in Masti, Ajay Devgn and Indra Kumar collaborated for the soon-to-be-released Total Dhamaal. Now, the two have decided to team up for the third time. Ajay Devgn Films along with Indra Kumar and Ashok Thakeria’s Maruti International will produce The Big Bull, which will be loosely based on the life of Harshad Mehta (the infamous stockbroker who was arrested for financial crimes). The meteoric rise and equally sudden downfall of the businessman would definitely make for an extremely interesting tale.
AJAY IS NOT THE BIG BULL
Ajay, who is producing the movie, will not act in it. “In fact, the casting is underway. The team is looking for an established actor, who can pull off the role.” The project will be directed by Kookie Gulati, who has also written the story along with Arjun Dhawan. Juhi Chaturvedi (of Vicky Donor, Piku and October fame) is overseeing the script.
WHO WAS HARSHAD MEHTA...
Harshad was charged with numerous financial crimes that took place in the Securities Scam of 1992. Of the 27 criminal charges brought against him, he was only convicted of four, before his death in 2001. Around 1991, he had earned the nickname of the “Big Bull”, because he was said to have started the bull run in the stock market. Post the scam, he made a brief comeback as a stock market guru. However, in September 1999, he was sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment. He was in custody at the Thane prison when he complained of chest pain and was admitted to a hospital. He died following a brief heart ailment, at the age of 47. Despite his crimes, many people felt that Harshad changed the dynamics of the Indian stock market.
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