He is a star son, but Tanuj Virwani takes pride in having paved his own way in the big, bad world of showbiz. The actor is enjoying the reactions to two back-to-back projects in The Tattoo Murders that sees him as a ruthless baddie, and Murders Meri Jaan. In a candid chat with mid-day, Virwani talks about playing the antagonist for the first time in the Tattoo Murders and his desire to attempt comedy after a spate of serious roles.

Edited excerpts from the interview.

Some sections of the society had a problem with the title. They thought we were depicting Kamathipura and the sex workers in a negative light, which is not true. To avoid controversies, Disney+ Hotstar decided to change the title to The Tattoo Murders. However, the name is only changed in India; it dropped in other countries as Kamathipura.

Digital entertainment gives you freedom to take such risks. Luckily, my line-up of projects includes hero-centric and massy projects, so I didn’t mind dabbling in this. I often attempt different characters and see how people respond to them. When you are fronting a project, there is a lot more responsibility on you. In The Tattoo Murders, the principal character is played by Meera Chopra. [The creative freedom due to lack of pressure] allowed me to give a more gutsy performance. Unlike in Inside Edge, there is a box, and I must operate within it.

After wrapping up Code M, I was in the midst of Inside Edge 3 and was to follow it up with Cartel. With all these shows, the onus [of their success] lay on me. So, I wanted to do something different. I liked the narration of The Tattoo Murders, and where my character eventually ends up. I look up to George Clooney and Brad Pitt — they are popular because they are leading actors as well as the world’s best character actors. They will shine bright, no matter whether they are in an ensemble drama or solo project. That’s the kind of balance I want in my career.

It’s a detective drama with a mix of rom-com. I essay the role of a serious poker-faced ACP — almost like Abhishek Bachchan from Dhoom — who is chasing a con girl who has lured over 19 men into a fake marriage, and ran away with their money. I fall in love with her without realising that she is the culprit I’ve been chasing. It was shot over a start-to-finish schedule in Bhopal.

Mumbai Meri Jaan is lighter in tone compared to the other projects I am doing. I see it as my holiday project where I can have fun with my character. I want to try an out-and-out comedy because I enjoy the genre and have never got the chance to attempt it. I hope I get more such opportunities in the future. My mother [Rati Agnihotri] is concerned about my dark roles. She complains, ‘People are dying or killing or using drugs in every [series]. We never did all this’. I keep telling her that I am the product of the times we live in.

Despite raging, unhinged statements against Bollywood, many celebs have come out in support of Ranaut after a part of her office was demolished by the BMC on September 9
Juhi Chakraborty, Rishabh Suri and Shreya Mukherjee (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 11, 2020)

While Bollywood celebrities and Kangana Ranaut cannot see eye to eye on most occasions, on Wednesday, when the actor’s office in Mumbai was partially demolished by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), there were some who came out in support of the actor. Actors such as Dia Mirza, Renuka Shahane, Sonal Chauhan and Anupam Kher took to social media to express their anger about the incident. Kangana had also voiced her anger in a series of tweets, calling it the ‘death of democracy’. Here are what some other celebrities have to say about this demolition drive.


Gulshan Devaiah, Actor
Kangana is a high performing actor and has a high performing respectable career. What she has done for the female actors and the box office success she has got is tremendous. She deserves the respect regardless of what she is saying right now. However, a lot of things that she has said are very insincere especially about the film industry and other things, and that is also the truth.


Kavita Kaushik, Actor
We are living in times where everyone is just fighting. No one should resort to violence of any kind. This seems like a political fight between two very strong parties. Kangana is not in politics right now, but she is a very strong, successful and powerful woman and she is playing it well

Kubbra Sait, actor
This is not a human on human war. It’s become even more lousy to call it a war against patriarchy or war against Kangana. I can stand for Kangana, and I can also stand for something else that I believe in. What’s happening to her is not right. No one has shied away from speaking, we don’t agree with the reasons. it’s not easy to make or break a house. What if it happened to me? I am not okay with it happening to anyone.

Nikhil Dwivedi, Actor-producer
I hope that the law were followed during the demolition. How do we speculate that it wasn’t followed? I am ignorant of the procedure. It seemed wrong but I can’t be sure. But it didn’t make for great optics.


Meera Chopra, Actor
Whatever Kangana said was her personal opinion, but demolishing her office is not justified. It’s a complete challenge for democracy also. In a way, they are saying ‘tum hamare khilaaf kuchh bologe toh hum yeh karenge’. A government can’t expect everybody to love them. Ek aurat se revenge le rahe ho? What happened to the state being a bigger person and letting it go?

Onir, Filmmaker
I might not agree with what Kangana says but what BMC has done is misuse of power. She has the right to support or be against the government. Now, those who have no problems with what happened at JNU earlier this year, will talk about this. The whole atmosphere has become toxic. Everyone is so full of hate that people just want to justify things which should not be justified. Regardless of your political beliefs, one needs to be able to differentiate between the right and the wrong.

Celebrities, long at the receiving end of social media trolls, are giving it back, more so to those who issue rape or death threats
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 19, 2020)

There’s no end to social media toxicity, but the recent incidents of celebrities getting rape and death threats on these platforms have raised an alarm, not just on women’s safety, but on trolls in general. Many celebs who were at the receiving end, tackled such incidents admirably.

Actor Alia Bhatt’s sister, author Shaheen Bhatt, named and shamed the people who issued them threats. “...to those of you who think it’s okay to send me or anyone messages full of hate: If you send me a message with the sole hope of humiliating, insulting, or bullying me.. I will NOT protect your identity.… I WILL use all legal recourse available..” Actor Rhea Chakraborty, girlfriend of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, too, shared a screenshot of an Instagram direct message, exposing the user’s profile name and picture.

POSITIVE EXAMPLE
Yogita Bhayana, founder of NGO PARI, shares that public figures speaking up is a good sign. “These celebs have the backing and should not take this nonsense at all. A normal girl might not feel empowered, but actors can speak up,” she says, adding she has faced such threats in the past.

Counselling psychologist Sachita Sethi concurs that when celebs make such a statement, it helps highlight the issue. “It’s good that celebs are coming out, they’ll be role models for youngsters.”

Emphasising that most trolls assume an anonymous identity, clinical psychologist Pulkit Sharma says, “It’s because of the medium that gives the comfort of lashing out without consequences.”

CASES ON THE RISE
Cyber bullying cases are, of late, more rampant. Rekha Sharma, chairperson, National Commission for Women (NCW) elaborates, “Since the lockdown started, NCW received 289 complaints on cyber crime and took suo motu cognisance of several cases on which it was tagged on Twitter. We need more trained police officials to help us solve these cases.”

Bhayana adds this is where the problem lies. “Even if you talk to experts, there are no clear guidelines. If you go to a police station, they’ll direct you to the cyber cell,” she says.

ACTORS hit back
Last month, actor Meera Chopra was left shaken after receiving threats from the fans of a popular Telugu actor. “It makes a difference to somebody’s psyche,” she asserts.

Actor Richa Chadha doesn’t take online bullying quietly, and says most people who issue violent threats online, rely on anonymity. “Some do it to get famous and end up in jail like Shubham Mishra (who gave rape threats to stand-up comic Agrima Joshua). Whatever we do online, has consequences,” she says.

And recently, actor Sonam Kapoor aka Sonam K Ahuja took to Instagram to share a death threat her sister, Rhea received. “Instagram doesn’t think death threats is a violation or their India team can’t read Hindi,” she wrote when they refused to take down the comment.
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ACTORS SIGN #INDIAAGAINSTABUSE PETITION
Recently, actor Kalki Koechlin told HT in an interview she had to ignore “toxic stuff” on the internet for her mental health. Now, she and actors Sayani Gupta, Dia Mirza, Sonam K Ahuja and Maanvi Gagroo have signed the #IndiaAgainstAbuse petition. On Instagram, they shared stories about rape and death threats women receive online, and asked their followers to join hands to make social media safe for them again.

After Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide, industry rocked by accusations of toxic cliques. Are the "man girls" of Bollywood responsible?
Aastha Atray Banan (MID-DAY; June 21, 2020)

In an interview to a senior journalist in the aftermath of actor Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide on June 14, close friend and his first director, Abhishek Kapoor remembers the screening of a film for the media and Bollywood fraternity that's usually held before a movie hits theatres. Kapoor says, typically, no one ever claps or shows public appreciation at the end. He likens Sushant to an actor who would ask, "But, why aren't they clapping?", and one would shrug, "Leave them be; everyone outside [your fans] are clapping."

Validation from peers clearly was important to the young actor, 34, who took his life at his Bandra apartment although success didn't elude him. His last film, Chhichhore, becoming the year's 100-crore club sleeper hit, and Dil Bechara, inspired by John Green's acclaimed book The Fault in our Stars is coming up for a 2020 direct-to-digital release.

And this, despite a dazzling journey to success, that started in a middle class Patna family that couldn't afford a foreign university education for the National Olympiad winner for physics. A few months short of getting a degree from the Delhi College of Engineering, he chose to quit and make his way to Mumbai to be in the movies. Displaying quiet charm in the Ekta Kapoor-backed daily soap, Pavitra Rishta, he was one of the rare televisions stars to make a successful crossover to movies, with Kapoor's Kai Po Che. He did barely 10 films in his seven-year-long career, but it was a variegated selection, including the celebrated biopic of cricket star M S Dhoni, for which he was hailed even by the likes of Amitabh Bachchan.

Although Sushant suffered from clinical depression as affirmed by his counsellor and girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty in her police statement, since his death, news channels have been buzzing with reactions from industry folk, some of whom have put it down to Bollywood's deep-seated politics and toxic attitude towards "outsiders". Giants like Karan Johar, Salman Khan, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and the team behind Yash Raj Films — his talent management agency — have been targeted for nurturing toxic cliques that rob deserving talent of good work.

In the 2009 release Luck By Chance, Farhan Aktar's outsider character, Vikram, realises he is "making it" when he is invited to Kareena Kapoor's home for a party. Directed by Zoya Akhtar, who is credited for making movies that reflect a milieu to perfection, we can be forgiven for believing that it depicted the truth—you are truly a star when the core camp accepts you as their own.

A talk show series that Karan Johar has helmed for long has been at the centre of controversy too, with old clips resurfacing, referring to the deceased star in not very glowing terms. In one clip of Koffee with Karan, Alia Bhatt says, "Who Sushant?", when asked to list her favourite young actors in order of preference. In another, when Sonam Kapoor is asked to rate the actors as Hot or Not, Johar names Sushant and Sonam's reaction is, "Huh?". She immediately follows that up with, "I mean I haven't seen his films. So I don't know'." Sushant was not invited on the show as guest in any season.

Kangana Ranaut, who wears the non-filmi-family badge proudly on her chest was her usual blunt self when she attacked the powerful producers and stars of the Hindi film industry, calling them out for nepotism, sharing her own personal experiences of trauma.

But, there are those who say, if you are in the game, you have to play by the rules. An entertainment editor, who didn't wish to be identified for the story, in fact, believes "it's much better now". Groupism is an intrinsic Bollywood trait, and was much more pronounced in the 1980s and '90s. And stars and directors have always been unabashed about working repeatedly with who they like. Amitabh Bachchan, for instance, preferred to work with Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra. Some filmmakers would make movies only with Rajesh Khanna. "If you work well together, you continue to work with that team. And it's not just directors and actors. It's also directors and music directors or DOPs," she says, arguing that Johar is an easy target because his personal life is public. "He has grown up here [in the industry]. Are you going to judge him for partying with his friends?"

She lists the breaks Johar has given to newcomers, including directors like Shakun Batra, who made Kapoor and Sons, a Dharma production. "It's actually become more professional now—there are no premieres either. In Sushant's case, he was passionate about certain projects like Paani and Chandamama, which got shelved because they seemed unfeasible for economic reasons at that given time. He was broken by that. But to say he wasn't getting movies is incorrect. There are enough stories in fact, about how he was inaccessible to most people at most times."

Shekhar Kapur's Paani, a futuristic film set in 2040, that looks at a man from the lower city, where there isn't enough to eat and then nothing to drink, was an ambitious project surrounding water wars. And Sushant had spent months prepping for the role, internalising it. He was equally immersed in the idea behind Chandamama, especially given his personal interest in constellations. He had also visited the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to train to be an astronaut as prep for the role.

Founder of publicity firm Raindrop Media, Rohini Iyer seems to agree. In a series of social media posts, Iyer said, Sushant didn't care for validation. "He didn't give a f*** about fame or your opinions. He didn't care about these people who are busy posting about not being in touch with him. For the record, he didn't care about being in touch. He hated fake friends, phone calls and small talk. He rejected your parties, you didn't shun him. He rejected your lobbies. He didn't need camps, he had his own kingdom. He was an outsider and he never cared about being an insider," she wrote.

Hansal Mehta identifies with how the failure of a project can impact an intelligent mind. The man behind critically acclaimed movies like Aligarh, Shahid and Simran, says in the end, the audience will watch who they want to watch, no matter what group they belong to. Nepotism may lead to a star kid getting a foot in the door, but his or her success depends on merit. What has muddied the waters, he thinks, is the PR machinery and the media. "When paid news items were introduced, it was about promoting a movie. Now, it has become about propping and pulling down. Blind items are often ugly and damaging to a person's psyche." Mehta admits to going through a rough time himself after the release of Simran, which starred Kangana Ranaut. "I felt suicidal, but I kept working, and that kept me going."

A public relations professional this writer spoke to, says as an outsider, it's difficult to even bag an opportunity. "Until Kiara [Advani, actor] did M S Dhoni and Fugly, nobody cared who she was. But, it was after Lust Stories [backed by Karan Johar] that her life changed, how she was perceived took a turn. But, that being said, it's still not like movies are being made for her. She stars in Shershaah next which is being produced by Karan. But, it's a very small role. It's not like she is Alia, where movies are being written for her. Before Lust Stories, she would be seated in say row six at a movie do; now she has made it to row one."

She backs the claim that PR and talent agencies are critical to a star's success because they help set the stage for an image leg up. "If I have a consistent rapport and conversation with a journalist about one actor, it's likely that one day, that journalist will do a story on the actor, and just like that, an image is made. And more will follow. But, if someone says a PR professional can wreck careers, I am not sure. Information on blind items for instance, usually come from those in close proximity to the star."

Having worked briefly with Sushant in the past, she calls him ambitious and enthusiastic, except in recent times. "He had become reticent and wasn't available. He would vanish for long periods, change his number. I know that a prominent director was trying to get in touch with him, and couldn't, because his phone was switched off. In the end, how you handle the fame, and whether you display a strong work ethic also matters."

A talent manager, who has worked with some of the biggest stars in the business says, that for them, both the insider and outsider come with their own set of challenges. "The insiders have to prove themselves worthy of their lineage, while the outsider has to ensure his talent speaks because that's all he has. But, that being said, if tomorrow, say I have to push newcomer Shanaya Kapoor, I know that she already has an image [created by and on social media]. But with an outsider, I would have to work a lot on it."

Ask her if people get roles because they know a so-and-so or belong to a certain camp, and she says wryly, "Of course, that happens. But you can only sustain it for two or three projects. You have to remember that this is a business, and if a production house is betting Rs 20 crore on a star, they will push the movie or a certain star so that they get hefty returns on their investment. So yes, the aspirational a star, or someone with an image, is likely to get get stronger backing."

Actor Meera Chopra is cousin to Priyanka and Parineeti Chopra, and starred opposite Akshaye Khanna in last year's critically acclaimed film Section 375. She said in a note on Twitter, "We are working and living in an industry which is cruel, cold and ruthless… I am sorry to say but nobody gives a shit about what you are going through." She told this writer that despite being nominated for her performance as best supporting actress, she found it hard to find an outfit to wear for the award function. "Designers would rather dress Shanaya Kapoor, not me. It can get to you if you let it. It's not about nepotism, because that exists everywhere. The problem is that a core group feels they have ownership of the industry, which we outsiders don't have access to. We keep craving to be part of this family, and that's a very lonely process. They will call you on your birthday and text if your movie does well, but that's it. And this roast culture has now taken over, and people don't realise that it hurts. Till you get really famous, you are not going to be a part of this coterie, and you have to condition yourself to rise above it."

But acceptance doesn't come easily when you know only the best have access to membership of the exclusive club. Ranvir Shorey says when he came to Mumbai 20 years ago, he realised that entry to the powerful club rests on who you know. "But I will also say that not everyone in the business is like that, so you have to find what fits you. I decided to ignore people who were ignoring me."

Ask him if he cares about the parties he wasn't invited for and he scoffs, "I have thrown better parties than them. It's sad that you work hard and passionately but don't get what's due to you. I have had to cull my aspirations, because I knew that I wasn't going to get a mainstream film, or an award. I wanted the adulation but was snubbed. The membership to the powerful club should be open to anyone who performs well. We have to change the system."

His thoughts are echoed by actor Gulshan Devaiah, who likens the cliques to cartels. "They exist everywhere, from casting to production to distribution to marketing. Some wield power in a benevolent way, some are not so nice," says the Kannada actor, known for his work in Afsos and Ghost Stories. In an earlier interview to this paper, he had admitted that he was finding it hard to break into Bollywood. "An A-lister is defined not just by work but who they know. Everyone has licked a** and the cliques have the power to offer them acceptance. Some know how to play the game well, some try but fail, some like Irrfan [Khan], refuse to play it. What Sushant did, has forced me to think about my journey. I have tried to shake the right hand, and kiss the right a**, and trust me, it doesn't taste good. But Ranvir is right. It means he can make a different choice when he is in a bad place."

Devaiah says he knows of talent that's left the industry because they couldn't handle the unsaid rules. "It's a hustle to get a job, to get an award. It's difficult to even survive, leave alone thrive. And it's worse for women. What we can do is accept it, protect ourselves and build a support system."

A publicist who works with prominent actors says social acceptance is as critical as landing big projects. "Even a style award held by a publication has a guarded guest list. Even if someone's movie has made it to Cannes, it doesn't mean they will be invited. Once, an indie actor, who had informed an award show organiser that she would be late to arrive, was delayed by another 15 minutes. The magazine cancelled her award. That wouldn't have happened if she was a star kid."

Well known actor and once an industry kid, Raveena Tandon said in a telling tweet: "Mean girl gang of the industry. Camps do exist. Made fun of, removed from films by heroes, their girlfriends, journo chamchas and their career destroying fake media stories. Sometimes careers are destroyed. You struggle to keep afloat. Some survive. Some don't.#oldwoundsrevisited."

And so, evidently, it's not just outsiders but anyone who's not having a good run. Vivek Oberoi, it seemed, fell off the Bollywood map after his public fracas with Salman Khan over Aishwarya Rai, despite being called one of Bollywood's most promising raw talents following his successful partnership with Ram Gopal Varma. In a note, Oberoi wrote after Sushant's death, he said, "I've been through my own journey of pain, it can be very dark and lonely."

Aamir Khan's nephew Imran Khan, who was launched in Bollywood with much fanfare, has been out of work for a while. A filmy connection doesn't always come to the rescue. Adhyayan Suman, Shekhar Suman's son, says that when you are down and out, even your depression story is not taken seriously. "When I came out a few years ago about my mental health struggle, I was called frustrated and a loser. You have to be famous for your depression also to matter," says Suman, who acted in Raaz and Jashnn before he turned his attention a career in music. "I have been struggling [to build a career] for nine years, I am the example of nepotism not working. I don't understand why I never got movies—my roles in my movies got rave reviews. For one movie that did really well, the PR was told that she had to make sure my name didn't come up in promotions and was asked to discuss the big star instead. I once met a top director in LA, and asked for a meeting once he was back in Bombay. He gave me his number, and then for a whole year, never picked up my call."

The outsider who made it big, the RJ who transitioned beautifully to movies, Ayushmann Khurrana confirms in his book Cracking the Code, that breaking in is far from easy when he recounts the time he met Karan Johar, who gave him his office landline number. "I was extremely excited and thought to myself, 'ab toh life set hai. Ab mujhe koi rock nahi sakta. Ab toh introducing Ayusmann Khurrana hai by Dharma Productions.' The next day I dialled the number Karan had given me. They said Karan wasn't in office. The day after that, I called again and they said he was busy. And finally my bubble burst when, the subsequent day, they told me bluntly, "We only work with stars, and can't work with you," he writes in the book.

An actor who has been part of the industry for three decades, says that the witch-hunt against Johar and Co. is uncalled for. "Either play the game or don't. Uday Chopra [brother to Yash Raj scion and producer Aditya Chopra] couldn't get his career to take off and is now in LA. Can YRF change that? Could they have made him a star? The kind of trolling he experiences is horrifying. It happens to everyone and everywhere. You have to fight."


The Cliques Broke Down
Karan Johar values old-time friends and likes to hang out with people he grew up around and knows for long. This includes Shweta Bachchan, Twinkle Khanna, Kareena Kapoor Khan-all industry kids—and good friend Shah Rukh Khan's wife Gauri. Director Mahesh Bhatt's daughter Alia Bhatt, who he launched in Bollywood (she calls him a second father), and her beau, Ranbir Kapoor (scion of Bollywood's first family, the Kapoors) are also in the club.

It also includes new entrants of the industry like Deepika Padukone and husband Ranveer Singh, director Ayan Mukerji, who is Ranbir's bestie. Newcomers like Vicky Kaushal and Kiara Advani are under KJo's wing,

Sonam Kapoor has a classy and intellectual bunch of friends that form a fairly large sorority, including fashion designer Masaba Gupta (daughter to actor Neena Gupta), designer Shehla Khan, her sister Rhea, and heiress to the Leela hotels empire Samyukta Nair. Indie actor Swara Bhaskar is a good friend outside of the privileged kids gang.

Salman Khan has his favourites and doesn't make any attempt to hide who they are. Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonakshi Sinha, once rumoured girlfriend Katrina Kaif, director Abbas Ali Zafar, filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala, are part of his coterie.




In a Holi shoot from 2013, emerging stars, Sushant Singh Rajput, Siddharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan, goof around. Pic/ Getty Images


Sushant Singh Rajput hugs director Vikas Bahl outside a Bandra restaurant as he leaves with former partner Ankita Lokhande, after the success party for Piku hosted by Deepika Padukone. Pic/ Getty Images 

Shreya Mukherjee (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 6, 2020)

Actor Meera Chopra was in for a shock when N T Rama Rao fans started a hate campaign against her on social media. It began after her recent chat session on Twitter, when a user asked her to describe the Telugu actor in one word and she replied, “I don’t know him. I’m not his fan.” Having worked in the southern film industry, she also expressed her admiration for Telugu actor Mahesh Babu, which further irked the trolls.

“This cyber bullying needs to stop. I can be anybody’s fan in the world, it’s my choice. They (Jr NTR fans) threatened me with gang rape, throwing acid on my face, murder and even wished my parents die of Coronavirus. All this when I hadn’t said anything hurtful,” says Chopra, 36, adding, “Social media has become such a scary and toxic place. It’s amusing how people can stoop this low.”

After getting some “30,000 abuses”, the Section 375 (2019) actor decided to take legal action. “I’ve always stood up for what’s right. I’d be a hypocrite if I don’t raise my voice now. I’ve filed a complaint with Hyderabad City Police and Cyber Crime Cell. They’re looking into it and have asked me to file a complaint with Delhi Police since I’m at home now. That’s also done,” she tells us.

She even tagged Jr NTR in some tweets to bring to his notice the behaviour of his fans, hoping he’d take a stand. “Actors must be aware of their fan clubs. They must address such extreme behaviour. Fans treat actors as gods, I’m sure they’d listen to them,” says Chopra, who is planning to start a campaign to get stars to talk about such issues openly.

Actor Meera Chopra subjected to cyberbullying by Jr NTR's admirers after she claims 'not his fan'; hopes Telugu star will intervene
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 4, 2020)

A harmless chat session with her fans on Twitter, on Tuesday, snowballed into cyber bullying for Section 375 actor Meera Chopra. The actor had little idea that she would be at the receiving end of rape threats for stating that she was not a fan of Telugu star N T Rama Rao Jr, popularly known as Jr NTR.

It started innocuously when Chopra named Mahesh Babu on being asked about her favourite actor from the South film industry. Following her response, a user asked her if she liked Jr NTR. "I said I don't know him, and I'm not a fan. As soon as I said that, I was bombarded with abuses, murder and rape threats. I didn't know it was a crime to not be somebody's fan," she recounts.

With her timeline being flooded with abusive tweets since then, the actor — cousin to Priyanka Chopra Jonas — urged Twitter to take stringent action against the cyber bullies. She also filed a complaint with the National Commission for Women (NCW), which took cognizance of the situation. Refusing to take things lying down, the actor further wrote to Jr NTR on Twitter, hoping he will request his fan clubs to refrain from such appalling behaviour.

"I have tagged Jr NTR on the abusive tweets where I have been called a wh**e, adult star and threatened with gang rape and acid attack. His fans also wished that my parents die of Coronavirus. I hope he asks his fans to refrain from such cyber bullying. It also reflects the state of women in our society — how is any woman to feel safe when people are openly threatening her? This misogynistic behaviour needs to be called out. I asked Twitter to suspend the accounts, but no action has been taken so far."

Section 375 actor Meera Chopra chronicles what she learnt during her prep for cop act in upcoming web show, Kamathipura
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; September 26, 2019)

Having earned accolades for her act as a rape victim in Section 375, Meera Chopra has trained her focus on her next, Kamathipura, a series that dabbles in the flesh trade. Essaying the part of a cop in the web show, Priyanka Chopra Jonas's cousin says she had to frequent the red-light area to acquaint herself with it.

"As a cop posted in that place, I had to familiarise myself with the area. My team took me to Kamathipura for three days, and we travelled across places like gully no 12 and 13, where access for the common folk is restricted," says the actor, who investigates a spate of murders in the area for the Amazon Prime series, helmed by Shravan Kumar.

While it was meant to be an educative affair for her act, the prep, Chopra admits, often posed facts that rendered her unnerved. "At times, I'd see [troubled] girls willing to be bitten by snakes in a bid to get intoxicated. I learnt that there are different rate-card for girls. Those standing on the ground floor are 'cheaper' than those on the floors above. For me, it was shocking. I never even imagined that a place like this existed in Mumbai."

The success of Section 375, she says, has been a validation of sorts for her. "I've been waiting for this acceptance for a long time. Often, I would be tempted to do projects against my will, merely for the sake of visibility. But, I always decided to wait for the right offer."

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; September 12, 2019)

As a filmmaker who has spent five years between his first and second film, Ajay Bahl comes across as someone who doesn’t let ups and downs affect him. After making the acclaimed BA Pass in 2013, it took him a few years to reach a studio floor again. As a proud feminist, the directorwriter admits that he didn’t let his views on a sensitive subject like rape clutter his thoughts while filming Section 375. In a conversation with BT, Ajay spoke about hassles faced by women while battling rape cases and why a man, even when not found guilty, can seldom roam freely in society. Excerpts:

You had to wait five years after making a film like BA Pass to find your next assignment as a director. Didn’t the long interval get to you? It didn’t! What are friends for?
There was not one dull day; they would all come to my house and we would party. Aise karte karte, paanch saal beet gaye. After BA Pass, I had signed a film called Citylights, which didn’t work out. I have learnt one thing: never say no to a film and never leave a project midway. In the last five years, I wrote scripts that no one wanted to produce. I also spent time educating myself in different things. I came aboard Section 375 a year ago, with a friend’s recommendation. He’s a co-producer on this and he introduced me into the set-up. If that friend hadn’t helped, I doubt anyone would have thought of me to helm this film.

A film like this has the potential to be accused of taking sides, are you prepared for such feedback?
Look, the film doesn’t generalize anything and it’s silly to do that. It revolves around the proceedings in a single case. With this film, we’re definitely not trying to say that men are not guilty. There are thousands of guilty men all over the place. The issue at hand in the film is a complex one, and both sides think that they are right. The film doesn’t, however, take sides. We’ve left a lot for the audience to decide. As a man, I have my own opinion on the subject discussed in the film, but I’ve not let it trickle into my work. I am a feminist; but it’s a different story that feminism is itself a misconstrued idea today. Not everyone understands what it entails.

Was it very difficult for you to disallow your own views from interfering with the narrative?
Yes, it was. When you make a film like Section 375, you can’t let your feelings dominate the narrative, ever. If you let that happen, it becomes propaganda. I’m like many other people in society, whose views on the subject change with the passage of time, and with more and different kinds of instances being reported. Complex issues like the cases in the #MetToo movement can be seen in two different ways — emotionally where you immediately want to take the accused to task, and objectively where the law and facts become the lens.

Days after the trailer of your film released, a court in Pune summoned your team (including actors) and you for allegedly showing lawyers in a negative light...
The person who raised an objection didn’t realise that when Meera Chopra’s character is being questioned, she is with a medical examiner and a policewoman in the hospital, and not with a lawyer in court or at a police station. In the film, we have also explained why she was being examined by a male and not a female practitioner. The questions she’s asked are a part of the medical assault history, which needs to be corroborated with physical examination. The gaps between the two can benefit an accused. It’s a harrowing procedure, but for the want of justice, one has to bear with it. As for showing lawyers in poor light, I think we always show cops taking bribes and politicians being corrupt; if everyone starts objecting to their portrayal in cinema, we won’t be able to make films. There are all kinds of people in every field. So, that claim doesn’t hold value. It’s not fully shown, but even the proceedings in the film are shown happening with a two-judge bench in camera, behind closed doors. Only people in the room are the ones who have a direct connection with the case. We had a high court lawyer present on the set to ensure that we do not show any proceedings incorrectly.

Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; June 28, 2016)

Vikram Bhatt flew into New Delhi for a literary event on Sunday and on the way from the airport, he began jotting down his thoughts. Known for his heartfelt outpourings on social media, the filmmaker was hurt and angry, warned and cautioned. By the time, he had finished writing, it was over a 1,000-word blogpost. Yesterday, at 10am, he posted it on his Facebook account and titled it ‘Kamaal R Khan and my imminent mud wrestle’. Bhatt is in no mood to let the Twitter troll get away with his offensive remarks against him.

Last week, he slapped a defamation case against KRK and is taking further legal recourse. Bhatt sent the notice following KRK’s nasty review of his film, 1920 London, last month, and for making a personal attack in which he was accused of trying to “supply Meera Chopra (actress of his film) to a well known producer by many dirty tricks.” The filmmaker says, “Many people told me that he does it to get attention and that I should just let him be. But I cannot remain silent; my conscience will not allow me to do that.” According to Bhatt, KRK’s disgusting tweets about Bollywood actresses amounts to sexual harassment. “Just because Bollywood does not have an office, the women cannot go and complain, unlike how it happens at the workplace. KRK is outraging their modesty. In any other situation, the person would have been taken to task,” he adds.

He wonders why the National Commission of Women has not darted off a notice to KRK as yet.
“Salman Khan’s recent rape statement caused outrage and he was taken to task. So why is this man, who repeatedly outrages the modesty of women, going scot-free?” At the same time, he declares, “I am not trying to be a messiah. Nor do I want to be crusader. I am a writer and a filmmaker. But, what he is doing is wrong. I am handling the emotional part of the battle while my lawyer Rizwan Siddiquee is helping me with the legal processes.”

Bhatt also knows that not many from the industry will come out in his support, especially actresses whom KRK has harassed on social media. “I don’t expect them to come forward. I know it could be a lone battle, but action has to be taken against him. He claims to be a film critic and producer, so he is part of the industry and someone needs to ask him to stop. And when it has happened to me, I can’t remain silent.”

The filmmaker is likely to file an FIR with Versova police against KRK today.

Vikram Bhatt's Facebook post:
It all started with a Twitter duel between Mr Kamaal R. Khan and me after the release of my film 'Love Games'. Then, came his review of the film '1920 London'. Though I did not produce the film, direct it, write the dialogue or the screenplay, he decided to do a review of me instead of the film. He made absurd insinuations — called me a fraud, a pimp and other unsavory names. I couldn't care less. When you have made a business of ranting, then ranting is what you got to do! When you don't stand up and fight the rumours that are being perpetrated about you, your silence gives these rumours the fodder they need to seem like the truth to the people around you. I knew then that I had to fight, if not for for anything else then at least my daughter's tears.

Here are some of the things Mr Kamal R Khan has been saying about our ladies. And this is just tip of the iceberg:
On Bipasha Basu: Posting a picture of papayas on Twitter, he wrote, "These are as big as bipasha ke in bipasha song. #Jodibreakers? ." He further added, "Believe me I go crazy when Bipasha move her boobs on the song Bipasha of Jodi breakers."

On Nargis Fakhri: "Nargis Fakhri says- My butt is bigger than my lips. Yes yes I know this yar but kabhi milo Tho Sahi yaar. @NargisFakhri How long can a woman go without sex? We r supposed 2have sex n don't lie 2me tat nobody wants it.[sic]."

On Malaika Arora: "There comes an Item.song from an Old lady Malaika Arora Khan who still dances at her best with hotness and curves, it was fun watching this dance."

On Priyanka Chopra: "I want to ask only one question to @priyankachopra ji Madam ji are you also a virgin like Rakhi Sawant? ?#?JustAsking?(sic)."

On Huma Qureshi: "I want to ask you one question if you will not feel bad? I want to have sex with you. Hahaha." He then addded, "Now watching Gangs of Wasseypur 2 for the 2nd time n only for Human Qureshi and dialogue Kahke Loonga"

On Madhuri Dixit: "Ye lo buddhi Madhuri Dixit will again try to become no.1 actress. Madam ji just learn something from Sridevi."

On Alia Bhatt: "Alia looks so bacchi in panty but still some force her to wear it."

I am no Ram, in fact far from it. But I have decided to go to the heart of this evil to bring back what is good. If I have to fight filth and get filthy, then so be it. But fight I must!

The filmmaker sends defamation notice to Kamaal R Khan for making uncharitable remarks about him and his leading lady, Meera Chopra
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 24, 2016)

Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt has sent a criminal defamation notice to Kamaal R Khan alleging that the former Bigg Boss contestant has been publishing, disseminating and circulating false, fabricated, derogatory and misleading information about him on Twitter and YouTube. The Raaz director's lawyer, Rizwan Siddiquee, has stated in the notice that while reviewing Vikram's 1920 London, Kamaal had made personal attacks on his client as well as on the film's leading lady Meera Chopra.

In his review, KRK alleged that everyone Vikram has promised to make a star has had to eventually sit at home for lack of work, including Sushmita Sen and Ameesha Patel, so it was bound to happen to Meera as well. At another point in the review, KRK says that the filmmaker cheated two Delhi financers who'd come on the set in an Alto car while he would show up in either a Mercedes or a BMW, leaving them high and dry, their get-rich-quick dream shattered.

"I sent a criminal notice to Kamaal Rashid Khan to which he was required to respond within seven days. The time is up and we haven't heard from him. It's obvious that he doesn't have any justification for his criminal acts of defamation and is apparent that he is lying. Instead, he has chosen to blatantly continue with it, showing a complete disregard to laws and even had the audacity to outrage the modesty of my other client, Ms Meera Chopra," Rizwan stated. Meanwhile, KRK informed Mirror that he received the notice only on June 23. "Vikram is uneducated but speaks English well, which I think is a very dangerous combination. Reading the notice aloud will make one laugh. As a critic I have the right to say what I want about a film. If filmmakers start getting offended, everyone will start sending us notices. For now, I have passed the notice along to my lawyer who will respond by tonight," he said, after taking to Twitter to give his side of the story regarding Meera.

"I just want to inform Mr Vikram Bhatt that Meera Chopra herself told me the whole story. I didn't add anything from my side in that review. Now, I will reveal in the court that Vikram Bhatt tried to supply Meera Chopra to a well-known producer using dirty tricks," he threatened. However, when prodded on the incident, KRK refused to comment further.

Next up, Rizwan is preparing to move court against KRK. "We will also file an FIR against Mr Kamaal R Khan on behalf of Ms Meera Chopra," he concludes.

The filmmaker, who has been missing in action for a year-and-a-half now, admits to a new Affair
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 2, 2015)

Just when everybody thought that Ram Gopal Varma had vanished from the face of the earth, the filmmaker has raised his head in snow-capped Poland. He's been shooting a Jeet Gannguli composition that plays in a dream sequence, which explores the psychology of a romance and the thrill of an affair, for his next film.

The writer-director-producer, whose last release Satya 2 tanked at the box-office, is filming a "song with shock value" in the European country for his upcoming, psychological romance, The Secret. "I'll be back in Mumbai on June 8 with a shout out to all Ramu fans and face the media with a big bang," he promises.

His comeback film was earlier titled The Affair but he changed it because he thought that the title was a give away. The film revolves around an architect; his wife played by Grand Masti actress Kainaat Arora and Meera Chopra, a co-worker with whom he has an affair. Things go haywire when his boss, played by Makarand Deshpande, catches him red-handed after which a lawyer, Tisca Chopra, walks into the film.

The plot may have some similarities with the Akshay Kumar-Priyanka Chopra- Kareena Kapoor love triangle, Aitraaz, as also the Hollywood hit, Fatal Attraction, featuring Michael Douglas, Glenn Close and Anne Archer. "The Secret is about an incurable attraction and how social media and technology can doom a relationship," admits Sachiin Joshi, who plays the architect.

Prod the actor who stepped into Aditya Roy Kapur's shoes for the Telugu version of Mohit Suri's Aashiqui 2, on why he chose to gamble with an RGV film and he says, "Like everybody else, I had my reservations too till Ramu pointed out that he's the same man who made Shiva, Satya, Rangeela and Company. He is always mistaken because he looks at things differently. He has a unique take on everything in life and has always gone ahead with his choices. Once he is fixated on something, you can't budge him," insists Sachiin.

Upala KBR (DNA; March 24, 2014)

Before Parineeti Chopra’s first film released, her superstar cousin Priyanka Chopra drew criticism for not supporting or promoting the budding actress. Four years after her debut, it is now Parineeti who is getting flak for not rolling out a red carpet for her cousin Meera’s entry into Bollywood. Meanwhile, Piggy Chops is going out of her way to help Meera find a footing in the film industry.

A source says, “While Priyanka and Parineeti are cordial with each other, the vibes between Meera and Parineeti are cold. It started when the Ishaqzaade girl told people that Meera was not her cousin but a ‘cousin’s cousin’s cousin’ and not really part of her family. She further added that they are so distant that they don’t even meet or talk. A hurt Meera immediately retaliated calling her comments as ‘unwarranted and stupid’.”

Meanwhile, Priyanka has been promoting Meera’s film Gangs Of Ghosts, which released last Friday. The actress posted the film’s theatrical trailer on Twitter and wrote ‘My sister’s first Hindi movie! Check it!’ Please note when Parineeti’s first film Ladies vs Ricky Bahl released no such gesture was made.

Meera takes a high moral ground and downplays how Parineeti brushed her off as a distant relative, “See, Parineeti is a younger sister. Our dads are first cousins. I’m sure she didn’t mean it how it came across. She may have said it without giving it a thought. I haven’t taken what she said seriously.”

Parineeti says, “Priyanka’s and my father are brothers. Meera’s father is their first cousin which makes her my second cousin. There are several factual inaccuracies in the news doing the rounds. Also, I have indeed not met Meera for a long time and haven’t been in touch. But I wish her all the best for her film!”