Showing posts with label Manoj Joshi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Manoj Joshi. Show all posts
Filmmakers react as CBFC issues new guidelines
9:08 AM
(From left) Manoj Joshi, Amit Rai, Milan Luthria, Onir and Raja Krishna Menon
Nishad Neelambaran, Natasha Coutinho, Vishakha Pandit, Akash Bhatnagar,Deep Saxena (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 20, 2026)
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), the body responsible for regulating the public exhibition of films, has now changed the certification guidelines for films. Notified by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on September 16 under the Cinematograph Act 1952, the new rules make anti-drug warnings mandatory in films depicting narcotics, while also reiterating restrictions on violence, sensitive subjects and content that could affect India’s relations with other countries. The changes come alongside the Centre’s reconstitution of the CBFC with a new 18-member board. Here's what a few filmmakers and directors have to say about these new guidelines.
Raja Krishna Menon, Director:
While I am against any form of censorship, cinema has a significant influence on society, and to that end, it is important for filmmakers to be cognisant of their responsibility while telling a story. Portraying society as one sees it, with all its beauty and its ills, and using cinema to initiate conversations around subjects, especially those that are considered taboo, is just as important as being mindful not to celebrate or excuse certain behaviours or acts. Ultimately, it comes down to the intention of the storyteller.
Manoj Joshi, new CBFC member and actor:
Any medium which we can see – films, social media or anything – the visual impact has a lost longing impact that in Natya Shastra Maharishi Bharat Muni said thousands of years ago. So, there should be a balance between creative liberty and its impact on society. We have liberty to express and does not mean serving anything in the name of creativity. There should first be self censorship on parinam aur dushparinam. So, the balance is most important considering its impact on society.”
Milan Luthria, Director:
There are quite a few guidelines by the CBFC so I’ll address the main points. The audience is smart enough to decide whether violence in a film is within acceptable parameters or not. If the audience thinks violence is being shown just for the sake of it without maintaining a balance of other parameters in the film, that’s for them to discern. What is too much for you may be okay for me, so it’s difficult to say how much is too much, everybody has a different opinion on what is acceptable. Which is why these guidelines won’t be easy to implement. We have already dealt with warnings about smoking, alcohol, animals, children who act in our films, but ultimately filmmaking is an art form and a filmmaker should be allowed to express themselves.
Onir, filmmaker:
It’s very worrisome because it takes away from the fact that films have always been not just entertainment. There is one section which is just entertainment, but films are also about asking questions, wanting change and not basically glorifying the status quo for society. When you have these big terms as to what exactly defines ‘anti-national’ — is questioning the government, a political leader or religion anti-national? How is any of this anti-national or wrong? Because how come we do not have any kind of curbing of dialogue when it comes to all these things, like religion?
Amit Rai, Director:
If we start writing a story with a menu card in the picture of what we can or cannot do, it will impact the process. While writing a story, I never think of anything, otherwise I wouldn’t have written a film like OMG 2. Creativity requires a free-flowing process, but if the system wants to safeguard the national interest, they are right in their way, but we are right too. We can always come to a middle ground. It’s just pehle jo logon galti kari, uska khamiyaza hum log bhugtenge. Although, if the intention is pure, even the system will understand.”
New CBFC Guidelines:
- Films will have to be more responsible and sensitive to values and standards of society.
- Films to not promote communal, obscurantist, anti-scientific or anti-national attitude.
- Films to not promote content that could strain India’s friendly relations with foreign states
- Scenes involving consumption or trafficking of narcotics and psychotropic substances must carry a warning
Certification changes now states that movies can receive one of the six certificates: U, UA 7+, UA 13+, UA 16+, A and S
20 Years of Page 3: I am lucky to have worked with both Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle-Madhur Bhandarkar
8:59 AM
As actor Konkona Sen Sharma-starrer Page 3 turns 20, director Madhur Bhandarkar opens up on how the theme for the cult classic cropped up and more
Akash Bhatnagar (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 21, 2025)
Bhandarkar shares that since the film came out at a time when there was no social media or pap culture, many people were not sure what Page 3 even meant. “Many of them thought that this was a murder mystery,” he tells us, adding, “Someone even questioned if the film was based on a literal page numbered 3.”
Getting the journos’ POV
Bhandarkar reveals that he was fascinated by Bollywood parties. “One day, I went to a party where I saw big politicians, Bollywood celebrities, and all of them were interacting with the journalists there,” the 56-year-old recalls, adding, “After the party, I dropped a few of them in my car to a taxi stand.” It was that encounter that prompted Bhandarkar to capture a journalist’s point of view in the film.
“I realized that these people (journalists) who have access to the biggest people in the world... their own life is very normal and middle-class,” he reflects.
Konkona’s entry in the mainstream
Ask the director about the casting process, and he shares, “I did approach a couple of big actresses. They heard the idea. Some liked it. Some had date issues, and some had drive issues, as we didn’t have a budget. Some actresses didn’t even see any merit in the idea.”
Eventually, he decided to approach Sen Sharma, as he had seen her film Mr & Mrs Iyer (2002). “Nobody in Bollywood knew of Konkona Sen Sharma... I called her, and she had no idea what Page 3 culture was all about. We were 15-20 minutes into the narration, and she said bluntly that she wasn’t getting the film. But she had faith in my vision as a filmmaker, so she said yes even without hearing the full script,” Bhandarkar reveals.
The iconic driver scene was the last addition to the film
Bhandarkar reveals that the iconic scene from Page 3 that saw actor Manoj Joshi’s character, a chauffeur, gossip about the industry was the last addition in the film. “The whole sequence was put at the end. I called up Manoj to play the driver, and that sequence was derived from real life, and he agreed. We shot it all in four hours, and it became a highlight of the film,” he tells us, divulging, “80% of Page 3 is derived from real-life incidents that I have witnessed. I went to a Bollywood celebrity’s funeral, and I saw people discussing the designer they were wearing, inviting people to trial screenings and all. So, I put that exactly that way in the film.”
No Page 3 without Lata Mangeshkar
At a time when singer Lata Mangeshkar had almost quit doing playback singing, Bhandarkar got her to record Kitne Ajeeb Rishte Hai Yahan for the film. “Page 3 is incomplete without Lata Mangeshkar,” Bhandarkar muses, revealing, “It was very difficult (to get her to sing for the film) as we didn’t have a budget. But she agreed to sing because she loved the song.” He shares, “She would stop after every word to check if I was getting what I wanted... Her dedication at that age [she was in her late 70s} was so inspiring. I got to work with both Mangeshkar sisters (also, singer Asha Bhosle) in that film, and I feel so lucky about that.”
Behind the scenes and glamour
Bhandarkar believes Page 3 started a whole new trend — films dwelling on the underbelly of the glamour industry. The trend that started with the Konkona-starrer continued with Fashion (2008) and Heroine (2012) “It was appreciated globally in film festivals and in India too... I continue on that path with my next film, Wives of Bollywood, which is like Page 3 on steroids,” he says.
Image: Meezaan Jafri, Paresh Rawal, Shilpa Shetty take off to Manali to resume Hungama 2 shoot
7:54 AM
The Hungama sequel to resume filming this week
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 5, 2020)
On Sunday, Meezaan air-dashed to Manali to resume shooting for the Hungama sequel being directed by Priyadarshan. The team will be shooting in the hills for 12 days. Scenes include the madcap climax featuring the entire cast comprising Shilpa Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, Manoj Joshi, Ashutosh Rana and Pranitha Subhash. “It’s going to be a lot of fun,” the asserts actor, adding, “I’ve never been to Manali before. Besides the climax, we’ll also be shooting two songs at a remote location.”
Meezaan goes on to inform that after the Himachal schedule, the team will reunite for a two-day shoot in Mumbai, before calling it a wrap. With cinema halls slowly opening up across India, he is hopeful of a theatrical release. “Comedy is a universal and evergreen genre, meant to be enjoyed collectively. Our film is meant to be consumed on the big screen,” he shares.
The film also features Johnny Lever in a pivotal role, and the actor has already wrapped up shooting for his part during the Ooty schedule. Ask Meezaan about how it feels to be surrounded by so many actors known for their comic timing, and he confesses it’s intimidating and he is in awe of them. “I was scared on the first day of the shoot as the scene was with Paresh sir, Manoj sir and Ashutosh sir, but they were all really supportive.”
The actor considers himself fortunate to get back to a film set in the midst of a pandemic and promises to be cautious during the shoot. “The entire cast and crew have already been tested twice, and before we took off for Manali, another Covid test was taken. We took off on a charter flight and it is as if the whole team is being quarantined together,” he laughs, adding that while he is wary of comparisons with the 2003 original fronted by Akshaye Khanna and Paresh Rawal, he is confident that the sequel won’t disappoint.
“The story has nothing to do with the first film, but the majority of the cast is the same. Priyan sir has made over 100 movies and I know even this one is going to be amazing. So I’m not worried at all,” he signs off.
Favouritism may exist in some places, but I never paid attention to it-Manoj Joshi
7:12 PM
Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 12, 2020)
“Sab ko sahan karna hi padta hai in every field. You don’t get anything without mehnat. Sure, there must be favouritism, in some places, but I never paid attention to it. My goal was to prove myself as an actor,” says senior actor Manoj Joshi, commenting on the surging debates in the industry about insider-outsider and favouritism.
“We have a number of actors who have made a mark in the film industry from Sanjeev Kumar, Nana Patekar, Irrfan Khan, Paresh Rawal, Anupam Kher to Manoj Bajpayee. Maybe, some of them might not have reached the highest level or earned as much as some other actors, but that is an individual experience. It is also about your personal equation. As for talent, I feel it doesn’t go unnoticed in the industry. It is always appreciated. One has to keep doing their best.”
Praising actor Kangana Ranaut for her talent and success, Joshi cites her as someone who made a mark in the industry on her own. “She is a prime example of an outsider, who worked hard and made her way up the ladder. She didn’t become a popular name on day one. It took her time and effort and a number of roles to be called one of the talented and successful actors of our country today,” he says.
The Padma Shri actor, who has given acclaimed performances in Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati films, says he never paid attention to things like which director didn’t cast him. “Sab kuch apne hisaab se hota hai. Filmmaking is a business. Jaise haath mein laathi, uski bhains. Today, casting directors, too, choose actors who they feel work for the film. If God has given me talent, and I have honed it and worked patiently, then I will see results. Every person has to go through these experiences. I have always worked diligently and my goal was to only do good roles and prove myself as an actor,” he signs off.
I found an angel in Akshay Kumar-Nupur Alankar
8:30 AM
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; June 18, 2020)
Like most of us, actress Nupur Alankar had saved penny by penny, over the years, thinking that it would help her tide through rainy days. However, today, even with a healthy ‘bank balance’, she is grappling with acute financial distress. So much so, she can’t afford medical intervention for her mother, who is suffering from multiple health complications, including Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD), rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and pulmonary hypertension.
Nupur’s life turned upside down following the Punjab & Maharashtra Co-Operative (PMC) Bank collapse last year. Her family’s accounts, including her own, were frozen. To make ends meet, she sold off her jewellery and also borrowed money from her friends and relatives. She tells BT, “My mother had a mild heart attack in 2018. She couldn’t take the PMC collapse and suffered three more attacks on October 8, 13 and December 8, last year. However, she refused to be hospitalised, fearing that it would be a costly affair. I started practising alternative therapies as a secondary source of income, but it stopped due to the Coronavirus pandemic. By then, we had exhausted all our savings. My husband (Alankar Srivastava) and I had no choice but to rent out our flat for extra money and shift with our respective parents. However, the lockdown worsened my financial woes as my tenant vacated the flat. I had to borrow money to repay her down payment.”
Friends and members from the fraternity did help, but eventually, she had to explore other options. She shares, “Help poured in from many friends, but the medical and other expenses kept rising. Then came a point where I started approaching various NGOs for free medicines. Soon, I realised that things had further spiralled out of control. That’s when I posted the details regarding my mother’s health complications on a crowdfunding platform. I was apprehensive initially, but my friend, actress Rajeshwari Sachdev, convinced me to do it for the sake of my mother. I have no shame in asking people for money, it’s for my mother’s treatment. I am especially grateful to Akshay Kumar, Renuka Shahane, Ayub Khan, Hetal Parmar, Darshan Jariwala, Manoj Joshi and CINTAA for helping me.”
However, the struggle is not over yet. Nupur says, “My mother can’t be hospitalised because of her flailing health, which makes her more susceptible to the novel Coronavirus. For now, we will have to make do with whatever medical aid we can arrange for her at home.”
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Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 18, 2020)
On June 9, actor Renuka Shahane had, in a Facebook post, sought financial help for her friend, actor Nupur Alankar. A few days later, they found an “angel” in actor Akshay Kumar.
“An angel from our film industry has helped Nupur…At a time when there is this raging debate about people not being there for each other, this angel has proved that there are gems like him who will stand by someone in need…@akshaykumar ji A man with a heart of pure, unadulterated gold,” Shahane tweeted.
Alankar was in need of ₹6,00,000 for her mum’s treatment, and her social media appeal caught Shahane’s attention. “I feel Akshay sir is bhagwan ka roop,” Alankar continues, “He doesn’t know me, yet he came to my aid. I don’t have words to express how grateful I am. He didn’t ask for any papers or test reports; he transferred more than what I needed to my mother’s account. I can never thank him enough.”
Gangubai Kathiawadi: Student Of The Year Alia Bhatt hunts for a teacher
8:17 AM
As Alia Bhatt is required to pick Kathiawadi for Gangubai film, SLB approaches Gujarati theatre actors to help him find a tutor
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; November 6, 2019)
Sanjay Leela Bhansali's perfectionist streak is legendary in Bollywood circles. And it is that time again when the auteur will stop at nothing to make sure his next turns out exactly as he has envisioned. Only weeks away from taking his ambitious film, Gangubai Kathiawadi, on floors, Bhansali is on the lookout for a tutor for Alia Bhatt. The actor, in her first collaboration with the filmmaker, will play Gangubai Kothewali — the fierce madam of Kamathipura brothels in 1960s who had gangsters as clients, and was rumoured to be a drug peddler. To stay true to her muse — who hailed from a middle-class Kathiawadi family and was eventually sold off to a Bombay brothel — Bhatt will be required to pick up Kathiawadi.
A trade source reveals that while both, Bhansali and Bhatt, are Gujaratis, Kathiawadi differs largely from the colloquial language. "Interestingly, Alia's paternal grandfather Nanabhai Bhatt was a Gujarati Brahmin who hailed from Kathiawad. But Alia is not familiar with the dialect as it is rarely used outside of the pocket in Gujarat. Since the filmmaker is meticulous in his prep, he wants a tutor who is fluent in the dialect. Bhansali has reached out to some of Mumbai's famous Gujarati theatre personalities, including actors Manoj Joshi and Supriya Pathak, to help him in his search. The film will be shot simultaneously as she undertakes the month-long diction class."
Even though Bhatt will speak the dialect only in portions of the film, Bhansali wants his leading lady to perfect the twang. "The dialect has a strong Sindh influence as the region was inhabited by the Kathis and Rajputs from present-day Rajasthan and Sindh."
Despite repeated attempts, Bhansali remained unavailable for comment
I won’t be part of a project without adding value to it-Rakesh Bedi
8:27 AM
Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; October 30, 2019)
Even with a slew of his plays being staged every week, Rakesh Bedi didn’t want to miss the opportunity of starring in a web show with co-stars Manoj Joshi and Virendra Saxena. Titled Fathers, the show is about three dads and their relationships with their kids.
“I enjoyed the fact that the series was based on the three of us, which is a rarity. Getting a meaty role is crucial for me to pick a project. Working with Manoj and Virendra was a wonderful experience because we are friends and have worked together earlier as well, so we bring a lot of experience to the table and enhance the quality of the show together,” says the actor who has been part of films such as Chashme Buddoor (1981) Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981) and TV sitcoms including Shrimaan Shrimati (1995), Yes Boss (1999-2009) and Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi (1984).
As he has multiple theatre shows such as Jab We Separated, Mera Woh Matlab Nahi Tha, Shimla Coffee House and the recent one, Patte Khul Gaye being staged in different parts of the town every month, Bedi says he is choosy about his on-screen projects. “I have refused a few web shows, which didn’t seem suitable to me and my repertoire. They didn’t require me to do much, acting wise, so I didn’t see any point to them. I don’t want to be a decoration piece. I won’t be part of a project without adding value to it. I am quite busy with my plays, which are diverse and exciting for me,” he signs off.
Check out Manoj Joshi as Amit Shah in PM Narendra Modi biopic
8:18 AM
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 13, 2019)
Vivek Oberoi’s Modi biopic, PM Narendra Modi has found its Amit Shah in Manoj Joshi. The veteran actor, who recently kicked off shoot in Mumbai, says that he immediately gave a nod to the film even though he had other projects in hand. “It’s the first time I’m portraying a living person and that’s exciting. People are waiting for the Modi biopic and I’m glad I’m playing Amit bhai who is one of the most important characters,” he asserts, going on to say that in real life too he keeps himself updated on the political scenario as it’s important to be aware of what is happening in the country.Shah is a Member of Parliament, president of the Bharatiya Janta Party and a close associate of the Prime Minister. Manoj describes him as a “good organiser”. Talking of his prep he says, “I’ve been listening to his speeches to know more about him. We have used prosthetics only when absolutely necessary to get the look right. I will be sporting different hair styles as the film progresses.”
Ranveer Singh to sport light eyes in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani?
8:00 AM
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; May 21, 2015)
Ranveer Singh, who is playing the role of Peshwa Baji
Rao I in the upcoming film Bajirao Mastani will have a complete
makeover. Not only has he gone bald for the role, the actor will sport
light-coloured eyes. He will be donning contact lenses for the role,
inform sources.
That’s because the 17th century Maratha general was said to be a Hindu Kokanastha Chitpavan Brahmin and the sect is known for its fair-skin and light-colour eyes — brown or blue. Earlier, in a couple of Marathi TV serials based on the Maratha, the actors were also shown to be light-eyed.
Manoj Joshi essayed Baji Rao in Rau that was aired on Doordarshan in 1990. “That was my first serial and those days, there was no prosthetic make-up. Baji Rao was said to have a sharp nose and light brown eyes. Since I had both, I didn’t need any make-up,” says Manoj.
More recently, on ETV Marathi, there was a serial called Shrimant Peshva Bajirao Mastani that depicted the passionate love story of Baji Rao and Mastani. Angad Mhaskar, who played the title role, has light grey eyes himself.
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