Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; August 7, 2019)

After a lean phase, Sidharth Malhotra is raring to go with three films coming up in the next one year, starting with Jabariya Jodi. The suave actor will be seen playing a character from the Hindi heartland for the first time. With colourful shirts and desi thumkas, the 34-year-old looks like a tapori, and a far cry from the city-bred gentleman we are used to seeing him as. With the release date being shifted several times, there is a possibility of the actor not being present when the film hits the theatres. Nevertheless, the Delhi boy is looking forward to the audiences’ response to the movie as it is his first attempt at essaying a Bihar-based character. Here, he tells us about the prep that went into playing the role, and the reason actors want to play characters from the hinterland. 

Lately, every other film is set in the heartland and even actors desire to play upcountry characters to connect with the audience. Do you agree with that?
I think it’s the mood of the nation. If you look historically as well in the ’90s, India was aspiring to go international. I was a student in the ’90s and we all thought chal foreign chalte hain, kuch karte hain... That’s why films of that time mostly had characters either based in a foreign land or had songs that were filmed there. In the last seven-eight years, the mood has changed and gone back to people wanting stories that are relevant to them — from their cities, colonies, galis. That is a shift even India has gone through as a nation. Any culture or art form is the reflection of what the current state of the country is. In that sense, it is a much larger thing. I am happy that writers are coming up with very good content that is based within our cities — some of them are socially relevant, like Jabariya Jodi, but with a different twist, others are inspired by real-life stories, then there are those based on certain issues, including politics. All this gives a chance for the viewers to introspect and yet be entertained. It’s a good phase that we are going through.

As an actor, how has it helped you?
As an actor, it makes it interesting to play something that is relevant to me than to essay characters that are from some other land. In my next three films, I play characters from different cities — one from Mumbai (Marjaavaan), another from up North (Shershaah), and one based in Bihar (Jabariya Jodi). It gives me a variety and the audience won’t feel bored. In my filmography, I’ve tried to play characters from different worlds. None of my characters, posters or trailers look the same. That’s always been my effort, and with this regional flavour, it becomes big and absolutely diverse. 

Was that the reason you decided to do Jabariya Jodi?
It has a lot to do with the fact that I hadn’t done a role like this. When I got the narration, I thought it will be interesting to play a character in this world, which I have never done. Also, Indian cinema has never shown this subject — pakadwa vivah that happens in Bihar. So, it was a combination of having a good concept and for me, especially, that of playing a heartland character. Because I hadn’t played such a character before, people started assuming I can’t. This is my version of a desi Patna boy. I have grown up in Delhi where I have seen this leheza and this world.

Were you aware of Pakadva Vivah concept before? 
I had heard about it socially. I didn’t know in depth how big an issue this was. It is definitely an eye-opener. As we started working on the script — I was shown articles on real-life cases. Some of the inspiration for my character has come from real life. Sanjeev K Jha, who is the writer, has been inspired by various bahubalis who get these marriages done. Some of them are in jail or in politics! That’s why my character says hamara focus bistar se jyaada kursi pe hai. I would say it is a fictitious story on real-life incidents. It’s an attempt to take a social cause and give a comic take to it, of course, through a love story.

What kind of prep did you have to do for the character?
A lot of prep definitely went into my character Abhay Singh. First of all, if I am playing a boy from Patna, I should sound like that guy. A lot of work went into getting the accent right. We consciously made the characters speak in Hindi as it’s a Hindi film. But it has a heavy accent of that region with some words in Maithili, Bhojpuri and Magadhi. Personally, I prepped for a month-and-a-half — I had a personal tutor. We even worked on the look, like, gave him hair colour, earring, and since he is Shiv ka bhakt, he has tattoos of Shiva. He is smoking chillum, which I had never done before and which we call Shiv ka prasad. Maximum amount of character building went into it and this is my favourite. I thoroughly enjoyed speaking this language and pulling off this character, which is strong yet colourful.

When you and Parineeti Chopra did Hasee Toh Phasee, both of you were relatively new, and now you are reuniting on-screen after five years. Has the equation changed? 
As you said, Pari and I worked together early in our career. There is definitely a lot of maturity in both of us in the sense of friendship and comfort, which helps in a love story like Jabariya Jodi. When you want to improvise or try something new, you are not scared of experimenting with a co-actor whom you have worked with before and are friendly with. Our director benefited from us working in the past. He could just give one input and we would try anything. Pari is coming in a new avatar with red hair. She is fitter and a 2.0 version of herself. Not so much into pizza now!

The film has been shifted so many times, what is your frame of mind now?
I am excited. It (the date change) is a distribution call taken by our producers where they felt that the previous weekend would have more releases and lesser space. Because of multiple films coming in and English movies releasing, there was a lot of crowd at the box office. Now, our film will get more space on a much larger scale with more screens. I really believe in this film. It’s a special middle-class mass love story. A new concept, in which I play a new character. But, unfortunately, I might not be there for the release, as I might be shooting for another film.

A file photo of 61 Somalian pirates held on-board an Indian Navy ship after they were intercepted in the Arabian Sea on March 14, 2011

Journey of merchant navy officer Audumbar Bhoi, whose ship was attacked by pirates, to roll next year
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 16, 2017)

Hasee Toh Phasee director Vinil Mathew is teaming up with acclaimed-writer Sudip Sharma, whose repertoire boasts of films like NH10 and Udta Punjab, for a gritty drama based on true events and involving piracy on the Somalian high seas. The film produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur, will be narrated through the eyes of a young Indian merchant navy officer, Audumbar Bhoi, whose ship and crew were attacked by Somalian pirates. The film will roll in the second half of 2018 and follows Audumbar as he navigate through unimaginably perilous circumstances while dealing with personal challenges.

“It is a thrilling, dramatic and emotional journey. We couldn’t have asked for a better director than Vinil to tell this story. His work in advertising is amongst the most accomplished I’ve seen,” Siddharth told Mirror, adding that having Sudip on board as screenwriter is a huge advantage. “Sudip unfailingly creates memorable characters, inhabits them in authentic worlds, and in the process creates strong conflicts and riveting drama.”

Audumbar, a budding writer himself, had pitched his story to a few writers at an entertainment conclave. Siddharth was clear that the story would have to be vetted by the many branches of the shipping industry as well as the merchant navy, and when the gravity of the issue, at its peak in 2010-2011, was verified, he decided to recreate it on screen.

The film is inspired by an attack on Audumbar’s ship while he was travelling from the Nairobi port of Mombasa to a port in the UAE. Both Vinil and Sudip conducted intensive research, interacting with multiple Indian merchant navy officers to understand their lives as well as the impact of Somali piracy on many Indian families.

Sudip who usually steers clear of commissioned projects, jumped at the opportunity to write this one. “The narrative has the potential to be a tense hostage drama and survival story, and lets you explore Somalia and maritime piracy, a world hitherto unseen in Hindi films,” he points out.

Purvaja Sawant (BOMBAY TIMES; July 7, 2017)

Sidharth Malhotra opens up on his choices and living his dreams...
Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; March 11, 2016)


Not many newcomers would possibly take up a two-hero film so early in their careers but most of your films were multiple-hero projects. Are you comfortable with that space?
Of course. It comes from a mindset where I am not just looking for a project to sign up. When I am looking for a film, I want to be a part of good stories so that I can have a library maybe years later. It’s very difficult to be good in a bad film. So I would rather be part of good movies where even if I have a smaller part or a part that I have to share. Because in the long run, I will have some really good films to be proud of and be happier.

Do constant write-ups about your love life affect you?
It used to. Now, I am used to it. We have so much to do in a day. We have to really choose what goes in our head. That comes with a certain amount of training. So I guess I have trained myself now to filter the information that comes in.

You have Alia opposite you. You think your real-life chemistry translated on-screen as well?
It’s good thing that people are first seeing the chemistry on screen which is the most important thing. What happens off camera is not. Bahut mazaa aaya to work with Alia again and I think we have both matured. Alia’s Hindi has become better, so she can improvise now. She used to struggle before. She has a great command over the screen now. Student Of The Year was our first film, so we were all nervous and could not enjoy the process. Now, we are enjoying the scenes!

First Akshay and now Fawad, anyone else you want to play brother to, on screen?
(Laughs) These castings weren’t on my wishlist! I had a different wishlist of actresses which I went through. Sadly, last two films I have had brothers (Smiles). Also, in the last two years, I have worked with all the young actresses so now I am happy, I am going to be out of that brother zone romancing Katrina. There’s no desire to be someone’s brother right now.

Brothers didn’t work as expected. Was it more disappointing given the hard work you piped in for the film?
Brothers not working was the first lesson because it was a new world altogether for me. Previously, I was lucky enough that I was spoiled by the audiences. All my films were hits and I was going up and up with Hasee Toh Phasee and Ek Villain giving me a high. I think the response to Brothers leveled me. It matures you a bit because you realise you can’t take the audiences for granted. Second, is the communication. It’s not like I would not back the film. We enjoyed the story that we made but sometimes, it’s also the dynamics of what people want the film to be, that comes into play. So when it was action, audiences only wanted the action and didn’t want the intensity and the depth. So probably, they missed the lighter moments. You become a victim of that when you try something new or portray a film of one genre. So yeah, it’s made me more grounded and aware of what the audiences will or won’t like. I will choose my films that way.

Are you more at ease with failure now?
Definitely. For the first time when you haven’t really experienced that, you get highly thrown off but once you come back from that dip, that’s what you call maturity. When you play a sport and just winning, scoring goals all the time, you are on a high. The first time when you lose and miss, it really plays on your mind. The third time you will know that this is how your career is going to be like. You need to realise that eventually it’s over a period of time and that’s not short term. You are here for the long haul and you will have ups and downs. But the common man’s dreams that I have — that won’t die!

Salman thinks the Gen-Y actors like you are his competition...
(Starts smiling) He is obviously kidding and being extremely sweet about it. He is in a league of his own. No one can be competition for him. As you can see, how the last year went. All the big films did not really take off and he was the only superstar who was constant. He is Salman Khan. He is definitely in a very, very big league which is impossible for us to be in.

Any biopic you would like to do on screen?
I want to do a sports biopic. I would love to play a famous sportsman on screen or maybe pick up a sport and present it. I think we need some good writers and we have so much talent in India. They need to write for us. I can’t pick one, because it’s very difficult.

Rugby player?
Rugby in India? (Thinks) Actually there’s a film being made on rugby down South. That will be fun and I was looking at that. Apart from that, we have so many sportsmen actually. Not just cricket, we should have one on the life of a soccer player. Kolkata has so many. Goa has so many. Even if they are local players, it has to be inspired. Even a tennis film will be interesting. I love sport, so I will do it with a lot of excitement.

Will you be comfortable going bald for the film?
Of course. It’s not a big deal today. If you have trust and faith in the director and they sell you a script, what’s the problem? It’s all about belief and conviction.

Would you ever take up a negative role?
Why not? It will be very interesting to do. Woh reh gaya hai karne ke liye. There needs to be a script for that. It’s my goal. I would love to do a negative role or a double role now. First of all, Ek Villain was testing waters. So people liked the little aggressive zone I was in for Ek Villain and Brothers. So now, since I have got positive responses, sky is the limit. If someone gives me to play an obsessive murderer or someone will be making something like Darr again, it would be great to try it out!

Sidharth Malhotra who has started shooting for Brothers an adpatation of the hit film Warrior talks about how he bulked up for his role and trained in mixed martial arts
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; October 25, 2014)


Has Ek Villain changed people’s perception of you as an actor?
I hope so. Actually, it started with Hasee Toh Phasee (HTP) more than Ek Villain. HTP was a slice-of-life film and I was not the typical mainstrean hero. That reassured people about me (as an actor). After Ek Villain I hope they stop looking for reassurance as I have done enough of films with variety.

The film had you doing a lot of action sequences. Which was the most thrilling?
There was this stunt which had Riteish (Deshmukh) and me being thrown from a five storied building, with harnesses. That was both scary and thrilling.

Tell us about the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) you have taken up to prepare for your role as a boxer in Brothers.
I had just two months to gain a particular weight and acquire a certain size. However, the kind of training you do for MMA, you tend to loose weight and my character required me to be bigger (bulked up). I was in a catch-22 situation. I am eating as much as I can and trying to get the style right. It is very strenuous though. I am still slightly under the weather. I am not just a boxer in the film, it’s a mix of martial arts.

Does this kind of a physical transformation take a toll on you?
Yes, it does. In this profession we are short of time, our days are not planned like in the US where actors get a six months gap. So, yes we do abuse our bodies, but it’s up to us to do it in a healthy manner with trainers, nutritionists and your own research. It’s also fun — what is the point in doing the same things? I have picked up a couple of sports which are new to me. It’s also a great way to stay fit. Even after the film, I would like to continue with MMA at least twice a week.

Have you seen Warrior?
Of course, it’s a cult film. Brothers is not exactly the same, it’s an adaptation. I hope we make a great MMA film for India.

How is the experience shooting with Akshay Kumar?
We haven’t shot together yet. I have begun shooting recently with Jackie Shroff. He is the nicest guy I have met, he has a great vibe. Shooting with seniors is a great experience — they have some interesting stories to tell!

There are reports about you dating Izabelle Laite..
(Cuts in) That’s my personal life, I don’t want to comment on it.

Lastly, what prompted you to associate yourself with the water park Aquamagica?
It’s a youth friendly brand and has a party vibe. A place where youngsters can go and chill. Most importantly, I have always been excited about water activities. Right from childhood I have loved swimming in salt water. I have participated in several swimming competitions in Delhi but did not pursue it professionally. So when people from Aquamagica approached me it seemed like a good idea.

Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 5, 2014)

There's a spring in his step as he walks in. His latest film, Ek Villain, is racing towards the Rs 100 crore club. And Sidharth Malhotra is playing with numbers for the first time.

It's not been easy for an 'outsider' to inch his way into Bollywood's 'inside circle'. But when Salman Khan turned up at his doorstep to toast the film's success and gift him his watch, it proved that Sidharth had managed that feat. Of course, not everyone is as large-hearted as bhai, but the Delhi boy admits that he can now go to bed without worrying that this alien world he entered four years ago as an assistant director to Tarun Mansukhani on Dostana, will never be his.

That was the first time he'd been on a film set. And it wasn't the last. But even when he bagged the lead in Karan Johar's Student Of The Year, people continued to question his luck.

"I was made to understand that I didn't deserve it and the fairytale wouldn't last. Nobody expected me to survive. That was the last thing I needed to hear since I was living alone, away from my family and home. Every night I'd be plagued by doubts as I reflected on the day's work and wished I'd rehearsed the dance steps more," he reminisces.

During those dark days, Sidharth's support group were the ADs on the film and mentor-director Karan Johar who pushed all three proteges - Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt and Sidharth equally. SOTY was a hit but no one expected Sidharth to stay. While the other 'students' were fending off rumours about a brewing romance with each other and others, there were speculations about Sidharth's sexuality.

He laughs off the "casting couch" accusations saying that such loose talk is inevitable. "Alia and Varun have done three films with Karan's banner as compared to my two, of which Hasee Toh Phasee was a co-production. But I can understand the skepticism. I was a new boy from nowhere who had Karan's support," he shrugs.

Today, there's been a turnaround and his sightings with Izabelle Liete, Aditi Rao Hydari, Shraddha Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha has become fodder for the media. "Sonakshi too?" he asks. Yes, she's supposed to be his best friend. That draws a laugh, "I just have to attend someone's birthday party or go out for dinner with someone else, for us to be in a relationship. That's not going to stop me from socialising but tell me, which girl would want to be with a guy who goes to bed early and gives more importance to the gym? I don't even have a female lead in my next film."

The film is a desi adaptation of the 2011 sports drama Warrior. And Sidharth's priority is to turn big and beefy like Tom Hardy over the next six-seven weeks.

This means munching on carbs and proteins every 30 minutes, so he can put on eight-10 kilos and add on the inches to play a fighter who takes on his estranged brother in the ring.

Once he's built up a warrior's physique, for which he's undergoing specialised training in the gym, Sidharth will train in mixed martial arts so he can prove a worthy opponent to martial arts expert, Akshay Kumar, who plays his older brother in the film.

Isn't he worried about getting over-shadowed by the Khiladi? "I'm not going to worry about how many scenes and dialogue my costar has. I'd rather keep my faith in the content and work towards conveying my feelings through silences since I don't have too many lines," he smiles. "Even Hasee Toh Phasee was more Parineeti's (Chopra) film. Her character had the quirks, yet I was noticed."

But the film couldn't create the kind of box-office magic that was expected of it, perhaps because the idea of a guy leaving one sister for another didn't go down well with our conservative audience? "That was the idea behind so many blockbusters, including Sooraj Barjatya's films. What was harder to digest was Parineeti's character taking antidepressant pills and having kleptomaniac tendencies. I think people were expecting a happy, colourful romantic film but it was a darker drama targetting the metros. It made money and I took myself up one notch as an actor.

The idea is to be different with every film and I'm glad my mother and my brother who were sitting besides me during the screening of Ek Villain forget it was me on screen after the first 15 minutes," he exults. However, Sidharth admits that it wasn't easy to play Guru, who can throw a man into a fire and works as a hitman. "I used to work out scenarios in my head to explain his actions and do push-ups between shots so my face could glow with sweat and anguish," he reveals, pointing out that the unconventional climax when he reaches out to the child of the man who murdered his love, could have worked against the film had he killed Riteish's (Deshmukh) character.

After the Warrior, Sidharth will move on to Bhavesh Joshi, a vigilante who sets out to clean up the city of Mumbai. He's a superhero without superpowers but with a mask and may be a cape too. "We're working on the look. It has to look good and convincing, create an identity and take the franchise forward," says Sidharth, who has grown up on Superman, can't wait to become Bhavesh.

The 29-year-old who came to Mumbai seven years ago, with stars in his eyes and doubts on his mind, is looking to buy his own home in the city today. "It'll make me older, more responsible," he quips.

Meena Iyer & Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; April 4, 2014)

Trade reports say approximately 46 films released in the first quarter of 2014 as opposed to 43 for the same period last year. However, there were only two clear winners — Queen and Ragini MMS 2. Gunday falls in the above average slot, Yaariyan and Hasee Toh Phasee made it to the average slot. And though Salman Khan’s Jai Ho crossed the 100 cr mark, it didn’t bring too much cheer to the distribution circles because the trade has started to expect the sun, moon and stars from Salman.

In Janary to March 2014 Bollywood collected 500 cr. In the corresponding period last year Hindi cinema collected 520 crores.

Check out the laundry list of disasters and you will realise that Bollywood filmmakers have more often got their formula wrong than right. Shaadi Ke Side Effects, Dedh Ishqiya, Sholay 3D, Mr Joe B Carvalho, Karle Pyaar Karle, Heartless, Miss Lovely, Ya Rab, Babloo Happy Hai, Om Dar-Ba-Dar, Paranthe Wali Gali, Kaho Na Kaho, Darr @ The Mall, Dee Saturday Night, Lucky Kabootar, Pyaar Ka Live Show, Anuradha, Gulaab Gang, Total Siyapaa, Bewakoofiyaan, Neighbours, W, Ankhon Dekhi, Gang Of Ghosts, Lakshmi, O Teri and Dishkiyaoon have created such a vacuum in the balance-sheets of producers, that some of them are still wondering why they ventured in the direction of these projects.

Distributor Hemant Shah, attributes the long list of flops to poor content. He says, “The cost of the movies, with print and advertising, too has proved to be unviable. Also, on some days, the matches and exams added to the industry woes.” In the same vein, another distributor adds that no film is small vis-à-vis the cost. “People were depending on Madhuri Dixit’s two films, but they couldn’t run even one week. With the print and publicity expenditure going up, how long can one go on thinking that satellite rights will save the day for you.”

Case in point: Club 60, starring Farooq Shaikh and Sarika. Trade experts state it earned critical acclaim and filled up whatever little shows they had. “But the film got an offer of only 1 crore for the satellite rights,” says the distributor. 

Upala KBR (DNA; March 20, 2014)

2011 Parineeti Chopra made her debut in Ladies vs Ricky Bahl as one of the protagonists. She made an immediate impact with her vivaciousness and spunky performance. The YRF protege followed it up with many solid performances (Ishaqzaade, Shuddh Desi Romance and Hasee Toh Phasee) and soon became a much sought-after actress. She was being described as ‘the next Kajol’.

2012 Alia Bhatt made her debut in a glamorous avatar in the Karan Johar film Student Of The Year. She was one of the protagonists. She was an overnight star. In her second film (Highway), she shattered the myth that the newbie was just another pretty face. Alia delivered a performance far too mature for someone her age. Within just two years, she has grabbed the attention of the filmmakers and the audiences. Alia has proved that she is an actress, not just a star. With promos of her third film 2 States, the writing is on the wall. There is no stopping Alia.

The Bhatt girl is suddenly a threat to all the actresses out there, who hadn’t even considered her as a rival. But she is the biggest threat to Parineeti. Because before Alia, if a filmmaker wanted a ‘20-something performing actress’ there was no choice but Pari. Now here’s Alia as well.

Says film critic Taran Adarsh, “Today we can talk of Parineeti and Alia in the same breath. If anyone can replace Kajol, it’s these two actresses. Alia has a lot of pluses: Age, beauty, talent and most important, the brain to choose the right film.”

Box Office India Trade Network

HIGHWAY put up a low first week total which was okay considering the restricted release but the fact it could not really sustain into week two meant the appreciation was missing. DARR @ THE MALL had a dull first week performance. It had a good release but could not collect anywhere. Mumbai circuit was relatively better. .

The other two new releases DEE SATURDAY NIGHT and GULABI GANG were washouts. GUNDAY had a noticeable drop of 78% while HASEE TOH PHASEE is fairly steady on the lower side as it recorded a 70% drop. Below is the box office char for the week ending 27 Feb 2014.

Box Office Collections (21 Feb 14 - 27 Feb 14)
Rank	Last Week	Film	Week	Screens	Nett Gross	% Drop	Total Nett Gross
1	New	Highway	1	750	20,77,00,000	-	20,77,00,000
2	1	Gunday	2	1600	12,76,00,000	-78.02	70,81,00,000
3	New	Darr @ The Mall	1	1200	5,31,00,000	-	5,31,00,000
4	2	Hasee Toh Phasee	3	225	2,02,00,000	-70.64	36,14,00,000
5	New	Dee Saturday Night	1	175	13,75,000	-	13,75,000
6	3	Jai Ho	5	50	9,00,000	-78.82	1,07,35,50,000
8	New	Gulabi Gang	1	12	3,00,000	-	3,00,000
7	9	Karar - The Deal	5	15	1,00,000	-69.23	6,00,000
9	4	Ya Rab	3	10	1,00,000	-00.00	27,00,000
10	5	Heartless	3	5	25,000	-87.50	87,25,000

HASEE TOH PHASEE led the box office charts last week as the other new releases had awful collections. HEARTLESS, BABLOO HAPPY HAI and YA RAB could not collect despite all three getting a 250 screen release. HEARTLESS was the best of the lot.

JAI HO is coming to the end of its run and may collected a little over 108 crore nett in the final. HOOM 3 3 has finished its run with a little over 261 crore. Below is the box office chart for the week ending 13 Feb 2014.

Box Office Collections (7 Feb 14 - 13 Feb 14)
Rank	Last Week	Film	Week	Screens	Nett Gross	% Drop	Total Nett Gross
1	New	Hasee Toh Phasee	1	1300	27,23,00,000	-	27,23,00,000
2	1	Jai Ho	3	700	3,83,00,000	-82.01	1,06,84,00,000
3	New	Heartless	1	425	85,00,000	-	85,00,000
4	New	Ya Rab	1	250	23,25,000	-	23,25,000
5	New	Babloo Happy Hai	1	275	21,75,000	-	21,75,000
6	4	Yaariyan	5	25	6,00,000	-83.33	31,10,00,000
8	3	Dedh Ishqiya	5	25	6,00,000	-88.00	25,26,00,000
7	2	One By Two	2	15	3,00,000	-98.92	2,80,00,000
9	5	Dhoom 3 (Hindi)	8	5	2,00,000	-80.00	2,61,23,00,000
10	8	Karar - The Deal	3	10	1,00,000	-35.00	4,00,000

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; February 19, 2014)

Nine years after penning the acclaimed hit Page 3, for which she won the National Award, Nina Arora scripted Heartless that went with a whimper. Ask her what went wrong and Nina says she is puzzled! However, she insists that though it was a wipe out in its first week, it is still running in a couple of theatres.”I don’t think we failed in getting the message (anesthesia awareness) across, but we didn’t entertain the largest number of people. It got sandwiched between Gunday and Hasee Toh Phasee and had to be pulled out. However, I do not regret it as I enjoyed the working process,” says Nina. But what took her so long to pen another film after Page 3? “After Page 3, which was an insider’s kaleidoscopic experience, I got several offers to write... another Page 3, but I had said whatever I wanted to in that film. I would have loved to work on a feel-good movie for KJo or YRF but they weren’t exactly beating down my door so I wrote for TV instead,” she admits candidly.

In 2010, she got a call from Shekhar Suman to script Heartless that is inspired from the English film Awake. “Initially, I was reluctant because I thought it will be a small film, but Shekhar persisted and told me a short fable about a mother-son relationship, which touched me. He then made me see Awake, but except for the plot about anaesthesia awareness, everything is original,” says Nina, who is already onto her next project, a film on political exposé and a TV show, which will be a contemporary slice of life in the metropolis.

BOMBAY TIMES (February 11, 2014)

Karan Johar’s company Dharma Productions is in a happy place as far as off-beat, quirky romances go. They have got the formula right not once, but three times over with Wake Up Sid, Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (EMAET) and now with their latest offering Hasee Toh Phasee (HTP). Says Karan, “In my opinion, HTP worked because it not only broke formula, it also managed to have its own individual voice. Vinil Mathew’s script made you laugh and cry, but more importantly it managed to strike a chord with its individualistic nature.’’

The filmmaker says that he was pleasantly surprised that so many of the reviews mentioned that after the Kareena Kapoor Khan-Imran Khan love story EMAET, HTP is another film that managed a similar feat of being out of the box and yet so lovable.

“I’m happy that both these unusual romcoms were produced by my company. This not only brings longevity to our brand, it also marks an important movement within our mainstream Bollywood cinema space. In Hollywood too, you have a lot of ‘indie’ films that, from time to time manage to break the clutter and earn box office appreciation. We too are attempting to do something similar out here.’’

Speaking of the chemistry between Sidharth Malhotra and Parineeti Chopra, Karan says, “The term ‘chemistry between the lead actors’ is used very often. But I think it worked tremendously in the case of Sid and Pari. They are so good together that almost everyone in the theatre is rooting for them. The true test of a chemistry having worked is measured when the audience roots for a lead pair. Of course what is really and truly gratifying is the fact that over the weekend, we (Phantom Films and I) noticed how HTP has earned love and made money. What more can I ask for?’’

Sidharth Malhotra created a stir with his debut film Student of the Year . But with Hasee Toh Phasee , he is being tagged as the sensitive guy who knows how to pull on everyone’s heartstrings
Itee Sharma (MID-DAY; February 9, 2014)

Sidharth Malhotra has yet to come to terms with the new development in his life — his Student of the Year (SOTY) tag has changed to the Hunk Of The Year label. But the handsome actor reveals that female attention makes him a bit awkward and discloses that his first director Karan Johar is like a possessive parent, who he hopes to make proud with Hasee Toh Phasee and Villain.

Since Karan Johar launched you with SOTY, does he always want to know what you are up to?
No. He lets us (Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt and me) make our own decisions and learn from our mistakes.
But he is like a possessive parent.

Your Hasee Toh Phasee co-star Parineeti Chopra calls you ‘mental’ in real life as well. What have you done to earn this title?
You will have to ask Pari that. Initially, she thought that I didn’t speak much, but I do have a sense of humour, which she came to know later, and was surprised. It is very easy to make her laugh.

Between Alia Bhatt’s Shanaya in SOTY and Parineeti Chopra’s Meeta in Hasee Toh Phasee, who is your ideal girl?
I would definitely not want to romance Parineeti but someone like Alia’s character in SOTY . Parineeti’s Meeta is very mental. But I bond with Pari a lot in real life.

Like Varun and Alia, Parineeti too has an industry connection and is more up-to-date about industry happenings. Do you feel that you lag behind?
No. After one film everybody is equal. It is up to us to be updated in the industry. It took me time to let the feeling of actually being an actor sink in but the scale and grandiosity of SOTY made me realise the impact of the film industry. But nothing beats experience. I now have a sense of belonging. I know I am different but I have become more relaxed and aware in the way I behave on the sets. I want appreciation as an actor. I have done the goodlooking guy act in SOTY . Now, I want to do different films.

Have your sensitive-guy looks ever backfired?
Yes. Sensitivity is very attractive to women and sometimes they look for much more. My sensitive looks have backfired a lot of times.

Are you playing the title role in Mohit Suri’s The Villain ?
No. I am not playing the title role in The Villain. It is a dark love story that talks about everybody’s dark side, not just mine.

What is the most villainous thing you have done?
I have done some action with hardcore intensity in Mohit Suri’s The Villain .

BOLLYWOOD NEWS SERVICE

WILL HASEE TOH PHASEE BRING MUCH-NEEDED CHEER?

The year 2014 hasn’t commenced on a great note. Jai Ho, expected to be the first blockbuster, struggled to reach the 100-crore mark. Dedh Ishqiya flopped while Yaariyan was declared average at the box office. However, February might bring the much-needed cheer. There’s a promising film releasing every week and each of this film is expected to fare well at the box office. In fact, the situation reminds me of the ‘July 2011’ phenomenon. July 2011 was when four super hit films released in 4 consecutive weeks – Delhi Belly, Murder 2, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Singham. I strongly feel this rarest of rare phenomenon can repeat this month with Hasee Toh Phasee (releasing tomorrow), Gunday (14th Feb), Highway (21st Feb) and Shaadi Ke Side Effects (28th Feb), although many don’t agree with me. Gunday can be the biggest grosser of the month as its subject and promos suggest that it can work in multiplexes as well as single screens. Highway might be a bit abstract and not universal but it’s made in reasonable costs. Shaadi Ke Side Effects doesn’t have a good music score but its trailers are absolutely funny. That it is from the team and genre of Pyaar Ke Side Effects is also a plus point.

And lastly, Hasee Toh Phasee too has chances due to multiple reasons. Firstly, the trailers are wacky and funny and it seems to be a quirky entertainer. Secondly, it stars Parineeti Chopra, an actress whose presence adds a lot of weightage to any film. Thirdly, it is produced by two diametrically opposite producers – Karan Johar and Anurag Kashyap. And lastly, it comes at an opportune time. It has absolutely no competition (Heartless, Ya Rab and Babloo Happy Hai obviously won’t make a dent in its collections) while the other Hindi films in the fray like Jai Ho and One By Two are done with their principle run in theatres. Viewers are ready, or rather hungry to see a well-made film and would definitely love to Hasee Toh Phasee. But like any other good film, it has to get a good response from audiences.

Here’s hoping February proves beneficial for the aforementioned films, and also for viewers!

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HASEE TOH PHASEE AND WHY? DO LET ME KNOW!

Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; February 6, 2014)

Karan Johar and Anurag Kashyap may look from different planets to an outsider, but they feel they could have been conjoined twins, who would make even more successful filmmakers together. Ahead of their joint production Hasee Toh Phasee, in a first-of-its-kind interview, they spoke to Bombay Times together. While we carried the conversation with Karan Johar yesterday, we bring you the conversation with the other brilliant man in the jodi, Anurag Kashyap. Excerpts:
 
Karan Johar and you are extremely different people. What brings you together?
A lot of things bring us together. I used to be a very opinionated person and used to always resent Karan for the fact that he was privileged and the fact that he comes from a big filmi family. How he just gets away with anything and we slog our asses off and don’t even get our releases. I felt that this industry doesn’t support me and was very anti-industry, and just thought of making good cinema. But after meeting Karan, I realised that I am more opinionated about the industry than the industry is about me. I understood that everything I had in my head about people was in my head only. It was not my attitude that I did not want to work with stars. It was me not knowing them and having the fear whether I would be able to retain my own identity if I worked with them. All the fear was unfounded and I found that actors actually want to experiment with themselves. Whenever I have angst, Karan teaches me how to throw it away and laugh at it. I have understood why you need these blockbusters as money circulates. Those 200 crores is what comes to us so that we can make these kind of films. He was the first man I met who was laughing at himself and I learnt the ability to be able to laugh at yourself from him. It was always my own complexes as an outsider that got enhanced. I realised later that everything that happened with me was for the good. But, at that time, I blamed the industry for all the consequences.
 
Why do you have so much angst in you?  
I am a mush bag but have this incredible struggle with myself. I have angst, but it is transformed. Earlier, my angst was with the industry, now it is with the media. I feel there is such a desperation for news bytes that everything and anything is becoming news and, sometimes, I find myself at the receiving end of it. For instance, for a long time, I kept ignoring stories about my personal life but when you start writing it, you land up creating it. First, it was Huma and Kalki and they laughed about it thinking it would die down. And when we are having other kinds of issues, Huma was dragged into it to the extent that she being a friend of the both of us, she one day actually broke down. Kalki tweeted, I gave a statement but, of course, it didn’t help. Huma and I went to Kalki’s birthday party from where we went to a screening. Kalki could not come as she was the host at her party. Media asked Huma and me to pose together and we posed as it hardly matters, but they created a story around it. It affects her. Why create stories when we have given a statement that Kalki and I have separated? I deal with my angst by calling Karan now.  

Talk about your friendship with Karan?
I am unfortunate that I did not discover Karan earlier as I would have got rid of a lot of things. I have a serious communication issue. I also understood a sense of responsibility from him as a filmmaker as someone is paying for your love of making films. I used to earlier shrug that responsibility in the name of making good cinema. Being cost-conscious, when you have no money to begin with, is no virtue. It’s about being conscious when you have been given the money. Karan is a generous human being and is generous about everything in his life. The amount of opportunities he gives people, the way he treats people, the way he gives. He mentors you. My most favourite image is Karan Johar doing the hair of my daughter at Cannes Film Festival. My daughter was very worried, but he made her look good. For the next two months, she was telling her friends, ‘You know Karan Johar dressed me up and did my hair.’ No father can be given a bigger gift than that. He does these things impulsively without even thinking. He makes me emotional. I have a gush of love for him and need to hug him. I like to listen to him and watch him with wonder on how he makes you laugh. He has done so much good to me emotionally, internally. I can ask him things and am not afraid to admit things I don’t know. I have no sense of dressing. I can call him and he will help me. He will sit honestly and give me feedback about my films. He is so straightforward and honest. We know how he is so self-deprecating. You see him not feeling bad about a lot of things. He is also a human being and may feel hurt, but the way he puts it out, it makes the person hurting him feel bad as he just laughs out at it. All these qualities are rare and that is why he is the common person loved by everyone, despite all camps, and is evolving at a pace in his life that none of us are.
 
Your advice to Karan?
He is now spending less time on his creativity and needs to do that now as he is doing so much for everyone. Why does he do these TV shows? He is constantly worried, arey Gori Tere Pyaar Mein has not worked, I need to make money for my company so that the other projects he has started with new boys don’t get interrupted. That is what is incredible. He should spend more time on himself. In many ways, what Dibakar said, about his short film in Bombay Talkies being his debut, is correct. He can make a commercially successful film at the back of his hand, but he has not put himself up on screen. There is so much world-view inside him. He has it but the expectations from him are so different, the fact that he is running a company that is giving a chance to so many people that he takes that responsibility so much that it affects his personal, emotional and professional life.

Karan told me, ‘I have made a lot of movies to know where a camera is positioned, but I just couldn’t see it on Anurag’s Bombay Velvet. I asked Ranbir, and he said, ‘It’s there.’ Anurag, actors like Karan who have worked with you talk about your brilliance as a director in allowing your actors to be. While you are a large-hearted director, why are you not like that as a person?
I love actors. My way of telling an actor when he or she does a good shot is kiss them. I actually dance on the set when I get a good shot. I have done theatre when I was 21. I actually dabbled with acting and hated myself on screen as I realised that I hated myself, as I was so conscious even though I was a fearless actor on stage. I realised that directors restrict and that is why I developed this style that for actors to breathe I need to not lock the camera.
 
Are you missing being on Twitter?
The good thing about going off Twitter is I have discovered diving and a lot of time that I can spend on creativity. In the last three months, I have found myself a boat in the Andaman islands. I stay there myself and dive. I have gone there multiple times. I read and write there. I disappear to different parts of the world. A year back, I too felt that I could not get out as I was doing these multiple cottage industry movies, but I paid a big price for it. One of the key issues between Kalki and me was that we did not just spend enough time with each other. She felt that it is better to have you as a neighbour than living in the same house with you and that is why we have actually become neighbours now.

Seema Sinha (BOMBAY TIMES; February 6, 2014)

What was your first reaction when you learnt that you were cast opposite each other in Hasee Toh Phasee?
Parineeti: I was very excited. I had seen him in Student Of The Year and I liked his looks.
Sidharth: I had heard about her acting skills. I had seen her first two films and found her real and endearing.
 
What makes HTP ‘cucking frazy’?
Pari: We are shown falling in love because both of us are bizarre. There is nothing heroic or beautiful about us.
Sid: We are not playing the typical hero and heroine. It shows two odd characters doing crazy things.
 
One quality that you rubbed off on each other?
Pari: I would like to take Sid’s frame of mind. He is always very cool and doesn’t instantly react emotionally.
Sid: I would like to acquire Pari’s candidness and moophat quality. She has great people skills.
 
Both of you must have discussed love and romance?
Pari: I have told Sid to find a boy for me.
Sid: And I would want her to find a girl for me. In Mumbai, we don’t find time to socialise due to work pressure, so, possibly, we will go to some other attractive and fun city to find our soulmates.
Pari: And since Sid would prefer a non-industry girl, it is best to go out of Mumbai. So, a day after the film’s release, we will be on a mission to find each other a wife and a husband.
 
Any annoying habit?
Pari: I don’t like his phone habit; he is on the phone for hours together, even between shots, he makes many phone calls.
Sid: She speaks too loudly and I can’t match up to her sound.
 
What did you discover about each other in these months?
Pari: He is much more intelligent than I thought he would be. Actually, I had no opinion about him, but I realised he is a very sharp guy.
Sid: Pari doesn’t make a big deal about her talent. She is very regular. It is refreshing to see this quality, which helped us bond.

Hasee Toh Phasee, produced by Dharma Productions and Phantom Films and directed by Vinil Mathew, releases February 7.

Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 5, 2014)

Karan Johar’s next film Hasee Toh Phasee is lining up for release this Friday and he’s upbeat about the Sidharth Malhotra-Parineeti Chopra starrer, which according to him is not a quintessential rom-com. But the film that has been the talking point for the last few weeks is undoubtedly Shhuddhi. When will the film roll?

“Shhuddhi may take six months, even a year, to go on the floors. We are still working on the schedule. Hrithik Roshan’s health issues, which lead to Bang Bang being pushed forward, has had its share of repercussions. Shuddhi stands indefinitely delayed and right now I don’t know where it is going,” Karan admits.

Buzz is, Deepika Padukone has replaced Kareena Kapoor. Karan insists that at the moment it is still Kareena, but the delay could lead to a change in the cast. “I can’t expect an actress to wait indefinitely. I feel terrible for Bebo, who is a special friend— the sibling I never had,” he sighs. Reportedly one of the reasons for him looking to replace Kareena is the failure of Gori Tere Pyaar Mein, which has also led to director Punit Malhotra’s exit from Dharma. “Who said Punit is out?” retorts Karan. “His next film is with Dharma and he has already started working on it. The film may have failed but Punit didn’t. He had worked harder on Gori Tere Pyaar Mein than he did on I Hate Luv Storys. If anyone has to take the blame, it’s me.” So where did he err? Was it a case of miscasting? “Like you can’t analyse success, you shouldn’t analyse failure either,” Karan philosophises. Rumour has it that Tarun Mansukhani who had to give up on Dostana 2 after five years is a disheartened man today. Karan says he’s taken it upon himself to “re-energise” his team. “We don’t operate as a studio, every film director in Dharma is part of the family,” he asserts.

But, is it true that after the blockbuster Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Ayan Mukerji is getting priority over other Dharma directors? “No. I don’t divide and rule. I encourage group love! That’s the only way to grow. If you don’t delegate and trust, you will live in a bubble and I hate bubbles.”

With the next two weeks, Karan will shift to his new house in Bandra, opposite Excel head honcho’s Ritesh Siddhwani’s pad.

He is also working on 2 States with Sajid Nadiadwala and collaborating with UTV on the Hindi remake of Vettai. His only unfulfilled ambition is that even at the age of 40, he is yet to make a film with Aamir Khan and Salman Khan. But that may happen too. For now it’s being said that he’s all set to return to direction with a film starring Ranbir Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra. “We’re still working on the cast but I promise an exciting screenplay,” he says cagily. Has Ranbir made way for Aamir or Salman? That time will tell, not Karan!
 
On his rumoured fallout with SRK…
SRK is a part of Dharma. So what if he hasn’t come to my show this season? Koffee with Karan is just a show while SRK is a big part of my life and company. Ditto Aditya Chopra and my dad. They conceived, conceptualised and envisioned this company. Tomorrow if I am asked to wipe the floors of Red Chillies and Yash Raj, I will do so. And I know if I ever need SRK and Adi, they will be there for me.”