Mission Mangal director Jagan Shakti finds inspiration for Akshay starrer from scientist relative who worked at ISRO during Mangalyaan programme
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; July 10, 2019)

Kicking off the run-up to the film's release on August 15, Akshay Kumar launched the teaser of Mission Mangal yesterday. The superstar plays a senior scientist in the drama, that shines a spotlight on India's Mangalyaan mission and the role of women engineers in its success. Few know that Jagan Shakti, who makes his directorial debut with the Vidya Balan, Taapsee Pannu and Sonakshi Sinha starrer, is related to one of the scientists who were part of ISRO's team for the Mars Mission. The director, we hear, spent almost three years conducting his research with the help of the scientist before approaching Kumar with the script.

A source from the creative team reveals, "Akshay and Jagan go back a long way -- the latter was an assistant director on Holiday (2014), and they worked together again on PadMan (2018). It was during the shoot of the social drama in late 2017 that Jagan discussed the idea of Mission Mangal with the superstar. Akshay was impressed seeing how he knew the nitty-gritty of the Mars Orbiter Mission and his painstaking research on the subject. Upon prodding, the actor learnt that Jagan knew the subject inside out as his relative was working at ISRO when the space programme was being developed. While Jagan was fascinated to hear his relative's account of how the mission was conceived and realised over two years, it was the director's idea to narrate the story from the lens of the women working on the programme. Seeing his passion for the project, both Akshay and producer R Balki decided to back him as he brought the inspiring story to the big screen."

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; February 19, 2018)

Once the golden girl of the box office, Sonakshi Sinha hasn’t had the same luck in her recent spate of films such as Akira, Noor, and Force 2. Her last release, Ittefaq, too, wasn’t exactly a huge hit. “But I am still the asli Sona,” she laughs. The actress is in a space where she is looking for creative satisfaction rather than numbers. That’s how she agreed to do Welcome To New York, a stage-show reality film, that has her doing out-and-out comedy for the first time. Here, the actress talks about the kind of humour she likes, how she is a natural at it, and more...

After the suspense mystery Ittefaq, you will be seen in Welcome To New York, which is a comedy. Is this a deliberate move?
I choose films instinctively. When I am offered a script, I first see if, as an audience, I would like to watch it, only then I take it up. Honestly, I am looking for roles that will challenge me in some way or the other. I have never done a full-fledged comedy like this one. Most of my movies have been a mix of comedy, action, drama and romance. The makers came to me with the concept of a stage reality film. They told me they would shoot it at an award show, with everybody doing a cameo in it and having funny scenes. I found it interesting and felt I should be a part of this. I wanted to see what kind of an experience it would be. And, it was amazing.

What kind of comedy do you like?
Anything that makes me laugh. I can watch a slapstick comedy, or something with sensible, or dry humour. Andaz Apna Apna is my all-time favourite comedy movie. I would love to do a mad comedy. I would also like to be part of a sensible comedy like 3 Idiots, which along with being funny had a lot of emotions and a lovely message.

How difficult or easy is it for you to do comedy?
I would call myself a funny person. I like to make people laugh, and it doesn’t take much to make me laugh. Comedy, kind of, comes to me naturally. Shooting for this film was a one-of-a-kind experience because nobody knew what we were doing. They were thinking documentary ban rahi hai award show par, but we made a feature film! Imagine shooting amidst the fans on the green carpet? How can you explain to them that we’re shooting for a film? But that’s exactly what happened. I remember there was this confusion, too. I had worn a sari for the film shoot, and then I changed to my red carpet outfit to attend the awards. People were like, ‘Why is she wearing two outfits at the same show?’

That sari was talked about because it was loud and colourful. In fact, your look in the film is distinct...
That’s because the character I play is mad! She is a fashion designer with a quirky sense of style. She thinks she is stylish irrespective of whether other people agree with her or not. She is secure about her fashion sense, but is a little bit of a crackhead. I had to bring out those quirks of her personality in the way she dresses with loud, colourful outfits, but with a traditional touch in the form of her bindi, and jewellery. I feel the bindi is a beautiful accessory for an Indian woman. She is a Gujarati girl close to her roots. So, though she wears western clothes, it has an ethnic touch.

How was it working with Diljit Dosanjh?
Diljit is reserved, but in front of the camera, he just transforms into a completely different person, which is a mark of a good actor. So, off screen, even if he did not talk much, on screen we had a great equation.

You are acting with two big Punjabi stars — Diljit and Jassi Gill (Happy Bhaag Jaayegi 2). Will this help you to increase your reach in Punjab?
I hope so. Anyway, I have got a good foothold in the North because of my father’s roots and the kind of films I have done in the past like Dabangg, Rowdy Rathore and Son Of Sardaar which did very well there. Now, my upcoming films will only add to it. Next, I have Dabangg 3 coming up. I am really looking forward to it. Everything is falling into place (smiles).

There have been reports of another heroine being a part of Dabangg 3...
(Cuts in) As of now, I am Rajjo and I will always be. Whether the script has another heroine or not, it is the producer or the director’s call.

You were once considered the golden girl of box office as you had successive Rs 100 crore hits. But that is no longer the case. How have you dealt with it?
I am still the golden girl, asli sona (laughs). There’s nothing to deal with. I am doing some good work, whether it was Akira, a character like Noor, or a film like Ittefaq. Yes, earlier there was a trend of movies like Rowdy Rathore and Son Of Sardaar, but now is the time to experiment. My recent films may not have done big numbers box office-wise, but creatively, it has been satisfying to be a part of them. When I did those films, people said I had nothing much to do in them. Now, I’m asked why I’m not doing those kind of movies anymore. You can’t please everybody. I have to see what makes me happy and challenges me. Only when you are happy and balanced, will that translate on screen.

But aren’t you missing those huge box-office figures?
Even when I was getting those figures, they did not matter to me. What matters to me is the love of the audience. Lootera didn’t do big numbers, but even today, whenever somebody meets me, that is the first film they mention to me. The box-office figures are based on how many people have seen your film, how many screens it was released in — a lot of factors are involved. Ittefaq was in a different genre. It was a small film, which opened in a lesser number of screens, but it was still a hit. Even Akira for that matter was a great opportunity for me to work with AR Murugadoss and show that I can do action. What didn’t work was the film’s budget. It should have been made on a much more controlled budget. It made Rs 30-35 crore in India alone, which is a great number for a singular female lead project. I got tremendous appreciation for doing an action film like that. And that’s what matters. Honestly, my last few films have got me much more appreciation than the earlier ones.

FAN dropped on the second day at key centres which basically sealed its fate and the postmortems will happen but the genre of the film always meant an uphill struggle to meet expectations which were mainly there because of a big star like Shah Rukh Khan. It could have succeeded but was never going to be a superstar level hit. The highest grossing thriller till date is HOLIDAY - A SOLDIER IS NEVER OFF DUTY at 112 crore nett and that says it all.

The next best are EK VILLAIN and RACE 2 and the list of disappointments in the genre is huge not just over the last few years but since they started being made in Hindi. The last big hit in the genre was AGNI SAKSHI way back in 1996 and this was mainly driven by Mumbai circuit which had a tax free status.

The last one to do extraordinary business all over was actually a Shah Rukh Khan film DARR in 1993. This is probably the most successful thriller genre film in India ever but the reason it went so far was that other elements that are needed in a Hindi film were blended so well in the film especially a love story and music. Also it was directed by the one of the greats of Hindi cinema Yash Chopra and there no directors of that level today in the Hindi film industry.

Basically the bigger the star, the bigger the risk with this genre. The more popular you are then the higher the expectations go which just can't be met with the genre especially the sort of number that is expected of a Shah Rukh Khan or a Salman Khan starrer. Its difficult to meet expectations anyway and if a few circuits reject the film then the gap between expectation and final result can look huge which is the case with Fan.

The downside of mega stardom is that you can't really go out of the drama, action and love story genre today as box office numbers are reported everywhere and outside these genres you need some outstanding film to put up a megastar number.

It is also interesting to note that the other superstar of the day Salman Khan has no film in the thriller genre in our database which goes back to 1994. Not only Salman Khan but even the legendary megastars of prior generations with great box office records are likely to have filmographies devoid of thrillers.

Sonakshi Sinha opens up on doing action for Akira and Force 2….
Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; September 23, 2015)

Bollywood has always been an overtly patriarchial set-up with male actors dominating the bandwagon with their dialoguebaazi and dishoom-dishoom. What the leading ladies are left to doing are just standing as mere props or just romance around the trees with the love track playing in the background. But slowly and steadily, there’s a definite paradigm shift in the industry in general. At a time when there is a dearth of action heroines, more and more actresses are taking up action films. And Sonakshi Sinha is all geared up for her next two films- Akira and Force 2 — both having her in high-octane action-packed roles. Here, we have Sona talking about her action flicks and we decipher why she could possibly be the next action queen in Bollywood.

Most Bollywood films have high testosterone levels whereas the actresses are left with no action scenes. Do you think the scenario is changing for the better now?
Absolutely. Audiences have become very open and welcoming towards watching different kinds of content on screen. Films with women playing strong and powerful roles are doing well. Things are definitely getting better for the leading ladies.

Despite attempts, not many films have the heroine doing action, except maybe in an Ek Tha Tiger or a Mary Kom, etc. Comment.
Slowly and surely, it will happen. It already has. I never thought two consecutive films of mine would have me playing an action heroine! The success of films like Mary Kom has paved way for more such roles to be written, which is great!

In Akira, you will be seen doing some heavyweight action sequences. Did you train specifically in some martial art for the film?
Yes, I did train in mixed martial arts for the film. I have been a part of a lot of action films and have always watched my heroes doing some amazing stunts and action, always secretly wishing I could be doing that too! With Akira, I think my wish has come true and I am doing all that I’ve watched unfold before my eyes before this film. In a way, it feels like I have been training for it just by watching my heroes since Dabangg, Rowdy Rathore, Son Of Sardaar, Holiday and other films!

Given that you always wanted to do action, was the experience on Akira thrilling?
It was beyond thrilling. I think when you specifically learn something for a film, apply it while shooting, and watch it unfold before your eyes, it makes the experience even more fulfilling.

You are following it up with another high-voltage action film like Force 2. Is it a conscious move?
No, it’s a coincidence. My role in Force 2 is fantastic and I couldn’t say no. But you can be assured that the roles, my look and the films are poles apart from each other.

Doing two back-to-back action films, was there any risk of being typecast?
Not at all! Heroes do back-to-back action films all the time. It’s never a risk to do good roles even though the genre might be the same.

In Force, Genelia had no action scenes. How much will we see you doing in Force 2?
My role is very different than that of Genelia’s in the first part. I am playing a special agent who is working with John’s character in the film. So, I will be a part of all the high octane sequences along with John.

Are you more nervous or confident having someone like John Abraham by your side doing the action scenes?
I think it’s great to be working with John on this film. I am confident and excited.

Are you undergoing any special training for Force 2?
All my MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) training from Akira is coming in handy for Force 2 as well! I will be working with an amazing action team coming all the way from South Africa. They are very clear and organised in what they want to achieve on screen so I will train with them as we shoot and learn all the moves.

DNA (May 29, 2015)

70 per cent of films released in the past year have found no takers as broadcasters go slow
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 13, 2014)

Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 7, 2014)

Mirror has learnt that the Ajay Devgn cop drama, Singham Returns, which opens on August 15, has booked all the single screens across the country. Result: Akshay Kumar's bow-wow caper, Entertainment, which releases tomorrow, will have a limited, one-week run in the single screen theatres. But it will continue in the multiplexes, though the number of shows it gets in the second week will depend on the audience response.

When contacted, Utpal Acharya, whose company is presenting Singham Returns, confirmed the news, saying, "Yes, we have booked all the single screens for Singham Returns from August 15. But the agreement was finalised long back when we booked the theatres for Holiday - A Soldier Is Never Off Duty." A source close to the development told Mirror, "The condition put forward by the distribution company then was that if they wanted to screen Singham Returns they would have to take Holiday - A Soldier Is Never Off Duty. It was a package deal to ensure a wider release and better business for both the films."

Not so long ago, there was a standoff between the two actors because Ajay's Action Jackson and Akshay's Holiday - A Soldier Is Never Off Duty were both scheduled to flag off on June 6. Repeated attempts to break the deadlock failed, as none of the two parties were willing to push forward their films. However, to ensure that the Singham sequel kept its Independence Day deadline, Ajay delayed the shoot of Action Jackson and the release was rescheduled for November 7.

Jayantilal Gada, who is distributing Entertainment, wasn't unduly bothered by the recent development. He said rather nonchalantly, "I don't think we are in competition with Singham Returns. If the audience likes our film, we will reap the profits."

Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; July 7, 2014)

On Saturday afternoon, an eight-member delegation of the film industry met police commissioner Rakesh Maria in order to discuss law and order issues being faced by film crews during shoots in Mumbai. They submitted a memorandum to the commissioner citing various issues, including bribes taken by local police and harassment by political parties.

Ashoke Pandit, president of the Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association, says, “The commissioner has told us that if a political party or a film union comes to know about someone working illegally on the sets, they can complain to the local police but cannot stop the shoot.” The members have cited recent instances when political parties would land up on sets and force producers to sign cheques thereby extorting money from them.

The members have also alleged that more often than not, the local police doesn’t co-operate with them; instead they demand an amount of Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh within hours of a set being done up for a shoot in the city.

Pandit adds, “Producer Vipul Shah shot for Holiday in Mumbai over two months and he apparently spent Rs 1 crore in bribes. We have been promised that strict action will be taken against police officers who take bribes.”

Vikas Mohan, senior vice president of Indian Film and Television Producers Council, says, “We have been promised a beat chowki inside Film City where producers facing problems of interference — both by political parties and unions — can lodge their complaints.”

Producer Ramesh Taurani says, “Mr Maria has asked us to complain against policemen who extort money from film producers. We have been asked to immediately inform the control room which will then bail out the producer who is being harassed.”

The producers have also asked for a single window clearance for shoots and a nodal officer to address film industry’s grievances.


Ramesh Taurani, Ashoke Pandit, police commissioner Rakesh Maria, Vikas Mohan, TP Agarwal and JD Majethia

Seema Sinha (BOMBAY TIMES; June 20, 2014)

Parag Maniar (BOMBAY TIMES; June 13, 2014)

It was the first major Friday release post the IPL and Vipul Shah's Holiday - A Soldier Is Never Off Duty delivered. This action-oriented thriller with Akshay Kumar playing an army man with an interesting plot-line opened to a fantastic weekend. What is more, the film has kept the box office engaged even on Monday and Tuesday, showing steady promise.

Trade sources attribute the success of this remake of the Tamil film Thuppakki to filmmaker AR Murugadoss' (who has directed both versions) story-telling ability and to his first-time combo with the Bollywood khiladi, Akshay Kumar.

And even as the film continues its steady trail at the ticket windows; producer Vipul is out there celebrating. Says he, “We got great reviews, great word of mouth from the trade and more importantly , great support from our audience. After Rowdy Rathore, this is another Akshay film that got such fantastic numbers over the opening weekend. The movie has got credibility, commercial success and creativity - all in one. This is a rare moment. I am fortunate that I have got to witness this more than once in my career as a filmmaker. Quite naturally Murugadoss, Akshay and I are ecstatic.'' Vipul, who has shown the film to the secretaries of top-ranking ministers in New Delhi over the last weekend, is hopeful that since there is a strong patriotic message, the film may get a tax exemption.

Says Akshay, “I give the credit for Holiday to my director A R Murugadoss. Holiday is his original vision. And I just feel that I'm lucky to have worked with him in delivering his thought and vision in the right way."

MID-DAY (June 6, 2014)

Not many people get a chance to prove themselves in Bollywood; even fewer get a second chance. But Aackruti Nagpal is among the lucky few who belong to the latter category. When she was new in the industry, Aackruti was supposed to do a film opposite Shah Rukh Khan as Kajol’s sister — this was a plum role in Baazigar that was later essayed by Shilpa Shetty.

According to a source close to her, she was approached when she was shooting for Dev Anand’s film, Gangster (1994) at Mehboob Studio. “The secretary who conveyed the message to her manipulated her words and confused her. He advised Aackruti to stay away from a ‘behan ka role’ (the role of a sister) in order to avoid stereotyping. As a result, director Abbas Mastan and producer Ratan Jain had to look elsewhere.”

Later on, Aackruti bagged a role in the SRK-starrer Guddu (1995) but that didn’t amount to much. The then 18-year-old little girl is now making a comeback in the film, Holiday — A Soldier Is Never Off Duty, where she plays Akshay Kumar’s sister. “I have only compliments and praises for Akshay. He’s a fabulous human being and it is fun to work with him. Sonakshi Sinha is a kind person and I enjoyed working with her as well. I learned a lot from them,” says Aackruti.

WILL AKSHAY MANAGE TO DELIVER A BIG HIT WITH HOLIDAY?

Akshay Kumar’s last release was Boss in October 2013. It received a positive response and yet, it failed to attract audiences to theatres. Its high price also went against the film. Now the actor is back with another big-budget film, Holiday – A Soldier Is Never Off Duty. Sadly, it has a lot of challenges to face.

The film is a remake of Thupakki, A R Murugadoss’ successful 2012 Tamil film. The Hindi version is also directed by Murugadoss, who previously directed the original and remake of Ghajini, both of which were successful highly. In fact, Murugadoss has not delivered a single flop and hence, a lot is expected from Holiday – A Soldier Is Never Off Duty. It also stars Sonakshi Sinha, Freddy Daruwala, Sumeet Raghavan and Govinda in a special appearance. The theatrical trailer of the film was out in February itself, mainly to ‘scare off’ another action flick Action Jackson (starring Ajay Devgn and directed by Prabhu Dheva) that was also to release this Friday, June 6, with Holiday – A Soldier Is Never Off Duty. Fortunately for Holiday – A Soldier Is Never Off Duty makers, Action Jackson shoot couldn’t finish on time (it’s still remaining). However, the buzz for Holiday – A Soldier Is Never Off Duty has been pretty limited. The theatrical trailer was fine but not great. Same goes for songs. Akshay-Sonakshi chemistry is nice but not as sizzling as the one in Rowdy Rathore.

Hence, despite being the first biggie of the season, Holiday – A Soldier Is Never Off Duty will face hurdles. However, as said above, the original was a huge success and well-made. Hence, Holiday – A Soldier Is Never Off Duty too can be expected to get a very positive response from the junta. And that can significantly help the film.

The other release of the week is Filmistaan, a small budget film that’s getting rave response, and also a National Award. It stars Sharib Hashmi (who played SRK’s roommate in Jab Tak Hai Jaan) as the wannabe hero and a filmy keeda and his adventures after he lands up in Pakistan in the midst of terrorists. The makers are so confident about the film that they held a press show almost 25-30 days before release. Hence, gradually, the buzz for the film is on the upswing. Yet, it won’t have a bumper opening but can earn healthily and recover its investment.

WHICH FILM WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AND WHY? DO LET ME KNOW!

Seema Sinha (BOMBAY TIMES; June 4, 2014)

When AR Murugadoss teamed up Akshay Kumar for with Holiday - A Soldier Is Never Off Duty, he was initially in awe of the actor. “He is a huge star and I wasn't very comfortable. But now, he is like a childhood friend to me," says the director. Says Akshay, “He must have felt a bit out of place, since this is only his second Hindi film. But now, I can pick up the phone anytime and call him. Both of us are punctual and we love early morning shifts."

Their camaraderie is visible in the way Akshay pulls Murugadoss's leg. “My director is silent, but violent. He may be only 5 feet 3 inches tall, but he's full of violence," says Akshay , who plays army officer Captain Virat Bakshi in the film, which is presented by Reliance Entertainment. “I felt only Akshay could do justice to the different shades of this character - from a serious and focused soldier to a funny, romantic hero," says the filmmaker, adding, “For most action sequences, he has not used a body double. He got hurt and was advised rest for 20 days, but he continued shooting." The actor chips in with a mischievous grin, “I got hurt because of him. Once I fell down and tore my ligament; then a truck went over my feet. Since I didn't want him to take another hero, I continued shooting!"

Holiday -A Soldier Is Never Off Duty, produced by Hari Om Entertainment Company and Sunshine Pictures Pvt. Ltd, releases June 6.

Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; June 3, 2014)

AR Murugadoss, 40, gets his initials from the man he loved the most in the world, his father, whom he lost just a few years before his debut as a director. While his reel-life favourite heroes are Robert De Niro, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, without a distant doubt, his real-life hero is his father. He is emotional and stubborn and nothing can substitute the joy of reading a book for him. While he cannot fight society , his heroes do in his stories. Ahead of his upcoming entertaining thriller Holiday that is a remake of his super hit Tamil film Thuppaki, he talks to Bombay Times about the extremely serious Aamir Khan, the very funny Akshay Kumar and what he regrets the most in his life. Excerpts:

How did you become a film director?
I come from a small place Kallakurichi, 200 kms away from Chennai, and studied in a government school that did not even have a compound and no classroom. Even though there was no railway station there, there were two cinema halls, which was our only form of entertainment. And thus, from a very young age, at nine, I had decided that I wanted to be a filmmaker. I started writing short stories and wrote 23 short stories, which were published in small Tamil newspapers. So I became famous as a writer in my small world and that became an addiction for me. I finished my graduation in Trichy and moved to Chennai to make films. My father gave me Rs 400 per month, out of which Rs 100 went into rent, sharing a room with two other boys and the balance Rs 300 towards my expenses in a month. I had to thus manage in Rs 10 per day. At that time, an idli would cost about Rs 0.5, so I would manage with eating a few idlis a day or sometimes, flavoured rice that we got for Rs 3. My father owned a small vessel shop. I had four older sisters and two younger brothers and while he would spend Rs 500 on all my other siblings combined, he had given me Rs 400 just for me to live in Chennai, as he wanted me to achieve my dream. After one year of struggle, I started assisting a director for one film, after which I got a chance to work with the famous writer P Kalaimani sir. He has written 85 films and I joined him as his assistant. Many other big writers would come there and discuss scripts with him and it was my job to make notes of all their discussions, apart from serving them coffee, food and liquor. I was the only small boy there. They were all 65 and above. I would sit on the ground, taking notes while they would sit on the chairs discussing scripts and when they rested or took breaks, I would quickly go and transcribe my notes for their next discussion. He made me slog, but actually I was lucky as I learnt a lot and got great understanding of how a script is written and how commercial cinema is made. They were discussing 60 years of cinema in front of me and I was getting to learn from it. In three years, I completed 13 films with him. My roommate Uday Shankar also became a director and I worked with him for half the film and then worked with SJ Surya for half film. I had written one script, narrated it to Ajith Kumar who liked it and got to direct my first film Dheena in 2001. The film was a big hit and ever since, all my films have been hits.

Who are you most attached to?
My father. He died in 1997 before my first film in 2001. In my school days, all my friends wanted to become lawyers, doctors and engineers. When I told my father that I wanted to become a filmmaker, he didn't discourage me and, in fact, encouraged me and said, 'You write.' Another parent would have made me stop watching films. But he said, `Do whatever you want to'. Even though he was not educated himself, he was a modern-minded father. Normally, a father would expect me to take care of my many siblings, but he said to me, `Forget about us. Go and struggle for whatever you want to do,' and he gave me money to live in Chennai. He would take my small stories, read it again and again to his friends. As he became older, he was not able to work so much, so towards his end time, we would sometimes even struggle for food. But he wanted me to become a big director and he would travel any distance to just see my name credit even as an assistant director. He was 60 when he died all of a sudden due to kidney failure. I had gone home one Diwali when I came to know that he had only a month more to live. I had been struggling and that is the first time, I saw the poverty in our house. I was very close to my father, but we would hardly talk. But through our body language and the letters we wrote to each other, I knew how much he loved me. He also knew that I was his brightest kid, who could become something and, thus, he always backed me. He just wanted to see my first film. I was not a strong person and had my father not supported me, I would not have gone to Chennai to become a director. I knew from his letters he wrote how relatives were always taunting him about me not doing work to support and make money for the family, but he did not care and, in fact, in all family functions would defend me.

Once, when I was in my native place, he quietly went to Chennai with my short stories to show them to directors on my behalf. He would always encourage me through his letters. When he was on his deathbed, we admitted him to a general hospital and a week before he died, the doctors said to us, `You can take him home as he will not live.' But I had no car to take him and could only afford the petrol. I tried to borrow a car from my friends, but could not manage. I finally hired a car in Rs 3000 that was a lot of money for me at that time and took him home, where he died. I now miss him all the time. But at that time, he always wanted to spend more time with me. He would ask me a lot of questions, but I would try and avoid all his questions. Even when my father's dead body was lying there, my relatives taunted me and said, `How long can you work for the film industry? Now your father also is dead. Your father worked a lot and had you helped him, he could have been saved.' I cried for my father, but I realised that not only my dad's encouragement but even their discouragement became my motivation.

Today, I sometimes travel on the same roads that I had once brought my father back on, with my family in one car and my driver in an empty big car following us, and remember my father. I regret that I could not even buy a cup of tea with my money for a man who has made me what I am. For me, he was my hero. While I cannot bring him back, after my first film, I returned all the loans he had taken, settled my four sisters, have bought a house and shop for each of my brothers and am happy that I could look after my family. Today I have two kids who sleep in an AC room and travel in a big car. It hurts me when I show my son a crowded bus and tell him that that is the way I used to travel. And he having not seen any hardship will casually say, `So what dad? We also don't travel in choppers.' They cannot understand hardships and bonds that remain forever because of sharing those.

You have worked with Aamir Khan in Ghajini and now with Akshay Kumar in Holiday. Who did you enjoy working with more?
I liked both of them. Aamir is too serious. He is totally focused and is 100% workaholic. He is doing his work like a bad habit. Akshay is very sincere too, but he is also very funny and never stresses himself. He loves his work, is relaxed and I like the way he is modest and treats his staff and brings a positive vibe on set. In South, I like working with Vijay. I like his comic timing and action.

Akshay talked about your violent streak. Where does that come from?
I used to see a lot of action films and, basically, I feel a little angry with society. The anger comes from many small things I have seen in my life. For instance, I remember when my father was on his deathbed in hospital, the doctor knew that he would not survive and yet he walked in with the nurse and sarcastically commented to her, `If he wants something, you have to give it. Okay?' He said it with a smirk and she started giggling. Standing there I felt angry that they were making fun of a man who was about to die. I took this scene in my second film Gabbar. After my father died, I went to collect his death certificate and the man there asked me for a bribe. I told him, `I am not going to get a job with this certificate.' But he said, `If you don't want to pay, come through the proper route.' And it took me a month to get it. I can't fight in life but my hero can, so, my stories fight through him.

Seema Sinha (BOMBAY TIMES; June 3, 2014)

Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; May 31, 2014)

Maninderjeet Singh Bitta, chairman of the All India Anti-Terrorist Front, is planning to seek tax exemption for Holiday - A Soldier Is Never Off Duty. “I'll be writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to exempt it from entertainment tax across India,“ he says.

The film, presented by Reliance Entertainment, has been directed by AR Murugadoss and stars Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha in lead roles.

Having lost both his legs in terrorist attacks, Bitta says he could relate to the movie, which he saw at a recent screening. “If someone like me can get emotional and feel ki desh ke liye kuch karna chahiye, I am sure it will trigger a similar reaction in the youth as well," he reasons.

He is also all praise for the film's storyline. “As a nation, we get demoralised when we see how the political system works. So, it feels great to see a movie that talks about eliminating terrorism. It shows how an army officer rises above his call of duty for the country," he says.

Vipul Shah, who is coproducing the film with Akshay, says, “With someone like Bittaji getting emotional, I feel Holiday...has reached somewhere. If it is declared tax-free, and everyone, irrespective of whether he wears a uniform or not, loves it, we'll achieve our purpose."

Holiday -A Soldier Is Never Off Duty, produced by Hari Om Entertainment Company and Sunshine Pictures Pvt. Ltd., releases June 6. 

Singer Kunal Ganjawalla talks about Tu Hi Toh Hai from Holiday and carving a long career despite having a `non playback' voice
Kasmin Fernandes (BOMBAY TIMES; May 30, 2014)

Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 29, 2014)

All's fair in love, war and showbiz. On June 6, A R Murgadoss's Akshay Kumar-Sonakshi Sinha starrer Holiday — A Soldier Is Never Off Duty clashes at the box-office with Nitin Kakkar's Filmistaan and the filmmakers of the latter have launched a frontal, no-holds-barred campaign against the former, urging the audience to stay away from Holiday. The posters carry provocative taglines like, 'Don't waste your time on a holiday. Watch Filmistaan on 6th June!' and 'A good film is never off-duty. Watch Filmistaan on 6th June!'

A source close to the development told Mirror, "This is nothing but war, and it has got ugly." The spokesperson from UTV Spotboy, which has co-produced Filmistaan along with Shringar Films, while admitting that it's a cheeky campaign, attributes it to the irreverent tone of the film. "We are just having a bit of fun. Filmistaan is a small movie as compared to Holiday. But this is a good time for cinema and now different genres can co-exist and thrive. We hope both films do really well," he said.

However, the producer of Holiday, Vipul Shah, shrugged off the promotional gimmick saying it makes no difference to him if Filmistaan's producers want to project their film as bigger and better than his. "Let them do what they wish. I have no problem if they want to use my film's title in their posters," he said. "If they want, I can even lend them my film's logo! Their marketing experts are sensible people who must have devised this strategy after much deliberation."

Filmistaan, which is Kakkar's debut film starring Sharib Hashmi, Inaamulhaq, Kumud Mishra and Gopal Dutt explores Indo-Pak relations through the shared love that people from both sides of the border have for Bollywood. On the other hand, Holiday starring Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha is Murugadoss's second Hindi film after Ghajini (2008) and is a remake of his 2012 Tamil superhit Thuppakki.