Kangana Ranaut, Manoj Bajpayee and Dhanush (Asuran) took home the big titles in the acting categories at the 67th National Film Awards, which were announced yesterday. Priyadarshan’s Malayalam film, Marakkar - The Lion Of Arabian Sea, won the Best Feature Film title, while Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan was named Best Director for Bahattar Hoorain. Late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s film, Chhichhore, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, took home the Best Hindi Film award. Producer Sajid Nadiadwala says, “I dedicate this prestigious award to Sushant. We can’t get over his loss, but I pray that this award gives a little bit of happiness to his family and fans, including me. And I am tremendously grateful to Nitesh for giving us this special film.”

Bajpayee, who won for Bhonsle, tells mid-day, “I thank my director, Devashish Makhija, [and producers] Sandeep Kapoor and Piyush Singh. I am grateful to everyone who believed in this film and supported it. ”

Best Supporting Actress Pallavi Joshi (The Tashkent Files) says she “wasn’t expecting” to win. “I knew that because of the pandemic, award functions weren’t being held. I assumed that they would either cancel it, or club projects across two years. When I heard Vivek’s [Agnihotri, husband and director] name, I was elated. This is his first National Award. It was a well-researched and well-written film. It took a moment for me to register my win because I had forgotten that I had acted in it. I was reminded of my first National Award win in 1994. Today is no different. This award is a big deal because it carries opinions of the finest talents. The icing on the cake is that the President gives you the award.”

The film picked up the honour for Best Dialogue. Agnihotri, who has also penned it, adds, “I was told this film has no screenplay and was too verbose. It was sabotaged after being stuck for a long time. We contributed in raising important questions about the right to truth in a democracy. When it released in 150 screens, it ran for 125 days, because the audience came to watch it. My view has been vindicated. I feel empowered to write good stuff. I dedicate this to Lal Bahadur Shastri.”

In a joint statement, the team of Marathi film Anandi Gopal, which won Best Production Design and Best Film On Social Issues, said, “We are humbled, honoured, and ecstatic. This was a labour of love; our first film and first National Award. The win has been a dream come true for all of us. We can only attribute the win to the passionate work of each and every one in the team.”

Other winners include Vijay Sethupathi, who took home the Best Supporting Actor award for Super Deluxe.

Meanwhile, Suniel Shetty is storming South films, asserts language barriers don’t matter anymore
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 19, 2020)

Suniel Shetty, who took a break from acting to spend time with his ailing father, returned to films as the antagonist in the Sidharth Malhotra-led action-thriller, A Gentleman. Soon after, he crossed over to the South film industry. After playing Sudeep’s mentor in the Kannada sports-drama, Pailwaan, the 58-year-old actor signed up for a face-off with Rajinikanth’s cop in A R Murugadoss’s Tamil action-thriller, Darbar. Now, he is gearing up for the release of Priyadarshan’s Malayalam period-drama, Marakkar - The Lion Of Arabian Sea.

“Films like Baahubali and KGF, and digital platforms, have bridged the gap between the Hindi audience and films from other regions. Language barriers don’t matter anymore,” Suniel explains his foray down South, adding that he was also drawn to them because of the projects, the money offered and the respect he got there. “Darbar and Pailwaan are in line with my stature. I’d rather make an impact with a big film, even if it doesn’t revolve around me, than sign up for junk.”

The actor also has the Hollywood film Fraudsters, to be dubbed in Telugu as well, and another Hindi-Telugu bilingual, in the offing. Priyadarshan’s film, fronted by Mohanlal, was to release on March 26 before the nation-wide Coronavirus lockdown was announced. Instead of sighing over the delay, Suniel chooses to rave about the action done by an international team with its production values. He is sure it will appeal to a wider audience.

One of his most iconic comedy films, Hera Pheri, completed 20 years on March 30. It is frequently in the news with talks of a sequel. “Everything is on hold for now. The film’s team intends to make Hera Pheri 3, but some differences need to be ironed out first. The film is a big hit on television as well as in the meme world and we are all aware of the anticipation among the audience for the film,” Suniel signs off.

Now a familiar face in South Indian films, the actor talks about riding the choppy waves of public adulation
Kunal Guha (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 15, 2020)

At 58, Suniel Shetty is still built like a tank. He brushes his hands over his salt-and-pepper beard as he settles down for this interaction at his Aaram Nagar office. The actor may have slipped off the Hindi film radar, but he has been making waves down South. In recent months, he’s shared the screen with Rajinikanth (Darbar), Kichcha Sudeep (Pailwaan) and will soon be seen in Mohanlal’s epic period war film Marakkar - The Lion Of Arabian Sea. “The passion to create and love for life” is what keeps him going, he says. “There’s a generation that has forgotten me and a younger generation that respects me for my fitness, rather than for my films,” he says. “They think you’re yesteryear’s [star]… but they don’t know why you’re not working.”

Shetty shares that he was comfortable with his extended sabbatical; he never thought he’d end up working in South Indian films, despite having done cameos in the past [Kalimannu (2013) and Kakkakuyil (2001)]. “I didn’t want to do a negative role and any actor from Bollywood who goes there is offered just that. They believe that you’re a national-level hero, so if any of their heroes can beat you up, it’s the best thing ever.” His recent film choices, he says, were driven by passion and uncertainty. “When you’re back from a long sabbatical, the best work doesn’t come your way and I wasn’t even sure if I can act,” says the actor credited for 128 films.

The response that Darbar and Pailwaan received, however, encouraged him to consider more projects. In the forthcoming Mosagallu, he dons the avatar of a powerful cop, while he plays a 16th century warrior in Marakkar - The Lion Of Arabian Sea. Unsurprisingly, Shetty’s invincible action hero image from the 1990s still has traction. He credits veteran actor Danny Denzongpa for helping him carve this image in his debut Balwaan (1992). “When we were brainstorming on how to make my character seem powerful, Danny Sa’ab suggested that I carry him on my shoulders and then drop him. The last person who had lifted him up in a movie was Amitabh Bachchan in Khuda Gawah. This tip worked like a charm.”

But at 58 it’s getting tougher to keep up with that image. Of an action sequence shot for Darbar, where he was expected to “fall and throw five kicks and six punches”, he says, “I asked a 19-year-old assistant if he felt I’ll pull it off, and he said ‘Very easily, sir’. Then, I asked him how old his father is, and he said 54. I told him, ‘I am 58, so if your dad can do it, I’ll do it’.”

Shetty made several attempts to shake the image of a brooding, death-defying action star, but it was never “accepted”. “I tried comic and socially-relevant films too, but they didn’t work,” he says. “My producers would only say, ‘Do action scenes aur ek baarish mein gaana daal dena, body dikhake’.” In fact, the feedback he received from his family for his non-action films was just as telling. “I would ask my parents and kids, ‘How’s the film?’ and they’d say ‘Brilliant’ and then later, ask for a Saridon. So, you know where you stand.”

Post Hera Pheri (2000), a milestone in Shetty’s chequered career, many were convinced that he also had the chops for comedy. “And that was validation for an actor who was dismissed by critics as ‘absolutely wooden’,” he says. But there was always a back-up plan. Shetty ran a restaurant and boutique business before films and if acting didn’t work out, he would have to swallow his pride and listen to friends say, “Actor banne gaya tha, wapas aa gaya”. But since he had signed about 14 films even before his debut, there was no looking back.

Later, Shetty decided that rather than struggling to dazzle his audience with his performance, he would startle them with death-defying stunts. “I took on action stunts which were so dangerous, people would say ‘Alag hain’,” says the actor, who remembers that some of them actually lead to serious injuries. “While shooting for Mohra [the 1994 hit], when I lost a ligament, I was told to go for surgery but I couldn’t as 17 films were pending. Kitchen usi pe chal raha tha,” he says. “I would shoot for Mohra during the day and then strap my ankle and go shoot for Gopi Kishan at night. I’d only get two hours to rest — while commuting between Mukesh Mills and Filmistaan.”

Only time will tell if his son, who makes his debut this year with Milan Luthria’s remake of RX100, is cut from the same cloth. While Shetty believes Ahan will be able to handle success, he worries about how he will deal with failure. “There will always be brickbats, and nowadays, any faceless person can take pot-shots at an actor. But I’m sure Ahan will fight back,” he says.

Reflecting on his own experience, Shetty shares that when he started out, he was “barely ready to take on the world”. “We felt personality hain, we’ll wing it. But dialogue bhi bolna hain, naachna bhi hain and both haath aur pao ke saath nachna hain,” he says with a laugh. The actor got a lot of flak for his puppet-like moves and peculiar voice. “Every newbie thinks that you’re the next Bachchan. But then you watch your film and think ‘Sh*t, I really need to learn the craft’,” he says. Incidentally, this was what he told his daughter Athiya after her debut Hero opened to a lukewarm response. “Then, she really worked on her performance and the result can be seen in Motichoor Chaknachoor,” he says of her third film with Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

The actor, who counts Border (1997) as his most gratifying film and credits Dhadkan (2000) for helping him sharpen his craft, learnt lessons of his own along the way, too. “Dharmesh [director Darshan] told me ‘Just really believe you’re the character’. That’s when I realised that the most important thing for an actor to do is to invest 10 per cent mind and 90 per cent heart,” says Shetty, who does not grudge his peers their succes. “I don’t want to compete with the Akshays and the Ajays because you know you don’t stand a chance,” he says. In fact, he appreciates their strengths. “Jackie Dada’s [Shroff] personality is so loving and affectionate that if you give him attitude, he’ll just ignore you; Amit ji’s [Bachchan] humility makes you feel, ‘Amitji aise hain, toh main kaun hoon’, while Salman Khan has mastered the art of commanding attention and respect without saying a word,” he says.

Another biggie falls prey to coronavirus as makers of Mohanlal and Suniel Shetty starrer, Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham (Marakkar - The Lion Of Arabian Sea), defer release at Gulf exhibitor's behest
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; March 14, 2020)

It was exactly a week ago that South megastar Mohanlal released the trailer of the epic war film — Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham (Marakkar - The Lion Of Arabian Sea), sealing a March 26 date with the audience. However, considering the coronavirus outbreak in India, the Mohanlal and Suniel Shetty starrer has become the latest big-ticket project to defer its release. While the shutdown of theatres in Mumbai, Kerala and Delhi forced the decision, filmmaker Priyadarshan says the makers did a rethink at the behest of the exhibitors in the Gulf, particularly those across Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. It would be fair to assume that returns from the overseas market would be crucial to the success of the war film, which is reportedly mounted on Rs 100 crore budget and has been dubbed in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi.

"Theatres in Kerala will remain shut till March 31, so effectively there would have been no cinema halls to screen the movie, had we released the film on March 26. So, we decided to defer it. Moreover, another major territory for us is the Gulf region. The exhibitors there and some of our overseas distributors requested us to not release it now," says the director, pointing out that cinemas in the Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, have been closed until further notice. He adds that Malayalam movies have takers in Malaysia too. "They have shut down cinema halls there too."

While the team hadn't begun their promotions, a grand premiere in Dubai on March 24 was on the cards. "We have cancelled that. Nor are we doing any media events or promotions." Quiz him on the new release date, and Priyadarshan says the team is adopting a wait-and-watch strategy. "We will see how things work out this week and decide."

While Hollywood has deferred releases and cancelled outdoor shoots, Bollywood is resorting to wait-and-watch strategy for upcoming films
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 12, 2020)

It has been a frantic few days at Rohit Shetty’s Andheri office. The filmmaker is currently juggling post-production of his upcoming Akshay Kumar-starrer Sooryavanshi with meetings to decide its release date. The daily discussions are also attended by the actor, along with producer Karan Johar and Shibasish Sarkar, CEO, Reliance Entertainment.

The team unveiled the trailer with a star-studded event on March 2, but is yet to release a new promo. while a song launch has been deferred. While the cop-drama is slated to arrive on March 24, Shibasish also has Kabir Khan’s Ranveer Singh-fronted ’83 coming out on April 10. There were plans of a trailer launch for the sports-drama on March 11, with the real and reel cricketers assembling at the MMRDA Grounds, which was cancelled recently.

Now, amid the globally intensifying Coronavirus scare—the confirmed number of cases in India reportedly touched 60 on Wednesday—buzz is, both the films could be postponed. “We haven’t changed the release dates yet, but talks are on as the situation is changing every few hours. We are unable to ascertain if the impact of Coronavirus is big enough to alter the releases,” Shibasish confides, adding that the makers are racing against time to take a call by the coming weekend. “I need to have the prints of Sooryavanshi ready for delivery in international markets by March 17; we don’t have much time.”

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh attributes the dilemma surrounding the two films to the fear of public spaces in the outbreak’s aftermath. “Malls are not recording requisite footfalls; everyone is fearful of catching the infection. Besides India, the scare is likely to impact numbers abroad. The US, UK, Europe, Australia, UAE-GCC and New Zealand are big markets for Hindi films,” he explains.

He goes on to state that a delay in Sooryavanshi’s release could set off a chain reaction for Bollywood’s summer outings. “Postponing a film is expensive, particularly for a film like Sooryavanshi; its release date is plastered all over the country on hoardings. Moreover, changing the date would mean a massive overhaul in the schedule of the films that are to follow it in theatres,” Taran reasons, pointing out that Akshay, who has Laxmmi Bomb slated for Eid, would want considerable gap between the two films.

However, Rajasthan-based exhibitor Raj Bansal urges filmmakers to delay their releases without wasting more time. “Baaghi 3’s collections was affected by 10 to 15 per cent. Since diagnosed cases are on the rise, there is a possibility of the outbreak making a bigger dent in the coming days. The big films should not risk it,” he reasons. While Shibasish agrees with the magnitude of the impact, he would still like to wait and watch.

Another trade analyst, Amod Mehra, insists that the Tiger Shroff-starrer Baaghi 3 has done decent business for its genre and that the scare has not affected the industry. “There is nothing to worry about, at least in India. However, since Sooryavanshi is a big film, it might lose Rs 30 crore in international markets,” he agrees, adding that the exhibitors stand to suffer the most if film releases are delayed. “The producers incur losses when interest on the loan mounts with the delay, in addition to marketing expenses. But exhibitors lose all the business if a film doesn’t open,” he points out. Are theatre owners taking steps to keep their premises coronavirus-free? “Nothing can be done. We can’t provide masks. The least we can do is clean the seats with Dettol after every show. But even that’s a costly and tedious task,” Bansal says.

In Kerala, cinema halls have been ordered to remain shut till March 31. By trade expert Sreedhar Pillai’s estimate, this could set the Malayalam industry back by Rs 100 crore. “If Sooryavanshi arrives on March 24, it will stand to lose approximately Rs 2 crore as Kerala is a small market for Hindi films,” he informs, adding that the bigger worry for the state would be Priyadarshan’s magnum opus, the Mohanlal-starrer Marakkar - The Lion of The Arabian Sea, which has been indefinitely postponed from its original release date of March 26.

According to Bansal, this could be a silver lining for smaller films. “They normally lose money due to competition but here, the situation could result in a successful solo run for them.”

While Bollywood mulls the fate of its upcoming releases, the release date of the new James Bond film, No Time To Die, has been deferred from April to November this year. More recently, the Italy schedule of Tom Cruise’s seventh Mission Impossible film was cancelled. According to a source, except for Salman Khan’s Radhe which is sticking to its Eid date, the other A-list summer films, including Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, Coolie No 1 and Laxmmi Bomb are waiting for the Sooryavanshi and ’83 makers to finalise their release dates for more clarity on the boxoffice calendar.

At the time of going to press, the Sooryavanshi team was in a closed door meeting to debating the issue. Earlier in the evening, Mumbai had reported its first two cases (out of 10 in the state).

Playing a villain in Darbar, Suniel Shetty on holding his own in front of Rajinikanth
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; December 22, 2019)

It is endearing to see Suniel Shetty, a star with a 27-year run at the movies, turn into a fan boy at the mention of Rajinikanth. The actor acknowledges that sharing screen space with the megastar had been on his bucket list. "When Murugadoss [director] approached me, I said yes mentally since working with Rajini sir was always on [my wish list]," begins Shetty, who plays the antagonist in Darbar. "[Working with him] is a huge responsibility because he is considered the god of acting. Since I am playing a negative character, I have to stand up to him, which was a big challenge."'

What started off as an "unnerving" experience soon gave way for a budding friendship. The actor reveals that the two bonded over food, politics and fitness. "What is commendable about Rajini sir is that he appreciates [his co-star]. After a fight sequence, he told me that I was handling him beautifully. On one occasion, he started clapping after I delivered my dialogue. Such appreciation coming from a superstar like him is so [encouraging]."

He may have started out as an action hero, but over the past two decades, Shetty has not shied away from taking on grey roles. "The last time I played a villain was in Main Hoon Na [2004]. Just like that character, my role here has an emotional back story," he explains.

Darbar marks Shetty's second regional film after his Kannada outing Pailwaan. On the cards is another regional outing—Priyadarshan's Marakkar: The Lion of the Arabian Sea. "At this stage of my career, I need to reinvent myself. I have got interesting offers from down South. The audience is accepting South cinema in a big way."

Hera Pheri trio return to play characters their real age; Priyadarshan, who directed the first film, expected to reunite with his leading men after 19 years
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 19, 2019)

Mirror was the first to report (May 23, 2018) that after Priyadarshan and Neeraj Vora, Indra Kumar is taking over the directorial reins of the third instalment in the Hera Pheri franchise. Soon after, the filmmaker had revealed that he was working on the script and intended to take the film on the floors by the year-end. Almost a year on, we have learnt that Indra is no longer a part of the franchise, and producer Firoz Nadiadwala has brought back Priyadarshan on board.

According to a source close to the development, Hera Pheri 3 will have Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal reprising their roles as Raju, Baburao Ganpatrao Apte and Shyam respectively. But this time, they play characters closer to their real ages, which has been facilitated in the script with a time-leap. “It takes off from from where Phir Hera Pheri ended, but fast-forwards into the present. The trip is desperate again but in a completely different scenario,” the source added.

When Mirror reached out to Priyadarshan, the director confirmed that he has been in talks with Akshay, Suniel and Firoz for Hera Pheri 3, adding that it would be a while before he got to it. “I am currently busy with my Malayalam film, Marakkar - The Lion Of Arabian Sea. It is a huge film and I will only think about Hera Pheri after this one is out of my system. Nothing is concrete as yet.”

The basic idea of the comedy was written by the late actor-filmmaker Neeraj, who also directed the second instalment, and Priyadarshan will work with his team to develop it into a screenplay. “While the leads are eager to reunite, they don’t want to sign the film just to milk the brand. They are waiting for a narration,” the source informed.

Meanwhile, Indra Kumar has moved on to another project. Buzz is, he is reuniting with his Total Dhamaal leading man, Ajay Devgn, for his next. The third Hera Pheri film has been in the news since 2015. It was initially planned with Abhishek Bachchan stepping into Akshay’s shoes but soon after it went on the floors, the project was shelved. In mid-2018, it was announced that Akshay would be back in the franchise, but the team was reportedly not satisfied with the script. 

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.

The actor’s upcoming multi-lingual period thriller goes on the floors in Hyderabad; also features Mohanlal and Prabhu Dheva
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 19, 2019)

After a four-year hibernation from the movies, to spend time with his ailing dad, Suniel Shetty is all set to stage a return to the screen. The 57-year-old actor has been building some muscles for Priyadarshan’s actionpacked period thriller, Marakkar - The Lion Of Arabian Sea, which kicked off in Hyderabad this week. Suniel plays a 16th century warrior in the film.

“Suniel and Priyadarshan are teaming up for their most ambitious collaboration, 10 years after De Dana Dan. Suniel’s look is inspired by the Hollywood war film, Troy, while his character has its muse in a real-life personality who has been fictionalised for cinematic purpose. He has a lot of sword fights and hand combats” informed a source close to the development. The makers are tight-lipped on the subject because not much about the warrior is out in the public domain.

A major chunk of the film will be shot in an artificially created sea with vintage warships. “The three actors—Mohanlal, Prabhu Dheva, Suniel Shetty—will shoot together at Ramoji Film City for 85-90 day schedule,” the source added.

Based on the life of Navy chief, Mohammed Ali aka Kunjali Marakkar IV, played by Mohanlal, the film reportedly has a budget of Rs 150 crore. “An international studio will work on the visual effects for almost a year as the plan is to bring the Zamorin war with the Portuguese to the screen as authentically as possible,” added the source, saying that though the shoot concludes by April-end, the film will only release in mid-2020.

A multi-lingual, it will simultaneously release in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. The makers are also in advanced talks with a Chinese actor to come on board to essay the character of Chinali, whom the navy chief had saved from Portuguese enslavement. “It is a decision that could get the film a release in China,” the source concluded. 

As told to Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 15, 2019)

I’m a hotel management student and my basic work ethics from the industry is to serve till the end. Even today, it is no big deal for me to open doors, serve food, clean tables and even shift furniture around as I used to do at my dad’s South Indian restaurant when I was 15. My dad started out as a cleaner in Mumbai before buying two restaurants, Broadway around Minerva Talkies and Ramanjay near Central Plaza theatre. I also had the urge to earn since I was a boy and while I was in college, I worked at the restaurant during lunch hour and in the evening. After we downed the shutters, I would go for a night show since we had theatres around. That’s how the filmi keeda got into my system.

A couple of years later, I wanted to do something different. I had this fascination of dressing up well and started a boutique, (now defunct) Mischief, with five friends. It was on Nepean Sea Road and quickly became a fashion hub with even international publications writing about my little big store in Mumbai which stocked the best of fashion. That was a big high and we started a store of formals next, More Mischief, along with Mischief Blues which was the go-to place for denims. Dabbling in the clothing business, I learnt about different types of fabrics, the thickness of denim and the T-shirt stretch and also continued with my other obsession, cricket. I played for Mumbai Under-16 and Under-19 under Ravi Shastri. It was my dream to play for Team India but there’s so much talent in our country that I couldn’t progress further.

A lot of celebrities, including movie producers, used to visit our store, that’s how I got offered a film even though I had no training in acting and no experience whatsoever. I had not even seen the inside of a studio till then. I consulted with dad who urged me to give it a shot. My first film, Arzoo, was just days away from the finish when it hit a roadblock. It was eventually shelved due to creative differences between the producer and director. I started my Bollywood journey with Balwaan but since I come from a business background, I know that life can be uncertain, so after my clothing stores shut shop, I invested in a real estate company, S2 Reality. I had also started a fine-dining restaurant in Mumbai, which is now in more able hands.

My last screen turn was in Desi Kattey in 2014. I took a break from films to spend time with my father after he suffered a paralytic attack. I had stopped enjoying the process of acting and decided to get into something more challenging. FTC started off as the sole fitness content provider to D2H platforms and now we provided ‘edutainment’ to budding actors. That includes jobs in acting, editing and direction to name a few. The idea is to turn it into the ‘Linkedin’ of entertainment industry and help organise an unorganised sector.

I’m also starting a cricket league with Zaheer Khan, FCB, for those who want to play the sport but have no place to go. I’m also back in film production and acting. I’ve just finished a Kannada film with Sudeep, Pailwaan, and now will start shooting for Marakkar - The Lion of Arabian Sea with Priyadarshan.

Before big-budget war drama Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham rolls, Priyadarshan undeterred by comparisons with Aamir Khan's Thugs of Hindostan
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; November 21, 2018)

Priyadarshan's ambitious trilingual, Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham (Marakkar - The Lion Of Arabian Sea), rolls on December 3 at Ramoji Rao Studios in Hyderabad. Featuring Mohanlal, Suniel Shetty and Manju Warrier in pivotal roles, the historical revolves around Kunhali Marakkar, the famous naval chief of the Zamorin of Calicut.

Said to be mounted on a budget of over Rs 100 crore, the film will have extensive sea warfare sequences in keeping with the theme of the film. One can't help but draw parallels with Thugs Of Hindostan, which revolved around pirates fighting for freedom from the British Raj.

While the Amitabh Bachchan-Aamir Khan starrer may have bitten the dust, Priyadarshan is undeterred in his retelling of the 16th Century hero. "Thugs is a fantasy film, but Marakkar is steeped in history," he says.

In his bid to be authentic to the subject, the director made production designer Sabu Cyril build four ships in the Hyderabad studio. "During those times, Indians would use ships made in Egypt as part of their barter system. So we built four similar life-size ships, boasting 200x200 metre tank, in Ramoji Rao Film City. We also roped in action directors from Thailand to teach sword-fighting to the stars."

The director admits to being nervous as he gets ready to helm his "dream project". "This is the first time I am shivering before starting a film because it is easy to write a story on paper, but bringing it alive on screen is a challenge. We also have to be prepared to handle the war and VFX sequences. This is where some of the Hindi films look tacky."

The film marks the debut of Mohanlal's son Pranav and Priyadarshan's daughter Kalyani.

Upala KBR (MID-DAY; May 18, 2018)

Surprisingly, Suniel Shetty has taken 27 years to mark his debut in the Kannada film industry. Unsurprisingly, the actor, adhering to his image of being an action hero, has picked a film based on boxing for his foray. In addition to this, Shetty has also signed a multilingual, fantasy-action-adventure-drama, titled Marakkar - The Lion Of Arabian Sea. The movie, based in the 15th century, revolves around sea pirates. It also apparently deals with the life of Kunjali Marakkar IV, a former Muslim naval chief.

Shetty tells mid-day that he is excited to work in a Kannada film, given that he hails from Karnataka. “Mumbai is my karmabhoomi, and Karnataka is my janmabhoomi. I am going back to my janmabhoomi after being in Bollywood for 27 years.”

A source reveals that the period film, to be directed by Priyadarshan, will also feature Nagarjuna and Mohanlal. “It will be in four languages [Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam] and will be mounted on a budget of Rs 150 crore, and will be along the lines of Pirates Of The Caribbean.”

Shetty says he is excited to collaborate with his co-actors, celebrated stars from the South Indian film industry. “I am working with my three favourites — Nag, Lal sir and Priyan. I have done many remakes of Lal sir’s films. I look up to Nag. Even today, he looks like he’s 26 [years old].”