Milap Zaveri reveals that Satyameva Jayate sequel will go on the floors in April with National Award-winning action director-duo Anbu and Arivu designing stunts
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 31, 2019)

Mirror had earlier reported (May 23) that Divya Khosla Kumar will play the leading lady opposite John Abraham in Satyameva Jayate 2. Now, we have learnt that the vigilante action drama, which is currently in the pre-production stage, is going on the floors in April 2020.

According to director Milap Zaveri, the sequel will be bigger in scale. “The first film dealt with corruption, but with Part 2, corruption in all spheres—from the police to politicians, industrialists, the common man—will be tackled,” he says, adding that there will also be elements of humour in the film. “It is situational, in the Dabangg and Rowdy Rathore zone. There are moments in the film where John will play to the gallery.”

The filmmaker goes on to reveal that he has got National Award-winning action director-duo Anbu and Arivu, who worked on KGF: Kolar Gold Fields, on board to choreograph action set-pieces. “We have already started working on the action. I am finding new things for John to tear apart now. He is my Hulk and I believe he can smash anything,” Milap asserts, adding that two songs have been locked, while planning, story-boarding and location-hunt are in progress. “There will be schedules in Mumbai and some other states.”

Next up, Milap plans to make one film in the franchise every two years. “Like Sylvester Stallone has done Rambo, I will keep making Satyameva Jayate with John addressing new issues. He will keep growing older but will continue to fight corruption in the series. His personal aesthetic in films is more in the realistic zone, but he often jokes that Milap’s films are his cheat days,” the writer-director laughs.

After several adult comedies, Milap forayed into the action-drama zone with Satyameva Jayate and followed it up with Marjaavaan. Ask him what led to the shifting of gears and he says, “I have grown up watching Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra films and got a taste of heroism while working as a dialogue writer with Sanjay Gupta on Kaante. After Mastizaade failed, I faced a lot of flak. The only way to fight back was to do something dramatically different. Also, I had to prove to myself that I could do something more.”

On Divya’s acting comeback after 15 years with the Bhushan Kumar, Nikkhil Advani, Monisha Advani and Madhu Bhojwani production, the director says, “There’s a lot of depth and dignity to John and Divya ma’am’s characters. I started my career with a love story and its failure made me take a step back. The confidence to write the tender moments in this story has come from Marjaavaan.”

Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; November 11, 2019)

Milap Milan Zaveri, who turned director with Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai (2010), after writing a string of successful sex comedies, is now looking forward to the release of his next directorial venture — Marjaavaan — which he says is an out-and-out massy film. However, his journey has been marred by several setbacks, with people writing him off after his directorial venture Mastizaade (2016), an adult comedy, was pronounced a dud. The resurrection wasn’t easy, but the filmmaker bounced back with the success of Satyameva Jayate (2018) and believes that the upcoming film will add to his repertoire as a successful masala film director. Excerpts from an interview:

Of late, there has been a lot of conversation around realistic cinema and most filmmakers and actors are tilting towards stories with relatable characters. However, Marjaavaan seems like a film straight out of the 70s, with a larger-than-life hero. Did you have any apprehensions about it suiting the current scenario?
Marjaavaan is a hardcore massy, commercial film, harking back to the 70s, 80s and 90s kind of heroism. The kind of films Mukul Anand sir, Manmohan Desai sir, Prakash Mehra sir and Rajkumar Santoshi made. I hope to hear whistles and claps in the theatres. I got an opportunity to explore that zone with Satyameva Jayate, in which a hero was fighting for a cause. He lived by the sword and died by the sword — the kind of anger that was seen in the 70s’ films; the kind Salim-Javed (Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar) made with Amit ji (Amitabh Bachchan).

I feel that anger has never abated; it’s still there in our system. Marjaavaan taps into the same. I believe that if you are honest to the genre, the film will work. It’s a problem when you are confused and trying to please everyone by doing a bit of everything. If you are making a massy film, be unabashed about it. You may succeed or fail, but at least you stood by your conviction. For Sidharth (Malhotra), Marjaavaan was a tough film to understand, because he has not done something like this before. The closest he came to being massy was in Ek Villain (2014), for which I wrote the dialogues. I drilled it into him that Marjaavaan is a massy film and he has to own it, or else it will reflect on screen. To his credit, despite being a city boy, Sidharth surrendered himself.

Sidharth has delivered hits in his career, but his recent films have underperformed at the box office. Was that a concern when you were casting him?
By that logic, John Abraham should have never done a Satyameva Jayate with me, because as a director, none of my previous films had worked. I always say that John is my real-life hero. In a very filmi way, he is my Ram and I am his Hanuman. After Mastizaade tanked, I was not only in the wilderness, but people said, ‘Bury him without leaving a marker on the grave. Let someone find and dig him up (laughs!)’. People behaved as if I had committed treason after Mastizaade. They didn’t want to give me another chance or meet me. John was the only person who had the courage to say, ‘I see something in this boy. I have faith in him and I will do this film (Satyameva Jayate) with him’. He has given me a new life as a filmmaker. Satyameva Jayate turned me into a mass director overnight. Now, no matter what happens in my life, I will always have a hit film to my name that struck gold and will now spawn a sequel. If Satyameva Jayate has been life-changing, I hope Marjaavaan will turn out to be life-defining for me.

How different are your sensibilities as a writer and a director, especially in the case of Marjaavaan, for which you are donning both the hats?
Nikkhil (Advani) always laments that the dialogue writer overpowers the director in me. It’s very difficult for me to separate the two because I have been primarily a dialogue writer. It also helps when I direct a film because sometimes you have to adapt to some unforeseen circumstances on the set. If an actor improvises a scene, you should have the ability to gauge whether it will affect the plot or his character. It becomes easier to take those decisions as a writer. Like in Satyameva Jayate, some scenes weren’t part of the script, but were played out on the set. In Marjaavaan, too, there are many such instances. The writer in me allows the director in me to take these liberties.

Nikkhil Advani is the producer of this film, and he is also a successful director. When you have a filmmaker backing your project, is there a possibility of him imposing his vision on you? Was there any such clash between the two of you?
There is no interference, but he certainly gives me his point of view. Though we are radically different as directors, we have the same sense of emotion and drama. The only thing is that I will push the envelope as far as the filminess goes, while he will hold back. There are times when he advises me technically, since he is an expert in that department. But to his credit, he always gives in to my conviction. I pull his leg saying that there are so many flashes of me in his directorial Batla House. If he incorporated a remixed version of the Saki Saki song, I had Dilbar in Satyameva Jayate. Similarly, while John crushed a phone in Batla House, in my film he ripped a tyre apart. I would like to believe that we have both rubbed off a bit on each other. That’s a great relationship and a partnership, wherein two different individuals love each other and co-exist.

You have been a dialogue writer for long, what made you take up direction? Was it the desire to have a greater say in the way you wanted a film to shape up?
Yes, because then you are the captain of your own ship. Whether that ship turns out to be the Titanic or reaches the shores safely is up to the audience. But it’s your baby and you are involved in every process and aspect. Every decision — good, bad or ugly — is yours, and so, the onus of the repercussion — success or failure — is on you, too. It’s a huge responsibility. As a writer, you do your job and someone else takes over. It’s like you do kanyadaan and give your daughter away to someone else.

Were people apprehensive about your ability to handle serious films as a director, given your background as a writer of adult comedies?
The first film I directed was Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai, which was a light love story and then I did Mastizaade, a sex comedy. I didn’t think that anyone would let me do a thriller because as a writer my comedies, like Masti (2004) and Housefull (2010), have been bigger hits. But after Mastizaade, I realised that I had to change myself dramatically. I had failed as a director in that genre of comedy twice. As a writer, nobody was giving me work anymore. Everyone was wary of me because they felt that since I wanted to be a director, I won’t give them enough time. However, it was a short film, which tipped the scales for me. I got overwhelming critical acclaim for it and the best reviews of my career. I am a jovial person. So, people always thought that I am a happy-go-lucky guy aur yeh toh sirf comedy hi karega. They didn’t know the anger that was brewing inside me till the short film released. The anger was directed at no one but myself for allowing myself to dig a hole, bury myself and for not living up to my potential. I wanted to prove first to myself that I am capable of doing more than that.

Do you regret writing those sex comedies?
I don’t regret anything in life. I had a great time and I made some good friends. Some of the films were hits. But yes, I won’t do it again now. I am exhausted with that genre. I will not write or direct a sex comedy anymore.

Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 8, 2019)

The year 2018 was a year of “rebirth” for filmmaker Milap Milan Zaveri. His directorial outing, Satyameva Jayate (2018), brought the genre of massy entertainers back. His upcoming release, Marjaavaan, is the next step in that direction. With the Sidharth Malhotra starrer, Milap intends on paying another tribute to yesteryear filmmakers such as Mukul Anand, Subhash Ghai, Rajkumar Santoshi, Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra, whose films he has watched growing up. “After Mastizaade (2016), there was a complete lull. I was written off and people refused to even meet me. It was as if I had committed treason. I had to fight and convince people to prove that I can also make an angry film or a drama. I’m enjoying this phase a lot, where my films are all about action, drama, masala and dialogue baazi,” says Milap.

Ask him about the inspiration behind Riteish Deshmukh’s character of a devious dwarf in Marjaavaan and he says, “Years ago, I had heard that Subhash Ghai sir was doing a film with Amitabh Bachchan called Deva, which got shelved. Lilliput sir (M M Faruqi) was supposed to be the villain in the film. I thought that having a midget villain would be so unique!”

Talking about the women in Marjaavaan, he elaborates, “The women have a lot to do in Marjaavaan. I agree with the criticism that Satyameva Jayate had. Unfortunately, Aisha (Sharma) didn’t have a very strong part. But Marjaavaan has two very strong female protagonists — Tara Sutaria and Rakul Preet Singh. Tara is the heart of this film. Rakul in Marjaavaan is like Rekha in Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978) or Tabu in Jeet (1996). She has a very powerful role with dramatic dialogues and scenes.”

For Milap, repeating the success of Satyameva Jayate with Marjaavaan is even more significant because he wants to deliver a hit film for Sidharth. “He hasn’t given a successful film in almost five years. His last hit was Kapoor & Sons (2016), but it was an ensemble film. He hasn’t had a big opening. I sometimes wonder why he’s doing the films he does. Two of his biggest openers were Ek Villain (2014) and Brothers (2015), both of which were massy, action-oriented and had angry characters. I wanted to bring back that Sidharth to the screen,” Milap signs off.

The debacle of sex comedy Mastizaade behind him, Satyameva Jayate director Milap Zaveri on not exploring the genre again
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 14, 2018)

Milap Zaveri calls himself fortunate to go back to direction two years after his last venture hit screens. "After Mastizaade, it could have been two decades [before I returned]," laughs the director, as he references his sex-comedy that failed to appease viewers. Zaveri's next, the upcoming patriotic drama Satyameva Jayate, is in stark contrast to his last film.

"It has been a long, hard wait. I wanted to make a movie that I could be proud of. After Mastizaade, I decided against attempting the genre again, regardless of whether it works [sells] or not," he says. His decision to adopt the change, he admits, stems from the fact that he wishes to make movies his three-year-old son Mehaan can eventually watch. "A senior journalist had once casually remarked that no matter what I did, I would always be known as the king of adult comedies. When I die, I don't want to be remembered that way. It will hurt my soul," says Zaveri.

The anger and resentment that followed the failure of this film was channelised into creating his next. "I took it upon myself to show women in better light. My hero in Satyameva Jayate, John Abraham, is a menacing man. If someone looks at women inappropriately, John's character would break his bones. He is a crusader, and [showcasing] that was a conscious move. Though movies are made for entertainment, the onus of improving the narrative is on [us]." As for leading man Abraham, Zaveri is grateful that he showcased faith in him when "people had stopped taking my calls". "It was important to not disappoint him."

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; December 5, 2017)

Even before Sunny Leone made her Bollywood debut with Jism 2 in 2012, she was already popular. But with the adult film star all set to appear on the big screen, there was a palpable excitement among the Indian audience.

Realising how popular she was, filmmakers queued up outside Sunny’s rented flat in Mumbai offering her unheard of sums to star in their movies. Five years later, it seems the actress, who is still the most-searched Indian celebrity online, has lost her magic touch. She has starred in nine films till now, out of which seven have been complete non-starters.

Producers have lost an enormous amount of money and her latest film Tera Intezaar seems to be a damp squib, too. This is the fifth Sunny-starrer that has met with a lukewarm response. The film opened to a dismal Rs 40 lakh and there was hardly any growth over the weekend, the first three-day total being Rs 1.35 crore only, which is around one-third of the opening day of her earlier film Ek Paheli Leela.

Trade analyst Komal Nahta explains, “Tera Intezaar will lose almost all its investment. It will finish at a lifetime of Rs 2-3 crore, which means the total loss for the makers would be Rs 12-13 crore, which is almost 90 per cent of their budget.”

So, what’s going wrong with Sunny’s films? Why isn’t she able to pull the crowd to theatres anymore? A producer, a director, and a trade analyst tell us what they think of the current situation.

PRODUCER SPEAKS

There’s a sense of fatigue: Ahmed Khan

Ahmed Khan was the producer of Ek Paheli Leela that collected around Rs 19 crore at the box office. Since then, Sunny’s films (except Mastizaade) have struggled to cross the Rs 10 crore mark in its lifetime. Ask Ahmed and he explains, “Sunny is beautiful and she fits the requirements of the audience. The only problem, as I see it, is that there’s a time for everything. Ek waqt hota hai jab sab chalta hai, phir woh nahi chalta. She’s done nine films, but Leela was the last one that opened well because the treatment was different. Sunny has what it takes but I believe there’s a sense of fatigue that has come in with her films.”

Ahmed also has a simple word of advice for Sunny. “She should just hold on for some time now. She should not do everything that comes her way,” he says. But as a producer, will he back another film featuring the actress? Pat comes the response, “She is a thorough professional and I have no regrets working with her. If things come my way, I’ll definitely collaborate with her. Even if I want to make a Leela 2, there will be an oomph factor about Sunny because of the treatment and promotions. There will definitely be a crunch in the expenditure but all of it depends on the project."

DIRECTOR SPEAKS

Sunny is stuck in an image: Milap Zaveri

Milap directed Sunny last year in Mastizaade, which bombed at the box office. People expected that the sex comedy featuring the actress would set the cash registers ringing. But that didn’t happen. Milap takes the blame on himself. “I obviously must not have made a good enough film which is why it didn’t work. Because of her popularity and image, I also ended up typecasting her, which was wrong,” he admits.

However, he adds, “Right now, Sunny should try and do something more dramatic, emotional or maybe even a thriller as today audiences have learnt to separate the star from the film. Every actor goes through a phase of highs and lows. She is a professional and very committed to whatever she does. Eventually, an actor can only do so much to the film. If the films that are being made with her are not living up to the mark, then you can’t blame her for it.”

Prod him about all of Sunny’s films suffering the same fate at the box office and he asserts, “She’s stuck in an image where she keeps getting offered the same kind of films. When she does a song like Laila Main Laila in Raees, it becomes a rage and pumps up the excitement for the film. She still enjoys an immense fan following and people do want to see her. But the content is not working for her right now. People need to give her a chance to do something different.”

TRADE ANALYST SPEAKS

Unfair to blame Sunny completely: Komal Nahta
Trade analyst Komal Nahta has a different take on the issue. He tells us, “It’s unfair to blame an actress completely for a film’s failure. So, it would be wrong to put the whole responsibility solely on her. We have to understand that Hindi films still run on a hero’s star power. Sunny is just signing the wrong films, which don’t have any meaning for the audience. It’s the film, the content and the director who should be blamed first.”

Having said that, he believes that the actress should take a step back and analyse what’s going wrong.  “She needs someone to help and guide her while choosing her films. She has still not reached the stage where producers won’t invest money on her. So, she still has time and should be judicious about her choice from now on.” There’s also a huge debate about how there has been an overexposure of Sunny, thanks to her several item numbers and cameos in films along with her own movies. But Komal disagrees, “There’s a huge difference between an item number and a proper role. That can’t be the conclusion to this topic.”

Lifetime collections of Sunny’s films (net gross)
Jism 2 (2012): Rs 35.19 crore (semi-hit)
Jackpot (2013): Rs 4.37 crore (disaster)
Ragini MMS 2 (2014): Rs 46.56 crore (hit)
Ek Paheli Leela (2015): Rs 18.51 crore (flop)
Kuch Kuch Locha Hai (2015): Rs 2.64 crore (disaster)
Mastizaade (2016): Rs 17.71 crore (flop)
One Night Stand (2016): Rs 3.45 crore (disaster)
Beiimaan Love (2016): Rs 2.23 crore (disaster)
Tera Intezaar (2017): Rs 1.35 crore*(currently running)
(Figures: boxofficeindia.com)

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; September 2, 2017)

Sunny Leone says that she has constantly been trying to change her image of an actor suited for sexual roles only, with hubby Daniel Weber helping her reinvent herself. And yet, she shot for five item songs in the past year. In a bid to test her acting prowess, Leone, who will feature in the special number, Trippy Trippy, in Sanjay Dutt's Bhoomi, tells mid-day that now, she intends to concentrate on roles that explore her capabilities.

"After my last few films, I decided to evaluate the elements that are working in my favour. I realised I should minimize the number of films that only see me in a single song. I want to concentrate on acting," she says, adding that she has also been working with a coach to hone her skills. "I can already see the difference. I have no control over the success of my films, but I am confident about my acting capabilities."

With sex comedies and dramas like the 2016 films, Mastizaade, One Night Stand and Beiimaan Love, on her resume, Leone has often been criticized for giving a nod to roles that follow a defined template. But, the actor argues that her career's trajectory isn't at odds with those of others in Bollywood.

"Every film is glamorous. There were elements in both films [Mastizaade and One Night Stand] that were sexy, but, that's the case with all movies. I am not doing anything that another actress has not done. I don't know why it evokes a different reaction," says Leone, who has another romantic drama, Arbaaz Khan's Tera Intezaar, in her kitty. Following in the footsteps of multiple industry folk exploring different careers, Leone is dabbling with television, and production too. "I am doing TV shows, and commercials. I will also turn producer along with Daniel soon."

Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; October 25, 2016)

Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; February 13, 2016)

Pahlaj Nihalani, chairperson of CBFC, however, maintains that they are not being unreasonable
Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; February 4, 2016)

MASTIZAADE VS SAALA KHADOOS!

Just like last week, this Friday too will see the clash of the following 2 films:

MASTIZAADE: This is a sex comedy directed by Milap Zaveri and stars Sunny Leone, Tusshar Kapoor and Vir Das. This is unlike other adult comedies made in Bollywood – the humour is more in your face and revolves around erection, animal sex etc. It is, hence, not surprising that a section of audience was put off by the trailers. Songs haven’t become huge hits. The costs are reasonable as per reports and the opening can be decent like last week’s sex comedy Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3. But Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3 showed that although there is an excitement for sex comedies, such films can fall heavily if reports are bad. Hence, Mastizaade has to be a very good film to excel at the ticket window.

SAALA KHADOOS: This film is produced by Rajkumar Hirani and along with R Madhavan, it also stars Ritika Singh, who is also a real-life boxer. The film has a very aggressive tone, but it looks very impressive, at least from the trailers. Madhavan’s look is sexy and his chemistry with Ritika will be something to watch out for. The dialogues are powerful and the film talks about some important issues which can make for a great watch. The opening sadly won’t be huge as the excitement is hardly there. But the film can pick up and grow and maybe turn out to the dark horse of the year.

WHICH FILM WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AND WHY? DO LET ME KNOW!

Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; January 28, 2016)

Sunny Leone on ‘uncomfortable’ scenes in her next as co-star Vir Das and director Milap Zaveri join the chat on all things fun and awkward
MID-DAY (January 21, 2016)

Massive support has poured in for you from various quarters following a sexist, demeaning interview with a TV journalist…
Sunny: I have been doing interviews for about 15 years. There have been not too many uncomfortable experiences. It’s rare that I get extremely uncomfortable. Over the years, I have trained myself to get out of tricky situations. When you first enter the entertainment industry, you don’t know how to talk, stand or do anything, but now, I am trained. You learn from your mistakes. I call it a process of refinement.

What are the mistakes that you used to make and avoid repeating now?
Sunny: I try not to say umm (laughs). When I hear radio shows or watch TV, I find people using umm and uhh frequently.

Vir, what was the most uncomfortable part of working in Mastizaade?
Vir: Running naked on Worli Sea-Face for one of the scenes at 4.30 pm. My character gets thrown out of the house naked. He runs onto the road and nuns, hawkers and a bunch of people show up. That’s something I don’t want to do again. It was terrifying. People who looked at me were also terrified.

Sunny, any of Milap’s lines that you were umcomfortable saying in front of the camera?
Milap: I think the entire script!
Vir: The second half.
Sunny: Mine was more in the first half. I have two uncomfortable scenes. I cringed before doing it and also thinking that I did it and after watching it on the monitor. I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh. What am I doing?’ (laughs). But, it was part of the character, something that I had said yes to long ago.

Will you tell us one of those awkward lines?
Sunny: Well, no, because I am still embarrassed (laughs).

Given the content of the film, were you skeptical about Censor Board’s reaction?
Vir: I think Milap knew that some things would be cut so we had shot 150 per cent so we could retain 100 per cent in the film. The (certification) process took a while, but they have been kind to us. Luckily, our plot is intact.
Sunny: Yes, adult comedies do have plots (laughs).

The Censor Board has been receiving flak for playing prude. What’s your view on the way it deals with films?
Vir: The good thing is that they are forming a panel to revise the way a film is approached. The role of the board should be to dictate who will see a film and not what should be shown in a film.

Sunny, what do you like and dislike about the industry?
Sunny: The thing that I like is the interest level that filmmakers have shown to work with me. It was unexpected and not something that I thought when I lived in USA. I have found acceptance in India. It shows that people are willing to bring me into their homes on their TV screens, or buy the tickets of my films. What I don’t like is when I came to India, I found it hard to adjust to how business is done here. Everyone is so emotional here. In the US, you are told this is what you are going to do and this is what you will get. But here, it is different in terms of business offers, payments and dates.
Milap: For example, if you are friends with a producer, you will be expected to do his/her film. It is more emotional.

Are you comfortable speaking Hindi?
Sunny: Yes, but it depends who is sitting across the table. If I feel uncomfortable then I switch back to English. But if someone talks to me nicely, I can go on talking in Hindi without issues.

In an earlier interview with us, you had mentioned that you are worried about being stuck in the same image due to your past. But, given the kind of films you are associating with, how do you plan to change your image?
Sunny: It is not going to happen overnight; it won’t happen after one sees the trailer of Mastizaade. But I do believe that when my next three films come out, things will change. Over the years, it (image) has changed.

Vir, in your case, you seem to be doing only comedies. Do you think you have been bracketed?
Vir: By the end of 2014, I actually thought of doing things I am not known for. So I signed Mastizaade, which is an adult comedy, a first for me. My next is a drama, followed by an actioner and a family film.

Milap, many people attack you on social media. Does that affect your confidence?
Milap: I have seen success and failure. There was a phase when nothing right was happening for me. Then a few films came my way as a writer. But, many people say that I do the same kind of writing. Many have criticised that I write only commercial films. Everyone likes good reviews, but I have learnt that people, who put in money, should make money. If a film fails and one household might have to go without food, or someone who might not find work after that, I feel responsible. So, it is my priority to try and ensure that the film is a box office success. When one of my films flopped, I wept in my car like a child and the producer was trying to console me.
Vir: Yes, Milap cries a lot ( laughs).

GHAYAL ONCE AGAIN POSTPONED…ONE FRIDAY GOES WASTE!

It was last Tuesday (January 5) that the makers of Ghayal Once Again decided to postpone the release of their film from January 15 to February 5. The exact reason is not known but it led to a very peculiar situation. In an industry where filmmakers fight for Fridays and end up clashing their films with each other, there’s no major release scheduled for tomorrow. Only one film hits screens from tomorrow – Chalk N Duster, starring Juhi Chawla, Shabana Azmi and Divya Dutta.

What’s also interesting to note that the next 2 Fridays will see major clashes. While Airlift will clash with Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3 on January 22, Mastizaade and Saala Khadoos will release together on January 29. Out of these 4 films, at least one of them could have shifted their date to January 15. If the makers of Ghayal Once Again had postponed their film even a day or two earlier, this could have been possible. Moreover, Wazir has failed too. So the film releasing today would have got sufficient screens.

Our industry really has to catch up when it comes to planning. Until that happens, clashes will keep on happening, films will keep getting postponed. In short our industry will keep getting Ghayal Once Again

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; January 13, 2016)


Sources say the Ministry Of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) has taken direct charge of certification and is ensuring that no producer’s film is subjected to radical or even nominal cuts. Apparently disgruntled producers have now taken the I&B route to bypass the Censor Board.

Says a reliable source in CBFC, “Films with objectionable content like Mastizaade, Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3 and Miss Teacher which is a graphic story of a nymphomaniac teacher, have all been cleared due to the direct intervention of the I&B ministry.” Producers of the above films had “complained” to the I&B ministry when asked for cuts in the obscene content.

Adds the source, “The CBFC has been told not to cut scenes/dialogues in these films. The CBFC has been reduced to a helpless pawn.”

MID-DAY (January 5, 2015)

In most cases, actors take offence when they are not highlighted enough during their film’s publicity campaign, but Riteish Deshmukh, who has a bit role in upcoming sex comedy Mastizaade, is upset with the makers for giving him too much prominence. Last evening, the actor made his displeasure evident as he took to social media over the issue, calling it a ‘breach of contract’.

In a two- part post, Riteish tweeted last evening: “I am part of 2 scenes and a song in MastiZaade - nothing more. I am requesting the makers again - Please honour our agreement. Disappointed with MastiZaade : Its shocking to see them blatantly use me in their promotions - Absolute breach of my contract - agreement & trust (sic).”

The film, which stars Sunny Leone, Tusshar Kapoor and Vir Das, is slated to release later this month and the promotions are already underway. A source says, “Riteish has a special appearance in the film and does not want undue attention for it. He had clearly told the makers not to highlight him in their promotional campaign, but they have gone back on their word.” The makers remained unavailable for comment, but an industry insider pointed out Riteish’s tweets could be a publicity stunt for the film.

Bollywood has finally come of age and is promoting their adult flicks unbashedly and without a pretense. We take a look at what makes filmmakers more in-your-face today
MID-DAY (January 3, 2016)

There is no denying that Bollywood has evolved over a period of time. Filmmakers are no longer being coy about promoting their adult flicks under the guise of thrillers and comedies, but are openly marketing the genre, as they seem to be getting more and more comfortable with the idea.

The first half of 2016 will see three sex comedies, 'Kya Kool Hain Hum 3', 'Mastizaade' and 'Great Grand Masti', making their way to theatres. The trailers of 'Kya Kool Hain Hum 3' and 'Mastizaade', which released recently, have already created a buzz among the audience and, in a one-of-its-kind move, the former is being called the first porn-com in India. So, what makes the makers more in- your-face today?

Being accepted
The reason why films relying heavily on sexual content are doing well at the box-office is that the audience is open to all genre of films today. Says trade analyst Akshaye Rathi, "Sex comedies in India are getting bolder and audience is showing interest in the genre. Many sex comedies are popular in the international market, but in India the market has grown in the past five years. According to me, the genre will enjoy its moment for a while in the country. As far as introducing the word porn-com is concerned, I think it’s a great marketing gimmick. It is a brave and smart decision."

While the audience is accepting the genre, it can also be said that an increasing number of producers are backing sex comedies as well.

Gizele Thakral, who features in Kya Kool Hain Hum 3 says, "Producers backing sex comedies is a testimony to the genre being accepted by Indian audiences. Box-office collections also show that if you have a good story, making sex comedies is no longer a risky affair. Also, calling Kya Kool… a porn-com is a genius stroke by Ekta (Kapoor). It will arouse curiosity and audience will be more interested in watching the film."

Important to have fun
Actors such as Aftab Shivdasani and Vir Das who have starred in films with heavy sexual content feel that it is high time people stopped considering sex as taboo and had fun with it instead. "We are a country of over a billion people. We didn’t get to that number through telepathy. Someone somewhere is having sex. We might as well have a sense of humour about it and have some fun with it," says Das, who stars in the upcoming 'Mastizaade'.

Aftab Shivdasani, who will be seen in 'Kya Kool Hain Hum 3' and 'Great Grand Masti', seconds Das’s opinion and says, "I believe that it is important to have a sense of humour. There are a few sensitive issues which should be dealt in a particular manner, but there are some issues which should be dealt with humorously/lightly. I know for a fact that a lot of people criticise such films, but secretly enjoy watching it. I am not hypocrite, if I choose to be a part of an adult film, I will have to use my sense of humour accordingly. We should be open-minded."

The other side
It’s a fact that films revolving around adult content make a lot of money at the box office but on the other hand, the returns on satellite are very low due to censor issues.

Says Komal Nahta, "The market for sex comedies in India is growing but the films’ success depends only on the box office collection since there is hardly any return on satellite. This genre is not for satellite television. So producers have to ensure that the film is rightly budgeted properly."

Rangita Nandy, producer, PNC, opines that films with adult content were always popular, but Bollywood has given them a stepchild treatment. She says, "Films with adult content have always been popular in India, but yes, despite their success, Bollywood has always treated them like stepchildren. Actors, even banners, have shied away from the genre. But through the years, the numbers on the genre have only exploded. This means, like it or not, these movies have a thriving, flourishing and expanding audience. And that has its respect amongst the business community of Bollywood. Every change that enhances box office collections are welcome. And really, these are adult themed movies for an adult audience and for the large part, we are adults". Rangita adds, "So where’s the taboo? But I guess, the taboo associated with the genre will remain till respectable, A-grade actors sign on board like in Hollywood with films like Hangover 1-2-3, Wedding Crashers, etc. Until then the genre will be celebrated as a super money spinning machine. No harm or taboo in that."

DNA (December 29, 2015)

We had told you that Tusshar Kapoor who is starring in both Mastizaade and Kya Kool Hai Hum3 was stunned to know that both his films will be releasing back-to-back (January 22 and 29 respectively). While Mastizaade is produced by Rangita Nandy, KKHH3 is produced by his sister Ekta. He had said “It will hurt the box-office prospects of the film which comes second as both are adult comedies. It was disturbing for me when the announcement was made. But having said that, I would like to mention that, this is KKHH3’s first announcement. Mastizaade announced a few dates earlier and later changed them. They were to release last October, then on December 4.” He also said that he was committed to promote whichever movies comes fast. “I won’t play favourites. I am an actor and I will only promote one film at a time,” he said. However, we hear that Rangita is upset with Tushar for not promoting her film. So much so that matters between them have come to a head. An insider says that she has sent a legal notice to Tusshar for the same.

Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; December 29, 2015)

Subhash K Jha (DNA; December 28, 2015)


CBFC chair Pahlaj Nihalani has already sent his explanation to the I&B ministry. Says Nihalani, “We are in a Catch-22 situation. Karo toh gaali, na karo toh gaali. When we were strict with the vulgarity quotient, we were called prudes. Sanskaari became a gaali. And to endorse obscenity was seen worthy of taali. So, we certified some films with scenes and dialogues that we would otherwise have never passed as they went against our guidelines.”

However Nihalani is quick to point out that the scenes being shown in the forthcoming sex comedies are illegal. “The steep level of vulgarity in the trailers was brought to our notice. And we were shocked to see scenes and dialogues that we had censored, being used in the trailer. In fact, the makers of Angry Indian Goddesses put together scenes deleted from the film and posted them online. Do they know it’s a culpable crime?”

Nihalani is not the least apologetic about his pro-government leanings. “Yes, I am a proud soldier of the BJP and I firmly believe Narendra Modiji is the present and future of the country. But I’ve a mind of my own. And I know what is good for the film industry as I’ve been a producer for 40 years.”

He concludes, “As long as I am the chairperson of the CBFC, I’ll do what my conscience tells me is right. Brickbats have never bothered me. I won’t buckle under pressure from vested interests.”

Anirban Das (MID-DAY; December 25, 2015)

Hindi film promotions are being redefined like never before, with city tours, media interactions and other marketing activities occupying a big part of the actors’ date diary. And what if an actor has back- to- back releases? That too, in the space of one week? Tusshar Kapoor finds himself in this situation with the release of two sex comedies, Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3 (KKHH 3) and Mastizaade lined up for the third and fourth weeks of January.

But, if sources are to be believed, the actor is concentrating only on KKHH3 since it is his sister Ekta Kapoor’s production. “Moreover, with Mastizaade featuring Sunny Leone, he feels he might be sidelined during the publicity campaign,” explains an insider.

“Two days ago, the Mastizaade team had organised a few media interactions spanning three-four days. But, Tusshar did not turn up even once. So, the onus is now on Sunny to market the film,” informs a source.

Tusshar, however, claims the two films are equally important for him. He says, “I will never give preference to one over the other. My manager is working on my dates, but sometimes what can’t be worked out, can’t be worked out. But, nothing is deliberate. Unfortunately, both films are coming out close to each other.” Further, sources say Mastizaade makers are upset with Ekta’s production house for scheduling the release of KKHH3 a week before their film hits the theatres. “The date for Mastizaade was announced much earlier and its producers are irked because the other film was scheduled for the week before (January 22),” says the source.

However, Rangita Nandy, producer of Mastizaade, rubbishes the buzz and says, “There is no tiff between Balaji (producers of KKHH3) and us. Ekta (Kapoor) is a dear friend and a producer I respect tremendously. I wish her luck with KKHH 3. With regard to Tusshar prioritizing another film, you will have to check with him. As far as we are concerned, Mastizaade announced its release date of January 29 much before any other film and we are sticking to it.”