Three years after Gadar 2, director Anil Sharma has officially begun work on his next action entertainer, Arjun Naga. The film went on floors on Sunday (May 17) with its cast and crew attending the special event. According to a source close to the production, the team moved into its first major schedule soon after the launch.

“The mahurat happened on Sunday at Royal Palms with the entire core team present. A few scenes were also shot on the first day itself. From Monday (May 18) onwards, the unit has started filming an elaborate song sequence choreographed by Ganesh Acharya,” the insider revealed.

The song, mounted on a grand scale, is currently being shot in Goregaon and is said to be among the film’s first big set-pieces. The film stars Utkarsh Sharma in the lead, while Arjun Rampal has been cast as the primary antagonist. However, the actor was not part of the mahurat schedule and is expected to join the shoot shortly.

There is also industry chatter around the The Rajasaab fame, Nidhhi Agerwal being cast as the female lead, though the makers are yet to officially confirm her involvement.

On Sunday, actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s security were forced to create a human chain around her, after fans broke barricades to click a selfie with her at a store inauguration in Hyderabad. Last Wednesday, Hyderabad Police booked a mall and the event’s organizers after actor Nidhhi Agerwal was mobbed and manhandled by fans while trying to leave the venue. On November 30, actor Dhanush had to step in to save his co-star Kriti Sanon from being mobbed by an overenthusiastic crowd at a screening of their film in Mumbai.

The list of celebrities being mobbed seems to keep growing, with negligence being highlighted.

So, why do such lapses happen, despite the organizers having prior knowledge about the presence of public figures and anticipation of a large crowd? Security experts and industry insiders weigh in on the concerning issue.

At events like in colleges, we employ 20 bouncers, but the numbers don’t matter as much as smartness. Once the celeb is on stage, we never disclose their exit venue, or else people start crowding the gates. That seems to be what happened in recent cases.

I visit the event location to figure out security and do recce myself. There’s always plan A and a secret plan B for situations like mobbing. With female celebs especially, zyaada dhyaan rakhna padta hai.

The only issue here is that people try to save a little money. And security is about brains more than brawn. With female celebs, it is trickier, not just in India but worldwide. The negative intentions of some people towards a female star is more.

In 2013 in Gurugram, I had to literally run away with hundreds chasing me. Such incidents are traumatising. It comes as a part of the profession, but it is scary and affects you for years. I am not saying organisers don’t do their bit, but then things go out of hand.

A case has been filed after actor Nidhhi Agerwal was mobbed and manhandled by crowds during a song launch at a mall in Hyderabad on Wednesday evening.

The event, organized to unveil the track Sahana Sahana from Prabhas-starrer The RajaSaab, was organized without obtaining proper permissions, an official told PTI. The case has been registered against the management of the mall as well as the organizers.

Trouble erupted as the event drew to a close, and Nidhhi was surrounded by people while attempting to enter her car outside the mall. Videos circulating on social media show the visibly shaken actor struggling to move through the crowd as several individuals jostle and push towards her despite the presence of security personnel.

The actor did not react to the incident till the time of going to press.

Munna Michael (2017) may not have given Nidhhi Agerwal a blockbuster debut in Bollywood, but she has since built a strong career in Tamil and Telugu cinema. The actor, who is now looking forward to the release of Hari Hara Veera Mallu, is pleased at how a shift to Telugu cinema has benefited her immensely.

“It has been an amazing learning because I’m getting to play roles that I could only dream of, in Telugu films.”

With many of Bollywood’s leading ladies—from Priyanka Chopra to Deepika Padukone and Kiara Advani—being south-bound recently, there has been a discourse about how they take home fatter pay cheques in regional cinema compared to Bollywood. Mention this to Agerwal, and she asserts that her decision was not influenced by monetary gains.

“I chose to be a part of the Telugu film industry before Baahubali [2015] released. I’m not doing it as a calculated move,” she explains, before adding, “It’s not like you’ll get paid more in Telugu and less in Hindi. You get the pay depending on the production.”

Gender pay gap has been an ongoing discourse in Bollywood, with many female actors questioning the practice. But Agerwal believes pay disparity has another aspect of gender at play.

“I don’t know if it’s about gender. The root cause is that male actors have 50-year careers. They work till they are 50-55, even 70! So, they have a huge following. But women are not given that much time to establish themselves. They are labelled a certain way after they turn 30-32. If a heroine and a hero are given the same opportunity, they’d get the same opening and nobody would mind paying them the same amount.”

After Munna Michael in 2017, Nidhhi Agerwal hasn’t been seen in any Hindi film. But she continues to do a lot of work in Tamil and Telugu cinema. Ask the actor if it’s because she gets better roles there, and she agrees. “For me, yes. I have been active in the south for the last three years, and not been in Mumbai much to meet new people and get stuff. I am currently shooting for my Telugu and Tamil films, and been constantly doing that for the last three months. I am really happy with the usual stuff, workout, meetings and shoots,” Agerwal says.

What is it about south films that differentiates them from Hindi films for her — apart from, of course, the language? The 27-year-old replies, “I am just happy working in films. It’s not about the language; it just happened that my career there took off fast. Going to a set every morning, meeting creative minds keeps me satisfied.”

While Savyasachi (2018) and iSmart Shankar (2019) figure among her Telugu films, Bhoomi and Eeswaran were her Tamil ventures. However, despite hailing from Bengaluru, Agerwal is yet to be seen in a Kannada film. She confesses that she is not too fluent in the language. “In school, I had Hindi as a language subject. I learnt Tamil and Telugu. If something really nice comes to me in Kannada, I will be open to doing it. I am surprisingly good at catching languages. Maybe I will be good at it,” she shares.

Coming back to her stint in Bollywood, the actor makes it clear that she won’t sign just about any film. “I am just waiting for something really nice, because I came in with such a big film. I don’t want to do a film just for the sake of being active in the Hindi film industry. I am doing some great work in the south, and a lot of time, dates are the issue. Since I am already committed there, I don’t have time to do something when it comes up, but I will be doing something very soon in Hindi as well,” she says.

The failure of his directorial debut may have been a setback of sorts, but the experience taught Sabbir Khan a few valuable lessons about the industry and its ruthlessness. It also made him a man who knows his mind. On the eve of the release of his next, Munna Michael, Sabbir talks to BT about how a film's box-office fate doesn't affect him, how he only pays heed to constructive criticism and why he'd never make a 'pseudo-intellectual' film. Excerpts...

All your previous films were for the same banner. Munna Michael is your first project outside it and many perceive it as your litmus test. Agree?
Would you look at a painting and call it the artist's litmus test? No one has a 100 per cent record, but everyone's intention is the same - to make an interesting film. I know that the industry is a ruthless place and only success is worshipped, but these things have never affected me. I'm not nervous or anxious about the outcome of Munna Michael. A story excited me and I set out to make it, that's all. The only time I am under pressure is when I am choosing a story. I am particular about it being interesting and universal.

Commercial cinema thrives on the universality of content. But don't you think it's a tad difficult to pinpoint what is universal and what isn't?
My math is simple: Can everyone watch what I'm making as a filmmaker or is it targeted at a select subset? At its core, Munna Michael is about fulfilling your dreams. Almost everyone can relate to that. We're all caught up with something while we have some other dreams. I grew up watching films in theatres that housed a thousand people, and everyone would react the same way - for me, that is the universality of content; it has become the basis of my filmmaking. I can't narrate stories in a dry or dull manner. I can't make biopics or pseudo-intellectual fare just to be taken seriously as a director.

Do you agree that the days of typical Bollywood commercial films are numbered?
Nothing in life disappears. Fashion, films, food...Everything is reinvented and presented with a relevant perspective. This is the golden age of Indian cinema, where compelling stories narrated beautifully have taken precedence over everything, including the star system that was the norm in the 80s and 90s. Having said that, Hindi cinema has its unique identity and that shouldn't be lost while we're trying to be different. While we're aiming to be unique, we shouldn't ape a Korean, Hollywood or a French film and add a Hindi subtext. We must find ways to keep our identity as an industry intact while narrating stories in diverse ways with a fresh set of actors. No one has a formula for surefire success. Creativity and sincerity are the only way forward.

Masala films are often accused of giving their heroines a raw deal while focusing entirely on the hero...
(Cuts in) Yes, uneducated, non-liberated film writers and directors should be blamed for that. Also, this question would have been more relevant a few years ago when that was prevalent. As a director, I have always kept my stories real and characters balanced. Munna Michael belongs to Tiger, but it's also Nidhhi's film. I don't accept or encourage stories where the girl is nothing more than a cardboard. Shraddha Kapoor, Kriti Sanon and even Nidhhi will vouch for that.

Munna Michael and Baaghi ran into legal issues despite all your sincerity and effort. Does that demoralize you as a filmmaker?
It doesn't; I believe in our judiciary and the systems that the industry has set up. There were cases when we announced Munna Michael, but I was never scared. My team and I work on the screenplay for months to bring something novel to the audience. So, the best way out is to submit the script before the court and the result will be for everyone to see. But yes, these episodes irk me. There are a few who are interested in making films and there are some who do this for free publicity.

How much does criticism impact your work?
Constructive criticism helps. For example, after my first film, a critic had pointed out that the use of the word 'bitch' was not right. My screenplay writer and dialogue writer were girls who had no problem with the word, but I understood what the critic meant. I consciously became more careful since then. What upsets me is the lack of research and stereotyping mainstream directors. To quote another example, a critic accused me of plagiarism after my last outing. When the studio pointed out that film is an official adaptation, a fact that was never hidden from the press, the said critic took to social media to say that she 'was just informed by the studio that the film is an official adaptation'. No apology was tendered to me. Even the review was not retracted.

After a star-studded first film (Kambakkht Ishq), was it a conscious decision to choose newcomers for your later projects?
I was secretly praying to make Heropanti with new faces because I knew that if stars came on board, they might not place their trust in me. I also thought that making the film with newbies would bring larger glory to everyone involved. Today, I prefer to work with a mix of established actors and new faces, the way I have done with Munna Michael. Despite being a star, Nawazuddin Siddiqui doesn't behave like one. I've realised that I can't work with people who have baggage. Besides, I know how tough it is to get a break in any stream in Bollywood; I've slogged for years as an assistant. I'm a middle-class guy whose father was in this industry. I know how the cookie crumbles.

Why did you opt out of Baaghi 2?
After Baaghi, I was approached to do the sequel and the contract was sent home, but there was no concept or a script. It takes almost a year to structure a screenplay. By then, Tiger and I had plunged into Munna Michael. It would be unfair on my part to think that they would wait for me, but my best wishes are with the team.

Ahmed Khan, who is directing Baaghi 2, has worked with you as a choreographer. Any exchanges with him?
Nope. Honestly, I didn't expect it also. He was on my set one day and I treated him well. I realise the value of a break, especially when you are making a comeback.

Nidhhi Agerwal is all set to make her Bollywood debut with the Tiger Shroff-Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer, Munna Michael. And, it has been no cakewalk. The Bengaluru-based model, who had never even been on a film set before, says that she learnt everything on the job. In a candid chat, she holds forth on how commercial actors are not given their due and why critics shouldn't be quick to judge her. Excerpts...

Were you keen on making your Bollywood debut with a commercial film like Munna Michael?
Initially, I didn't think much because I didn't have that many options; I jumped at whatever I got. My role in Munna Michael is fantastic and so is the script. Also, the canvas of the film is huge. Since it's a commercial movie, it will help me reach out to a large audience. I was lucky that they wanted a newcomer. With co-actors like Tiger and Nawazuddin, it's a dream launch for me; I am acting and dancing with the best talent in the industry. Having said that, it's not that I want to do only commercial films. People forget that it's difficult to act in commercial films, too. I think actors who do commercial cinema don't get enough credit. Running around trees, looking good while doing it and doing it with conviction is tough. It might seem stupid, but it's difficult nonetheless. I get affected when people say how tough can it be? Sitting in a room without make-up is easier.

You come from a non-film background. Is there any particular actress whose career graph you want to follow?
One person who inspires me a lot is Deepika Padukone. It could be because we both are from Bengaluru, but, I don't want to replicate anybody's career. Instead, I want the best of everyone's career. I have grown up watching Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Rani Mukerji and Abhishek Bachchan - all their films have influenced me. Even as a kid, I wanted to be on screen, but my parents wanted me to complete my education and then venture into any field of my choice. They were of the opinion that if my acting career doesn't take off, I should have something to fall back on. My parents trust me a lot; they were happy to support me and didn't put any pressure.

You play a North Indian girl in the film. How did you prepare for the role?
I don't know anything about acting. But whenever I attended auditions, people would tell me that I was very natural in front of the camera. To play Dolly, my character in Munna Michael, I had to amp up my responses. And now, after completing the film, I have enrolled myself into a theatre workshop. I am learning method acting because when you are on the set, you can't always feel the scene. Currently, I don't have a method, but hopefully, I will develop one.

You are matching steps with Tiger Shroff in the film. Are you a trained dancer?
I am a trained ballet dancer. I have also learnt belly dancing and Kathak for about six months. As a ballet dancer, your whole body language changes - you sit and walk differently, and it lends grace to your movements. Ballerinas have to be in complete control of their bodies because they have to balance themselves on their toes. Though I am a trained dancer, the first day of shoot was tough. I had to do a solo dance performance for my introduction scene and despite being a ballerina, I couldn't balance myself on my foot. I didn't even know whether I was supposed to look into the camera or not. I had never been an assistant director, done a commercial or even been on a film set.

When the going got tough, who did you turn to for advice?
Nobody, because I used to go back to an empty house. I had to console and motivate myself and also make myself feel better. There is nobody else who can do that for you. Apart from your family, nobody really cares. I honestly wanted to protect my family from the difficult times that I was going through. They don't belong to the industry; it was my choice to come here and I wanted to keep them away from it.

The industry isn't an easy place to survive. You are judged by box office success and everything you do will come under scrutiny. Are you prepared for it? Are you ready for the comments from critics?
I have lived a large part of my life with no scrutiny. Now, I want all of it. Also, the actors I like, it's not necessarily because of their first film, but because of the way they have grown as performers. So, I think critics should judge me on the basis of my growth as an actor and not because of my first film.