Showing posts with label Mukesh Bhatt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mukesh Bhatt. Show all posts
Pakistani singer Mustafa Zahid in talks to reprise Tera Mera Rishta in Awarapan 2
4:17 PM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 6, 2026)
Emraan Hashmi’s ‘Awarapan’ (2007) remains memorable as much for its songs as for its unrequited love story. So, as soon as ‘Awarapan 2’ was announced, speculation abounded whether its hits ‘Tera Mera Rishta’ and ‘Toh Phir Aao’ would be revisited. Now, mid-day has learnt that Pakistani singer Mustafa Zahid, who voiced the original ‘Tera Mera Rishta’, is in talks with producers Mukesh and Vishesh Bhatt to record its reprised version.
This development comes as a surprise — after all, following the 2016 Uri attack, the Indian film industry stopped working with Pakistani artistes. In the aftermath of the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, cine bodies reiterated their stance of boycotting artistes across the border.
However, talks about a potential collaboration are on between Zahid and the ‘Awarapan 2’ makers. If things go as planned, the recording will take place in Dubai this week.
A source said, “Should the deal materialize, it will mark one of the rare instances in recent years of a Pakistani playback singer recording for a mainstream Hindi film. The song won’t be used in ‘Awarapan 2’ as that may land the film in certification trouble. So, the makers are considering bypassing its theatrical use; it will be used only in social media-led promotions. The professional reunion is awaiting approval from both parties at this stage.”
mid-day reached out to Vishesh Bhatt, who didn’t respond till press time.
Kartik Aaryan-Anurag Basu’s romantic drama titled Tu Meri Zindagi Hai
9:03 AM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; October 8, 2025)
Finally, Kartik Aaryan’s romantic drama with filmmaker Anurag Basu has found its title. mid-day has learnt that the romantic musical has been christened Tu Meri Zindagi Hai, taking inspiration from the Kumar Sanu and Anuradha Paudwal song in Aashiqui (1990). Sources, however, reveal that the makers chose this as it distances the project enough from the Aashiqui franchise.
Many may remember that the film, also starring Sreeleela, was originally envisioned as the third instalment in the Aashiqui franchise. However, producers Mukesh Bhatt and Bhushan Kumar parted ways, and the latter decided to make the Aaryan-Basu collaboration as a standalone film.
“When choosing the title, it was a pre-emptive move by the makers to avoid making a direct reference to Aashiqui. The team wanted a name that evoked nostalgia, but didn’t risk legal or creative complications. Tu Meri Zindagi Hai felt like the perfect fit,” says a source.
The movie is being positioned as a big-ticket summer romance, with the team aiming for a May 1 release.
The source adds, “It’s a classic love story with Basu’s signature treatment of the genre. With the release more than six months away, it gives the team time to weave in some additional tracks. The latest schedule is underway in Mumbai and the film will be shot till 2025-end, with patch work spilling on to early 2026.”
Emraan Hashmi to reunite with Mukesh Bhatt for a twisted musical love story
10:49 AM
Sources say Emraan Hashmi, who was launched by Mukesh Bhatt, to reunite with the producer and director Vishesh Bhatt for a dark love story
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; February 19, 2025)
More often than not, the combination of Emraan Hashmi and producers Mukesh and Mahesh Bhatt has been a winner at the box office, from Murder (2004) to Gangster (2006) and Raaz: The Mystery Continues (2009). While the actor’s last collaboration with Vishesh Films was Raaz: Reboot in 2016, it looks like another association is in the offing. mid-day has learnt that Hashmi is in talks with Mukesh’s son and filmmaker-writer Vishesh Bhatt for a twisted musical love story.
The project will mark Vishesh’s second directorial venture after Murder 3 (2013). More importantly, it will be a homecoming of sorts for Hashmi, who hasn’t worked with his uncle Mukesh in over eight years.
A source says, “Emraan has been visiting Vishesh’s office for over a year as they have been in discussions for a movie. Last week, he was again spotted at their Khar office. While they have shortlisted a few stories, the one that has their attention is a modern love story with a dark twist, written by Vishesh. Things will be finalized by March.”
When mid-day reached out to Mukesh, who, along with his son, has continued leading the banner after his filmmaker-brother Mahesh stepped aside in 2021, the producer hinted at a possible collaboration. He said, “We’re looking at options, but it’s too early to talk about it. Vishesh is at the helm of it. He is now taking the banner forward, but yes, I will be there [to oversee] the music.”
There were date issues with Triptii Dimri; she is still my best friend-Anurag Basu
8:38 AM
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 4, 2025)
Filmmaker Anurag Basu’s battle with blood cancer started in 2004, when he was told he only has a few weeks left to live.
On World Cancer Day today, the 54-year-old shares how he gave himself ‘targets’ to achieve on his way to recovery: “It started with me wanting to see my unborn daughter’s face when my wife Tani was pregnant. Then it was to walk and touch a stool in the room.”
Anurag emphasizes that awareness is of utmost importance. “Even today, when someone in the family is diagnosed with it, we try to hide it, and not tell others. Jab tak aware nahin karenge, tab tak early diagnosis bhi nahin hoga,” he says, adding, “Life doesn’t get over if you are diagnosed with cancer. You should treat it like common cold... Isiliye main apne cancer ke baare mein khulke bolta hoon.”
’THERE WERE DATE ISSUES WITH TRIPTII’
Anurag Basu’s next starring Kartik Aaryan found itself in the middle of drama recently as rumours suggested that Triptii Dimri was removed from the film. There were reports that this was because ‘her image’ didn’t suit the role, after a string of bold roles.
Anurag clarifies to us, “Image was not the reason. I’m the last person to judge an actor on the basis of characters they play onscreen. Aashiqui was not even the story anymore... I don’t know the source of these stories.”
He cited dates as being the issue. “Triptii is shooting for a film with Vishal Bhardwaj, and my film goes on floors this month, too. Triptii is still my best friend,” he says, adding, “I don’t know what the film is called right now, the shoot starts this month. We haven’t finalized the female lead, it’ll be announced in a week.”
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Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 4, 2025)
Dance, drama and stories — filmmaker Anurag Basu enthralled his audience at the Kathakar International Storytellers Festival. From the story behind his cult hit Murder (2004)to the fate of Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Jagga Jasoos (2017), Anurag didn’t shy away from answering any questions.
‘I didn’t think it was the right story’
Murder, starring Emraan Hashmi and Mallika Sherawat, was a raging success. When asked about how he came on board to direct this film, the 54-year-old shared, “Mahesh Bhatt (director) sahab met me at the Delhi airport once, and I told him how I had left my first film as a director because of a fight. So, he gave me a chance to direct this film. Then I met Mukesh Bhatt (film producer and actor) sahab, and got to know about the plot. In response, I remember I said, ‘I don’t think it’s the right story’.”
He continued, “But Mukesh ji asked me, ‘Unfaithful (2002) film dekhi hai? [That is the idea]. Aur uss zamane mein yeh poocha jata tha ki ‘Kaunsi DVD bana rahe ho?’ So, I asked him, ‘Can I write the story myself, based on what I have heard and without necessarily watching Unfaithful?’ Now, I hope humari film alag bani.”
‘RANBIR WAS THE FIRST CHOICE FOR BARFI!’
Anurag’s collaboration, the 2012 film Barfi!, starring Ranbir Kapoor, received both critical acclaim and box office numbers. But fate wasn’t as kind to their next, Jagga Jasoos, as it didn’t notch up the desired box office collections.
But Anurag revealed that he was prepared for things to go south. “Hum banate banate darr rahe the. Ranbir even asked me, ‘Dadu, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016) aur Jagga ke beech mein pehle kaunsi release karein?’ So, I told him, ‘Ae Dil... is a sure-shot hit. But I don’t know about Jagga’.”
He continued, “I am from the small town Bhilai (Chhattisgarh) and I know what people like watching. However, that doesn’t mean we’d stop making different content. Bahut pange the Jagga mein. Though the way you all applauded after hearing the film’s name now, it means a re-release could also be a good idea.”
After Triptii Dimri's exit, Imanvi Esmail likely to join Kartik Aaryan in Anurag Basu's love saga
8:40 AM
Content creator and dancer Imanvi Esmail is likely to star alongside Kartik Aaryan in director Anurag Basu’s love saga after the film with Triptii Dimri is deferred
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 9, 2025)
Mid-day had previously reported that Aashiqui 3, starring Kartik Aaryan and Triptii Dimri had been indefinitely postponed, and director Anurag Basu was set to make a fresh romance saga featuring Aaryan along with a new leading lady (A love drama, indeed, January 14). It appears that the makers’ search has ended in Imanvi Esmail, a content creator who is already working with producer Bhushan Kumar on her debut movie alongside Prabhas.
A source says that Kumar, the co-producer of the film starring Prabhas, has initiated a discussion with the primary producers to secure permissions to cast Esmail.
“Imanvi has signed an agreement stating that she wouldn’t commit to any new film until Prabhas’ movie is released. Bhushan is talking to them to see if she can be cast in Kartik’s film because that will hit the screens after Prabhas’ movie. If the teams are unable to negotiate, the makers may look at other options,” says the insider.
Given that there is no chatter of bad blood between the makers and Dimri, we ask if the Animal (2023) actor was considered for the new film alongside Aaryan.
“Triptii is busy for six months with Vishal Bhardwaj’s film, so the makers had to look at other options. Also, the requirement of the film is a fresh face. A lot depends on the look test and the chemistry between the actors. Another big contender for the role is Sara Ali Khan, who Anurag has just worked with in Metro… In Dino. If the conversation with Imanvi falls through, the makers will approach Sara. The final calls on the film’s casting will be taken by the end of this month.”
Imanvi will make her debut with Prabhas in a film directed by Hanu Raghavapudi, who previously helmed the critically acclaimed Sita Ramam (2022). The aspiring actor, who grew up in the USA, credits her mother for introducing her to iconic Bollywood actresses like Rekha, Madhuri Dixit, and Vyjayanthimala, whose classical movements and expressive choreography inspired her to pursue dancing.
Her passion for dance helped her amass an audience of 903K on Instagram and 1.8 million on YouTube. In 2020, her choreography on Ramta jogi (Taal, 1999) went viral, earning her widespread recognition. Another viral hit came in 2023, when her rendition of Tum tum caught the attention of filmmakers. Apart from Prabhas and Esmail, the film also features Mithun Chakraborty and Jaya Prada in pivotal roles. mid-day reached out to Basu to confirm the developments, but he remained unavailable till press time.
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HINDUSTAN TIMES (January 9, 2025)
A love story produced by Bhushan Kumar, directed by Anurag Basu, and starring Kartik Aaryan was initially touted as Aashiqui 3. Announced in September 2022, the buzz around the film indicated it would be a sequel to the iconic Aashiqui franchise, known for its romantic storyline and blockbuster music. However, the project has since been surrounded by confusion and controversy.
In March 2024, Bhushan Kumar announced that he would be producing the film solo. It was allegedly renamed Tu Aashiqui Hai. But reports in November indicated that Aaryan was eager to have it as part of the Aashiqui franchise. On Wednesday, the controversy around the movie reached new heights when reports surfaced claiming that actor Triptii Dimri had been dropped from the film, which was still thought to be Aashiqui 3.
Triptii Dimri exit
Rumours suggested that Dimri’s bold and sensual image, showcased in films such as Animal and Bad Newzz, led producers to reconsider her casting and seek a different actor for the role originally intended for her. The filmmakers reportedly wanted a “pure, innocent” face for the role, and Dimri’s more mature portrayal in recent projects might not have aligned with their vision.
The official stance from either side has not been clarified. But we speak to sources from all parties involved to dig deeper.
A source close to Dimri strongly denies all the claims circulating online, saying: “The reports and reasons circulating are not true at all. The film is not in development, and any discussion regarding Triptii’s involvement is fabricated. There is no ongoing conversation about the film at all.” When asked if there was another reason behind her exit, another source adds, “These rumours are likely being spread by someone associated with the film, possibly to ensure Triptii’s removal from the film.”
Triptii or Sharvari?
Confirming that ‘Aashiqui 3’ is currently postponed, a production source shared, “The team of Anurag Basu and Kartik Aaryan is working on another love story, which will begin filming either this month or the next. The search for the female lead is still underway.”
Some reports suggested that actor Sharvari was in the race to play the female lead instead of Dimri. However, the source added, “Triptii Dimri is not part of this project, nor is Sharvari. As of now, Sharvari is not part of any T-Series project.”
Mukesh Bhatt on Aashiqui rights
Meanwhile, veteran producer Mukesh Bhatt, the original creator of the Aashiqui franchise, has made it clear that T-Series cannot move forward with the series without his approval. “The court has given the verdict in our favour, that speaks enough. As far as I am concerned, Aashiqui 3 is in a deadlock. He (Bhushan Kumar) cannot make it without me, and I don’t want to make it with that man. There is no development whatsoever,” Bhatt said emphasizing his control over the franchise. In a legal move in September last year, the Delhi HC restrained T-Series from using the Aashiqui title (which also includes titles Tu Hi Aashiqui or Tu Hi Aashiqui Hai for an upcoming film) without Bhatt’s consent.
Aashiqui 3: Kartik Aaryan asks Bhushan Kumar to acquire Aashiqui title from Mukesh Bhatt
8:27 AM
After Bhushan Kumar rechristens Aashiqui 3 to make it a standalone film, sources say Kartik keen to restore it under Aashiqui franchise; has apparently asked producer to acquire the title from Mukesh Bhatt
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; November 12, 2024)
Success teaches you many things. It looks like Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’s recent success has taught Kartik Aaryan that leading a franchise is a smart tactic to connect with the audience, a lesson he is applying to his next. mid-day has learnt that the actor is keen that his romantic drama—which was initially planned as Aashiqui 3, but then reimagined as a stand-alone film—be restored under the Aashiqui franchise.
A lot has happened on the Aashiqui front since the third instalment was announced in 2022. At the time, Anurag Basu was to direct the Aaryan-led love story, with Bhushan Kumar and Mukesh Bhatt producing it. However, a tussle began between the producers over the franchise’s rights. Finally, this March, the T-Series head honcho announced that he alone was backing the Aaryan-Basu project, which was rechristened Tu Aashiqui Hai and was no longer a part of the Aashiqui franchise.
Now, Aaryan has apparently introduced a plot twist. A source reveals, “The success of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and 3 has confirmed Kartik’s belief in the power of franchises. He has suggested to Bhushan that he initiate talks with Mukesh Bhatt to acquire the title. Kartik is certain that building the love story under the Aashiqui franchise will give it a push.”
In 1990, Aashiqui made Rahul Roy and Anu Aggarwal overnight stars. Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor recreated the magic with Aashiqui 2 (2013), produced by T-Series and Bhatt’s Vishesh Films. Now, with Aaryan eager to lead the franchise, the source says that Kumar is figuring out the right way to take the matter forward with Bhatt. It’s one of the reasons the shoot of the movie, also starring Triptii Dimri, has been pushed to next year.
“Anurag is anyway busy with the re-shoot of Metro… In Dino. With this new development, the project will only roll sometime next year. Kartik wants clarity on all aspects before he faces the camera,” says the insider.
Franchises have been money-spinners this year, be it Stree 2, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 or Singham Again. Almost every star has a franchise film in their line-up—from Shah Rukh Khan having Pathaan 2 to Ranbir Kapoor greenlighting Animal Park. It only makes sense for Aaryan to join the bandwagon.
Another source notes, “He will soon begin shooting Pati Patni Aur Woh 2. He is also keen to have a sequel to Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety [2018].”
Karan Johar, Mukesh Bhatt and producers’ unions to meet multiplex heads to discuss slashing ticket prices
11:10 AM
Aiming to increase footfall, KJo, Mukesh Bhatt and producers’ unions to meet multiplex heads today to discuss slashing ticket prices
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 14, 2024)
Bollywood has been witnessing a dry spell at the box office, which has jolted producers into action. Over the past month, members of the Producers Guild of India, Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA), and some Tamil and Telugu producers had three rounds of meetings with talent agents to discuss stars’ entourage costs (No frills is the new drill, June 8).
Today, the producers’ unions will have a big Bollywood meet-up with the heads of multiplex chains, including PVR Inox. On the agenda is a discussion about revising movie tickets to increase footfall.
Filmmaker Karan Johar and producer Mukesh Bhatt will be present from the Guild, as the parties contemplate a new price point and devise more promotional strategies to lure audiences.
A source tells us, “Most screens are running empty. A part of the reason is the steep ticket costs. Also, there has been a shift in the audiences’ mindset as they know a new release will be available on OTT after eight to 10 weeks. At such a time, it is imperative to lure them with reasonable prices. It was seen on Mr & Mrs Mahi’s opening day last month, when tickets were available at Rs. 99. Because of this, the film’s first-day collections were good. People are willing to step into theatres if the tickets don’t burn a hole in their pocket. That will be the focus of our conversation.”
If you don’t challenge yourself, before you know it, the audience will boo you out-Emraan Hashmi
10:03 AM
Emraan Hashmi explains why he decided to break the mould and not do the kind of films he started out with; adds he’s happy with the work coming his way
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 23, 2024)
Emraan Hashmi turns 45 in two days (March 25). He was all of 24 when he was nudged by his uncle (filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt) to get into films. And there’s been no looking back for him. In a no holds barred chat, the actor admits that his film choices have changed. Hashmi recently earned rave reviews for Showtime. He also had a resurgence of sorts with Tiger 3 (2023).
Ask if he’s in a comfortable space now, professionally, and he says, “I have always been secure, even if I felt my films were not faring well. I believe this industry is fair. If you are a thorough professional and you do your work well, work will eventually flow in. I am in a happy space because of the offers I am getting now. Projects are more acting oriented. I’ve done movies that people found disastrous in my career, like Shanghai (2012) between Murder 2 (2011) and Raaz 3 (2012).”
‘TWO FILMS NOT WORKING HIT ME HARD’
Hashmi’s earlier string of hits, including Murder (2004), Jannat (2008) and Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai (2010), had intense stories, great soundtracks and kissing scenes. However, Hashmi shocked the audience when he started changing gears. While Ek Thi Daayan (2013) was a horror drama, Why Cheat India? (2019) was about the education system. The time between 2016 to 2023 wasn’t kind, with films such as Ghanchakkar (2013), Raja Natwarlal (2014) and Baadshaho (2017) not working.
He says, “The audience was perhaps shifting. OTT had started creeping in. What really hit me was Why Cheat India not working. I did something different, but since OTT was coming in, people were engaged with that material on the medium. I was hearing chatter like, ‘Films like these are already on OTT’. I didn’t play up to the star. I showcased my acting chops, but people didn’t want to see me doing that. Another film, The Body, was a delayed release. It was a confusing time for me.”
NO BARD OF BLOOD 2
Realizing that the audience was taking to OTT, he gave a nod to the spy series Bard Of Blood (2019) that marked his OTT debut: “It did well. But unfortunately, a second season is not happening. The team had to zone in on a script. It was almost green lit. But none seemed to work. The first season was based on a book, but we couldn’t crack the script for a second one.”
‘PEOPLE WHO WATCHED MY EARLIER FILMS ARE MARRIED NOW’
Why didn’t he stick to his template of films and the bad-boy avatar from a commercial point of view? Hashmi explains, “It wouldn’t have done well beyond a point, and it didn’t. The audience is ever-changing. If you keep serving the same meal to the audience, they get fed up. Challenging yourself is what an actor is all about. If you don’t, before you know it, the audience will boo you out.”
He says the young audience from back in the day, who loved his kind of films, are all married now. So he has a new fan base to cater to: “Now there’s a Gen Z, millennial audience. People grow up, a younger audience comes in. Their heroes are different, they watch OTT. I’ll have to give them something new and up my game, else I’d sink.”
JANNAT 3?
Ask if Jannat 3 is happening and Hashmi says, “I’d love to do that. The makers (Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt) have to come together again to make it happen, which I, unfortunately, don’t see happening. If by some stroke of luck or miracle that happens, it’ll happen. Till then, my life goes on. I have a couple of projects that will be announced soon, solo films that have that streak that the audience loved to see me in... as the bad boy. I will try to kick-start that again.”
We shouldn’t have made Aashiqui 3's announcement so early-Mukesh Bhatt
8:25 AM
Amid reports of Aashiqui 3 rolling in Jan, producer Mukesh says scripting of Kartik-starrer hasn’t started; rues constant speculation around the film
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; November 4, 2023)
Since its announcement last year, Aashiqui 3 continues to be one of the most anticipated Bollywood films. But along with the buzz comes intense speculation around the romantic drama, which will be led by Kartik Aaryan and helmed by Anurag Basu. It was recently reported that the musical would go into production in January 2024. Co-producer Mukesh Bhatt, however, points out that the team has yet to begin scripting.
“Anurag is currently busy with another film. After he gets free and writes a script, we’ll see whether we like it. If we do, we will go ahead with it. Similarly, Kartik has to like the script. Then we will decide on the music. We want to do Aashiqui 3 in the right manner,” he says.
Last month, mid-day reported that Bhatt was so miffed after a song was circulated as an Aashiqui 3 track that he issued a public notice asserting that his studio is the owner of the franchise’s intellectual property rights (If Anurag doesn’t like the script, we can make it with another director, Oct 7).
Tired of rumours surrounding the project, Bhatt says, “We shouldn’t have made the announcement so early. Every other day, there is speculation around the film or its casting. I’m tired of these stories coming out of nowhere.”
Aashiqui had the truth of my life and the musical vision of Gulshan Kumar-Mahesh Bhatt
8:21 AM
Amidst a row over the ownership and creative rights of the Aashiqui franchise, Mahesh Bhatt, who directed the original in 1990, breaks his silence
Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; October 11, 2023)
Part autobiographical, starring brand news faces Rahul Roy and Anu Agarwal, director Mahesh Bhatt’s Aashiqui became a smash hit in 1990. Its music topped the charts for years and continues to resonate with listeners. The romantic musical saw a sequel headlined by Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor and directed by Mohit Suri in 2013. A third successor, Aashiqui 3, was announced in September last year by the same collaborators (T-Series and Vishesh films) with Kartik Aaryan in the lead and to be helmed by Anurag Basu.
However, a row over the ownership and creative rights of the franchise seems to have ensued, given Vishesh Films’ recent public notice followed by Mukesh Bhatt’s statement (he heads the banner, after Mahesh and he parted ways). Taking to their official Instagram handle, Vishesh Films issued a notice on September 25.
Excerpts from the statement said, “Vishesh Films is the producer and joint rightful owner of the intellectual property rights associated with the Aashiqui franchise. Any communication made without our involvement is unauthorized and fraudulent.”
Mahesh Bhatt, who made the iconic 1990 original, spoke to Bombay Times exclusively, shedding light on the issue.
‘Right isn’t always legal’
He said, “In this time and age when the moral compass of the world has shattered, and it’s become a moral desert, it’s important that elders behave like elders. Right isn’t always legal, and 50 per cent rights are in any case with T-Series. But I choose to stand for what’s morally right. In the case of Aashiqui, that moral legacy belongs to Gulshan Kumar and, in his absence, to Bhushan Kumar. Gulshan’s vision, support, and timeless music are at the heart of Aashiqui’s enduring impact.”
‘Aashiqui began with Gulshan Kumar’
Mahesh Bhatt recounted, “I remember that I was shooting at Horizon Hotel in Juhu, and a man who was standing at the corner of my set introduced himself as a music baron, who had just moved to Mumbai from Delhi. He said, ‘Main Shivji ka bhakt hu. Unhonay mujhe sapne mein kaha ke main aapke paas aau. Aapse film banwau. Aapka naam Mahesh hai na?’ I said yes. He said, ‘Music ka bank hai mere paas. Anurada ji (Paudwal) humare company ke saath hai. Aapko jo gaane pasand hai aap le lijiye, ya naye banwalijie. Ek acchisi musical bana dijiye. Main aapko promise karta hu, Hindustan kay konay konay mein main yeh gaane le jayunga. Har ghar mein bajwaunga. Badle mein, aap 50 per cent le lijiye.’ The simplicity and innocence with which he spoke was the beginning of Aashiqui. I distinctly remember I was shooting Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin (1991) in Madhumalai forest (Tamil Nadu) with Aamir Khan and Pooja (Bhatt). In that forest, I heard one of the songs from Aashiqui playing. I turned to Pooja and said, ‘That man promised me that he will take the music across India."
The resurgence of the franchise
“When we decided to have a resurgence of the Aashiqui franchise, Bhushan was aware that he was up against a formidable brand called Aashiqui (1990) and its music, but he wanted to keep his father’s legacy alive. I personally feel that since I was the person whom Gulshan Kumar came to, I must speak up. They (T-Series) own the 50 per cent rights anyway, and the moral right of a product belongs to the person who gave birth to it. Let the legal experts sit down and discuss the details, I am talking about the moral compass, and I want to set the record straight. I have nothing to gain from this,” Bhatt says.
‘Aashiqui had the truth of my life’
He further elaborates, “I am known as an autobiographical filmmaker for my films like Arth (1982) or Zakhm (1998), but the romance you see in Aashiqui (1990) between Rahul Roy and Anu Agarwal is based on my first love with Lorraine Bright (Pooja Bhatt’s mother). I was 16 and she was 14 and studying in Bombay Scottish. The classroom scenes, her being thrown out and becoming my responsibility… my personal life was in Aashiqui. That film had the truth of my life and the musical vision of Gulshan.”
The ownership debate
The ownership debate doesn’t interest me because I have never been a man of business. I have consciously stayed away from it. I don’t have the stomach to sit down and argue the legal aspects. That’s for the legal experts to sort out. We are talking about the moral background. We come from a time when everything wasn’t spelt out. If you gave someone your word, you stood by it. Those values need to be resurrected even more today as everyone looks at the other with distrust.”
If Anurag Basu doesn’t like script, we can make Aashiqui 3 with another director-Mukesh Bhatt
8:49 AM
Miffed about a song circulating as Aashiqui 3 track, producer Bhatt issues a public notice asserting his IP rights; says director and Kartik are ‘tentative’ choices until story is finalised
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; October 7, 2023)
Last month, an Arijit Singh number, which was doing the rounds of social media, was touted to be a leaked song from the soundtrack of Aashiqui 3. The claim was found to be baseless soon after. The incident was probably the reason why producer Mukesh Bhatt issued a public notice in a trade magazine last week, stating that Vishesh Films is “the producer and joint rightful owner of the intellectual property rights and derivative rights” associated with the popular film franchise. The notice further stated that any communication related to the franchise made without the production house’s involvement would be considered fraudulent and may result in legal ramifications.
While Bhatt understands the anticipation around Kartik Aaryan-led Aashiqui 3, he is seeing red at the song fiasco. He says, “No song has been composed yet. How can it be leaked? It was important to issue the public notice as I am the copyright holder and the creative fountainhead of the Aashiqui franchise.”
The producer is also miffed at the rumours surrounding the casting of Anurag Basu’s directorial venture. Several names—from Deepika Padukone to Katrina Kaif, from Fatima Sana Shaikh to Akanksha Sharma—have been thrown around as the love story’s female lead. “This is all rubbish,” asserts Bhatt.
“We will introduce a new [actor]. These [talent] agencies are throwing names of actresses as they want to promote their talent, but I don’t want my franchise to be a part of somebody else’s agenda.”
There was talk that Aashiqui 3 would roll by the year-end. However, Bhatt dismisses the idea, explaining that the script has yet to be finalized.
“Anurag is busy with Metro… In Dino. I want to be completely convinced about the script before we start anything.” It’s also heard that Basu may focus on the Kishore Kumar biopic with Ranbir Kapoor next year.
The Aashiqui franchise began in 1990, its success making Rahul Roy and Anu Aggarwal overnight stars. Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor repeated the magic in 2013 with Aashiqui 2. Naturally then, expectations are high from the third instalment.
“As of now, we have Kartik on board as the male lead. Everything is tentative till I get a script from Anurag. If it doesn’t come from him or if he doesn’t like the script, we can make it with some other director. Similarly, for some reason, if Kartik feels he doesn’t suit the character, he has the right to choose to walk out. Aashiqui and Aashiqui 2 didn’t depend on any external forces or star cast. We created stars with the films.”
Everybody started taking ownership of Aashiqui, which was alarming-Mukesh Bhatt
8:36 AM
Syeda Eba Fatima (HINDUSTAN TIMES; October 4, 2023)
Filmmaker Mukesh Bhatt’s Vishesh Films issued a notice saying the banner is the “producer and joint rightful owner of the intellectual property rights associated with the Aashiqui franchise”. Any communication about the upcoming film without the production house’s involvement is “unauthorized” and “fraudulent”.
Bhatt tells us, “There was a lot of news circulating about Aashiqui 3. People were claiming, ‘We’re writing the songs [for the film]’. Someone said that so and so had been roped in. Everybody started taking ownership of Aashiqui, which was alarming. That’s when I thought it was important to let people know that nothing can be finalized or announced without our approval because we are the intellectual property holders of the franchise.”
Denying any tiff with producer Bhushan Kumar and his company, the 71-year-old adds, “The creative [aspect] is my domain. Bhushan was there for parts one and two, so how can he not be a part of the third film?”
Kartik Aaryan to star in Mukesh Bhatt and Bhushan Kumar’s Aashiqui 3
8:19 AM
The musical will be directed by Anurag Basu and the soundtrack will be composed by Pritam
BOMBAY TIMES (September 5, 2022)
The 32-year-old partnership, formed in 1990 with Aashiqui, between T-Series and Vishesh Films, continues with their new project, Aashiqui 3. Producers Mukesh Bhatt and Bhushan Kumar are set to reunite for the much anticipated third instalment of the Aashiqui franchise with director Anurag Basu. The music will be scored by Pritam and the film will star Kartik Aaryan in the lead. The team began the collaboration on a positive and spiritual note by seeking Lord Ganesha’s blessings during Ganeshotsav.
The Aashiqui franchise that revolved around love and relationships with some great music has remained in the hearts of the audience to date. Mukesh Bhatt said, “On the evening of August 16, 1990, a day before Aashiqui’s release, Gulshan ji (Gulshan Kumar) and I were very nervous, but the next day records were broken and history was created. Today with Bhushan, Pritam, Anurag and the heart-throb of the nation, Kartik, I assure everyone that Aashiqui 3 will celebrate love like never before.”
Bhushan Kumar said, “The movies (Aashiqui franchise), whose storyline and music is etched in our hearts it’s time to relive that again. We are ecstatic to announce Aashiqui 3 in collaboration with Mukesh ji, directed by my all-time favourite, dada Anurag Basu. The film is sure to have a fresh side to it while retaining its true essence. We couldn’t have found an actor better than Kartik, a true rockstar in every sense, after the massive hits he has delivered; he truly fits the part to a T. Music is an integral part in this romantic musical, and along with Pritam, we aim to raise the bar higher. Working with such a dream team is something I look forward to. I can’t wait to recreate the magic again.”
Talking about headlining the film, Kartik Aaryan shared, “The timeless classic Aashiqui is something I grew up watching, and working on Aashiqui 3, is like a dream come true. I feel privileged and grateful for collaborating with Bhushan sir and Mukesh sir for this project. I’ve been a big fan of Anurag sir’s work, and collaborating with him on this one is definitely going to shape me in many ways.”
Director Anurag Basu added, “Working with Vishesh Films is literally like coming home, and I am glad that I am directing Aashiqui 3. Bhushan ji and I have a long-standing relationship and every outing together is even more exciting than the last one. He is a solid collaborator, who I am privileged to have by my side. Aashiqui and Aashiqui 2 were emotions for the fans that have remained in their hearts till date, the aim is to carry the legacy ahead in the best possible way. It’s my first venture with Kartik Aaryan, who is known for his hard work, dedication, grit and determination, and I’m truly looking forward to this one.”
Music composer Pritam said, “The Aashiqui franchise is known for its great music. I am glad to be part of this amazing franchise, and I will try to take it to the next level.”
20 Years of Raaz: Dino Morea, Bipasha Basu, Vikram Bhatt go down memory lane
8:16 AM
Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 1, 2022)
Counted among the best-known Indian horror films, Raaz completes two decades today. Actor Dino Morea, who starred in the 2002 film, shares that besides the movie’s story and music, his onscreen chemistry with actor Bipasha Basu Singh Grover, his then girlfriend, still remains a talking point. “When people saw our chemistry on the big screen, they immediately fell in love with us,” he says.
Morea adds that working with her was “fantastic”. “It makes shooting far more easier when you know the person. Our off-screen romance helped us have that chemistry on the screen,” he shares.
Back then, the horror genre was still reeling from the stigma of being reduced to B-grade films. So did Morea have any apprehensions about choosing it as his second film? “No. I was getting to work with the Bhatts, who had made some fantastic films. It was an honour for me to be getting a big film,” he shares.
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Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 1, 2022)
While Raaz was a turning point for Bipasha Basu Singh Grover, the actor wasn’t the first choice for the lead character, Sanjana. She tells us, “It was being shot with Lisa Ray and Dino Morea. I had gone for the first day of shoot, as Dino was my boyfriend then. It so happened that Lisa couldn’t do the film, and Mukesh (Bhatt, co-producer) requested me to play the role.”
She was just a film old when she said a yes to this horror film. And she says it helped her decide that she wanted to pursue acting, which was never her long-term plan, as she got a pivotal role when other female actors only played love interests. She adds, “The success of Raaz is why I decided acting is the profession I want to be part of, that it is fun. It made me realise I have potential as an actor.”
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Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 1, 2022)
Vikram Bhatt, who directed Raaz, recalls how no one believed in the film. “Everybody thought I was making a mistake. A big producer said to me, ‘Kya yaar, tu flop hero aur Ajnabee (2001) ki vamp ke saath picture bana raha hai’,” Bhatt shares.
He also reveals that the film was first offered to actor Anil Kapoor, who refused to do a horror film, and that actor Lisa Ray had shot for a portion of the film: “We were left in a lurch after she left. When Dino came in, he said, ‘Why don’t you try out my girlfriend, Bipasha? She’s lovely!’”
Talking about how Raaz was a game-changer in his career, Bhatt says, “In every filmmaker’s life, there comes a film which is hard to beat. Raaz is that film for me. It’s a badge of honour.”
Ranbir Kapoor & I never fought on Jagga Jasoos. We never crossed the film's budget-Anurag Basu
8:10 AM
From life to near-death, television to films, hits to flops to hits again, doing 'adda' with Bollywood's top survivor, director Anurag Basu
Mayank Shekhar (MID-DAY; December 26, 2020)
Offering him a chance to graduate from directing on television, to debuting in films, producer Mukesh Bhatt asked Anurag Basu in the early 2000s how much he would charge. Mukesh, well-known in Bollywood to be frugal with expenses, suggested, "Rs 7 lakh?"
Basu agreed so instantly to the number that, taken aback, and in that split sentence, Bhatt revised that Rs 7 lakh into a two-film deal! "In just two seconds, huh," Basu laughs. "But it was my stepping stone, I was just an outsider, getting to learn a lot; I would have done it for free," he says; no complaints still.
This would've been for his forgotten debut Saaya (2003, starring John Abraham, Tara Sharma). Having delivered a box-office dud, the sets for Basu's second film had also been mounted, when he had stopped showing up at the office of Vishesh Films (run by brothers Mukesh and Mahesh Bhatt). He told the producer, he'd "lost confidence" in the film they were about to shoot/start in a few days.
But there was a half-constructed set, paid for, while Vishesh Films were already reeling under a string of flops. "Ghuma phira ke", Basu narrated an idea around what Mukesh had suggested. Driving back home, he found actor Kashmera Shah sitting at the Barista coffee shop in Lokhandwala. He stopped to ask if she'd dance for a song, which Anu Malik composed in a couple of days.
They utilised that set for a track, Dil ko hazaar baar roka, and carried on with another film altogether. Which was? Murder (2004). It gave Basu tremendous box-office cred. The film went on to collect Rs 75 crore. And Basu received? Rs 3.5 lakh - second tranche of his two-movie deal - making him perhaps the best directorial ROI for a producer, in the history of Hindi films!
Male audiences across North India lined up to catch the skin-fest Murder - evidently inspired by Adrian Lyne's Unfaithful (2002) - mainly to ogle at Mallika Sherawat. It's Emraan Hashmi, the male lead, who became the single-screen sensation: "He became a rage!"
Every producer at the time, top ones included, had a DVD of a sleazy Hollywood film that they wanted Basu to convert into a Hindi movie! Murder itself belonged to a B-movie genre (that subsequently became a franchise).
How Basu elevated it still is with a certain level of soft lighting and warm aesthetics: "Aesthetics are in-built, you cannot change it. It's the way you see things. I used to also shoot television like that," he says.
In fact, you can notice even more of that - surely the film industry did - in Basu's Gangster (2006), a musical drama, loosely based on underworld don Abu Salem and his moll, '90s starlet Monica Bedi's escapades. Who became the star from that movie? Debutant Kangana Ranaut.
"Of the 20-25 girls we auditioned for the part, her face just stuck in my head - there was something unique about her," Basu recalls. Did he foresee her success? "In the beginning, she needed guidance for everything. But she is a really fast learner. I have seen her growth during the filming of Gangster itself."
What about her public persona, as the relentless online troll, if you may? Did he see this coming? "Not really. We usually don't meet, but whenever we do, this [public] persona is not the Kangana I [know] personally. So I think there are two Kanganas. Beech wali [the other one] I don't understand."
Basu, 46, Bengali boy from Bhilai, moved to Bombay to pursue a graduation degree in physics, and look around for work in the entertainment industry alongside. Lives of the young in the steel township he comes from are chiefly centred on cracking medical and engineering exams. He got exposed to story-telling and performance arts, because of the theatre group that his father ran as a hobby. And they'd travel with plays at amateur theatre competitions across India.
In the sense of Bollywood, Basu belongs to a productive class of the early '90s actors/filmmakers, from various parts of India, looking to build a career in showbiz, and who gradually took over Bollywood's reins later.
He started out as a 22-year-old assistant allowed to direct a scene in the popular television show Tara - putting his foot down among veteran actors, so they took him seriously, which was becoming an issue. He exited TV about a decade after, as the highest paid director: "I used to make as much from a month of TV, as I did from my first film."
There are also the common stories of doing producers' rounds, hanging around Prithvi in Juhu, approaching Shyam Benegal, Sriram Raghavan to assist. Also, accidentally, dancing behind Mithun Chakraborty, as the hero's friend, in a film called Dalaal (1993) - because the director was Bengali (Partho Ghosh), and they were looking for a bilingual Bengali assistant to help communicate at an outdoor location!
There is a scene in Vikramaditya Motwane's film AK vs AK (2020), where the self-referenced protagonist, director Anurag Kashyap, is casually referred to as Anurag Basu. This is partly true in the reverse as well, as it turns out, since Basu would get messages meant for Kashyap back when there were pagers for communication (or the lack of it).
In fact, they have a lot more in common, I discover, during this conversation, including Benegal, Raghavan, Prithvi, a play that both were meant to do for Makarand Deshpande. And, inevitably, stories around the adorable old miser Mukesh Bhatt!
Where similarities between Kashyap and Basu end is, of course, in their cinematic worldview. Even a gun-toting thriller with dames and dons, Ludo (2020), in Basu's hands, turns into a joyously musical carnival of atrangi/colourful/shiny characters! His films are more fantastical in their approach, yet experimental in their own right. While it may not seem so, he says, they are actually drawn from reality.
The semi-silent musical Barfi, he reveals, is based on a real-life girl Razia (played by Priyanka Chopra, and who she actually met later), and a boy with hearing impairment called Murtaza (that was Ranbir Kapoor).
Basu knew these two from a special school in Goregaon, which had a branch near his Andheri office. He had locked Barfi's script, the sleeper super-hit of 2012, at the same time as he'd finished writing Super 30, based on Bihari math wiz Anand Kumar, that later got made with Hrithik Roshan, directed by Vikas Bahl.
Likewise, the lead character (played by Ranbir) in the full-blast, theme-park adventure Jagga Jasoos (2017), of a young man who stammers, but not when he sings, is essentially Basu's long-time music collaborator, Pritam!
Katrina Kaif's character in the same movie, he says, is wholly modelled on his clumsy wife Tani: "Calamity Jane, that's her. She could be holding a cup, and be left with just the handle. Lots of stuff that happens [to Katrina] in the film has actually happened before me in real life with Tani."
Calamity is also how Jagga Jasoos got blasted as, by a wide section of the film industry, upon release - given how long it took to make it in the first place (roughly over four years). "Yeah, too long, actually," Basu admits. "We could have finished a year before. There is not a single thing I can pinpoint [for what went wrong]. Ranbir [the lead] was shooting and promoting four films [Besharam, Bombay Velvet, Roy, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil] during this time. I could have put my foot down and requested him not to. But then, Pritam also wanted time to make music. I didn't know where to balance. Even after all this time, we were rushing with post-production, five months before release!"
Then there was the story from Jagga Jasoos sets about veteran actor Govinda being hired, he'd even shot, and then was fired: "Govinda ji did come with us. With such delays already with the shoot, [there was confusion] if Govinda ji is coming on the set, or is he cancelling the flight, or is he taking the fight, or are we cancelling shoot? It was so unpredictable. I couldn't have taken that stress, yaar. We were shooting outdoor in South Africa, everything was lined up. I just had to [let go of him]."
Not that Basu isn't used to this level of stress - more so, a barrage of take-downs, post the release of a film. The biggest case study in his career might well be Kites (2010), a hugely ambitious trans-Atlantic release, headlined by Hrithik Roshan, with the Mexican tele-novella star Barbara Mori in the female lead.
Kites opened to theatres in India with desis wondering what language the film they had walked into was in - English, Spanish; or Hindi? The budgets clearly didn't match the public response to this immensely stylised romantic thriller.
Basu himself felt as lost during the making of Kites, he remembers, as the audiences did after its release: "Take a film like Gangster. I wanted to shoot in Korea. I asked my producer [Mukesh Bhatt] if I could. He'd be like, 'Here's Rs 3 crore - finish the film within it. Now I don't care if you go to Honolulu, or anywhere else.' So, I knew my budget; production was in my hands. That's what I was used to. With Kites, it wasn't like that. I was just going there and directing. And we would discuss how we are going to execute [the scenes]. I was not thinking of market, returns… It started out as a small, indie [film]. It was taking its shape, with four or five people making decisions. Also my vision and [producer] Rakesh ji's [Roshan] were separate. Eventually, yeh naa idhar ka raha, naa udhar ka [it belonged to neither an international nor a local audience]."
Which isn't to tone down Basu's own reputation, mostly suggested warmly by his colleagues, of him revelling in the chaos of filmmaking - deriving magic from the spontaneity of a moment, rather than over-planning. While this may cause major heartburn, if the money involved is massive, it has surprisingly served him well in the mainstream.
Actors who've worked with him often speak about showing up on the set, with little idea of what they're meant to do. The scene develops as they go along. This can be a scary process, yes. It hasn't stopped him from attracting some of the top Bollywood stars around. Case in point is Ludo (2020), with more bona fide movie-industry leads (Rajkummar Rao, Abhishek Bachchan, Aditya Roy Kapur, Pankaj Tripathi, et al) than you can fit into two-and-half hours, without each seeming like cameos.
"I was not like this when doing television. This process of mine started somewhere during the making of Gangster. Kangana was new. Shiney [Ahuja] used to come over-prepared. There used to be a struggle to get the performance right. Too many retakes. Also, when I started wearing the hat of writer, director and producer [with Life In A Metro], I didn't have to deliver a script to anyone." The key reason for playing it by ear, he believes, is that "actors don't usually get the full arc of a film." It's better if they live in the moment.
"Also, I don't commit to a scene till the last moment. In [Life In A] Metro, for example, there is a scene where Kay Kay [Menon] and Shilpa [Shetty] confess about cheating on each other. She talks about Shiney [Ahuja]. I was staging the scene, with Shilpa and an assistant, who's also an actor. And there's a dialogue that just slipped off the tongue; Kay Kay asks, 'Bachcha toh mera hai na?' [I'm the kid's dad, right?] That wasn't there in the script. It appeared in the heat of the moment on the set. I thrive on that actually."
Which is also similar to how Basu winged it with Life In A Metro (2007) in the first place. He had only written the script until interval point, when he met (then) UTV's head honcho Ronnie Screwvala for a narration. To adequately fill time, and keep Screwvala and others sufficiently entertained, he got composer-friend Pritam to tag along, and play music all through the narration. The script got sold, while he was halfway into fleshing it out!
Everybody calls Basu, Dada (for elder brother), in Bollywood. As Bengali adults are affectionately named - regardless of their age. Director Basu Chatterjee was Basu Da even to millennials; he died at 93. A well-known Bengali trait with Basu is actually his penchant for the adda (fun chat), as I can sense, while he generally eases into talking about his life, with a gentleness/lightness of touch that often eludes the successful/self-aware.
As a person/artiste, he finds himself connecting the most with the other great Bengali, Kishore Da - Kishore Kumar: "Every time I read about him, I realise, arre, he thinks like me - his madness, his world, it is fascinating." Basu has been sitting on the draft of a Kishore Kumar biopic for years, determined to make it. It hasn't worked out, yet. "It will be made by me, promise, very soon," he says.
Like Kishore Da, Basu is also a polymath of sorts. You can gauge that from his last movie, the mad, mad Ludo, that dropped on Netflix in November. He was the film's cinematographer, writer, director, producer, along with playing the role of the traditional sutradhar (narrator) on screen. This was one of the early movies to finish shoot while the pandemic was still on. Surely they would've taken adequate precautions shooting the final scenes. Although having sanitiser on set and shooting with a mask on isn't novel for Basu.
Shortly after the success of Murder, he was diagnosed with late-stage cancer. Doctors gave him a few weeks, max: "It just happened too quickly. One day I just saw my reflection, and I didn't know this is what I was looking like - the internal bleeding was happening, buckets of blood going out. I just wanted to breathe right, until I went on the ventilator for 17 days. It took a toll on my dad, actually. His health deteriorated after that. It was tough on my family."
There is a scene in Life In A Metro, where Nafisa Ali's character dies in an ambulance, in a traffic jam: "I thought this was going to happen to me, when I was being shifted from Lilavati [Hospital] to Tata [Memorial Centre]."
This was also the time Basu was in the midst of a film called Tumsa Nahin Dekha (2004, starring Hashmi, Dia Mirza). But the film, as he says, was all in his head. And he was struggling for life. Each day, he would relay instructions recorded into a dictaphone from his hospital bed, to keep the shoot going.
The treatment, of course, carried on for a couple of years: "I had become really thin; had my mask on. There were hospital bills to recover, with treatment in the ICU that had gone on for really long. There was a survival issue, with regard to money. I went to my old television colleagues at Zee and Sony, and they gave me shows to do. I had no film. So, it was back to square one. I did television for over a year."
He got on a film-set finally with Gangster: "I also had Life In A Metro to make. But decided that I may as well be with Vishesh Films at the point. [Producer] Mukesh ji used to carry a sanitiser in his bag, yell at me if I wasn't being careful. They were not greedy; they were careful about my health. They asked me to wait, and I didn't want to."
A close brush with death, one presumes, changes man forever. I ask Basu if he sees it that way - a before and after, as it were: "My rights and wrongs are the same. But I have become less cynical about things, I'm more positive."
On an observable plane, he concludes, "That is [also] when I decided to turn producer. [Life In A] Metro happened because of that. I thought, when I make movies, I should also make money. It is important to keep money for your family."
When I was signed for Boni, I was thrilled I did not have to go to college-Kriti Kharbanda
8:36 AM
As told to Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 14, 2020)
I shot my first ad at the age of five and loved being in front of the camera. I went on to act in my college’s dramatic society but since I come from a conservative family, I was focused on completing my studies and getting married. But a billboard of a supermarket chain I was promoting, caught the eye of filmmaker Raj Pippalla who was in Chennai to find a heroine for his next, the Telugu film Boni. I got a call, went for the audition and was selected. My parents were behind me and I signed up. I was thrilled I was being paid money in advance, was getting to play another girl, learn a new language and best of all, did not have to go to college.
In the film, I plan my own kidnapping. My first shot was in a stationary van with green screens. It felt strange. More so because during the shot, people were shaking the van till my director explained things to me. I had just turned 18 and was wearing a branded pink top with blue jeans and a scarf. I couldn’t afford such costly clothes in real life so it felt great to be wearing that. I took that top home with me as a keepsake. I still have it.
My entry in Hindi films also happened by accident. I was in Mumbai for an ad shoot when my talent agency told me that Mukesh Bhatt wanted to meet me. He had seen my work down South and wanted to cast me in Raaz: Reboot. He didn’t want an audition, just wanted to give me a narration. I was humbled by the respect he showed. We had a reading the same day while Vikram (Bhatt, director) sir was in the next room. When he came in, I asked him if he wanted to take my audition and he said he could already see his Shaina in me, now, it was for me to decide. I asked for some time and flew back home that night. I spoke to my parents and two days later, signed the contract.
We started out with Emraan (Hashmi) and me shooting the song “Yaad Hai Na” in a haunted castle. It was minus 4 degrees. There was a dialogue leading to the song and while saying it, the language felt alien because till then I had been memorising my lines in Telugu or Kannada and suddenly Hindi was so effortless. I missed all the preparation.
But I quickly realised that here, I could improvise, and was focusing more on what to eat rather than my lines. After the first take, Vikram sir walked up to me, put his hand on my head and said I had done it really well. And that wasn’t all, after a scene, which had me standing in front of a fogged-up mirror in a towel, which I clean up to look at myself, he came all the way to my vanity van and said that he had been directing for a long time and that shot was one of the best he had ever seen. “I am proud to say that I have found you,” his words still resonate. South taught me dedication to my craft, in Hindi films, I found my passion.
Kriti Kharbanda with Emraan Hashmi in Raaz: Reboot; The actress in Boni (left)
"Love can’t be just one-sided": Kumar Sanu reacts to his son Jaan’s allegations against him
7:58 AM
The veteran singer talks about his son’s recent comments on how he has not been there for the family after his divorce from Jaan’s mother
Debarati Sen (BOMBAY TIMES; November 24, 2020)
The veteran singer shared, “The court had given custody of our three children to her because they were quite young. She has raised them single-handedly, which is commendable. I used to meet them under restrictions for a limited time. Later, after I remarried, I moved out of India because I did not have much work in Mumbai. But whenever I visited India, I would get in touch with my sons (Jessy, Jeeko and Jaan). We went out for dinner a few times. They were busy with their lives, but whenever they contacted me, I would try to be available if I was in Mumbai. We were in touch over calls. My work is such that I can never be in one place for a long duration. I can’t even stay with my wife Saloni and my two daughters for a long span of time, as I have to travel all over the world for concerts.”
One of the allegations that Jaan made was that his father never helped him in his career. Jaan told BT, “I have no idea why he never supported or promoted me as a singer… you can ask him why. I find it quite silly when people say I am a product of nepotism. I have created my own path.”
Reacting to this, Kumar Sanu said, “Jaan would send me songs and ask me what I thought about his singing. I have always encouraged him, and I always will. He asked me to call a few industry people who I know. I called Mukesh Bhatt ji, Ramesh Taurani ji and a few others, and Jaan went to meet them, but now it’s up to them if they want to give him work. In fact, when Jaan wanted to be a part of some of my live concerts, I let him join me for a few.”
Talking about his son’s comment on his mother bringing him up single-handedly, Kumar Sanu said, “I’ve heard him say in his interviews and also in Bigg Boss that his mother is his mom and dad for him. I appreciate his respect for his mom, and I believe in giving even more respect to his mother. He should write his name as Jaan Rita Bhattacharya, not Jaan Kumar Sanu because, firstly, she has done a lot for him, and secondly, people will compare him with me, which won’t be good for him as a newcomer. I’d be the happiest father to see him successful.” He added, “Recently, when I tested positive for Coronavirus, I was all alone. I was so weak and sick that I couldn’t go to the washroom by myself, but none of my sons bothered to ask about my health. Love can’t be just one-sided; it’s always two ways.”
— With inputs from Tanvi Trivedi
Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt file Rs 1 crore defamation suit against actor Luviena Lodh
8:39 AM
Swati Deshpande (THE TIMES OF INDIA; October 27, 2020)
Mumbai: In part interim relief for film makers Mahesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt, Bombay High Court (HC) on Monday restrained actor Luviena Lodh from making and circulating any defamatory statements against them. Justice Anil Menon passed the interim order after recording Lodh’s lawyer Prashant Pandey’s statement that she had neither made nor would make any defamatory statements against the Bhatts.
The Bhatt brothers filed a civil suit in HC, seeking damages of Rs 2 crore from Lodh over alleged defamatory statements and an “unconditional apology’’ from her. The HC, however, passed no interim order at this stage for removal of a video which Bhatts’ alleged was defamatory against them, and gave Lodh three weeks to file a reply to the suit.
The Bhatts, through their counsel Venkatesh Dhond with Ameet Naik had sought urgent orders for its deletion and removal from social media online.
Pandey said that Lodh stands by her video and also added that she “fears for her life”.
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MUMBAI MIRROR (October 27, 2020)
Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and his brother Mukesh Bhatt on Monday filed a defamation suit in the Bombay High Court against actor Luviena Lodh for making defamatory, slanderous and false allegations against them. The Bhatts have sought Rs 1 crore in damages from Lodh and also an order restraining her from making any such false claims in future.
Lodh, through her lawyer Prashant Pandey, assured the HC that she will not make any defamatory statements about them going forward. She, however, said that she stands by the “alleged defamatory” statements directed towards her husband.
Justice A K Menon directed her not to make any defamatory statements against them and also restrained her from further circulating the video uploaded on Instagram. The judge, however, refused to direct Lodh to remove the offending video from her Instagram account.
In the video, Lodh, who is fighting a matrimonial dispute with her husband Sumit Sabharwal, had alleged that he is Mahesh Bhatt’s nephew, and in the business of supplying drugs to actors and involved in human trafficking. She also alleged that Bhatt was aware of this.
Targeting Bengali women over Sushant Singh Rajput’s death is distasteful-Babul Supriyo
7:15 PM
Ruman Ganguly (BOMBAY TIMES; August 12, 2020)
Ever since allegations against Rhea Chakraborty in the Sushant Singh Rajput case surfaced, trolls have been targeting Bengali women. Actor and singer Babul Supriyo, MoS Environment, Forest and Climate Change, calls them distasteful, and talks about why he believes the case should be investigated by the CBI. Excerpts:
Many of your colleagues from politics and entertainment have had a say in the Sushant Singh Rajput case. When did you start following the case and what is your primary source of information?
There’s no primary source of information. I’m following the case in the media like everyone else. His death shook us all. He came across as a smiling young boy from a small town, trying to gain a foothold in the industry, though I didn’t know him personally. I believe in logic and there’s no logical reason so far to believe that he died by suicide. How come his so-called close friends had no idea about his mental state? The nepotism debate is valid, but it’s diverting the narrative of the case. There are too many unanswered questions around his death. I’m happy that the CBI has taken over the investigation.
A fallout of the case has been the hate campaign targeting Bengali women, who have been labelled ‘gold diggers’, ‘witches’ and ‘opportunists’. How do you respond to this?
Extremely unfortunate and distasteful! I think these people are mentally sick. How disgusting is it to single out Bengali women after this tragic incident? What is the connection? Why the stereotyping? Discussing the good and ugly sides of how Bollywood functions is fine, but attributing that to Sushant’s death is misleading. The focus should rather be to see if there is some criminal activity around the circumstances that led to his death and the death itself. The super talented Alia Bhatt got trolled because of the unnecessary comments made by Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt. There was no need for Mahesh Bhatt to compare Sushant Singh with Parveen Babi and if Mukesh Bhatt “saw it coming”, why didn’t he help? Would he have helped if Sushant was an insider? That’s where the insider-outsider debate comes in.
How do you respond to the insider-outsider debate that was fuelled by SSR’s death? Did you find it difficult to gain a toehold in Bollywood?
This debate is necessary, but here it seems to only divert focus away from the actual case. Nepotism does exist in Bollywood like in other corporate worlds. But talent ultimately rules or else we wouldn’t have Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and Ranveer Singh or Kareena Kapoor Khan and Alia Bhatt. Bollywood invests in talent as they expect high returns from them. True sons and daughters of biggies get an easy launch or even a second chance unlike outsiders, but they survive only if they have talent. I’ve had a roller-coaster ride and it wasn’t meant to be anything different. I don’t believe in glorifying struggle. I have a white board in my bedroom in Mumbai where it is written, ‘You have to be your own godfather’, and I want my daughter, who has Bollywood aspirations, to believe in that, too.
Given the constant call for boycotting producers and actors — many of whom would be your colleagues as well — what is your stand on the issue?
I don’t believe in boycott hashtags. One is always innocent until proven otherwise. Now the CBI has taken over the case, so let us wait and watch whether this is about mental health or nepotism or more.
After the initial scare when you isolated yourself, you tested negative for Coronavirus and got back to work...
I am back to normal life with a bang! But, I worked more during my quarantine period as I was confined to my room and no one disturbed me at all there. I tried to enjoy the isolation as much as possible by introspecting, reading, writing, working out and playing the piano.
With no clarity on reopening of theatres, a large number of films are set to take the digital route
8:30 AM
Prashant Singh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 30, 2020)
It’s no secret that Coronavirus has hit the economy hard. But one sector seems to have bucked the trend and is actually flourishing – the OTT sale [of Hindi films] in India. With theatres closed since March-end, many Bollywood films have gone straight to streaming platforms. The ‘official’ list includes Gulabo Sitabo, Shakuntala Devi, Dil Bechara, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl and Ghoomketu.But a handful of films such as Rohit Shetty’s Sooryavanshi starring Akshay Kumar and the Kabir Khan-directed ’83 featuring Ranveer Singh are still sticking to the ‘70mm first’ policy. “Sure, these are difficult times, but certain films deserve the big screen experience. However, this is not to say that we are against the OTT culture. As far as Sooryavanshi and ’83 are concerned, we’re ready to wait till the end of the year. If things aren’t better by then, we will see what to do. Every one of us – Ranveer, Akshay, the directors – are on the same page,” says Shibasish Sarkar, group chief executive officer, content, digital and gaming, Reliance Entertainment.
Other films unlikely to go the OTT way for now include Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai, Coolie No 1, Jayeshbhai Jordaar, Bunty Aur Babli 2, Brahmastra and Maidaan. “Right now the box office may be zero, but I strongly feel the charm of the big screen isn’t going anywhere. There may be a pause but I’m sure the theatre business will be back with a bang,” contends exhibitor-distributor Akshaye Rathi.
Meanwhile, there’s a long line-up of films believed to be set for an OTT premiere. And it includes Kumar’s Laxmmi Bomb, Ajay Devgn-starrer Bhuj: The Pride of India, The Big Bull, Sadak 2, Khuda Haafiz and Lootcase. Some others that may also hit OTT screens first are Chhalaang, Ludo, Jhund, Khaali Peeli, Mimi, Indoo Ki Jawani, Roohi Afzana and Shershaah.While Sadak 2 producer Mukesh Bhatt feels he is “compelled” to go on a digital platform first as that’s the “best I can do to survive”, Maidaan maker Boney Kapoor says, “OTT platforms can be a big blessing [for producers whose films are ready] as they can easily recover their investments.” Trade analyst Taran Adarsh explains: “This is just a phase, it shall pass too. How long can a producer wait especially if it’s not clear when cinema halls will open again? Having said that, the magic of the big screen will never fade. So, let’s not lose hope.”
Kapoor adds, “In the long run, there will be enough and more content once theatres reopen.”
STREAMING SOON ON AN OTT SCREEN
- Laxmmi Bomb
- Sadak 2
- Shakuntala Devi
- Dil Bechara
- Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl
- Bhuj: The Pride of India
WAITING FOR THE BIG SCREEN AT A THEATRE NEAR YOU
- Sooryavanshi
- ’83
- Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai
- Laal Singh Chaddha
- Coolie No. 1
- Maidaan (All release plans are subject to change)
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