Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; July 4, 2017)

Reports of Saif Ali Khan acting in Reema Kagti’s film Mr Chaalu first surfaced in 2014. Names of his co-stars like Priyanka Chopra and Kangana Ranaut were also discussed. Later, there were reports that Fawad Khan had stepped in, as Saif had opted out. But Reema decided to wait for Saif. That was the last one heard about the film. Until now.

A recent report claimed Saif walked out of the film at the last moment. After Hrs reached out to the Chhote Nawab and he tells us, “Mr Chaalu just didn’t work out. Sometimes it’s money, sometimes dates, sometimes something else. I feel it’s not decent to discuss the private and financial dealings with a producer in public.”

He adds, “I loved that script and would have loved to do it!” Meanwhile, Reema is now shooting for her next film Gold, with Akshay Kumar, in London.

Reema Kagti talks about directing Akshay Kumar in Gold
Subhash K Jha (DNA; November 15, 2016)

Reema Kagti hasn’t directed a film since her Aamir Khan-starrer Talaash. Saif Ali Khan opted out of her next film Mr Chaalu. For the director who worked with Aamir in her last project, the painful hunt for a hero was humiliating and discouraging. But Reema isn’t complaining. “Casting changes are an inevitable part of the filmmaking process. One can’t be bogged down by such problems,” she says.

Zoya as support
Now Reema is all set to direct Akshay Kumar in Gold, a film recreating India’s historic win for hockey at the 1948 Olympics. “I was sitting doing nothing when Mr Chaalu got delayed. In fact, we have found a leading man for the project and I will be making the film after Gold. I am also writing Zoya Akhtar’s next film which she directs soon,” informs Reema. She and Zoya go back a long way, “Apart from Luck By Chance, which she wrote on her own, I’ve been a part of all her films so far, as she has been a part of mine. She has been a huge creative support in putting together Gold.”

Fictional take
Right now, Reema’s entire focus is on Gold. “I’ve always been interested in great sports films. And I wanted to direct one. It wasn’t until my friend, lyricist-writer Ankur Tewari shared the idea of a film on a historic hockey match that India played at the 1948 Olympics and brought home India’s first gold medal, that I finally got down to doing my own film.”

Reema is prompt to stress that the film, scripted by Rajesh Devraj, is not a historical account of the actual game. “Mine would be a fictional take on what actually happened. The game of hockey would feature prominently in the plot, but there will also be a strong human drama playing at the forefront. And it wouldn’t be just the Olympics victory in 1948 we will be looking at. Gold will look at 12 crucial years in India’s history.”

The director is aware of the inevitable comparisons with Shimit Amin’s Chak De! India. “Just because hockey is the sport at the backdrop of my film it will be compared with Chak De. But why can’t two films on the same sport co-exist? Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan and Neeraj Pandey’s M S Dhoni - The Untold Story are based on cricket. But they are very different films. There is room for two films based on a game of hockey as well.”

Reema says Akshay was the first and only choice to play the lead in the film. “It is a dream casting. I couldn’t have hoped for a better lead actor. In fact, my earlier two films worked because of the brilliant actors I got.”

Close friend of the Queen star reveals all the ups and downs in the relationship and how Hrithik chased Kangana from Switzerland to Paris
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 17, 2016)

Paris. After meeting his parents in London he flew over to meet her in the French capital. He had brought the ring along. This was the proposal: "You may think this is coming out of a rebound. But I have no doubts about our future happiness because you are the only person who has never judged me. And I have felt a strong connection with you from Day One."

That was January 2014. In December 2013, Hrithik Roshan and Sussanne Roshan had made their split public and he had immediately called her to ask her to marry him. Kangana, a close friend told Mirror, obviously had doubts whether Hrithik was proposing on the rebound. After the assurance, she said "yes". She had to.

But by February 2014, he had started avoiding her when he resumed shooting for his action thriller Bang Bang. Their relationship went through crests and troughs throughout 2014. By December, it was officially over but it was only in March 2016 that the torn pieces from the Ex-files became public.

On Wednesday, Mirror had reported how both Kangana and Hrithik had sent each other legal notices -- him asking her not to refer to him as his ex in public; Kangana daring him to reveal their email exchanges.

Soon after, a close friend of the Queen sat us down with the promise of revealing "almost everything" about the relationship between the two.

"It started out as a friendship between two people who were both going through a rough patch, during the shooting of Kites in 2009. His marriage was in trouble and his relationship with his Kites co-star, Mexican modelactress Barbara Mori, wasn't working out. Kangana was going through troubles of her own and they found solace in each other's company and became good friends," the source said.

The friendship blossomed into something serious when Hrithik began pursuing her for Krrish 3, his home production. "Even though Kangana's career was not exactly shining at the time, she said no to Hrithik. She felt rather uncomfortable with the attention he was showing," the friend said.

Hrithik, however, wouldn't take "no" for an answer. After being pursued for six months, Kangana said "yes". "That's when they got into a relationship after he confided in her that he and his wife (Sussanne) slept in separate bedrooms. However, Kangana could never talk about the relationship openly as Hrithik had told her categorically that he would never divorce Sussanne," the friend continued.

Realising that her affair with Hrithik would always remain a clandestine one, Kangana took off to Milan once shooting for Krrish 3 ended, alone - much like she would do in her award-winning film Queen later. In real life, she went on a shopping spree, all by herself; in reel life, she went for her honeymoon, all by herself.

In December 2013, however, a call from Hrithik took her by surprise. He told her that he was divorcing Sussanne. Kangana was in Switzerland at the time and Hrithik in the US. "She was on top of the world as he also told her he wanted to marry her after the divorce," Kangana's friend said. But doubts cropped up in her mind. She didn't know whether Hrithik was serious or not. She kept saying that maybe he wanted to be with her on the rebound," the friend pointed out.

To put all her doubts to rest, Hrithik popped the question when she was in Paris, the city of love. But From then, the relationship mostly went downhill.

"In the first week of February, soon after he resumed shooting for Bang Bang, Hrithik stopped communicating with her. Kangana took off for a vacation in New York where she heard rumours about his growing closeness to his Bang Bang costar Katrina Kaif. On February 14, she confronted him about the rumours when Hrithik called her and asked him to be honest with her. He only wanted to know if anyone was aware of the engagement. When Kangana told him that she had informed her family about it, he said that she had misunderstood his intentions," the friend said.

Kangana realised that her groom had bolted before reaching the shaadi ka mandap. She took it in her stride and moved on.

"But Hrithik wasn't done yet. Soon after Kangana won the National Award for Queen in March 2014, he called, begging her to forgive him and take him back," the friend said.

Enter, the superstar

The award changed Kangana's life in more ways than one. Not only was she being commended for her solid acting skills and straying off the beaten path, a young superstar had started wooing her. The two had hit it off at an awards function. "But Hrithik felt insecure. He confronted her and asked if she wanted to tel him something. She told him not to be insecure about their relationship, but that didn't appease him," the friend said.

"The final blow to their on-again, off-again relationship came in May 2014 at Karan Johar's party. They hadn't spoken for a couple of weeks. When they met at KJo's party, Kangana put her hand on Hrithik's arm. He reacted angrily and asked her how could she have set up a date with another actor for the following Wednesday," the friend said.

"Kangana didn't know what had hit her. Had the two been gossiping behind her back? How else could Hrithik have known about the meeting, she kept asking as she took the elevator."

It must have been the email

"Kangana then realised that the young actor had shared his email address with her. She realised that Hrithik could have hacked into her email account may have been impersonating him. Two days later, her fears came true when she met the young superstar again and he asked her out for coffee --he was clueless about the episode with Hrithik which meant that he was obviously not gossiping behind her back.

"She then pointed out to Rangoli (Kangana's sister and manager) that some of her mails had disappeared. She always knew that Hrithik was very tech-savvy. Shaken up by the, she called up Rakesh Roshan and told him that if her suspicions were true, Hrithik could land into a lot of trouble for cybercrime.

"Papa Roshan was really shaken by the conversation and told her that he would speak to Hrithik about it. She deleted the account and decided to wash her hands of the affair," the friend said.

"But Hrithik finally managed to get his way. He and Kangana were back together. This time she gave him the password to her new account so he could check on her mails officially, but that didn't make things any better between them. Even though industry friends believed them to be in an intense relationship, referring to her as "bhabhi" in private, Hrithik preferred to project a Casanova image after his divorce came through.

"Kangana was also upset that while Hrithik wished everybody on Twitter before the big release, he never bucked her up for Tanu Weds Manu Returns and Katti Batti. Obviously, Hrithik had gone back to his secretive ways.

"Hrithik had also started keeping an eye on her. He had a man posted outside her apartment to report on Kangana's movements, knew who she interacted with, which flight she was taking, where she was going etc.

"She knew that she was in a downward spiral. She was emotionally attached to Hrithik, having been in a two-year relationship. At the same time, she wanted to date a man who was unencumbered; somebody with whom she could go out and not be confined behind closed doors. She wanted to end it. But Hrithik was not ready to let her go. He made things ugly," the friend said.

By this time, the rumour mills were working overtime.

"There were blind items appearing in gossip column, stories put out that he had her thrown out of the race of contenders for Aashiqui 3 when he was in talks with Bhushan Kumar and Mohit Suri for the musical. There were also murmurs of her sending him erotic texts and nude pictures of hers and his co-stars messages to stay away from him.

"Sure they exchanged intimate texts like any normal couple does, but she never texted his co-stars. We never imagined that he would stoop so low to tarnish her reputation," the friend said.

Asperger's syndrome

He has also brought up the subject of her suffering from Asperger's Syndrome. The friend points out that he heard about the ailment from Kangana herself after Reema Kagti approached her for her film, Mr Chaalu, in which her character suffers from Asperger's Syndrome which prevents her from lying even though the hero is a compulsive liar. "Hrithik visited her that night and she told him about Reema's script. He responded by pointing out that she also had the same problem and couldn't lie about their relationship. After that he often provoked her by mentioning the syndrome, even bringing it up in the notice, despite knowing that it is not a bipolar, medical condition and only reflects a rare straightforwardness," reasons the friend.

"She wants to move on, maybe she can find happiness with someone else. He thought he could intimidate her with his legal notice, get her to make a public apology. But apology for what? What did she do wrong," the friend asked.

Fawad Khan talks about dealing with his fans, movies and life beyond it
Harshada Rege (DNA; March 17, 2016)


A two-year break after Khoobsurat? Why too choosy?
There were some very interesting things that came my way, but I just felt that I wanted to try something that was in the space of Kapoor & Sons. It just fell in my lap one day. I immediately knew that this is what I was looking for. With Khoobsurat, I was just testing the waters, with Kapoor & Sons, I have exercised more freedom as an actor that has helped me get more comfortable and confident. This will help me for the roles I choose henceforth. I am more at ease now.

You agreed to act in a movie with Dharma protégés Sidharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt. Not insecure?
I think you are insecure when you don’t know your job well. And I think I know mine pretty well. I am not saying that I have never been insecure at any point. Actors are insecure creatures. But I chose to ignore that feeling, because if I let it get on my nerves too much, I’ll not focus on the work at hand and that will make my work suffer. With insecurity comes paranoia and with paranoia comes irritation.

You guys were stationed in Coonoor to shoot for a long time, is that a good way for an actor to shoot?
Outdoor shoots are amazing. That’s where you get to bond with one another as actors. That is essential for the kind of camaraderie that you expect for a movie like this. That’s the kind of education I crave. Staying at one place with the entire crew allows you to understand the workings and that’s the kind of exposure every human being should have.

Is it necessary for you to get along with your co-stars?
It’s absolutely necessary to have some amount of comfort level with your co-actor. If you don’t have that comfort level, it’ll take you time to get to the same point. It’s best to break the ice and get to know the person.

What kind of a role do you play in your family? Are you the crisis handler or the black sheep?
I am the one who panics. And the person I turn to, is my wife. She is the one who handles everything. She says, ‘I have two children, one is our eight-year-old son and the other is you.’

A lot of actors started out with a no-kissing clause, but they changed their mind over the years. Will you ever be open to it?
I don’t see that happening in the near future, but again, there’s an interesting thing that I learnt from Sonam (Kapoor). She said, ‘Never say never.’ So I’ll follow that, but I don’t foresee it happening anytime soon.

You get a lot of female attention, are you now used to it?
I am still shy about it. It still makes me blush, but I chose to be a little unaware of it. That’s because the more you become aware of it, the more you start craving it. And I feel that my craving won’t help my career. It’ll just take away my concentration and I’ll constantly be thinking about how to please these people more. Then that kind of corrupts your craft. I prefer to be slightly unaware, so that ek toh sar pe na chadh jaaye aur doosri baat yeh ke kaam mein dhyaan laga rahe. I am thankful to them; it’s not that I am not aware of my fans. But the amount of adulation and adoration that I get, I like to give it only that much thought.

How does your wife Sadaf deal with all the female attention coming your way?
She is fine with it. She is a very sensible woman and a lady in the true sense of the word. She only gets uncomfortable when someone tries to intrude our space... that’s the thing she gets irritated with. Otherwise, she’s completely fine with it.

Does she get to travel with you when you are shooting here?
My wife accompanies me whenever she can, and I would rather have her with me all the time, but because I have an eight-year-old son who is in school, it’s not possible. I end up missing out on a lot of time with them and that’s probably the saddest part of this whole process.

Are long-distance relationships difficult to handle?
Ab toh shaadi ho gayi hai. Ab toh long time relationship ho gaya hai, long-distance ya jo bhi marzi keh lo. Wahan se rassi aayegi aur pakad ke le jaayegi mujhe.

You have your own clothing brand, how involved are you with it?
It’s completely my wife’s brainchild. She is the entrepreneur and brains behind it. She is the one who gets all the work done. From setting up the ada, the tailor. Bas logo designing ke waqt main thoda baitha tha, but apart from that it’s her baby.

You are being directed by Karan Johar in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. How was that experience?
He’s amazing as a director. He keeps the energy high on the sets and takes care of everyone’s needs. He gives a lot of individual attention to his actors, which I think is great. He is a terrific director, but more than that what matters the most to me is that he is such a great person.

Considering the unstable equation between India-Pakistan, have you ever felt that you lose out on good roles?
Even if I do, I can’t do anything about it. This is where I become a bit of a believer in destiny. What is destined for you, nobody can take it away from you, and what is not for you, you can run after it all your life, but you’ll never get it. That is my approach. Milna tha toh mil jaata. I am not saying you should not make an effort to get what you need. But the effort should be upto a sane extent, don’t become insane pursuing something...it’s not worth it.

You are a singer too...
I don’t sing anymore. I used to sing in a metal band, many years ago...

Will you be getting back to singing anytime soon?
I am thinking of getting back to it soon. Probably by the end of this year, once I get free from some commitments. I am putting my home studio back together — which I had taken apart — to bring out compositions that I had parked away. But I want to do it in my time. That’s something I’d like to explore, but like I said it will be a very personal space. It will be for people obviously, but it will be something I’ll do in my own time.

One biopic that you’d want to see made?
I would like to see a biopic on the life of Richard Pryor. He is an American comedian who is often called the father of stand-up comedy. If I am not mistaken, he is the reason of the 30-second delay rule in satellite broadcast because his kind of comedy was such that it sometimes offends some people. Saturday Night Live wanted him so bad that they decided to put in a 30-second delay so that they could cut out any offensive stuff. He was born in a brothel and went on to become one of the most successful stars in comedy.

There are lot of movies being made based on sports or sports personalities. What sport biopic do you see yourself in?
Myself? Not really... I am not a sporty person. I used to be in my youth. I used to play a lot of games, but ever since I turned diabetic, I have sort of taken it easy. I need to go to the gym to get into shape. Given an option, I won’t even go to the gym...I am a very unhealthy person.

Most actors and even some actresses are producing their own movies or are producing them, would you consider getting into production?
I have been developing content. If I get a bit free, I would think about it, but right now I have just too much on my plate.

Do you remember a time when you were star-struck? Tell me about that.
It was when I met Amitabh saab while shooting for Khoobsurat. I was star stuck when I met Rishi Kapoor too, but at KBC... uss waqt mauhaul aisa tha... The lights come on, then he walks on the stage... It’s just that whole aura that is built in that moment.

In Khoobsurat, you didn’t have too much dancing to do, will we see you shaking a leg in this one?
Dancing is something I need to work on. I need to get my feet surgically removed and replaced (laughs). Maybe, I need to join a dancing school.

Being a gay icon...
(Cuts in)... Am I? Really? I didn’t know that... That’s flattering...

Being a gay icon, will you be open to doing Dostana 2?
Yes, why not? What’s wrong with that? See we are telling a story, as a person, playing a character and these people live in the world. Let’s accept the fact that they live in this world. I remember there was this friend of mine who had told me this that when this very famous Pakistani actor Zia Mohyeddin...when he played the role of a eunuch at that point of time someone asked aren’t you afraid of playing such a character. He said, ‘I am telling a story of a person who has lived that life and faced those hardships’. It’s not a matter of endorsement. He said, ‘It’s not that I have become one. I am not going to cut my genitals off. And even if I do how does that make me different from any other human being?’ Do they not have a right to live?’ People used to make certain gestures to tease them, but that has changed... Thoda waqt lagega, but log theek ho jaayenge.

Aren’t you playing a gay character in this movie?
You know what they say, ‘Everybody’s gay...’ (laughs)

What was the most challenging part about this role?
I kind of fell in love with this character. In all honesty, if and when there are some aspects like that associated with being gay... to capture those nuances would be very challenging. If that were the case, but over all it’s been pretty easy.

After Kapoor & Sons and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Hai what’s next?
I am in talks for a few movies, let’s see what shapes up.

Have you signed Reema Kagti’s Mr Chaalu?
No, I haven’t signed that film, that’s at a much later stage. But yes, we did talk about it. The female lead actor that they wanted wasn’t available at that time, so they decided to wait.

Your Humsafar co-star Mahira Khan is making her debut in Raees, considering how popular your pair was, if given an opportunity what kind of a film would you want to do with her in Bollywood?
If I was to do a second project with her now I would like us to be antagonists to one another. There’s this movie about a blind woman. Three men enter her house and try to locate some diamonds. One of the guys starts harassing her. She ends up killing him. End mein jeet aurat ki hi hoti hai, but I’d like to play a villain in that kind of a story. Something like that would completely surprise people.

Dil Dhadakne Do girl, Ridhima Sud comes on board Reema Kagti's Mr Chaalu, also featuring Fawad Khan; will be seen in John Abraham's wedding drama too
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 20, 2015)


Ridhima Sud remembers getting off a long and tiring flight, after an exhausting 20-hour schedule on a set, to make it in time for Zoya Akhtar's script-reading session of Dil Dhadakne Do. The actress was seen as Noori Sood in the film.

Recalling her first interaction with her director, she says, "Zoya told me that she was my movie mama and she still is! She has always made herself accessible to me. I have a family in Bombay and it's Zoya's," she says, adding that she mumbled a thank you, battering her eyelashes in confusion when Javed Akhtar walked up to her at the DDD premiere, praising her mazedar performance. "He has worked with actresses across five generations and for him to say something nice about my work meant a lot to me," she says.

The actress, who refuses to reveal her age, says that Bollywood's leading ladies can only ever be as old as they look. "I just auditioned for a role of the 16-year-old girl. So I'm as old as they think I am," she guffaws. The actress will next be seen as journalist Meera Sharma in Kajariya, a docu-feature by Madhurima Anand, which addresses several social issues, prominently, female foeticide. "I play a reporter who finds herself chasing a story she is not ready to handle. The movie will tour film festivals in Europe soon," she points out.

Ridhima has also shot portions for Satra Ko Shaadi Hai, a John Abraham production, which also features the actor in the lead. "It's not a love story, but a full-fledged wedding melodrama," she says, adding that she plays Cookie Hirani, a bindaas Bombay kudi, who's been dragged to a particular wedding in Bhopal and mayhem follows. "I am paired opposite Harshvardhan Rane and I never knew he was such a big heartthrob down South. TV star Barun Sobti too is a part of the cast, and I never knew the amount of fan-following he had either. I thought these boys were nobodies," she insists, adding that her only A-list co-star so far has been Ranveer Singh, in DDD.

Ridhima confirms that she has just finished reading the script for Reema Kagti's Mr Chaalu, also featuring Fawad Khan. "Yes! I am very excited about the film and have finished a reading for it," Ridhima told Mirror. The actress had moved to Italy at 17 and went to New York to study liberal arts and films, only to return, hoping to make it big in Bollywood. "You can never predict anything that's going to happen with a film until you're on the set, giving your shot," she smiles.

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 30, 2015)

For her upcoming film, Dil Dhadakne Do, Zoya Akhtar and her team has come up with an innovative plot twist. On Family Day, May 15, a three-minute video helmed by the director's longtime script collaborator, Reema Kagti, will go on air.

The short film features all six of the film's leading actors, including Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shah, Priyanka Chjopra, Farhan Akhtar, Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma, and one member from their respective family talking about the bonding they share. Six real couples from Mumbai will offer their humorous, touching takes.

"Since the film revolves around the Mehra family and their relationship dynamics, we came up with this idea about a month-and-a-half ago," says Reema. "I don't have a bound script since we have decided on a documentary approach. I will be talking to these families and portions from the candid interviews will go into making the clip."

Reema has already spoken to three families in the city and plans to finish with the other three, along with the stars, by next week. "I have got some great footage and I am really excited. There's an extended joint family, a nuclear family, a family with a dog... Lots of oddities and eccentricities will come to light," she promises.

Reema insists that all families are "crazy" and that is true of her own too. Her father worked for an oil company in Digboi in Assam and her mother was a schoolteacher. One fine day, they threw up their jobs and moved to a farm in remote village Borhapjan. "I was 12 then and for sometime, I remember living without electricity," she reminisces.

The adventure soon became a regular life with her father going on to grow everything on his farm, from grains to medicinal herbs, practising animal husbandry for the next 35 years till he passed away two years ago. Now, Reema lives in Mumbai while her sisters have settled in Banglaore. "But the bonding is still very strong," she asserts.

Reema has also been working on her next directorial, Mr Chaalu which was supposed to feature Saif Ali Khan and Kangana Ranaut but now will star Fawad Khan and Priyanka Chopra. "It was inspired by a newspaper article and has some personal touches too," she signs off.

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 27, 2015)

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 27, 2015)

Kangana Ranaut on getting awards in absentia, her hellish early years with ungentlemanly co-stars and the challenge of doing unexpected roles
Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 23, 2015)

DNA (February 6, 2015)


When Shahid stepped into the project post-Haider, it was a dream cast with Kangana Ranaut post-Queen. The project was to go on the floors in January 2015, with Saif but the project was rescheduled to August 2015 with Shahid. The actor had agreed to give dates in August, but now things seem to have changed. According to buzz, the project has now been pushed ahead again. Shahid, who is currently shooting for Shaandar opposite Alia Bhatt, has also signed on Udta Punjab, for which he will now begin shooting. The actor asked Ritesh Sidhwani, the producer of Mr Chaalu, to push the film ahead by a few months. But rescheduling will lead to date problems with other actors of the film. So now for the fate of the film is unclear Reema says, “The film got a bit derailed but efforts are on to get it back on track.” Sources also say that the film might be shelved. However, Reema says that’s not true.

MID-DAY (February 1, 2015)

Looks like Kangana Ranaut's fan following in the industry is growing. After Aamir Khan, Deepika Padukone, Sonakshi Sinha, Shraddha Kapoor and Shekhar Kapur all of whom sung praises for her performance in Queen, it's now Shahid Kapoor's turn.

The actor was so overwhelmed by Kangana's performance that he apparently claimed to be afraid to work with her.

The duo will be seen together in Reema Kagti's upcoming film, Mr Chaalu. Don't know whether Sasha actually meant that compliment, but him and Kangs together will be a treat to watch out for.

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 15, 2015)

Mirror was the first to report that Saif Ali Khan has left the Reema Kagti-film titled Mr. Chaalu where he was supposed to play a charming womaniser. The actor had remuneration issues with his Dil Chahta Hai producers Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani and both parties decided to amicably part ways (December 27, 2014).

Now, we have learnt that Excel has roped in Shahid Kapoor for the same role.

A source close to the development told Mirror, "Shahid recently got a narration. He has responded positively to the story as it's the kind of character that he hasn't done in a while. The makers are now locking the dates for workshops that will start soon."

The source further added that an international crew has been set up for the production and the unit is currently finalising the locations for the film. "They want to put the project on floors as soon as they can. After Saif left the film, their priority was to get the hero in place. With Shahid's nod of approval, the film will finally kick off now."

However, it is learnt that the actor will first complete Abhishek Chaubey's Udta Punjab before joining the project. "It's not a long schedule. He's going to be shooting for a couple of weeks after which he will start Mr Chaalu."

This will be the first time that Shahid and Kangana will be paired opposite each other. The film also features Richa Chadda and Pooja Bhatt in pivotal roles. We contacted Shahid Kapoor but he remained unavailable for comment.

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 27, 2014)

After 13 years, Saif Ali Khan was to team up with his Dil Chahta Hai producers Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar for a film directed by Reema Kagti. Saif was to play the protagonist, a suave womaniser in the film titled Mr Chaalu. Mirror had reported (June 4) that Kangana Ranaut was cast opposite Saif in the dark comedy.

But the reunion has been ruined. The actor and the producers have parted ways due to differences over Saif's remuneration. A source told Mirror that studio heads at Excel were of the opinion that after Saif's recent flops - Happy Ending, Humshakals and Bullett Raja - the actor should reduce his fee to make the project economically viable. However, Saif was not ready to budge.

After weeks of talks, the two parties failed to resolve their differences and the makers eventually decided to look for an alternative for Saif.

A source close to the development said, "Saif argued that he is getting a certain amount for the Sujoy Ghosh directorial The Devotion Of Suspect X being produced by Ekta Kapoor's production house. The amount offered by Excel was a much smaller number. He couldn't accept two drastically different figures from two rival studios. Excel's offering was way below Saif's market price."

Ritesh Sidhwani was optimistic about Saif even a few days ago. On December 10, while talking to Mirror about the same issue, he had said: "We have full faith in Saif. He is a very good actor and perfect for the part. We start the film with him in January."

Clearly things have changed since. "Now, the film has been pushed to March and Kangana, who had given January dates to the film, has allotted a fresh slot. The makers are hoping to get Saif's replacement by then."

When asked to comment, Saif, who is in Switzerland holidaying with Kareena Kapoor, sent a message that read: "I'm not doing Reema's film anymore."

The actress walks out of debutant director Pia Sukanya's Indo-British venture at the last moment to do a Saif Ali Khan-starrer
Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 12, 2014)

Richa Chadha was to play the female lead in debutant director Pia Sukanya's Indo-British venture Bombairiya. The film, which costars Shraddha Kapoor's younger brother, Siddhanth and Pizza actor Akshay Oberoi, was to go on floors in December. The makers claim that they were in for a rude shock when the actress unceremoniously left the project for the Saif Ali Khan-Kangana Ranaut starrer, Mr. Chaalu, produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar.

When contacted, a fuming Michael Ward, the film's British producer, said: "We made some adjustments in our film's schedule earlier after she told us she's working on a Sudhir Mishra film (Aur Devdas). We reworked the combination dates."

But they had to go through another round of adjustment after Richa informed them that she had a commitment with Pooja Bhatt who had 'blanket control' over her dates. "Initially the film was to go on floors in October. Despite the dates getting postponed twice, we were ready to start the shoot in early January, " says Ward. "Now, we're left in a lurch."

However, Richa has a different story. When contacted, the actor's manager said, "We've trying to get everything down on paper but the producers are yet to send us a signed contract. Had the dates been set, none of this drama would have happened. Richa is a thorough professional, all her producers will vouch for this."

Meanwhile, the film's makers are trying to find a last-minute replacement for the Gangs of Wasseypur actress. "We've been pushed around enough. A third rearrangement of schedule was the last straw. We will now begin shooting in April with another actress," Michael signed off.

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 10, 2014)

The last month has been particularly traumatic for Bollywood with as many as five films with an A-list cast, taking a drubbing at the box-office. From Akshay Kumar's The Shaukeens and Ranveer Singh's Kill Dill to Emraan Hashmi's Ungli, none of the projects have managed to live up to the audience's expectations. Buzz in trade circles is that many actors are taking a hefty pay cut - in some cases, nearly 40 per cent - while producers are slashing budgets by half to make projects financially viable in this uncertain market.

One such actor is Saif Ali Khan, whose last release definitely did not have a happy ending, commercially. Mirror has learnt that after the film's dismal opening, the makers of his upcoming ventures are exercising caution, given that this completes a hattrick of flops for the actor -- starting with Bullett Raja, Humshakals and Happy Ending.

Ekta Kapoor is reworking the logistics of the Sujoy Ghosh-directed screen adaptation of the Japanese bestseller, The Devotion of Suspect X, starring Saif. Its budget has been scaled down by almost one-third and the actor's remuneration is also being substantially reworked. Ditto Reema Kagti's next Mr Chaalu, starring Saif and Kangana Ranaut.

Admitting that there has indeed been a fluctuation in his fee, Saif told Mirror that money is not a priority at the moment. He said: "Prices go up and down. Right now the quality of work is more important to me than money. Next year should be about good roles."

Stressing on the need for stars to take a reality check so that investments can be recovered, trade analyst Komal Nahta reasoned, "If a star charges Rs 25-30 crore, he should at least ensure a Rs 20 crore opening which is not happening. Why just Saif, every star needs to reconsider his pay-package! All of them know where they are going wrong, but they choose to look the other way. The flops should be eye-openers." 

Another trade analyst, Amod Mehra, however opined that it is not the star's salary but the content that has failed. "Yes, the money they charge contributes to a movie's failure, but that's not the only factor. We've seen some terribly scripted films recently," he pointed out.

Ramesh Taurani, the producer of Saif-starrer Race and Race 2, who recently had monetary differences with the actor, endorsed Mehra's view. "Saif's films haven't worked because the content wasn't good. But he's a huge star and will bounce back with a hit," he stated.

Commenting on the same, Kabir Khan, who is directing the mega-budget action thriller Phantom, starring Saif and Katrina Kaif said: "I cast Saif in Phantom because he is perfect for the role. Irrespective of hits or flops, he is a terrific actor and that, not numbers, will always be a director's priority as far as casting is concerned."

Ritesh Sidhwani, who is producing Kagti's film, agreed with Kabir: "We have full faith that Saif will deliver, just like he did in Dil Chahta Hai. We start filming with Kangana and him in January."

DNA (November 1, 2014)



She’s excited about the latter film. She shares, “I’ve seen this stunning newcomer, a Mumbai girl. My father says she will give Alia a run for her money. I will most probably cast her in Cabaret.”

At the moment, though, Pooja is looking forward to returning to acting with Mr Chaalu. “I made it very clear to Reema (Kagti) and Ritesh (Sidhwani) that I won’t be able to shoot for them when I am making a film. Soni’s film starts on February 20. I’ll wrap up my work in Mr Chaalu by then.”

She adds, “I guess now I’m a filmmaker first, then an actor. Production is like a marital alliance for me. Acting is an illicit affair. But I am looking forward to facing the camera again with Saif and Kangana. I know the entire team so well. It feels like home.”

Of Love Affair, she says, “It’s a film about infidelity in a marriage. Arjun Rampal plays the husband, Kalki Koechlin the wife and Gulshan Devaiah is the lover.”

Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 14, 2014)

Number 13 is lucky for Pooja Bhatt who returns to face the camera after a 13-year self imposed hibernation. She was last seen in Rahul Bose's directorial debut, Everybody Says I'm Fine, in 2001. After that she concentrated on producing and directing movies.

Mirror has now learnt that Pooja will play a detective in Reema Kagti's romcom, Mr Chaalu, which goes on floors in January 2015.

Buzz is, the film's producers, Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar, were in talks with Tabu for the role. "But they later thought that Pooja is better suited to play a Lady Sherlock Holmes," informed a source close to the production.

Mr Chaalu has Saif Ali Khan playing a Casanova while Kangana Ranaut is his love interest, Richa Chaddha will be seen playing one of the other girls in his life.

Confirming the news, Pooja said: "Ritesh messaged me: 'Are you still acting?' I shot back: 'Once an actor, always an actor.' My role is that of a no-nonsense woman which is pretty much me. She appears in the film just before the interval and stays till the end."

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 25, 2014)

Mirror (June 4) was the first to break the news that Saif Ali Khan and Kangana Ranaut are teaming up for Reema Kagti's upcoming film, Mr. Chaalu, to be produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani. Now, we have learnt that Richa Chadha has been roped in for a pivotal role.

Revealed a source close to the production, "Richa plays one of the women Saif's character, a smooth player, encounters. She has a strong romantic angle with Saif. She plays a quintessential Mumbai girl and her role has elements of dark humour."

Interestingly, the actress has previously worked with the same banner in the 2013 sleeper hit, Fukhrey. Richa who is currently shooting for Sudhir Mishra's next, Aur Devdas, couldn't be reached for a comment.

But the film's producer Ritesh Sidhwani confirmed the news. He told Mirror, "Yes, Richa is on board. We share a fantastic working relationship. As of now, not much can be revealed about the character. All I can say is that it's an important part. Wait to get surprised."

Mr. Chaalu will go on floors in January next year and is looking at a 2016 release.

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 17, 2014)

After a not-so-impressive turn in Sajid Khan's comic caper Humshakals, it seems that Saif Ali Khan is preferring dark humour over slapstick comedy.

The actor plays a manipulative womaniser, in Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar's next production, Mr. Chaalu which will be directed by Reema Kagti.

Revealed a source close to the unit, "Saif's character is a smooth operator. He will remind the audiences of the kind of roles the actor played in Dil Chahta Hai, Salaam Namaste and Kal Ho Naa Ho. With his irresistible charm, he woos women into marrying him and then dupes them."

This game of marry-making continues till he bumps into Kangana Ranaut's character. She is a fiery femme fatale who turns out to be cleverer than he thinks. The duo then falls passionately in love.

"Although it sounds like a con caper, the film has strong shades of melancholia with a generous dose of humour," adds the source.

Interestingly, the film will be shot in Mumbai and Goa, where Saif's last collaboration with the same production house, Dil Chahta Hai, was filmed. It will go on the floors on January 15 next year and will be ready for release by mid-2016.