Sohum Shah, the lead of Tumbbad and Maharani, explains why he decided to produce films. During his recent visit to Delhi, he shared, “Cinema ki ye khaas baat hai ki cinema rahega. Itni aafat aayi - piracy, satellite, OTT sab aa gaya, lekin cinema phir bhi hai. The community-watching experience of cinema cannot be replicated. I will always release my films in cinemas. After all, watching a film in a cinema is where it all started for me.” Excerpts from the conversation.

‘Meri jitni education hui hai, woh cinema se hui hai’
Talking about the impact films had on him and how they shaped his understanding of relationships and life, he says, "Mujhe nahi pata aisi film hoti hai toh aise bhai hote hain ya aise bhai hote hain toh aisi film hoti hai. Hum Aapke Hain Koun! dekh ke mujhe laga rishte aise hone chahiye. Mere bhi ek bade bhai thay, toh mujhe itna pyaar ho gaya unse. Hamari relationship itni majboot ho gayi.”

Sohum says that in the 90s', travelling to foreign country felt like something unimaginable to him.
He says, "Log panditji ko patri dikha ke puchhte thay videsh yatra ka yog hai kya? Dilwale Duhania Le Jayenge showed me how Europe is, those leather jackets, and that people drink beer in cans. It was a fascinating world. Meri jitni education hui hai, woh cinema se hui hai, aur Aamir Khan saheb mere guru rahe hain."

‘Mujhe OTT ke mercy pe nahi rehna hai’
Sohum says that as a producer, he will never choose to release a film on OTT when he can release it in theatres. He explains, "Mera ye hai ki mujhe OTT ke mercy pe nahi rehna hai. Main wohi filmein banaunga (the kind of films I want to be a part of) aur theatre mein lagaunga. Chalegi toh theek hai, nahi chalegi toh theek hai! Main meri property bech dunga, woh mujhe chalega, lekin mujhe OTT ke mercy pe nahi rehna hai."

What’s behind this love for releasing films in theatres?
He says, "Theatres are the seed that helped us reach this point. We watched those films and had the entire experience of watching them. When we watched films like Hum, I still remember the impact those dialogues had on us. I still remember all those lines."

Enacting a scene from Hum, where Amitabh Bachchan’s character screams Bakhtawar, Sohum asks, "Woh experience kaise laptop pe ya TV pe shift ho sakta hai? Jo shuruaat hui hai, cinema se hi shuruaat hui hai. Woh hamare conscious nahi, subconscious mind mein hai. Hamare blood mein hai!"

‘Tumbbad is my Mughal-e-Azam’
Sohum says that, according to him, Tumbbad is their Mughal-e-Azam. He explains, "Like we’ve heard so many stories about Mughal-e-Azam - that the diamonds were real and how the film was made with so much passion and love and took so long. In the same way, the bus you see in Tumbbad is an actual bus from the 1930s, the locks, the gates, the cinematography. If we missed one monsoon, we’d have to wait another year for rain. We did VFX in Sweden and background work in America. Humne bahut shiddat aur pyaar se banayi hai.”

He says that before they started shooting Tumbbad, there were already over five years of work behind it in terms of locations and sketchboards. "When I heard the script, I always had this trust that the film would reach somewhere. I had this trust because I felt the film was strong and unique."

Sohum elaborates, "Jo maine uss waqt socha tha ki filmon ka ek universe (prequels, sequels) ho sakta hai, woh ab ho raha hai."

Talking about the core of the story, he says, "We all know that greed is bad. But somewhere, we are all consumed by greed. And greed, not just in terms of money, but also jobs, cars, followers, validation- in all aspects, it's greed. If one takes a step back, they'd realize that most of us operate out of greed, and hence, the story of Tumbbad about greed becomes quite relevant."

‘Iss industry mein achha kaam karne wale log hi 8-10 hain’
He shares, "I never wanted to be a producer, I had no interest in becoming one. But the kind of films I want to act in, those films weren’t being made. Achha kaam ho nahi raha hai, iss industry mein achha kaam karne wale log hi 8-10 hain, baaki sab mediocre kaam ho raha hai. So, what do I do? When I don’t get good work, I felt like - all right, then I will make the kind of films I want to work in."

"Aamir Khan's 3 Idiots has had a huge impact on the lives of many people. I’d like to share an incident - once, I went to a doctor who told me she was in depression, but when she watched a Shah Rukh Khan film in the cinema, it helped her sail through. Cinema and stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan have contributed to pop culture in a huge way."

Sohum says that being both a producer and actor helps him understand each role better. He explains, "I don’t like holidays, I don’t like to travel, I don’t want to do anything but work - whether I’m acting or producing. I don’t know how to compartmentalize; balancing is a problem for me. I live in extremes. Mera sab kuch ek hai - actor-producer, sab ek hai."

Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; November 12, 2019)

While most of Sidharth Malhotra’s films have had him playing a dapper dude, his next outing, Marjaavaan, sees him in a rugged avatar, full-on Bollywood style. The film, which is an out-and-out massy fare, showcases him as a larger-than-life hero, who is likely to remind the audience of the leading men from 70s, 80s and 90s. In a chat with Bombay Times, the actor spoke about playing the quintessential Bollywood hero, working with another ‘student’ Tara Sutaria, his equation with Karan Johar and more. Excerpts...

Marjaavaan is a typical masala movie, where you are doling out seeti-maar dialogues and fighting goons in filmi style. In today’s time, when films and characters are all about being real, you took this turn to play a typical hero?
It feels great to play a hero who is so powerful. Those who dream of becoming an actor, often envision themselves doing larger-than-life heroic things on the screen. In my seven-year career, this is the first time that I am playing a quintessential hero, and that’s what attracted me to this film. Through this movie, we want to present an intense, action love story, with flavours of the 70s and 80s. I was born in the mid-80s and grew up watching 90s cinema. This was my opportunity to live in that era. Milap (Zaveri, director) is convinced that there’s an audience for this kind of cinema. I think in the South, they make this kind of cinema really well and even blend in social messages and relevant issues. Here, fewer filmmakers explore this genre.

You said that you are a fan of the Hindi films of the 80s and 90s. Which actors have you drawn inspiration from?
While growing up, I had a cassette of Hum (1991) at home. I loved Amitabh Bachchan’s style. The way he would come on the screen, ruffle his hair that had a white streak, and scream ‘Bhaktaaaaawaaaaar…’ I would love it. I was a kid back then, and for a long time, I thought ‘Bhaktawar’ is an abuse. I would scream it out loud just like Bachchan saab did. My parents would laugh at that. In this film, we have drawn references from Amitabh Bachchan of that era, Sunny Deol from Ghayal (1990) and Ghatak (1996), and Sanjay Dutt from his films from the 90s.

While actors of the earlier generation were accepted in larger-than-life roles, today, actors opt to play characters that the audience can relate to. Do you think they will be able to accept you in this avatar?
Well, the senior actors have a huge body of work, but I am sure they, too, had their firsts. It is all about taking the initiative. I am in that zone, where they were some years ago. I worked hard to get that rugged look, for which I had to gain weight and grow my hair. We also worked on the character’s style, and to give him a grunge vibe, I wore a bandana and a jacket. Even though I don’t smoke in the film, you will see a matchstick in my mouth. I have taken the plunge, so now, let’s see what the audience thinks. If the audience likes me, I would like to do more of such films.

The film reunites you with your Ek Villain (2014) costar Riteish Deshmukh. This time around, too, you are pitted against each other. He plays a dwarf in the film; how did shooting for scenes with him pan out?
We have used chroma effect to do these scenes. While shooting, Riteish would stand, or sometimes sit on his knees. The latter was easier because when he stood up, I had to maintain my eye level and say my dialogues looking at him waist down (laughs!).

You started your career with Student Of The Year (2012) directed by Karan Johar, while Tara Sutaria starred in the second film of the franchise, Student Of The Year 2, directed by Punit Malhotra. How was it working with a ‘student’ from a different batch?
I met Tara for the first time at a Diwali party, which was much before we started shooting for Marjaavaan. I remember asking her whether the campus of Saint Teresa College (from Student Of The Year) has become bigger and cooler? Later on, we realised that we are neighbours. I was very excited to know that she’s a trained singer. In this film, however, she plays a girl who is speech impaired.

How is your equation with your mentor, Karan Johar, today? There were rumours of a fallout between the two of you. Is there any truth to it?
No, there’s no truth to it. I have immense respect for Karan Johar. The production house has given me everything. In fact, Shershaah is being produced by them. It’s a project that I took to them, and they really liked it. It’s exciting to work with them again. We just shot in Kargil for 50 days and are almost done with the shoot. About our equation, we all have matured and branched out, and that’s a natural progression. This will happen in the future as well because we all have to find our own path. Eventually, it is my journey. With Karan, it’s more like a friendship now. Whenever I meet him, it is like meeting a senior person from the industry.

Sidharth Malhotra also plans to set up his own production house
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 8, 2019)

According to Milap Zaveri, the director of your upcoming film, Marjaavaan, your character is modelled on the heroes of the ’80s and ’90s, including Amitabh Bachchan from Deewar. What are your memories of the ’75 action-drama?
Well, yes, Marjaavaan is an intense love story of today, with the flavour of those decades in its drama, dialogue, action and larger-than-life characters. I grew up watching video cassettes of films featuring Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt and Bachchan saab. I saw Deewar much later, but I recall Hum, whose climax had Bachchan saab holding the rope anchored to Anupam Kher who’s in a helicopter whirring at high speed. Also, of him hollering, “Bakhtawar”. I was around six then, and thought “Bakhtawar”, which was the name of the film’s baddie Danny sir (Denzongpa), was a gaali and I’d run around the house shouting it at my cousins. Bachchan saab’s characters from Shahenshah to Coolie, have all been iconic, with flair and style. We’ve incorporated some of that in my Raghu, from the long hair and the leather jacket to the simmering anger. Hopefully, it will bring back some retro trends.

It’s been a decade in showbiz for you…
(Cuts in) More like seven years as an actor, though it would be close to a decade if you count back to when I came to the city.

How has the journey been so far?
When I started out, it was all about early morning call time and sleepless nights, long days taking care of a 100 people in the background and lots of physical exertion. As an assistant director on My Name Is Khan, I was seeing stars like Shah Rukh (Khan) and Kajol in person and finding out that they had family lives too. It was all very new and exciting, but exhausting too. But since I was a lowly assistant, I wasn’t paid too well and had to model part-time to pay the rent. Then, I landed Student Of The Year and with the opportunity to be in the movies, the excitement doubled as did the nervousness. Karan (Johar) is a prolific director and I was debuting with a big film with lavishly-mounted sets and songs. I felt lucky and blessed, totally in awe of the camera which I was facing instead of toiling behind the scenes. My introduction, my song, my close-up, there was so much happening…

And then?
Then, there were more films which brought not just excitement but anxiety too, over whether they’d work. But having pretty much seen all the highs and lows, there’s less fear of the unknown now. I’ve understood that even mega stars go through this, and since the success-failure ratio is so uneven and unpredictable, there’s only so much an actor can do.

So, what advice would you give a new ‘student’ like Tara Sutaria, who’s paired with you in your next?
I don’t think any actor needs advice today, and someone like Tara definitely doesn’t. She’s been performing on stage since she was a child. She’s a trained singer and has dabbled in TV too. What can I tell her? Our schools, St Teresa’s, may have been the same, but our teachers were different. Punit (director Punit Malhotra) is much younger than Karan. And for a new student, Tara did a fab job.

What’s the next five-year plan?
To make films which cater to a larger pan-India audience, like Marjaavaan and SherShaah. I’d have loved to produce the latter, the biopic of Kargil martyr Vikram Batra. I worked on it for two-and-a-half years. In the next five years, along with challenging myself as an actor, I want to set up my own production company.

What kind of movies would you like to produce?
I’d like to spin a superhero franchise and act in it too. I am a big fan of the Marvel series. This is one genre that intrigues me, more so because we have so much existing material in our country’s mythology.

Many actors have moved to the digital space, with even movies premiering there. Will you make the transition too?
At the moment, it doesn’t interest me. As an actor, I want to experiment with different genres and when I’m already getting enough variety in the movies, why look elsewhere. Even the numbers on the digital platforms aren’t as big in India as compared to other countries. It’ll take a few more years for them to increase.

When Marjaavaan was first announced, many believed that it was Ek Villain 2, following Milap’s tweet, “Get ready for a new kind of villain as Riteish plays a 3.4 feet dwarf/midget.” Now, Mohit Suri is scripting a sequel to his 2014 action thriller. Excited about returning as Guru?
I don’t wish to speak about the future. Let’s stay in the present and enjoy Marjaavaan.

The location where Amitabh Bachchan shook a leg to Jumma Chumma De De was shut last month after BMC found it dilapidated; owners want ‘safe’ portions to be opened
Chaitanya Marpakwar (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 12, 2019)

Colaba’s Mukesh Mill, a popular film shoot location that had been shut last month, might soon open for business.

Last month, the BMC had shut down the premises after declaring the structures dilapidated and unsafe for shooting. The A ward office issued a note, asking the owners to conduct a fresh audit of all structures on the10-acre mill land and to stay shut until then.

Formally owned by East African Hardware Ltd’s Muljibhai Madhvani, the plot was later taken over by TCI Industries Ltd.

In a letter dated April 30, the owners told the BMC that they had carried out a structural audit and found that only some of the structures inside were dilapidated. Pointing out that the unsafe structures were located near the seaside and not close to the open ground, they requested that the remaining portions be opened for shoots.

Hinting that it’s willing to meet halfway, the civic body directed the mill owners to demolish the dangerous structures before being granted permission for film shoots. “We have received a report from the owners. The structural audit has been carried out by Mahimtura Consultants Pvt Ltd. They have claimed that only a handful of structures are dilapidated, while most of the mill structures are in good condition. But we have asked them to first demolish the dangerous structures before allowing any film shooting,” said Kiran Dighavkar, assistant municipal commissioner of A Ward. “We can’t take any risk. For us, the entire mill is one structure. So we can only allow any kind of shooting once the dangerous structures are demolished.”

Officials said that the mill, located on a sea-facing plot at Colaba’s N A Sawant Marg, was originally set up before Independence. “At that time, this was probably the only mill in south Mumbai. The mill itself had a large private dock. There, bales of cotton and load yards of finished cloth were unloaded. They were then transferred to large vessels and exported,” an official said.

BMC officials said that the mill became defunct in the 1980s and soon became Bollywood’s favourite spot to shoot climaxes, action sequences and songs. It has been featured in close to 50 Bollywood films since the 1980s. The popular song Jumma Chumma De De from Hum (1991), featuring actor Amitabh Bachchan, was shot there, as were portions of films like Lukka Chuppi, Heropanti, Raaz, Jee Karda and Badlapur in recent times. Many advertisements, too, have been shot there.

Jumma Chumma from Amitabh-starrer Hum to Poster Lagwa Do from Luka Chuppi, Mukesh Mills compound has been a favourite location for several generations of filmmakers. BMC says ‘imminent danger’ of structures collapsing; corporator Makarand Narwekar insists just one building dilapidated, terms civic body’s action mala fide
Chaitanya Marpakwar (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 29, 2019)

It’s pack up for Mukesh Mills compound, the seaside structure in Colaba, which has earned fame and notoriety in equal measures as a film shoot location and a haunted place. In a letter issued by the BMC’s A Ward recently, the owners have been instructed to shut the compound for film shoots and other activities as several structures there have allegedly turned far too weak.

Now owned by the Transport Corporation of India, the compound, spread over 11 acres, needs a fresh audit till which time no activity will take place there, the BMC note said. “A notice has been issued to the Mukesh Mills owners to get a fresh structural audit conducted. Our survey showed that the walls and the chimney have turned weak and the structures are dilapidated,” Assistant Municipal Commissioner (A Ward) Kiran Dighavkar said.

Mukesh Mills compound was established in the early 1900s by Muljibhai Madhvani, who owned East African Hardware Ltd. It was the only mill in south Mumbai at that time. After the collapse of the mills in Mumbai, the compound was abandoned and caught the eye of filmmakers. Songs, climaxes, and action sequences of as many as 50 Bollywood films, including Amitabh Bachchan-starred Hum (above), to more recent movies such as Heropanti (below) and Luka Chuppi (left), have been filmed here. In 1992, there were efforts to redevelop the compound as part of the razing of numerous mills to make way for residential and commercial buildings, but the deal couldn’t be finalised.

Parallel to the film shoots, stories of the compound being haunted spread to such an extent that it became infamous as one of the top 10 haunted places in the entire country. A popular Mukesh Mills story revolves around a hugely popular yesteryear actress warning the crew members to leave the place immediately in a manly voice. Believing that the actress was possessed by an angry spirit, the director immediately announced pack up, the unverified story goes.

A BMC official said that at one point in time, the mill compound had a large private dock from where bales of cotton and yards of finished cloth were unloaded and transferred to ships for export. “The condition of one of the structures has worsened, and we can’t take a risk by allowing film shoots here. The property will have to remain shut till our structural auditor declares otherwise,” the official said.

While the Mukesh Mills’s executive director Sunil Warerkar refused to comment, saying the administrator will reply to queries from this newspaper on Friday, the ward corporator, Makarand Narwekar, said the BMC should re-audit all the structures. “The BMC has only issued a letter and not a notice. There is no section mentioned on the letter and this seems to be an attempt to harass the owners. The place is a hub for film shoots and these should be promoted. There are many structures on the compound and just one of them one of them is dilapidated,” Narwekar, from BJP, said.

“The unsafe structure has been cordoned off. The mill owners have already submitted an audit report about the remaining structures to prove they’re safe. The audit was conducted by the firm empanelled with the BMC, whose actions suggest mala fide intentions,” Narwekar further alleged. 

Meena Iyer (BOMBAY TIMES; October 13, 2014)

Upala KBR (DNA; September 5, 2014)


Teen bhai
Now there is a strong buzz that Rohit’s next is the remake of Hum (1991). Initial reports said it was a Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi remake. The common thing between the two films is that it is a story of three brothers. Both films have another thing in common — they are both family entertainers — which is Rohit’s forte. However an insider maintains, “Rohit’s next is a story of three brothers but it is not a Hum remake.”

The new team
Hum, directed by Mukul Anand, had three brothers played by Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth and Govinda. Says our source, “In Rohit’s film, SRK will play the eldest brother while Varun Dhawan and Arjun Kapoor are being considered to play the roles of his younger brothers.”

The patch-up
A source says, “SRK and Kajol recently met on a flight and chatted for two hours. They spoke about the role he had in mind for her in Rohit’s next. Of course, like all Rohit’s films, perhaps only the basic concept from the original will be used. Like Golmaal 3 and Bol Bachchan were remakes of Khatta Meetha and Gol Maal respectively. Rohit also wants to remake Angoor. ”

Gaurav Dubey (MID-DAY; August 22, 2014)

Sources say that director Rohit Shetty has finally zeroed in on a script for his next film that stars Shah Rukh Khan. If the latest buzz is to be believed, the film will be a remake of Mukul Anand’s hit film, Hum. Says a source, “Rohit’s next film, starring SRK, will be a remake of the ’ 90s hit film, Hum and currently, things are being finalised for the same.”

The source adds that SRK will be playing Big B’s character in the film. “For Govinda and Rajinikanth’s characters, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra are being considered but nothing has been finalised yet. Rohit is still working on the film’s script and Kajol will also be a part of this film,” says the source.

Turns out that Rohit wants to add his own touch to the film and is currently adapting it accordingly. “He is looking forward to working with SRK and Kajol,” says a source close to the filmmaker.

Rohit Shetty remained unavailable for comment.