Jagan Shakti on putting an ensemble cast together and fictionalizing a true story
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 15, 2019)

Jagan Shakti insists he had to fictionalise the story of his directorial debut, Mission Mangal, which is inspired by ISRO’s (Indian Space Research Organisation) Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), as “everyone is aware of the event”. “I perceived the story as a human drama around ordinary Indians who accomplished something historic. The details are in the public domain so, the challenge was to weave an entertaining story around it,” the director explains.

Jagan may not have managed to get permission to shoot inside ISRO, but he did get hold of people who were involved in the mission, which helped him during scripting. “We interviewed all the scientists who were a part of the tea have over 100 hours recording,” he says, adding that they were briefed about the tone of the film and how the team intended to fictionalise the story.

Mission Mangal, headlined by Akshay Kumar, features Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha, Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari and Nithya Menen. Was it difficult to get the ensemble cast? Jagan says, “Our script was designed with Akshay sir at the centre, he gets the team in place. Then, we wrote characters with back stories, like there’s one who is married with a grown-up child, while another’s husband is in the hospital. Every character reflects our society and has a good reason to be in the film,” he asserts, reasoning, “While presenting a film to actors of this stature, it is important to have meaty parts for everyone.”

Last month, ISRO launched Chandrayaan 2, India’s second lunar exploration mission. Is that a potential subject? “Sci-fi is an interesting genre, and I will pursue it as one of my core strengths. And now that you have given me the idea, I will think of it,” he chuckles. Jagan would love to work with all Bollywood actors but doesn’t rule out another collaboration with Akshay. “I am grateful that a superstar like him agreed to work with me. If a script suits him, I’ll go to him again,” Jagan concludes.

Vidya Balan dispels the notion that Mission Mangal is a women-centric movie and tells us that men and women had an equal part to play in the real mission
Harshada Rege (BOMBAY TIMES; August 13, 2019)

There has been a lot of talk about Mission Mangal being a women-centric film, given that there are five women leading the show. However, team Mission Mangal has gone to reiterate the fact that it might appear like one, but the film is not a women-centric movie. In fact, the movie celebrates the equal contribution of women and men in making India’s first interplanetary mission — Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also known as Mangalyaan — a success. Talking about it being called a women-centric film, director Jagan Shakti told us, “To me, they are all scientists at Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Gender doesn’t get into the way of their everyday work, which is complex and challenging. For them, a sari or a shirt doesn’t matter — all that matters is that you are a scientist who can aid India’s space program.”

When we spoke to Vidya Balan, who was offered three projects based on the story before she signed Mission Mangal, she explained, “That was also the difference between the scripts that I had read earlier (on the same subject) and this one. The contribution of men to the mission is very clear in this story. The other stories had made it out to be a women-led mission, but in reality, it was not. Men and women had contributed to it equally. So yes, this is not a female-centric movie. The hero of the story is ISRO, and it’s about how they overcome challenges that seemed insurmountable. It seemed impossible to work within those budgets and meet the deadlines.”

Talking about how India achieved the feat within a controlled budget, she said, “We are a nation of jugaad, and we should be proud of that. I am not talking about some bogus jugaad. When I say this, I mean that we know how to make do with what we have, and Indians know how to think out-of-the-box. Every time I travel abroad, I am so amazed by how they always stick to the rules and processes, which is great. But at the same time, they are not flexible, while we are. The world said that it was an impossible feat, but this is what made the mission possible in the first attempt.”

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; August 12, 2019)

Taapsee Pannu’s film choices have been unconventional and courageous, just like outspoken demeanour in real life. Not the one to dodge the controversial questions, exuding her trademark bindaas attitude, the actress talks about her upcoming film Mission Mangal, why Akshay Kumar has a bigger presence in the movie poster vis-à-vis the actresses, being called a ‘sasti copy of Kangana’ by her sister, Rangoli Chandel, and why she would never want to go back to her 20s. Read on…

You just celebrated your 32nd birthday. While the 20s is more about self-doubt, 30s brings a certain sense of confidence, doesn’t it?
When you cross your 30s, people tend to say you are ageing, but I say that I am only getting better. 20s is about wanting validation. ‘Sabko main acchi lagni chahiye’ mentality. The need for validation ends when you are in your 30s, so it’s much better. You go from ‘I want to look or be like someone’ to ‘I want to make my own way’. Also, by the time you enter your 30s, you have already gone through enough shit in your life, so you accept that this is how it is - take it or leave it. I started acting around eight years ago and if you see my pictures when I was a decade younger, you’ll say it’s good that you don’t look like that anymore (laughs!). I don’t want to be the clumsy, weird 22-year-old again. I don’t want to go back to that age. I am happy to be 32. Ageing has worked in my favour and how!

There was a time when some actresses would rather not talk about their age and prefer not revealing the real number. That seems to have changed today...
Some of them still do that and I have come across people like that. They fear that people might say buddhi ho gayi hai. As long as you can do your job convincingly, age doesn’t matter. As an actor, I don’t care if I am 32 or 42, as long as I am able to pull off a 25-year-old character or vice versa. That’s where being an actress comes into play, as you are portraying something you are not. Also, the average age of getting married or having kids has gone up, so our society has also become more accepting of women over 30s. It’s okay if you are not being married at 30 or not having a child by 33. The society has changed a bit in that sense, so there has been a change in our mindset as well.

Akshay Kumar has become the torchbearer of cinema based on social issues, given the kind of subjects that he has been consistently choosing. For this same reason, various memes on him are often doing the rounds lately. Have you ever chatted with him about it?
I want to be in his position. I want these memes to be made on me. Who wouldn’t? I even show him these memes sometimes, and he jokes, ‘Woh dusrawala zyada funny hai’. He takes it in his stride. In fact, that man doesn’t take anything the wrong way. It’s even more surprising as he has this khiladi action star image. I have never seen him angry or upset. As far as his patriotic films are concerned, somewhere, we all are patriotic, just that our way of showing it is different.

When the poster of Mission Mangal was released, people spoke about how Akshay’s face was more prominent on the poster than all the actresses put together. Of course, Balki maintained that it’s not a women-centric film. What’s your take on it?
I followed this debate and I think it’s nice that people noticed this. I want to know what you as an audience, are doing about it. Will you walk in to watch our films and pay as much for us as you would for an Akshay Kumar film, or will you wait for our films to release on web streaming channels and then watch it? Is the audience giving actresses the opening numbers that are equal to an Akshay Kumar film? I am not ashamed to admit that even if you add up the opening figures of our movies (five actresses of Mission Mangal put together), our collective figure won’t match up to Akshay sir’s. Agar hum paanch picture mein nahi bhi hotey, toh film ko thoda farak padta shayad, but koi significant farak nahi padta. It would have still been an Akshay Kumar-film, and people would still be excited to watch it. That’s the reality. You (the audience) can bring upon the change. You pay for our films, too, and make that change happen. Make us feel as valued and at par with a hero. When that happens, then, you can question the poster. For now, it’s a perfect poster. Akshay sir on one side and all of us on the other, because hum milaakey bhi unki star value nahi achieve kar sakte. That is the brutal reality.

ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) tweeted about the film congratulating Akshay. Many thought that India’s premier space research organisation shouldn’t have promoted a film on Twitter, as they have bigger things to do.
Twitter is like a messy, over-judgmental school, where no one is a student and everyone’s a teacher. ISRO tweeted about it and why not? We have dedicated the film to all the scientists at ISRO. They are entitled to say what they want to and it’s natural for them to acknowledge it. People just wait to find faults these days. Even if I write, ‘Aaj mausam kitna accha hai’, there will be those who will write, ‘We are stranded here, farmers are dying there.’ Kuch na kuch kharabi dhund lenge. There’s no point. Random people’s opinions don’t matter to me anymore.

Pink, Mulk, Manmarziyaan, Badla, Game Over and now Mission Mangal. Is this the best phase of your career?
It is, and I hope that it only gets better. I have no complaints about the roles or the money I am getting. The only complaint I have is the lack of pay parity. A hero’s salary is equal to an entire budget of a female-driven film. Usme bhi mujhe bola jata hai, aap thoda kam charge kar lona. Cost-cutting karenge kyunki yeh female-centric film hai, mainstream nahin. These things hurt a bit. If you are cast in a film where a woman has an equal part as the man, if not more, you don’t get a male A-lister who will be okay to share screen space with you. If women are cast as the protagonists in a film, the male actors who play their partners are never A-listers. On the contrary, girls are ready to play smaller parts opposite top male actors. These things bother me. Other than that, I am in a brilliant phase where I can pick and choose. I am so greedy that I don’t want to let go of any good script that comes my way.

As an outsider, who has made a mark for herself on her own, were you hurt to be called ‘Kangana Ranaut’s sasti copy’ by her sister Rangoli Chandel?
I am not hurt. That’s too strong a word to be used for someone who doesn’t feature in my scheme of things. I don’t get hurt by random people; I get hurt by people who matter to me. I don’t waste my time and effort to indulge in a verbal battle with someone who doesn’t matter to me. I don’t seek validation from them. I think Kangana and I are very different, as people and actors. What’s strange is that I didn’t know there was a patent on curly hair and honest opinions. My fault! I can’t apologise for curly hair as my parents gifted that to me and I will not apologise for voicing honest opinions, but if that makes me Kangana’s copy in any way, I still take it as a compliment because she is a good actress. To be looked upon as any version of her or a copy, is fine by me. When I was in school, 8th or 9th standard, people would say, ‘Tu Preity Zinta jaise lagti hai.’ I took it as a compliment as Preity is a pretty girl. As far as the ‘sasti copy’ (cheap copy) remark, is concerned, Kangana says she is the highest-paid actress and I don’t get paid that much, so technically it’s fine. Why should I be offended? Also, I don’t have that kind of vocabulary to get back at her (Rangoli).

Rumi Bagga in Manmarziyaan vs Kabir Singh… both are headstrong, passionate lovers, who make the first move and proclaim their love unabashedly. Both faced their share of criticism. Kabir for his alleged toxic masculinity and entitled behaviour, while Rumi for not being apologetic about her choices. It is still hard for the audience to accept deeply flawed characters, more in case of women than men. Would you agree?
That’s a clear depiction of where our society stands. We are on the cusp of change, but we haven’t changed. The visuals of a woman making the first move, or proclaiming what she wants in a relationship, are still not perceived as a regular phenomenon. A man doing that is considered ‘manly’. A woman doing the same is not considered as a ‘womanly’ thing to do. For years, we have been told how women should behave and when you don’t see that on screen, you find it difficult to accept. Any change faces a certain resistance. It takes time to seep in as we have been trained to look at a Kabir Singh and appreciate his heroism. Rumi is, however, not heroic as that’s not how a woman is supposed to be. A man can do anything to get what he wants, as that’s supposedly manly. A female protagonist has to be shown as someone who is sacrificing. She needs to put everyone’s needs before her own. What she wants should not feature in her scheme of things, but a man should be so passionate ke woh koi haddein nahi chodega. The definitions of what’s manly and womanly have been rigid for so many years that we can’t expect it to change overnight. It will take persistent efforts. I am aware that Manmarziyaan collected nothing in comparison to a Kabir Singh, but I won’t give up on this battle. I won’t stop playing characters like Rumi.

Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; August 9, 2019)

He is a man on a mission, literally. He’s cracked the social drama space with success — whether he’s telling the story about building toilets, or breaking taboos around menstruation — Akshay Kumar has picked subjects that nudge you to think about the various levels at which our society and mindsets need to change. Or entirely evolve. And now, with his next Mission Mangal, which is based on India’s first interplanetary mission, he is moving into another space. In a chat with BT, the actor tells us how women are the heroes of this mission, how life has always taught him to get up and fight back, and that, doing a comedy and moving out of the social drama orbit for a bit, is a breather. Read on…

The social dramas that you have done in the past like Toilet — Ek Prem Katha (2017) and Pad Man (2018) were all driven by several moving and heart-wrenching stories that you had heard around these issues. What urged you to pick a subject like Mission Mangal,a story that revolves around the scientists, who led our country’s first interplanetary mission?
In our country, and this is something most of us must have seen or experienced, a certain section of people believes that there are some professions, which men are cut out for, not women. If a woman says that she wants to be a scientist, a lot of people will tell her that it’s an area better suited for men. The whole idea of this film is to break that stereotype. It shows the story of five strong women, who are part of this ambitious mission and their journey. When MOM (Mars Orbiter Mission), also known as Mangalyaan, was launched (on November 5, 2013), my wife (Twinkle) had posted a message on social media, saying that if the mission was called DAD, it would still have been circling around. Thank God, that it was called MOM, that’s why it went to Mars. I believe that, too, though it is not my quote, it is entirely hers. The prospects for students — women and men — in fields of science, technology, education and maths are growing in our country, and with this film, we also want to bring that into focus.

The film is based on a real mission, which is obviously dramatised for the big screen. But when you are dealing with a subject like that, it is always tricky to get the right balance between reality and fiction. And, of course, you have to also think about the entertainment value, the commercial prospects at the box office, et al...
I am happy that my production house is the first to make a film on such a subject here, along with my co-producer, of course. I told my five actresses (Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha, Nithya Menen, Taapsee Pannu and Kirti Kulhari) and Jagan (Shakti, director), ‘Please don’t worry about how much the film will make. I promise you that you will be proud of this film’. We are telling a true story and we are extremely proud of it. In 2014, New York Times had carried a cartoon, which had an illustration of an elite space club with a few men (scientists) sitting inside and reading a newspaper with a headline that read, ‘India’s Mars Mission’. Outside the space club, there is an Indian scientist knocking on the door with a cow standing next to him. (Following a huge number of complaints from readers, NYT later apologised for the cartoon and clarified that its intention was not to mock India). In 2017, Times of India carried a cartoon after the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) created a record for sending 104 satellites into space on one rocket. A befitting reply to the NYT cartoon, this illustration showed an Indian scientist, along with a cow, sitting inside the elite space club. And the rest of the scientists were knocking on its door, holding rockets in their hands. I thought that was an amazing response. Can you imagine that this whole mission cost India only Rs 450 crore? The budget of my 2018-film 2.0, was more than this. When I heard the story, I said that I will make this film by hook or by crook.

During Pad Man, too,you had said that you were not bothered about how much the film rakes in at the box office, and what was of prime importance was the fact that this subject (menstrual hygiene) was being addressed through cinema…
Yes, I strongly believe that some subjects go beyond box-office collections, budgets and all those things. And that is the reason why these subjects excite me so much.

In an interview, Taapsee Pannu (one of the actors in Mission Mangal) had said that it is hard to get a male star to feature in a film with strong female characters. Would you agree?
At times, I fail to understand how things work in this industry. I have always said that it is good to be part of a great film in which you might not have a big role. You must think whether the film and the story are great or not, rather than wondering mera role kitna hai. If you think of the latter, then, you are being very small-minded. It is a mindset that some actors have. These women in Mission Mangal are leading the show. The stage is theirs. I am just standing behind them and applauding their achievements.

So, you wouldn’t mind playing a small part in a film, if you like the role?
Yes, I would do it and I have done it earlier, too. When Rajkumar Santoshi had offered me Khakee (2004), he told me, ‘Yeh chhota role hai, tu karega?’ I said, ‘Haan, main karunga!’ That role was initially offered to Paresh Rawal, but then, they approached me and tweaked it a bit. The film mostly belonged to Amitabh Bachchan and Ajay Devgn, and my character died at interval point. It was a small role, but I loved what Rajkumar Santoshi had made. Even today, when I interact with policemen, they often tell me, ‘Woh aapki Khakee dekhi thi, maza aaya hai. Woh film mein hai baat!’

Well, in the West, it is not rare to see the biggest of actors do brief roles in huge films, or be a part of an ensemble star cast. This mindset and the way they view their role in cinema are different, right?
They do that in Hollywood, but it is rare in our industry. I know of (Bollywood) actors, who, in recent times, have done a two-hero film (without taking names), and one of the actors told the filmmaker, ‘Main ek shart pe kaam karunga, ki aap mera solo poster pehle chapwao’. Such is the mindset. He wanted his solo poster to appear first, and then a combined poster, so that he is a step ahead.

Right, if that mindset and perspective changes, we will probably see some fine actors do more films and deliver fabulous performances...
Well, it is not just about doing more work, it is also about the content and being part of a great story. It is about bringing something new to the table. In the history of cinema, being remembered as an actor who was part of a great story, is what matters the most. I can do more full-on commercial films and earn three times more than what I will earn with this film. I can do more films like Rowdy Rathore (2012) and Singh Is Kinng (2015) and make more money. Of course, I am doing films like Sooryavanshi and Laxmmi Bomb, but movies like Pad Man and Mission Mangal mein kuch aur hi maza hai.

A debate sparked online when the first poster of Mission Mangal released, as it featured you more prominently than the five leading ladies. Taapsee was quick to point out that you can bring in the numbers with your star power. The women in this film are excellent actors, but what Taapsee stated is a harsh reality to a certain extent. Your take?
The women in Mission Mangal are the heroes of the film. They have taken it to another level. And what Taapsee is saying comes from her broad thinking. Look, things like how a poster is designed is planned by the studio that is backing the film. They want the film to have a wider reach, and I am no one to stop it. The promo, Yeh Sindoor Hai, which released just a few days ago, has me in only one frame. It is entirely picturised on the leading ladies and it has been done beautifully. The next poster shows us all on Mars, like one big team. Like I said before, these women are all superb actors, and they have taken centre stage in this story.

Today, you find yourself in a very secure place — whether you are doing action, comedy, social drama or anything else in the entertainment space. You don’t need to look over your shoulder or watch your back. Has that sense of security come with time, experience and success?
I think security comes from your childhood and family. Success is a part of it, but that only comes later. I believe that what makes your spine strong is your family. I have seen highs and lows through my journey. I still remember that day, when I was standing right outside this building (where we are sitting). Earlier, there was a sort of slum here, by the sea. I was working with photographer Jayesh Sheth, and I was keen to get a picture clicked against the stunning backdrop of the sea. But the chowkidaar pushed me away and asked me to leave. Well, it was not a Trishul kind of moment, where like Mr Bachchan, I said ki ek din mein yaha pe ghar leke rahoonga. The fact that the building that I live in is on the same spot, is sheer coincidence. I still have that picture with me, where I am standing on the wall (pointing towards it) and posing for the camera. During one phase of my career, I saw 16 flops and then made a comeback. I have been an actor who was gaya gaya gone many times over, and each time, I somehow made a comeback. It reminds me of my time in Bangkok when I was learning martial arts and fighting. I would lose so many games in Thai Boxing. Those fighters were so good, and they would beat me hollow. That did not mean that I wasn’t ready for another fight. Every time I was down, I knew that I had to get up and fight again. That’s the way my life has been. I didn’t come from a film family, there were many other actors who were rooted here. Their families have been a part of the industry for years, so they were familiar with the way it functions. Jab main pehli baar camera face karne gaya tha… that was the time main pehli baar aisa camera dekh raha tha. I didn’t know any better. Every phase of my life has been a learning experience and the learning has been endless. I had spoken about deconstructing myself in my previous interviews. I learnt this thing about deconstructing myself from a businessman. He was a successful man, who had various other businesses, but was starting a new business from ground zero. When I asked him why he was taking that risk, he told me that he wanted to start from scratch, as he felt that he had hit the glass ceiling. That was an eye-opener for me. It became my mantra for life.

Your film is clashing with Batla House (headlined by John Abraham) at the box office. You guys are known to be buddies, and when we asked John about the clash, he agreed that the viewership of films does get divided, but he also added that if you have faith in your content, you should go ahead and do it. Your take?
He is right. And these clashes will get worse in the coming days. Now, if there are two films releasing on big holiday weekends, going ahead, there will be more than two clashes on such weekends. What else do we do? In 52 weeks, there are hardly any dates, which has such holidays. Everyone will jump at those opportunities. About 200 Bollywood films are made every year, and on top of that, there are Hollywood and Tollywood releases, too. All the ‘woods’ are hitting the screens together. How can we help it? It will be a wooden furniture showroom soon (laughs!).

One social mission after another… after all those intense dramas, how does it feel shooting a comedy film like Housefull 4?
It feels like being on a vacation.

But comedy is not a mean feat, too, right?
After so many social dramas and action, doing a comedy film feels like I am finally exhaling. Yes, making people laugh is not easy, and comedy is tough, but well, not all the award nights recognize that (laughs!). They always find comedy frivolous, don’t they?

You are working with many new directors like Jagan Shakti and Raj Mehta ( Good News)...
I have worked with many new directors. What I love about them is their hunger to do good work, and they are full of passion. Look at Jagan, that guy has not slept in two months. Agar aur koi director hota jisne bahut kaam kiya hai, he would tell someone, ‘Baaki ka kar lena tu hi yaar.’ (laughs!) It is this greed to make a movie and this intense drive they have that makes them work so hard. A new director knows that this is their chance to make or break it, and so, they give it their all.

Production designer Sandeep Sharad Ravade on how he recreated ISRO for Jagan Shakti’s journey into space
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 6, 2019)

Mission Mangal fronted by Akshay Kumar with Vidya Balan Taapsee Pannu, Sonaksh Sinha, Kirti Kulhari, Nithya Menen, Sharman Joshi, is inspired by India’s first interplanetary project, the Mars Orbiter Mission. Director Jagan Shakti had to recreate ISRO at a Mumbai studio as shooting at the real location is not allowed. It took production designer Sandeep Sharad Ravade (Baby, Parmanu), two-and-a-half months to replicate ISRO at Film City, even with multiple teams of over 100 people. Sandeep on the challenges faced


Rebuilding ISRO control room and work station
We could not enter ISRO. A day before our visit, the appointment was cancelled. But our director had visited ISRO multiple times with his production team, and based on their conversation, books and Google research we built the set at Film City. We took some cinematic liberties. Our 100 feet by 80 feet control room was 20-25 per cent smaller than the actual control room at ISRO. The work station was also relatively smaller, around 30 feet by 50 feet.


Replicating satellites
Creating satellites was the biggest task. We actually used wolverine cloth, ocean plastic and golden foil with the raw material brought from different parts of India, including Gujarat. A team of 80-90 people were working only on satellites. It wasn’t only about replicating the original 1.5 metres satellite but also previous models like Rohini for display in the lobby. No CGI was used.


Setting the stage
Ninety per cent of what you will see on screen is created by the design team. We had to create ISRO and not NASA, so the brief was to keep it simple, yet real. All the indoor portions were filmed on sets in Mumbai while the exterior shots were taken in Bangalore.


Recreating rockets
We didn’t have a studio big enough to house the original 145-feet rocket so we built a 27-feet nose and an 18-feet tail, the rest is visual effects. Since people have seen pictures of Mangalyaan, we knew we couldn’t get the rocket wrong. We used fiberglass, solar panel, wood metal, plywood and gypsum board, to replicate it, along with smaller models, for display.

Nithya Menen on doing a multi-starrer for her Hindi film debut, and how Bollywood beat South Indian cinema to go into space
Hiren Kotwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 5, 2019)

Nithya Menen, who makes her Bollywood debut with the Akshay Kumar-fronted Mission Mangal, which also features Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha, Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari and Sharman Joshi, is a popular name in the South film industry, having worked in all four languages – Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. Her Tamil hit, O Kadhal Kanmani, was remade in Hindi as OK Jaanu and her Kanchana 2 is being adapted into Laxmmi Bomb with Akshay in the lead.

With three Best Actress Filmfare Awards to her credit, Nithya has been routinely receiving Hindi film offers. “But I’ve always been choosy, I didn’t want to do a film just because it’s a Bollywood project. I followed the same thought before opting for Mission Mangal,” she says, adding that she knew the director (Jagan Shakti) had seen her films and is aware of her work. “He knew why he wanted to cast me. It’s not a run-of the-mill film. And I don’t think of it as a Bollywood debut. For me, it’s always the subject first.”

Despite being an established name in Southern cinema, Nithya didn’t have reservations about starting out here in an ensemble cast film. “I’m an actor first, a heroine later,” she points out, adding that she has featured in character roles and special appearances down South as well. “I’ve never approached my profession in a self-centric way, it’s not important that I have to be the most important actor in the project. If I like the character, if I like the film, I’ll do it,” she asserts.

When asked if she has wondered why a film on a space mission materialised in Hindi first, given that the South industry is often credited for making better films, she quips, “That’s a controversial question. I think someone came up with the idea first. But, there’s no point discussing it now. Even Jagan is from South India and his sister works with ISRO, and so does my aunt.” Speaking of comparisons between the two industries, Nithya admits that Bollywood is a lot friendlier and more professional.

There was a “lot of camaraderie” while working on Mission Mangal. “We’d all lunch together, and not once did I feel like a newcomer here. Whether it was Akshay sir or Vidya ma’am, Sonakshi or Taapsee, they were all very nice. Going to work was a lot of fun,” she smiles, admitting that there was a bit of ragging and teasing, albeit in good spirit.

While two of her Tamil films have made their way to Bollywood, the actress insists that she usually avoids remakes, even if she has been a part of a few in the past. “An original is an original. You can’t really do justice to it in a remake. Most of the time, the magic can’t be recreated,” she explains.

Any more offers from Hindi filmmakers? “Not right now. I have quite a few films lined up down South to sign on anything new,” she concludes.

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; August 5, 2019)

Together, they are a two-men army. On one side is R Balki, a powerful ad filmmaker, who graduated to Bollywood with critically acclaimed movies like Cheeni Kum and Paa. On the other side is Jagan Shakti, who assisted Balki and director AR Murugadoss over the past 14 years, and is now ready to make his directorial debut with Mission Mangal. Over to the duo, who has steered the film and made it a reality...

Jagan has been working with you since 2005. Balki, at what juncture did you realise that he’s ready to helm a film by himself?
I met Jagan through a common friend. From Cheeni Kum (2007) to Pad Man (2018), he’s held different designations in my directorial team. The only time he wasn’t on my team was when I made Ki & Ka (2016). For me, he’s been a part of this little family I have at work. Over these years, I’ve realised that he’s very capable. Since my wife Gauri (filmmaker Gauri Shinde) and I make fewer films, he also worked with Murugadoss. I would describe Jagan as a creative person, who can also be destructive, like most creative minds are. To answer your question, he was going to make another film years ago which didn’t work out. I was concerned about him, as he was somewhat frustrated.

Is that when you decided to produce Mission Mangal instead?
Balki: While working on Pad Man, Jagan came up with an idea on the launch of the Mangalyaan. His sister Sujatha works at Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as a scientist. He worked hard to develop the idea, and initially, we even toyed with the thought of making it in another language. However, eventually, we decided that the film needs a big scale and making it in Hindi might be the best option. The thought was to make an emotional movie about a space mission that we’re proud of; something that has human elements, unlike Hollywood films like Gravity (2013), which are more fiction and fantasy. I met Akshay Kumar and he, too, seemed interested in the idea. However, his question was, ‘What am I doing in this film?’ I told him that it’s just an idea and we’d flesh it out. Over the next three months, I worked with Jagan and our writers. Together, we created a set of fictitious, yet strong characters, who would narrate the story of one of modern India’s greatest achievements. We’ve kept the scientific aspects and the flow of events as close to reality as possible.

Along with Akshay Kumar, the film is headlined by five strong women characters (played by Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha, Taapsee Pannu, Nithya Menen and Kirti Kulhari). You are known to make films with strong women characters, and going by the trailer of Mission Mangal, this story, too, seems to be driven by them...
Balki: Akshay is the hero of this film, and so are the five women, who play characters that are as strong and as important as his. He’s a superstar with no herogiri to do here, but he’s at the centre of the story, while substantial parts are played by strong artistes, who happen to be women. Once we completed our script, everything fell into place. This was the first film I narrated to Vidya Balan after Paa (2009) and she was ecstatic. Just like her, I wanted each and every character to have a place of its own. I’d like to believe that we’ve achieved that. I must add that Jagan added a lot of muscle and elements to every character.
Jagan: Balki sir and I had this very interesting line that we had planned to give Vidya’s character. At some point, we wanted her to say that it’s science that makes me a scientist, not my gender. It was a powerful line, but we didn’t find the right point to place it.
Balki: I disagree with the thought that Mission Mangal is a woman-empowerment film or a woman-centric film. These are just phrases or concepts that we latch on to. It’s rare and nice to see so many women on a single film poster. It must have received a lot of attention, but this film is led by Akshay Kumar, like Pad Man was. That was about sanitary napkins, but the story was led by Akshay’s character. So, I disagree with the notion that we’ve made a woman-centric film. And why should I attempt to empower women who are already far superior and more powerful than men? Do they even need it?
Jagan: To me, they are all scientists at ISRO. In fact, even the women who work at ISRO, including my sister, don’t think that they are any different from their male colleagues. Gender doesn’t get into the way of their everyday work, which is complex and challenging. For them, a sari or shirt doesn’t matter — all that matters is that you are a scientist who can aid India’s space program. There were thousands of people involved in the Mars Mission; we’ve created seven-eight characters to front their story. To us, this is a thought-empowerment film. If you believe in yourself, nothing is impossible. Akshay sir’s character is not empowering anyone in the film; he’s just working with them.

Jagan, at any given time, there were at least three top stars on your set. Did it get difficult to handle so many A-listers in your first film? Isn’t it a hefty cast to justify in terms of screen time?
Jagan: It didn’t get difficult and the credit for that goes to the script. Initially, everyone presented their views on their characters and the situations, but once they came on board, they were clear about what they were doing. My cast came with no starry baggage and they didn’t treat me like a first-time director. We knew that there was room for on-the-spot improvement. That was inevitable with such big names on board and I’d be foolish to not take their inputs; in fact, I grabbed the inputs by the collar. But there was a rhythm that no one could break because that could impact the overall film and take away from what we intended to say. No one could add or eliminate lines because it was written in a certain manner. Fortunately, everyone got their parts correctly. Balki sir and I had even rehearsed the scenes before putting them into the script. And none of the actors were vying for extra screen time. The film is bigger than that for them. Today, nearly every actor knows that a character is far more important than screen time.

When you guys started shooting, there were reports of a court case being filed by an NRI filmmaker, who had claimed that this film is based on her story, titled Space Moms...
Balki: The story of this film belongs to ISRO and it’s across every platform in the world. People have made films, documentaries, features on this subject and everything around it. The film is about a mission and the sacrifices people have made for it to be a success. ISRO belongs to everyone and no one can claim to own this story solely.

Jagan, let’s talk about the research that you’ve put into the film. Balki had mentioned earlier in the interview that you put in a lot of hard work before the film went on the floors...
Jagan: My sister Sujata helped me understand a lot of things and also directed me to the right people at ISRO. I interviewed at least 30-40 scientists, who worked on the mission and their contributions are immense. I have 1,800 hours of audio recording, which came in handy while trying to make science palatable for a regular cinegoer.
Balki: People will come to the theatre for an experience; we have to pass on knowledge without making it seem so. We had to find simpler ways to decode complex scientific things. We used every-day examples to explain the goings-on of space and blend it with an emotional and thrilling story.
Jagan: For instance, you see Akshay sir explaining a space concept by using the example of making puris. We are educated to understand science, but in a film, it has to be interpreted differently. In reality, ISRO scientists had not done it this way; this is how we’ve fictionalised the story a bit.

Did you have to get your script vetted by ISRO?
Balki: We have all seen the documentaries and the material available in the public domain. But knowing too much can also get into the way of writing a script. So, drawing that line was essential while writing the film. You see, we were not learning to launch a rocket while making this film. Each time we hit a roadblock or we needed to check on facts, Jagan would reach out to the ISRO officials. Also, we didn’t set out to make a salute-your-flag Independence Day film. The nation has already saluted the scientists for their achievement. Our job here was to write an enjoyable film that will leave you feeling charged and inspired.

Balki’s films have a certain sensibility. Was there ever a creative clash or conflict at any level of execution?
Jagan: I pushed my way through things (laughs!). There were times when I succeeded and times when I didn't. There were times when he came around an idea that he had initially rejected, and there were times when I withdrew my thoughts. If you have a convincing argument, sir is never egoistic about it, he takes it in the right spirit.
Balki: Jagan is an enthusiastic person with a commercial bent of mind. But I sincerely believed that this story didn’t need any seeti-bajao moments. I believe the film is Jagan’s vision; I’ve helped him shape it appropriately. I didn’t even go to his set for more than three days, but I’ve shouted at him like I’ve done for no other film of mine. Gauri sometimes would come down heavily on me for that; she’d make me realise it’s his film (laughs!). Two people can never direct a film and that’s the reason I limited my contribution to the script; it’s the first time I’ve worked on a film that I’m not directing. I helped him write it to ensure that it stays true to the vision he had when he came to me with it. I never let him forget the image of those women at ISRO celebrating the Mars Mission. You get your chance to make your first film just once, and it has to be nothing but perfect. It doesn’t matter if it’s the biggest hit of the year, if it’s not perfect, you will live with that feeling all your life. If I can stop a mistake, I should. Jagan’s been that mentee who has put up with me silently.

Mission Mangal director on working in tandem with India's space agency to give shape to Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan-starrer
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 31, 2019)

It's not easy for a first-time director to mount a film based on Mars Orbiter Mission, arguably Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) most ambitious project to date. If Jagan Shakti was lucky to find powerful artistes — Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Taapsee Pannu, Sonakshi Sinha, Nithya Menen, Kirti Kulhari and Sharman Joshi — who believed in his vision, he also credits members of India's premier space agency for helping him tell the story of Mission Mangal.

"My sister Sujata [Krishna] works there, so I did extensive interviews with the team of the Mangalyaan mission. ISRO was helpful in terms of giving us access to the material and scientists. The right balance between the art director and the VFX team helped us design the rocket, which was the most important component of the film. While we had the exact diagrams in possession, we couldn't have designed a similar-looking device," explains Shakti.

Producer Ekta Kapoor's show, based on the same mission, had initially hit a roadblock in 2017 owing to its central theme. Ask him if he faced any hiccups, and he says, "We were keen to shoot in ISRO's premises [in Bengaluru] but they couldn't permit that for security reasons. But most of the key points about the mission are available on their website. In the end, we are making a thematic film with that mission as the backdrop. It's a story about how ordinary men and women, who take the same bus as we do and buy vegetables with us, are capable of being so extraordinary." Quiz him why he didn't design it as a biopic, and he reasons, "The mission was a collective victory, and to attribute its success to one person would not be fair to the rest."

Ever since the sci-fi drama went on floors earlier this year, it has been battling comparisons with the Hollywood gem Hidden Figures (2016), which narrated the true story of three female scientists at NASA in the '60s. "That film was about racism; this film is inspired by the picture of women in sarees and gajras looking thrilled at the mission's launch."

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."

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; December 12, 2018)

Akshay Kumar may have begun shooting for Mission Mangal, but he isn't the only one to be fascinated by the Mars Orbiter Mission. Ekta Kapoor had announced the digital offering, Mangalyaan - based on the same subject - last year, but the show was put on the backburner after the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) expressed its reservation. Now, encouraged by the announcement of Mission Mangal, we hear Kapoor has revived the series.

A unit hand recounts how the show - which was to be helmed by Nupur Asthana then - had hit a roadblock soon after Kapoor had visited ISRO in Bengaluru last year as part of the research.

"Two months after Ekta announced Mangalyaan, ISRO appointed its new chairman [K Sivan]. He raised multiple objections against the series, including its name - ISRO wasn't comfortable with a series bearing the name of their mission. Moreover, they wanted greater autonomy on the material than the production house was comfortable with."

However, she picked up the discussion with the organisation's officials last month. "Ekta has decided to fictionalise the story with the mission serving as the backdrop. She also informed them that she will rechristen the show. Following this, ISRO has given her a go-ahead. But, the delay has resulted in Nupur moving on from the project."

The show is likely to roll by March. Kapoor remained unavailable for comment.

Lasyapriya Sundaram (BOMBAY TIMES; September 29, 2018)

Sriram Raghavan tells stories which are intense, dark and edgy. But with his latest film, AndhaDhun, the director reveals that there are also elements of fun. In a freewheeling chat with Bombay Times, he talks about how he has never had trouble getting a producer for his films and why he doesn’t think about the commercial viability of actors while casting them in a film. Excerpts...

All your films like Ek Hasina Thi (2004), Johnny Gaddaar (2007), Agent Vinod (2012) and Badlapur (2015) delve into the darker side of the human psyche. Are you intrigued by it?
As a filmmaker, I tilt towards stories which are crime-led. I can’t think of any psychological reason as to why I tend to tell these stories. Right from childhood, I have enjoyed films which belong to the thriller genre. As a kid, I would read novels written by Agatha Christie and James Hadley Chase. Also, in these films, you get a chance to live vicariously through someone else’s chaos. You feel safe that it’s not happening to you and yet, you go through the adventure and can experience the thrill.

Don’t you ever feel the need to take a break from such dark subjects?
Well, I wanted to make a less intense film after a dark revenge drama like Badlapur. AndhaDhun is a thriller on the lines of Johnny Gaddar. It’s a fun film in the macabre sense of the word. It also has moments of wickedness and brutality.

You won a National award for your diploma film, The Eight Column Affair (1986),which was edited by your batchmate Rajkumar Hirani. However, you directed your first feature film, Ek Hasina Thi, 18 years later. What took you so long?
It’s a long journey in which very little happened (laughs!). I made The Eight Column Affair in the late 1980s. After that, I worked with ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) for a couple of years as part of their Developmental Educational and Communication Unit, and made documentaries for children in the rural areas. They had a great library and I made use of that. After that, I came to Mumbai and this was a time when the satellite TV invasion had not happened. I wanted to make films, but the films being made in the 1990s were not my kind. I couldn’t break in, and even if I did manage to get a foothold, I didn’t know what I would make. I didn’t enjoy what was being made and what I enjoyed was a result of my education at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). Having seen a whole lot of great cinema, I didn’t know how I could make the films that I wanted to make. At that time, I made a docu-drama called Raman Raghav, which starred Raghuvir Yadav. Though the film never released, I had something to show people in the film industry. After that, I made Ek Hasina Thi.

Were you always fixated with being a filmmaker in Bollywood? Or, did you have other plans, too?
People don’t know what filmmaking is even after they have made ten films (laughs!). Even I didn’t know what filmmaking really was, but I knew that I wanted to be a part of this world, because I was not particularly good at anything else. I assisted the late Mukul Anand for a while and then I joined FTII, and that’s where I started enjoying the process of learning the craft. My parents were huge film buffs, but as kids, we were allowed to watch only films like Born Free and Ben Hur.

In fourteen years as a filmmaker, why have you directed only five films?
It’s not something that I orchestrated. My second film Johnny Gaddaar got delayed because of financial reasons. The film was taken over by another production house, and in the process, we lost a year. With Agent Vinod, there was a lot of chaos with schedules and the film took a year-and-a-half to shoot. Badlapur was the only film which was wrapped up in nine months. I have never had the problem of finding a producer for my films. In fact, Badlapur was the first film when I saw box-office success. I often got offers to remake films, but that didn’t interest me. I have no interest in remaking a film in Hindi which has already been made in the south. I prefer adapting from a book than a movie. My problem has always been about ensuring that I have a solid story to tell. In that sense, I am choosy about the stories that I want to tell.

You have worked with a plethora of stars including Dharmendra, Urmila Matondkar, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Varun Dhawan. Do you think about and focus on the commercial viability of an actor while choosing the cast for your projects?
The commercial viability of an actor doesn’t matter to me when I am writing the film, but it does to everyone else around (laughs!). The producers will say that a particular actor’s last film did only a certain amount of business, but according to me, that’s utter nonsense.

As a creative person, how do you navigate this tricky territory because the studio is after all producing the movie?
The studio producing a film also believes in good cinema and wants the best for the film, but according to their wisdom. The trailer of Andhadhun, which everyone has liked, has its own story. According to me, it was the story of a blind man and I said there should only be sounds in the trailer and no visuals. The studio was shocked. They had a particular trailer in mind and I had another. I understood their point of view and they understood mine. After heated discussions, we decided on this particular trailer. I didn’t want to give away too many things about the film in the trailer and they understood my point of view.

Have you ever had to compromise as a filmmaker because the studio was not willing to go ahead with your creative take on a film? We often hear studios say that there is not point producing a film which only the makers will want to watch.
That is a constant argument. The studio might be right at times, because filmmakers also tend to be indulgent. I have not faced a situation where I have been given an ultimatum by the producers. If I am given an ultimatum, then I will bid the producers goodbye.

John Abraham adds that the Parmanu unit also obtained the consent of the Border Security Force
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; May 24, 2018)

Given that Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran deals with 1998 nuclear tests conducted by the Indian Army, one of the first objectives of John Abraham was to procure the necessary permissions to bring the real-life story to the big screen.

"As part of our research, we met people who were involved in the tests including those from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). I also had to meet Arun Jaitley, who was the defence minister then, because we needed special permissions to fly drones in Pokhran," recollects John Abraham. The actor-producer adds that they also obtained the consent of the Border Security Force.

In his bid to ensure authenticity, the unit shot portions of the film at the nuclear test site in Rajasthan. "We met a few people who were living there when the tests happened. They narrated some interesting incidents to us — like, Rajasthan ran out of onions on the day of the tests because the Army had bought them all as a precautionary measure, since onions absorb radiation. We incorporated such tidbits in our film."

Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; October 4, 2017)