A story of a cop chasing a dacoit is not new. But when Ghamasaan came Pratik Gandhi’s way, he knew he had to front it because of the man at the helm — Tigmanshu Dhulia. “When you know that Tigmanshu Dhulia is making it, a director who has mastered the art of telling a story in the most rooted way, you want to be a part of that world,” beamed the actor.

The crime drama, which sees Arshad Warsi as a dreaded dacoit, marks Gandhi’s second collaboration with Dhulia after The Great Indian Murder (2022). Interestingly, in both offerings, the actor played a cop. “Here, I’m playing an STF [Special Task Force] officer who’s chasing this dacoit. He wants to safeguard the system from the dacoit, and ends up understanding that the system created him and is protecting him.” 

Did working with Dhulia turn out to be as enriching an experience as he had expected? More, said Gandhi. “Tishu sir is a passion-driven director. If you are equally passionate about something, [his enthusiasm] rubs off on you. He is a deadly combination of a writer, actor, and director. So, he challenges you to another level. With him, you can’t give an okay performance. You can’t sleepwalk any simple scene,” he grinned.

If Ghamasaan sees Gandhi take on an intense story, a madcap comedy awaits him in 2027. mid-day recently reported that director Kunal Kemmu was set to take Madgaon Express’ (2024) sequel on floors (Go Goa, going, Sept 1). Confirming the news, Gandhi shared, “I’m excited to go back to that world. It’s a mad script. We’ll go on floors around March 2027.”

Eight years away from the big screen, and Preity Zinta is back — with her spark firmly intact. From the recently released Batwara 1947 to the upcoming action-comedy, Vibe directed by Kunal Kemmu, she’s stepping into this new chapter with the same warmth and infectious energy that have made her a fan favourite. When she walked onto the Bombay Times Lounge set, she brought the buzz with her — and her fans lapped it up. Here are excerpts from our chat with her. And yes, the vibe was chilled-out, chatty and very, very PZ!

When I was acting, everything was about me. The whole focus was me. Then I stepped into cricket (owning an IPL team) and learned that it didn’t matter what I was doing, the focus was the game. I’ve been through phases of my life where I’ve gone out, worked very hard for 18-hours a day. When you are 20, you are fine doing that. Now as a homemaker, it’s about focusing on the personal side of my life, where you are not the centre of the universe, your kids are. It’s a lot of work but a lot of joy, too.

I always knew that films were a part of my life, but it wasn’t just that. Also, I think it comes from being a fauji kid. I never grew up thinking movies could be a career. I wanted to study criminal psychology and be a detective. I accidentally got into this industry, and it was more about survival, because I ran away from home and ended up here.

Kunal is very good with comedy. It was a very tough shoot, as we were shooting for 16-17-hour days. I was okay with it because I wanted to finish all my work and go back home to my kids. My first thought when I read the script was, I wanted to do action; the film had that and it is also a funny film. It is actually quite a mad film with a fresh take on spy thrillers. Everyone’s doing these spy thrillers, and this had a little twist to it and a different vibe. So, I said, let’s give it a shot.

Absolutely! Earlier, whatever role you were doing, it was always in shades of white. There was no grey. The hero and heroine were only doing good things. The villain or the other character was only dark. There was nothing in between. Today, that has changed. But even then, people sometimes want to humanize the character and ask, ‘Why was this character like that?’ The hero can still jump out of the eighth floor, give five kicks, kill 10 people and come back and save you and we love that too. But there are also other kinds of films being made.

Yes, it is like in school if you got bullied, you got bullied by 20 people. Today, you’re getting bullied by 20 million people (on social media). Everybody is saying something. So, when I’m back home in America, I post on social media during the IPL, and then I disappear. You don’t just look at the nice comments; you tend to look at the negative comments, too. I don’t want my mental health to be affected by it. There are days when you’re really happy and you’re like…nothing can come in my way. Then there are days when it hits you. Today, everything is online and they’ll never let you forget anything, which is sad, especially for the younger generation. You know, the beauty of youth is that you can make mistakes and learn from them. But this makes it so much harder for them.

I would make the same mistakes in the same way. I believe that life is a chain reaction. If I changed something from my past, then I wouldn’t be here. All that has happened so far had to happen for me to be here. The only thing, if I had to look back and alter, would be losing my dad when I was 14. I wouldn’t want that to happen. But again, if that wouldn’t have happened, I don’t think I would have been an actor.

Well, they’ve travelled to India. I don’t like them being photographed here, and when I get photographed, my daughter gets a little upset and asks, “Why does that person want a picture with you?” A few times, when she has wanted to come with me in the picture, I told her no, and she got a little upset. Hence, I try to find a balance. They haven’t seen any of my movies, and I don’t think I would want them to, because I’m always with another actor, and I think it will be devastating for them at this point to see me with another male on screen.

It’s easy to judge people and I do feel the world has become very superficial. Today, when newcomers come, I feel bad for them because everyone is told they can buy followers and comments. The paparazzi is called and told, “I will be here”, and then there is your red-carpet look, airport look and whatever else. I’m not judging anyone. When I came here from Himachal Pradesh, I knew nothing. Yes, there were film families and their children, but at least it was a level playing ground. Today, you’re telling a new kid to buy likes, comments and followers. For those reasons, I feel really bad for the new generation that’s coming in. If I was starting off today, I think it would have been a much tougher zone.

One would think that a trip to Goa — that involves dons, drugs, and death threats — would be a once-in-a-lifetime affair. But the mad trio of Pratik Gandhi, Divyenndu, and Avinash Tiwary, who took the audience on a hilarious ride with Madgaon Express (2024), are ready for another round. Sources have told mid-day that director Kunal Kemmu will take Madgaon Express 2 on floors early next year. 

A source shared, “The three actors are kicked about returning to their much-loved characters. If things go as planned, the film will go on floors around February or March 2027. The pre-production is underway.” 

Kemmu, who wrote and helmed the 2024 surprise hit, has also penned the sequel. Word is that he locked the script a month ago.

According to an insider, Kemmu’s attempt is to organically create the world of Madgaon Express, with the lives of the three friends at the centre. “Kunal sees the sequel as a natural extension to the friendship and adventures of the trio,” said the source.

Kunal Kemmu’s ‘Vibe’, also starring Preity Zinta and Sparsh Shrivastava, will release on September 18. The film is led and helmed by Kemmu.

“Comedy films are a good indicator of where a country is,” argues film commentator Karan Mirchandani. He names a list of films that defined a generation and highlighted its problems: Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983) and builder corruption; Munna Bhai MBBS (2003) and systemic issues and red tape within our education system; Hera Pheri (2000) and the struggles of a common man; Badhaai Ho (2018) or the plethora of films from this genre which tacked socio-familial issues.

The 2020s have not been able to produce a generational comedy. What’s changed? Actor Pratik Gandhi, from Madgaon Express (2024), says that it’s the audiences. The inherent nature of comedies is that they offend, but “today, anything can offend anybody. And in comedy, you have to just let loose. Only then, it’s fun,” says Gandhi.

“Censorship has also become wild,” Gandhi says, “You’ll hear things like, ‘Don’t say sex, instead say sambhog, then it’s fine’.”

Actor Abhishek Banerjee, who was last seen in Stree 2 (2024), also agrees. “The 1990s comedy style is no longer funny. I don’t think today’s generation will enjoy it the same way,” Banerjee says, “Comedies like the ones David Dhawan and Govinda made, or Andaz Apna Apna (1994), or Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro — those are evergreen.”

What does it take to make an evergreen comedy? “They have satire. They have irony. I think what we lack today is satire,” Banerjee answers.

As soon as we realized not-so-politically-correct humour doesn’t work, we stopped trying to find other forms of comedy. Gandhi adds, “Comedy has many sub-genres, and we still haven’t explored them fully. For example, survival comedy. Most of the time, films fall into slapstick comedy. That’s usually the first instinct. But there are many more genres as well.”

Banerjee says, “Situational comedy is becoming more important than dialogue-based comedy. It’s not about saying a funny line — it’s about being in a serious situation and saying something completely unexpected. Layering that with intelligence helps even more.”

The 2020s have also been the decade of the Reel. Banerjee says, “I keep watching comedy Reels and they’re genuinely funny.” When people already have their appetite for funny filled on their phones, why should they come to the cinema for it? Gandhi says, “I never thought a two-hour film would have to compete with a 30-second Reel. But here we are.”

In the last few years, one comedy has broken into the 100-crore club — Crew. Director Rajesh A Krishnan tells us, “If you open social media, you’ll get a laugh. And Instagram doesn’t even need a subscription.”

Throughout the country too, laughter is not dying. “It seems like comedies are reducing but how much comedy content are you actually also consuming from Kerala? If you isolate comedy films coming out of the Hindi film industry, then it starts feeling like there is less comedy. Otherwise, people have been making comedies,” he says, “The scope of comedy has also changed. It’s crossed genres now like comedy-thriller, action-comedy, or horror-comedy.”

In the Hindi film industry, comedy films are surviving on franchise fame. “If we think from the producer’s perspective, franchises have been working well,” Krishnan says, “Sometimes standalone projects work so well that they get turned into franchises.”

The onset of OTT has meant that the theatre is saved for larger-than-life spectacles. So why should you step out to watch a comedy today? “I always feel like great comedies are a tool or even a weapon to critique the establishment. It has a softer touch to do it. And it’s one that lasts with you.”

From the times of the Angry Young Men, films have centred around the common man and his problems. Today, he is no longer at the core of our cinema, instead he is a “big, bearded, angry man on screen,” says Mirchandani.

Mirchandani also points out, “Films today exist in a kind of hyper-reality. They’re not rooted in a specific time or context. Because the moment you ground them — show real problems or systems — you’re also making a critique, and that’s something people are avoiding.”

A lot of comedies like Andaz Apna Apna, though were box office flops, found a second life on DVD. “That pipeline is gone today,” Mirchandani adds. Nothing comes close to a theatre for Gandhi, though. He says, “Any comedy film works best in theatres. Three hundred to 500 people laughing together — it is very, very contagious. You have a lot of fun in those two hours.”

The comedy genre is an evolving one, says trade analyst Taran Adarsh. “Right now, we’re seeing a lot of horror comedies. But the out-and-out comedies excelled by Akshay Kumar and before him the Govinda-David Dhawan style really worked. But there has been a vacuum since then.”

But is there money to be made in this genre? “Lots. Who doesn’t want to laugh, smile, and come out of a film feeling happy? That’s what cinema is about.” Then why is the genre slowing down? “The market scenario has changed. Profits, losses, hits, and flops dictate the industry more strongly now. Especially since the stakes are higher,” he says, “Actors also tend to follow what’s working because everyone wants to stay relevant, popular, and deliver hits.”

All hope is not lost though. “In the last couple of years, Madgaon Express has done well,” with a box office collection of Rs. 49 crore, “Crew (2024) was a smashing success,” as it sits happily in the Rs. 100-crore club with a box office run of Rs. 157 crore. 

Niren Bhatt, who’s written films like Stree 2 (2024), Bala (2019), and Bhediya (2022), says, “Comedy is highly subjective. What lands for you, might not land for me.” He adds that what appears effortless on screen is often the hardest to write. “You can’t just have characters delivering one-liners. That’s stand-up. It has to be woven into a story, with conflict, world-building, and character arcs,” he explains.

“You might write 10 lines and only one works,” he says, noting how audiences respond differently to the same jokes. While some enjoy meta humour or wordplay, others dismiss it as overdone or “too literary”.

For actors too, comedy is all about instinct. Pratik Gandhi says, “All other emotions have a range. On a scale of one to 10, you can adjust. But in comedy, if it has to land at two, it has to land at exactly two. Unlike drama, where intensity can fluctuate, comedy requires precision down to 0.0001 and years of riyaz.”

Abhishek Banerjee adds that the genre leaves actors exposed. “In comedy, you’re on your own. You have your dialogues, your co-actors of course, but timing is everything. Nobody can teach you comic timing. If you don’t have the funny bone, it will fail.”

Pratik Gandhi at Aga Khan Palace (Pic: Jignesh Mistry)

Apart from getting the country vibing to a banger opening theme, Hansal Mehta’s Scam 1992 also gave the audience an actor to look forward to – Pratik Gandhi. With a body of work that spans Gujarati films, Hindi plays, OTT shows and movies, Pratik has become a name to reckon with, more so in the last two years with projects like Do Aur Do Pyaar, Agni, Madgaon Express, Dhoom Dhaam and Phule. In a chat with us, the actor speaks about his love for theatre, his takeaway from the Phule controversy and why the struggle of Bollywood films is more complex than it looks. Excerpts:

“Theatre is an actor’s gym,” says Pratik, who was in the city to stage Mohan Ka Masala, in which he played the role of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. “It is a place where you can work on different prototypes. When you perform in a play, you go through the same story and emotions multiple times. I live that character more than once and it gives me the chance to rehearse my craft,” says the actor. 

Highlighting that tools and theoretical knowledge are of no use if you can’t implement them, Pratik adds, “Film institutes can teach you about the tools you can use as an actor, or about the theory part of the profession, but theatre gives you a platform to implement that knowledge practically. That’s something no other place can give you.”

Bollywood has been trying to figure out what really clicks with the audience post the pandemic. While experts try to decipher that, Pratik shares a different take on why the industry is struggling. “It’s a very complex thing. You can’t look at the problem from just one lens – of content, marketing, etc,” says the actor, adding, “I feel that for the longest time, filmmakers and the audience were evolving together, almost in sync with each other. But during the pandemic the exposure to global content happened and the audience suddenly evolved multifold. Makers, on the other hand, could not evolve that fast and that created a huge gap which we are all trying to fill up. It’s happening, but it will take some time.”

Pratik also feels that the audience’s evolution was unprecedented. “Earlier, India was looked at as a less English-speaking market and makers would be told to dumb stories down. Now, people are watching Korean and Spanish shows. Someone sitting in a remote area is watching an English show on their phone. This was something no one predicted. We keep saying art has no barriers. The audience just proved it.”

Another enemy everyone is fighting nowadays is the overuse of data in filmmaking. If you are creating a film or show on the basis of data interpretation, then you don’t need human brains to work in this industry

A few months ago, Phule, which featured Pratik and Patralekhaa as Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule, respectively, had a brush with controversy after certain groups opposed the film’s release. While the film did get a stamp of approval from critics and viewers after it released, Pratik says he wasn’t surprised with what happened.

“The world has become impatient. We want to react and jump the gun before watching or understanding anything,” he says, adding, “In the chaotic world of social media and hyperconnectivity, nobody has the time to process anything. I keep giving this example to people that in the Doordarshan days, news anchors would read the news to you, without added emotion or a specific tone. This was so you could interpret the news the way you wanted to, without being biased. Now, news is interpreted and given to you. You are not supposed to use your brain. Looking at everything, I was not surprised by the people’s reaction to Phule. I faced the same issues during Bhavai (2021). What people think and what can offend them, that’s something nobody can gauge.”

Having played Mahatma Phule on screen and Mahatma Gandhi on stage, Pratik says that so many things from these legendary figures’ lives are relevant even today. “We hear about discrimination, wars and people justifying violence in different ways every day. These are things that these prominent figures in Indian history fought against. I think they were visionaries because they could visualize that the world would need guiding thoughts in difficult times even if they weren’t around. That makes them significant even today,” he says.

Speaking about his play Mohan Ka Masala, Pratik adds, “We tend to think that Gandhiji was born with qualities of a Mahatma but it’s not like that. He was a common man like any of us who made mistakes and learnt from them. The message you can take away from the play is that everyone has been given qualities to become a Mahatma. It is the choices you make that define your journey.”

In his next OTT show, Saare Jahan Se Accha, Pratik plays a spy. Speaking about the same, he says, “We’ve often seen spies as these super-special, heroic people who can do anything. That’s not the case in real life and we have tried to show that with our next. Spies six-packs wale thodi hote hai!”

On the topic of six-pack abs, we ask him about his shirtless act in Dhoom Dhaam and whether he would do it again. Pratik laughs and shares, “I don’t mind at all! I have always looked like that. Just that I had never taken my shirt off on screen before Dhoom Dhaam.”

On a concluding note, we ask the actor if he and the team are open to a Madgaon Express sequel. To that, Pratik says, “The whole team is super excited to do it again. We are all just waiting for Kunal (Kemmu) to come up with an idea. It was a crazy, mad film.”

Stepping into the shoes of a revolutionary for a biopic can be exhilarating as well as daunting. For Pratik Gandhi, it’s doubly so, as he will be seen essaying two leaders—Mahatma Gandhi in Hansal Mehta’s web series, Gandhi, and Jyotirao Phule in Ananth Mahadevan’s Phule—soon. As he offers a retelling of Gandhi leading India’s freedom fight against the British, and Phule’s anti-caste movement, Pratik highlights that the two social leaders had a similar starting point.

“The one thing common between them is that before they did what they did, they were like us. My journey to create these two characters starts when they weren’t Mahatmas. So, I have explored them as humans, with their passion, zest, and that fire from within,” shares the actor.

Besides the two releases, the year ahead looks creatively exciting for Pratik, who has three films and a new play in the pipeline. Since breaking out in Hindi entertainment with Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story (2020), he has steadily become among the most talented and reliable actors of the current crop. But the actor reveals that even today, he faces rejections.

“When discussing their next theatrical film, the [makers] tell me, ‘We need an actor who can get the audience to the theatres. You have done very well, but on OTT.’ So, the onus is on me to prove myself in yet another medium,” he says. This comes even after he delivered a theatrical hit in Madgaon Express last year. “But the fact that I have to mention my success says a lot. If I have to blow my own trumpet, what sense does it make?”

It could make one bitter, but not Pratik. The actor admits that years of rejection, before he found success, have prepared him for such curveballs.

He reflects, “If success had come in the first attempt itself, it might have been difficult to be realistic. But rejections have prepared me for fame and handling success. They have also prepared me to stay away from negativity and think differently, where I take the onus of everything. [I think that] I haven’t given the other person enough reasons to cast me. So, I want to excel to a level that even without any leverage, people would want to work with me.”

While Mahatma Gandhi led India’s freedom fight against the British, Jyotirao Phule fought the rampant casteism in India. Despite their different causes, Pratik Gandhi notes that both leaders, in their own way, believed in the philosophy of non-violence.

“Gandhi’s circumstances and motives were incidental. Phule was victimized because of casteism and took a stand through education. He believed that people could only fight with education. So, in a way, he, [like Gandhi], promoted ahimsa; he might not have called it that,” he states.

Divyenndu has already begun counting days to 2025. Reason? The new year will mark his return to the Mirzapur universe. “We start shooting sometime next year,” says the actor.

Mirzapur The Film is a perfect, although unusual, example of how there is no stopping a successful series. In a first, the popular Prime Video series will extend into a film, with Gurmmeet Singh at the helm, and Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Shweta Tripathi Sharma and Abhishek Banerjee in front of the camera. Divyenndu’s character Munna bhaiyya was shown dead in the crime drama’s second season. But when the film came his way, the actor said an instant yes.

“I have said that I am a selfish actor and I do a project for myself. But Mirzapur The Film is one of those projects that I’ll do for friends and fans because they deserve it. When people give you so much love, you have to give it back. I’m happy that Excel Entertainment [production house] thought of making it into a film and releasing it on the big screen. It’s our return gift to the audience,” he smiles.

If a much-loved series can spawn a movie, the reverse too is possible. That’s an idea Divyenndu is toying with as his latest OTT film, Rahul Dholakia’s Agni, has opened to wide praise.

“When we showed the film to Mumbai firefighters, we received a great response, and in Delhi, we got an even greater response. So, there can be a web series on firefighters, where different stories and characters can exist,” he shares.

Before we look ahead at all the possibilities in the next year, it’s evident that the actor has had a successful 2024, offering diverse work across platforms. His performance in the big-screen laugh riot, Madgaon Express, was widely appreciated, while his gritty act in Agni was the perfect way to cap the year. Even as he enjoys balancing the two mediums, Divyenndu admits that pulling audience to theatres is becoming difficult.

“Earlier, [viewers’ thought process] was that they had to watch a film over the weekend. Now, it takes an effort for a person to buy a ticket and watch a film. Every kind of cinema is thriving, but you can’t take [the audience] for granted. Also, both experiences are important—there are some stories that you’d like to watch intimately on your TV or mobile phone.”

The box office has been a struggle in 2024 and there has been no big BLOCKBUSTER in the first half of the year. The last month in the first half proved to be good with the two biggest HITS of the year (MUNJYA and KALKI 2898 AD) coming in this month.

KALKI 2898 AD is the biggest HIT of the first half and it could have been even bigger if the mass circuits continued how they started as then the film could have been looking at the 300 crore nett mark or thereabouts. But post the weeeknd collections started to drop in B and C centres and single screens. However, the bigger centres have sustained extremely well.

MUNJYA is the sleeper HIT of the year driven by BLOCKBUSTER business in Maharashtra. The film will finish up with business of around 100 crore nett which would be unthinkable before release although the trailer was decent due to the creature. The film is the biggest original Hindi film of the year so far.

SRIKANTH was also another surprise winner in the second quarter which took full benefit of the open run in May and had a solid sustained run for weeks. SHAITAAN and ARTICLE 370 were the HIT films of the first quarter while TERI BAATON MEIN AISA ULJHA JIYA and CREW also did well. 

The second half is likely to see a BLOCKBUSTER with PUSHPA 2 - THE RULE but it is a film from the South and the Hindi film industry will also need to deliver one or two big HITS just to build confidence. If that doesn't happen, it will be pretty much a disaster year.

The half yearly classification for 2024 is as follows.

-

-

-

1. KALKI 2898 AD

2. MUNJYA

3. SHAITAAN

4. ARTICLE 370

5. TERI BAATON MEIN AISA ULJA JIYA

6. CREW

7. SRIKANTH

8. FIGHTER

9. MADGAON EXPRESS

10. SWATANTRYA VEER SAVARKAR

11. LAAPATAA LADIES

Almost halfway into the year, Bollywood’s report card doesn’t look encouraging. So far, Hindi cinema has seen a handful of hits, including Shaitaan, Crew, Article 370 and Madgaon Express, while many tentpole movies had an underwhelming run. The lull has compelled producers to take stock of the situation. Next week, members of the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA), Producers Guild of India, Active Telugu Film Producers Guild, and Tamil Film Active Producers Association are set to meet six leading celebrity talent management agencies, for a third round of meeting. The agenda is clear—find ways to reduce the budget of movies.

While stars’ skyrocketing fees have long been a concern, the impending meeting will focus on cutting down entourage costs. A senior celebrity manager, who attended the last meeting held in May, told mid-day, “Our suggestion is to revert to the post-COVID norm, where an actor has an entourage of three.” 

The manager reveals that the suggestion came from one of their clients, a senior star who shot three big films during the pandemic. “The star started out in the ’90s when entourage wasn’t a thing and vanity vans were reserved for megastars like Mr [Amitabh] Bachchan. He said that even today, a team comprising one spot boy, one make-up man and one additional hand is enough for him. For a female actor-host, we’ll consider an entourage of four.”

A senior member of the Producers Guild, who spoke to us on condition of anonymity, said that filmmakers have been struggling with budgets in the post-pandemic market. The high entourage costs came to the forefront with a recent episode.

“I agree that entourage cost is a part of the problem and not the whole issue. But recently, a studio’s CFO was shocked to see a Rs 7 lakh monthly bill from a make-up person. The CFO’s salary was lower than that! This can be brought under control,” he said.

Another subject that the producers will touch on at the meeting is to boost small and mid-budget movies. The months gone by have shown that they have generated high returns.

An IMPPA official said, “The box-office run of Crew, Madgaon Express and Article 370 has been good. Producers must seek high-concept films, spend more on writing, and pay reasonable fees to the stars and crew. We will also talk to OTT heads to widen the gap between theatrical and OTT release [in the hope that people will visit theatres]. Otherwise, people may stop visiting cinemas.”

One release in the first five months of the year doesn’t sound like much, but when it’s as impactful as Madgaon Express, no one is complaining. Divyenndu, however, promises that the audience will see more of him in the coming months. The actor has Rahul Dholakia’s Agni, which reunites him with Madgaon Express co-star Pratik Gandhi, and a Disney+ Hotstar series in the pipeline.

“The show is tentatively titled Castle, where I play an uber rich guy who is struggling in life. I have another project called Tatkal, which is about the Tatkal ticket scam, where I am playing a Bihari character for the first time. I’ve also done a psychological thriller. You will see a lot more of me because I have worked non-stop for the past two years,” he shares.

The success of Kunal Kemmu’s directorial venture confirmed what we knew—that Divyenndu has a knack for comedy. But as he talks about his upcoming projects, it’s easy to see that sticking to the same genre is not his style.

“It’s a defect in me that I like to do something different after I have worked in one genre,” he grins. Versatility is what he seeks. “Comedy offers keep coming in. I’m also known for being choosy. I take my own sweet time to commit to a project. It’s painful for people to approach me and I don’t blame them,” he laughs.

Has the box-office success of the Divyenndu, Gandhi and Avinash Tiwary-starrer changed things for him? The actor reflects, “When you prove yourself at the box office, people feel they can put money on you. I’m mindful that my producer must recover his money.”

The Mumbai circuit has seen poor returns post the pandemic but has seen a good upturn this year driven by the major centres in Maharashtra. The Thane belt was doing well since cinema returned in 2021 but this year has seen Mumbai city and Pune also start recording some good numbers.

The Mumbai and Delhi/UP circuit had got pretty similar in the 21-23 period for films in a certain zone. It is likely that if CREW and TERI BAATON MEIN AISA ULJHA JIYA came in 2022, they would not have got these numbers in Mumbai circuit and numbers will be closer to the Delhi/UP numbers.

The 60 crore nett plus number of the biggest grosser FIGHTER is not great but despite being an action film, it has beaten DUNKI which has a genre is better for Mumbai circuit and that too directed by Rajkumar Hirani whose films score heavy in Mumbai circuit due to humour element.

Films like MADGAON EXPRESS and SWATANTRYA VEER SAVARKAR are actually HIT films in Mumbai circuit though they met with a horrible fate outside the circuit. ARTICLE 370 was the standout in Mumbai this year though other circuits again were not as good. This would also have been tough a year or two back.

This circuit getting better numbers is the only good news in the crisis facing the film industry and its coming with the Gujarat side not really doing well. No film has done well in Gujarat this year and when both Maharashtra and Gujarat fire, it makes a huge difference.

The top ten films of 2024 in Mumbai circuit are as follows

1. Fighter - 62,04,00,000

2. Shaitaan - 46,64,00,000 (8 weeks)

3. Article 370 - 32,40,00,000 (10 weeks)

4. Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya - 27,28,50,000

5. Crew - 25,15,00,000 (5 Weeks)

6. Madgaon Express - 18,60,00,000 (6 weeks)

7. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan -  17,65,00,000 (3 weeks)

8. Swatantrya Veer Savarkar - 16,80,00,000 (6 weeks)

9. Maidaan - 15,75,00,000 (3 weeks)

10. Laapataa Ladies - 6,15,00,000 (9 weeks)

Four months into 2024, Pratik Gandhi sits comfortably with two much-loved films, Madgaon Express and Do Aur Do Pyaar, behind him. But what lies ahead makes the actor happier—the web series, Gandhi. Based on historian Ramachandra Guha’s books Gandhi Before India and Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World, Hansal Mehta’s show dissects the man behind the world-renowned leader Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, better known as Mahatma Gandhi.

Pratik, who recently kicked off its London schedule, says, “I get nervous when I do a series; even on my 200th show, I’m nervous. On Gandhi, I try not to think of the magnitude or expectations. I only think of my excitement. I try to bring the rigour that will pull me through for 120 days. It’s a plus that Hansal sir and everyone in the crew also has that rigour.” 

It’s fascinating how some roles become an integral part of an actor’s life. Since 2015, Pratik has been playing the Mahatma in a play titled Mohan No Masalo. As he brings the character alive again, this time on screen, the actor views it as something far bigger than a coincidence.

“I was destined to do this. I have been prepping for this for nearly eight years in three languages [Gujarati, Hindi and English]. This character has been a spiritual performance [for me].”

The actor, who broke out with Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story (2020), has been seen in two back-to-back theatrical offerings recently. Does going back to a series worry him since theatrical releases are perceived to be the way forward?

“I never think of OTT and big screen as different. I look for a story. Madgaon Express’ success is empowering; [it tells us that] people come to screens for stories. As actors, all we can do is portray a character memorably and give our all. I want my stories to surprise people. I have a range of emotions to display in Gandhi. The Hindi film audience has never seen me play such a character, and I hope that shock value will land.”

We can’t end our chat without asking him whether Madgaon Express will have a sequel, as rumours suggest. “Kunal [Kemmu, director] left that Las Vegas reference in the end. So, he may have something in mind.”

Actor Avinash Tiwary is very content with his career trajectory. Recently seen in the sleeper hit film Madgaon Express, the actor asserts that he isn’t insecure of competition or the fact that he is an outsider.

“Mujhe apne career ko dekh ke khud se jalan ho jaati hai. In the last three years, I don’t think any of my contemporaries have worked in such varied projects, with the country’s top producers, like I have,” the 38-year-old says.

“Laila Majnu (2018) is a popular romantic film, while Bulbbul (2020) is liked in the fantasy genre. Bambai Meri Jaan is one of the finest shows in its genre. Why wouldn’t I be envious of the career I am making?” the actor quips.

Point out that he takes up less work and Tiwary explains, “Bambai took four years of my life, then came Khakee: The Bihar Chapter. A web show is like three films. With the work I did, it felt like nine films in a year. I get very selective; there are only few things that excite me.”

Does he feel at home in the industry now? “When people see your work and admire it, they give love and respect. People respect (my work), so I feel a part of this industry a little more. It makes you feel you are one of them,” he says.

When we sit down for an interview with Pratik Gandhi for Do Aur Do Pyaar, it’s hard to not open our chat with the crackling Madgaon Express. The comedy is running in theatres weeks after its release, despite competition from recent offerings.

“It’s all Kunal [Kemmu],” says Gandhi, crediting the director for giving Bollywood a smartly written comedy. “I’ve always wanted to do good comedy. Physical humour is tricky, but you have to do it with people who understand it. Kunal knows all sub-genres of comedy, and he is brilliant at them.”

With Do Aur Do Pyaar, Gandhi is moving on to a different kind of comedy, rom-com. Shirsha Guha Thakurta’s directorial venture sees the actor and Vidya Balan play a couple whose marriage has long lost its spark. Gandhi says it is among the six releases he has lined up, and with each project, his attempt is to show his versatility.

“Scam 1992 [The Harshad Mehta Story, 2020] changed everything for me. In the last two-and-a-half years, I have shot non-stop. With the audience’s love, I am getting more confident about my work and my choices. Do Aur Do Pyaar is poles apart [from my last film]. My character is goofy, vulnerable, and avoids confrontations. In the first narration, I was surprised by the story—the characters are cheating [on their spouse] and then, they cheat on their lovers [with their spouse].”

Rom-coms are all about good chemistry. The script, he says, elevated his chemistry with Balan and Ileana D’Cruz. “We have no method to crack chemistry. We stayed true to the script and let the magic happen. We did a lot of reading, did the next day’s scenes before going home. That said, I don’t have a process. Art is not mathematics. I have to feel the emotions.”

For Hindi film fans, Shah Rukh Khan was the poster boy for romance. Even as he moved to age-appropriate roles, there remained a set image of a romantic hero—someone who is swoon-worthy enough to sweep women off their feet. That mould has broken in the past few years.

He shares, “The definition of a romantic hero has changed. He is not the guy with great physique and [bouncy] hair. A hero is anybody who can make you fall in love with the character and his emotions. I’m fortunate to be at the right place at the right time. People are now ready to see actors creating characters.”

The industry has seen a pretty decent first quarter as the exhibition sector fared the worst as the biggest film of the quarter FIGHTER did not live upto expectations. But its been a steady run post FIGHTER and some films have managed to make a mark.

There is an issue with very little content. There are just ten films which have gone over 10 crore nett which is hardly a number and they are below. These will be the films with some sort of awareness or face value that were released in the first quarter.

The classifications of those ten main films are as follows.

Merry Christmas (FLOP): A mystery thriller film with vey little for theatres and a film that would only do well in Mumbai city even if liked. These sort of filsms will be available in hundreds for audiences on television at home.

Fighter (AVERAGE): The film is the highest grosser of the year but could not fair well in mass circuits. Its not about the planes or anything but the landscape has changed in these areas and its about raw and rustic films driven by the storylines rather than Hollywood type of action. TIGER 3 also had a similar struggle and Hollywood films are finding it tough going in the Hindi circuits. FIGHTER had stars and music but the appeal remained limited and its a lot to do with how much these mass circuits have changed post pandemic. If we take the fact that it did not release in Gulf then, there was an outperformance overseas. However, the final number does not suggest that as its without Gulf. 

Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Ulja Jiya (SEMI HIT): The film did very well for its genre driven by the music. The music was not blockbuster but the fact that it had music and it was good enough which is more than what most films have. The was pushed by the buy one get one offer but it does look that offers will not help if the audience is not with the. So, the benefit of the offer is probably very limited.

Article 370 (HIT): The first HIT of the year which proved a SUPER HIT in Mumbai circuit. The film did extremely well for its budget but it was a costly acquisition and with streaming likely to be in house it was about India theatrical for recovery. Nevertheless, the film actually pulled it of very well. 

Crakk (DISASTER): The heavily budget action film for the face value but this sort of action content is just not relatable to the mass centres where it has to score.

Laapataa Ladies (FLOP): A ladies film looking by its name and which has trended well in its run holding well every week but it just could not find much of an audience. The trending of the film can be called respectable. However, that hardly matters when there are no overall numbers.

Shaitaan (HIT): The true bonafide HIT of the first quarter which did well all over. The film was a psychological/horror film but the family sentiments worked strongly for the film. The box office today is about reaching the mass and it's basically going back to the 80's. What happened here was when the big budgets were not there, the films catering to family sentiments emerged winners at the box office. Today, any genre will work as long as it has these family sentiments as this is where the reach will come from. SHAITAAN was devoid of music which is the other way to push the reach but still did the trick.

Yodha (FLOP): A urban action film on a hijacking and when a FIGHTER struggled for reach with the mass audiences, it was always going to be tough for this film. Action films made in Hindi for urban audiences have never done well although there maybe some exceptions but those will be very few if any.

Madgaon Express (FLOP): A Goa holiday/trip film which pretty much seals the fate in most of the country with the trailer itself. For some reason, the industry actually had hope for the film. The film did better in Mumbai circuit but even there, the numbers were still poor. Rest of the circuits were very dull.

Swatantrya Veer Savarkar (FLOP): A film on a Maharashtrian political figure which had no scope outside Maharashtra. The plus is that it will do around 15 crore nett in the state of Maharashtra which means some sort of acceptance here. But its a Hindi film and rest of India is extremely dull with practically no collections.

Crew (SEMI HIT/AVERAGE): The last release of the quarter which has done pretty well. The film has scored very well in North (NCR and East Punjab) and along with SHAITAAN is the only other film to do so. The film will have shortened run due to Eid which will hold back the numbers. It has had decent run nevertheless and is an out performer in Overseas. 

Outside the organic Hindi movies, the dubbed SOUTH film HANUMAN proved to be a HIT while GODZILLA x KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE was also a HIT. The latter was just AVERAGE in Hindi circuits but the business in the South took it to HIT status.

At the end of Madgaon Express, director Kunal Kemmu hinted at a sequel. That was enough to pique curiosity among audiences who lapped up the buddy comedy starring Avinash Tiwary, Pratik Gandhi and Divyenndu. If the love and acclaim that the film has received is any indication, its second instalment will have takers among the audience. So, is a sequel in the offing?

Tiwary says, “We have discussed [the possibility of a sequel]. Kunal once mentioned that he had thought of an idea, but he said Ritesh [Sidhwani, producer] would tell us if we’ll do it or not. Now, Ritesh is saying, ‘Kunal will tell us whether he has written the script or not.’ But I know the intention was there. The audience’s reaction [is great]. I hope this love keeps growing and we have a chance to come back with a sequel,” he says.

Up next, Tiwary has the Prime Video film, The Mehta Boys, which marks Boman Irani’s directorial debut. The actor has bagged another project, one that he describes as his “biggest film” yet. The role has him excited and scared in equal measure.

“It’s one of the most difficult parts, physically and mentally, and I am petrified about how I’ll deal with it. It’s the biggest project that I have been a part of. I’m not in a position to reveal the project, although I want to shout from the rooftop,” he smiles.

Seeing oneself on the big screen is a feeling like no other. The last time Avinash Tiwary experienced it was in Laila Majnu (2018). It has taken him six years to replicate that feeling. But the wait has been worth it as his latest film, Madgaon Express, is being lapped up by the audience for its humour.

“When you are aspiring to be an actor, you only see yourself on the big screen. The fact that I got this opportunity six years down the line and it has been so well-received makes me so happy. I have got a lot of love and respect for my work, but the joy that people walked out with is something I’ve never experienced in my career,” smiles the actor.

In Kunal Kemmu’s directorial debut, Tiwary joins Divyenndu and Pratik Gandhi to tell the story of three friends whose dream trip to Goa becomes a nightmare. Comedy can be a tricky genre, but the actor says the entire team rallied behind Kemmu’s vision.

“When we did a narration session with Kunal, we fell off our chairs. But I also thought that Kunal is such a good performer that he can make any material funny. So, I insisted on reading the script. I was laughing even while reading it. That made me believe in the film’s potential. While we were performing, we weren’t sure if the jokes were landing or not. But we relied on Kunal, who had such clarity.”

Tiwary’s filmography has been populated with intense offerings like Bulbbul (2020), Khakee: The Bihar Chapter (2022) and Bambai Meri Jaan (2023). The out-and-out comedy felt liberating, he admits. 

“My idea has been to do different kinds of genres. I was happy that Kunal and Ritesh [Sidhwani, producer] were able to see my versatility and present me an opportunity where I could go and enjoy myself. It was liberating to do this. Until Madgaon Express happened, I was doing shows that needed me to breathe those characters every day. With Madgaon Express, my character was closer to how I am in real life. It’s always the case—people who do intense parts are considered serious actors. I haven’t cared much about labels because nobody wanted to put even the label of an actor on me. But I’ve been acting for so many years. Now, I want to do more light-hearted films.”

Madgaon Express has turned out to be the comedy we didn’t know we needed. The buddy comedy, which stars Divyenndu, Pratik Gandhi and Avinash Tiwary, opened last week to unanimous praise from critics and audiences. And who’s grinning from ear to ear? Debutant director Kunal Kemmu. 

Tell him that the laugh riot has come at a time when Bollywood was witnessing a drought of well-made comedies, and he says,

“I would be speaking out of turn if I said that I wrote the film because comedies weren’t being made. The industry goes through fads. Right now, it’s action; tomorrow, horror might work. If Madgaon Express had released when there were four comedies behind me, people would say, ‘Why do we need one more?’ I am lucky to come at a time when there has been a dearth of comedies. I just wrote a film that made me happy. I would’ve made it whenever I got the opportunity. I’m happy that there has been an appetite for it because if I have cooked food, I want hungry people,” he laughs.

Even as the film that revolves around cocaine, crime and three clueless friends in Goa is being lapped up by the audience, the actor-turned-director has finished writing a couple of stories. It will only be a matter of time before he chooses which of them he wants to develop as his next.

Kemmu says, “Writing is a constant thing in my life. It is my therapy. I’ve written a couple of [stories] belonging to different genres; one of them is a comedy.”

What if Dil Chahta Hai’s (2001) Goa trip went wrong? From that thought was born Kunal Kemmu’s directorial debut, Madgaon Express. The comedy revolves around three friends whose trip to Goa leads to a series of misadventures. While Kemmu knew that Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani would be the best people to produce it, he didn’t have anyone in mind to direct it.

“I had written the film for myself to act in. But when I narrated it to Farhan, he suggested that I direct it,” he smiles, pleased at how direction happened to him accidentally.

Kemmu remembers starting work on the script in 2016, at a time when he wasn’t satisfied with the acting offers in hand. “I felt I wasn’t getting the opportunities I wanted. Do I want to crib about the opportunities that I don’t have, or work on creating opportunities? That’s how Madgaon Express happened.” He felt confident about screenwriting as he had previously written the Hindi dialogues for Raj-DK’s (Raj Nidimoru, Krishna DK) Go Goa Gone (2013).

Madgaon Express stars Divyenndu, Pratik Gandhi and Avinash Tiwary. While Divyenndu took over the role that Kemmu had written for himself, the filmmaker is happy about his decision to not star in his directorial debut. “It would have been too much to handle for my first film.”

Kemmu has been acting since the age of six. As he begins a new chapter in his career, he says he has been influenced by the directors with whom he worked on comedies. “I did Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke [1993] with Mahesh Bhatt, Dhol [2007] with Priyadarshan, Golmaal with Rohit Shetty, 99 [2009] and Go Goa Gone with Raj-DK. I saw them at work, absorbed it and then tried to find my own voice.”