Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 4, 2020)

Vidya Balan, a New Year baby, is never short of smiles. She is an intrinsically happy and content person who brings sunshine to every set, which is perhaps why Milan Luthria was worried. His film, The Dirty Picture, was not a frothy entertainer and Reshma aka Silk, a chorus singer who becomes a glamorous star and then, a has-been desperately wanting to get back in the race, was unlike any character Vidya had played before. The director had expected her to go into a “zone”, as he had seen many other actors do once they got into action. But his leading lady was always laughing and joking, never tense or moody, rarely entertaining visitors or chatting and texting in-between shots. He also quickly discovered that Vidya had great emotional depth and an innate understanding that brought the character alive on screen, without letting Silk enter her personal space. “Early in her career, some of the South films she had signed did not take off for whatever reasons, and Vidya was tagged as ‘jinxed’. To play Silk, maybe she tapped into that phase of her life when, hurt and disappointed, she would cry herself to sleep every night,” Milan muses.

The director admits that some scenes, like the orgasm one or the one where she is lured into shooting for a porn film for money, made her uncomfortable, but otherwise, Vidya slipped under Silk’s skin right from the first look test at his office. “The clothes did not fit right and the costume designer wanted to do the test another day, but Vidya insisted on trying on some and getting a few pictures clicked. When she stepped out in a pair of tight shorts and sunglasses, puffing a cigarette, she was Silk. Despite her initial doubts, she never had a single moment of indecision afterwards,” Milan marvels.

In fact, he admits, it was primarily because of his affection for both Vidya and him that Naseeruddin Shah could be coaxed into grooving to an “Ooh La La” for the first time in his chequered career. “He turned up for rehearsals for two months prior to the shoot and Vidya was there every day, even when she was not required. She would laugh at his discomfort and charm Naseer saab into doing the jhatkas and matkas. He was particularly annoyed and cranky during the rain sequence and the temple dance, but together we cajoled him into carrying on,” Milan reminisces with a chuckle.

For Vidya herself, the challenge was Silk’s death scene. It starts with a phone conversation with Emraan Hashmi’s character, Abraham, who is at a party, where she asks him to say goodbye to everyone for her. After ringing off, she starts getting ready, draping her sari and putting a bindi, even as the director who has fallen in love with her, realising something is amiss, makes a mad dash to her place to stop her from taking her life. “Rajat (writer Rajat Aroraa) kept rewriting the scene, giving it to me just two days before we were to shoot it. When I read it, I was very moved. Vidya aced it on screen,” Milan raves, adding that before she was to dub her voiceover, he had sent his leading lady a rough dub in his own voice to cue her into how he wanted her to read aloud her last letter. “She heard it and called me to the dubbing studio, saying she wanted to do it exactly the same way. So then, I would say a line first, and she would repeat it in the same tone and manner. That’s how the scene was dubbed,” he recounts.

The last day’s shoot was at the Indian Oil colony in Chembur, close to where Vidya lived. It was the scene at the race course where Naseer’s star Suryakanth tells Silk he doesn’t want to be seen in public with her even though he has been sleeping with her. Stung, she walks into the race course alone, and places her bet on the horse with the longest odds against it. “Vidya emerged from her vanity van with a gift for me, but halfway through, she broke down and ran back. That was the only time I saw her emotionally overwhelmed. The film was an incredible journey for all of us and she didn’t want it to end,” Milan informs from London. So, what was the gift, you wonder and pat comes the answer, “I don’t remember because Vidya had already given me the best gift ever... the gift of Silk.”

The performance bagged Vidya Balan her second National Award for Best Actress and nine years later, still impresses.

Sajid Nadiadwala, Milan Luthria take the launch pad of Suniel Shetty’s son, which also features Tara Sutaria, on the floors at a SoBo theatre
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 6, 2019)

After the Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon-starrer Heropanti, Sajid Nadiadwala’s launch pad for another star kid, Ahan Shetty, is ready to take off. The Milan Luthria directorial features Tara Sutaria as the leading lady opposite Suneil Shetty’s son and kicks off today at a single screen theatre in South Mumbai with a brief schedule.

According to a source close to the development, a major chunk of the yet-untitled film will be shot in Mussoorie. “Ahan’s character runs a movie theatre there. The scene with which the schedule is starting has a lot of drama,” Milan shares, adding that recce for the schedule involved visits to a lot of cinema halls in the Maximum City, from Navrang to Aurora, Deepak and Novelty, but the team finally zeroed down on Central Plaza as it is neither vintage nor swanky and therefore fit the bill.

While the shoot begins with Ahan, Tara will join the team at a later date. “She will be present for lunch on the first day, but isn’t a part of the shoot,” the director informs.

A love story peppered with action, the film is an official adaptation of the 2018 Telugu hit, RX 100. Ask Milan about his choice of subject, and he says, “Doing a candy floss romance didn’t seem like the way to go for a guy like Ahan. Sajid and I come from a commercial background wherein films ride on drama, action and confrontations with twists and turns. I loved the original film and we have adapted it to suit Hindi audience’s sensibilities. It’s dramatic and an unexpected story.”

Admitting that there’s a sense of added responsibility while launching a new face, Sajid adds, “RX 100 is a different film from the ones we have made recently. That said, Ahan has prepped well and has done his homework. I feel it’s a great start and very nostalgic (the first film that Suniel signed as an actor was Sajid’s prduction Waqt Hamara Hai). I hope the audience will love his talent as much as Milan and I do.” For Milan, launching Suniel’s son isn’t a pressure point. “Suniel is a popular actor himself and has been around for a long time with a successful career. It’s like a bonus for our film. My job is to make Ahan do his job well,” he says.

Kangana Ranaut, Prachi Desai, Milan Luthria, Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi and Rajat Arora

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 2, 2019)

It’s been almost a decade since Milan Luthria’s gangster drama Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai opened in the theatres on July 30, 2010, yet it still resonates with the audience. The director reveals that it was conceived in 2008, the same year that he got married. “The offer came out of the blue and I gave my nod because I liked the idea. But just when the film was to flag off, we were hit by the recession and could no long afford to make the film,” he shares.

Even when the project was revived, it was difficult to get the dates of all the actors—from Ajay Devgn and Emraan Hashmi who played the protagonists, underworld kingpin Sultan Mirza and his right-hand, Shoaib Khan, to Kangana Ranaut, Mirza’s actress-lover Rehana, Prachi Desai cast as Shoaib’s sweetheart Mumtaz after Milan was impressed by her performance in Rock On!! and Randeep Hooda as ACP Agnel Wilson. “On the first day of the shoot, I was in the van with Ajay, and five minutes before he stepped out, he asked me how I wanted him to play Mirza. I told him I cast him for the intensity in his eyes and the way he walked. Responding with a 'Okay, let’s go,' he strode out, dressed from head-to-toe in white. “A hush descended on the set, the awe was palpable,” Milan reminisces.

He however wasn’t happy with the first shot. “I thought Ajay looked like Malik from RGV’s Company,” Milan confides, and pointed out to the actor that this was not a brooding gangster but a flamboyant character in love with a movie star. “Okay got it, roll camera,” Ajay nodded. And from that moment he was Sultan Mirza.

Emraan was a perfect foil to him but Milan admits that everyone around warned the actor against doing a negative role and taking on Ajay. “Emraan read the script two-three times before telling me that he’d do the film only if he could be the bad guy unapologetically. We were happy to comply since we’d only been trying to appease him with excuses and justifications for his character’s betrayal,” says Milan.

Kangana earned the nickname “chameleon” from her director because of the ease with which she flitted from one getup to the next. Her Rehana was an amalgamation of many actresses who’d been courted by real-life gangsters. She gifts Sultan Mirza a watch in the film which runs on his pulse beat and invites the cryptic comment, “I hope my pulse doesn’t stop before this does” which is a pointer to what is to come.

“In the original script, Shoaib tries to kill Sultan, misses and runs away. To stop the bloodbath that follows, the other dons of the underworld get the two together and make them swear on the Quran that they will not go after each other,” reveals Milan. The film eventually ended with Shoaib firing and hitting target. Sultan falls in Rehana’s lap and shows her the watch, telling her his time was up.

“The last shot was of him looking sightlessly up at the sky but Ajay pointed out that it would be impossible for him to keep his eyes open against the glare of the sun. So then, we had him falling to his knees and looking straight at Shoaib as he exits, stamping on a poster with his face emblazoned on it, along with the slogan, ‘Sultan Mirza zindabad,’” Milan recounts.

The film made Ajay’s Sultan Mirza a cult figure and proved Emraan’s brilliance as an actor too. It remains Milan’s most unforgettable film. “Even today, at a party, I’m introduced as the guy who directed Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai ,” he smiles. “To quote one of Rajat Arora’s famous dialogues from the film, ‘Iss vajah se log hamein dua mein yaad rakhenge.’”

The actress is gearing up to train with a dialect coach for her third film, which goes on the floors in July, and will see her play a small-town character for the first time opposite Ahan Shetty’s male lead
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 8, 2019)

After finishing work on her debut film, Student Of The Year 2, and the follow-up, Marjaavaan, Tara Sutaria is gearing up to start shooting for the official remake of Telugu action thriller, RX 100, which marks the Hindi film debut of Suniel Shetty’s son, Ahan. The actress will start her workshops with director Milan Luthria and a dialect coach next week at producer Sajid Nadiadwala’s office in Mumbai.

According to a source close to the development, unlike her first two films, the actress plays a smalltown character in the yet-untitled project and as part of her prep, she will attend a two to threeweek workshop to get a better grip on the Hindi dialect. “Her character is raw and multi-layered. She speaks in a certain way throughout the film, and the team will primarily work on this aspect,” the source added. Soon after, Tara will be joined by her co-star for another workshop. “The final leg of pre-production comprises of joint scriptreading and actor-director bonding sessions. Ahan will be seen performing most of the action in the film, which is more on the realistic side with hand-to-hand combats,” the source informed, adding that stunt director Stefan Richter, who worked on Sajid’s directorial debut, Kick, is doing Milan’s film as well.

The film is slated to go on the floors in July and will be shot in Mussoorie, apart from a brief schedule at a studio in Mumbai. Buzz is, Tara, who is a trained singer, is giving playback for a song in the film. However, while talking to Mirror (May 6), the actress had said, “I hope I get to do it in the film.” 

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; April 16, 2019)

Actors lending their voices to songs is quite common in Bollywood. Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Alia Bhatt, Parineeti Chopra, Priyanka Chopra and Shraddha Kapoor amongst others have crooned their filmi numbers, thereby giving additional value to their respective tracks. Now, newbie Tara Sutaria is all set to join their ranks. The actress will make her singing debut in filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala’s RX 100.

Says a source, “Tara left everyone pleasantly surprised when she sang Lag Jaa Gaale at the trailer launch of Student Of The Year 2. After the youngster crooned on the Koffee With Karan episode in which she appeared with her two fellow students, Tiger Shroff and Ananya Panday, most of her makers woke up to the fact that this girl could sing well. But there is always someone who does it first. In Tara’s case, it happens to be the makers of RX 100. She will render the romantic number, which will be picturised on her in the action remake that marks Ahan Shetty’s debut.” Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, which is backing the project, was instrumental in doing so. The source adds, “Sajid discussed the idea with his director Milan Luthria. When they informed Tara, she happily agreed. She is a trained vocalist and wants to cut an album in the near future.”

RX 100, which goes on floors in June, will be shot in Dehradun and Mussoorie.

Sajid Nadiadwala’s search for Ahan’s heroine is over
BOMBAY TIMES (March 26, 2019)

Director Milan Luthria, whose The Dirty Picture (2011), had fetched Vidya Balan the National Award for Best Actress, has roped in Tara Sutaria for his yet-untitled next — a remake of the Telugu hit, RX 100. Currently in the pre-production stage, the film will go on floors by June 2019.

The production house, Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, had earlier announced Ahan Shetty’s Bollywood launch with this movie. Ahan has been undergoing intense training in action, and now that Tara has also been confirmed, the team is ready to kick-start the project, which will be presented by Fox Star Studios.

Sajid Nadiadwala shares, “We have found our leading lady and I must say that Tara is a proficient actor. I feel that Ahan and Tara will make an interestingly romantic pair. We will begin shooting in June.”

The makers are optimistic about Ahan and Tara’s on-screen jodi, as it’s a fresh pairing and also, as performers, they’re both raw and ready.

Milan Luthria adds, “The plot of the film is intriguing. It’s a love saga that will leave the audience surprised, and both the leads have strong parts. I have seen Tara and Ahan perform together during the workshops and they share sizzling chemistry. We’re set to go now.” As part of pre-production, the filmmaker, along with writer Rajat Arora and some members of the crew, recently did a recce in Dehradun, Rishikesh and Mussoorie.

Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 14, 2019)

Suniel Shetty’s son, Ahan, is set to kick off his acting debut, a yet-untitled Milan Luthria directorial produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, in May this year. For his launch vehicle, which comes almost four years after his sister Athiya’s first film Hero, Ahan is prepping for his character with bike-riding lessons and acting workshops.

According to a source close to the development, the film’s team is currently on a recce. “Besides the cast, it’s important to get the locations right. The plan is to set the film in Rishikesh, Mussoorie and Haridwar. The script is a blend of romance, action and drama and Milan wants the film’s treatment to be raw and real,” the source added.

Apart from the outdoor shoots, a brief schedule has been set aside for a Mumbai studio. The film is scripted by Rajat Arora, who has previously worked with Sajid on Kick. “Though the basic premise has been adapted from the Telugu film, RX 100, Rajat has reworked the script to cater to a pan-India audience,” the source added.

Buzz is, just like the 2014 action film, Heropanti, that marked the debuts of Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon, Sajid plans to launch Ahan with a female debutante.

Incidentally, Suniel had received his first pay-cheque in the industry from Sajid, for his second production, Waqt Hamara Hai. “Though Balwaan was my debut film, it was Waqt Hamara Hai that I had signed first, in 1992. Sajid is a friend and a father figure for Ahan,” Suniel said. 

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; January 18, 2019)

Director Milan Luthria has been entrusted the responsibility of launching Suniel Shetty’s son Ahan on the big screen. While some may be bogged down by the pressure, the filmmaker argues he is armed with the best possible script — the star kid will be seen in the remake of the Telugu sleeper hit RX 100 (2018).

“RX 100 caught our attention amongst many other scripts. But this story stood out since the film has been appreciated. The idea was to provide Ahan with a film that is gripping and entertaining. We were looking for a complete package. It’s in the space of action-drama, a genre I wanted to tap into,” says Luthria.

While he is busy with pre-production, his leading man has begun prep for the actioner. “Ahan has been attending acting workshops, and training in stunts and fitness. He is focussed on his job, and is waiting for his first day of shoot. Suniel is a good friend and is excited for his son’s debut; we want to give it our best shot.”

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; November 26, 2018)

Come 2019 and Bollywood will welcome yet another industry kid. Suniel Shetty’s son Ahan is all set to be launched under Sajid Nadiadwala’s banner. The young actor will be seen in the Hindi remake of the hit Telugu action drama, RX100.

Recently, Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment announced that filmmaker Milan Luthria has been officially locked to direct this project. And now, the ace producer has got the writer of Kick, Rajat Arora, on board to script the film. A source says, “Sajid wants to make sure Ahan gets a good launchpad as he is close to the Shetty family. So, when they were looking out for a writer to pen the script for the Hindi adaptation, he immediately called Rajat and signed him on.”

Confirming the same, Rajat tells us, “I have worked with both, Milan and Sajid, earlier on various projects and I’m looking forward to work on this action-packed film. They have an extraordinary vision for any project that they’re working on. My experience with both of them individually has been unique and this amalgamation will be thrilling. All of us are excited for it to start.”

Rajat and Milan have previously worked on Taxi No 9211 (2006), Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai (2010) and The Dirty Picture (2011).

BOMBAY TIMES (November 15, 2018)

Recently, filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala announced that Suniel Shetty’s son Ahan Shetty will make his Bollywood debut in the Hindi remake of the Telugu film, RX100. Now, director Milan Luthria, who is known for his action-thrillers, has been roped in to helm the film.

Says Milan, “Remaking a cult film like RX100 is thrilling for me for reasons more than one. First, it marks the debut of the charismatic Ahan Shetty. Next, it’s a riveting and haunting story ripe for a remake. And of course, it has Sajid as the producer — the perfect support a director can ask for. It goes without saying that I can’t wait to embark on this journey that promises to be challenging and exciting at the same time.”

Talking about his collaboration with Milan, Sajid says, “I am very happy that Milan will be directing Ahan. Action and drama are his forte and I am confident that Ahan is in safe hands. We strongly believe in empowering upcoming talent. I have seen Ahan grow and I feel he is ready now. Whenever I have launched a new talent, I have taken complete responsibility, like I am launching my own kid.”

Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment has a splendid line-up in 2019, which includes Nitesh Tiwari’s Chhichhore, Kalank and Housefull 4 that will release in Diwali, as well as Super 30. Baaghi 3 is also in the pipeline.

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 19, 2018)

Naseeruddin Shah who turns a sprightly 68 on Friday, July 20, is not a name you usually associate with a dirty picture, but the one exception when he gave his nod to Ekta Kapoor’s 2011 biographical drama, The Dirty Picture is unforgettable. I particularly loved the zany picturisation of the Bappi Lahiri chartbuster, “Ooh La La” and the film’s director, Milan Luthria, admits that every time his writer, Rajat Aroraa, and he discussed the character of Surya Kant, they invariably came up with Naseer saab’s name. But they doubted the National Award-winning actor with a repertoire of intense performances behind him, would accept the role. Still, mustering up courage, Milan approached him, having worked with Naseer saab in a number of films as assistant director and associate director, including Sir and Naajayaz, during which he’d grown fond of the young filmmaker and assured him, “Tu jab film banayega, main zaroor kaam karoonga.”

The character in The Dirty Picture was that of an ageing South Indian matinee idol who has no qualms about being in a long-term sexual relationship with the years-younger Silk but then humiliates her for being nothing more than everyone’s “dirty secret”. To Milan’s surprise, Naseer saab loved the character, urging, “Make him a swine, kamina bana do. I’ve wanted to play someone like this who is a lech and a womaniser with absolutely no scruples. Don’t spare me, I want to get into it fully.”

Milan remembers they were surprised when Naseer saab emerged during the look test in a girly wig, costume and make-up done to perfection by Vikram Gaikwad who later bagged the National Award. “He was completely transformed! And later brought a slightly effeminate touch to the character in the way he pats down his hair and looks at his makeup which was so real of the actors of the time with their reddened lips and elaborate eye make-up,” raves Milan.

However, while he was excited by the character, Naseer saab was wary of Bollywood’s jhatkas and matkas and informed Milan that if he wanted him to dance, he would need to practise for at least two months. So, the office would be opened at 8 am, Naseer saab would drive in around 8.30 and rehearse for an hour or so every day. “The steps didn’t come easy but he had a blast grooving to 'Ooh La La' except for when he had to dress up like a mythological character, grumbling that the armour and golden arm bands were cutting into his skin. Also, he didn’t like dancing in the rain so I told the choreographer I’d get wet along with him so he’d feel sorry for me and do it,” the directot narrates, remembering the challenge of rolling oranges downhill and the veteran actor chortling like a child when he watched himself prancing around on the screen.

The song was shot across multiple locations at Ramoji Rao Studio and Milan got a shock when he found that Naseer saab had been allotted the Mughal-E-Azam suite which had at least a thousand mirrors. He offered to change rooms with him but the actor laughed delightedly saying he loved the jhatak-matak and had been dying for someone to bring him to the Hyderabad studio all these years.

Milan points out that Naseer saab had played comic roles like the Tirchi Topiwale in Rajiv Rai’s Tridev and Ketan Mehta’s Hero Hiralal which had tapped into his quirky side but no one had taken him this far before. “He had a blast doing something he had never attempted before, often saying, 'Mazaa aa gaya.' And the fact that he was joined by his Ishqiya leading lady, Vidya Balan, added to the fun,” he says. Milan adds that Naseer saab and Vidya had a mutual admiration society going and while like them she was in awe of him, she also had a handle on him. “Vidya laughs a lot and got away with quite a lot,” Milan signs off with a guffaw.