Sceptical about shooting amid the Coronavirus pandemic, Arjun Rampal was close to turning down director Bhargava Krishna's courtroom drama, Nail Polish. "Initially, I told the director that I wasn't sure whether I want to go to a set amid the Coronavirus pandemic, especially since I have a one-year-old [son Arik] at home. But he said, 'Just hear the script and take a call.' So, we had a narration over a Zoom call and when I saw his conviction in the script, I said yes," recounts Rampal, who leads the ZEE5 film that revolves around the killing of migrant children.

The actor plays the defence counsel to Manav Kaul's character, who is the prime accused in the murders. "It was interesting to understand where my character Sid Jaisingh stands morally. He believes that a person is innocent until proven guilty. He brings that attitude even when he is defending someone accused of killing 38 children," says Rampal, adding that he imbibed the mannerisms of his lawyer uncle to perfect the act.

Earlier this week, the actor made his second appearance before the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) after he was summoned for questioning in a drug-related case that was lodged after Sushant Singh Rajput's death.

Earlier this week, Arjun Rampal began shooting for Nail Polish, a courtroom drama directed by Bhargava Krishna. However, the shoot at Filmistan Studio ground to an abrupt halt on Wednesday after co-actors Manav Kaul and Anand Tiwari tested positive for Coronavirus. The makers immediately instructed the unit to undergo another round of tests and practise the mandatory 14-day self-quarantine.

Rampal, who is currently staying in isolation, says the unit had adopted stringent safety measures, including undergoing a test before the principal photography began. "The cast and crew would undergo antigen tests daily, and COVID tests every four days. The set was equipped with sanitisation tunnels, and unit hands had been given PPE suits and masks. If at all, actors are more vulnerable as we can't wear masks while shooting," he says. Rampal was filming a sequence with Kaul on Wednesday when the medical reports came in. "Now, everyone is quarantining at home and getting tested again. We can't resume shoot for two weeks."

Though he was excited to return to the set after six months, Rajit Kapur — who also features in the ZEE5 web series — acknowledges that the latest turn of events has left him conflicted. "Even though we're working with a small unit, we are apprehensive because we're surrounded by 30 people on the set. The producers provided a separate vanity van to every artiste; they made sure we maintained physical distancing. But once we go on the floor, we have to perform together," he says.

When mid-day reached out to Kaul, he said, "I have tested positive and am quarantining at home."

Friends and colleagues remember the actor-writer-director whose films were always real and relatable
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 18, 2020)

On Monday, filmaker Nishikant Kamat breathed his last at the AIG Hospital in Hyderabad, where he was admitted on July 31 after complaining of excessive fatigue and fever. While he was initially responding to treatment, Nishi, as he was fondly called, had to be shifted to the ICU, where his condition gradually deteriorated.

The 50-year-old filmmaker, who was suffering from cirrhosis of the liver, succumbed to the condition at 4:24 pm, after his vitals started deteriorating leading to multiple organ failure, despite best efforts by hepatologists, gastroenterologists, pulmonologists and intensivists, as informed by the hospital in a statement. Actor-friend Riteish Deshmukh, who was constantly updating fans about Nishi’s condition, quashing rumours of his death while he was still battling for life, was the first to share the news of his demise. “I will miss you my friend” he wrote, followed by wife Genelia Deshmukh, who called him her life coach. “I live by so much that we discussed and I live with knowing you were such an amazing soul and I’m just so glad our paths crossed,” she tweeted emotionally.

Nishi made his directorial debut with the Marathi film, Dombivali Fast in 2005, which won the National Award for Best Feature Film in Marathi. His old friend, actor Manav Kaul, shares that while they were in Pune together for a month-and-a-half, for the shoot of Saatchya Aat Gharat, the director narrated the script of Dombivali Fast to him. “He was so excited, so full of ideas,” recalls Manav, who made his Marathi acting debut with the film, which Nishi had also written.

During their early years in Mumbai, they were neighbours and had a favourite restaurant where they’d often go for breakfast. “He used to come for my plays earlier. Even after he became a well-known director, we’d bump into each other off and on. He could do both big budget films and small meaningful cinema side by side with the same passion and dedication,” says Manav, distraught that a rare talent has gone too soon.

Dombivali Fast was remade in Tamil with R Madhavan as Evano Oruvan in 2007. The following year, Nishi debuted in Hindi cinema with Mumbai Meri Jaan, set against the backdrop of July 2006 train blasts, which again featured Madhavan along with Irrfan Khan, Soha Ali Khan, Paresh Rawal and Kay Kay Menon. Maddy describes his demise as a “personal loss” while Paresh remembers that Madhavan was already on board as Nikhil Agarwal. “He told me I could choose from the remaining three central characters, but I insisted he tell me which role he thought was most apt for me and he picked Hawaldar Tukaram Patil,” he flashbacks, saying he was more inclined towards the more silent Thomas, eventually enacted by Irrfan Khan. “I ended up as the cop and it’s one of my most memorable films in terms of job satisfaction,” admits the National Award-winning actor.

The film’s producer Ronnie Screwvala, too, remembers Nishi for his clarity of vision and storytelling in all three languages. “His films will always be remembered for his ability to take real life situations and make them dramatic on screen,” he asserts.

Nishi’s second Hindi directorial Force pitted John Abraham against debutant, Vidyut Jammwal who always looked at Nishi as his mentor. “Whatever I want to say about him, I will say to him in my head and keep it in my prayers,” the grieving actor told Mirror.

Arjun Rampal who worked with him as producer-actor in Daddy and actor in his web-series, Final Call, will always remember him for his great sense of humour and his infectious smile. “He’d been unwell and during Final Call he looked a little weak. But as the years went by, he was absolutely fine and we were planning to do more work together. It’s a really sad day for all of us having lost someone really special,” Arjun mourns.

Shibasish Sarkar, producer of Nishi’s last film as an actor, Bhavesh Joshi Superhero, reveals that for the last year-and-a-half he’d been working with the filmmaker on a show, 03:02, which Nishi was writing and directing. It was based on a book by Mainak Dhar. “My colleague, Monisha Katial, was creatively handling the project with Nishi. He wasn’t keeping well, yet he came to the office regularly and was there at every meeting, flashing that infectious smile and cracking jokes,” says Shibasish, for whom his demise has come as a shock since they were in touch almost every day. “Two years ago, he fought liver cirrhosis and maintained a disciplined life. We thought that he had turned the corner. He was a great guy, so simple and down-to-earth, we’ll miss him.”

Ajay Devgn, who featured in Nishikant’s critically acclaimed Drishyam, also laments the loss of this “bright, ever-smiling director” and an equation that went beyond films. While Randeep Hooda wrote, “You lived and died by what you decided you loved more than anything else... I’m sure you had no regrets about much... thank you for all the movies, all the fun stories, warmth and smiles.”

Manav Kaul, the actor and writer, on being philosophical, the brilliance of Samuel Beckett, and his new film
Anuka Roy (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 12, 2020)

While most of the world was grappling with the fear and anxiety of a forced lockdown, to curb the spread of the Coronavirus outbreak, Manav Kaul was hard at work on his keyboard. The actor-writer completed his fifth book, Chalta-Phirta Pret — a collection of seven Hindi short stories — and released it on July 10.

Death is the pervading theme of the book, he explains when asked about the title. “I am an avid follower of philosophy. And philosophers around the world have pondered about where we go after death. There’s no answer,” says the 44-year-old, who wrote the stories over a span of a couple of years while travelling in Europe, Korea and other parts of the world. The death of his father, two years ago, made him contemplate death even more. “One way to understand or deal with death is writing,” he says. Surprisingly, he found out while editing the first draft, that even though he intended to write about death, his stories are actually full of life.

While the lockdown has helped him finish the book, it also brought its share of disappointment. Kaul’s new play, Giving Up On Godot — written and directed by him, under his production house Aranya — was set to premiere on March 17, but the countrywide lockdown put a spanner to it. It’s uncanny that the seven protagonists in the play, too, are forced to stay in a confined space — in a different kind of lockdown.

Giving Up On Godot is his take on the classic Samuel Beckett play Waiting For Godot. “His play can be taken to any small or big town and the interpretation will be different — that’s the genius of Samuel Beckett,” says the Tumhari Sulu actor. Even though he’s upset that it couldn’t be staged, he is willing to wait for as long as it takes for things to get better. “The need of the hour is to ensure everyone is safe and help each other in whatever way possible,” he says.

In 2018, interestingly, Kaul posted a no-objection letter on his Instagram page for anyone wishing to stage any of his 13 plays. “Honestly, at one point I was tired of answering mails asking for permission to use my stories and plays,” he says. “Also, when I watch my plays or even read the books I have written, I feel I’d been a different person at the time of writing. For me, that part is over. I don’t see a point in being possessive about them. This is a way of giving back to the society, which inspired these stories.”

Among his acting gigs, Kaul is looking forward to the biopic about badminton player Saina Nehwal, which stars Parineeti Chopra. He plays the role of Chopra’s coach, for which he was undergoing training. Kaul though is no stranger to sports. By the time he’d finished school, the Hoshangabad boy had been selected by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) as a swimming talent and had to move to Bhopal to train. During this time, he watched Habib Tanveer’s rendition of Mudra Rakshasa at Bharat Bhavan and it changed the course of his life. He took up acting seriously and, after a few years of theatre in Bhopal, moved to Mumbai in 1998 to realise his dreams.

Kaul made his Bollywood debut with the 2003 movie Jajantaram Mamantaram. It was only a decade later in Abhishek Kapoor’s Kai Po Che! that he won wide recognition and acclaim. But though his performances are almost always appreciated, they don’t always translate into a profusion of offers. Kaul, however, isn’t too bothered. “I am confident about my potential. Whenever you say yes to a role, you put your heart and soul in it,” he says. “I am getting the roles that I want to perform. Eventually, you get what you deserve.” 

Sanchita Kalra (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 27, 2020)

The world of theatre has taken a pause and is struggling in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. As March 27 marks the occasion of World Theatre Day, prominent theatre personalities talk about the impact of Covid-19 on the industry and their memories of performing on stage.

Theatre director and actor Manav Kaul, with a heavy heart, says, “It is sad and unfortunate that on World Theatre Day, there will be no theatre anywhere in the world.” He also reveals his play was scheduled to open in Mumbai on March 17 but was cancelled due to the shutdown. Kaul adds, “This is the need of the hour. I’ve been rehearsing rigorously for four months. I even gave a break to my acting jobs for this.”

Many actors unanimously agree that taking appropriate preventive measures during such critical crisis should be the topmost priority. Film and theatre actor Deepak Dobriyal says that it has not only impacted Indian film and theatre industry but also wreaked havoc in numerous professional worlds as well. He says, “The entire country is in the same situation. Whether it’s theatre or any other profession, every individual needs NOC from coronavirus. Only then will everyone be able to perform.”

Talking about the idea of presenting archived theatre shows on digital media platforms, actor Pankaj Tripathi says, “I saw that the members of the music fraternity are doing digital concerts on social media. Mujhe lagta hai rangmanch mein bhi log thoda bohot aise karenge. But ye medium toh nahi hai aisa. Woh toh live medium hai. But for now, our primary concern is health, whether it’s an artiste or general public. So, our complete focus should be on that. Rangmach Diwas toh har saal aata hai.”

Actor Saurabh Shukla emphasises on the stress-free usage of social media, if people can’t go out to catch a play. He says “We are in this together. In a time when you know there’s an ominous fear, it’s good to have stress-free time. If people have recorded plays, then the footage should be on social media.” However, for many, it’s the happy memories that keep them going.

Actor Shabana Azmi shares one such incident and says , “I was once arrested along with 16 slum dwellers for a demonstration. My parents, Javed (Akhtar; husband), Feroz Abbas Khan and Farooq Sheikh all came to the police station because I was to perform Tumhari Amrita in Mumbai at 6 pm. My mother, Shaukat Kaifi pleaded with the police officer and said, ‘We come from theatre and for us the show must go on. Please release my daughter so she can do her play and I will personally bring her back to you’. Ultimately, I reached the auditorium at 8 pm and was on stage seven minutes later. We got a standing ovation!”

Sanskrita Bharadwaj, Titas Chowdhury and Naina Arora (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 25, 2020)

With no new theatrical shows, open-mics or gigs due to the outbreak of Covid-19, life has been drastically different for people across the country. The performing arts have always suffered challenges, financially. And now, the Coronavirus scare has come as a severe blow to the entire industry, including artistes and technicians. Manav Kaul who was all set to stage Giving Up On Godot, a play directed by him at Mumbai’s Prithvi Theatre, says, “It was a little heartbreaking that it didn’t happen. We had finished the final rehearsals, and just two days before we were about to go on stage, we came to know that the show has been postponed.”

Ask him about the loss of money and he explains, “A play won’t go waste and it’s here to stay. I’ve got a script, we’ve got actors and we’ll open it in November. The money put in is all mine and so it doesn’t matter. The staff involved in plays are being taken care of.”

Shikha Talsania, who has co-directed the play, wants to concentrate on the silver lining and hopes that the audience turnout will be more post the crisis. “Maybe, once this ends, we will get more audience, who will be bored of watching television and would look forward to watching a live performance,” she says.

Gujarati actor-director Pratik Gandhi, who is popular for his plays Mohan No Masalo and Hu Chandrakant Bakshi, believes that the coronavirus crisis is a “big blow” to the already struggling theatre industry but some “path breaking innovation” might come out of it. “With shows being cancelled, a lot of theatre people who are completely dependent on it are suffering a huge loss, too. But being an optimist, I want to believe that we’re all getting time to introspect,” he says.

Comedy gigs which are a regular in Mumbai and Delhi, have suffered a big blow as well. “All my shows were cancelled, including public, corporate, and private,” says stand-up comedian Rahul Dua (right), adding, “Quarantine can be boring. Even if all of this is over, it’ll take some time for people to be comfortable sharing an auditorium room with 300 people.”

Musicians, too, are bearing the brunt. Delhi-based singer Sonam Kalra, says, “This has been hard on the global economy. A lot of musicians including myself had shows that have got cancelled but I do believe it is necessary for now as it is better for us to be safe and responsible.”

Actor Sonali Kulkarni (below), who was supposed to travel to the US for a play, early this month, cancelled her travel plans. She says, “This is going to hit the industry for long term. All the technicians are going to face problems because we are shut.”

Stage actor and producer Denzil Smith (below) echoes similar thoughts. “Let’s assume that we are able to get out of this, even then people will not want to invest in the arts because many people would think about resurrecting their financial situations,” he explains, adding, “Perhaps, the art will see a resurgence and some mind blowing stuff will happen when we start over.”

Director Atul Satya Koushik whose shows were cancelled, says, “Even if normal services start opening by mid April, entertainment would be the last priority of the government as it’s not an essential commodity. I am telling my team that art is practised in isolation, and executed in public. So, the practise must continue, writers must write new scenes, and directors must revisit their shows and redesign them.”

However, theatre organisers are hopeful. Anasuya Vaidya, from Akshara Theatre, Delhi, says, “We’ve had to cancel and postpone a whole lot of shows. Classes and workshops are suspended as well. We are waiting to get back on stage.”

While Asmita Theatre Group is keeping the action alive on Facebook with a 10-day online theatre festival called the Quarantine Theatre Festival. Founder Arvind Gaur says, “Our live shows were affected so we thought of doing an online festival till March 31,” he says.

Sammohinee Ghosh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 12, 2020)

Primarily known for her roles in movies such as Lipstick Under My Burkha (2017) and The Accidental Prime Minister (2019), actor Aahana Kumra made her acting debut in 2009. And since then, she has worked in a number of web shows and even theatre plays. The actor was recently seen in the play Dekh Behen which was part of The Great Indian Theatre Festival, and says that she loves working in women-led projects. “There is always food on the set. There’s nothing like being part of an all-female cast. All of us love to eat and we have a bountiful spread. It is lovely to have so many women around. Each one of us has immense potential and apart from being friends or co-actors, we look up to one another,” says Kumra, reinstating faith in healthy women camaraderie.

Giving us a peek into her part in the play, she says, “My character, Trisha, is the binding element in the story. She is not judgmental, is unmarried, and is unabashed about her choices. She somehow holds the other characters together.”

The actor adds, while on the face of it the conversations are hilarious, they constantly nudge at socially potent issues. “I think Dilshad (Dilshad Edibam Khurana) and Tahira (Tahira Nath) — the writers of the play — have come up with an intelligent plot. The script is clever; you laugh along until it hits you that reality is no different,” she adds.

Ask her about the current theatre scene in the country and Kumra shares how the introduction of other platforms, leaves the stage with only a handful of players. According to the actor, OTT platforms and the big screen are undoubtedly important, but coming back to theatre hones ones flair in strange ways. “My speech is precise and since I am relentlessly showing up at rehearsals, I unconsciously discipline myself. There are no retakes and that is where spontaneous ideation or even, team spirit comes into play,” the actor shares.

On stage directors that she has always wanted to work with, Manav Kaul is pretty high up on the list. “I really wonder why he never casts me in any of his plays. The next play I plan to watch is Giving Up On Godot. I would also like to work with Mohit Takalkar,” she signs off.

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 12, 2020)

After the 2017 comedy-drama Jolly LLB 2, featuring Akshay Kumar and Huma Qureshi, director Subhash Kapoor was to helm Mogul, the biopic on T-Series founder Gulshan Kumar, with Aamir Khan playing the late music baron and also producing the film with Bhushan Kumar. Now, Mirror has learnt that while Aamir is busy with Laal Singh Chaddha, the director has quietly gone on and shot a political-drama, titled Madam Chief Minister.

“During one of the discussions on Gulshan ji’s biopic, I brought up this subject with Bhushan ji who agreed to support the film,” informs Subhash who wrapped up the film in a start-to-finish 40-day schedule in Lucknow last November-December. His last directorial was also filmed in the City of Nawabs.

Bhushan, who’s producing the film with Naren Kumar and Dimple Kharbanda, describes it as an interesting script. “Subhash has incorporated many incidents and anecdotes he had seen and experienced as a political journalist into the narrative,” he adds.

Richa Chadha, who was recently seen as Kangana Ranuat’s friend-turned-kabaddi coach in Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s Panga, plays the lead role of a politician. The film also features Manav Kaul and Saurabh Shukla. While readying for a July 17 release, Subhash has begun prep for Mogul.

Manav Kaul on how he transformed himself to play Saina Nehwal’s coach in her biopic
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 18, 2019)

Manav Kaul, who plays Parineeti Chopra’s coach in the Saina Nehwal’s biopic, has been training hard for months. “I used to play badminton as a child and thought I play well. But when I met Eshan (Naqvi), my trainer for the film, I realised I knew nothing about the sport and had to unlearn what I did and start from scratch,” he admits, adding his game has improved considerably now.

Manav, however, is a national level-swimmer who was placed third at the All India University Swimming Championships. But being away from active sports had taken a toll and getting into the character was not easy. “My stamina was low, I’d fall down after just 10 minutes of playing, feeling like my heart would jump out of my body. But, Eshan was very patient and I learnt a lot from him,” the actor reveals, adding that he had to lose a couple of kilos as badminton coaches are fit, lean and agile. The actor informs that his character is not based on any particular coach but inspired by all her coaches which is why he didn’t meet anyone as part of his prep. “I had a coach for two years, Chauhan Sir, and I had him at the back of my mind as a role model,” he shares.

Manav hasn’t met Saina yet, but is very impressed with the Olympian’s career and finds her life interesting. He’s all praise for Parineeti Chopra who plays the champ on screen. “She is great fun and I have always admired her work, especially her performance in Ladies vs Ricky Bahl. She is always positive and energetic, and that is contagious. I didn’t meet Parineeti much before the shoot and that helped because there was tension between Saina and her coach in real life and that translated on screen,” he informs, adding that he will wrap up his portions by the year end.

Manav Kaul plays the character in Amole Gupte’s next, which is expected to go on the floors in October
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 22, 2019)

Mirror had earlier reported (March 15) that after Shraddha Kapoor had to back out of Amole Gupte’s Saina Nehwal biopic due to scheduling conflicts, Parineeti Chopra had stepped in to play the ace shuttler. In March, the actress started prepping for the part at a suburban sports complex with Eshan Naqvi who, besides coaching her in the sport, is also her co-star in the film. Now, we have learnt that the makers have roped in Tumhari Sulu actor Manav Kaul to play Saina’s coach.

According to a source close to the development, the character draws inspiration from all the coaches that have played an important role in Saina’s career. “Amole and his team felt that Manav would suit the role. He has begun prep and the research for his role. The film is expected to go on the floors in October,” the source added. After playing husband to Vidya Balan in Suresh Triveni’s 2017 slice-of-life comedy, Manav was recently seen in the Amitabh Bachchan and Taapsee Pannustarrer Badla, as well as Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyun Aata Hai?

Meanwhile, Parineeti had earlier informed Mirror (April 3) that she wakes up at 5 am every day to work out and is training in badminton on every alternate day for the Bhushan Kumar, Divya Khosla Kumar and Deepa Bhatia production. “Prep usually starts early because we have booked courts in slots when there are no distractions of any kind. We start at 6 am and wind up by 8 am. I will have to live this regimented life for the next nine months, but I am pretty kicked about it. I want to do justice to the film and to Saina,” Parineeti had said.

More recently, after a particularly gruelling session at the court, the actress had posted ‘before and after’ pictures, wondering aloud how the real Saina “does it”. To which, the badminton ace invited her to a friendly match, adding, “You are really working hard…”