Musician Ayaan Agnihotri, who is the nephew of actor Salman Khan and goes with the stage name Agni, made his Bollywood playback debut this year with C’mon Baby in the Bobby Deol-starrer Bandar. But before the release, he had to keep the project a secret from his uncle.

“I was not allowed to tell Salman Mamu that I was doing this song for Bobby uncle’s film. Nikhil (Dwivedi, co-producer), swore me to secrecy. He said, ‘When this song goes through, then I will play it to your Mamu and tell him I’ve discovered a new voice. What do you think of this guy?’,” Ayaan recalls.

Salman’s response, he says, was encouraging. “He liked it, and when he met me the next time, he told me I did a good job and should stay at it,” the 33-year-old shares.

The son of Salman’s sister Alvira Khan Agnihotri and filmmaker Atul Agnihotri, Ayaan had once planned to become an actor but life had other plans. He shares, “I went to university to do acting and world theatre. As I went on, I realized that it’s just performing in general that I enjoy. Around the same time, I started writing and found a special connection with music. I felt I could express things that I wanted to through my writing. Music helped me relate to things I was going through and get through them. That really made an impact on me.”

While music is taking up all his time currently, acting is still on his radar. “Maybe sometime in the future. It’s definitely not off the agenda because I do love acting. But right now, the focus is on the music,” he ends.

If you’ve seen Bandar’s teaser, it’s almost impossible to miss the track, Come On Baby, playing throughout as viewers are taken into the dark world of Anurag Kashyap’s next featuring Bobby Deol. What many don’t know is that the number has been sung by musician and Salman Khan’s nephew Ayaan Agnihotri. Going behind the mic is not new for Agnihotri, aka Agni, who has belted out several English tracks. Playback singing for a Hindi film, however, is.

It turns out that producer Nikhil Dwivedi, a family friend of the Khans, convinced Agnihotri to lend his voice to the song after hearing him sing at a private function.

A source told mid-day, “Ayaan usually does not sing in Hindi. He was persuaded to give this a shot by Nikhil, who felt that Ayaan had a unique voice. Nikhil assured him that if he didn’t enjoy singing the track, they wouldn’t use it. After hearing himself, Ayaan too was convinced. In fact, Bobby also encouraged him after he heard the scratch version.”

Interestingly, Come On Baby is recreated from the album of Videsh, a 1977 film featuring Mahendra Sandhu, Shoma Anand, and Prem Krishen. It stayed with Dwivedi over the years.

The source elaborated, “While producing Bandar, Nikhil was keen to use it on Bobby’s character, an ageing television actor whose career is on the decline. While the lyrics have been retained, the number has been recreated by Aditya Dev and Payal Dev.”

He was the country’s first superstar, in fact, the term superstar was coined for Rajesh Khanna — such was the fan-following and stardom of the actor, who gave Indian cinema unforgettable films like Anand, Aradhana, Kati Patang, Amar Prem and Khamoshi to name a few.

BT has it that actor-producer Nikhil Dwivedi has picked up the rights to turn Gautam Chintamani’s book, Dark Star: The Loneliness Of Being Rajesh Khanna, into a movie, which will be a biopic on the country’s first superstar. Filmmaker Farah Khan has been approached to direct it while Gautam is busy adapting the book into a screenplay.

Nikhil says, “I found the book very interesting and the thought of turning it into a film stayed with me all these years. It perfectly encapsulates the man behind the most iconic star our country has seen. There is so much intrigue attached to him. He had a regal personality. His career saw a dip, but he bounced right back. He was not meant to be in the business, but not only did he step into it, but he also conquered it. At no point in his career did he lose that regal aura. There are varied aspects to his personality which have been captured well in the book. The story of Rajesh Khanna’s life should have been told a long time ago. People who really knew him understood what made him so special.”

Farah adds, “Yes, I have read Gautam’s book and it’s very fascinating. We are in conversation over this, but I cannot comment more.”

Given that Rajesh Khanna’s career ran into decades and he remained a public figure for most of his life, did the thought of turning the story into a web series ever cross his mind? After all, capturing a legend’s journey in a little over two hours of runtime is no mean feat. Nikhil says, “It’s tough to arrive at what one wants to keep in the film eventually. It’s a task and we are working on that aspect as we speak.”

Nikhil says, “Also, as storytellers, we tend to get greedy — we want to be able to tell as much as possible, especially when the subject is a personality as interesting as him. Even back in his time, superstars were meant to be rockstars and no one was better than Rajesh Khanna. If that needs to be shown, it will be done tastefully and respectfully. We only want to show what was true and real.”

Ask Nikhil whether he plans to seek consent from Rajesh Khanna’s family, and he says, “It’s not something we want to do behind someone’s back and we’re definitely not making something that thrives on controversies and sensationalism. It’s the story of India’s first superstar and we want to capture the magic of his personality and his achievements in the film. A film on his life is long overdue.”

Talking about finding the perfect cast for the film, especially the protagonist, Nikhil says, “It will be the director’s call. I just know that an actor who can do half the justice he did to his work will be able to pull off his character on screen.”

After a long hiatus, actor-producer Nikhil Dwivedi decided to make a comeback with the much-acclaimed web series, Scam 1992. While he admits his absence was because of lack of work, he assures he’ll consider more such offers in future, all thanks to the OTT opportunities coming his way.

“Post Scam, my phone has not stopped ringing. I have been out of work for five-six years, OTT gave me the chance. That is the difference OTT has,” he shares.

Dwivedi feels the scope to experiment is much more in OTT than in films. “They can do so without the pressure of selling tickets. When that pressure is taken away, makers are free to experiment and tell their kind of stories. It is not always possible to challenge big screen norms. Whatever one may say, however bold and gutsy you want to be, one has to sometimes adhere to some parameters, as you don’t want to lose too much money. OTT can do that,” says the producer of films such as Veere Di Wedding (2018) and Dabangg 3 (2019).

However, Dwivedi, 41, hopes people don’t start pitting OTT and films actors. “One shouldn’t assume Pratik Gandhi is here to replace Ranbir Kapoor. Everyone has their own place. What we should appreciate is the fact that alongside a Ranbir Kapoor, we can celebrate a Pratik Gandhi,” he opines.

After impressive performances in films like Stree (2018) and Chhichhore (2019), Shraddha Kapoor is all set to play one of Bollywood’s iconic roles, which is deep-rooted in our Indian folklore. She has signed her next — a three-film series based on the shape-shifting naagin, a role that has been revolutionised by several top actresses of their times. Previously, Vyjayanthimala, Reena Roy, Rekha and Sridevi have played similar roles. In fact, Sridevi’s role as an ichhadhaari naagin in Nagina (1986) and Nigahen (1989) got her cult status in filmdom. For Shraddha, too, this could be her career-defining role. In Bollywood, naagins were the first characters with superpower from our own folklore, catering to a pan-India audience.

Talking about the yet-untitled film, which will be helmed by Vishal Furia (who directed the critically acclaimed 2017 Marathi film Lapachhapi), Shraddha says, “It’s an absolute delight to play a naagin on screen. I have grown up watching, admiring and idolising Sridevi ma’am in Nagina and Nigahen and always wanted to play a similar role that is rooted in Indian folklore.”

The film, produced by Nikhil Dwivedi, which is essentially a love story, will be mounted with some exciting visual effects and will be made into a trilogy.

Salman Khan caught the attention of an entire suburban neighbourhood when he rode to wish Nikhil Dwivedi on his stylish black motorcycle. Wearing his full biking gear, gloves and helmet, the actor was there to bless Nikhil's new born son Shivaan, who was born on the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti.
The Bollywood superstar was accompanied by his sister Alvira and her husband Atul Agnihotri.Not only did he spend close to an hour at the hospital in Khar causing a mini furore around the premises, but he also complimented the proud parents - Nikhil and Gaurie - who were humbled by his gesture.

Richa Chadha is frank, funny and unbelievably real. Her wry sense of humour and knack of being politically incorrect can put an ace stand-up comic in the shade. Nikhil Dwivedi, her co-star in Tamanchey which releases today, is equally honest. In a candid chat with Bombay Times, it was their collective lack of diplomacy that left an indelible impression. Excerpts:

Your characters (Munna and Babu) in Tamanchey are unisex names...
Richa: Unisex names? (laughs) I take that very personally. I am a Chadha, there are lots of Shantis and Sherries in my family who are male. I have a cousin whose name is Munna didi. Also, if Rajinder can wed Rajinder, this too can happen. I play this girl, who is a petty criminal. She is surviving in a man's world. Babu is a pseudonym. Her name is something else, but she gets away with a lot (of crimes) because cops get confused ki yeh aadmi hai ke aurat!

The trailer reminds one of Ram Gopal Varma's Daud.
Richa: It's very flattering, but it's not that at all. Many people are drawing similarities with films like Bonnie And Clyde, Daud and Bunty Aur Babli. I don't think it's like any of them. It's a love story in the context of this gun-heavy, ganglord kind of place.

What do you think is the USP of this film?
Nikhil: It's quirky. You usually see love stories between a good boy and a good girl and how the world around them is slightly bad. This is a love story between a bad boy and a bad girl. There is no justification to what they do. Crime turns them on. You usually see that in films, people become criminals because they need money for maa ka ilaaj, but it's not the case here. They steal and con the world because they like it. They are not trustworthy; when they fall in love, they cannot even trust each other. There's a lot of dark humour. When they want to go on a date, they go loot a bank!
Richa: I do a lot of gareeb films, so I often travel to villages. If you go to small towns, what you see running in the cinema halls are not the latest Bollywood films but something like Phool Bane Angaray... quintessential love stories with guy, girl, villain and dishoom dishoom. I hope that aspect about this film appeals to people. It's like the movies we grew up watching.

So, how different is the romance between a bad boy and a bad girl from the routine love stories?
Richa: There are no pretensions here. They are quite honest with each other and don't go, 'Ji, agar aap bura na maane toh kya main aapka haath pakad loon?' They hold hands, walk and sing songs. They are criminals and warily rely on each other. I believe no matter how bad a person is, they must have a good side. So that way, the romance is quite interesting.

Speaking of cons, were you sweet and innocent as teenagers or were you mischievous?
Richa: I was not evil, but naughty. I used to mimic my teachers when I was in school. One day, few of us were suspended by the principal for a prank we didn't play. We got very upset. So, I called up my teachers, pretending to be one of them and told them that our principal had passed away. I also gave out details of his chautha. They all landed up at his home, only to find him hosing his car (laughs). But I am a reformed person today.

Can you mimic an actress?
Nikhil: Ask her to imitate Lata Mangeshkar.
Richa: Isn't it sacrilege to imitate Lata Mangeshkar? (Speaks like Lata didi) Kya sunna chahenge aap log? Once during an audition, they told me to imitate Madhuri, Hema Malini and Rekha. I think all actors do mimicry of some kind, consciously or unconsciously.

You have used words like saala zandu in the film. How many of the cuss words are from your personal vocabulary?
Richa: I may seem very chichora, but I am not. I went to St Stephens College and did honors in History. These dialogues are there in the film because these are two people who have a criminal background. This is how they talk.

How difficult was it for you two to shoot the lovemaking scene in the film?
Richa: I don't think we should kill the charm of lovemaking for the audience by telling them how we made it. But, I can say it's not fun, and it's not intimate at all. You need a minimum number of people to shoot the scene. I can say we shot ours in a unique, 'vegetarian' way. But you know, when you are trying to shoot the scene, you hear voices instructing you to look up, to place the thermacol here and the reflector there. It's very technical, it's choreographed.
Nikhil: It also depends on your personality. I'm shy, and I didn't want to do something that would not look nice on the screen or look very wrong.
Richa: Doing lovemaking scenes are the most difficult. We should look like we are having the time of our lives, when in fact, we are not. In fact, Nikhil and I shot the scene when we weren't even talking to each other properly! The scenes aren't suggestive, and as clichéd as it may sound, we have shot it aesthetically.

Did you seek each other's permission before going ahead with those scenes?
Richa: He told me he's going to place his hands on my shoulder.
Nikhil: At that time, it can't look like you are acting. Even if it's a slap, you have to tell the other person, 'main kaske ek maarne wala hoon', so that he is prepared. Even when you are falling down, the stunt master tells us to just fall and not defend ourselves with our palms. Same way, when it's a lovemaking scene, you must intimate your co-star so that they don't misunderstand your move.
Richa: Yeah, just to make sure that we know he is not letching and trying to score with me (laughs). I have a theory. People who don't get laid at the right time, take out all their frustrations when they become actors. I've heard this from an actress who had to ask her co-star to remove his hand from her shoulder after the intimate shot was done. If your co-star is not treating you with dignity, it's a kind of harassment.

You'd recently visited the Tihar jail..
Nikhil: It's well maintained by the inmates, is spick and span. It's cleaner than a five star hotel. It's probably the only prison where the jailors actually want the inmates to reform. It's a rehabilitation centre in its real sense.
Richa: They have a Tihar radio there. Most of the inmates double up as RJs, DJs, sculptors; they even have bands. They had called us to creatively and gainfully engage the prisoners. The DIG got emotional and told us that visitors are their only contact with the outside world.
Nikhil: What we loved the most is the handmade gifts the inmates gave us. They make paper bags from recycled materials, with their own logo - TJS. They gave us namkeen and biscuits that they made. They gifted us sweets from their own bakery, served everything themselves.

Describe your equation with each other.
Richa: I didn't like him for the first two years we worked together. Only now have I grown fond of him and understood him. He was so angry and impatient like a militant.
Nikhil: And she was too chilled out. It may not be the right observation, but I felt lack of discipline translated to lack of quality work. But, she was good when it came to her work. On set, I'm very organised and want to do everything according to schedule. But, she actually spends her time socialising with people there.
Richa: Yes, I knew everyone, right from the lightman, and used to hang out with everyone. But I also made sure I was not taken for a ride, that my work didn't lag. The only conversation I had with Nikhil would probably be 'hi, bye.'
Nikhil: But I can confidently say the audience won't even know we were hardly friends while working on the film, because the chemistry and co-ordination is like that.

So, how is your rapport now?
Richa: We are real friends now.But I don't think we will hang out together.
Nikhil: Somewhere, we discovered each other and realised what kind of people we are. And we became friends. Well, it's not like we became friends to promote the film.We could still not be talking and promote it.
Richa: Yes, I can be diplomatic and say 'Nikhil is amaaaaaaazing' (laughs). He is not my 4 am friend, but we can count on each other. He is not my best friend, but we are far more real friends that others who claim they are in the industry.

Describe your onscreen chemistry in one word.
Richa: Electric.
Nikhil: Like a tamancha - chalegi toh goli ke raftaar se chalegi, warna haath mein phat jayegi.