MUMBAI MIRROR (December 18, 2019)

Film and theatre great Shriram Lagoo — whose filmography scintillates with prolific Marathi and Hindi titles — breathed his last at his residence in Pune last night. He was 92 years old. Lagoo was afflicted with Parkinson’s disease since last few years. Lagoo was born in Satara on November 16, 1927. He turned to acting in 1972 and worked in over 100 movies and plays. Remembered as ‘Natsamrat’, after he played the protagonist in the play of the same name written by Kusumagraj, his career is embossed with such titles, setting a high bar for generations to come.

Lagoo went on to play prolific roles like that of Surya Pahilela Manus based on Socrates and made his presence felt in films like Saamna, Sinhasan and Pinjara. He played the character of Gopal Krishna Gokhale in Richard Attenborough’s film Gandhi.

Lagoo was a rationalist and worked with Narendra Dabholkar. A proclaimed atheist, he has supported Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti and wrote essays titled ‘It is time to retire God’. Lagoo is remembered by his contemporaries for his unwavering persona.

Noted playwright Satish Alekar said, “He always supported us during crucial times. His would take a clear stand on many issues — and would often ensure that we got to perform even the controversial plays.”

In his twilight years, as Parkinson’s firmed its grip on his health, he had to stay away from the limelight. This year, he even had to skip the Tanveer Sanman programme — an award that Lagoo and his wife had started in the memory of their late son Tanveer.

On Tuesday, he returned home in Karve Nagar after an evening outing on his wheelchair. After he had his dinner, he collapsed and was rushed to the hospital.

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said, “My tributes to the all-time great artiste Shriram Lagoo. We lost a versatile personality. He was a unique theatre actor, who dominated silver screen and created an impact. He was a social activist as well.”

Cultural minister of Maharashtra Subhash Desai said, “We have lost a person who took Marathi theatre and acting to new heights.”

Lagoo is survived by his wife and son. His last rites will be performed on Thursday after his son arrives from the US.

Playwright Ramu Ramanathan said: “Dr Lagoo was a true professional. One example of that was how in a single day, he would perform the lead roles of Natsamrat in the morning, Himalaychi Savli in the afternoon, and Gidhadhe in the night. It is an extraordinary testimony to his stamina and mental alertness.”

Actor Om Katare said he was in awe of Lagoo. “I have watched Natsamrat though I’m not fluent in Marathi. His acting left me speechless,” Katare said.

Inputs: Reema Gehi

Filmmaker on his kids’ B’wood plans, another collaboration with the actor, why he is more low-key than his peers and his next, an ode to The Godfather
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 24, 2018)

While Mahesh Manjrekar has featured in several Salman Khan-starrers, including Ready, Jai Ho, Bodyguard and the two Dabangg films, his long-time friendship with the 52-year-old actor transcends the screen. The filmmaker has been among the first responders every time Salman hit a low, while the actor took his son, Satya Manjrekar, under his wings early on. Now, he is working on launching Mahesh’s daughter, Ashwami.

The National Award-winning filmmaker confirms the news, saying, “Yes, Salman is launching my daughter. It will happen in some time. We’ll cross the bridge when we get to it.” He describes his friend as the “most warm-hearted person in the industry,” adding, “We have always bonded well. Salman is the most rooted person I have come across, a complete middle-class man in his head. He knows that I am not in awe of him, and that makes our bond special.”

The duo was to reunite for the Hindi remake of Mahesh’s 2010 Marathi directorial, Shikshanacha Aaicha Gho, with him as the director, and Salman as producer. But Mahesh reveals that the project is on hold for now. “For the lead, Salman wanted Govinda, who had apprehensions about the role, so things didn’t work out,” he reveals, addressing the film’s similarity to the Irrfan Khan-starrer Hindi Medium. “Our remake was planned much before Hindi Medium released. We will make it in the future as this subject is close to my heart. I honestly think our education system sucks,” he asserts.

Mahesh is gearing up for the release of his next, Bhai: Vyakti Ki Valli, the biopic of renowned Marathi writer-humourist P L Deshpande, structured as a two-film franchise with both films releasing 45 days apart. He acknowledges the risks of splitting a film in two but explains that when they started shooting, they realised it is not possible to capture Deshpande’s life in two hours, hence the decision to make it in two parts. “I don’t really think about numbers while making a film. The films will release in succession as I don’t want my audience to forget the world of this man. I have faith in their love for P L Deshpande and confident that they would like the film,” he maintains, adding that Deshpande is known for his wit, so obviously his film has a lot of humour. “But its real USP is that the protagonist is not a larger-than-life person,” he points out, adding that he hopes film writers won’t make a mess of the biopic genre. “We are 20 years behind Hollywood and slowly getting out of the hero-heroine-villain-vamp templates. We have realised that there are many good stories to be told.”

He may have delivered some acclaimed titles as a director in Bollywood, but he remains a low-key name. Mahesh attributes it to a lack of a good PR. “I prefer my films to do the talking and I am proud of my work,” he states, acknowledging that the industry thrives on box office numbers. “I don’t have the figures to make headlines. I am happy to direct the films I love, and I would want to be remembered for my films and not the numbers.”

Mahesh, whose 2000 Tabu-starrer Astitva won a National Award for Best Feature Film, believes that his Marathi directorial Natsamrat, featuring Nana Patekar, and Kakshparsh, with Sachin Khedekar, also deserved the prestigious prize. “But the jury don’t seem to like me. If not the film, Nana definitely deserved to win,” he avers.

True to his low-key form, Mahesh informs that he recently wrapped up his next Hindi film, which is on the lines of The Godfather. “It was a dream to direct this film since early 2000s. I finally got it out of my system. It is a big film with prominent stars and it is an ode to Godfather,” he says, refusing to divulge more. 

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; December 9, 2018)

Four years ago, Riteish Deshmukh made his debut in Marathi cinema as a producer with Lai Bhaari. His maiden venture went on to do over Rs 40 crore business at the box office. Proud of his Marathi legacy, the actor returns to the same space with Mauli. He tells After Hrs why there has been a long gap between both the movies, how he strikes a balance between regional and Hindi cinema as well as his learnings as a producer. Excerpts…

Would you say that Lai Bhaari is instrumental in changing people’s perception towards Marathi cinema? 
Let’s not give Lai Bhaari that credit. It all started with films like Shwaas (2004) and Harishchandrachi Factory (2009), which won the National Award and were selected as India’s official entries to the Oscars. That’s when people started noticing the kind of content that was being generated in the Marathi industry. There are two parameters for films — content and commerce. But when the numbers started coming in, things changed. It began with Balak Palak (2013) which made Rs 12 crore. Then came Duniyadari that raked in Rs 25 crore. In 2015, Timepass 2 did around Rs 30 crore and after that, Lai Bhaari broke the Rs 40 crore mark as it had action and drama. So, Marathi industry was not only producing content but also making good numbers.

Natsamrat, which released in 2016, set the cash registers ringing with Rs 50 crore. Three months later, Sairat managed to cross the Rs 90 crore mark at the box office. Rs 90 crore in Marathi is almost like a Rs 300-400 crore film in Hindi. No Hindi movie, barring Baahubali, has done that much business in Maharashtra. Interestingly, all these flicks that have done these numbers opened in the same range of Rs 2-3 crore. So, now the aim is to increase the opening figures. But how do we do that? Do we increase shows? Because then, Hindi films will also take these shows up. So, it’s a double fight.

Regional and Hindi cinema fighting for screens has always been the case...
Yes, and it will continue to be so. There’s nothing bad with that. Everyone wants the best for their films. Now, it’s up to the audience to watch whatever they want to. But the only thing is that the other person should at least get a decent opportunity to showcase. Opportunity is an issue here.

You even moved your film, as a sign of love and respect for Shah Rukh Khan’s Zero...
Shah Rukh is doing the biggest movie of his career, in terms of production, and it’s an amazing film that he’s bringing to life. Mauli is the biggest film that my production house is making. The scales are completely different, and so are the budgets. I was releasing it on December 21 because it’s the holiday season. Initially, Total Dhamaal was supposed to open in cinemas on December 7. So, I wanted to keep a two-week gap between both my movies. With Total Dhamaal shifting to February 2019, I realised that if Mauli releases along with Zero, the business of both the movies would get affected. That’s when I decided that my Marathi movie should hit the marquee a week earlier. So, it has worked out well for Shah Rukh and me. And I’m glad we could do so for each other’s betterment.

What took you four years to come back with Mauli?
We were planning to release it sooner. We had developed it and announced it. However, later, we realised it’s not what it should be. After that, I got busy.

Does it become difficult to juggle between the two industries?
It is difficult but the responsibility I have for my Marathi films and productions is much more. I have to sit on everything — right from the font of the poster to whose name will be placed where. In the case of my Hindi films Housefull or Dhamaal franchise, I only have to do my photoshoots and promote the film. Life as a producer is challenging, engaging and extremely gratifying. It’s amazing to see how a script comes to fruition.

Is Mauli a takeaway from Lai Bhaari?
No, it’s not a part two. It’s a different story. But the essence and the premise remains the same.

People are increasingly remaking Marathi films in other languages… 
There’s a certain sense of recognition today. Cinema and entertainment will soon be language agnostic. I’m watching a Spanish series with subtitles on my TV and enjoying it as it’s exciting. Mumbai is a true cosmopolitan city in the country where statistically 35 per cent of the population is Marashtrian while the remaining constitutes people from different corners. When a film becomes the talk-of-the-town, everyone gets excited to go and watch it. The non-Marathi speaking audience has also started watching our films, which is a great boon to our industry.

Have you ever thought of dubbing Mauli in Hindi and releasing it across India?
No, because if I had thought that way, I would have made it in Hindi. One should not confuse the basic core reason behind creating a movie. And that’s your audience. A Hindi version will take away a lot from the way I wanted to make the Marathi movie. Dubbing is an option. Mauli and Lai Bhaari both can be remade as great Hindi films too. But as of now, let’s see what happens.

Lai Bhaari was a huge success. So, the expectations from this film are quite high. Are you feeling the pressure? 
No. Lai Bhaari, Sairat and other films were loved by the audience and that’s why they fared so well at the box office. If Mauli has to do the same business as Lai Bhaari, it has to be appreciated by viewers. Because of my debut Marathi film, I got the courage to make Mauli a bigger film in terms of budget, scale, action and songs. But if you think I’m looking at a business more than Lai Bhaari, then no, I can’t gauge that right now. Box office figures don’t matter, people’s reactions do. If people connect to the film, it will do good. Unfortunately, today we’re only discussing collections, which are immaterial. In recent times, smaller films have done Rs 100-crore business solely because of their strong connect.

Khan leads the brigade of men not afraid to show emotion. Here's a catalogue of sad movies that make him cry...
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 18, 2016)


DIL DHADAKNE DO
The first sighting of the waterworks was registered when the 51-year-old actor exited a private screening of Zoya Akhtar's 2015 summer release, Dil Dhadakne Do. Aamir pulled cast member Anil Kapoor in a bear hug and planted a peck on his cheek after brushing away tears. The film turned out to be a hit.


BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN
He was better prepared for Kabir Khan's Salman-starrer Eid release, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, turning up with a big brown towel that came in handy at the end of the show. He went on to rave about Bhai's turn in the film, hailing it as his best ever, in a 20-minute interaction with the media outside the venue. "That little girl, Harshaali Malhotra, has done a fabulous, commendable job... Her expression..." he went on, rubbing his red eyes some more...


KATTI BATTI
Aamir's sobs clearly didn't bode well for Nikhil Advani's romance-drama featuring nephew Imran Khan and Kangana Ranaut which tanked miserably at the box office. A week before its release, Aamir is said to have cried by the bucket watching the film.


NATSAMRAT
The Nana Patekar-starrer Marathi film about a retired thespian made Aamir choke up too. "I saw Natsamrat last night. What a film and what an amazing performance by Nana, truly. A must watch for all who love performances," he had tweeted. Interestingly it was the same day when he had got emotional at a brand launch while recounting instances of brutalities he'd come across while filming his TV show, Satyamev Jayate. Just when we thought he was all cried out!


NEERJA
This time, Aamir was joined by audiences across India as Ram Madhvani-directed Sonam Kapoor-starrer unfolded in front of their eyes. A source from the screening revealed that the actor could be heard sobbing even outside the theatre. He even found company in wife Kiran Rao who admitted to never having been so moved by a film before.


KAPOOR AND SONS
It hardly came as a surprise when Aamir emerged out of the screening of Shakun Batra's newest directorial outing wiping his eyes with his shirt.

Gaurav Dubey (MID-DAY; March 15, 2016)

Seems like Bollywood baddie Prakash Raj cannot have enough of Nana Patekar. After signing the veteran actor for his directorial debut — a remake of Telugu film Un Samayal Arayil — Prakash is apparently keen to give a Southern spin to Nana’s recent Marathi blockbuster, Natsamrat.

A source says, “Prakash watched the film and was moved. He loved it so much that he has now bought the rights for the Tamil remake. He will take the film on floors soon.”

Natsamrat, helmed by Mahesh Manjrekar, was based on late poet VV Shirwadkar Marathi play of the same name. Nana played the role of Ganpat Ramchandra Belwalkar or Natsamrat. The story revolved around a veteran theatre actor who has been the best of his lot, acting in plays based on William Shakespeare’s works. But gradually, Natsamrat becomes homeless and weary.

Prakash remained unavailable while a source close to him confirms the story, saying, “Yes, Prakash has bought the rights to Natsamrat and wants to direct it and act in it too. Currently, the script is being reworked to suit the sensibilities of the South audience and once things are finalised, an official announcement will be made.”

Lakshmi V (BOMBAY TIMES; January 1, 2016)