Despite industry slowdown, Aditya Chopra to launch three-country recce in December for the third edition of Salman Khan's Tiger franchise
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; September 17, 2020)

Their lips may be sealed about the third instalment of their successful Tiger franchise, but Salman Khan and producer Aditya Chopra are leaving no stone unturned for their ambitious venture. Encouraged by the overwhelming response to its previous two editions — Ek Tha Tiger (2012) and Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) — Chopra is keen to mount the upcoming espionage thriller on a grand scale and has envisioned a story that will traverse seven countries. With the travel restrictions being gradually eased, the producer has instructed director Maneesh Sharma to begin the recce before the year-end.

"If everything goes as planned, Maneesh Sharma and his team will conduct a recce across the UAE, Istanbul and the USA in December. The rest of the countries have yet to be pencilled in. Tiger 3 is close to Adi's heart as he has developed the screenplay along with Jaideep Sahni. Despite the industry slowdown, Adi is certain that the film has the makings of a blockbuster. Maneesh and he want to take it on floors by February," reveals a trade source. The producer is apparently eyeing a Christmas 2021 release for the thriller, which will also feature Katrina Kaif.

The casting team has simultaneously begun its hunt for a worthy antagonist to Khan's RAW officer Avinash Singh Rathore aka Tiger. Since real-time auditions are not feasible in the current scenario, as the first step, the production house has requested aspiring actors to send their portfolio, complete with their previous work.

"They want to cast a relatively new face as the villain, like they did with Sajjad Delafrooz and Sal Yusuf in Tiger Zinda Hai," adds the source. Though the initial plan was to unveil the movie as part of YRF Project 50 on Yash Chopra's birth anniversary on September 27, the announcement is likely to be deferred due to the ongoing crisis.

Vir Das on kicking off the year-long Loved tour that travels across 25 venues around the world
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 17, 2019)

He may have a busy date diary, but Vir Das is not complaining. The actor-comedian, who has two Netflix originals to his credit, also kicked off his Loved tour earlier this month. While he covered 25 cities with his successful 2017 tour Boarding Das, Das intends to tap into 25 more cities across six continents with his latest year-long world tour.

"Boarding Das was an experiment that worked well. Since people kept writing in and requesting for more shows, we kept adding cities [to the schedule] as we went along. It helped me test my skills in the most unlikely places, as I performed in big venues as well as intimate ones. The Loved tour has been formed from my experiences in those gigs," says Das, who has already performed in two cities in India.

Up next is a stop in Washington DC. Of the cities he is travelling to, the comedian is most excited about Calgary, Winnipeg, Istanbul, New England and San Antonio. "The idea is to expand our base and visit as many cities as we can. Together, between both the tours, we will easily finish over 55 cities."

Harshada Rege (DNA; July 23, 2018)

It’s been a busy time for Ranveer Singh. The actor, who was shooting for Simmba, also has had shooting commitments for various brands to contend with. His energy levels are legendary in the industry, and the adrenaline rush is probably why he doesn’t need a breather despite having collected a lot of air miles.

TRAVEL TALES
A source reveals, “Immediately after Ranveer wrapped up the first schedule of Simmba, he had to shoot for four brands. Not just that, he had to travel to four different cities within a span of eight days.” That meant the Padmaavat star ended up living out of a suitcase. “It’s been super hectic but that’s something an actor has to get used to. The actor is juggling all the commitments with equal focus and enthusiasm,” adds the informer.

DATE DIARY
The 33-year-old started the marathon schedule by shooting in Mumbai on July 13 and 14. “He then flew out to Hyderabad to shoot an advertisement for an automobile brand on July 15 and 16. Later, he went to Malaysia to film another commercial from July 17 to 19. He completes the schedule in Istanbul where he is shooting for a skin care product from July 22 to 23 or 24. Ranveer has fulfilled all his commitments before he gets busy with Simmba again,” says the source.

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 26, 2017)

Historically known as Constantinople and Byzantium, Istanbul is the most populous city of Turkey. A transcontinental city in Eurasia, it straddles the Bosphorus strait (which separates Europe and Asia) between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea, with its commercial and historical centre located on the European side and about a third of its population on the Asian side. Dia Mirza on her first visit there with husband Sahil Sangha:

Asia meets Europe
Sahil and I love to travel and choose destinations that are rich in history and culture. The cuisine is important too. We’ve been intrigued by Istanbul where Asia meets Europe so we wanted to experience the cultural best of both continents. Our hotel was a restored heritage home on the banks of the Bosphorous River running through the city. It was a stunning view to wake up to every morning. Sailboats, fishing boats, swimmers and families crowded the crystal clear water, the banks and promenades as also the playgrounds built around it. The quality of life there is instantly striking. Clean air, water and the sheer pleasure of being outdoors is priceless. I was also fascinated by the number of cats we saw. The locals are friendly and courteous. Cabbies have translation apps on their phones that makes communication easy.


A cathedral and a mosque next to each other
We explored the Old City on foot, walking through narrow lanes and stopping for a 7am Turkish breakfast of fish bread and eggs followed by Turkish Coffee, of course! Then, it was on to the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia, located next to each other. Imagine a mosque and a cathedral built in close proximity far back in time. Hagia Sofia is now a museum and the guided tours offer insights into the efforts of the architects of these magnificent monuments.

Cobbled streets linking one part of the old city to another are lined with cafes and restaurants which make walking a charming and tireless exercise. We spent an afternoon at the Topkapi Palace and Gardens and were impressed by how clean and tourist-friendly it is. Clean drinking water fountains and benches are scattered around the garden with local vendors selling fresh chestnuts and ice cream.

We lunched at the Galata Tower, a medieval stone structure which is one of Istanbul’s most important landmarks. The top deck offers a 360-degree view of the city.


Shoppers’ stop
After that it was the Grand Bazaar which is a shoppers paradise, the Spice Bazaar with its masalas and the leisure district of Taksim Square.

The shops offer irresistible scarves and leather goods. We also picked up some Turkish mosaic tiles that we have incorporated in the design of a dinner wagon at home.

Many of the local designers make excellent footwear and clothes and you simply cannot stop with one item. We also splurged on spices so that we can continue to make and serve adana kebabs at home!

Kebabs to die for
The seafood and lamb dishes served in Istanbul are to die for! Too many restaurants to name but the preparations are typically light and they use amazing herbs and spices that add an inimitable flavour to their kebabs, stews and curries.

Tips to carry home
Since I am not a recognised celebrity in that part of the world, I could walk around freely on the streets and at public places and appreciate their standard of maintenance and sense of hygene. I wish we could take a cue from the standard of maintaining cleanliness and hygiene that is upheld across the city. Its impossible to walk on our streets. I understand that population is a genuine problem but planning with foresight will help tourists visiting India. I’m happy we experienced a lot of Istanbul’s old-world charm. Don’t forget to carry a camera. The city is so beautiful that you will finally stop taking selfies to just capture its beauty.

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 10, 2017)

Saumya Tandon, of Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai! fame, was in Turkey on a vacation when her picture-perfect holiday turned into a nightmare. The actress, who’d left for Istanbul last week, was robbed of a thousand euros by a taxi driver, after which she filed a police complaint.

“The taxi guy told me he had to rush for his prayers and started screaming at me as I rummaged in my purse for change. He stopped the car in the middle of the road and hadn’t even started the meter for the ride which I hadn’t noticed then as I got lost in the scenic beauty around. When I gave him money he returned it said ‘wrong money’. In Turkey, both Euro and Lira work so I thought he wanted the former. When I opened my purse that had Euros in it, he put his hand inside. He also distracted me by screaming and honking incessantly. As soon as he left, I checked my wallet and realised that he had taken a thousand Euros,” the actress told Mirror.

He was the kindest, most generous and giving man: Kamal Sadanah
Subhash K Jha (DNA; January 3, 2017)

Tragedy continues to haunt actor-filmmaker Kamal Sadanah. Twenty-seven years after losing his family to a mindless shooting (by his father Brij Sadanah, who shot himself), he lost his best friend Abis Rizvi to another one on New Year’s Eve in Istanbul.

Recalls Kamal, “He was my dear friend, mentor and guide. When the news of the massacre in Istanbul reached us, I didn’t connect it with Abis, although I knew he was holidaying in Istanbul. Then I read Sushma Swarajji’s tweet which said two Indians had died in the carnage. It named Abis as one of the dead.”

That’s when it hit him. “I realised I had lost my friend in the most bizarre way possible. I mean, we think of terror attacks as something that happens to others. Now it’s reached our doorstep,” says Kamal.

He added. “I lost my entire family in one night. I thought I had seen enough loss and tragedy to see me through this lifetime. I was wrong. There’s no end to the pain. Now I’ve lost my friend. Abis was engaged to my sister before she was killed by my father,” reveals Kamal.

After Namrata’s death, Kamal and Abis anchored each other’s shattered lives, came closer than before and continued to look out for each other. “He was the kindest, most generous and giving man. Why did he have to go in such a brutal way? Abis was from a family that believed in a better world, a better society. I guess he wasn’t destined to see it,” says Kamal.

“As soon as my wife heard about Abis, she wanted to fly back with our children to be with me. But because of the New Year rush, they haven’t been able to get tickets. They’ll join me soon. We need to be with Abis’ wife and child. His son is only four years old. What do I tell him? That his father will never come back?”

Film producer and educationist Abis Rizvi, 49, was ushering in the New Year with his friends at the popular Reina nightclub in Istanbul when gunman opened fire
Aditya Anand (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 2, 2017)


The massacre at an Istanbul night club on New Year by a lone gunman claimed the lives of 39 people, including well-known movie producer Abis Rizvi from Mumbai. The other Indian killed in the attack is Khushi Shah from Gujarat. Abis, 49, who was also an educationist and the CEO of Rizvi group of companies, was ushering in the New Year at the popular Reina nightclub on the Bosphorus with his friends when an unidentified gun man opened indiscriminate fire inside the venue. A man hunt is on in Turkey for the attacker.

Abis was the elder son of Dr Akhtar Hasan Rizvi, a former Rajya Sabha MP and noted builder and educationist from Bandra. The family is on its way to Istanbul. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Twitter that she had spoken to Abis's father and was organising visas for the family to go to Istanbul. The funeral is likely to take place in Mumbai on Tuesday.

In a statement, Javed Rizvi, trustee, Rizvi Education Society, said, "Rizvi Educational Society mourns the death of its secretary Abis Rizvi in a terrorist attack in Istanbul on Sunday. Abis Rizvi was vacationing in Turkey when he fell victim to the heinous act. He is survived by his son, wife and parents. The family requests privacy in this hour of grief."

Officials from Ministry of External Affairs informed the Rizvi family about the tragic incident on Sunday afternoon.

Actor-director Puneet Issar, who has been working with Rizvi on a film, was shattered at the news. Issar had spoken to Rizvi around two hours before the attack. "I spoke to him on December 31 at 10.45 pm and couldn't believe it when I heard about his demise. I have written and directed a film called He-Man which he is producing. We even saw the rough cut of that film together on December 24." Issar said that their association had strengthened in the last two years while they were working on this film. "He was a fantastic person and a lovely man. His friends swore by him," he added. Rizvi had co-written and produced the movie Roar -Tigers of the Sundarbans directed by Kamal Sadanah in 2014. He also played a vital role in running Rizvi College in Bandra.

Abis and his friends, who were vacationing in Turkey for the past few days, chose Reina, one of Istanbul's most popular nightclubs, which overlooks the Bosphorus Strait separating Europe and Asia in the city's cosmopolitan Ortakoy district.

In 2010, Abis's younger brother Saquib passed away in an accident.

DNA (July 1, 2016)

Celina Jaitly was trolled for her remarks on the terrorist attack on Istanbul. The actress had written about being in Istanbul a month before the attacks and how helpful the airport staff and Turkish Airlines had been. Celina tell us, “The trollers were so insensitive to the attacks! I had put a series of tweets from my blog. I travel with my twins alone all the time so I don’t know what I would do if such a situation arose. People with toddlers can’t even run. I didn’t tweet for self-glorification as they accused me of nor was I doing it for publicity. I had not replied but when they incessantly troll you for more than 24 hours it gets to you. None of them were concerned about the Istanbul victims but just calling me names like w****, s*** and I was tweeting because I had big b****! I was traveling in Turkish airlines for first time and it was one of my best experiences. I spent six hours at the airport. It wasn’t some tweet about some vacay with my family but I am trying to put it about the work that I do for the LGBT community. Nobody bothers to tweet about the good work one does.”

BOMBAY TIMES (June 30, 2016)

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 3, 2015)

Carlos Catalan is an integral part of writer-director Zoya Akhtar's team, having worked with her in Luck By Chance (2009), Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) and now Dil Dhadakne Do. The Spanish cinematographer however insists that this journey was a different story altogether with its own challenges.

For one, they were shooting on a luxury cruise liner as it sailed through France, Spain, Tunisia and Italy with 2,500 people on board apart from the crew. "It was the same six-day itinerary for five weeks. The passengers kept changing but it was always the same pattern. Day one they were really nice and curious, after that with every passing day they liked us less and less. Luckily they would get off in a week and a new lot would arrive," he laughs, adding that for him what was painful was that he didn't know which direction the ship would dock as that's only decided when they get into the port. "So sometimes we would plan a scene on the left deck and the sun would be on the other side."

The biggest high for Carlos in this journey through six countries (they also shot in Turkey and India) was the food. "The pasta in Italy and the kebabs and baklava in Turkey were yummy! And since our day off was always in Barcelona it was perfect!" he beams. "And shooting in Hagia Sofia in Istanbul which was opened only for us was amazing!"

Quiz him on cinematic innovations and he insists that he likes his camera to be invisible rather than intrusive... Keep things simple and enhance certain elements in each scene with framing and lighting to help the audience understand or perceive the story in a particular way. "There aren't too many closeups. We chose not to be with anyone in particular but with all of them," he explains.

Also, Carlos prefers film over digital any day. But he admits that there aren't too many film labs left and post-production houses don't invest in film equipment anymore. "Everything is set up for digital so I decided to mix formats and blend the best of both worlds. I'd shoot digital for nights and interiors and film for day and exteriors. I did some tests and I realised that I could match it all in post. There is something about film that is still unbeatable," he asserts.

The climax, however, was a logistical nightmare since it was shot in different months and different countries and so not easy to match in the limited time that they had. "Shooting in the Hammam baths was also painful because the heat was unbearable. And there was one sequence filmed in a life boat which was tricky. The actors were in a small dinghy in the middle of the ocean and me and the focus puller in another little boat which was tied to the main crew boat. To add to our problems it was so hot," he reminisces.

Ask him about his favourite actor and he picks the dog Pluto who Carlos describes as a "one-take artiste who didn't need any final checks between takes." Pluto always got top priority. If he wasn't in the mood to shoot, they did something else and if he was responding, they focused only on him. "He was our biggest star, pampered by everyone. Anil Kapoor had named him Brando," chuckles the 'storyteller' cinematographer.

Carlos believes in long-term collaborations, pointing out that many directors shoot with the same DoPs, eg- Roger Deakins and the Coen brothers, Sven Nykvist and Ingmar Bergman, and Steven Spielberg and Janusz Kaminski. "Finding a good director is not easy and when you do, you stick to him or her," he says, pointing out that Zoya has the unique ability to bring together talented, like-minded people and has a faithful team. "There is an incredible connection and a beautiful sense of family between all members of the crew which makes shooting a total blast," he maintains.

So after a car and a ship will it be a train or a plane for Zoya and Carlos next? "Spaceship, maybe," he laughs.

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 17, 2014)

Cinematographer Sudeep Chatterjee's brief for Neeraj Pandey's espionage thriller, Baby, was to capture the essence of each of the six cities--Mumbai, Delhi, Kathmandu, Istanbul and Abu Dhabi-- where the story unfolds, without attracting much attention. To ensure this, the Director of Photography whose repertoire boasts of visually stellar films like Guzaarish and Dor, travelled through these cities like a tourist, capturing images which would take the narrative forward.

"This is what I call a first level recce," he says. "I roamed through the streets of Istanbul, clicking pictures. Later I showed these to Neeraj, who filtered relevant locations."

Akshay Kumar's popularity in Turkey's capital city, didn't make shooting easy. "When we were filming in a tram. I'd hide my camera till Akshay entered the frame (he was simultaneously being shot by another cam placed at the other end of the tram), and then whip it out. Those who thought I was a regular tourist must have thought I was running an undercover operation," Sudeep laughs.

This move also got him bewildered looks from the bystanders, reactions that Neeraj wanted on camera. "It was almost like a guerrilla shoot," he admits, recalling the sweeping long and wide-angle shots which captured the architectural brilliance of the historical city.

In Kathmandu, where they mostly shot action scenes in crowded locations, the challenge was to ensure the scenes didn't look cluttered. "Keeping the crowds out of the frame is as important as keeping them in it. With hand-held cams and intricate co-ordination, we pulled it off," he exults.

The bigger challenge was shooting in the deserts of Abu Dhabi in temperatures that often escalated to over 50 degree Celsius. Sudeep had to capture the vastness of the terrain during the day and pass it off as night in the film.

"Day-for-night shots are rare because there's always a risk that they'll look tacky on screen. But with the right amount of VFX, we have done a good job," he asserts.

Quiz him on why they didn't simply shoot at night, and Sudeep explains, "It's pitch dark at night in a desert, you cannot film a thing. So the only option was to beat the heat and take the sun down during the edit," he smiles.

Subhash K Jha (DNA; August 4, 2014)

That they are a couple is no longer a question. What is, is how long before Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh get married? A director who has worked with both of them and is close to both, says they are heading for the altar. “They’re very serious about one another. When they’re in public, they pretend to be just friends. But away from prying eyes they don’t care to hide their feelings for one another. When it began, neither of them realised how serious they would get about each other. The entire unit of Zoya Akhtar’s Dil Dhadakne Do is aware of how close the couple is.”

One of the actors from location spills the beans, “Ranveer was shooting with us in Istanbul. When she suddenly showed up on location I was like... is she doing a guest appearance? That’s what I asked Zoya. She gave me a funny look. It was only then that we came to know Deepika was there to meet Ranveer. I have heard from Zoya’s other actors they are thinking of tying the knot next year. Not that it is of any concern to me. But all the best to them.”

According to the buzz, marriage will happen in 2015. Says a very reliable source, “The relationship grew on the sets of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-leela. Deepika and Ranveer are seriously thinking of taking their relationship forward to its logical conclusion.” The source in the know says marriage will happen. “They will be spending a lot of time together during the shooting of Bajirao Mastani — close to 150 days. That’s when they will take a call.”

MUMBAI MIRROR (May 19, 2014)

Gaurav Dubey (MID-DAY; May 13, 2014)

After the success of their last project, Special 26, Neeraj Pandey and Akshay Kumar are once again coming together for a film. The as-yet-untitled project, which has already gone on the floors in Kathmandu, recently suffered a setback due to alleged nonpayment of dues to a leading hotel in Nepal.

If the latest buzz is anything to go by, the film’s makers didn’t clear their dues at a Kathmandu hotel where the crew was put up during the duration of shoot.

Says a source, “The entire cast and some crewmembers had already left for Istanbul for the next leg of their shoot schedule and the remaining crew was supposed to join them. But this didn’t happen apparently due to non- payment of the hotel bill. These crewmembers were apparently asked to wait in the hotel till the payment had been cleared. This development about the film is interesting as it comes close on the heels of news about its filmmakers allegedly not paying dues to a film agency in Nepal."

Director Neeraj Pandey remained unavailable for comment.