Actor and director Deven Bhojani on returning to the sets of his ongoing television show Bhakharvadi and the new normal of shooting
As told to Kunal Guha (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 28, 2020)

Ever since the lockdown, I had not stepped out of my 14th floor apartment in Kandivali. Someone had told my wife that those who are overweight need to be extra cautious during the Coronavirus pandemic and she just would not let me go anywhere.

Having been in complete isolation until recently, you can imagine the concerns I had before returning to the shoot this Friday. I was worried and skeptical that not everyone would be as serious about social distancing. But the show’s producer J D Majethia took me through the arrangements, which included standard measures including the installation of foot-operated sanitiser pumps and wash basins for hand washing and having a nurse on set to monitor body temperatures. The entire unit was equipped with PPE kits, masks and gloves and J D came up with the idea of ensuring that everyone on set held an umbrella to ensure social distancing. Despite all these efforts, I am glad the production accepted my request to have a mock shoot a day in advance to crease out possible issues that may arise while shooting.

An obvious yet critical concern that surfaced during this mock shoot is‘where does one place one’s mask just before facing the camera?’ The solution was to keep it in a folder in one’s makeup kit, thus ensuring no one touches it. As an actor, it was tough to focus on work and initially, I was forgetting my lines for the first time in my career. I felt my focus was being swayed each time I noticed anyone touching anything on set. It all felt like a bad dream. During the shoot, characters were positioned at a distance and physical touch was avoided as much as possible.

A couple of network representatives were present on set too to ensure that safety precautions were taken and to call out those who unknowingly flouted rules. Even I am doing my bit to limit physical interaction. I have learnt to do my own makeup during the lockdown so now I not only do my own make up but also carry the kit around for a final touch-up before the shot.

Since my character on the show has a moustache, I grew one during the lockdown and even got rid of the wig, since it would mean that someone would have to help me with it. I have been managing costume changes (my character has 5-7 changes in every shoot) on my own. This includes wearing a dhoti as well. I have requested the costume department to leave my costume in my make up room a day in advance and my room is sanitised and equipped with water bottles only after the day’s shoot is complete. This ensures that no one has to enter my room when I am on set. We are also getting the bed sheets, curtains and cushion covers sent to the laundry a day in advance.

Scripts are also accommodating the current scenario. So while earlier we have had scenes featuring 12-14 characters at times, now most do not exceed 2 to 3 in a frame. Since the number of crew members were reduced keep up with suggested norms, the day’s output is lower than usual. But to meet telecast deadlines, screenplays are planned in such a way that we get to shoot a lot more double units which basically means shooting more than a scene simultaneously with fewer characters and small units. Of course, all this has to be accomplished without compromising on creativity, logic and entertainment quotient.

On set, I found myself dabbing sanitiser on every surface I touched, from props and furniture to my makeup kit. I even sprayed the chairs before sitting on them and also sanitized the microphone before I pinned it on. Even the lunch break was staggered in small groups, and we ate sitting separately. Instead of the usual buffet, separate boxes were provided. I missed lunching with my friends on set, and it was a bit weird sitting at a distance even while doing gupshup, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. I have also swapped the multiple cups of chai I have on set with kaadha which my wife made with turmeric, ginger and lemon. I also washed my own utensils (cups, glasses, bowls, tiffin box) and by the end of the day, I felt really knackered. I really wish this ‘new normal’ returns to the ‘original normal’ at the earliest.

Debarati Sen (BOMBAY TIMES; April 16, 2020)

Jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali and DJ Aqeel Ali are worried after one of their domestic staff members tested positive for Coronavirus on Tuesday. The couple immediately shifted him from their Juhu apartment to a quarantine facility and also underwent tests along with the rest of the family, as a precautionary measure.

Speaking to BT, Farah, who is the daughter of senior actor-filmmaker Sanjay Khan and Sussanne Khan’s sister, said, “He was staying with us since the lockdown began and would step out only to go to the market. A few days ago, he told me that he had a slight fever and headache. He went to a doctor, who told him that he does not have any COVID-19 symptoms and tested him for malaria and dengue. However, I got him tested again.”

Till the results were delivered, Farah kept him quarantined. “I kept giving him vitamin C and zinc supplements, hot water, honey, haldi and also ensured that he was doing steam inhalation at regular intervals. Though he recovered from the initial fever in three-four days, he tested positive for COVID-19. We immediately had him shifted to a quarantine facility in Kandivali,” she shared, adding, “Now, we have got everyone at home tested.”

Farah spoke to the staff member after he reached the quarantine facility. “He told me that he was okay. In fact, they haven’t given him any medication, and are keeping him under observation because he has no symptoms. They will repeat the test and if it turns out negative, they will send him back. It’s important to behave responsibly. I informed everyone in the building and also put it out on Twitter. One should not hide such things. You can prevent the spread of infection if you warn others in time,” she signed off.

Downpour in city destroys set of Shilpa Shetty Kundra's comeback vehicle, compel makers to cancel the schedule
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; November 11, 2019)

While heavy showers on Friday and Saturday took the city by surprise, it played havoc with the schedule of Shilpa Shetty's comeback vehicle, Nikamma. The actor had been shooting for the Sabbir Khan-directed movie in Madh Island over the past few weeks. However, the unexpected downpour on Friday morning destroyed the set, leaving Khan with no option but to call time on the schedule.

"[The shoot was spread across] three sets — in Madh Island, at the Garden Retreat in Kandivali and one at Ellora Studios [in Mira Road]. We had recreated the interior of a house for the shoot [at Madh Island], but all of it was damaged in the rains. We had a week-long stint remaining, but we will have to postpone it now," says the director of the film that also features Abhimanyu Dassani.

The cost of the damage is yet to be ascertained. "The silver lining is that our set was insured. We will head for the Lucknow schedule soon. On our return, we will film the portions that we couldn't, due to the rains."

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; September 22, 2019)

Salman Khan has been filming his upcoming movie, Dabangg 3, for a couple of months and we hear that the climax sequence was completed last week in Mumbai. For the scene, the makers recreated a stone quarry at a hilltop in Kandivali. Filmed on the superstar and Kiccha Sudeep, who plays the antagonist, the sequence had over 300 junior artistes and a crew of 1,000 people involved in it.     

Says a source, “One thousand people worked for over two weeks to construct an artificial stone quarry, which was almost as huge as a real one. They shot high-octane actions sequences with a team of experts and advanced equipment under the direction of Prabhudheva. The stone quarry has a lot of significance in the story and the audiences will come to know why so much efforts have gone behind creating it.”

Incidentally, the climax scene was shot over multiple schedules and the final scene will show Salman and Sudeep fighting shirtless. The Bharat star has worked hard on his training and physique for Dabangg 3 compared to any of his recent films, the source tells us.

To be this year’s Christmas release, the film will see Salman reprising the role of Chulbul Pandey, while Sonakshi Sinha returns as Rajjo. Mahesh Manjrekar’s daughter Saiee makes her debut with the movie.

On the campaign trail, Urmila Matondkar sets temperatures soaring with her star power, and comes down hard on failing civic facilities, internet trolls and communal politics
Kunal Guha (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 7, 2019)

Almost a quarter of a century ago, Urmila Matondkar dazzled cine-goers in Ram Gopal Varma’s blockbuster Rangeela — and those images of her poised on a rocky beach in a black swimsuit, with a Speedo-clad Jackie Shroff gazing at her with love and longing, are etched into the collective consciousness of the city.

Cut to the present: en route to campaigning in the predominantly Maharashtrian area of Kaju Pada in Borivali, Urmila Matondkar realises that her SUV route is being obstructed by a BEST bus. The driver and conductor have apparently disappeared to relieve themselves. But then again, April, as they say, is the cruellest month — and the Congress Party’s candidate for Mumbai North, her days in AC vanity vans long gone — is feeling the heat.

Soon, a mob of fans and party workers surrounds the car, armed with cellphone cameras. Her unarmed security guards struggle to disperse the crowd, but the actress-turned-politician pops out of the vehicle’s sunroof with a wide smile and folded hands. This has been a format for all rallies that Matondkar has attended in the last week, ever since she was fielded by the Congress Party on March 27.

Within the first 10 days of assuming her new avatar, the actress has met with trade associations, women’s wings and locals in her constituency to try and put her finger on the pulse of the electorate. “I have learnt that housing is a pressing concern and slum development projects need to be initiated. There are places in the city where water is available only at 2am and then, the locals have to wake up and go to work in a few hours.”

The 45-year-old’s decision to contest has garnered unsavoury reactions from certain quarters — singularly on Twitter. During her first interaction with the press at a microbrewery in Bandra, 12 hours after her formal induction, the actress laughed uproariously when a reporter quizzed her on being RSS founder Mohan Bhagwat’s niece — a theory that’s been widely endorsed across social media channels. Yet another scribe referred to her by her ‘real’ name, Mariyam Akhtar Mir — a moniker supposedly acquired after her marriage to businessman and model Mohsin Mir. “They also said that my husband is Pakistani — since that seems to be the ‘in’ thing these days. But making me related to Mohan Bhagwat is something even Manmohan Desai couldn’t have come up with,” says Matondkar. Despite her years in showbiz having insulated her from sharp criticism, she wasn’t prepared for things to take such a nasty turn. “I was initially alarmed but that’s what pushed me to join politics. There is no freedom to stand up for what one believes in, or express oneself in this country. This election is not just about power or party, it will decide our country’s path in the coming years.”

A female party worker clutching a megaphone abutting Matondkar’s car announces with proselytising zeal that can only be triggered by a general election: “Aapki Mumbaichi mulgi, aapki Konkan Kanya, Smt Urmila-taai, aapka aashirwad lene aapke beech mein aayi hain!” The announcement instigates a Pied Piper effect and locals surface from every corner, as the rally negotiates its way through the serpentine bylanes of Kaju Pada. Matondkar takes over the microphone and fluidly flits between Marathi and Hindi while addressing folks, emerging from their homes to see her. Matondkar’s dexterity with language has also been recently targeted for favouring certain communities that constitute a fat chunk of the vote bank. “If I speak to Gujaratis in Gujarati (their mother tongue) in Kandivali, how am I catering to just one community? I have a flair for languages. I can speak decent Telugu as well. What people don’t know about me is that I have always been an extraordinary student,” she tells us when we meet her at the rally.

Pitted against BJP MP Gopal Shetty, who defeated former Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Matondkar has been critical of her opponent’s tactics. Her point of contention — a long hoarding that communicated his party’s objectives in Gujarati was nothing but a ‘communal ploy’ to attract votes. “I only commented about the hoardings on a truck that were in a language which is not a language of the state. Is that wrong?” she counters. “When you call yourself a leader, you cannot divide your people based on language or religion. I don’t want to treat any community in isolation,” she adds, making eye contact with every bedazzled local she waves at.

At a U-turn, Matondkar descends from her car to personally greet a gathering of women and children. A sari-clad woman steps forward with an aarti thali and presses a tika on the actress’ forehead. “Sab ke saath photo loongi,” assures the actress to the congregation jostling to catch a closer glimpse of the actress. Her campaign trail has sensitized Matondkar to issues in her constitutency. “In recent years, Kandivali, Borivali and Malad have grown so vastly and deeply that the number of trains assigned barely suffice. For instance, there’s only one ladies special local train that leaves from Borivali to Churchgate. This is appalling given the number of women who commute daily on this route.” Matondkar also laments the deplorable state of healthcare, especially for pregnant women. “You wonder why even such basic things were not looked into. Healthcare centres have been created but there are hardly any doctors visiting them. I feel this area has been extremely neglected and you wonder if it is part of the same Mumbai which has been perceived as this glorious, glamourous city where one has lived for so many years.”

Despite her determined stance on improving civic infrastructure, the actress isn’t oblivious of the obvious. “No matter what you speak and how well you speak, people will consider you for your glamour quotient. Being an actress known for my sexy image, they will think that I am dumb blonde. But the beauty of it is that the idea of ‘dumb blonde’ itself is a myth that exists in a man’s mind,” she avers.

We approach a rudimentary stage, possibly constructed for a religious ceremony. Party workers urge Matondkar to say a few words from the vantage point she enjoys. “Pani puri kaisi hain?” she quizzes a group of young men gobbling down the quintessentially Mumbai street snack at a distance. Once convinced of the undivided attention of her audience, she folds her hands and makes a direct plea, seeking their mandate. “April 29 is a holiday and the women at home may be busy preparing meals. But before you have lunch, first go out and cast your vote for Congress. If the women of the household don’t come out and voice themselves, the country can’t progress,” she says.

A party worker suggests she sing a line or two from one of her chartbusters. The actress politely rejects the idea, saying, “Phir bolenge gaana gaake vote maang rahi hain.” Matondkar is alluding to media reports that followed after she broke into song — Lakdi ki kathi, kathi pe ghoda from Masoom (1983) at one of her recent rallies. The actress had then conveniently segued into “ab humein vikas ka ghoda aise hi leke jana hain… .. yahan se Dilli tak.” She assures us that this was “not a gimmick”. “I swear I didn’t know the media was following me. It was an extremely tiny pocket near the intersection between Borivali and Dahisar which houses low-income families. When I reached there, the kids were very excited and happy to see me. I had prepared a speech but when I met them, I was like ‘What do I tell them?’ I felt that if I could bring a smile on their face, it would be worth it,” she clarifies. “Yesterday, someone was asking me to play garba with Gujaratis and I refused,” adds the contestant, who was also accused of resorting to a cheap political stunt of eating a vada pav during her meeting with the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti.

As we reach the end of the rally, Matondkar mulls over her new identity. “Till yesterday, I was in a relaxed state of being. Now, I have reduced sleeping hours and spend more time in the car than anywhere else. I am constantly going from one place to another and have no fixed meal timings. I don’t even know when I last had water.” In her new role as a party candidate, Matondkar has even embraced a sartorial shift: dresses and gowns have had to make way for kurtas stitched from fabrics conducive to a tropical clime. “When you go amongst people from your constituency, you’re not bothered about what you’re wearing or how you’re looking. I am happy with my wardrobe because it’s comfortable. It’s better than wearing chiffon saris and dancing in the Alps like I have in my movies,” she quips. It is the sort of pragmatism that is rather apt for a woman on the move in the relentless Indian summer.


Matondkar flanked by Sanjay Nirupam (left) and Sachin Ahir at a Kandivali meeting