(L-R) Komal Nahta, Abhishek Sharma, Anees Bazmee, Mahaveer Jain and Vikas Bahl

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; April 2, 2020)

Our favourite stars may have often been in the line of fire for their unwillingness to take a stand on pressing issues, but Bollywood has stood strong and united in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic, lending a helping hand to those in need. In the 10 days since the campaign, I Stand With Humanity, was announced on social media, it has become a movement of sorts with several celebrities contributing generously, thus enabling the supply of essentials to one million homes.

Author and screenwriter Pankaj Dubey, who is the official spokesperson for the campaign that has nearly 15,000 volunteers, tells mid-day, "The initiative was started by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Rajkumar Hirani and Mahaveer Jain, but soon bigwigs like Karan Johar, Ekta Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Rohit Shetty, Dinesh Vijan, and many others joined in. We have reached out to over one million families in the past seven days."

Explaining their course of action, he shares, "The account details have been shared on social media, and stars and the common people have been donating money. Using the funds, we have been distributing ration kits that contain about 10 to 15 days' food. We have also supplied these kits to daily wage workers across the country, including one lakh of them from Bollywood. Our volunteers are going door-to-door supplying the essentials." Dubey says the organisation has tied up with local authorities to enable smooth functioning. "In Mumbai, we have tied up with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation [BMC]. The volunteers have been identified by them, and only they are allowed to be out and about."

Currently functioning across six states and Delhi, the initiative aims to reach out to other pockets of the country in the coming days. "We are active in Maharashtra, Delhi, West Bengal, Odisha, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh."

CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi with Prakash Javadekar, the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, and Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; September 2, 2019)

On an evening when Mumbai’s sky was overcast with rain clouds, members of the city’s film fraternity gathered at a suburban five-star hotel to witness the inauguration of a new logo and certificate designed for the Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC). The evening, hosted by lyricist Prasoon Joshi, the chief of the CBFC, turned out to be a fraternity-studded affair. Prakash Javadekar, the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, and Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Amit Khare (right), the secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, were the key guests for the evening.

Members of the board like Vidya Balan, Vani Tripathi Tikoo and Waman Kendre were seen exchanging pleasantries with cinema industry representatives from all over the country. Among the dignitaries present were filmmakers like Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Ekta Kapoor, Rahul Rawail, Subhash Ghai, Ramesh Sippy, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Ram Madhvani, Prahlad Kakkar, Ramesh Taurani, Anubhav Sinha, Amit Sharma, Tanuj Garg, Ajit Andhare, Boney Kapoor, Sajid Nadiadwala, Mahaveer Jain, Sudhir Mishra, Kunal Kohli, Kiran Shantaram, Madhur Bhandarkar, Ashoke Pandit, Atul Kasbekar and actress Kangana Ranaut. The highlight of the evening was the unveiling of the new logo and a brand new design for the certificate that will now be issued to films and videos that are certified by the body. The certificate’s logo and design has been conceptualised by Prasoon Joshi, while the art design is by Rohit Devgun.

While speaking on the occasion, Prasoon took the guests through the board’s achievements in his two-year-tenure, what the industry can look forward with respect to the board and also the way the industry’s interaction with the board has changed from vivaad to vichar-vimarsh. CBFC’s Regional Officer Tushar Karmakar also presented interesting statistics to the guests which underlined the speedy procedures being followed by the board and the spike in the number of films being certified year on year.

Prakash Javadekar also spoke on the occasion about what the industry can look forward to in terms of changes in the Cinematograph Act (1952), new and more stringent laws to prevent piracy, the introduction of a business summit for the movie industry on the lines of a business summit held in Davos annually, the 50th year of the International Film Festival (IFFI) of India poised for a grand celebration in Goa based on the theme of Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat, and what the ministry plans to do for the film fraternity in the near future. The minister also fielded questions from the representatives of various bodies of cinema operating in different parts of the country, including the industries down South. After a healthy discussion, the evening ended with a short closing note by Prasoon and the star guests of the evening interacting with the minister and the ministry’s secretary.


SCAN CODE, GET INFO!

The CBFC’s new certificate has been designed keeping digitisation in mind. The new contemporary design bears a QR code on the right-handside corner along with the rating given to the film. The certificate has been made in an interactive style. The film’s synopsis and trailer can be watched by merely scanning the QR code. All the information about the film, including the cast and crew, can also be accessed by scanning the code.


Kangana Ranaut and Vidya Balan


(L-R) Rahul Rawail, Sudhir Mishra and Vani Tripathi Tikoo

Bareilly Ki Barfi filmmaker’s next to roll next year
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 9, 2019)

After making her directorial debut with Nil Battey Sannata, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari went on to direct Junglee Pictures’ Ayushmann Khurrana, Kriti Sanon and Rajkummar Rao-starrer romcom Bareilly Ki Barfi, which bagged her the Filmfare Award for Best Director. She has just wrapped up her third Hindi directorial, Panga. The film which features Kangana Ranaut in the lead as a kabaddi player, opens next year during the Republic Day weekend, and not one to rest on her laurels, Ashwiny has already planned her next.

Mirror has learnt that she will direct a film on Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy and his philanthropistauthor wife Sudha Murthy. It will be jointly produced by Mahaveer Jain, Ashwiny and her filmmaker-husband Nitesh Tiwari, who is presently busy with the release of his Sushant Singh Rajput and Shraddha Kapoor-starrer Chhichhore. “She has already started researching Indian IT’s first couple because she wants to have all the facts right before she dives into this inspiring story. The film is expected to roll next year. Sanjay Tripathy (writer-director) came up with the idea and scripting will begin soon,” a source informed.

Murthy was employed with the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Ahmedabad and Patni Computer Systems in Pune before he started the IT company Infosys in 1981. He served as the CEO from 1981 to 2002, then as its chairman till 2011. Sudha was the first female engineer to be hired by the automotive manufacturing company TELCO in Pune. She got married to Narayana while she was still employed there.

Described as the ‘father of the Indian IT sector’ by Time magazine for his contribution to outsourcing in India, Murthy is a recipient of the Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan. Sudha has been felicitated with Padma Shri by former President, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.


Top to bottom: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Nitesh Tiwari, Mahaveer Jain

National Award-winning director Mangesh Hadawale on why he chose to rework a Tamil film for SLB as a launch pad for Sharmin and Meezan
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 1, 2019)

The success of Tingya and his short film Chalo Jeete Hain, along with the international acclaim he got for his first Hindi film Dekh Indian Circus, has made Mangesh Hadawale a respected writer-producer-director. That Sanjay Leela Bhansali is producing his next directorial, Malaal, ups the expectations. Excerpts from an interview:

Why Malaal?
It’s strange that despite Tingya, produced by Anand L Rai and Ravi Rai, being a huge hit, I did not get Marathi films, but Bollywood offers poured in. Even Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra admitted that Tingya is among his top 25 films while Aamir Khan texted to congratulate me when both Tingya and Taare Zameen Par were in the running to be India’s entry to the Oscars. Even Dekh Indian Circus was feted globally and bagged four National Awards and even thought it didn’t release in India, never did I doubt myself. I was 25 when I made Tingya, I’m 37 now and wanted to arrive with a bang with a film which had the taste of Bollywood but my essence as well. Malaal is the answer.

How was it working with SLB?
Sanjay sir is a university, his religion is cinema, his passion and energy is contagious. Our filmmaking styles are different, mine more realistic but he gave me complete creative freedom while guiding me.

Sharmin is his sister Bela Sehgal’s daughter while Meezaan is Jaaved Jaaferi’s son. Did their film background ever interfere with your vision?
No Jaaved ji came on the set only a couple of times to wish the team. Ditto Sanjay sir. Sharmin and Meezaan are like my kids, I have a special bond with Sharmin whom I call Shamu. Her being Sanjay sir’s niece never effected the film or our relationship. I’m happy and nervous for them.

Any added pressure owing to the success your previous films?
I practice meditation and don’t fear the outcome if I’ve given my 100 per cent. Imtiaz Ali who co-produced Dekh Indian Circus told me that a director is like an archer who hits target sometimes. The film has already given me so much, whatever comes will be a bonus.

Any plans of re-releasing Dekh Indian Circus?
The political scenario of the country is very different today, also Nawazuddin (Siddiqui) and I have moved on. There’s no plan but after Malaal, who knows...

How similiar is Malaal to the Tamil original 7G Rainbow Colony (left)?
Mahaveer Jain who produced both Dekh Indian Circus and Tingya, gave me a DVD of the Tamil film and told me that we should buy its Hindi rights. We’ve been working together for 11 years without a single argument and I trust him implicitly. He introduced me to Sanjay sir. 7G Rainbow Colony was made with South Indian sensibilities, but the soul is pure. I’ve incorporated 10-12 things from it but the remaining script is mine. So, Malaal is more an inspired film than a remake.

What’s SLB’s contribution to it?
He contributed to the screenplay and decided on the title. I like short titles and this one has a certain irony as it’s a love story and ‘malaal’ means regret. Also, this is the first time he has composed music for another director. He’s a guru. If he hadn’t stood behind me, this film wouldn’t have been what it is.

So, is it like an SLB film?
To make a film like Sanjay sir is difficult. He creates his own world and transports you there. Malaal is very realistic; that’s why he approached me for it.

Any regrets personally?
I am what I am because of my father who was beside me when I received National Awards for Tingya and Dekh Indian Circus. He passed away when Malaal was in prep, so I cannot share this film with him. 

Mahaveer Jain, who arranged for the meetings, has made a short film on Narendra Modi and is a producer on film about Balakot air strike
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 1, 2019)

Mahaveer Jain has been in the news recently for arranging several meetings between B-town biggies and prime minister Narendra Modi to discuss the various challenges faced by the film industry. The first of these interactions took place last year in October in the Capital at which Aamir Khan, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Aanand L Rai and Ritesh Sidhwani among others were present. In January he once again flew down with Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Sidharth Malhotra, Ayushmann Khurrana, Karan Johar, Ekta Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Rajkummar Rao and Rohit Shetty to meet the PM. The filmmaker reveals there are more to come.

“This is the first time that the government and the film industry have come so close and on top of our agenda is building more cinema halls. China has over 50,000 screens and our PM wants the two and three-tier cities to have many more screens, a vision our film industry shares,” informs Mahaveer.

He comes from a business family which primarily deals in textiles. A passion for cinema, along with entertaining and educative Aamir Khan-starrers like Taare Zameen Par and 3 Idiots brought him into show business. “I have been lucky to meet good people along the way,” smiles Mahaveer who turned producer in 2011 with Mangesh Hadawale’s children’s film Dekh Indian Circus. It bagged four National Awards. Last year, he made a short film based on the early life of Modi, Chalo Jeete Hain, also directed by Mangesh. He is now collaborating with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Bhushan Kumar and Abhishek Kapoor to produce a film on the recent Balakot air strikes which will be directed by Abhishek.

“Our film is a tribute to our brave soldiers who risk their lives for the country, it’s a story very close to our hearts. Abhishek and his team are presently working on the script after which we would begin casting. Presenting it right is a huge responsibility,” he admits.

He is producing another film with SLB which will launch the latter’s niece Sharmin, and Jaaved Jaaferi’s son Meezaan and is once again being directed by Mangesh. “Sanjay ji is a little reserved but I’ve got to know him closely over the years and realised that he has a heart of gold. I’m hoping to collaborate with him again,” says Mahaveer who is also backing a slice-of-life entertainer. “We have finished 70-80 per cent of its shoot. Sonakshi’s (Sinha) character is trying to realise her dreams with Varun Sharma as her brother. He will remind you of Choocha from Fukrey. We are also exploring the idea of getting Sonakshi and Badshah to sing a song,” Mahaveer signs off. 

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, T-Series’s Bhushan Kumar, filmmaker Abhishek Kapoor, and producer Mahaveer Jain come together to ‘salute’ Air Force
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 4, 2019)

Producer-director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, T-Series boss Bhushan Kumar, producer Mahaveer Jain, and filmmaker Abhishek Kapoor have come together to recreate the February 26 air strikes on Jaish-e-Mohammad facilities in Pakistan’s Balakot on the big screen. Mumbai Mirror can reveal that the project is already at the research and development stage, and the film is likely to roll by the middle of the year.

A source associated with the movie said that the project was an effort by the makers to “salute and pay tribute” to the Indian Air Force, and that a major share of the profits will be handed over to the armed forces welfare fund. “This project is our small way of saluting our armed forces and their families,” the source said, adding that the casting is being finalised even as “several A-list actors have shown interest in the film”.

Scores of film and TV serial makers have reportedly approached the Indian Motion Pictures Producers’ Association (IMPPA) to register titles such as Balakot, Pulwama: The Deadly Attack, Surgical Strike 2.0, War Room, Hindustan Hamara Hai, and How’s The Josh?

Earlier this year, Uri: The Surgical Strike, featuring Vicky Kaushal, which is based on the Indian Army’s surgical strike inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the terror attack on the army camp in Uri in 2016, has emerged as a massive hit.

The Indian Air Force operation on February 26, this time in retaliation to the Pulwama attack by a Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide bomber in which 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives, was carried out deep inside Pakistan, in Khyber Pakhtunwa’s Balakot where the Jaish terror camp was located.

In response to Pakistan’s attack the next day, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman shot down a Pakistan Air Force F-16 with his MIG21 Bison, before being forced to eject and land in the enemy territory. Following intense international pressure, Pakistan had to release Wing Commander Varthaman after keeping him in custody for nearly 60 hours.

The source associated with the project said that Abhishek Kapoor will direct the movie that will also show how entire India came together to support the armed forces in the face of aggression and adversity. “It will be our tribute to the nation. After the gutless terror attack in Pulwama, the IAF surgical strike at Balakot was a well planned, 100 per cent successful operation which hit the enemy targets with precision. It is an honour to bring this story on the big screen so that we, as Indians, can revel in our national pride,” the source said.

Badshah, Gurdas Maan, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Sanjay Dutt, Mahaveer Jain at the event

MUMBAI MIRROR (February 21, 2019)

In a historic event spread over Tuesday and Wednesday, one crore students from 12,000 colleges across the country took a pledge against drugs with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Sanjay Dutt, Kapil Sharma, Badshah and Mahaveer Jain in Hissar, Haryana, and a Chandigarh university, over a live web-cast.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also joined the movement through the web-cast, saying, “I congratulate and support the initiative launched to uproot the problem. I am happy that the entertainment and sports industries have come out in support. Drugs are a great menace to society.” Adding that people consuming drugs unknowingly help those involved in the killing of our brave soldiers, he added, “Drug traders are in contact with foreign forces, who try to undermine the country’s youth and its economic strength.”


Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Rajkumar Hirani, Varun Dhawan, Katrina Kaif, Bhushan Kumar, Karan Johar, Sonakshi Sinha, Parineeti Chopra, Nitesh Tiwari, Ekta Kapoor, Tiger Shroff, Ayushmann Khurrana, Vicky Kaushal, Shilpa Shetty, Gurdas Maan, Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Ritesh Sidhwani and Arjun Kapoor, among others, also joined the cause.

Film producer Mahaveer Jain was instrumental in bringing all the people together for this much-needed initiative of art of living foundation.

As they kick off the anti-drug campaign in Chandigarh next week, Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha plan roadshows to spread the message among youth; Aamir Khan in talks for the next leg of promotions
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; February 16, 2019)

It was only a fortnight ago that several Bollywood celebrities - including Sanjay Dutt, Aamir Khan, Sonakshi Sinha and Varun Dhawan - announced their association with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's campaign for a drug-free India. Before the initiative kicks off at Chandigarh University on February 18, mid-day has learnt that the stars have planned roadshows as they travel from one college to another in a bid to spread the message among students.

Producer Mahaveer Jain, who is one of the organisers behind the Drug-Free India campaign, says, "We will launch the campaign at the Chandigarh University in Mohali at 11 am, in the presence of thousands of students. Sanjay, Sonakshi, Badshah, Kapil Sharma and Varun Sharma will be present at the event along with Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji, where students will pledge against using drugs. From there, we plan to head to the next university as a caravan, where the stars will travel with the students, thus giving the youngsters an opportunity to interact with them. We plan to replicate the format in the other cities. We want to make it a people's movement where they can participate and engage with the stars; hence, the road shows."

The producer adds that the team is currently in the process of procuring the permission for the Mohali and Hisar leg of the promotion. "We are working on getting a final police permission as the crowds may pose a security concern."

Rumours suggest that Aamir Khan may participate in the events that are scheduled in Mumbai. However, Jain clarifies, "We are planning to have the next event in March. We will invite Aamir only after we have zeroed in on the city; right now, it's a toss-up between Mumbai and Delhi. Aamir has promised to lend his support to our journey, as has filmmaker Karan Johar. Sanjay, Kapil and Badshah will be part of all the events across the country. In fact, the trio and Sonakshi were so supportive of the campaign that they paid for their flight tickets to Punjab. They didn't charge a penny."

Mahaveer Jain played a key role in giving Bollywood’s young stars a chance to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; January 12, 2019)

On Thursday, a contingent of Bollywood’s head-turners and game-changers — Ranveer Singh, Varun Dhawan, Vicky Kaushal, Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar, Sidharth Malhotra, Rajkummar, Rao, directors like Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Rohit Shetty and producers like Karan Johar and Ekta Kapoor — marched to Delhi (in a chartered aircraft) to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is the third group of celebrated names from the fraternity that has had an audience with the Prime Minister.

Back in 2018, a set of producers, including Aanand L Rai, Siddharth Roy Kapur and Rajkumar Hirani, met him on October 26 in Delhi. This was followed by a meeting with an 18-member group in Mumbai in December, comprising actor-producers like Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn along with filmmakers like Karan Johar. On January 10, Karan, along with producer Mahaveer Jain (instrumental in setting up the previous meetings, too), organised a tête-à-tête for Bollywood’s young guns with the Prime Minister in Delhi. The primary motive was to discuss the participation and contributions of cinema’s youth icons in nation building.

The meeting went on for about 50 minutes. What was meant to be a short meeting turned into a healthy dialogue between the PM and the delegation. Elaborating on it, Mahaveer Jain told BT, “For several months, Modi ji has been discussing the fact that our music and films have become talking points internationally and are widely appreciated. He acknowledges that the creative forces have a huge role to play in nation building. The PM has been keenly working towards strengthening the entertainment industry, which he feels has a strong presence as a soft power in the country. He thinks that entertainment can change mindsets, initiate social change and increase harmony in society. That’s the reason he has been meeting different sets of people from the entertainment industry to know and to adequately understand what their stumbling blocks are, and what is it that he can do to help them grow and flourish.”

While the contingent that met him in October was pleasantly surprised with the openness with which the PM approached the industry’s issues, the December meeting was widely talked about, too. It was within days of this meeting at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai that the GST rates on movie tickets were considerably reduced.

The recent meeting with Bollywood’s young blood revolved around discussing what each individual in the room has achieved in his or her career so far. They also touched upon what their contributions can be in the act of nation building and putting India’s vibrant cultures on the world map. “Modi ji was aware of what each one in the room has done so far. For instance, he was very appreciative of Alia’s work in Raazi (directed by Meghna Gulzar), Ashwiny’s film Nil Battey Sannata, Ekta’s Udta Punjab (directed by Abhishek Chaubey), Ayushmann’s nuanced approach to taboo subjects, the way Ranveer balances entertainment with substance, what Bhumi Pednekar’s Toilet - Ek Prem Katha (directed by Shree Narayan Singh) did to further the cause of Swacch Bharat, Rajkummar’s contribution to cinema with acclaimed films like Newton (directed by Amit Masurkar) and Rohit Shetty’s attempt to dish out pure entertainment, among other things. He asked Ranbir Kapoor about his father Rishi’s health. Modi ji also congratulated and blessed Ranveer for his wedding with Deepika Padukone. His discussion veered towards clubbing entertainment with social issues. He asked the actors and filmmakers about their general opinions on governance, the problems they face in their professional spaces and what they think could be done to address their concerns. After the PM met the group, his core team sat with the contingent and noted the prime issues that need to be addressed,” informs Mahaveer, stating that the group returned hopeful and excited after the meeting.

Hearsay is that a grand announcement is on its way which could potentially resolve a lot of concerns that the industry has at the moment. “This is with regard to something that the industry has wanted for the last 20 years or so. It takes a lot of planning before anything can be executed, but the next few months will bring a lot of good news for the industry,” says Mahaveer.

MUMBAI MIRROR (December 19, 2018)

A delegation of Bollywood producers and actors called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on a one-day visit to Maharashtra, at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai to discuss the issues faced by the Indian film industry.

Producers Ritesh Sidhwani, Karan Johar, Sidharth Roy Kapur, the president of the Film Producers Guild, Rakesh Roshan, Ronnie Screwvala and Central Board of Film Certification chief Prasoon Joshi, who along with Mahaveer Jain, had organised the meeting, were part of the delegation. Actors-producers Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn were also present. According to sources, Sidhwani urged the Prime Minister to look towards treating cinema as an “industry” by acknowledging its contribution to the nation’s exchequer and fiscal growth, and in promoting bilateral ties between nations as a global cultural ambassador. “It was a collaborative effort to come forward, address issues and seek solutions from the Prime Minister directly”, the source informed, adding that the Prime Minister was “very receptive” and admitted that at his meetings with delegates from all over the world, Indian cinema has always been a subject of conversation which is discussed in depth and much appreciated.

“He (PM) acknowledged that our films are being recognised internationally and agreed that filmmakers are no less important than nation-builders. He has assured the delegation that he will work towards setting up a special committee to look into the industry matters and address them urgently,” the source said, adding that it was a “productive meeting with a positive outcome.”