Student Of The Year 2 director Punit Malhotra on how he took tips from Farah Khan, who previously helmed campus caper Main Hoon Na
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 8, 2019)

Days away from the release of Student Of The Year 2 (SOTY 2), director Punit Malhotra admits to feeling "scared as well as fearless." While the first instalment was helmed by Karan Johar, it is easy to see the producer's stamp on the Tiger Shroff, Ananya Panday and Tara Sutaria starrer as well - be it in the uber stylish outfits flaunted by the leads, or the glossy world of high school. But Malhotra throws a curveball when he reveals that choreographer-director Farah Khan has a significant role in shaping the SOTY 2 universe.

"For me, the Bible was Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar [1992] and Main Hoon Na [2004]. I am close to Farah [Main Hoon Na director]; she had also worked on Jo Jeeta... So, I would extensively brainstorm with her on the material."

"The genre has its clichéd plot points - good boy underdog from poor college, a high school jerk, father-son equation, Betty-Veronica and sports competition. Main Hoon Na stepped it up by introducing a hot teacher, a tomboy and the India-Pakistan dynamics [in the story]. Farah and I would sit and discuss [the script] for hours," says Malhotra, who has previously dabbled in the rom-com genre with I Hate Luv Storys (2010) and Gori Tere Pyaar Mein (2014).

The director also points out that Bollywood has been starved of the good old high-school films until the SOTY franchise was developed. "When was the last time we saw a student film outside of Netflix? We have put everything that happens in a normal college, [in the film]. I am aware that many feel, 'Yeh kaun se college mein hota hai?' But when they watch the film, they'll see a far more real narrative, set in a glossy world. The idea is to make it aspirational."

As told to Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 16, 2019)

Months into the film industry, I realised that action is my strength and I trained as a martial arts professional. There were many other actors doing the same and to stand out from the crowd I started watching videos of Chuck Norris, America’s action star known for films like Way Of The Dragon, Good Guys Wear Black, The Delta Force and Missing in Action franchise. He inspired me to master spin kicks and punches which I used in films like Rajiv Rai’s Mohra. I pulled off 18 spin punches in Mohra, and that move has now come to be called the ‘Suniel Shetty punch’. Martial arts is one thing, making it dynamic is another; I learnt this from Mr Bachchan. Be it firing with guns in both hands or a horizontal back-flip on the stairs, every action sequence in Mohra was influenced by martial arts.

I’ve used the same techniques again in Priyadarshan’s period drama Marakkar - The Lion of Arabian Sea which I wrapped up recently. Since I play a warrior in the film, a lot of prep went into costumes, posturing and the look which has me sporting long hair and a beard. It also required me to master my riding skills and learn to fight with double swords. This was where my kick-boxing background helped because it requires you to be light on the feet.

There’s a scene in the film with a lot of smoke and rain. With experience, I have learnt that when a sword cuts through the rain in circular motion, the scene looks elegant and stylish on screen. I’ve kept that in mind in Marakkar. There was also a fight in clay. Clay can quickly suck you in, like quicksand, and demands a particular kind of footwear. I have the rhythm and a penchant for action, so despite the challenges, I’ve pulled off these scenes.

Another tough role was Main Hoon Na in which I played former army captain Rahavan Singh Dutta, a rogue para commando who was court-martialled for killing innocent Pakistani citizen claiming they were spies. He’s passionate about his country and at the same time angry about losing his son in the war. Everything he does is with the mixed emotion of a proud soldier and a vulnerable father. Once again I sported long hair and beard, and was dressed in fatigues. Here the challenge was to ensure that my body language was that of an army officer.

On the face of it, Gopi Kishan was a comedy, but the fact that it was a double role with the gullible Gopi balancing out Kishan, a hardened criminal, made it a tightrope walk. Those days I was completely into action, and not accepted in any other role. For the innocent Gopi, I found a role model in Rajiv Rai’s production head. The film helped me establish myself as a comic actor, and producers started realising I could break out of the tough guy image if needed. And that helped me land Hera Pheri.

We had plenty of workshops and mocks before the shoot. All of us wore limited make-up to look poor. Priyan (director, Priyadarshan) used to make us sleep on the floor so we’d look tired and dishevelled. Our clothes weren’t ironed nor did we comb our hair. I had to totally cut myself off from the macho image because Shyam was an innocent, speaking in a high-pitched voice and crying all the time irrespective of whether he was happy or sad. Raju (Akshay Kumar’s character) was the flamboyant rascal. We have done two films in the franchise and will soon return to a third.

Before I wind up, I’d like to mention Border, the most special film of my career, in which I played a soldier called Bhairav Singh. Since he was from Rajasthan, I had to work on the dialect and feel connected to the soil. I would be in uniform the whole day and spend time with the army to understand how they thought. I quickly realised they cared about just two things—country and family. In the film, I would turn mellow and emotional during my conversations with Akshaye (Khanna) and Sunny (Deol) about our families but would be instantly on alert the minute talk turned to the army and the nation. It’s these small character traits and attention to details that made Border an iconic film.

Hiren Kotwani (DNA; January 5, 2019)

Amrita Rao, who was last seen on the big screen in Satyagraha (2013) and made her television debut with Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hai (2016), has stayed away from the limelight for quite some time. But when we tell her that she seems to have disappeared after tying the knot with radio jockey Anmol two-and-a-half years ago, she insists she has very much been around. The petite actress informs us that she has started her YouTube channel recently to share her experience in the industry over the years. On the movies front, she will next be seen as Meenatai in Thackeray, the biopic on the late Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray. A quick Q and A with Amrita...

What have you been up to all this time?
Quite a lot (smiles). I’ve been doing a little bit of cooking. I’m also learning Konkani. I organise things well, so I’ve been using my managerial skills to take care of the house. Over the last year, I’ve also enjoyed making videos in which I share trivia about my films. Most of them have been popular on television and are fondly watched. So I started my channel on YouTube where I share little-known things like how I was cast in Main Hoon Na (2004), shooting a one-take song like Chale Jaise Hawayein, my first meeting with Sooraj ji (Barjatya), my most difficult scenes and how I prepared for them, to name some. And of course, working on Thackeray was exciting.

Even your new film comes after a considerable break.
Thackeray came after Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hai, my debut on TV. It was a fantastic series and required a lot of technique  because when you act in a television serial, it’s like doing four films at a time. It’s not a two-hour thing, every day we were churning material for half-hour episodes. It had a lot of emotion, drama and really tested my acting skills. Moreover, I was in the company of actors like Deepti Naval, Pallavi Joshi, Zarina Wahab and Rituraj Singh. It was a lovely and enriching experience.

What prompted you to take up Thackeray?
It’s a huge compliment to be approached for Meenatai Thackeray’s role when you’re the only choice because of the image you have. I have earned the image for myself. I also got the opportunity to work with Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who is a brilliant actor. There were many firsts for me while working on this film. I cherished every day of the shoot, since the time we began in February last year. Acting in this movie has been truly a unique experience.

Aren’t you worried about being typecast in character roles after this?
I’ve been approached for ethnic roles and I’m okay with that. The characters that I have played have resonated with the audience. Most of my films have repeat value, my characters are remembered and audiences watch the movies on satellite television again and again. Vivah (2006) often plays during the weekends and when I travel for events or appearances, it’s overwhelming to hear people say they’ve watched it over 20 times. You feel blessed to have a film that has become your larger identity. Not every actor is blessed with a movie like that.

Have you signed up any other project?
I will reveal in good time. After acting for years, now it’s interesting to explore new-age content. The scripts are changing and the audiences’expectations have also increased. Today, it’s more about scripts and content. That what makes it the right moment for actors to explore themselves.

MUMBAI MIRROR (November 8, 2016)

Shah Rukh Khan reunited with his sexy Main Hoon Na chemistry teacher Chandni at the Mumbai airport on Sunday as they both returned separately from trips abroad. Sushmita Sen was with her daughters, Renee and Alisah, and ‘gentlemen’ Khan insisted on carrying their bags. Later, he posed for a picture with the ladies, after shy Alisah had been coaxed into stepping forward for the camera. Thereafter, she stuck to the Badshah uncle like a magnet.

“It’s the first time they met,” Sush admitted, adding that elder daughter Renee was quietly thrilled that like the 51-year-old-actror she too was in grey . “And I’m thrilled to have Alisah finally stand still in one place. Finally, we have a well-behaved picture of the happy gang. Thank you Shah Rukh for being you.”

The impromptu meeting had us humming a line from one of their songs, “Tumse milke dil ka hai jo haal kya kahein, ho gaya hai kaisa ye kamaal kya kahein…”

Farah Khan shares what went behind the sexiest teacher ever created
Upala KBR (DNA; September 4, 2016)


Sush as Chandni
Says Farah, “Main Hoon Na was a very educative film! Sushmita was the most remembered teacher in Bollywood. I don’t know why, but I always had Sush in mind. When I was writing the story I didn’t have Shah Rukh or anybody else in mind, but I knew I wanted Sush as Chandni. When I choreographed Sushmita for the first time for Dilbar Dilbar in Sirf Tum I had told her that when I make my first movie I will have a fabulous part for her. She always remembers that and tells me I was one of the few people who keeps my word because I went back to her four years later for MHN.”

Young boys’ fantasy
The filmmaker wrote Chandni’s role keeping in mind the fantasy of young boys. “This hot teacher is every boy’s fantasy. I know from my own experience as my brother Sajid used to have these crushes on his school teachers. You know how boys are... They drop their pencils and hope their teachers pick it up. Every guy that I know including Shah Rukh used to have this fantasy teacher that they would be in love with. Usually, teachers are boring and drab in movies, but as it was a commercial one I had to make Chandni look beautiful. My teachers for sure didn’t look like this as I was educated in a convent school.”

Sush scared to walk in a sari
Sushmita adopted the persona of Chandni beautifully. Farah gushes, “I love Sush and I can go on record to say that she’s the best heroine I have ever worked with. She would be there on time and be most enthusiastic about being on the sets. I would never hear her complaining about anything. She’s such a warm and positive person. I call her queen because she lives in her own kingdom and can’t be bothered about anything else. I have never heard her bitch anybody out. When I narrated the role and told her about the look, she was most worried about wearing saris on screen for the first time. Earlier, she would be attired only in western clothes like gowns and leather pants and never had this Indian look so she was concerned about how she would walk. I drove her stylist, Manish Malhotra, nuts as I insisted on her carrying matching folders with her sari. When I saw the first cut I thought her role was the smallest and wondered if I had done justice to her role. I never expected people would go mad about her!”

SRK as college boy
Initially, a romcom, MHN was later changed to fit SRK into a college boy’s role. “It was about a boy falling in love with his brother’s teacher, but then we had to work ulta and find a reason why he’s going back to college as Shah Rukh refused to play a college kid at the age of 35. I had to explain about him going undercover. Then I said let’s make it bigger and brought in more angles like India-Pakistan one.”

Teacher’s advice
Any advice to kids as she plans to start her teaching course on choreography. “My advice is to parents more than children. I tell my kids not to get pressurised by school exams, etc, but enjoy their schooldays because when we grow up we realise that was the best time of our lives,” she says.

The internationally famous singer loves Farah Khan’s film. She thinks it’d be great to have him in one of her films
DNA (May 11, 2015)


Well, here’s how the story’s actually going to go: It’s fairly common knowledge that except for Tees Maar Khan, Farah has only worked with Shah Rukh. The two have a 100 per cent track record at the box-office between them. But given SRK’s current slate, he’s going to be busy for at least two years and won’t be able to give Farah his dates anytime soon. If MHN2 happens, it will be as late as 2017-18.

But that doesn’t mean Farah’s going to twiddle her thumbs while she waits to shoot with her favourite star. Even Karan Johar, who’d only made films with King Khan did make Student Of The Year and is making his next with Ranbir Kapoor. Farah, too will, make another film till her favourite hero gives her his dates. Till then, will she make a film with Zayn?

When asked she laughs, “He is undoubtedly very popular. When I went to London for the Asian Film Festival, he had just just split from One Direction. Everyone just kept talking about him. He is a really good looking guy. Quite cute, so why not?

It remains to be seen, if after Ali Zafar and Fawad Khan, another singer with a Pakistani father, makes his B-Town debut.

Music composer Anu Malik opens up to fans about his long absence and learning new tricks
Sanjiv Nair (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 22, 2015)

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 20, 2015)

Farah Khan will host a special 'sing-along' screening of 'India's contemporary musical - Om Shanti Om' at the London Asian Film Festival on Saturday.

The director-choreographer who is hosting a two-hour long master class on choreography at the festival, will breakdown the dance sequences shot-by-shot and show the British how Bollywood rolls.

"Songs like Deewangi Deewangi will play like a karaoke feature and the audience will sing and dance to my tunes. But it's not a dance class," Farah says, explaining, "I will also be deconstructing my one-shot song from Main Hoon Na for the packed house."

Farah Khan on being a woman in a male-dominated industry and making it big on her own terms
Shubha Shetty-Saha (MID-DAY; November 2, 2014)

Farah Khan is a success story alright. Coming from a humble background, where she had to struggle to keep her and her family from starving, today she is the first woman director to have entered the Rs 100-crore club within the first five days of her film’s release. Excerpts from an interview:

How does it feel to be part of the Rs 100-crore club with Happy New Year?
I can’t tell you how good this feels. I have never said this before, but I need to now — our country is sexist and so is our industry. A male director gets away with anything. Why is there so much pressure on me to do a certain kind of film just because I am a woman? In fact, just the fact that my film is not what they expect a woman to make, and that it is successful, is empowering.

What kind of movies were you expected to make?
Sweet, small movies. I like watching them, but I don’t want to make them. Pleasing a billion people with your movie is an art in itself. When I made my debut movie, Main Hoon Na, some people criticised it. After that people made it a hit, so there is no bigger thing than the audience. Now they are saying Main Hoon Na was much better than Happy New Year. I can understand if they run down my Tees Maar Khan because it was a bad film and people unanimously rejected it. But not this one. Just the fact that it is making so much money simply means people are accepting it.

You have seen times when you struggled to survive, and now you are here. Does money spell happiness for you now?
We come from a very poor background. When my dad died, he had just Rs 30 in his pocket and there was a mountain of debt to be repaid. I was a little over 18 and Sajid was 14. I had to run around to collect money for his funeral. Sajid and I worked hard to clear those debts. I am still insecure about money and my family. That insecurity will never leave me. I do TV shows for money. The only film that I made for money was Tees Maar Khan. Even when we were struggling, and I worked as a choreographer, I never worked looking at money. In fact, I keep telling Shah Rukh let’s not waste money as my middle-class conditioning won’t leave me.

Have people’s attitudes toward you changed over the years? 
When I started out, I wasn’t treated badly at all. I got a lot of support from SRK, Javed (Akhtar) uncle and others. Many people gave me chances. It’s only when you become big and successful that people look at you as a threat. They get their claws out and start pulling you down. Those guys don’t care if you live or die so their praise or criticism doesn’t matter. I have learnt a way to deal with this. I just disconnect and go home and play with my kids, no matter what. Just yesterday I played dark-room with them. It took care of most things on my mind.

Talking about kids, with three of them and a full-fledged filmmaking career, how do you make the most of your time?
I am very good at time management. I am very punctual and I think it is due to my Parsi genes. I genuinely believe that even if you are not immensely talented, but are professional, you can last longer in this industry. I know of people who have lasted only because of their good behaviour while those who were more talented fizzled out because of their attitude. Also, you just have to be happy with what you are doing. You know, we women are superb at time management, and I try being there for my children after work. Yet, there have been days when I came home and they would have already gone to sleep. That would fill me with a lot of guilt. But that’s that. I move on.

Happy New Year was panned by critics. How do you feel about that?
Honestly, at this point, I’d rather look at the euphoria of people dancing in the aisles of Gaiety-Galaxy when the climax song was played than at a critic who is telling me what to make. My movie is not for critics — it is for people who pay for it, watch it and make it a success. Anyway, most critics know only the world between Lokhandwala and Bandra and they have a clear disconnect from the country we live in. Now they tell me Main Hoon Na was a much better movie than Happy New Year. One critic had given me half a star for Main Hoon Na. I had spent the whole day crying. But now I don’t take these things so seriously. If the movie does well, people forget. They had not spared Sholay. I received congratulatory calls for three days after Happy New Year released (laughs). I was so happy, because after Tees Maar Khan nobody had called. When Tees Maar Khan failed, people were only too happy to bring it down. I know it was a bad film but I could see some people actually looking at it as a celebration.

How did you deal with Tees Maar Khan’s failure?
At some level failure helps you more than success. If you can come out of failure, there is no better teacher for you. I have seen my dad fail and just go down. He began drinking and was unable to come out of it. Our family knows how to survive because we have seen him. I learnt a lot looking at that, and I think every woman can. Never think you are less capable than anyone. I am lucky to have some supportive men around me, but not many do. There will be an insecure husband, boss or a colleague around. Well, we have a boys’ club in the industry too, who are not too happy with a woman’s success.

Talking about supportive men, a lot of your success is attributed to SRK’s presence in your films.
But isn’t that true? The fact that he doesn’t do too many movies and chooses to do films with me is part of my success. I look at that as my success. More than anything, we have a great partnership. We have the same irreverent sense of humour, our synergy is good. According to astrologers, our kundalis match, too (laughs).

Farah Khan raises a toast to new beginnings with her favourite star
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 13, 2014)

Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; September 8, 2014)

Happy New Year is a genre bender, India's first heist and dance film. While most actors take pride in showing and talking about their bodies, the otherwise great showman Shah Rukh Khan is shy of not just showing it but even talking about it. We tried our best to get Shah Rukh to tell us about his 10 pack but all he said was, 'I can be in a tub full of rose petals with ladies and in a 10 pack for a woman director like Farah Khan. The guy who has done it is Prashant from Body Sculptor. My idea of fitness is that you have to be regularly fit. If at any given time if I am called to show my body, I take a month of training to get into this shape. But you are basically fit if you are fit with your food and do just half an hour of exercises everyday.' However, we spoke to the dynamic and full-of-life Farah Khan, who was too happy flaunting the fact that she was the only one man or woman who had managed to get Shah Rukh to take off his shirt in a film. Excerpts:

How different are you from other women directors?
Normally women make films about social causes. My films are about men. I am not just a commercial filmmaker but also a Man Filmmaker. The response we first got after the trailer was released was that it is such a macho film. Of course, the prettiness is there and I ensure that my heroines leave a stark mark in her presentation, but Happy New Year too is a boy's film with the girl as a highlight. As a woman, in a fun way, it is my duty to exploit men and I am doing that. Shah Rukh, Boman, Sonu are all going to be in several packs. Shah Rukh does it only for me and I take that as a huge compliment. And I feel special when he does it as I know how much goes into it. This is my gift to all the women in the world and to some men, too.

Shah Rukh Khan showed his 6 packs in Om Shanti Om and now again for your film in Happy New Year. Is that a coincidence?
I believe that a person's body should not come into the room before his or her personality. So, I like to show his body only when it is required.In Main Hoon Na, he had promised me that he will remove his shirt for me. But he could not as his back had a spinal surgery. Then he promised me in Om Shanti Om and he kept his promise and did Dard-e-Disco. I remember his picture came in Bombay Times and everyone went berserk. Then after that he said, 'If I ever remove my shirt, it will only be for you and next time I will give you an eight pack.' I don't think it was an eight pack, it was a 10 pack atleast. And now he is at least 7 years older than at that time. He says that he does it only for me. He is going to be 49 on November 2nd and I don't think anybody has a body like this. This picture is his introduction in the film. He is a very well-educated Boston returned who, due to circumstances, is not getting a job and for whatever reasons, therefore is a fighter at an underground fight club where these rich people come. We have introduced him like a fighter in a kick-boxing kind of situation.His family has been implicated by Jackie Shroff, so he is wanting this revenge for which he collects his team, most of which is known to him from before, and he is the mastermind of the full heist.

Talk about working with Shah Rukh?
As a director this is our third film, but as a choreographer, I have done my maximum work with him. I have known him right from Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, and let me tell you that he is exactly the same. When we started shooting, he was a newcomer and was one of the most hardworking people. I have worked with most actors, but he is by far the most hardworking amongst all of them. As in just coming on set and wanting to give his 200% to the shot, not saying a no to anything, be it falling on the keechar, or doing the stunts himself with or without the harness, be it that his back is paining or that he is wounded. As he has grown in stardom, his work ethic has only become more hardworking and most hardworking. He never feels that for 20 years, I have been a superstar, so, let me relax now.

What do you like about Shah Rukh?
We vibe on a different level. I don't work for him, I am his friend. We also fought for the one and a half years in between just the way friends would fight. As something hurt the both of us, but we got back also the same way and it was exactly the same. I know that as a friend, he will be there for me. As a director, to have him as an actor and a producer means 99% of my stress removed from my back. Sometimes you have to think what you want as he gives it to you beyond and more. So, if I am doing an action sequence, and want a wide shot and I am calling a crane, but no, an auto copter will be called from Spain, so that we can take that one shot. It's very difficult to wrap your head around, so you become very conscious of the budget. So, I become the producer of the film trying to control costs saying, 'Let's finish the shot in three days', but he will say, 'No, let's take six days to do it.' The tables are reversed with us.

As a producer, he is saying, 'Spend, spend, spend' and I am trying to control it. As a friend, I can tell him almost anything both before and after my marriage. If I call him, just by the tone of my voice, he will know and will be at my house to chat me up or talk me through the crisis I am going through. He picks up my phone and is now on BB with me but I have phone numbers of everyone around him, right from his body guard to driver to his manager Pooja Dadlani to his spot boy to Gauri to I will soon be having AbRam's number, so I know how to reach him.

Talk about your relationship with him?
We have the same sense of humour and we get each other's jokes. For a very long time he would tell me, 'Listen I am older to you and you better listen to me.' He didn't know that I am seven months older than him till one day when he saw my passport. We can talk about everything but more than anything else, we have a lot of mutual respect.

Without adequate respect, the friendship may not be on equal footing. He will always find the nicer way out to tell me how to talk or behave with a person. Sometimes I feel that he doesn't listen to me first and wants me to be nicer to the other person, but when I look back, after a week or a month or a year, I realise that what he was telling me was absolutely right. I know that he always gives me the lecture, but deep down he loves me the most. When he walks into a van or a room or a set, he is like a magnet and attracts everybody there and people want to be around him. He is like an instant pick me up and is like a shot of coffee where everyone gets energised when he is around. He is the most generous actor, forget producer. This is an ensemble cast film and for a lead star to tell me, 'Don't worry about me, concentrate on the other guys, make them look good', I have not seen any other lead star say or do this. I am usually the one who keeps shouting on set, so no one bothers, but sometimes if Shah Rukh gets angry, be it on a small thing on set, everybody's mood goes for a toss.

Does this film become more important to you given that your last film Tees Maar Khan did not work?
After something doesn't work, the pressure is much more. People don't see your body of work, they will only judge you by your last work. At that time it hurts as there are people wanting to bring you down but it is a good lesson to me that in life not to do it to others. Our industry revolves around Schadenfreude, the German word for taking pleasure out of someone else's ill fate where we don't have much to be happy about our achievements, so let's be happy around someone else's non achievements.

Who broke the ice for Shah Rukh and you to work again together?
He just picked up the phone and said, 'Enough is enough, you just make a movie for me.' We fought for a year and a half. It was not that we did not love each other or anything. He also knows and respects the reason why it happened. He knows that I am not his chamcha, I am his friend and so if anything is going wrong, I will say it. My brother Sajid Khan called Gauri and said, 'What is happening? This is ter rible.' And she said, `Tell Farah this is her house. And she needs to be here right away.' And then Shirish, me and Sajid Nadiadwala landed up at Shah Rukh's house. And it took just like 30 seconds and that was it. Shirish and Shah Rukh said sorry to each other. And the one and a half year was out of the window.

Salman Khan recently tweeted for Happy New Year.
I think it was really sweet, generous and big hearted of him and I tweeted back. I didn't do it for his film and felt shit and wished that I had also done that. That's how it should be. Shah Rukh said, 'It is so sweet of Salman to have tweeted as he is very fond of you and Shirish.'

Is it difficult as a woman when people write negative things about your husband or brother?
Luckily my brother has always been used to me. In fact, I was thrilled when he did well. Shirish met me only when I was successful. It's not that he met me in college and suddenly I became successful. I was a huge choreographer, so it wasn't that he married a nobody who became a somebody. I married him as I genuinely loved him. He is a true artist, very talented and his time will come.

He has a great sense of humour and is the best father and a secure person. He is the most important man in my life and I love him the most in the world. For me, he is the head of my family and the father of my kids. I am there only as he is there taking care of certain things. He is also my emotional anchor and someone I can run my scripts through.

What next?
I have officially retired from choreography. It's been 21 years and I have no interest left in that. I will direct or spend time with my kids. But for now, this film has exhausted me and I need a long holiday.

Happy New Year, produced by Red Chillies Entertainments, releases worldwide this Diwali.

Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; March 10, 2014)

It was four years back, when Farah Khan was dining at Anil Kapoor’s house, when she got a call saying that Juhi’s brother Bobby had suffered a heart attack and needed to be taken to a hospital. Remembering Bobby, Farah said, “When I got a call, Shah Rukh and Juhi were out of town for a cricket match. It was really scary to be signing papers and taking responsibility for someone else’s life, but I admitted him to the hospital. Bobby was a great producer, who had great people skills. He could get people to go out of their way and do anything. He also always wanted to make sure that everybody was comfortable on shoot. As the man responsible for the budget, you are never a popular person, but Bobby was a people’s person. Even when we are shooting Happy New Year, we think of him everyday and say if Bobby would have been here, he would have shouted at us and never let us waste money. In the end credits of my film, we had this shot of all of us throwing cake at Bobby in Main Hoon Na and paper balls at him in Om Shanti Om. Of course, it was all done in good humour as a gift to him for cutting all our money and he played along with us.

He was like family to me and he organised half of my wedding. He took care of the sangeet and flower decoration. He was a charmer, great fun and a great producer.”