As Aamir Khan decides to work with Subhash Kapoor, Tanushree Dutta, who set the ball rolling, asks why harassers are getting all the sympathy
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; September 11, 2019)

Within hours of landing in Mumbai from the US, Tanushree Dutta was greeted with news that Aamir Khan has reversed his decision to not work with #MeToo accused director Subhash Kapoor on Mogul, a biopic on music baron Gulshan Kumar.

The superstar's reason behind his call — "I could not sleep at night because I used to feel that my actions have inadvertently caused a person, about whose guilt I have no idea, to lose his right to earn a livelihood" — earns a smirk from Dutta, who lived with her story of sexual harassment for a decade, before going public with it last year, thus opening the floodgates of the #MeToo movement in the country.

"How come nobody in Bollywood has sleepless nights when a woman becomes a victim of abuse and is not able to work due to the trauma and ostracisation," she questions, not afraid to call out the industry for its double standards. "If he has agreed to hire this guy [Kapoor], why not hire the woman [Geetika Tyagi] who suffered the consequences of his actions? Why do only the creepy men of Bollywood get compassion? Let the girls also see some of that saintly do-goodery."

In agreeing to work with a #MeToo accused, Dutta feels that Khan has defeated the purpose of the movement. "It was to heal the wounds of those who have no validation from court for the injustices they bore. Compassion should be universal. If it's so selective as is being displayed by the Bollywood's bigwigs, then it's not compassion. It's convenience and ignorance. Nobody bothered to ask me how I was doing when my livelihood was snatched away after the Horn Ok Pleassss (2009) harassment episode. No compassion for me, Aamir?"

Countering Khan's belief that one is innocent until proven guilty, the actor argues that only a survivor "understands the pain of having to see their perpetrators flourish while they wait for a court verdict that puts a stamp of approval on their complaint. If every alleged harasser gets reinstated, then the goal of an abuse-free workplace becomes a distant dream."

Geetika Tyagi says while she never said her alleged harasser Subhash Kapoor shouldn't get work, it pains her that nobody has spoken about her loss of livelihood in the five years she has been fighting her case in court
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 11, 2019)

"This feels strange," says Geetika Tyagi, referring to Aamir Khan's recent decision to come on board Mogul. Only 11 months ago — at a time when the #MeToo movement had taken India by storm — the superstar had stepped away from the project, when it was brought to his notice that director Subhash Kapoor had been accused of sexual abuse by Tyagi in 2014. However, on Monday evening, the actor reversed his decision, stating that he is doing "what my heart says is right".

It won't be wrong to say that despite his best intentions, the association of Khan — one of the biggest superstars of Bollywood — with a #MeToo accused serves as a blowback to the movement. "I had commended Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan [last year] because it gave hope to more women to speak up about their own stories. But I had never asked for it from them. Now that Subhash has been hired back, it's not like someone [from their end] reached out to me. It would have been a fair game had they considered both sides of the story," reasons Tyagi, who had, in 2014, uploaded a video that corroborated her claims and saw Kapoor apologizing to her for his actions.

Explaining his change of heart, Khan stated that he had spent sleepless nights worrying that his actions had caused Kapoor to "lose his right to earn a livelihood." Bring this up with Tyagi, and she cuts in, "I have never said that Subhash shouldn't get work. But after I complained, I did not get work for a long time. The industry is patriarchal. Only women face the repercussions of complaining against sexual harassment, whether in the workplace or otherwise. They are ostracised when they complain. It's a sensitive decision on Aamir's part that Subhash shouldn't be treated badly until proven guilty. But what about my livelihood that has stopped since 2014? Criminal cases take time [to be served justice]and that's a reality."

In a statement, Khan also explained that he reached out to Kapoor's female colleagues "who spoke highly of him" before arriving at the decision. "People have to remember that if a person slips, he is careful next time around," she reasons. However, Tyagi asserts that the five-year legal battle has only made her stronger. She refuses to be discouraged by the superstar's decision. "Aamir re-hiring him doesn't affect my case, which is subjudice. I did everything by the book — went to the cops, filed charges, went to the lawyers. I believe in my fight, the system and I have my evidence."

MUMBAI MIRROR (August 2, 2019)

After a year-and-a-half, the cold war between Akshay Kumar and Bhushan Kumar has come to an end. The two, who had become close friends collaborating on several films like Humko Deewana Kar Gaye, Bhool Bhulaiya and Airlift, fell out when the actor opted out of Mogul, the biopic of Bhushan’s late father, Gulshan Kumar.

A few months later, The T-Series head honcho decided to release Satyameva Jayate alongside Akki’s Gold on August 15, 2018, and buzz was it was his way of getting back at the actor for leaving their pet project in the lurch. While the filmmaker denied the speculation then, it didn’t come as a surprise when his acquisition, Saaho, toplining Baahubali sensation Prabhas, was announced to open in cinemas this Independence Day weekend, along with Akshay’s Mission Mangal.

Mirror has learnt that a few weeks ago, the duo decided to let bygones be bygones. According to a source close to the development, “Akshay and Bhushan met and decided to bury the hatchet. During the meeting, there was a reference to both their films releasing together on August 15 and if it could have been avoided. But since that seemed unlikely, neither of them pursued the subject.” The source adds that Bhushan understands that Akshay won’t be doing Mogul and it’s up to him and Aamir Khan, with whom he is collaborating on his pet project, to decide on another actor.

While Bhushan Kumar remained unavailable for comment, Akshay stated, “There’s no problem between us at all. Bhushan ji had come over to my office a couple of days ago and we’re planning a film together.” When asked if he will be acting in the sequel to Bhool Bhulaiya, Akshay said evasively, “We’ll be announcing it soon.”

Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; May 4, 2019)

T-Series, which was once known for mainly churning out albums and dominating the music industry, has today become a prominent name in the business of filmmaking, too. Bhushan Kumar, head honcho of the company, talks to us about cracking the code in the movie business, producing films with big stars as well as backing fresh talent and small-budget movies, and the new generation that’s lured by remixes. Excerpts:

You have an interesting mix of as many as 15 films lined up this year. How involved are you in each of these projects?
Movies were one of my father’s biggest passions. He wanted the company to become a leading production house in the country. Like any other son, even I wanted to fulfil my father’s (Gulshan Kumar) dream after I took over around 21 years ago. It was my idea to move to films after taking over the company, which was primarily about music. I have tried my level best to achieve that and I think I have accomplished what I set out to do. I would say that Aashiqui 2 (2013) was the turning point for me. The film was a huge success and its music was a hit, too. Thereon, we moved on from making small films to joint ventures and multiple projects simultaneously with the simple idea that if I had to look after every project creatively, then I wouldn’t be able to make so many movies. And I didn’t want to compromise on the quality of the movies that I was backing. I am collaborating with people like Dinesh Vijan, Nikhil Advani, Luv Ranjan, Atul Agnihotri and Ajay Devgn. Having a good creative team is paramount. Money is important, but as a producer, I believe that it won’t be fair to the audience if we worked with only profits in mind. Besides, I personally watch every film to see what kind of content is working with the audience.

While it’s been proven time and again that content is what drives the audience to the theatres today, most of your films are headlined by big stars. At some level, do you think that getting big names for your projects adds more weightage to your films?
Gone are the days when people would flock to theatres after big names. Fortunately, I am getting to strike a balance between the two. So, while Bharat is headlined by Salman Khan, it’s a content-driven film as well. Likewise with Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, which stars Ajay Devgn. Also, no project is big or small today. The idea has to be big. Stree, which was made on a small budget of around Rs 17 crore, did great business. We are ensuring that we are either making a biopic, a real-life story, or a full-on masala action movie. The films that I am making with newcomers could probably be small budgeted projects, but they are high on content with a great business potential.

You are mostly into co-producing films. How does that model work for you?
Look, that’s the best model; otherwise, it would be impossible to make so many films. The success rate is high when you have different minds working together. If I have to make films on my own, I won’t be able to make more than two a year and the film might also suffer on a creative level. Filmmaking is a totally different ball game and it can’t be compared to the creativity that’s required for music. I can make a song in five minutes along with a music director and a lyricist, but when it comes to movies, the approach is very different.

Does your acumen for music come in handy as a producer?
My father had a tremendous sense of music. Every song that he picked connected with the audience. I have inherited that ear for music from him. I bought the rights of Aankh Marey and Tere Bin Nahi Lagda Dil Mera Dholna and told the team to recreate it for Simmba, as I knew both would become a hit. Rohit (Shetty) shot the two songs beautifully and they went on to become major hits. Similarly, my father would also suggest songs for several films and I am following in his footsteps. It applies to scripts as well; I might have gone wrong many a times, but we are getting there.

Today, music is incorporated in a film in a rather organic manner. Unlike earlier, songs are now a part of the narrative. How do you view this change?
For some films, music is really important, but then I have also produced a film like Baby, which had no scope for music. I incorporate songs in a film only if they don’t disturb the story. Earlier people would tell me, ‘Tum ye film kar rahe ho, usme aise gaanon ki jagah nahi hai’. But I want them to know that I am also ready to do a film without music. Aise hi nahi ki hero yahaan se bhaaga aur gaana chaalu ho gaya, or ye hua toh seedha Switzerland pohoch gaye. If there’s a romantic song, it comes organically and is placed depending on the narrative. There aren’t any dream-sequence songs in my films.

What do you have to say about the current music scenario with rap and pop becoming a rage? Since you’re a man of melody, was it difficult to adapt to these changes?
I am very happy. People are enjoying different kinds of music, which is opening different genres for creators like us. Earlier, a romantic or a dance track was supposed to be made in a particular way. But we are happy that new genres are opening up. If you observe, every song has a great melody apart from rap. Melody honi bohot zaroori hoti hai nahi toh woh gaana work nahi karta hai. So, melody never goes out of fashion, whether it’s a dance or a romantic track. Let me tell you, there is a great demand for sad romantic tracks in India. Once Shah Rukh Khan had mentioned in an interview, ‘Mujhe Bhushan ye bolta tha ki harr gaane mein dard hona chahiye, toh maine dance track mein bhi dard daal diya’. He was referring to the song Dard-E-Disco from Om Shanti Om (laughs!).

In one of your interviews, you mentioned that your father, Gulshan Kumar, would go to parties hosted by music composers just to understand what kind of music was working. How do you keep abreast?
Yes, he would do that. Today, you have everything on your mobile phone. I access the online platforms a lot. I keep track of new independent artistes, who put up their videos. If we like the song, we call the singer and buy the rights for it. At times, we adapt it to make songs in a similar zone. Most of the times, these artistes put up these videos expecting a big label to call them, take their song for a film and picturise it on a big star. That way their voice gets famous and, in turn, they get more shows.

As somebody who’s so musically inclined, what’s your view on recreating songs? Why aren’t we creating more original songs instead?
Recreating music is a tougher job than making new songs because you have to do it correctly. If you don’t make the song better than the original one, then it will be a wasted effort. Also, we make sure that most part of the song, which has been recreated, is new; that’s something you don’t realise while listening to it. For example, in Dilbar Dilbar, barring just two lines, seven lines are new — both in terms of the lyrics and the tune. So, for almost every song that’s recreated, we just take the hook line and then create new content for 90 per cent of it, including the tune, the sound and the lyrics. It is not that we are recreating tracks, because we are not getting new songs. We are purposely making it, because this is the demand of the market. We make a mix of recreated numbers and original songs for a film. The reason why these redux versions are working today is because people want to listen to them and that’s why they get millions of views. Also, what qualifies as a remix song for the older generation, is a new track for the youth. Many people from the industry criticise it, but the audience wants to listen to it. So, what's wrong in it?

What the progress on Mogul, a biopic on your father, which is an ambitious project for you?
That’s a very emotional and touchy subject for us, which we will definitely make. The only thing I can tell you right now is that we are starting the film in 2020. Everything else is under wraps. 

Survivor Geetika Tyagi calls out Aamir Khan for collaborating with Subhash Kapoor on Mogul, years after director was accused of sexual abuse
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; October 11, 2018)

Lauding the Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image (MAMI) for dropping projects featuring alleged sexual harassers from this year's festival, actor Geetika Tyagi has implored festival chair Kiran Rao and superstar Aamir Khan to re-evaluate the hiring of Subhash Kapoor to helm their home production Mogul, the Bhushan Kumar biopic.

After she urged Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao on Twitter to reconsider the superstar's collaboration with Subhash Kapoor on Mogul, actor Geetika Tyagi tells mid-day that it is up to the industry to carry the #MeToo movement forward. Tyagi, who accused Kapoor of sexual abuse in 2014 is appalled that the director has gone ahead to helm two films since then and is currently working on the Gulshan Kumar biopic.

"Subhash Kapoor was shooting for Guddu Rangeela (2015) when this started. After that, he bagged Jolly LLB 2. (2017) and now, he is doing Mogul. How is he still getting work? I hope Kiran and Aamir will decide wisely. I don't want them to rob someone of his livelihood, I want them to do the right thing," says Tyagi, who had even uploaded a video in 2014 that corroborated her claims. The video, which had gone viral, showed the director apologising to her for his actions and ended with Tyagi slapping him.

The actor agrees that over the years, there has been a positive change in the attitude of the industry towards survivors.

Pointing out how the Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image (MAMI), led by Rao, set a precedent by dropping films of the accused from this year's line-up, Tyagi adds that she hopes Rao exercises the same sternness with regard to her husband's production. "I have met Kiran once. She is a feminist, so I would want to believe that hiring Subhash is an oversight."

Tyagi has been fighting a lonely battle over the past five years. "The media failed me then. Though I found support initially, it fizzled out. I did everything by the book — I spoke up, named the guy, went to the police — and yet, I was fighting alone. There is no guild that protects actresses to take on men in power. I had second thoughts about being part of the industry. I stopped attending parties; I stopped hanging out. The next hearing is on January. And the trial is yet to begin."

However, the latest revolution has instilled faith in her. "The movement has gathered momentum. Justice will be served," she says.

Accused Kapoor was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.

Hiren Kotwani (DNA; August 2, 2018)

On Tuesday, After Hrs had reported that Ranbir Kapoor has been offered the protagonist’s role in Mogul. Bhushan Kumar and Aamir Khan, who are co-producing the biopic on the late music baron Gulshan Kumar, are extremely keen to have him on board. Though Aamir has tried to convince the Kapoor scion to be a part of the project, the latter is yet to take a decision. Meanwhile, we hear that Sushant Singh Rajput has also been approached for the project. The two producers recently announced that they plan to begin the movie early next year and release it around Christmas 2019.

Ranbir, who is currently working on Ayan Mukerji’s Brahmastra, has Karan Malhotra’s Shamshera and Luv Ranjan’s film lined up next. Sushant, who has starred in the biopic MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, is presently filming the Hindi remake of The Fault In Our Stars. He will also be a part of a web series, which will see him essay 12 real-life characters, including those of political strategist Chanakya, poet Rabindranath Tagore and former Indian president APJ Abdul Kalam. According to sources, he is said to have the dates required for Mogul. If he does take up the project, this will be another opportunity for him to play a renowned personality.

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; July 31, 2018)

Over the last one year, a lot has happened as far as Gulshan Kumar’s biopic, Mogul, is concerned. The biography, which was originally meant to feature Akshay Kumar as the music mogul, came to a grinding halt when the Bollywood superstar returned the signing amount with a thank-you note indicating that he would not be available.

Recently, he even confirmed the development and reasoned there were ‘differences over the script’ with the makers. Then, Aamir Khan took over as co-producer and got writer-director Subhash Kapoor to redo the script to his satisfaction.

Bhushan Kumar, head honcho of T-Series, who’s bankrolling the movie based on his father’s life, had told us a few months ago, “We haven’t finalised the lead, but we will have a younger star in the film.” Now, After Hrs has learnt that Ranbir Kapoor is Bhushan and Aamir’s first choice.

Says a source close to the development, “Bhushan feels Ranbir will suit the character. Since he is a good actor and has a good market value as well, the makers felt he was the perfect choice to play Gulshan Kumar. They have even discussed the whole idea with him, but they haven’t arrived at a decision yet.”

Not just that, RK, who shares a warm relationship with Aamir, was even cajoled by him to star in the biopic. “Aamir met the Kapoor scion and tried to convince him to do the film,” adds the source. During his promotions for Sanju, we had asked Ranbir whether he was averse to doing too many biopics, considering the total transformation and other aspects of such roles. At that time, he had said, “On the contrary, I enjoy challenges. I’m aware that an actor’s job is not like a nine-to-five one. And I actually look forward to pushing myself to do things that are out of the ordinary because it is part of my vocation.” So, will Ranbir say yes to Mogul? Only time will tell!

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; April 17, 2018)

As producer Bhushan Kumar works towards bringing father Gulshan Kumar’s story to the big screen, rumours are rife that Aamir Khan might collaborate with him on Mogul. In the latest development, it has been learnt that Khan — known for his discerning eye for scripts — has recommended changes to the story, subject to which he will come on board as co-producer.

An insider informs that the superstar has apparently asked writer-director Subhash Kapoor to make it an underdog story. “The screenplay is currently being tweaked to make it more about Gulshan’s rise from being a fruit juice vendor to the owner of the biggest music label in the country. Aamir is a big believer in underdog stories,” reveals the source.

With the tone of the biopic being changed to an aspirational one, Khan is said to be keen that the film have minimal references to the murky side of showbiz. “Aamir wanted the underworld details to be reduced. The alleged role of the underworld in Gulshan’s death will be eliminated. The film will just touch upon these topics,” adds the source.

Kapoor, it has been learnt, is reworking the script at a furious pace before he presents it to Khan and Kumar for a final narration. When we reached out to the writer-director, he said, “I can’t speak about it as I am under an NDA with T-Series.”

Meanwhile, speculation continues on who will play the lead. Though trade circles suggest that Akshay Kumar — who was the first choice for the role but was later said to have returned the signing amount — will be part of the biopic, names of other stars including Khan’s are doing the rounds.

T-Series and Khan remained unavailable for comment.

Hiren Kotwani (DNA; March 14, 2018)

Over the last few months, Mogul has been the most discussed biopic in Tinseltown because of the project changing hands. Based on late music baron Gulshan Kumar, the movie, which was announced last year by his son, producer and their company’s head honcho Bhushan Kumar, was supposed to star Akshay Kumar as the protagonist. Later, speculations were rife that the superstar had opted out. Reportedly, he had even returned the signing amount. A few weeks ago, After Hrs reported that Aamir Khan was stepping in to co-produce the movie, which would be helmed by Subhash Kapoor (of Jolly LLB, The State vs Jolly LLB 2 fame).

The industry was also abuzz with rumours that Aamir might play the lead role. Latest reports indicate that the actor-filmmaker won’t act in it, but only limit himself to co-producing the biopic with Bhushan.

An insider reveals to us that Akshay will be essaying the central role. The source says, “Bhushan ji is sorting out things with Akshay. Hopefully, it should be finalised in a month or so and then we will resume the pre-production. We will start filming in September.”

We tried contacting Akshay, but he didn’t revert to our text message till the time of going to press. When we spoke to Bhushan, he said, “I have no news about this.”

Meena Iyer (DNA; January 24, 2018)

It’s an AK v/s AK situation. Akshay Kumar, who had given his nod to Mogul, the biopic on the late music baron Gulshan Kumar, has reportedly exited the project. In the last few weeks, he has avoided answering a direct question on this topic. However, one hears from reliable sources that the actor has even returned the signing amount.

Director Subhash Kapoor of Jolly LLB franchise had told us that his work on the script is still on. Now, there has been a new development or like the filmis would say, ‘Kahani mein twist hai’. One hears that Aamir Khan, who says ‘no’ more often than ‘yes’ when it comes to movies, has reportedly stepped in to produce the film. After he takes over the reins, one doesn’t know what changes are due.

A source says, “Aamir will produce this biopic, which itself is an important development. Whether he will play the lead is not yet decided. No other details are known as of now.”

Aamir has shared a cordial relationship with Gulshan’s son Bhushan Kumar and his family. Some of his most memorable music has been distributed by their label and they share a successful professional relationship. Despite repeated attempts, Aamir remained unavailable for comment.

Hiren Kotwani and Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; December 8, 2017)

Sometime ago, there was an announcement about Akshay Kumar playing the lead in a biopic called Mogul, based on music industry bigwig, the late Gulshan Kumar. Now, the buzz in industry is that Akshay will not headline the cast of this film, which is being directed by Subhash Kapoor (of Jolly LLB fame). When the news about Akshay playing the title role of this ambitious project first appeared, the actor had said, “I had the good fortune of knowing Gulshanji well and had a close association with him right from my first film, Saugandh. We both shared many things in common and come from a similar background. I am very excited to play him on screen.”

And producer Bhushan Kumar, Gulshan Kumar’s son, had added, “I always knew that one day, I would make Mogul and share my father’s amazing story with the world. I can think of no one better than Akshay to play him on screen.” In fact, Akshay and Bhushan officially entered into an agreement on the project at a 300-year-old Shiva temple in Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh. The venue was chosen, as Gulshan Kumar was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and Akshay was shooting Pad Man in Indore at that time. So, it came as a shock when the news of Akshay opting out of the movie started doing the rounds.

These stories sparked when the film, which was originally scheduled for a 2018 release, was pushed to 2019 without any fixed release date. Reportedly, there were creative differences between Bhushan and Akshay. Also, apparently, that Subhash Kapoor is now expected to helm Jolly LLB 3 with Arshad Warsi and Akshay, which is expected to roll out sometime in 2018.

However, when BT reached out to Bhushan Kumar, he maintained that the movie is on track and work on the script is underway. “This is not just another film for us. Mogul is a very emotional project. This is a story, which will be narrated only once. Subhash is working on the script and the focus is on getting it right. There are so many aspects of the subject, and it’s important that the right emotional connect comes through,” he explained.

On bringing up the fact that the film’s shoot has been deferred, which has had consequences on the eventual release date, he said, “We had never locked the dates with Akshay. Once the script is finalised, we will proceed with planning and scheduling the shoot. The priority is to get the script right. It’s not easy to tell a life story in two-and-a-half hours flat. And since Mogul is based on my father’s life, we have invested emotionally in the project, especially my mother.”

When contacted, Akshay said, “Subhash is scripting the film. Only after the script is finalised will the production be scheduled, no?”

Joginder Tuteja (DNA; October 20, 2017)

Akshay Kumar continues to keep his promise of delivering multiple films every year. While in 2017 he has already delivered two superhits — Jolly LLB 2 and Toilet - Ek Prem Katha — and was also seen in an extended guest appearance Naam Shabana, there is a lot that is already in the offing for 2018 and 2019. No wonder, while his peers and contemporaries take their own sweet time to decide their next course of action, he already has five of his films in different stages of production with quite some calendar time available to accommodate at least two more films in his schedule over next couple of years.

“One look at his lineup says it all,” a prominent distributor observes, “2.0, Pad Man, Gold, Kesari and Mogul films have already been announced. Out of these, two are complete (2.0, Padman) and the third, Gold, is racing towards completion. The shoot of Kesari is expected to start by January and Mogul has its plans chalked out as well. Considering the pace at which Akshay works, it won’t be surprising if he is through with the shooting of these two films by the middle of 2018. Post that, he will have time in hand to start at least a couple of more films and have them ready for release by 2019.”

Currently, 2.0, Pad Man as well as Gold are scheduled for 2018 release, whereas Kesari arrives in 2019. There is no release date set for Mogul, though it could arrive in late 2018 or early 2019. This leaves slots up for grabs in 2019.

“No wonder, he’s the darling of exhibitors since he keeps the wheels churning for the industry,” an insider adds, “Even if his films do a business of Rs 100-150 crore, that’s good enough for all involved. Of course, films like 2.0, Gold, and Kesari are set to be much bigger and expect to bring in a lot of moolah. As for Pad Man, a Rs 100 crore total would be a major win since it’s again a social drama with humour.” Meanwhile, there is already buzz around Akshay gearing up for Housefull 4, while Crack had been announced some time back, before being put on hold.

“As always, no use speculating around his next,” a close associate of the actor adds, “For quite some time now, he has been announcing his films on the social media himself. Everything else that you hear is a rumour or not factual till he confirms it. When it is time for him to announce a new film, he will, and everyone will get to know about it. All I can say, though, is, stay tuned as some interesting developments are already underway and you will hear about them soon. After all, he is not going to rest; there is a lot more that he has up his sleeves beyond these five films.” Of course, fans are waiting.

Lasyapriya Sundaram (BOMBAY TIMES; September 24, 2017)

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 15, 2017)

Akshay Kumar has had a busy year, having completed S Shankar’s 2.0 as the antagonist, R Balki’s Padman, inspired by the real life story of Arunachalam Muruganatham who invented a low-cost sanitary pad-making machine, and Reema Kagti’s sport drama, Gold. On the cards is Mogul, Subhash Kapoor’s biopic on the assassinated music baron Gulshan Kumar, Neeraj Pandey’s Crack, and the Battle of Saragarhi, being co-produced by Karan Johar and Salman Khan. However, Akshay, who just brought in his 50th birthday, has lost long-time collaborator Vipul Shah’s upcoming desi-in-videsh love story, Namastey Canada, to Arjun Kapoor.

The news had sparked rumours of a tiff between Akshay and the filmmaker. Quiz him on it and he clarifies that there is no bad blood and he only wishes the best for the franchise.

“It is a great concept for a follow up on the earlier film, Namstey London. I know the script and I can assure you that it’s really good. Vipul is a dear friend and so is Arjun. It’s great that they are going ahead with the film and going by the script, I’m sure it will be a success,” asserts Akshay who’s really gung-ho about the Gulshan Kumar biopic, Mogul.

He won’t be drawn into revealing details because the script is still being written. “It’s not an easy biopic to make. It takes a lot of time to structure the film like this right. My first film, Saugandh, was with T-series and I have memories of meeting Gulshanji back then,” he reminisces.

He returns to the present with the Rajinikanth-starrer 2.0, which was initially meant to come up against Rohit Shetty’s Golmaal Again during Diwali but now has been pushed to the 2018 Republic Day weekend. The actor is unfazed about missing out on the festive bonanza. “We couldn’t get 2.0 ready in time for a Diwali release since it has so many special effects. That takes time and January 26 is not all that far off so I’m happy,” he smiles.

After admitting to being teased by wife Twinkle Khanna for not winning any awards in the past, Akshay bagged the National Award for Best Actor for his performance in Rustom. Does the industry take him more seriously now? “It was never a concern that people should take me more seriously. I’m just doing my job without paying attention to all this. Till the time I’m enjoying myself, I’m happy,” he shrugs.

Having been part of TV shows like Khatron Ke Khiladi, Masterchef India and Dare To Dance in the past, Akshay is now taking on the role of Superboss on The Great Indian Laughter Challenge. He has already begun shooting for the comedy show and says like his films, this one too has a message to deliver.

“There is so much stress in the world that doing a comedy show in itself is a message that people should keep laughing. I love that I get to sit back and watch people perform. It is a tough job to make people laugh,” he says, acknowledging that the film industry doesn’t give the genre its due. “Even award nights treat comedy in the same manner but it takes a lot of effort to amuse people. Paseene chhoot jaate hai bachchon (contestants) ke.”

Does he get time to watch TV? “I watch a lot of television when I’m cycling or travelling. I enjoy music too,” he reveals. Is there a possibility of Mrs Funnybones and him hosting a show? “Never thought of it and nor have any offers come along,” he quips, pointing out that for now he’s simply looking forward to Pad Man, his wife’s concept and first production.

Prachita Pandey (DNA; March 29, 2017)

Akshay Kumar has announced his latest film, Mogul, based on the life of a late music baron. The biopic sees him reuniting with his Jolly LLB 2 helmer Subhash Kapoor. With the latest film, Akki has signed three biopics this year, the other two being Pad Man (based on the life of social entrepreneur Arunachalam Muruganantham) and Gold (a sports biopic on former hockey captain Balbir Singh).

Going by his recent filmography, the actor has made a habit of picking films based on real-life incidents/people. Be it Special 26 (inspired by a real-life jewellery heist conducted by a conman posing as a Central Bureau of Investigation official), Airlift (the biggest human evacuation from war-torn Kuwait) or Rustom (which revived memories of the controversial Nanavati murder case). In Special 26, he played the brains behind the heist, in Airlift, his character was inspired by Mathunny Mathews, who played a significant role in the Kuwait evacuation and in Rustom, he played the Parsi naval officer accused of killing his wife’s lover. All three turned out to be box-office grossers with Airlift and Rustom entering the coveted Rs 100 crore club.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh explains, “When you have four releases a year you can’t be doing the same stuff again and again. Akshay balances his roles — he did a Housefull 3 with Airlift and Rustom at the same time. If you have a real character and you present it in a commercial format, it’s great. Akshay’s movies based on real incidents or characters have worked for him in the past because the common man could relate to the story as well as the format. They were presented in a commercial packaging.”

Agrees Amul Vikas Mohan, Editor, Super Cinema, “He always likes to do films that are different and he probably made a conscious decision before Special 26 to take on films which can show him in a different light and most of them have paid off really well for him. And with the kind of response he’s getting, I think it gives him more confidence to attempt more such films in a similar genre.”

While one may assume that by doing such movies Akshay has probably hit the bullseye, noted film critic Anupama Chopra opines, “I don’t think there’s any formula that if you do movies based on real-life people, it will work or that Akshay is especially good in movies based on real people. I just think that he’s selecting good stories and he’s delivering very strong performances. That’s what is making them work. As far as his upcoming reality-based films are concerned, from the little I know about the characters that he’s playing, these are obviously fascinating men and I would love to get to know them better.”

Akshay has already started shooting for Padman about a man credited for inventing low-cost sanitary napkins for women in the rural parts of the country. Next up, would be Gold, which will chronicle the story of ex-hockey captain Balbir Singh, who was also a member of three Olympic gold-winning teams from 1948-1956 and holds an unbeaten record for the maximum number of goals scored by an individual in an Olympics men’s hockey finals.

What’s interesting is that these movies are about people from different strata. While one is about a social entrepreneur, another has him playing sportsman, and the latest one is steeped in music. The actor now has as many as six movies of the genre to his credit. What remains to be seen is, if he will take a break from biopics now or find another real-life personality to bring on the celluloid.

MUMBAI MIRROR (March 20, 2017)

Upala KBR (DNA; March 17, 2017)

A project starring Akshay Kumar had been announced by Divya Khosla Kumar as early as mid last year. The film, directed by Divya, was to go on floors in September. So, when he signed on to play a late music mogul (Divya’s father-in-law) in an upcoming biopic, directed by Subhash Kapoor, one wondered what had happened to that other project. Here’s what we know. According to one source, “Akshay was signed on for Divya’s film, a romantic action thriller, a year ago, at a signing amount of Rs 5 crore. At the time, AK had liked the concept and given his nod. But for whatever reason, the script didn’t shape up to his expectations. Changes were requested to be made, Akshay didn’t like Divya’s handling of the film, but went along with it for a year.”

The source continues, “Meanwhile, Jolly LLB 2, directed by Kapoor, released and went on to became a box-office hit. A decision was taken to change the project itself and the director as well.” The producer (Divya’s husband and the music mogul’s son) had been wanting to make a biopic on his father for a while. Sensing an opportunity, he pitched the idea of the biopic to AK, adjusting the signing amount for the biopic.

Reveals the source, “When the producer asked Akshay if he would act in and as Mogul, the actor agreed. But he had two conditions — one that he would be paid a whopper of an acting fee and that Subhash would direct it. The producer agreed and Mogul got started. Divya’s film has been put on the backburner for now — till the time she gets a new actor.”

BOMBAY TIMES (March 15, 2017)