Showing posts with label Heroine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heroine. Show all posts
Showtime creator Sumit Roy, Heroine director Madhur Bhandarkar talk about depicting inner workings of the industry
9:57 PM
With Showtime set in the world of movies, creator-writer Roy and Heroine director Bhandarkar on what it takes to depict the inner workings of the industry
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; March 5, 2024)
Movies about movies are a sub-genre unto themselves, each telling a distinct story. While Farah Khan gave a comedic touch to her directorial venture Om Shanti Om (2007), Heroine (2012) highlighted the ups and downs of stardom in a cut-throat industry; while Luck by Chance (2009) showcased the struggle of an outsider making it in showbiz, the series Call My Agent: Bollywood talked about the life of PR agents.
Disney+ Hotstar’s upcoming series, Showtime—featuring Emraan Hashmi, Rajeev Khandelwal, Naseeruddin Shah, Mouni Roy, and Mahima Makwana—is set to expose the inner workings of an industry that has often made people curious.
So, what does it take to tell an insider story about the industry? Access, one would say. However, to show all that goes on behind the tint of glamour, it takes much more—guts, the willingness to risk being in people’s bad books, the ability to get people to support your idea and a compelling narrative to get the audience hooked. The challenges of crafting such stories are as diverse as the films themselves.
Balancing authenticity with sensitivity
When Rajkumar Hirani tried to capture Sanjay Dutt’s life with Sanju (2018), it was created after months of long conversations with the superstar and the people around him. While the biopic, with Dutt at its centre, had the advantage of first-hand view, it also had the disadvantage of having a filtered perspective. The insider knowledge comes with the responsibility to portray the industry authentically while treading carefully to avoid stepping on toes. Striking that balance is paramount. Showtime writer-creator Sumit Roy says that a huge part of the writing process involved writers ruminating about their experiences in the film industry.
“A few years ago, there was a huge amount of misinformation about Bollywood, and I was aghast, as a member of the industry, at how people were saying and believing anything about it. When Showtime came to me, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to address the misconception that everything in the industry is bad. Bollywood is an artistic business and artistes tend to have huge egos. So much so that I feel there are some people in Bollywood whose body weight is like 90 per cent hot air and pompousness. They can be extremely sensitive sometimes about how they’re portrayed, how they’re spoken about. So, when we were about to start writing our show, which is going behind the scenes in Bollywood and spilling the beans, there were definitely concerns about how it will be received. But at the same time, I was clear that, the material has to come from a place of observation, a place of truth, [and must reflect] things that I have seen in the industry. Because in the last three-four years, Bollywood has been over-scrutinized,” says Roy.
He was certain that he didn’t want to get called out for giving an inauthentic take. “The intent of the show is to talk about larger themes within Bollywood—what it means to be an insider versus an outsider, or to be a woman in Bollywood, and also to talk about the tyranny of the superstar.”
He gives example of a scene in the series where Hashmi’s producer character is shown yelling at a superstar [played by Khandelwal], outside his house, for refusing a project. Roy says that this had actually happened between a superstar and a producer.
Fear of whitewashing
While authenticity is paramount, many times, filmmakers choose to avoid telling the whole truth so as to not aggravate the person involved. For instance, Hirani was criticized for whitewashing Dutt and going soft on the allegations of his connection with the criminal world. In sharp contrast, filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar depicted the harsh side of showbiz with Heroine.
“When I made Chandni Bar [2001] or Traffic Signal [2007] or Corporate [2006], all the film industry people applauded me and were happy for my films’ success. However, when I decided to make Heroine, people were not thrilled. My movies are 70 per cent true and 30 per cent fiction, so people start drawing parallels and that can get tough sometimes. When the trailer of Heroine released, a lot of people got upset with me. This is the same film fraternity that appreciated my National Awards; they were all happy till the time it was not about them. People wondered how I’d expose my own fraternity. But I didn’t want to lose my integrity by sugarcoating things. My honesty is with the audience, not with the fraternity,” he says.
Industry politics
Behind the glitzy façade of Bollywood lies a complex mesh of power dynamics, rivalries, and groupism. Gaining access to insider information can be both a blessing and a curse. While it provides invaluable insights, it also means treading cautiously to avoid getting embroiled in industry politics or running the risk of offending many with the truth.
Bhandarkar shares, “That’s why I am an independent filmmaker. I am not part of any group, gang or circle. There is a pressure when it comes to the film fraternity because people think it’s uncomfortable because you are showing [the truth].”
While Roy is eagerly waiting for his March 8 release, there is also tension in the air. The creator-writer says, “The stars and filmmakers in the series are based on real-life stars and filmmakers. A lot of the plot points are anecdotes from our lives that we witnessed or knew of. After writing, one of the concerns was what would happen when we took it to Karan [Johar, producer]? I was a bit skeptical. But to his absolute credit, he was a complete champion. He immediately saw the intent of what we were going for. [I am not making this] because I have some axe to grind with someone. Lots of characters are amalgamations of different people, so they [audience] can have fun decoding. There are some worries about what will happen when the show eventually drops. Will people be offended? Maybe we should go underground for a couple of days.”
Jab We Met is ghar ki khichdi, you want to see it again and again. It doesn’t get old-Kareena Kapoor
8:27 AM
Kareena Kapoor Khan is at a zen stage in her career and all she wants to focus on is doing quality work. In a chat with us, the actor talks about defying the age-old notion of female actors not getting along, her ‘other’ films and more
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 6, 2023)
‘EXCITED TO WORK WITH TABU’
“Lolo (sister, actor Karisma Kapoor) and Tabu have done some stellar films together. So, I am super excited because I have never worked with her,” says Khan, who will star with actors Tabu and Kriti Sanon in The Crew soon. “All of us working on the film are women, including our producers (Rhea Kapoor and Ektaa Kapoor). These two have always been cool enough to break the mould and do something different. It’s a big screen film and I am pretty sure the audience will love it,” she adds.
NO FRICTION
Dismissing the notion that female actors don’t get along, Khan says, “I have worked in many women-centric films and alongside many female actors. I think today, it’s about doing a good film, not about who or what’s in it. Everybody just wants to do a good film.”
‘JAB WE MET DOESN’T GET OLD’
“Of course, Jab We Met (2007) is ghar ki khichdi, you want to see it again and again. It doesn’t get old. That’s a rarity; every time you watch it, it’s like you are watching it for the first time. It’s just the character,” says Khan, referring to the vivacious Geet.
‘TALK ABOUT MY OTHER FILMS TOO!’
Every film Khan does is compared to her iconic performances in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) and Jab We Met (2007). “They are iconic, I understand. But, I feel like people should talk about [my other films like] Chameli (2003), Yuva (2004), Omkara (2006) and Heroine (2012), too. They are underrated in terms of my performance. Why don’t people talk about that? I am also doing The Devotion Of Suspect X; that’s a very different kind of spectrum for me,” she asserts.
Directors told me that while crossing traffic signals, they never thought of making a film around it-Madhur Bhandarkar
8:17 AM
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; September 27, 2022)
Madhur Bhandarkar is known for telling stories that centre around female protagonists, and now with Babli Bouncer, which marks his digital debut, the filmmaker has done it once again. The film, starring Tamannaah Bhatia, dropped last week on Disney+ Hotstar. Produced by Star Studios and Junglee Pictures, it also stars Saurabh Shukla, Abhishek Bajaj and Sahil Vaid in pivotal roles. In a conversation with us, Madhur spoke about his transition to the digital medium, why he wanted to make a light-hearted film and what lies ahead. Excerpts:
You’ve ventured into the zone of a woman-centric film yet again after Indu Sarkar which had received mixed responses. What propelled you to do that, and that too, after a gap of five years?
Indu Sarkar was a small, but profitable film. I had a bunch of new actors, but I feel very satisfied with the film we made. The producers were happy because it made money and rated well on TV. And it was not meant to be a blockbuster. I knew the scale of the film I was making. I’m a storyteller and I like taking breaks. I don’t make films like a factory anyway. Besides, the pandemic consumed two years of our lives. Apart from that, I’ve always taken breaks to travel, read, watch movies and reconnect with my spiritual side. I have finite needs and I am content with how I live on my terms.
Are you happy with the feedback you’ve received for Babli Bouncer?
As a filmmaker, this is a world that no one has explored and I am happy that it’s been accepted well by the audience. No one prior to this had depicted the world of lady bouncers. This film could’ve easily taken a serious tonality, but we were careful about that. At one point, the thought of making this film for a theatrical run did cross my mind, but once we locked our deal to make it as a digital original, we didn’t ever go back to that idea. Each time that I have set out to make a film, I’ve sought out-of-the-box stories. My director buddies always say that even though we all cross traffic signals, it never crossed their mind to make a film around it. Or about the world of fashion or page 3 parties. I pride myself in the fact that I can spot such stories. These worlds are fascinating and challenging to depict, like Babli Bouncer was. She’s naughty, feisty and a prankster, but she’s principled and strong, too.
Tamannaah Bhatia nailed it. The most fascinating part of making this film was to see how beautifully her story unfolded, and how she transitioned from being a rural girl to one in an urban set-up. I’m absolutely delighted and overwhelmed with the appreciation we are getting from all the world. Babli Bouncer is pure entertainment for the entire family and the positive messages that we have been constantly receiving have been heartwarming. I’m glad we could achieve what we set out to do — make a movie that the whole family can watch together and enjoy.
You had roped in Atul Kulkarni in Chandni Bar to feature along with Tabu, who was the protagonist of the film. Casting a male lead opposite strong female actors has often been a challenging task for filmmakers in our cinema. Why do you think that continues to happen?
I can talk for myself here. I have always cast actors according to the character we created on paper. When I made Chandni Bar, I had a lot of actors in contention to play Potiya, but Atul Kulkarni was the perfect fit. I was very impressed with his performance in Heyy Ram. Atul was in two minds, but I was certain because I could visualize him clearly in that character. Likewise, Jai Kalra in Page 3 and Arjan Bajwa in Fashion. As a filmmaker, if I can sense that someone has the potential to pull off a character and I can draw a performance out, I cast that person in the role. Like Tamannaah has shouldered the entire film here, and so wonderfully. She surrendered to my vision. When I cast Sudhir Mishra as the villain in Traffic Signal, he was so uncertain about it. He was forgetting his lines. But he went with my conviction and eventually, it all worked out. I practice this — I cast actors on the basis of what the character is. I could not have cast a newbie for my film, Heroine. I needed a charismatic girl like Kareena Kapoor Khan, and her star boyfriend had to be played by someone with a certain persona. Hence, Arjun Rampal was cast.
Today, filmmakers and creative thinkers feel liberated that they have an OTT platform as an option for out-ofthe-box and bolder content. But you’ve always made bold content. In that context, how well do you think an OTT platform can work for you?
The space to make content the way I see it fit. I mean, even I have stories that can’t be narrated in a measly two hours. I need a longer runtime and the space to let the characters dwell properly. OTT channels allow you to play out content differently. And no matter where you go and what content you make, you have to use certain filters and apply a degree of moderation. It’s always going to be there for each one of us. Back in the day, we only had the option of making movies. Today, we have more options. Digital platforms have also opened doors to a world of content across languages and countries for all of us. There is a paradigm shift in consumption and exhibition. OTT and cinemas will co-exist, but with differentiated content. OTT platforms have given us a parallel universe of stars, writers and directors which is great for the business.
Who better than Deepika Padukone to represent India at Cannes?-Madhur Bhandarkar
7:43 AM
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 19, 2022)
Madhur Bhandarkar has been to the Cannes Film Festival twice before (in 2011 and 2019) and is delighted that India is the country of honour this year. Revisiting his time at the French Riviera, the director shares, “I remember, in 2019, I was part of our country’s delegation at the India Pavilion. It was great to interact with so many filmmakers, producers and technicians, who were so aware of the kind of films our industry makes.”
But has Indian cinema always received this kind of recognition, or is the world only now waking up to its potential? The National Award-winning director says, “It has been growing slowly and steadily. We are definitely making a mark. I went there in 2011 to launch my film Heroine (2012). And then I visited eight years later. We had [attained] a phenomenal reach in that span. People around the world have interacted with my films. I will not use the term Bollywood, but Indian cinema.”
Bhandarkar attributes the increased reach of Indian content to the rise of OTT platforms: “The world has become narrow. We have social media as well. There was a time when we would get to watch English films, but since the OTT phenomenon, we get to watch cinema from around the world, like French or Spanish.”
Speaking of the ongoing Cannes festival, he is all praises for actor Deepika Padukone, who has been invited as a jury member this year. “It’s so great. She’s a big brand, who better than her to (represent) India at Cannes?” Bhandarkar ends.
Happy Birthday Kareena Kapoor: In her first 2 years as an actress, she had appeared in 6 films, 3 of which were record openers!
3:45 PM
The Hindi film industry has seen several actors and actresses ruling the roost and breaking and setting new records. However, Kareena Kapoor, who celebrates her 41st birthday today, stands out when it comes to giving record openings. Believe it or not, in her first 2 years as an actress, she ended up giving as many as 3 record openers!
Kareena debuted with Refugee on June 30, 2000. It starred another debutant, Abhishek Bachchan. It was J P Dutta’s next after the monstrous blockbuster, Border (1997). The pairing of debutants and star kids Abhishek Bachchan and Kareena enhanced curiosity. Anu Malik’s music too was a rage. The film collected Rs. 1.56 crore and it was the biggest opening day ever till then, bigger than the films of the Khans and any other ruling stars! Even its weekend collections of Rs. 4.52 crore were the highest ever! Refugee’s record of first-day remained for four months and it was then broken by Hrithik Roshan-Preity Zinta starrer Mission Kashmir (2000). This Vidhu Vinod Chopra action thriller collected Rs. 1.64 crore on its opening day.
Kareena Kapoor’s second film, Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai (2001), opened well, at Rs. 81 lakhs. It sustained very well and ended up collecting nearly Rs. 17 crore, that is, as much as Refugee. Thus, it got the Super-Hit verdict. This was followed by Yaadein (2001). This film had generated hype as it was directed by Subhash Ghai and because of the electrifying chemistry of Hrithik and Kareena, both of whom had given record openers a year before. Yaadein opened at Rs. 1.59 crore, that is, more than Refugee’s and less than Mission Kahsmir’s day 1 earnings.
And then came Ajnabee (2001). Along with Kareena Kapoor, it also starred Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol and Bipasha Basu. The film was well packaged and marketed. The bold subject, the impressive posters and trailers and hit music enhanced curiosity. Yet, no one was prepared when this Abbas-Mustan suspense thriller took an earth-shattering opening. It collected Rs. 1.65 crore, a lakh more than what Mission Kashmir earned on release day. Ajnabee managed this feat despite releasing in non-holiday, adult-certification and despite releasing in lesser screens (325) than Mission Kashmir (400). Ajnabee was also Akshay Kumar’s first record opener.
Sadly, Ajnabee held the record for only a month. On October 26, 2001, the Sunny Deol-starrer Indian released and collected Rs. 1.80 crore on day 1. It clashed with Asoka, starring Kareena Kapoor and Shah Rukh Khan and it had a decent opening of Rs. 1 crore.
Finally, Kareena’s fifth and final film of 2001 was Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. This was Karan Johar’s second film after the much loved Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998). It starred as many as six big actors – Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Kajol, Jaya Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor. It was released on December 14 and broke records by a huge margin. It’s opening day collections were Rs. 2.38 crore and weekend collections amounted to a huge Rs. 7 crore. It ended up making Rs. 55.65 crore at the box office and thus became a blockbuster.
In short, by the time 2001 ended, Kareena Kapoor had appeared in 6 films, 3 of which were record openers, and 2 of them had record weekends. Kareena probably holds this record of giving the maximum record openers in the beginning of her career.
Lastly, there’s another feat of Kareena Kapoor, worth mentioning. Ajnabee was also released today, on Kareena’s 21st birthday. In fact, she is the only actress or a rare actress who has had not 1 but 2 releases on her birthday – Ajnabee and Heroine (on September 21, 2012).
Neither Gandhi nor Godse are shown as heroes in Solar Eclipse: Depth Of Darkness-Govind Namdev
9:51 AM
He has enhanced the impact in a lot of films with his intense performances, mostly negative ones. But Govind Namdev has now started to surprise audiences. He played the role of freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak in the recently released Chaphekar Brothers. And in the upcoming film Solar Eclipse: Depth Of Darkness, he essays 2 roles, one of that of Morarji Desai. In this exclusive chat, Govind Namdev speaks about these 2 films, looks back some of his recent memorable films and also sets the record straight on the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Raees.
Tell us about your experience of playing 2 real life characters – Bal Gangadhar Tilak in the recently released Chaphekar Brothers and Morarji Desai in Solar Eclipse: Depth Of Darkness?
In Solar Eclipse: Depth Of Darkness, actually I am playing 2 characters – one of Morarji Desai and one of Dr Parchure, who was one of the accused of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. When you are playing real life characters, you need to do an in-depth research besides the basic research that we anyways do for all types of roles. People know Tilak and Morarji Desai very well. So we have to be absolutely sure that we don’t portray them in an objectionable manner. Hence I had to study a lot. Thankfully, there was a lot of information available about Lokmanya Tilak. I tried to understand how he used to walk, get up, talk etc. Also, the expressions are very important and to get it right was quite a challenge. It’s time consuming but it gives me lot happiness. Moreover, playing such powerful characters is also a learning experience. It adds to your personality. Your thought process changes. We mostly think of ourselves but when we read about these famous personalities, you realize that one should also contribute to society. Chapekar Brothers and many people of those times used to happily accept death sentence. Khushi khushi sooli pe chadh jaate the. Their love and passion for their motherland used to make me cry. That was the time when even talking against the British Empire used to have disastrous consequences. Yet, these people were never afraid for their lives, served the country and when the time, they embraced death as well.
Solar Eclipse: Depth Of Darkness deals with the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. At a time when some people hail his killer Nathuram Godse as a hero, do you think the film might face problems?
Solar Eclipse: Depth Of Darkness is not a story about Godse or even Gandhiji for that matter. The film is about a situation and it’s the situation that’s the hero here. What was the politics at that time, what were the decisions, how did people react to those decisions etc is what’s the crux of the film. Neither Gandhi nor Godse are shown as heroes in the film. Hence, we are sure that the film will not cause any problems.
Chapekar Brothers faced some issues at the Censors. Do you think Solar Eclipse: Depth Of Darkness might also get butchered similarly?
Again, I don’t really think the film will face any problems with the Censor Board.
When do we see it releasing in India?
The film will release in the West on January 19, 2017 and only then it will see a release in India.
You have done plenty of memorable roles, but most of them were that of the villain. However, you played the role of a conscientious man in Madhur Bhandarkar’s Heroine? How do you look back at that particular role?
Madhur Bhandarkar is a friend. He saw me in that role and asked me if I’d like to play it. Then we had the usual discussions – how to correctly portray the character, how to bring out his moralistic point of view to the fore – and once that was done, I signed on the dotted line. Contrary to beliefs, I don’t think I got stuck in negative roles. I have played a variety of roles. And that’s also one of the reasons why I signed Heroine as it was something different from what I have played in the past. It was a nice experience.
Another memorable role of yours in the recent past has been in OMG Oh My God. Your portrayal of Siddeshwar Maharaj was unanimously loved. There were talks of a sequel to OMG Oh My God. Any update on that?
They just have an idea of the film. It’s been scripted. But chances of it being made are 100%!
You said in an interview that your family members were quite upset since you used to do a lot of villainous roles. Now that they see you doing biopics, has their stand changed?
Yes, it has and they look at it positively. They have also understood that what I am doing is a part of my job. After all, I am just acting. It’s not like I am like the characters I portray on screen. My family members used to argue that I am being looked as a villain – that’s the image that’s being generated. I countered, saying that at the same time, I am also looked as someone who’s doing a good job as an actor!
In the beginning of the interview, you said that essaying characters like Tilak brought a positive change in you. Were you similarly impacted while essaying negative characters?
Impact hota tha par ulta hota tha! Yeh bahut important sawaal tumne pucha hai. By doing the villainous roles, I realized that I was changing. I used to leave all the negativity behind on the film set. And I used to feel very pure when I used to reach home. I used to love my wife more, I used to shower more love on my children! At the same time, I used to wonder what makes a person turn evil? Why did people murder, rape, harm others? You must have also noticed that those who play villains regularly, they were all good-natured in real life. Take Pran for instance. You’ll never hear anything negative about him or his way of working. Same goes for Amrish Puri, Mohan Joshi and Prem Chopra. Ussi kataar mein main bhi khada ho gaya hoon!
There are reports that you are playing Mahira Khan’s father in Raees…
I am not a part of Raees. Maybe, they thought of me for that role. But I am not doing that film. I understand that a lot of articles on Raees mention my name, including on Wikipedia and IMDb. Since, I am not net savvy and not on Twitter, I haven’t been able to clarify about it.
Which other films are you doing?
I am shooting for a film by Lekh Tandon. Manish Tiwari recently started a film and I am a part of it. I have also the upcoming film of Ajay Chandhok.
Your earlier film with Ajay Chandhok, Khallballi: Fun Unlimited didn’t get a release in theatres…
Yes, it didn’t release. It’s a very important and significant flick. Similarly, there’s another film of mine that didn’t release, Dussehra, starring Neil Nitin Mukesh in leading role. It has shaped up very well.
Does it hurt when a film of yours doesn’t get a release as it fails to find a distributor or due to any such reason?
Yes, especially when I have done a good job in a film or when the film is making an important comment. There are some films made just for ‘shauk’ and when such films get stuck, I don’t really feel that bad though!
Mary Kom gets more shows than Entertainment
12:28 PM
Box Office India Trade Network
MARY KOM will be getting a huge release at multiplexes on Friday and this should help it to a decent first day total. Whether the occupancies are good or the collections good for the release is another matter. It is surprising to see such a film getting so many screenings, it could be due to the fact the films being screened are running on low occupancies so MARY KOM was only choice for multiplex programmers.
In a city like Noida, MARY KOM has an unbelievable 95 screenings daily. KICK had 120, SINGHAM RETURNS had 110 while a film like ENTERTAINMENT had 70. Basically at multiplexes it has more screenings than ENTERTAINMENT everywhere.
The film would have been expected to beat HEROINE which is the biggest opener where female is the major star of the film but on this release it should easily surpass it if the film is to do well. HEROINE grossed around 7 crore nett on its opening day. The film has the external factors in its favour like a blockbuster and even tax free status in imp[ortant states like Maharashtra and and now it remains to be seen if the film anything go for it internally in terms of content.
Should no-pregnancy clause be included in an actress’ contract?
7:57 AM
Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; March 19, 2014)
The buzz has it that Vidya Balan has been replaced by Kangna Ranaut in Sujoy Ghosh’s next film that is ready to go on the floors. Balan’s favourite director apparently finalised another name for the film due to her pregnancy.
While there is no confirmation yet about this, an actress letting go of projects due to pregnancy is not exactly new in Bollywood. It maybe noted here that Kareena Kapoor replaced Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan in the film, Heroine, after director Madhur Bhandarkar learnt that Rai-Bachchan was pregnant.
Interestingly, in a recent interview to hitlist, Vidya had said, “I have signed contracts which specify that I can’t get pregnant for the next two years.” But with recent media reports stating otherwise, the no pregnancy clause has come under the spotlight again.
Mukesh Bhatt, who is producing Hamari Adhuri Kahani starring Vidya Balan and Emran Hashmi, says, “It is mandatory to have a no pregnancy clause as the actress needs to show her commitment towards a project. It is a healthy clause and is needed in today’s times.” Bhatt’s film is supposed to go the floors soon. But now with reports of Balan’s alleged pregnancy, the fate of the film is uncertain. He says that he had met the actress just before she left for the US and will be meeting her once she returns to India next week. “I don’t think Vidya is pregnant. She would’ve told us if she was expecting.I have complete faith in her; she will not keep anyone in the dark. And even if she is pregnant, I am happy for her.”
Given that a lot of money is riding on films — as also the fact that they are all being made in a stipulated period of time — the stakes today are higher than in the earlier days, says Hema Malini. The actress, who was pregnant during the making of Satte Pe Satta, says, “Back then, film shoots would go on endlessly and it was not always possible for an artiste to wait for the producer to finish shooting. Today the no pregnancy clause should be made mandatory, but only for a certain time period, say a maximum of six months. If the artiste gets pregnant before the film goes on the floors, she should inform the producer. But if the film gets delayed for other reasons, then it’s wrong to expect the actress to wait. She can’t be held responsible in such a situation.”
Some more industry people are
drumming up support for the clause. When Aishwarya was replaced by
Kareena in Heroine, actress and activist Shabana Azmi had tweeted, “Insurance companies in Hollywood insist on many clauses, including no-
pregnancy to safeguard their huge monetary investments It’s not
sexist at all.”Madhur Bhandarkar, who allegedly incurred losses to the tune of Rs 4 crore when he realised that Aishwarya wouldn’t be able to do the film due to her pregnancy, had vented his frustration to hitlist, “The entire event would not have taken place if the actress would have informed the state of her health … an impending maternity. The truth was hidden from us.” Indeed, when a huge sum is invested in pre-production — which includes workshops and developing the heroine’s look — a pregnancy can put a spanner in the works. But interpersonal relationships are equally important say some industry insiders.
For instance, producer Ramesh Taurani says that in Bollywood, work is centred around the rapport between the concerned people, and contracts are secondary. He says that it’s alright for an actress to give importance to her personal life. “At the end of the day, it is just about a film and I don’t think it’s a big deal. If a film hasn’t gone on the floors, the question of monetary loss does not arise at all.”
It may be pointed out here that Kareena Kapoor, who walked out of
Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-leela soon after her marriage, allegedly prompted filmmaker Sanjay
Leela Bhansali to say that he didn’t want a married heroine to play
Juliet in the film.Kareena makes a valid point: “We are constantly trying to ape the West. If we want the no pregnancy clause to be included in the contract, then actors here should be insured just like they are in Hollywood.”
Lawyer Ameet Naik, a legal consultant to many producers, says that a no pregnancy clause is a must. “The idea is to secure the producer for making a significant investment for his film’s production. The lead actress of a film conceiving during the filming schedule can cause irreparable damage to all stakeholders of the film. Also, there is no insurance cover for such a contingency.”
After 12 years of marriage, Juhi Chawla continues to work in Bollywood, and she is yet to see such a clause. “Today’s world is contract driven. Soon they may have to be signed by all newly married actresses.”
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