Showing posts with label Mr India. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mr India. Show all posts
From Ranbir Kapoor’s screen-worn jacket to Mogambo’s uniform, the afterlife of Bollywood’s material history
10:37 AM
In the absence of a formal museum, iconic artifacts — from Ranbir Kapoor’s screen-worn jacket to Mogambo’s uniform — are recirculated and stored across an unofficial ecosystem of godowns, trunks, and prop houses
Nisrin Saria (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 12, 2026)
A yellow Ambassador glides onto the red carpet. Flashbulbs erupt as Shanti Priya (Deepika Padukone) steps out in blush pink silk, her wave choreographed for stardom. Moments later, the fabric catches Om’s sleeve, setting in motion one of Hindi cinema’s most cherished meet-cutes. Years earlier, audiences had travelled to an altogether different world, where Helen danced to Mehbooba Mehbooba inside a cave lit by flickering torches. One film recreated the glamour of 1970s Bombay. The other conjured a ravine that never existed. Both persuaded millions that these worlds were real.
If you’ve ever visited the Harry Potter studio outside London, wandered through Warner Bros’ archives in Hollywood or admired K-pop exhibitions in Seoul, you know some entertainment industries preserve their history behind glass. Bollywood, for some reason, has never done so. Here, the cave comes apart plank by plank, the palace becomes plywood again, costumes disappear into garment bags and props are counted, labelled and packed into trucks. Still almost nothing is truly discarded.
“Most costumes and many props are hired,” says veteran filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar. “You use them for the shoot, return them afterwards and pay the rental.” Furniture, crockery, chandeliers, doors, windows and architectural fragments all begin another journey once the cameras stop rolling. Every item is checked against an inventory, packed away and stored until another script calls it back into service.
Ad filmmaker and photographer Sunhil Sippy says production designers often become collectors by default. “Many own prop houses themselves, or they’ve spent years building collections from Chor Bazaar and antique markets.” It’s not unusual for things from their own homes and studios to even find a way into frames. “For close-ups, I’d often bring something from my own house, an object I lived with every day because I knew I wouldn’t find it in a rental house. The right object gives a frame its truth.”
Cement brains and books
Not every prop returns to a rental house. Some end up at Many Many Things, a Versova prop studio run by production designers Shaira Kapoor and Dhara Jain, whose work covers Gully Boy, Bombay Velvet and The Archies. Over the years, productions have left behind what many would see as a museum-worthy collection of collectibles: a miniature red vintage car sourced for a Lays commercial featuring Ranbir Kapoor, gold bricks made for a smuggling sequence in Bombay Velvet, even two cement brains created as paperweights for a radio station set in Tumhari Sulu.
“We never planned to start a prop house,” says Kapoor. “Some pieces stayed back after productions, others came from family, and many were simply too special to let go.” Every object is catalogued, barcoded and tracked before heading out to its next assignment.
That, they insist, is how Bollywood has always worked. Doors, windows, plywood, lights, furniture and fabrics are dismantled, stored and reinvented. “We pride ourselves on making the same object look completely different,” Kapoor says.
“A new lampshade, fresh upholstery or different artwork can transform it.” Nothing illustrates that better than Zoya Akhtar’s The Archies. The pair sourced nearly 10,000 vintage books, along with vintage cookware and utensils, for Betty’s (Khushi Kapoor) home from Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ooty, Bangkok, and international Etsy sellers. Once filming ended, most were sold on. “We don’t know exactly where they went,” Jain says. “But they’re still in the ecosystem. They’ve simply moved to another shelf.”
History in mulmul
While a handful of props are preserved, Kakkar says that remains the exception. “Commercials work on rentals. Keeping elaborate sets after a shoot isn’t practical. The economics just don’t support preserving every unique creation.”
Costumes have had an even more uncertain fate. Academy Award-winning costume designer Bhanu Athaiya treated preservation as second nature, says her daughter, Radhika Gupta. “She never folded old saris or fabrics. She rolled them, wrapped them in mulmul cloth and stored them in steel trunks.”
Even that could not protect them from the weather and termites that infested them. Athaiya began designing in 1953, long before climate-controlled storage. Studio lights generated intense heat, makeup stained fabrics and colours faded under harsh lamps. “The costumes didn’t survive very well,” Gupta says, “More importantly, they belonged to the production houses, not to her.”
Until the 1970s, few studios archived costumes. Raj Kapoor was among the exceptions, though many garments, including costumes from Mera Naam Joker, were later lost in the RK Studios fire. Gupta still remembers actors arriving at their home to try on costumes as tailors and embroiderers worked around them. “My mother was a director’s designer,” she says. Directors described the character and mood of a scene, and Athaiya translated them into attire, even using colours in the black-and-white era to create tonal contrasts on screen.
Not quite Narnia
Looking back, Gupta believes preserving costumes is about far more than saving clothes. “As Indians, we don’t really have a strong culture of preservation,” she says. “We tend to discard things and take them for granted.” Conservation, she adds, requires time, expertise and sustained funding.
Some of Athaiya’s surviving work has reached the public through the People of Mumbai exhibition at CSMVS, where costumes, sketches and archival material traced both her career and the city’s cinematic journey. “Bhanu Athaiya became a natural choice because her journey from the Sir JJ School of Art to costume design reflects that evolution,” says the exhibition’s architect, Nandini Somaya.
Displaying the collection required a careful process. Costumes were protected under acrylic sheets, while larger garments—including the landmark sari worn in Gandhi—were mounted on custom plastic supports and enclosed in protective cases to prevent stress on the fragile fabric. But such examples remain rare.
Madhav Agasti, who tailored costumes for more than 350 films, including Mr India and Andaz Apna Apna, says costumes usually remained with producers once filming ended. Mogambo’s military-inspired uniform, he believes, is still with Boney Kapoor. Lead costumes are never really reused, Kakkar explains. Designed for one actor and one character, they often end up with producers, collectors or members of the crew. Sometimes they become personal keepsakes. Shivam Hingorani, an assistant director on Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, still treasures the brown AllSaints jacket worn by Ranbir Kapoor. “The moment I saw it, I knew I wanted it.” And once production wrapped up director Ayan Mukerji handed it to him.
And, thus, Bollywood’s best stories survive in fragments: a sari wrapped in mulmul, a villain’s uniform in a producer’s cupboard, or a prop on someone’s shelf. They may never draw museum crowds, but for the person who recognizes one from the screen, those ordinary objects still possess the power to collapse time, carrying them back to the moment the story first came alive.
I don’t think anyone should ever try playing Mogambo. You must never touch gold-Vardhaan Puri
2:47 PM
Vardhaan Puri revisits the magic of grandfather Amrish Puri’s iconic Mogambo ahead of Mr India turning 39
Vinay MR Mishra (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 26, 2026)
As Mr. India completes 39 years, actor Vardhaan Puri is celebrating not just the cult classic, but also the towering legacy of his grandfather, the legendary Amrish Puri, whose portrayal of Mogambo remains one of Indian cinema’s most iconic villains.
Speaking to Mirror, Vardhaan revealed that he has watched the film “at least 200 times” since childhood. “I would possibly have watched Mr. India at least 200 times from start to finish. There used to be a time when I would not eat my lunch if Mr. India wasn’t playing on the television in my dining room. I used to get hypnotised during the running time of the film,” he shared.
The actor admitted that every viewing of the film was essentially for his grandfather. “Every time I have watched the film, it has been for my grandfather. He is on a different level of conviction in the film. No wonder the portrayal is still celebrated today, especially among children,” he said, while also praising Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, Satish Kaushik, and Annu Kapoor.
"Everybody is equally fantastic in the film, especially Anil Kapoor uncle, my favourite Sri ma’am, Satish ji, Annu Kapoor ji, etc. But the real heroes of the film are Shekhar Kapur sir due to his vision and Salim Saab, Javed Saab for the wonderful writing," he added.
Ask him whether he would ever consider stepping into Mogambo’s shoes on screen, and Vardhaan instantly shuts down the possibility. “I don’t think anyone should ever try playing Mogambo. You must never touch gold. I feel like that character was destined to be played by one man only — Mr. Amrish Puri. When I’m an artist as seasoned as Dadu was in 1986 during the shooting of the film, I would love to do something on those eccentric lines, but I’ll repeat — I do not think anyone should ever try playing Mogambo again. It’ll be impossible to match that level of aura," he said.
Interestingly, as a child, Vardhaan rooted for the villain over the hero. “As a child, I felt that Mogambo was the hero of the film and Arun bhaiya was the villain. I have forever been celebrating the super villains and clapping and screaming every time Dadu came on screen and did his magic,” he concluded.
Anil Kapoor told me, ‘Tell me about today and tomorrow. Don’t tell me about yesterday. And I’m not kidding’-Suresh Triveni
3:14 PM
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; February 23, 2026)
It’s not every day in the industry that a one line idea gets a star to commit to a film. But filmmaker Suresh Triveni tells us that rarity happened when he narrated the idea of Subedaar to Anil Kapoor. “Our man said yes and then asked, ‘Kab banana hai?’” the director recounts the phone call he had with Kapoor.
The Prime Video film, also starring Radhika Madan, tells the story of a former army man (Kapoor) coming to terms with the civilian life. For his protagonist, Triveni drew inspiration from Kapoor’s iconic characters of the ‘80s.
“He is one actor, who has over the period of time, adapted himself beautifully in different roles. But we can never forget Munna from Tezaab (1988) or Mr India (1987). He has a presence, which is cinematic. So that inspired me. And I wanted to write a story of a man of the soil. That’s where it started,” he shares.
And it’s only been a joy ride for him to direct the star, not only for his dedication towards his craft but his hunger as a performer, despite his four-decade long experience in the industry.
“Anil sir does not like to be reminded about his past work. He says, ‘Tell me about today and tomorrow. Don’t tell me about yesterday. And I’m not kidding’,” the director says, adding that he has his lead star’s professionalism to thank for being able to wrap up the film in just over 40 days.
“He is so particular about the details [of the character]. Like, he’s got a book of records where he has actually noted down that what’s his hair growth and moustache growth like. He maintains a diary. His team knows that. That’s the amount of professionalism he brings to a film. Otherwise, I won’t be able to shoot a film in 44 days. It’s impossible. He is not complacent at all.”
I know that I am better than ChatGPT-Shekhar Kapur
10:09 AM
Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; November 25, 2025)
Throughout the course of this year, several actors have secured protection for their personality rights from AI-generated impersonation. But when Shekhar Kapur consulted his lawyer about claiming rights over a dialogue from one of his films, the outcome was different. “I wanted to copyright the dialogue ‘Mogambo khush hua’ (from Mr India ), but I was told that the court would have granted protection of this dialogue to Amrish Puri. It’s the actor’s copyright,” he told the audience during a session at the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.
The IFFI Director, who is making an AI-driven film titled Warlord , spoke about celebrity personality rights and what AI can and cannot do during a conversation with Berlin International Film Festival chief Tricia Tuttle at the festival. Excerpts:
‘PLAGIARISM, WITH OR WITHOUT AI, COMES FROM CREATIVE LAZINESS’
Discussing the possibilities and the limits of AI, Kapur explained that he can tell when a script has been written by it. He recalled his cook using ChatGPT to write a script for Mr India 2, saying, “He came to me with so much enthusiasm. I genuinely didn’t know what to appreciate first – the meal he had cooked or the script he had written.”
When an audience member pointed out that it was possible to generate the script only because the original exists, Shekhar responded that influence is natural. “It took me ten years to write this script, and it takes ten days to do it with AI tools,” he said, adding, “I know that I am better than ChatGPT.”
During the audience interaction, questions around plagiarism and ethics came up. Kapur said, “AI is not magic. It’s not chaos. It’s changed. But real storytelling is unpredictable. AI cannot predict the future; it can only imitate the past. Plagiarism, with or without AI, comes from creative laziness. Emotional storytelling will always reveal the human behind the work.”
‘Close-up works so well, AI can’t do that yet’
While working on a film that uses AI, Kapur also described the limitations he has encountered. He emphasized that the energy of collaboration and the presence of great actors are irreplaceable. “It’s unpredictable – the unpredictability of the moment actually happens when everybody is working together. There’s an electric atmosphere that is created between, say, me and my DOP Rand, and Cate Blanchett (on the set of Elizabeth). I don’t think AI, yet, can do what Cate Blanchett can do.”
He added, “If you have Cate Blanchett or Shabana Azmi, there are variations of expressions and emotions that they bring (which are captured in a close-up). There is an interesting thing that we are looking at right now – the close-up. That’s where AI has a problem, because we don’t even scientifically understand how the pupil works. So when a great actor comes on screen, with amazing eyes – be it Cate or Shabana or Brad Pitt – something happens. A connection is formed quite subconsciously between the actor and the audience. And that’s why the close-up works so well. AI can’t do that yet.”
Mogambo’s tailor, netas’ favourite: Meet the dressmaker of icons
3:13 PM
Madhav Agasti has stitched clothes for Amrish Puri, Bal Thackeray, Pranab Mukherjee, Narasimha Rao, L K Advani…. He’s been a friend of Sanjeev Kumar, Dev Anand, Mehmood. Farooq Abdullah discovered his tailoring skills in 1984 and never left him. After 50 years, Agasti is still going strong and is full of stories of the people he met and dressed
Sharmila Ganesan (THE TIMES OF INDIA; August 31, 2025)
Madhav Agasti’s mobile rings as we step into his tailoring shop in Bandra. “Farooq Abdullah,” Agasti tells his son, Shantanu, before answering. The first time he had met Abdullah, then the chief minister of Jammu & Kashmir, was in 1984. Agasti was at the Delhi airport, and so were Abdullah and Congress’s NKP Salve. Salve was in a bandhgala and Abdullah had admired the cut. And that is how the serendipitous meeting took place. Spotting Agasti, Salve introduced him to Abdullah. Then things moved fast. Agasti requested Abdullah to accompany him to the VIP lounge. Out came Agasti’s measuring tape — he always carries one — and the measurements were done. What followed a few days later was an impeccable sherwani. Abdullah was impressed. He ordered a suit next, then a pathani, followed by a safari suit. “He remains my client to this day,” says Agasti.
Agasti’s 76 now. And had invited Abdullah to his Andheri home for Ganeshotsav. But Abdullah called because he thought he would not be able to make it. But he’s promised to be back soon for new measurements.
Nagpur To Bombay, Via Calcutta
Agasti’s father was a bhikshuk in Nagpur, a wandering monk who stitched coats for a lawyer named Shewde. Agasti’s ambitions were likely sparked by his father’s skills. He left Nagpur for Calcutta, a young man in his early 20s. He found himself a job as a “cutter” in the city. Then he travelled to Moradabad to learn how to stitch sherwanis and then to Mhow, a cantonment town in MP, to study how to make military uniforms. He travelled back to Calcutta, and, this time, landed a job at a tailoring counter because he could speak English.
In 1973, he moved to Bombay. “I was smoking outside Citylight Cinema in Mahim when I noticed a man with scissor marks on his hand, the hallmark of an assistant tailor. He worked at Super Tailors, dressmakers to Hindi film actors,” recalls Agasti. Soon enough, Agasti landed himself a job there.
A door had opened for him. But what worked wonders was his learning from Mhow; 14 years later, that would catapult him to even higher tailoring fame. He stitched the military uniforms for the 1973 film, ‘Dhund’. And Danny Dengzongpa, who played the role of a cruel, wheelchair bound husband of Zeenat Aman in the film, loved the tailoring.
Agasti had been noticed. His star was on the rise. Plus, his Nagpur-honed Hindi was good, and so was his Marathi. He quickly began to acquire admirers.
Actor Sunil Dutt was the first to suggest that he strike out on his own. “There were no Maharashtrians in tailoring then,” Agasti says. He set up a small shop in Dadar in 1975. Word spread fast. Soon, ministers Vilasrao Deshmukh (“he loved safari suits”), Gopinath Munde, Pramod Mahajan (“he wore kurtas without pockets”), Sharad Pawar and Lal Krishna Advani (“three-button jackets”) were clients.
Through lawyer Shirish Gupte and theatre veteran Mohan Wagh, he met Bal Thackeray in 1981. “Balasaheb asked me to design clothes in such a manner that his legs wouldn’t show in photographs,” says Agasti. He crafted a white kurta-pyjama that became the late Shiv Sena chief’s signature look. “I got him a shawl from Kashmir. He mostly preferred white and off-white,” adds Agasti, himself in off-white shirt and pants today “because this way, I don’t have to worry about combinations”. Thackeray nicknamed him “Rajshimpi” (politicians’ tailor).
Mogambo… Khush Hua
But you could also call Agasti a film stars’ tailor. Last month, he received the Bharat Gaurav Award at the UK Parliament in London for designing Amrish ‘Mogambo’ Puri’s unforgettable costume in the 1987 blockbuster, Mr India, and also Bal Thackeray’s signature kurta-shawl look.
He is now preparing for the release of his memoir, ‘Stitching Stardom’. The book traces his journey of image-making across comedians and chief ministers, prime ministers and presidents. Much has changed in tailoring — technology, speed, the churn of fast fashion — and much hasn’t. “Earlier it was about who you knew,” says Agasti. “Now it’s word of mouth.”
As tea is served for unannounced guests — BJP’s Raghunath Kulkarni and former national secretary Sunil Deodhar have arrived in the shop — the septuagenarian darzee holds forth on his craft, his clients, and his takeaways from 50 years of dressing up the who’s who.
“Contrary to perception,” he says, “politicians are the easiest clients and the best paymasters.” Many believed his “lucky hand” made their measurements special. As he reminisces about designing costumes for five villains in Anil Kapoor’s ‘Ram Lakhan’, his eyes settle on the crisp shirt Kulkarni is wearing. “The linen suits you,” Agasti says. “It’s linen?” asks Kulkarni. “Yes, and the American cut sits well,” replies Agasti, seated in the shop he opened in Bandra in Nov 1985, its launch postponed by 15 days to mourn the death of his friend Sanjeev Kumar.
Dev Anand would sneak in through the back door, head bobbing, calling out: “ Ey Madhav, kya banaya hai mere liye?” while Sunil Dutt preferred the front, greeting him warmly as “Madhav Seth”. He even kept a special stool for Mehmood, who would arrive most evenings, leaving the tailors in stitches with his antics.
But the costume that cemented his name in Bollywood lore was Mogambo’s in Mr India. The now-iconic piece with its high-collared military cut and gold trimmings was meant to project both colonial grandeur and zamindar-like menace. Puri, who exclaimed “Mogambo… khush hua” on seeing it (here, in the Bandra shop), wore it with relish. “I worked with him from his first film till his last. After he passed away in 2005, I slowly stepped away from films,” says Agasti, who found the era of menacing villains fading from the silver screen. Soon, it was in politics, rather than films, that his reputation as a tailor of image flourished.
A Politicians’ Tailor
From the dhoti-kurta and Jodhpurs era to the rise of the suit-boot and back, Agasti has seen political sartorialism in India come full circle. Various chief ministers, prime ministers and presidents — including Pranab Mukherjee — have taken oath in his creations. The busy Narasimha Rao would often be exercising on his stationary bike at 6 am when Agasti would get an appointment with the silk-jacket-favouring polymath.
Someday soon, he hopes to tailor PM Narendra Modi’s clothes. “I’m a big fan of Narendra Modi ji,” he says. “He dresses sharply, always to suit the occasion.”
Today, as he marks half a century in the trade, the shop is lined with mementoes. Pride of place goes to a cap gifted by former Army Chief Manoj Mukund Naravane upon retirement. “Clothes make the person,” says Kulkarni. “By that measure, he (Agasti) is a personality builder.”
Deodhar sizes him up as a “self-made man with networking skills and a sharp memory,” adding one enduring quality: “He calls himself a tailor with pride at a time when many look down on the profession. And… he always has a measuring tape handy.”
Amrish Puri's grandson Vardhaan Puri bags Shekhar Kapur's next
8:17 AM
Vinay MR Mishra (BOMBAY TIMES; September 17, 2024)
Actor Vardhaan Puri would unite with Shekhar Kapur, 35 years after the birth of the iconic villain character Mogambo, curated by the filmmaker with the former’s grandfather the late Amrish Puri.
“The news is indeed true,” confirms Vardhaan, adding, “I find it very exciting that after collaborating with my Dadu in 1987 on Mr. India and creating the iconic character of Mogambo, now I am going to be associating with Shekhar sir’s beautiful mind, body and soul. It’s a big responsibility and I want to make him proud.”
The two would work on a medical drama/thriller Next To God, which would go on floors later this year. “It is inspired by the true incidents of abuse and violence that real Indian doctors have experienced. It speaks about the urgent need for safety in the medical fraternity. Shekhar sir is mentoring me and the film,” Vardhaan shares.
Ask him if there is any pressure on uniting with the senior filmmaker and he replies, “I don’t take any pressure. It messes with my sense of creativity. I am just constantly seduced by the film’s story and characters.”
He clarifies that the filmmaker and him have bonded well. “Even though Shekhar sir is senior to me and so much more experienced, we are good friends. We usually discuss ideas, life, cinema, and food. Shekhar sir is constantly curious like a child, forever learning, and embraces any change and innovation like a boss - something I find so inspiring. Dadu and he shared a great camaraderie and Dadu would always refer to him as a 'genius'.”
During a conversation we had while playing table tennis recently, “Shekhar sir told me, ‘Mr. India is what it is because of what Amrish Ji made from Mogambo. I asked him to perform Mogambo like one would perhaps perform Shakespeare for 8–10-year-old children, and he followed my instructions so perfectly and made the character immortal.’ How gracious of him to say this,” Vardhaan states.
Rumour also has it that actress Manisha Koirala would headline the medical drama. While Manisha did not respond to our queries, Vardhaan mentions, “At this point, all I can say is that Manisha Ji is one of my favourite actors of all time, and who would not want to work with her? She was so nuanced and so effortless in Heeramandi. I will be working along with a stellar cast that will soon be announced.”
With Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, the expectations are different from that of a Salman Khan starrer-Ali Abbas Zafar
2:14 PM
Admitting that audience has been exposed to every kind of action movie, director Zafar says Bade Miyan Chote Miyan explores Akshay-Tiger’s humorous side within the genre
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; April 9, 2024)
When we get on a call with Ali Abbas Zafar, he has just wrapped up the post-production of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. But you don’t hear the day’s strain in his voice. Instead, the director is relaxed, confident of the Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff-starrer. It marks his third Eid offering after the blockbuster Sultan (2016), and Bharat (2019) that didn’t do wonders at the box office.
“With Bade Miyan…, the expectations are different from that of a Salman Khan-starrer. In the past year, every kind of action film has been made. But for me, action is secondary; the story is primary. I am confident this story is new compared to everything that has been seen,” says the director.
Kumar and Shroff have been quintessential action heroes, but Zafar states it doesn’t take away from the film’s novelty.
“Akshay sir has been doing action for 30 years, and Tiger since he was launched in 2014. But I’m using their potential in a way that the audience will feel it’s new. Tiger Zinda Hai [2017] was an action film, but I made it nothing like Ek Tha Tiger [2012]. The first film was about romance, the second was a rescue mission. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan is about two heroes who don’t take life seriously; they have a wicked sense of humour. The film is designed like a comic book.”
The April 10 release also stars Manushi Chhillar, Alaya F, and Prithviraj Sukumaran as the antagonist. It’s easy to see that the action entertainer hinges on Kumar and Shroff’s chemistry. But the director doesn’t view it as a two-hero offering.
“I was writing a three-hero film set in current times. What is happening around us technologically and what our armed forces are going through form the backdrop. It is a three-hero film—two good guys, and one anti-hero. Prithviraj plays a strong role. The heroes are saving the day, but it is the super-villain who is creating the chaos. As for Akshay sir and Tiger, they are disciplined and love martial arts. My action directors loved them more than I did. They had two stars who could pull off anything.”
With only a day to go for the actioner’s release, we ask Zafar about the Mr India reboot that ran into troubled waters with the original’s makers. “I wouldn’t say Mr India is not happening as of now. We have a good script. We’re working towards it. Let’s see where it goes.”
I have never made a film which was a star vehicle-Shekhar Kapur
8:19 AM
Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; February 19, 2024)
Filmmaker director Shekhar Kapur, who is known for his contribution to Indian cinema with masterpieces like Mr India and Bandit Queen, is all set to make a sequel to his 1983 directorial debut film Masoom. In a conversation with us, Kapur spoke about his inspiration for the sequel, his daughter Kaveri, who will make her acting debut with this project and how his films are all about the story, never the star. Excerpts:
You are making a sequel to your classic, Masoom, titled Masoom…The New Generation. What inspired you to do that after over four decades?
I have decided to make Masoom 2 - The New Generation for a reason. The story revolves around the next generation and their issues. The new generation is constantly thinking about who they are, where they are headed and so on. I want to make a film about them, their value system, how they relate to parents, single parents, and the entire debate about the old generation versus the new generation. There have been films on the new generation, but they have only touched the surface.
Your daughter Kaveri Kapur, who is a singer and songwriter, will make her acting debut in the sequel. Were you planning to direct her debut, or did this happen organically?
My daughter has been an artist for a long time and when I read her lyrics, I realized she is more of a philosopher. At her age, she talks about philosophy with Deepak Chopra. I have been discussing acting projects with her, but she kept saying, ‘No, that’s not me’. Then we watched a few Alia Bhatt films together, and she admired her work. That’s how she got interested in acting. I always knew she would act. When she was younger, I used to call her my entertainment machine; she would crack jokes and it is not easy being funny. She is talented like her mom (actress Suchitra Krishnamoorthi). The inspiration for the Masoom sequel came from Kaveri because she has often spoken to me about how their generation suffers from anxiety and how life is tougher as there are many opportunities, but the pressure is higher. I am currently writing her dialogues, but I hope that someone from her generation will share more about their issues. I don’t want my daughter to feel that I failed her. The film will also feature the old cast, including Shabana Azmi.
Among the many pressures that the current generation is facing, do you think social media ranks high?
Social media has definitely put pressure on Gen Z because it is creating an artificial aspirational life for them. Many young people I meet have become victims. People on social media keep sharing posts about how great their life is, which is not the reality. With ChatGPT and AI, it is a different life for Gen Z.
You moved to the West and made notable films in Hollywood. Looking back, do you think you could have made more movies in India?
In India, I agree (I did less work), but I did a lot of work abroad. I am proud of the fact that I worked with actors in Hollywood when they had started their careers, like Cate Blanchett and Heath Ledger (directed him in Four Feathers). After Bandit Queen, I figured that it was not easy to tell different stories. Now, with OTT, things have changed, and actors like Manoj Bajpayee are winning accolades. But, in those days, it was not possible to work with Manoj Bajpayee and make a film. You had to take a star, and when you work with a star, things change. I have never made a film which is a star vehicle, whether it is in the east or west. I have always worked on a movie where everyone is subservient to the film and story. Even when I worked with Sridevi in Mr India (1987), she was not a star; she had acted in Himmatwala (1983) and later became a star.
There has been a lot of speculation around a sequel to Mr India 2. Are there any plans?
I will never make Mr India 2 because I have already made the first part. But, I would not mind if they take another director and make the film and remember that the original was born because of the joy of filmmaking.
Big-ticket, tentpole films are ruling the box office today, while that’s great, do you feel we need to make more films that are socially relevant?
The big-ticket films do make sense because they are like a joy ride. But then, every now and then, we get a film like 12th Fail, and it reminds us how there are interesting films like these, too. I have enjoyed watching a lot of good content on OTT, like Panchayat, and many good writers have moved over to OTT platforms. I agree that social context is missing in films today, but then directors should be motivated to make films like Naya Daur and Pyaasa, which were so socially relevant.
People used to say, ‘If Shekhar is on a honeymoon, Satish Kaushik will go with him’-Shekhar Kapur
8:24 AM
Ace filmmaker celebrates Indian cinema’s international triumph
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 15, 2023)
Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur is often credited with putting Indian cinema and makers on the international map with projects such as Bandit Queen (1994) and Elizabeth (1998). The latter had received seven nominations at the 71st Academy Awards and bagged the Best Makeup honour in 1999. As India won two trophies at the recently held Oscars, it’s only fitting to get his reaction to the same.
“I was waiting for this! After Elizabeth, I was waiting for other filmmakers to take it up, and thank God for that. It’s been years,” he says.
Kapur adds that people should celebrate Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes equally for getting a nomination. “You shouldn’t discount All That Breathes from India didn’t win — a nomination is as good as a win. It’s a beautiful film,” he shares, adding, “So, two heartfelt documentaries (including The Elephant Whisperers) and a feature film like RRR (2022), have kind of taken the West by storm. It was an Indian melodramatic celebration of what we do best. Internationally, they have opened their arms [for Indian cinema],” shares Kapur.
He also addresses the much-debated aspect of the Academy giving in to popular demand. “It can’t be just art cinema; else it will fall by the wayside,” elaborates the director’s whose film What's Love Got To Do With It? starring Emma Thompson and Shabana Azmi is set for a release in India soon.
So, do we wait for global validation before recognizing our own talent at home? “It’s great to get an Oscar; suddenly the world knows about you, and you get [more] opportunities to work internationally. But I have constantly said that we don’t need validation. And nobody has proven it better than (filmmaker) S S Rajamouli. He has proved it through such an Indian way of making movies and made it so celebratory that the whole of the West is saying, ‘Look at this’.”
Reiterating the fact, Kapur recalls the time when Elizabeth was nominated in seven categories at the 1999 Oscars. “Everybody said, ‘Wow, look at this director’. I said, ‘Wait a minute, I am the same guy who made Bandit Queen, Masoom (1983) and Mr India (1987). Why am I suddenly this amazing director — because the West has come up and said, he is amazing?’,” says Kapur, asserting that validation can make an artiste try “to be who they are not”.
‘SATISH WAS A BRILLIANT MATHEMATICIAN’
Kapur, who had directed the late actor-filmmaker Satish Kaushik for the iconic character Calendar, in Mr India, shares fond memories of him. “People used to say, ‘Oh My God, if Shekhar is on a honeymoon, Satish will go with him’! That’s how people saw us,” he shares, adding, “Nobody knew that Satish was a brilliant mathematician as well! His death is such a loss; we have lost somebody who was yet to explore his potential, there was so much more.”
I feel fortunate to have started my career under Satish Kaushik-Sanjay Kapoor
9:34 AM
Syeda Eba Fatima (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 13, 2023)
Extremely saddened and shocked” by the news of Satish Kaushik’s sudden death, actor Sanjay Kapoor mourned the loss and remembered the actor-filmmaker with a throwback photo from the sets of his debut film Prem (1995), which was directed by Kaushik.
“This picture is from the first schedule of Prem in 1990,” shares Sanjay, as he goes on to talk about his experience of working with Kaushik and the bond the two shared. “I knew Satish before Prem happened, as he was also a part of Mr India (1987; starring Sanjay’s brother, actor Anil Kapoor). We already had a really comfortable equation with each other. I feel fortunate that I started my career under his direction,” The Fame Game actor adds.
Calling Kaushik an “extremely hardworking man”, Sanjay recounts, “He was from theatre and when the director himself is an actor, it makes a huge difference because of the way he treats an actor, especially newcomers like me and Tabu (his co-star in Prem). Satish was always so patient in explaining the scenes and making us act.”
The 57-year-old goes on to share that Kaushik was very close to his father, producer Surinder Kapoor. “My father used to really like him and treat him like his own son. He used to come to our place to have vadi aaloo made by my mum. He was a big time foodie. This was before Prem and he was a young boy back then. Boney, Anil, Satish, me and of course Javed (Akhtar, lyricist) saheb being the mentor, formed a group and we were pretty close,” he wraps up.
Satish Kaushik arranged for my wife to fly to Bhopal and organised a surprise birthday party for her-Rumy Jafry
9:23 AM
Bollywood scriptwriter and filmmaker Rumy Jafry recalls how he and Kaushik became close friends
As told to Hiren Kotwani (MID-DAY; March 10, 2023)
I was quite young then and wanted to see a film shoot. A common friend introduced me to Satish ji, through whom I got to visit the Versova set of Mr India. We became close friends after working together.
We collaborated on all his hit characters, like Mutthu Swamy (Saajan Chale Sasural) and Pappu Pager (Deewana Mastana). Even if you gave him two scenes, he would make them memorable. He would inspire you to do better work.
Over the years of working together on so many films, we became a family. Once, we were shooting in Bhopal, and I couldn’t rush back to Mumbai for my wife’s birthday. So, Satish ji arranged for her to fly to Bhopal and organised a surprise party for her. He also sang her a beautiful song.
Satish ji was such a lajawab person. He is one of those few people whose name brings a smile to the face. When you talk about him, you remember him fondly with a smile because he was such a positive person.
Satish Kaushik passes away, leaving behind a legacy of great films and iconic characters
8:21 AM
Avijit Ghosh (THE TIMES OF INDIA; March 10, 2023)
Actor-director Satish Kaushik, whose impeccable comic timing created the endearing onscreen character, Calendar in ‘Mr India’ (1987), and who earned accolades for his powerhouse performance of ‘Salesman Ramlal’, a Hindi adaptation of Arthur Miller’s play, Death Of A Salesman, passed away Thursday. He was 66.
The actor complained of breathlessness late Wednesday night and was taken to Fortis Hospital in Gurugram, his manager Santosh Rai told ANI. Sources told TOI he was brought to the hospital around 12:30 am and declared dead on arrival. Postmortem report mentioned “cardiac arrest” as the cause of death, ANI said.
Just on Tuesday, he had posted smiling photographs of himself celebrating Holi with writer Javed Akhtar and newly wed actor-couple Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal.
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Director Sudhir Mishra, in his social media post, described actordirector Satish Kaushik as a “Brilliant actor. Brilliant mind. A sense of humour like very few others. A life well lived but there was still a lot ahead.” Watching the actor in the desert thriller 'Thar' (2022), where he played a weary but wise cop with aplomb, few would disagree.
Kaushik’s most remembered comic roles came in David Dhawan films whe re his uproarious exchanges with Govinda brought the house down. The contract killer Pappu Pager in ‘Deewana Mastana’; the garrulous Bhopali who sells stolen goods, and says “Kasam udaan jhalle ki” at the drop of a hat in ‘Bade Miya Chhote Miyan’; and the tabla player in ‘Saajan Chale Sasural’ - were all boisterously funny.
Saajan…fetched him his first full-fledged Filmfare Award for best actor in a comic role; he had shared the earlier one with Anupam Kher for Ram Lakhan. But it was Calendar, the genial cook who sang the parody ‘Mera naam hai Calendar, main chal a kitchen ke andar’ in the blockbuster ‘Mr India’ that prompts the fastest recall. Even today kids shouting “Calendar, khana lao” are uploaded on YouTube.
Kaushik also acted in ‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro’, co-writing the dialogues with Ranjit Kapoor. In a 2018 interview to TOI, Kaushik recalled how the writers were stuck for a suitable climax when he saw dozens of secondhand Amar Chitra Kathas based on characters from ‘Mahabharat’, ‘Ramayan’, the Mughal Empire, even English classics, in a pavement stall. “An idea instantly clicked in my mind – why not make a potpourri of all these tales?”, he recalled. Calls and sessions followed. The scene was written. A classic was born.
He wasn’t shy of playing negative characters. Most notably, the actor played an obnoxious husband in ‘Brick Lane’ (2007), a film based on Monica Ali's award-winning novel about a young Bangladeshi woman in 1980s' London.
But such roles were rare in films. Theatre gave him more cerebral parts. Kaushik played Ramlal, a local version of Willy Loman, the unsteady protagonist who vacillates between memories and imagination in Miller’s unforgettable play.
“I have seen many versions of the play. But whenever I think of Death Of A Salesman, Satish Kaushik’s performance is the first thing that comes to mind. He lived the character and made it his own,” said well known theatre director Arvind Gaur. The play was directed by noted theatre director Feroz Abbas Khan.
Kaushik was born in Mahendragarh (then in East Punjab, now in Haryana) and grew up in New Delhi’s bustling Karol Bagh. The actor later named his film production company after the locality. His father, according to film critic Mayank Shekhar, sold Harrison locks, a well-known brand in 1970s' north India. Kaushik went to Delhi’s Kirorimal College, where he took early steps in acting. Later he joined NSD. Kaushik retained his ties with his alma mater, and reports s ay he was keen to restore the college’s auditorium.
In Mumbai, Kaushik initially struggled to make an impact in commercial films. ‘Mr India’ changed that. Kaushik was also the associate director of the film, which was produced by Surinder and Boney Kapoor. As a director, he was to forge a long collaborative relationship with Boney, directing big-budget crime caper ‘Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja’, and the young-love story ‘Prem’, where a very young Tabu and Sanjay Kapoor were lead actors. Both films flopped. But Kaushik, the director, wasn’t to be denied heady box-office success, courtesy Salman Khan’s ‘Tere Naam’ (2003), the remake of a Tamil film.
The actor’s death was widely mourned. PM Narendra Modi, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, UP CM Yogi Adityanath and Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot condoled his death. Those who worked with him in the film industry spoke of his humility, warmth and generosity of spirit. Among others, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Salman Khan, Manoj Bajpayee, Raj Babbar, Anupam Kher and Kangana Ranaut (who directed him in the forthcoming, 'Emergency') offered their condolences. Actor Yashpal Sharma wrote how Kaushik wanted to promote Haryanvi cinema throughout the state.
'Mr India’s' director, Shekhar Kapur, said on Twitter, “Like a part of my life story is gone. A bit of me wrenched away. Leaving a huge gap. Thank God for your stories, our stories together Satish. They will keep you alive in my heart forever. ” His fans would hold a similar view.
(With inputs from Ipsita Pati, Gurugram)
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The veteran actor-filmmaker died on Thursday morning, leaving behind a legacy of great films and iconic characters
HINDUSTAN TIMES (March 10, 2023)
Veteran actor, filmmaker and screenwriter, Satish Kaushik died at the age of 66 after suffering a heart attack in the wee hours of Thursday.
His close friend, actor Anupam Kher, shared the news on Twitter and later confirmed that Kaushik was at a friend’s place in Delhi when this happened. The actor complained of uneasiness and told his driver to take him to the hospital. On the way, he suffered a heart attack around 1am on Wednesday night. The cremation took place in Mumbai last evening.
An alumnus of the National School of Drama and the Film and Television Institute of India, Kaushik directed films such as Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja (1993), Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain (1999), Milenge Milenge, Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai (both, 2001), Badhaai Ho Badhaai (2002), Tere Naam (2003) and Kaagaz (2021).
Among his best known acting roles, Kaushik, who was famous for his comic timing, has been a part of films including Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983), Mr India (1987), Ram Lakhan (1989), Deewana Mastana (1997), Hadh Kar Di Aapne (2000), Udta Punjab (2016) and several others. He was last seen in the web film Chhatriwali and has acted in upcoming film such as Emergency and web show Pop Kaun. Kaushik is the producer for Kaagaz 2, shoot for which was wrapped in January 2023 and the release date is yet to be announced.
Kaushik, who would have turned 67 next month (April 13), is survived by his wife Shashi Kaushik and 10-year-old daughter, Vanshika.
I don’t know why people still call me a Bollywood director-Shekhar Kapur
8:33 AM
Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur says he hasn’t made any projects in India for 30 years
Sugandha Rawal (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 23, 2023)
Shekhar Kapur is back in the world of cinema with his Hollywood project, What’s Love Got to Do with It? The filmmaker’s last feature-length directorial effort was the Cate Blanchett-starrer drama Elizabeth: The Golden Age in 2007. He asserts that he might have been away, but he is not detached from Indian cinema.
“I haven’t made a film in India since Bandit Queen (1994). I don’t know why people call me a Bollywood director, unless you consider Mr India (1987) and Masoom (1983) Bollywood projects. I don’t know what describes Bollywood,” the filmmakers tells us in an exclusive interview, when asked about the long gap.
The 77-year-old continues, “It’s been 30 years since I made a film in India. I’ve been making films outside during this time. I’ve been doing theatre outside (of India). I teach at MIT. I have been a part of the World Economic Forum. I am an environmentalist. So, life was busy. Then I found time to make a film, found a script, and made What’s Love Got to Do with It?”
When it comes to the film, the cross-cultural project is led by actors Emma Thompson, Lily James and Shabana Azmi, and deals with the complexities of love, marriage, relationships and intimacy.
“When you see the film, you realise that at the end, the characters realise that we have to forgive, and be compassionate. Because relationships are not about saying, ‘I love you’.... Love is a mystery. It’s a question of exploring that sense of mystery,” he shares.
The film deals with the concept of arranged marriage in the age of dating apps, and the director admits that this became more of a reason for him to do the project: “We are all looking for intimacy in our lives. When we are born, we are put on our mother’s chest. That’s the first act of intimacy that a baby feels. When we die, we want to hold somebody’s hand. In between, we complicate things, like if I put my hand around my friend’s shoulder, we are dating. We developed these keywords that interfere with our desire and our need to be intimate.”
Explaining further, the filmmaker says, “In the film, one fundamental question is: how do you know if it will work if you haven’t had sex before marriage? When I was a chartered accountant, my mother took me to meet some girls. The question in my mind was, ‘How do I know if it will work unless I have had sex? What if sex on the first night was a disaster?’ There’s an exploration of how it might work the other way. I’ve asked them all my life.”
He has infused his memories of Lahore, Pakistan, into the films as well. But border tensions are something that continue to restrict the exchange of art between the nations. Ask him the same, and he says, “Art transcends boundaries, as it should.”
It’s a myth that the era of remakes is over. I will continue to make them-Boney Kapoor
11:16 PM
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; November 1, 2022)
During the pandemic, when several movie projects were put on hold, producer Boney Kapoor was neckdeep managing over half-a-dozen films. In 2019, he produced the Tamil film Nerkonda Paarvai, which was followed by Telugu drama Vakeel Saab with Pawan Kalyan in 2021 and since then, he has been actively working on multiple South movies between 2020 and 2021. His Tamil film Valimai starring Ajith Kumar that released this year enjoyed massive success. He also bankrolled the South remakes of successful Hindi films like Article 15 and Badhaai Ho this year. Now that he has wholeheartedly plunged into producing South movies, Boney has been winning a lot of appreciation from industry folks and the audience. At the moment, he is extremely excited about his upcoming production Mili (a remake of the Malayalam film Helen), starring Janhvi Kapoor in the lead. In a chat with Bombay Times, he talks about collaborating with his daughter for the first time, aiming to hit a century by producing 100 films and more. Excerpts:
You are collaborating with your daughter Janhvi for the first time with Mili. The premise of the film, where her character gets trapped inside a freezer, seems to be a solid performance-driven role. Is this what prompted you to cast Janhvi in this survival thriller?
I was approached by a producer to make this film and he wanted Janhvi for the part. Yeh film ek-do mahine se unke (Janhvi) manager ke paas thi. I had already been recommended to watch the original. When I saw it, I couldn’t control my tears and I jumped into this subject wholeheartedly. I chose director Mathukutty Xavier of the original film, who won the National Award for it. Even before the director was signed, I approached Manoj Pahwa, who saw the original and said yes. My daughter is an enthusiastic and hardworking actor. She insisted on shooting in an actual freezer where the temperature was as low as -8 to -12 degrees. In the second half of the film, she hardly has dialogues, and it is only through her expressions that everything is conveyed. I was sure she could pull off this part well, especially after seeing the kind of varied characters she has played in her previous films. The audience should wait and watch her in a full-fledged comedy film because that is her forte. She has fantastic comic timing and a sense of humour like her mother (Sridevi).
Through the pandemic, where there was uncertainty and work came to a halt, you were actively involved with several projects. In the last three years, you have worked on as many as eight movies in different languages. What has kept you going?
With Ajay Devgn-starrer Maidaan (which now releases on February 17, 2023) I would have had eight films released between 2019 and 2022. And then there are four-five films in the pipeline in different languages — Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam, including my third film with Ajith, which will release during Pongal in January next year. I just wanted to remain busy throughout. I have lost count, but I think I have done almost 50 films till now and I want to score a century! I want to be a Sachin Tendulkar or a Virat Kohli (laughs!). Talking about uncertainty in the business, I made Mr. India (1987) at a budget of Rs 3.8 crore, at a time when films were made on the budget of Rs 50 to 70 lakhs. People went to my father and said that your son has gone mad and they told my brother Anil that I was ruining his career as he would be invisible in a major part of the film. They also told him that through this movie, I only wanted to highlight Sridevi (as an actor). I poured in so much money into the project that at the time of the release, I was broke. But today, each and every character in the film has become iconic. I had faith in the project and I told Anil that you will be remembered as Mr. India till your last breath.
Everyone in the industry is aware of your generosity as a producer. But in today’s times, producers are focusing on tighter budgets and cutting costs. Have you also changed the way you approach a project?
Of course, I am a little more realistic now. I was madly passionate to the extent that I used to get indulgent at times. I am no more indulgent, but the passion is still there. Earlier, I would produce films independently, but today I have partners on board, so I am the custodian of their investment. All the films I have done in recent times have given good returns and this is how I want to continue. For Mili, I am happy that Zee Studios showed faith in me and trusted me. It has been a great partnership with them so far.
You have entertained the audience with original films as well as remakes. You introduced a South hit like Pokiri to the Hindi audience by making Wanted and gave the South audience the taste of Hindi cinema with remakes of films like Pink, Article 15 and Badhaai Ho. As someone who understands what goes into remaking a film, how do you look at the current scenario, where people are saying that remakes are not working at the box office anymore?
It’s a myth that the era of remakes is over. Well, that’s utter rubbish. Remakes have always been there. Back in the day, Aurat was made into Mother India and The Departed was the remake of Infernal Affairs. Likewise, Indecent Proposal was made into Judaai. Talking about the remakes of recent times, Vikram Vedha in Tamil was also called Vikram Vedha. It was dubbed in various languages as Vikram Vedha. It was available across all platforms for the audience to consume. So, when people sitting at home have consumed it already, then why would they go to a theatre to watch the film? Yeh same Jersey aur HIT: The First Case ke saath bhi hua. When I made Wanted, we worked on Prakash Raj’s character. The actor was new to the Hindi audience, so we shot again with him and added a few of his introduction shots... ki as a villain woh kaisa cruel aur sharp hai. After all, jab tak mera villain strong nahi hoga, my hero will not work! I am not saying I am the authority when it comes to remakes, as I have also gone wrong, but people cannot just make a statement that remakes don’t work anymore. As a filmmaker, I will continue to do remakes and I am looking forward to Mili.
Lately, several South films have worked wonders at the box office, while most Hindi films are struggling to draw the audience to the theatres. As a filmmaker, where do you think Bollywood is falling short?
It is happening because most of our filmmakers are driven and inspired by Hollywood. Today, filmmakers from the South are making films that our Hindi filmmakers like Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra once made — full-blooded commercial cinema. At that time packaging itni achchi nahi hoti thi, ab yeh log achchi packaging karke, achcha VFX daal ke bana rahe hai. In filmon mein taali maarne ki situation hai, seeti maarne ki situation hai, gaane, action, dialoguebaazi... sab kuch hai. Initially, South filmmakers were looking up to Bollywood, but today, our filmmakers are in awe of them. In that case, I think I made the right move of heading down South and making movies there at the right time.
While in Bollywood, stars enjoy massive fan-following, the superstars down South are also worshipped by their fans. Recently, there was a video doing the rounds where fans showed their love by pouring milk on your car. Did you expect such kind of love?
(Laughs!) I was surprised to see that reaction. As much as I have enjoyed working with actors here (Bollywood), I have loved working with actors down South, too. They are so professional and concerned about the film and the way their character is shaping up. It is my experience, sincerity, honesty and dedication towards my work that people are seeing and hence, they want to work with me.
The iconic Famous Studio turns 75
8:14 AM
A colourised version of a photograph that shows a wedding scene being shot in Famous Studios in 1948
One of the city’s most iconic studios turns 75. Famous Studio’s Anant Roongta talks about what continues to keep them relevant
Aastha Atray Banan (MID-DAY; May 15, 2022)
It was in the early 1900s that Juharmal Roongta decided to leave Rajasthan and head to Mumbai to discover what business opportunities the city held for him. He worked in the jute and cotton industry, and even dabbled in stock trading before he came into possession of a piece of land in Mahalaxmi, where Famous Studios stands today. “A Muslim gentleman owed my great-great grandfather some money, and when he was unable to repay, he transferred this land’s ownership to him. We retained the name Famous, as the original property was called that,” says Anant Roongta, the proprietor of one of Mumbai’s most famous studios, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary year.
“Construction,” says, Anant, began in the 1940s, and “by June 1946, Asia’s first air-conditioned studio was open for business”. It was headed by J B Roongta, who was also the founding president of The Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association, before his son Arun Roongta took over.
Much like Bandra’s Mehboob Studios, Famous become a city landmark. Spread across 1,10,000 sq ft, it grew as the go-to destination for film and advertising shoots, music recordings, events and concerts. It now also houses a co-working space. This writer has spent many an evening at Famous. Once, 12 years ago, we watched a raw MMA fight there, and then in 2019, caught international pop star Lauv in concert here.
It would seem that Famous has always been ahead of the curve. “In the ’50s and ’60s, we introduced new technology. We had the American Mitchell Cameras. Then we got into set design, collaborated with Bollywood cinematographer Fali Mistry and even entered production,” says Anant of the studio which has been the location for legendary movies such as Seeta Aur Geeta, and Mr India.
Add to that, in the 1980s, when Arun Roongta took over, it also received the first license for video services from the I&B Ministry. It then became the first studio in India to introduce video and audio production. “World-leading acoustics expert Andy Munroe, who has worked as an engineer at Shure where he designed systems for venues, and where he worked with Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones, also designed the recording studio,” says Anant.
Anant, who was a student at Campion High School, and later Cathedral and John Connon School, before heading to the UK to earn a degree in international business, says that he grew up in a home that knew everyone in the movie business, but weren’t star struck. “I used to walk in on my dad sitting around with celebrities, and he was never affected or fazed. He was also great friends with Mehboob Khan, the founder of Mehboob Studios.”
He did, however, take some time to find his own passion for the family business. And since 2018, he has resurrected the place by adding a co-working space, and making it wholly tech enabled. “Owing to its location [stone’s throw from Mahalaxmi station], we had many a developer reach out. It has a certain nostalgic value, and an even bigger brand value,” Anant feels. It could be this that led to State Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray inaugurating the revamped bus stop dedicated to Famous Studio under the tactical urbanism initiative.
Ask him what’s the defining moment for Famous, and Anant names shooting for the song, Koi Kahe from Dil Chahta Hai in 2001. “Creating that club ambience was something we did well. We have also restored the Sholay print. And thanks to the technology we have, which now includes a Dolby Atmos studio, we have been the centre of many big advertisements.”
But for the Roongtas, the goal is to bring together the best of old-world feel and new-age technology. If Anant has to list one factor that differentiates Famous from the studios that dot Mumbai, he says it is flexibility. “The whole aim was to retain the charm of the place, and keep it as modern as possible, offering all levels of comfort.”
Anant Roongta
M F Husain sketches on the wall outside the animation studio in 2001, as Arun and Chandralekha Roongta watch
Amitabh Bachchan gives an award to Arun Roongta in the 1970s
Mehboob Khan of Mehboob Studios visits the construction site in the 1940s
For the past three years, Famous Studios has had a co-working space
Check out Nawazuddin Siddiqui's Hawa Hawai look in Tiku Weds Sheru
8:33 AM
As Siddiqui shoots for Tiku Weds Sheru, mid-day gets its hands on his look that is inspired by Sridevi in Mr India
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 31, 2022)
When it comes to Nawazuddin Siddiqui, you can expect the unexpected. That’s what the actor appears to have done with Tiku Weds Sheru. Yesterday, he was shooting for the film in Goregaon, and mid-day got its hands on his unconventional look. With the actor dressed in a shimmery golden gown, complete with a tiara and long hair, it was evident that the look is inspired by the late Sridevi’s iconic avatar in Hawa Hawai from Mr India (1987).
On digging further, we found out that the look has been created for a song in the Kangana Ranaut production. A source reveals that Bosco Martis is choreographing the number that comes at a crucial juncture in the narrative.
“Female lead Avneet Kaur’s character is shown to be kidnapped by goons. Nawaz’s character dons this unlikely look as he sets out to give the goons a slip and save her. It took the make-up and styling team four hours to get Nawaz ready,” says the source.
We have stopped celebrating villains in Hindi films-Nikitin Dheer
8:05 AM
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 7, 2021)
Nikitin Dheer’s role as the tough antagonist, Thangaballi, in Chennai Express (2013) cemented his skills at playing the baddie. But even before that, the actor had played negative roles in Dabangg 2 (2012) and Ready (2011).
However, the recent release Shershaah gave Dheer a chance to break away from essaying similar characters, and play an Army officer. Ask him if he feels being typecast would hurt his career and he replies, “I don’t think anything is a roadblock as long as you are doing your job well. In other parts of India, be it Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, or Kannada, the villain is celebrated just as much as the hero, not only in the narrative, but also storytelling.”
Recalling some iconic villain roles Hindi cinema has produced previously, the 41-year-old adds that the trend has been missing in the industry for the last few years. “I really hope that comes back to life, so that young actors like us can aspire to be the next Amrish Puri or Praan saab. It is not only negative, but a whole range of characters they explored. People never treated Amrish ji as villain, they loved him as Mogambo (Mr India; 1987). Aise characters roz-roz nahin likhe jaate. Villains can be celebrated again,” says Dheer, who will be seen next in Antim: The Final Truth.
Talking about the need for variety in the characters he chooses to portray, Dheer says that he has just “started off”, and is trying his best to not be repetitive. “I see my career, whatever little I have done, and it’s all different from one another. I don’t repeat any character, and I’m in a space that I’m comfortable in,” he signs off.
These Bollywood actors are all set to play superheroes in the near future
8:26 AM
Time for superhero-worship as B-Town’s A-listers fight crime and try to save the world
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 18, 2020)
By locking people up in their houses, the ongoing pandemic, caused by a rogue virus on the loose, has provided the perfect backdrop for every superhero film. While the world tries to contain the outspread by wearing masks, Bollywood filmmakers had the foresight to conjure up an army of masked men even before calamity struck. And now, as theatres across the country open up, and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman: 1984 turns Santa for a cash-strapped business on Christmas, Bollywood’s heroes also gear up to rescue an entertainment-starved audience of its misery. Take a look at these caped crusaders you can expect to meet on screen…
VICKY’S TRYST WITH IMMORTALITY
After displaying strength, valour, and perpetually high josh as an army officer, Vicky Kaushal is being promoted to a mythological superhero blessed with immortality in the modern world by his Uri: The Surgical Strike director Aditya Dhar. Wonder who he will be warring with this time around in The Immortal Ashwatthama
HRITHIK’S JADOO
Solar-powered Jaadu’s blessings have brought Rohit’s superhero son Krrish a long way, and he is set to return with the fourth instalment of the franchise. A source, who may or may not be an alien, reports that the script has been finalised and the father-son duo of Hrithik and Rakesh Roshan are currently working on pre-production with an international studio to ensure a visual effects extravaganza
KATRINA SOLDIERS ON
Katrina Kaif is suiting up to claim her position as Bollywood’s first superwoman in Super Soldier. Ali Abbas Zafar has locked the script and hopes to shoot across the UAE, Poland, and Georgia, apart from Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where he will be filming the story of her origins
KARTIK’S PHANTOM-MIME
After facing the wrath of the ladies in films like Pyaar Ka Punchnama, Pati, Patni Aur Woh, and Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, Kartik Aaryan has finally found his calling. The actor has come on board Vasan Bala’s adaptation of the comic book character Phantom. The wonderful people of Bangalla, the fictional country from where the Ghost Who Walks operates, are in for some inspirational monologues and lots of action
VIGILANTE JOHN
Sanjay Gupta is adapting the novel Rakshak—that has a vigilante fighting injustice at a time when the world is coming to an endwith the promise of spinning it into a franchise. Buzz is, he has John Abraham on his wishlist and the actor wishes it too
SUPERBADDIE AJAY
He’s played a larger-than-life hero so many times on screen that Ajay Devgn’s super villain turn is much-awaited in debutant director Shiv Rawail’s next, which will also serve as Ahan Panday’s launch vehicle. After Shivaay and Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, the film, which is being planned as a trilogy, is sure to be a VFX delight
INVISIBLE RANVEER
After turning Kat into a superheroine, Ali will move on to Mr India. The filmmaker, who is looking at Ranveer Singh for the titular role, has already clarified that his film is neither a remake nor a sequel to the 1987 cult movie, but rather a fresh script that’s a blend of superpowers and sci-fi
RK’S FIRE POWER
Scientists may have discovered the God particle but they’re yet to unravel the mystery that is Shiva’s light-emitting hands. In their defense, they are yet to be presented with evidence in the form of Ayan Mukerji’s Brahmastra, which was announced in 2014, and features Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Amitabh Bachchan, Mouni Roy, and Nagarjuna. Ranbir finds his match in baddie Mouni who emits black-fire, as they battle it out.
Ranveer Singh has 7 upcoming films in his kitty already
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With a sports biopic, dramedy, and a period comedy, a love story and a gangster saga, a sci-fi superhero, and the next Dhoom antagonist, the actor has his hands full
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 12, 2020)
Ranveer Singh, who completed a decade in the film industry on Thursday, may still be awaiting the release of Kabir Khan’s sports drama,'83, and Akshay Kumar’s cop thriller Sooryavanshi, in which he has a special appearance, both long-delayed by the pandemic, along with the dramedy, Jayeshbhai Jordaar, but with a jam-packed shoot diary, the actor can no longer afford to sit at home twiddling his thumbs. He recently kicked off Rohit Shetty’s Cirkus, a comedy of errors with him in a double role. The film rolled soon after Diwali in Mumbai and will also be shot extensively in Ooty and Goa. The laugh riot also features Varun Sharma in a double role. Pooja Hegde and Jacqueline Fernandez are the leading ladies. They will be shooting nonstop till March.
“After exploring different sub-genres of comedy-horror, slapstick and situational—Rohit is stepping into the period space. The film is set in the ’60s. Since the humour arises from when four lookalikes cross each other’s paths, Rohit decided to set the story in ’68 when there were no mobile phones,” the source informed. Interestingly, Bimal Roy’s Do Dooni Chaar, which was also an adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors, released in 1968.
After that, Ranveer will romance his Gully Boy heroine, Alia Bhatt, in Karan Johar’s love story. “Ranveer will take some time off and do a 25-day workshop with Karan’s team before kick-starting the romantic film around April next year,” the source shared.
Meanwhile, Alia will be completing her prior commitments, including S S Rajamouli’s RRR, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi and Ayan Mukerji’s Brahmastra. She is also doing a film for Shah Rukh Khan, a dark comedy tentatively titled Darlings, to be helmed by Jasmeet K Reen. It starts early next year.
Ranveer is in talks with Zoya Akhtar for a gangster drama and Ali Abbas Zafar for the sci-fi superhero film, Mr India, revolving around an invisible man, too. There is also a strong buzz of him coming on board the fourth instalment of the Dhoom franchise in mid-2022 as the baddie. John Abraham, Hrithik Roshan and Aamir Khan had played the antagonist in earlier instalments of the franchise.
Sridevi and I named our firstborn Janhvi after Urmila Matondkar's character in Judaai-Boney Kapoor
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Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 13, 2020)
“Jaya Prada had refused two films with Anil (Kapoor), Meri Jung and Joshilaay. Sridevi replaced her in the latter, and I immediately flew to Chennai to sign her for a film I wanted to produce with Anil and her. She’d been paid Rs 8 lakh for Joshilaay, her mother quoted Rs 10 lakh. I told her I’d pay her Rs 11 lakh and noticed her mother and aunt exchange looks, wondering about this fool from Mumbai,” laughs Boney Kapoor, adding that he was then told that he’d have to pay her staff Rs 30,000 and put them up at a hotel near hers. “I sealed the deal saying I’d pay them Rs 50,000 and put them up at the same hotel as her. And returned home with 65-70 days, double the dates Sridevi usually allotted for a film.”She eventually doled out 130 because Mr India took 320 days to complete. The producer shares that just the Charlie Chaplin sequence, which started as a 2-3 minute gag, was shot for a month at R K Studios. Another two weeks was spent on “Hawa Hawai” while “Kaate Nahin Kat Te”, took 19 days. The latter is one of the most sensuous songs in Hindi cinema, Sridevi looking like a dream in a blue sari. Boney reveals that she wasn’t supposed to wear a sari earlier, but after seeing a song from Feroz Khan’s then unreleased Janbaaz, he raved to his director, Shekhar Kapur, that she looked stunning draped in pink and yellow. “I also remembered how gorgeous Sharmila Tagore had looked in Talash and Shekhar promised that our song would be better than any other,” he recounts.
After a really bad experience with crowds while promoting one of her South films, Sridevi had shied away from public appearance. Boney cajoled her to perform “Hawa Hawai” to promote their film at Hope ’86, a charity event to raise funds for the film industry. “She was nervous, but being a professional, Sri agreed. She also danced with Anil on the title track of Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja at the film’s mahurat at Hotel Holiday Inn, which coincided with Mr India’s silver jubilee bash. In the audience was Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Bal Thackeray, Rajinikanth and Nagarjuna to name a few,” he narrates.
Roop Ki Rani ... took a little under 400 days to finish. “I had put Satish (director Satish Kaushik) and Baba (cinematographer Baba Azmi) on a monthly remuneration since they were also working on Prem. When she heard this, Sri believed that’s why the film was taking so long,” Boney guffaws. The reasons were many, one of them being Baba Azmi’s observation on the day “Dushman Dil Ka Jo Hai Mere” was to be shot, that the colour of the set merged with her costume. The producer changed the entire set design in a couple of days.
“Amit ji (Amitabh Bachchan) saw the song at a trial and sent Sri a truckload of flowers, while Satish got a letter requesting that the next time he got a great script, he should think of him,” Boney reminisces, admitting that it was Sridevi who had suggested he buy the remake rights of the ’94 Telugu film, Subhalagnam. He was quick to oblige even though Anil was initially reluctant to play a man bartered by two wives.
Boney reveals that Karisma Kapoor was the first choice for Judaai while Urmila Matondkar was to do Yash Chopra’s Dil To Pagal Hai. “There was a last minute switch as Urmila entered our film. Sri and I named our firstborn Janhvi after her character,” he smiles, recalling how they’d shot “Pyaar Pyaar Karte Karte” in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and even a ‘graveyard’ in the desert where aircrafts are parked. “The director (Raj Kanwar) wasn’t there, but I’d taken my stylist, Manish Malhotra, along and he ensured we had a new costume for Anil, Sri, and Urmila after every cut,” he informs.
For another shoot in Nevada’s Valley Of Fire, Sridevi was air-dropped on top of a mountain and stood there all day, as they took helicopter shots. “The thorny bushes were full of insects, but there was not a murmur of protest. She was amazing, one of the greatest actresses of all time,” Boney raves about his actress-wife.
They were to work together in Shakti: The Power too, till Sridevi learned she was pregnant with Khushi. Then, Kajol opted out to plan a family too, while Preity Zinta’s dates were blocked for Shankar’s film featuring Kamal Haasan. “Finally, Karisma, who couldn’t do Judaai, did Shakti,” informs Boney.
The couple’s last collaboration was Mom in 2017 and Boney recalls that during shoots in Georgia and Delhi, Sridevi would insist on separate rooms so she could continue to live the character even after pack-up. “After we had shot 70-80 per cent of the film, she and the director (Ravi Udyawar) conspired to get A R Rahman on board to do the background score too. When my co-producers insisted we had no budget, they both took a cut in their remuneration. That’s how passionate she was about Mom. It fetched her the National Award for Best Actress, her first. Our daughters received it on her behalf while I looked on, knowing she was watching us from above,” he says emotionally.
Had they discussed any other film before her untimely demise? “We were toying with several ideas but hadn’t finalised anything. But Balki and Gauri (Shinde) had discussed the sequel of English Vinglish with her,” Boney shares as we raise a toast to Sridevi who’d have turned 57 today.
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