Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 19, 2020)

“It is so painful to talk about Nishi sir. More than a friend, he was a mentor and guide throughout my career,” says actor Sharad Kelkar remembering the late director Nishikant Kamat, 50, who passed away on Monday. He was battling liver cirrhosis in a hospital in Hyderabad.

Kelkar had known Kamat for the past eight years when he began his journey in films. “My last project was with him for a web show, Rangbaaz Phir Se, where he was the creative producer and edited the show too. I remember, he wasn’t well, yet he came to the set and met everyone. He was a strong-headed and positive person. The last time he fell sick and was serious, he fought hard and was on his feet soon. This time, too, we were hoping he would get well soon. I was constantly in touch with friends who were with him in Hyderabad. He was improving but this disease is unpredictable and Nishi sir was fighting hard but it didn’t work. It’s so sad. Talking about him, I am getting flashes of all the lovely memories with him. I remember, I would drop by at his office in Andheri whenever I could and we would chat for hours sipping tea,” says Kelkar, who worked with the director in two films - Lai Bhaari (2014) and Rocky Handsome (2016).

There has been an outpouring of posts and condolences for Kamat on social media and Kelkar attributes it to the person that Kamat was. “He was a lovable, lively guy with a great sense of humour. He would call everyone Sir, and was a disciplined man on the set. He would encourage everyone and as he was an actor first, then became an editor and a director. I spoke to him right before the lockdown and he was planning a film shoot in London,UK, and was supposed to go on a recce. Due to his ill health, even a small infection could lead to serious concerns yet he never let that stop his work. But he fought till the end and that shows how strong his spirit was,” says Kelkar.

Upala KBR, Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; August 18, 2020)

The past 15 years have witnessed the resurgence of Marathi cinema. Among those leading from the front in the emergence of the new wave was filmmaker Nishikant Kamat. His directorial debut Dombivali Fast (2005) was a biting commentary on how the common man will rarely win against the corrupt system. Where it fetched him the National Award for Best Marathi Feature Film, the drama also compelled the Hindi movie industry to look at Marathi cinema — until then regarded as its poor cousin — as a treasure trove of powerful stories.

Interestingly, Kamat was at the centre of another milestone in Marathi cinema that occurred less than a decade later. His brainchild, Lai Bhaari (2014), which marked the Marathi debut of actor-producer Riteish Deshmukh, was a raging hit at the box-office. In rivalling the earnings of some Bollywood films that year, it redefined the commerce of regional cinema. Perhaps, Kamat had imbibed the importance of box-office figures from the Hindi film industry, having spent over six years in Bollywood by then.

Genelia Deshmukh, who collaborated with the filmmaker on John Abraham-fronted Force (2011), remembers him as a "one-take director". "Nishi would walk you through the entire scene — discussing your expression, the mood of the scene and would ask you to relive an experience that comes closest to the sequence to be shot. Every scene would be preceded by a detailed chat because once he went on the floors, he would shoot the scene in one take. Most of my scenes in Force were filmed in a single take," she recounts.

Where he was analytical and sharp about the work at hand, Deshmukh says he was also deeply emotional. "During the Force shoot, I remember he broke down after we shot the scene where my character dies. He was the kind of person who was deeply invested in every character. Also, I have never seen a director who treated his crew so well. He would tell actors, 'Say what you want to me, but not to my bachchas.'"

While the mystery thriller Drishyam (2015) and Irrfan-fronted Madaari remain some of his best works, director Sudhir Mishra believes Mumbai Meri Jaan (2008) was perhaps his most underrated movie. "He was kind enough to involve me in the making of Mumbai Meri Jaan right from the beginning. I had seen the rough cut and it was easy to see that his outlook towards films was exceptional. He was one of the most underrated filmmakers; it may be because he didn't belong to any Bollywood camps, he did his job quietly."

When not giving instructions to actors, the director would frequently face the camera, playing menacing antagonists to Abraham in Rocky Handsome (2016) and Harshvardhan Kapoor in Bhavesh Joshi Superhero (2018). Arjun Rampal, who shared screen space with him in Daddy (2017), says Kamat enjoyed his stint in front of the camera as much as he did behind it. "During the shoot, he told us, 'I am just an actor here. Bolo, director saab, what do you want me to do?' And he did such a marvellous job in the film!" Rampal considers himself fortunate to be directed by Kamat in a few episodes of his web series, The Final Call. "Before every shot, we used to read out the scene several times over. He would always ask me how I would like to do a particular scene, and place his cameras accordingly."

His Best Works


Dombivali Fast (2005)
Telling the story of a middle-class bank employee whose existence is hinged on the frustration at the hands of law and lawmakers, the film walks us through the systematic breakdown of his mental state and how it turns him into a vigilante.

Evano Oruvan (2007)
Kamat adapted his critically acclaimed Dombivali Fast in Tamil with R Madhavan in the lead, thus proving that powerful stories have a universal appeal.

Mumbai Meri Jaan (2008)
Starring Madhavan, Soha Ali Khan and Irrrfan among others, Mumbai Meri Jaan skillfully took the audience through the aftermath of the 2006 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai.


Force (2011)
The John Abraham and Vidyut Jammwal-starrer is one of the first slick actioners that kickstarted an entire genre of such movies. A remake of Gautham Menon's Kakha Kakha, the film is a revenge saga between a cop and a dreaded gangster.

Lai Bhaari (2014)
Marking Riteish Deshmukh's debut in Marathi films, Lai Bhaari was a runaway hit and changed the face of commerce in regional cinema.

Drishyam (2015)
A remake of a Malayalam film, the Ajay Devgn-starrer is the unofficial adaptation of Kiego Higashino's popular novel.

Madaari (2016)
Starring Irrfan who played a vigilante in the film, Kamat narrated a fictional tale which is inspired by the collapse of the Mumbai metro bridge in 2012.

Friends and colleagues remember the actor-writer-director whose films were always real and relatable
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 18, 2020)

On Monday, filmaker Nishikant Kamat breathed his last at the AIG Hospital in Hyderabad, where he was admitted on July 31 after complaining of excessive fatigue and fever. While he was initially responding to treatment, Nishi, as he was fondly called, had to be shifted to the ICU, where his condition gradually deteriorated.

The 50-year-old filmmaker, who was suffering from cirrhosis of the liver, succumbed to the condition at 4:24 pm, after his vitals started deteriorating leading to multiple organ failure, despite best efforts by hepatologists, gastroenterologists, pulmonologists and intensivists, as informed by the hospital in a statement. Actor-friend Riteish Deshmukh, who was constantly updating fans about Nishi’s condition, quashing rumours of his death while he was still battling for life, was the first to share the news of his demise. “I will miss you my friend” he wrote, followed by wife Genelia Deshmukh, who called him her life coach. “I live by so much that we discussed and I live with knowing you were such an amazing soul and I’m just so glad our paths crossed,” she tweeted emotionally.

Nishi made his directorial debut with the Marathi film, Dombivali Fast in 2005, which won the National Award for Best Feature Film in Marathi. His old friend, actor Manav Kaul, shares that while they were in Pune together for a month-and-a-half, for the shoot of Saatchya Aat Gharat, the director narrated the script of Dombivali Fast to him. “He was so excited, so full of ideas,” recalls Manav, who made his Marathi acting debut with the film, which Nishi had also written.

During their early years in Mumbai, they were neighbours and had a favourite restaurant where they’d often go for breakfast. “He used to come for my plays earlier. Even after he became a well-known director, we’d bump into each other off and on. He could do both big budget films and small meaningful cinema side by side with the same passion and dedication,” says Manav, distraught that a rare talent has gone too soon.

Dombivali Fast was remade in Tamil with R Madhavan as Evano Oruvan in 2007. The following year, Nishi debuted in Hindi cinema with Mumbai Meri Jaan, set against the backdrop of July 2006 train blasts, which again featured Madhavan along with Irrfan Khan, Soha Ali Khan, Paresh Rawal and Kay Kay Menon. Maddy describes his demise as a “personal loss” while Paresh remembers that Madhavan was already on board as Nikhil Agarwal. “He told me I could choose from the remaining three central characters, but I insisted he tell me which role he thought was most apt for me and he picked Hawaldar Tukaram Patil,” he flashbacks, saying he was more inclined towards the more silent Thomas, eventually enacted by Irrfan Khan. “I ended up as the cop and it’s one of my most memorable films in terms of job satisfaction,” admits the National Award-winning actor.

The film’s producer Ronnie Screwvala, too, remembers Nishi for his clarity of vision and storytelling in all three languages. “His films will always be remembered for his ability to take real life situations and make them dramatic on screen,” he asserts.

Nishi’s second Hindi directorial Force pitted John Abraham against debutant, Vidyut Jammwal who always looked at Nishi as his mentor. “Whatever I want to say about him, I will say to him in my head and keep it in my prayers,” the grieving actor told Mirror.

Arjun Rampal who worked with him as producer-actor in Daddy and actor in his web-series, Final Call, will always remember him for his great sense of humour and his infectious smile. “He’d been unwell and during Final Call he looked a little weak. But as the years went by, he was absolutely fine and we were planning to do more work together. It’s a really sad day for all of us having lost someone really special,” Arjun mourns.

Shibasish Sarkar, producer of Nishi’s last film as an actor, Bhavesh Joshi Superhero, reveals that for the last year-and-a-half he’d been working with the filmmaker on a show, 03:02, which Nishi was writing and directing. It was based on a book by Mainak Dhar. “My colleague, Monisha Katial, was creatively handling the project with Nishi. He wasn’t keeping well, yet he came to the office regularly and was there at every meeting, flashing that infectious smile and cracking jokes,” says Shibasish, for whom his demise has come as a shock since they were in touch almost every day. “Two years ago, he fought liver cirrhosis and maintained a disciplined life. We thought that he had turned the corner. He was a great guy, so simple and down-to-earth, we’ll miss him.”

Ajay Devgn, who featured in Nishikant’s critically acclaimed Drishyam, also laments the loss of this “bright, ever-smiling director” and an equation that went beyond films. While Randeep Hooda wrote, “You lived and died by what you decided you loved more than anything else... I’m sure you had no regrets about much... thank you for all the movies, all the fun stories, warmth and smiles.”

Avijit Ghosh & Bella Jaisinghani | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; August 18, 2020)

New Delhi/Mumbai: Director Nishikant Kamat, best known as the maker of commended and compelling films such as Dombivli Fast, Mumbai Meri Jaan and Drishyam, breathed his last at a Hyderabad hospital on Monday. He was 50.

Kamat was admitted on July 31. “He was suffering from liver cirrhosis for the past two years ...since yesterday, he developed respiratory failure... eventually leading to multi-organ failure-…at 16:24 hrs he succumbed to his illness,” a press release issued by AIG hospital, Hyderabad, said.

Much earlier in the afternoon, several film personalities had erroneously tweeted the news of his passing away.

As a director, Kamat displayed a sureness of craft, an ability to draw the best out of actors and a felicity with psychological thrillers. He was born in Mumbai, knew its mind and crafted two fascinating portraits of the city, warts and all.

He commanded attention with his edgy award-winning debut venture, Dombivali Fast (2005), chronicling a citizen’s descent to disturbia in a world where the honest and the meek are mocked at, rather than valued and feted. The movie, inspired by Joel Schumacher’s Falling Down, won the national award for best feature film in Marathi, and penciled Kamat as a director to watch out for.

He lived up to the challenge in his debut Hindi feature, Mumbai Meri Jaan (2008), a bittersweet ode to the city that wrapped its arms around the 2006 train blast survivors, their loss and their method of coping. Mumbai Meri Jaan received the Filmfare Critics Award for best movie.

Kamat changed tack thereafter. Force (2011) was a slick action yarn. The director, who also acted in several movies such as Rocky Handsome (2016), also helmed Irrfan Khan’s tense Madaari (2018). In between, he directed Drishyam (2015), a cat and mouse thriller, remade from a Malayalam film of the same name. The movie was a masterclass in mindgames; its ingenious twists and unusual morality choices were loved by the audience, making it a cash counter success.

Actor Riteish Deshmukh who starred in his Marathi film Lai Bhaari tweeted: “I will miss you my friend Nishikant Kamat. Rest in peace.”

Actor Ajay Devgn, who featured in Drishyam, took to Twitter too to post: “My equation with Nishikant was not just about Drishyam, a film which he directed with Tabu and me. It was an association that I cherished. He was bright; ever-smiling. He has gone too soon. RIP Nishikant.”

John Abraham had worked with Kamat in Force and Rocky Handsome. He posted photos with his director and wrote, “Will not get over this.... Rest In Peace.”

Film director Ashutosh Gowarikar posted: “You’ve gone too soon, Nishikant! There were still so many stories that needed to be told! You will be remembered through your creations! Especially #MumbaiMeriJaan which is sheer brilliance! Your CINEMA will be missed! Farewell.”

As told to Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 10, 2019)

I had recorded my stunts and instead of handing out portfolio pictures, I’d hand over this DVD to filmmakers. One day, my director-friend Deepak Shivdasani asked me to meet Nishikant Kamat who was casting for his directorial. When I met Nishi at the coffee shop below his house, I handed him the DVD. He liked what he saw, but insisted I audition for the role of the main villain in Force as he wanted a strong, fit guy to play Vishnu Reddy. The audition scene was a conversation with my brother in the film during which we are plotting revenge. Nishi shot me on a handy-cam, producer Vipul Shah gave me the thumbs-up and when we met, told me, “We will give you an action scene.” I didn’t understand what he meant. For me, it was just about breaking into Bollywood then.

We were supposed to do some readings before the shoot, but that didn’t happen because I had fallen ill. So, I turned up directly on the sets. On the first day, we filmed my introduction which had me fighting some six-foot goons in a godown. We were supposed to shoot in Africa, but eventually, canned the scene on a set in Mumbai. After seeing me fight, Vipul Shah promised to launch me as a hero if he ever made an action film. After a year and a half, he came to me with Commando, so my first shot did help me bag a solo hero action film.

Since we had started off with action, my confidence was up and I wanted to do good work. Overall, it was a smooth journey and for me, the nicest person on the set was Genelia D’souza. She was a big star and I loved chatting with her. We bonded over Kalaripayattu, as she had used the technique in one of her South Indian films, Urumi. One of my most difficult scenes was dragging Genelia by the hair. I was terrified because she looks so fragile. She kept telling me to do it, but I was skeptical as I had never treated a girl that way. I did it eventually.

Force was all about following instructions, but with experience, I’ve realised that one has to be careful in the choices one makes. I was just the villain of Force to John (Abraham)’s hero, but once I started doing solo hero films, I decided not to say “yes” to everything that came my way. A “no” makes me even more sure about what I want to do. I will believe where others doubt.

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 18, 2018)

Mirror had earlier reported (September 9, 2017) that Farhan Akhtar was on-board Ajay Devgn’s next production, a Hindi remake of National Award-winning Tamil comedy-thriller Jigarthanda, alongside Sanjay Dutt. The actor had confirmed the news, saying, “I met Nishikant (Kamat, director of the remake) and he took me through the journey of the film. It’s a big action-comedydrama, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s something new for me. I liked his last film, Drishyam, and I’ve known Sanju for a really long time. Interestingly, we have similar taste in music, but we’ve never discussed working together. Sanju’s a great chap. I can never base the decision of doing a film on whether it is just about me or not.”

While Sanjay Dutt has stepped into the role of a gangster, Farhan was roped in to play the struggling filmmaker, both parts portrayed in the original by Bobby Sinha and Siddharth respectively. Now, we have learnt that Farhan has opted out of the project, which has been subsequently put on hold for want of replacement. It was initially scheduled to go on the floors by January or March. A source close to the development reveals, “The deal with Farhan did not work out due to several logistical differences between the actor and the filmmakers. The team is now looking for another actor to step into the role of a struggling filmmaker who sets out to make a documentary on a ruthless gangster.”

DNA (November 23, 2017)

One hears that Farhan Akhtar who green-lit a film with Sanjay Dutt, directed by Nishikant Kamat, has reportedly opted out of the movie even before it could go on the floor. The film, which was to be the official remake of the Tamil movie Jigarthanda, was to be produced by Ajay Devgn. It is said that after the debacle of Lucknow Central, Farhan wants to rethink his entire strategy.

Source say that Farhan is revisiting most scripts that have been offered to him and wants time to reassess his acting assignments before he rushes into them.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 22, 2017)

IFFI’s controversy-riddled Indian Panorama section opened on Tuesday with a fumble as the name of Sujoy Ghosh, the chairperson of the feature film jury who has since stepped down from the panel, was announced and an IFFI staff member came forward with his certificate and trophy at the felicitation ceremony. This was followed by Apurva Asrani’s name being announced, not once but twice, after which the host said, “guess he is missing in action,” after four members from the team ran into the venue waving their hands in a big “No”. Asrani has also resigned from the jury. While the name of the third jury member who has resigned, Gyan Correa, was omitted, that of Satarupa Sanyal, who was not present, was announced too till festival director Sunit Tandon asked the host to move on with the list.

Many other jury members, including Gopi Desai, Nikkhil Advani and Nishikant Kamat were present on the occasion. “We are here to support Pihu, the incredibly beautiful opening film. As an industry, we stand by each other and if anyone has any problem, they are free to express it as we live in a democracy,” asserted Sudhir Mishra, chairperson of the jury of the nonfeature section, adding that they were all there to celebrate cinema. “IFFI is the platform where I started my journey as a filmmaker. I was born as a filmmaker here and it is a kind of a pilgrimage for me. And I will come here no matter what the problems.”

Sridevi, who inaugurated the segment, kept her speech short and snappy, “I’m happy to be here. I declare the Panorama section now open.”

48th International Film Festival of India: Smriti Irani's ministry refuses to grant permission to screen Ravi Jadhav's film Nude and Sanal Kumar Sasidharan's film S Durga; jury member Apurva Asrani reacts. Overriding the jury's decision, Information and Broadcast Ministry removes films from final list for Indian Panorama section at IFFI without consulting it
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 11, 2017)

Film lovers hoping to catch Ravi Jadhav's Nude and Sanal Kumar Sasidharan's Sexy Durga (retitled as S Durga) at the 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), in Goa, later this month, will have to content themselves with watching their replacements, which have been chosen by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry.

Nude, a Marathi film, and S Durga, a Malayalam movie, were among 26 feature films that were chosen by a 13-member jury for IFFI's Indian Panorama section. Nude, the story of a woman's struggle for survival in Mumbai as a nude model, was the jury's unanimous choice as the opening film of the Indian Panorama. But, the final list released yesterday by the I & B Ministry did not feature the two movies. A statement issued by the ministry said that the section will now kick off with Vinod Kapri's Hindi film Pihu.

The 'switch' was purportedly made at the ministry level without consulting the jury. According to a source close to the development, several jury members have expressed their displeasure at the ministry's decision and have conveyed the same to it via email. "They (the jury) had anticipated that, given the current scenario, Nude, despite being an aesthetically made film, might not pass muster. But they made it clear that if this happened, the reason for it being dropped had to be explained to them and they should be allowed to choose an alternative. But the ministry went ahead and released a new list without informing them," said the source. The source added that the move went against Clause 8.5 of the Indian Panorama 2017 Regulations, which states that "the decision of the juries shall be final and binding and no appeal or correspondence regarding their decision shall be entertained".

Ruchi Narain, a member of the IFFI jury, told Mirror, "The final list that has come out does not match the list we submitted. Personally, I felt Nude and S Durga were stunning quality films which festival audiences would really appreciate."

An aggrieved member of the jury, who did not want to be named, told Mirror that both the movies should not have been on the list of 153 films submitted to them by the National Film Development Corporation (NDFC) if they found them objectionable for any reason. "My guess is that the people who took this decision did not bother watching either of the two films, because had they done so, they would have realised that Nude has no intention to titillate, while S Durga is a thriller, and there's nothing sexy about it."

Sasidharan, who directed S Durga, told Mirror that he had heard that his film had made it to the final list, but was unsure of it being screened. "I even heard that the I&B secretary had liked it and recommended it. But I had an inkling that this might happen, given that it was twice denied censor exemption. It was only screened at MAMI (Mumbai Academy of Moving Images) Film Festival earlier after the Censor Board passed it with a U/A certificate, after I had changed the title to S Durga." Sasidharan said, adding that he was not making films for the government but for his audience. "I will find a way to reach them through private screenings and international film festivals."

He also wrote a Facebook post lashing out at Irani. "Next time onwards a single member jury is enough. The Smriti Irani Jury!"

"Actually I am not feeling any kind of grievance in the removal of Sexy Durga from the final jury list of Indian Panorama by the BJP government," he wrote in a Facebook post. "I cant expect anything less from them. I can even imagine that next time, they might amend the law and make the I&B minister as the jury head to avoid controversy. But what makes me sad is the silence of the intellectuals of my state. Those who made huge cry for the freedom of expression of Perumal Murugan are now keeping a strange silence against this blatant injustice. It is sad that you are sandwiched in between autocracy and hypocrisy in a land you choose to live and talk," the post further read.

Filmmaker Ravi Jadhav, director of Nude, shared a clipping of the Mirror story and captioned it as saying,"its very very sad and disappointing' (sic)"

While many members of the jury did not respond to this newspaper's calls and texts, Gopi Desai, another jury member, said, "Both the films, Nude and S Durga, were gems during the screening for the selection committee."

The jury was headed by Kahaani director Sujoy Ghosh and, besides Desai and Narain, consisted of Sachin Chatte, Suresh Heblikar, Rahul Rawail, Gyan Correa, Satarupa Sanyal, Nishikant Kamat, Merlvin Mukhim, Nikkhil Advani, Apurva Asrani, and Hari Viswanath. They watched 153 films over three weeks to narrow down on 21 (excluding the five mainstream films) movies, with five to six films unanimously loved by all, including the two disputed ones. IFFI opens on November 20.

Reacting to Mirror's story, another jury member Apurva Asrani, took to Facebook on Saturday to express his views. "#SexyDurga & #Nude are among the best of contemporary Indian cinema. Never attempting to titillate, they both present a powerful & empathetic portrait of women in today's India.
I feel that every Indian should grab the opportunity to watch these superior quality films and every festival should fearlessly program them.(sic)," he wrote in the Facebook post.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 7, 2017)

Mirror (August 31) was the first to inform that Ajay Devgn is producing a film featuring Sanjay Dutt and Farhan Akhtar in the lead. It will be directed by Nishikant Kamat and will roll by December- January.

Last month, Farhan confirmed the news (Mirror, September 9) revealing further that it’s a big action-comedy-drama. “I liked Nishikanth’s last film, Drishyam, very much and I’ve known Sanju for a really long time. Interestingly, we have similar tastes in music but we’ve never discussed working together. He’s a great chap,” Farhan had pointed out.

Now, Mirror has learnt that like Drishyam, the Hindi remake of Jeethu Joseph’s 2013 Malayalam hit of the same name which had Ajay take over from Mohanlal as the leading man, Ajay and Nishikant’s next is also a remake. It adapts the 2014 National Award-winning Tamil black comedy-thriller, Jigarthanda.

The film’s title is inspired by a cold beverage available in Tamil Nadu. The original was written and directed by Karthik Subbaraj. Producer Kathiresan had been scouting for a filmmaker for the Hindi remake after the Kannada and Telugu rights were sold. The film will now be produced by Ajay and his collaborator-producer, Abhinav Shuklaa, under their joint banner. “Nishikant is closely working on the film’s creatives with Farhan and Ajay,” a source informed.

Farhan will play a struggling filmmaker while Sanjay is a gangster. The original was set in Madhurai but the adaptation will be based in Maharashtra. South star Siddharth had played an assistant director who, after being thrown out of a reality TV show, decides to make a film on real-life gangster, Assault Sethy, played by Bobby Simha, who bagged the National Award for Best Supporting Actor for his quirky yet gritty portrayal of a don. “There were several other characters in the original. Casting for the Hindi remake is presently underway,” the source added.

Bharati Dubey & Subhash K Jha (DNA; October 2, 2017)

The Hindi film industry is going through tough times, reeling under the impact of fewer hits and big-budget films failing. Amidst this, the Tamil Nadu government has slapped local body tax on the Hindi films. As per the new notification, non-Tamil films need to pay 20 per cent local body tax from this week. The film industry is unwilling to accept this burden, and plans to make a representation to the TN government. The concern is that other states will follow suit, further damaging the industry that has had a terrible year at the BO. Distributor Ramesh Sippy says, “Today, TN has levied this tax and if we don’t object, other states like Rajasthan, Bengal and Andhra Pradesh will do the same. We don’t need to look at the value but as a principle, we cannot allow this to happen to us.’’

High tax rate
Producer Ramesh Taurani says, “What has happened is unfair to us and we’ll be making a representation to the TN government soon.’’ Hindi film industry is already paying an entertainment tax of 48 per cent and an additional 28 per cent of GST. Kulmeet Makkar, CEO, Indian Film and Television Producers Guild says, “The additional tax would mean that audiences in Chennai will now have to pay 53.6 per cent as an effective gross tax on tickets for non-Tamil films. How can an industry survive with tax at this rate? Unless the state government wants to ensure that either the TN film industry is forced to shut down or the attempt is to make sure the audience in Chennai is deprived of films in other languages.’’ Apoorva Mehta, CEO, Dharma Production, adds, “I think this is not correct because the idea of GST was that it would be the one and only tax that’ll prevail. The film industry is already going through pressures in terms of the number of films that are doing well, this is only going to burden the whole business of films and everyone involved. This is something that needs to be avoided completely.”

A meeting soon
President of the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce, L Suresh, said that Tamil films have to pay 10 per cent local body tax and they’re upset with the government, too. He said, “We are convening a meeting on Wednesday to request the government to withdraw this notification.’’

Will hamper footfalls
While the film industry plans to make a representation, some film trade people say that TN is not a big territory and one should not bother as it’s only five per cent business, and films with big star cast run in cinemas in that state. Unless they’re dubbed, the business is not big. T P Aggarwal says, “South Indian states had a cap on ticket pricing and it was affordable to everyone, but after additional taxation, the rates will go up and affect footfalls. As an industry, we’ll come together and fight against this. If we don’t resist, other states will also do the same. As it is, films are not doing well, and now, the local body taxation.”

Films that will suffer
“The Hindi industry must take a cue from this and put ideas together for its own benefit and protection. We’ve seen that governments do little to protect or promote us; it’s time we looked after ourselves and made sure governments did too,” stresses Anubhav Sinha. Films up for release in the coming months — Golmaal Again, Secret Superstar, Tiger Zinda Hai and Padmavati — will be affected.

Shailendra Singh: United we stand, divided we fall. This move makes this even truer. Why use entertainment as a political agenda? Sad new low in political strategy.

Nishikant Kamat: It is unfortunate... art should be above languages and provinces. It might instigate other states to emulate.

Sheetal Talwar: It’s protectionism at its best. Whereas Tamil cinema has its strength in the quality and style of storytelling, there is no reason that English, Hindi and Telugu cinema should not be given equal opportunity in a state where cinema and cinema viewing is a religion.

Subhash K Jha (DNA; September 29, 2017)

Farhan Akhtar is afraid to speak about the film that everyone is waiting for him to direct. “I know what you mean,” says Farhan with a chuckle. “But I am really afraid to say anything about Don 3 because anything I say will be held against me. If I am asked whether I am making Don 3, and I say, ‘I am thinking about it’, the next day I see headlines screaming or announcing a date for Don 3.”

Farhan feels raising the hopes and expectations of fans of the franchise is unfair. “I am surprised at how much the Don series matters to moviegoers. The interest level has not diminished.”

‘I do have an idea’
So what is the current status of Don 3? Taking a deep breath Farhan says, “Yes, I do have an idea for Don 3. But it’s just an idea at the moment. We need to develop it. I’ve been busy with my acting assignments in the past few years. Now, after Lucknow Central, I am committed to acting assignments with Nishikant Kamat and Mohit Suri.”

However, Farhan promises another Don film in the near future. “It will happen. And it will happen sooner rather than later. Otherwise, Shah Rukh’s fans and fans of the series will be extremely unhappy.”

Farhan Akhtar on ensemble films, the Don franchise, new projects and vacations with his daughters
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 9, 2017)

Director Ranjit Tiwari, your co-star Diana Penty and producer Nikkhil Advani have maintained that there was no ‘ghost-directing’ from your end on your upcoming film, Lucknow Central.
(Laughs) That’s all everybody wants to know from anyone who has worked on the film. It’s funny and weird! I am a director, so I know exactly how it works. And this is Ranjit’s film.

The film follows your character, the incarcerated Kishan Mohan Girhotra, who forms a band in jail. What was your greatest learning experience during his journey?
I learnt a lot of things through Ranjit and the prep. There’s a band called Healing Hearts in Lucknow’s Adarsh Jail that is invited to play at weddings. They have a ticket counter to facilitate bookings for them as well as live performances. I met the band; they’re sweet guys who’ve found peace in music. It is essentially a brass band, like the ones playing Hindi songs at shaadis, and we’ve retained that. I also learnt about an annual musical competition, where all jail inmates in Uttar Pradesh participate. When you’re in jail for 15-20 years, there are few things that can give you joy or make you feel optimistic. But there were smiles on these inmates’ faces when they were playing music. We’ve tried to recreate that emotion on screen. Music is their path to reformation.

After this film, will we see you collaborate on the music of your filmmaker-sister Zoya Akhtar’s Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt-starrer Gully Boys?
Zoya and Reema (Kagti) work together. They write the script and give it to Ritesh (Sidhwani, his partner-producer) and me to read. Sometimes, they consider some of our inputs, at other times, we are told to “please sit in the other room”. In Gully Boys, the music will definitely enhance the story, but right now, we are discussing the screenplay and structure, empathising with characters. I am very much involved and excited to get cracking on this film. I am writing the dialogue and will start as soon as Lucknow Central is done.

What about a Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara sequel…
I hope Zoya and Reema are covertly sitting somewhere and writing the script to surprise us with it soon. Hrithik (Roshan), Katrina (Kaif), Abhay (Deol) and Ritesh, everyone has asked her to start writing. I too have been telling her she has to do it. That journey was so much fun.

You’re also producing a biopic on India’s first and only female Paralympic medalist, Deepa Malik. Are you also directing it?
I’m not directing it, only producing. It’s an incredible story and we’re proud that Deepa trusted us with her life’s journey. Right now, we’re getting the screenplay and story in place.

Every time Priyanka Chopra is back in town, there’s the buzz that you’re signing her for Don 3…
(Laughs) It exists even when she’s not in town, so we shouldn’t hold her responsible for it.

Are you going to direct Don 3?
I’ve become a little careful when speaking about Don 3 because people ask me if I want to make it and I say, ‘Sure, I’d absolutely love to’ and that gets translated into misleading things. It’s unfair to the people who are actually eagerly waiting for it to happen. There’s no state secret to Don 3, I’ll just talk about it when I feel I am ready.

You recently beefed up for a shirtless photo shoot and you’ve been cycling 40-50 km every day. Is this prep for your next film?
Yes and no. There is a film for which I am currently in talks. It will require me to be in supreme physical form. I also have a three-and-a-half month break after Lucknow Central and I will use it to plan my next year. Having said that, I’m actually addicted to cycling and we’re going to stretch beyond 50 km now. I believe discipline is important. I enjoy fitness regardless of a film. It has affected everything I do. My outlook to life is more positive, my energy levels are higher, I feel more courageous...

You’ve also signed Nishikant Kamat’s yet-untitled film featuring Sanjay Dutt, produced by Ajay Devgn. Aren’t you concerned about doing twohero films?
I met Nishikant and he took me through the journey of the film. It’s a big action-comedy-drama, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s something new for me. I liked his last film, Drishyam, very much and I’ve known Sanju for a really long time. Interestingly, we have similar tastes in music, but we’ve never discussed working together. Sanju’s a great chap. I can never base the decision of doing a film on whether it is just about me or not. I don’t think any actor should ever do that. If actors like a script and enjoy their part in it, they should do it. My job is not to be a solo hero, it’s never just about me.

There have been linkup rumours with your co-stars before, but speculations about a particular leading lady refuse to die down…
I feel that no matter what I say, people will continue to write and think what they want to. I feel like telling them, ‘Bhaisaab, abhi bhool jao, kuch aur cheez pe concentrate karo, do things that add value.’ But I don’t think anyone’s going to listen. People feel the need to talk about my personal life and there’s no choice but to tune these speculations out. The fact is, I need to focus on my work and the life I am building. Hopefully, people will get bored of all the gossip so we can all move on…

You recently went on a European holiday with your younger daughter, Akira. What was it like? Did it change the way you look at parenting?
When you travel with friends, you can leave them to do whatever they want to and do your own thing. You can’t do that with a child because they need to be engaged constantly. If you do the things you like, they just end up getting bored. With my daughter, it was extremely enjoyable because I got to spend quality time with her. This was the first time it was just the two of us. We have taken vacations as a family together, but this was different. There were no distractions, no school or office or shoot. It was amazing! I will do trips like this every single year with my daughters.