Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 13, 2020)

“Jaya Prada had refused two films with Anil (Kapoor), Meri Jung and Joshilaay. Sridevi replaced her in the latter, and I immediately flew to Chennai to sign her for a film I wanted to produce with Anil and her. She’d been paid Rs 8 lakh for Joshilaay, her mother quoted Rs 10 lakh. I told her I’d pay her Rs 11 lakh and noticed her mother and aunt exchange looks, wondering about this fool from Mumbai,” laughs Boney Kapoor, adding that he was then told that he’d have to pay her staff Rs 30,000 and put them up at a hotel near hers. “I sealed the deal saying I’d pay them Rs 50,000 and put them up at the same hotel as her. And returned home with 65-70 days, double the dates Sridevi usually allotted for a film.”

She eventually doled out 130 because Mr India took 320 days to complete. The producer shares that just the Charlie Chaplin sequence, which started as a 2-3 minute gag, was shot for a month at R K Studios. Another two weeks was spent on “Hawa Hawai” while “Kaate Nahin Kat Te”, took 19 days. The latter is one of the most sensuous songs in Hindi cinema, Sridevi looking like a dream in a blue sari. Boney reveals that she wasn’t supposed to wear a sari earlier, but after seeing a song from Feroz Khan’s then unreleased Janbaaz, he raved to his director, Shekhar Kapur, that she looked stunning draped in pink and yellow. “I also remembered how gorgeous Sharmila Tagore had looked in Talash and Shekhar promised that our song would be better than any other,” he recounts.

After a really bad experience with crowds while promoting one of her South films, Sridevi had shied away from public appearance. Boney cajoled her to perform “Hawa Hawai” to promote their film at Hope ’86, a charity event to raise funds for the film industry. “She was nervous, but being a professional, Sri agreed. She also danced with Anil on the title track of Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja at the film’s mahurat at Hotel Holiday Inn, which coincided with Mr India’s silver jubilee bash. In the audience was Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Bal Thackeray, Rajinikanth and Nagarjuna to name a few,” he narrates.

Roop Ki Rani ... took a little under 400 days to finish. “I had put Satish (director Satish Kaushik) and Baba (cinematographer Baba Azmi) on a monthly remuneration since they were also working on Prem. When she heard this, Sri believed that’s why the film was taking so long,” Boney guffaws. The reasons were many, one of them being Baba Azmi’s observation on the day “Dushman Dil Ka Jo Hai Mere” was to be shot, that the colour of the set merged with her costume. The producer changed the entire set design in a couple of days.

“Amit ji (Amitabh Bachchan) saw the song at a trial and sent Sri a truckload of flowers, while Satish got a letter requesting that the next time he got a great script, he should think of him,” Boney reminisces, admitting that it was Sridevi who had suggested he buy the remake rights of the ’94 Telugu film, Subhalagnam. He was quick to oblige even though Anil was initially reluctant to play a man bartered by two wives.

Boney reveals that Karisma Kapoor was the first choice for Judaai while Urmila Matondkar was to do Yash Chopra’s Dil To Pagal Hai. “There was a last minute switch as Urmila entered our film. Sri and I named our firstborn Janhvi after her character,” he smiles, recalling how they’d shot “Pyaar Pyaar Karte Karte” in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and even a ‘graveyard’ in the desert where aircrafts are parked. “The director (Raj Kanwar) wasn’t there, but I’d taken my stylist, Manish Malhotra, along and he ensured we had a new costume for Anil, Sri, and Urmila after every cut,” he informs.

For another shoot in Nevada’s Valley Of Fire, Sridevi was air-dropped on top of a mountain and stood there all day, as they took helicopter shots. “The thorny bushes were full of insects, but there was not a murmur of protest. She was amazing, one of the greatest actresses of all time,” Boney raves about his actress-wife.

They were to work together in Shakti: The Power too, till Sridevi learned she was pregnant with Khushi. Then, Kajol opted out to plan a family too, while Preity Zinta’s dates were blocked for Shankar’s film featuring Kamal Haasan. “Finally, Karisma, who couldn’t do Judaai, did Shakti,” informs Boney.

The couple’s last collaboration was Mom in 2017 and Boney recalls that during shoots in Georgia and Delhi, Sridevi would insist on separate rooms so she could continue to live the character even after pack-up. “After we had shot 70-80 per cent of the film, she and the director (Ravi Udyawar) conspired to get A R Rahman on board to do the background score too. When my co-producers insisted we had no budget, they both took a cut in their remuneration. That’s how passionate she was about Mom. It fetched her the National Award for Best Actress, her first. Our daughters received it on her behalf while I looked on, knowing she was watching us from above,” he says emotionally.

Had they discussed any other film before her untimely demise? “We were toying with several ideas but hadn’t finalised anything. But Balki and Gauri (Shinde) had discussed the sequel of English Vinglish with her,” Boney shares as we raise a toast to Sridevi who’d have turned 57 today.

Huma Qureshi hops aboard Zack Snyder's Netflix drama - Army Of The Dead, based on zombie outbreak
MID-DAY (May 30, 2019)

Huma Qureshi has boarded the cast of filmmaker Zack Snyder's next directorial, Army Of The Dead. The actor, 32, joins Guardians Of The Galaxy fame Dave Bautista in the Netflix project, which will mark Snyder's return to direction after a gap of two years. The streaming giant announced the news in a statement.

Incidentally, the filmmaker, known for his work on DC films Man Of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice and Justice League, made his directorial debut 15 years ago with zombie horror, Dawn Of The Dead. Other newcomers in the cast include Ella Purnell, Ana De La Reguera and Theo Rossi.

Army Of The Dead is set following a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, when a group of mercenaries take the ultimate gamble, venturing into a quarantine zone to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted.

Joby Harold, Shay Hatten and Snyder are writing the screenplay from a story developed by the filmmaker. Principal photography is set to begin in July. Snyder is also producing the project along with wife Deborah and Wesley Coller through their Stone Quarry production company.

Qureshi is currently gearing up for the release of her dystopian drama series, Leila. The show will première on June 14.

MUMBAI MIRROR (June 28, 2017)

A poker website has signed Bollywood actress Minissha Lamba as its first celebrity professional poker player in India. The actress, who has reportedly been playing the sport for the last seven years, has made appearances in many poker tournaments in Goa and has been part of Indian Poker Championship and Deltin Poker Tournament, among others. She will now be visiting Las Vegas to play WPT 500 Aria poker tournament as a celebrity pro.

“The website has not just provided the players with a great platform to showcase their skills and grow, but also encouraged people to understand poker as a game of skill. I will also expecting to take my gaming skills to the next level with the training provided,” the actress was quoted as saying.

MUMBAI MIRROR (September 12, 2016)

Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; October 26, 2015)

Tiger Shroff is all set to essay the role of a superhero in his next, A Flying Jatt and director Remo D’Souza is keen that the actor’s look in the film is at par with Hollywood superheroes. The makers have sourced a special costume from Las Vegas that cost Rs 20 lakh.

Says a source, “All superheroes are identified by their costumes. We had various meetings to discuss Tiger’s look. We initially tried sourcing costumes from designers in India, but that didn’t work. So we finally decided to get it made from the studio which fashioned costumes of Spiderman and Superman.”

Apparently, the production team has appointed a guard to keep vigil outside the costume room. A unit hand says, “It was difficult to get the perfect ensemble. Remo and Tiger flew to Las Vegas to finalise the outfit. After checking out 11 costumes, they picked one. It’s a unique look and the production team has been asked to keep it under wraps until the official release.”

Remo confirms the story and says, “Getting the right superhero costume is as challenging as writing a superhero film. The look has to stand for the superhero’s ideals and attitude besides being young and cool.”

Gaurav Dubey (MID-DAY; May 12, 2015)

Varun Dhawan had a tryst with paranormal activity while shooting for ABCD - Any Body Can Dance - 2 in the US for which local crew had been hired. The actor was put up in the Sinatra suite of a Las Vegas hotel that is supposedly haunted by the ghost of legendary American singer-actor Frank Sinatra.

A source says, “The local crew started supplying Varun with scary stories about the suite. They told him how Frank Sinatra stayed in that very suite whenever he came to perform in Vegas and thought of it as his home. So even after his death, he hasn’t checked out of there.”

The ghost story became a regular topic of conversation for the crew and Varun, believing that they were trying to pull a prank on him, used to laugh them off until one night. “After a long, tiring day of shoot, he went to his room and tried to sleep, but he heard some strange sounds and the door creaked open on its own.
The stories that he had dismissed until then came back to him,” adds a unit member.

Sharing the scary experience, Varun says, “The suite was definitely haunted because at night I would hear someone singing and the doors would just fling open. Either that happened, or I felt so since I was really obsessed with my film’s music.”

Neha Maheshwri Bhagat (BOMBAY TIMES; January 18, 2015)

DNA (July 9, 2014)

Varun Dhawan CAN dance. We all know this by now. Therefore, news that his next, Remo D’Souza’s ABCD 2, is being billed as his first ‘dance’ film surprises us and we’re sure you’re surprised, too.

So here’s how it is... the young actor has definitely proved his dancing mettle in the films he has done so far, but for ABCD 2, all he will do is dance and that too, pull of playing a struggling dancer, while he’s actually the opposite. “I’m actually doing a lot of rehearsals to pull that off,” he laughs.

While he enjoyed the challenge, what really excited him about the film is the 3-D format. “My first 3-D film within the first two years of my career!”, he exclaims, adding, “And we’ll be shooting in Las Vegas.”

So gambling is on the cards, then? Says Varun, “The last time I went there I was a minor and couldn’t do anything. This time around, I intend to enjoy Vegas.”

Subhash K Jha (DNA; April 3, 2014)

Choreographer-director Remo DSouza is keen to direct the sequel to his 2013 dance drama ABCD. While Varun Dhawan has given his go-ahead and is all set to train ferociously for the part of a wannabe dance champ, Prabhu Dheva who plays Varun’s mentor and guru in the film has no immediate time for the project.
Prabhu is tied up with the direction of the Ajay Devgn-starrer Action Jackson and has made it very clear to Remo he will only shoot during a longish break after he finishes directing his current assignment. Both Remo and Varun have happily agreed to adjust their dates accordingly.

Says the director, “I shot ABCD in-between schedules of the films I was directing. But ABCD 2 has to be shot in Las Vegas. If I am shooting abroad, I can’t shuttle between my own film and Remo’s. It makes sense to finish Action Jackson and then finish Remo’s film in one go.”

In any case, acting is not Prabhu Dheva’s first love. “Direction and choreography, in that order, are my priorities. Acting is just a diversion.” In ABCD 2, Prabhu Dheva plays a dance teacher coaching Varun for an international competition. Varun will be trained by Prabhu Dheva and Remo to look convincing as a dance student.