Showing posts with label Patiala. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Patiala. Show all posts
I am relieved that police traced the troll who has been threatening me and my friends online-Abhinav Shukla
8:16 AM
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; September 14, 2022)
Celebrities often choose to turn a blind eye to trolls instead of feeding them. Abhinav Shukla, too, had done the same in the past. However, last year, the actor was forced to approach the police against a troll, who had been targeting him and his female friends for a long time. The troll has now been traced by the Patiala Police and investigations are on.
Abhinav tells us, “I am relieved, more for the sake of my female friends, that the troll has been traced. For the past year, he had been targeting me and tagging all my female friends, family members, and acquaintances, especially those with verified accounts. His messages were nasty, vilifying and criminal in nature. He accused my female friends of having an affair with me, threatened to throw acid on them, and had them run over.”
Abhinav initially dismissed it as posts by just another upset social media user. However, he soon realised that things were getting out of hand after he started making multiple accounts to troll him. He says, “My friends brought it to my notice and asked me to take action. I didn’t pay much heed thinking that it was one of the hazards of being a celeb. However, I soon started to wonder who was so idle in life that he could troll me for a year non-stop like he was on a mission.”
That’s when Abhinav approached the Mumbai Cyber Crime Branch. He says, “I reported the matter to the Mumbai Cyber Crime Cell via a written complaint on their portal in May 2021 while I was in Cape Town for Khatron Ke Khiladi. I requested them to take cognisance of the online complaint followed by a written complaint, but they didn’t lodge an FIR. Sensing that time was of the essence, I registered a complaint in my hometown with the Patiala police on September 13 last year. They filed an FIR under sections 66 CE and 67A. The police have finally traced the person, who is a resident of Cuttack (Odisha). They questioned him and his family but his motive is still not clear. It could be a case of paid trolls, who may have been hired by someone who doesn’t like me and doesn’t want me to prosper. The police are investigating the case. I am relieved.”
Human trafficking case: Daler Mehndi back in jail as appeal nixed
9:52 AM
Bharat Khanna (THE TIMES OF INDIA; July 15, 2022)
Patiala: A court in Punjab’s Patiala on Thursday upheld the two-year jail term of Punjabi pop singer Daler Mehndi in a 2003 human trafficking case. The singer was on bail as he had appealed against the trial court’s ruling in 2018.
The singer was taken into police custody after additional sessions judge H S Grewal dismissed his appeal against his jail term and plea for release on probation. He was taken to Rajindra Hospital in Patiala for medical examination before being sent to Patiala jail. Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu and Akali leader Bikram Majithia are also lodged there.
Daler’s lawyer Rakesh Thakur said they would file an appeal against the conviction orders in the Punjab and Haryana high court. “Finally, justice has been delivered to the victims. There were 31 complainants and the total amount cheated ran up to Rs 1.93 crore, including Rs 13 lakh paid by Bakshish Singh,” said Gurpreet Singh Bhasin, the counsel of the complainants.
Sadar Patiala police station had registered the case against Daler, his brother Shamsher Singh, Dhian Singh and Bulbul Mehta in 2003 following a complaint by Bakshish, a resident of Balbera village. The complainant alleged that Daler took Rs 13 lakh to send him to Canada but neither sent him abroad nor returned the amount. Later, 30 more complaints of fraud came up against the brothers, accusing them of taking “passage money” to help them migrate to other countries illegally but not doing so.
Single screen theatres across India struggle due to the pandemic
8:11 AM
Liberty Cinema in Marine Lines
On its last legs even before the pandemic swept through India, single-screen theatres and its owners from Patiala to Purnea, ghosted by the government and Bollywood, say their era is as good as gone
Jane Borges (MID-DAY; May 9, 2021)
It's been 14 months since the box office at Colaba’s 88-year-old Regal Cinema last opened to the public. Once bursting with a sea of people, hovering around its narrow passageway, snaking into the screening hall, it now sits like an abandoned artefact on Causeway, used only by cops on Coronavirus bandobast duty to catch some shade.
Even when theatre owners were given the green signal to run shows with 50 per cent occupancy in November last year, Regal remained shut. The hope was to start sometime in the new year, when the pandemic had settled. Nothing settled. Not the pandemic, nor the movie business. Saleem Ahmadullah, director of Globe Theatres Pvt Ltd, the company that runs the single-screen theatre along with Capitol at CST, feels that the golden days of the cinema experience, are as good as gone.
The iconic Art Deco building designed by famed British architect Charles Stevens, was India’s first air conditioned theatre. Over the decades, it saw itself through several disruptions—the coming in of cable television, and later, competition from the fancier and technologically-advanced multiplexes. But, nothing put them out of business like the pandemic has. “There is absolutely no hope for Regal now,” says Ahmadullah, the dejection evident in his voice.
When India was in the throes of the first Coronavirus wave in September 2020, Nitin Datar, president of the Theatre Owners Association, in an interview to The Quint, had given a “modest estimate” of 100 single-screen cinemas across India, folding up due to COVID-19. Of these, Dattar had predicted that 25 would be from Mumbai alone. Photographer-cinematographer Hemant Chaturvedi, who visited 655 single-screen theatres across 11 states between 2019 and 2020, travelling in the middle of the lockdown, for a first-of-its-kind documentation of the last remain vestiges of India’s cinematic glory, has a grimmer forecast. In 2019, when Chaturvedi began his passion project, there were 6,300 single-screens in India. When compared with 20,000-odd single-screens in early 2000 and 9,710 in 2009, this number, he says, was alarming. He fears that half of these may bite the bullet sooner than expected. The lockdown, he thinks, has only hastened the inevitable collapse. “With people being incarcerated in their homes for nearly a year, and probably indefinitely ahead [due to the pandemic], everyone has found cheaper alternative ways to access content. My personal opinion is that the cinema halls are not going to exist after two years. They cannot recover [from this].”
While it is assumed that COVID-19 protocols can be followed in large single theatres—where people can easily sit one or two seats apart, as stipulated by the government—what doesn’t work in the favour of any cinema hall, is that it’s a closed space, says Ahmadullah. “Having a large number of people, even if the theatre is just filled to half capacity, in a closed atmosphere, it’s worrisome. It would make anyone uncomfortable.”
Another problem is the lack of recreational spaces within the premises. “Multiplexes are usually located inside a building or mall, which is designed like an entertainment centre. You have shopping stores, restaurants, etc, and so, people end up spending a lot of time there,” he says. Single-screen theatres like Regal, he says, were built with the idea of maximising the auditorium space. “And that’s why the lobbies and passages are narrow—just enough for people to walk in and out.” This also means that if there’s a large crowd inside the premises, it would be hard to follow physical distancing during entry and exit.
Mrunalini Gole, wife of late Nazir Hoosein, owner of another grand Mumbai single-screen, Liberty Cinema at Marine Lines, says that even before the pandemic, the theatre was struggling to make ends meet. “Things were going fine till about 2017. We had a tie-up with Carnival [Cinemas], which was supplying movies to us, and that ensured a minimum income for us, for a couple of years. But, unfortunately, things didn’t work out, and since 2018, we’ve not been doing too well. [The pandemic in] 2020 was the final nail in the coffin.”
Maintaining a structure like Liberty, which not only boasts of a 1,200-seater auditorium, but is an architectural marvel to behold, with opulently designed geometrical ceilings, grandly-lit carpeted stairways and mirrored walls, comes at a huge cost. Chaturvedi remembers when he got permission to shoot inside Liberty, the only request that was made, was to not waste too much time shooting the auditorium. “And that’s because they have 40,000 incandescent bulbs [lighting up the space], and one can only imagine the amount of electricity being consumed. To keep it running even for an hour would cost a lot of money,” he says.
Gole says this is why Liberty decided against opening up, when the lockdown was lifted last year. “There were no big releases [between November and March] that would attract large crowds. Today, keeping Liberty shut is a better option.”
Paying the staff has been another challenge. Most of them lived away from the work address, and were in no position to come to work, since the local trains weren’t open to public until February this year. “We held on to our staff for the longest time, paying only 25 per cent of their [original] salary. Only last month, finally, we let two of them go. If this continues, we may have to retrench a few more,” Gole admits.
In August last year, Central Plaza in Girgaum, formerly known as Central Cinema, shut its doors for good, after a near 57-year run. Gole feels that a similar fate awaits other theatres. “It hurts like hell. Because we are a heritage structure, the government should be helping us nurture and maintain it. There is absolutely no support coming in. If the government doesn’t have any pride in its heritage, then why stick us with such a label. How long can we keep digging into our own pockets?” she asks.
In Bihar’s Purnea district, Vishek Chauhan says he managed to keep his single-screen theatre, Roopbani Cinema, running due to sheer luck. Roopbani, originally built in 1960, is the oldest theatre in Purnea. Vishek, who is the fourth generation, running the family business, took over in 2009. “When I returned to my hometown 12 years ago, there were 60 theatres in the area. Today, there are four or five. I only survived because my competitors dwindled,” says Chauhan, in a telephonic interview to mid-day.
Chauhan renovated Roopbani to give it a multiplex-feel, investing in a Rs 35 lakh 2K projector, and redoing the interiors. But over time, Bollywood has switched to making more elitist content, which hurt single-screens. “Only about five, or maximum 10 films in a year, are universal— the kind of cinema that will be accepted pan-India. Otherwise, Bollywood is a fairly metro phenomenon, catering to the ultra-rich, urban resident. This also explains why they have been co-opted so seamlessly by OTT platforms like Netflix and Amazon. In the process, they have alienated a majority of India’s viewers,” he says, adding, “You need content to run a cinema hall, and if you don’t get the kind of content that your audience wants to watch, how will you run a theatre?”
That most Bollywood heroes are also shunning their stardom for what they call meaty acting roles—with the exception of Salman Khan, who can still spin box office magic with his mass entertainers—means most single-screens in the small towns of northern India no longer draw crowds. “They were already a dying breed, but the pandemic has unfortunately, broken their back. Everyone here is looking for opportunities to get out of the cinema business,” he says. To add to their woes are the distributors, demanding a lion’s share of the box office revenue. Chauhan says that during the pandemic, at least 60 theatres shut down in Bihar alone. “We have had to let go of most of our staff. How can we keep them, when we haven’t made a single penny? Fortunately, I have other business interests, and that’s how we’ve managed to pull through.”
Raghav Gupta, who runs Phul Cinema in Patiala, understands Chauhan’s despondency. The Art Deco structure, built right after Independence, was originally designed by W M Namjoshi, the architect behind Liberty and New Empire in Mumbai, Raj Mandir in Jaipur, and Golcha in Delhi. The building was restored to its original glory in October 2018, after a year-long renovation project, which cost him nearly Rs 5 crore. He had barely broken even, when the lockdown was imposed in March 2020. “We opened twice after that. Once, in November for the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari and then, for a Punjabi film. Both met with disastrous results. Due to the fear of contracting the Coronavirus, most people didn’t dare to enter the theatre,” he says.
Gupta had pinned his hopes on the Salman Khan-starrer Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai, scheduled to release on May 13. It would have been a sure shot crowd-puller, if not for the second wave that gripped the country. The film will hit the theatres and ZEE5’s pay per view platform ZeePlex simultaneously. The release model hasn’t gone down well with many film exhibitors. “With this kind of release, we are challenging the basic fundamentals of the business. There is a huge question mark over the existence of cinemas,” he says.
Down south, where the movie industry continues to be star-driven, single-screen theatres have not had to face the kind of hopelessness felt in the rest of India. Unlike Bollywood, the south industry didn’t shy away from releasing their big ticket films during the pandemic. In January, Tamil-language action thriller Master, starring Vijay, released globally. Despite COVID restrictions and 50 per cent occupancy in theatres, it passed the Rs. 200 crore-mark at the box office. Ruban Mathivanan, owner of GK Cinemas in Chennai, which started out as a single-screen hall in 1974 and was converted into a two-screen multiplex in 2016, says that while they managed to cover up their losses with a few-odd releases during the pandemic, it has been the most difficult time to be in the business. “We have had to pay our staff through the lockdown. The government also continued to take property tax and charged us for electricity. There was absolutely no relief. It’s such a shame,” he says.
Mathivanan says that hadn’t it been for Master, and Bakkiyaraj Kannan’s film Sulthan that released in April, theatres in Tamil Nadu would have suffered the same fate as their northern counterparts. The theatres in Chennai shut shop last week, after cases peaked in the city. “We don’t know when we are going to open again. Even when we do, we will have to wait for a big release to help see us through. It’s going to be the same cycle again.”
While many theatres have stopped operations permanently during the lockdown, state laws have prevented many cinema owners from converting their properties into other businesses.
Chaturvedi says that according to the law, a plot that is originally designated as cinema property must have a theatre with 33 per cent occupancy of the original hall, on the premises, even if it is redeveloped. “There are of course, people who have managed to subvert the rule, and demolish the cinema to build a mall,” he says.
“Places like Regal and Capitol come under the heritage tag, and they cannot be demolished.” In smaller towns, many theatre owners have now converted their properties into godowns.
Chaturvedi feels that the one way in which single-screen theatres can overcome this calamity, is by reinventing themselves. “When some of these theatre owners reached out to me, asking for suggestions, I told them that one of the things that they could do, was to repurpose the cinema hall into a pay per view space, where they can make three of four smaller theatres of 30 to 50 seats each inside the venue, and tie-up with some of the leading content providers. So, if a bunch of friends want to binge watch Game Of Thrones on the big screen, with Dolby Digital theatre sound, you can host them,” says Chaturvedi. “The truth is that movies were made for the big screen and not for television. I still remember going to watch Mughal-e-Azam [in 2004], when it re-released in colour, at Gaiety Galaxy [in Bandra]. What was fascinating was that irrespective of the age and gender of the audience, they knew every moment and dialogue from the film. When Madhubala’s Anarkali says, ‘Kaaton ko murjhane ka khauf nahin hota’, and you hear 900 people say it together with her… it is like listening to a Greek theatre chorus.” This, he says, cannot be replicated ever again.
Photographer Hemant Chaturvedi, who has been documenting the last surviving cinemas of India, shares that single screens are down from 20,000 in early 2000s to 6,300 in 2019. “Most will be finished in another two years. They cannot recover from this.” Pic/Suresh Karkera
Vishek Chauhan (in white), says his theatre, Roopbani Cinema in Purnea, Bihar, has survived, because his competitors disappeared. They are already crippled by Bollywood’s new elitist content failing to attract crowds in smaller towns
Raghav Gupta, owner of Phul Cinema in Patiala, renovated the Art Deco structure in 2018 at a cost of Rs 5 crore. They had just broken even, when the pandemic hit. It has only opened twice since March 2020. PIC courtesy/Hemant Chaturvedi
Amit Sadh will never romance in hiding-Amit Sadh
8:04 AM
Actor rubbishes rumours of dating Kim Sharma after they were seen together in Goa
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 1, 2020)
He rode from Patiala to Manali and reveals that the traffic was as bad as usual and the roads as broken. “The Coronavirus pandemic had made little difference but the biker in me was happy as the more broken the road, the more adventurous is the ride,” he laughs.
Prod him on the Goa trip and he says it was to rejuvenate himself after the fatigue of a shoot. “I didn’t meet anyone, I’d wake up in the morning, walk on the beach, eat Goan fish curry and rice, and go to bed by 9 pm,” he rattles off. But he was spotted with Kim Sharma fuelling rumours of a budding romance? “We accidentally bumped into each other at a restaurant and exchanged greetings. That was it. Amit Sadh will never romance in hiding. I don’t care for such reports, but we shouldn’t talk about women in our industry, and the country, in such a frivolous manner,” he fumes.
During an earlier interaction with Mirror (June 6), the actor had spoken about opening a café in Goa, but now admits that he doesn’t think that the dream will materialise. “As an artist, I keep coming up with these crazy ideas, but I have some trustworthy people around me who always pull me back to sanity,” he confides, quick to add that work on his Mumbai café is continuing and it should open soon, hopefully.
As an actor Amit is so busy, he admits that he is not even getting enough time to switch between characters. “But I am in a happy zone,” he asserts, glad that he could spend a quiet and peaceful Diwali in the village. “I was so tired I made the village people cook my meals for me and binged on them. I sat in the green fields, did yoga and breathed in the fresh air. The only ripple is a minor injury I suffered while shooting for Zidd for which I am undergoing physical rehab.”
Any other secrets? “Yes,” he chuckles. “I have written a couple of nice stories and several directors have shown interest in my work. I just hope I can find some producers now to invest in them,” he concludes.
I’d known about Shilpa Shetty’s big news for a while-Abhimanyu Dassani
7:54 AM
Abhimanyu Dassani knows how to keep a secret, is unfazed when he doesn’t have a release for over a year... and other things that make him different
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 25, 2020)
On Saturday, Abhimanyu Dassani brought in his 26th birthday on the Patiala sets of his third film, Aankh Micholi. Pointing out that he’s had a working birthday for the last three years, he says, “I guess it’s a tradition now and I love it.” He got his birthday present a week in advance, in the form of a Filmfare Black Lady, as Best Debutant for Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota. He received the trophy from mom Bhagyashree, who’d bagged it herself in 1990 for Maine Pyar Kiya. “I was nervous, more so when I learnt that she would present it—I knew she’d cry on stage, irrespective of who won,” he laughs.Abhimanyu has been away from the screen for over a year, but he is patience personified. “I am happy as long as I am working. We first screened Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota in August 2018 and it released in India in March 2019,” he points out, adding that he was worried when the film didn’t have a producer and there was talk of it being shelved mid-shoot.
The actor has two films up for release this year—Nikamma, with Shilpa Shetty and Shirley Setia and Aankh Micholi with Mrunal Thakur and Paresh Rawal. He is shooting for the latter and “treating it as my acting workshop and not a movie”. Abhimanyu is excited about meeting Shilpa’s daughter, Samisha, who was born on February 15. “As soon as I get half a day off, I am going to Delhi to spend time with her. I’d known about Shilpa’s big news for a while now,” he admits.In his first film, Abhimanyu was introduced as an action hero. Ask him if he views Tiger Shroff, who has established himself in the genre, as competition, and he shrugs, “Tiger is already a superstar, a great stuntman and a gymnast. He has taken action to the next level and paved the way for people like us. I am an actor, now exploring roles outside of action.”
Speaking of venturing out of one genre, Abhimanyu points out, “My first was a festival film, the second is a commercial entertainer, the third, a comedy and the fourth, a romance.” He’d like to work with Ayan Mukerji, Neeraj Pandey, Abhishek Chaubey, Zoya Akhtar and reunite with Vasan Bala. “Also, Alia Bhatt. I love everything that she does.”
Arjun Kapoor and Rakul Preet Singh will head to Punjab for next schedule of their cross border film
7:54 AM
Duo will be joined by Neena Gupta, Soni Razdan, Kumud Mishra, Kanwaljit Singh for a schedule that kicks off on Dec 10
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 4, 2019)
Mirror was the first to report (November 6) that Arjun Kapoor and Rakul Preet Singh are teaming up for a yet-untitled family dramedy produced by Bhushan Kumar, Nikkhil Advani and John Abraham. The film went on floors in mid-November with Arjun shooting for his solo portions in Mumbai. “I’ve shot for five days and it was all interior stuff which we filmed,” Arjun reveals, adding that he is yet to shoot with his leading lady, with whom he interacted at length during acting and character-building workshops.Now, we have learnt that the film’s leads are headed to Punjab to kick off the second schedule on December 10. “It’s a coming-of-age story, a family comedy-drama which has a nice, feel-good vibe to it. I haven’t done something in this space before. We have a nice ensemble cast,” Arjun informs. The actor and Rakul will be joined by co-stars Neena Gupta, Soni Razdan, Kumud Mishra and Kanwaljit Singh in the Punjab schedule.
The cast of the film, which is written by Kaashvie Nair, who makes her directorial debut with the film, along with Anuja Chauhan and Amitosh Nagpal, is scheduled to shoot at real locations in and around Punjab. “We have an exciting schedule coming up across locations in Chandigarh, Patiala, Amritsar and the Attari border. The entire cast will be in Punjab for a better part of the month,” says Madhu Bhojwani, who is also producing the film. Bhushan goes on to add that the shooting spots play a major role in taking the story forward. “We will be treating Punjab as another character in the film, which is a cross-border love story. It’s a unique take on relationships within a family,” he informs.
According to a source close to the development, Arjun, Rakul and the team will fly to Los Angeles for the final shoot after the second schedule. “Filming will be wrapped up by January-end, following which the team moves on to post production. The film will release next year,” the source shares, adding that Neena’s getup in the film is prosthetic-heavy. “There were several look tests that she underwent with the team in October. Her look, once unveiled, will surprise many.”
Dostana 2's Delhi scheduled postponed; shoot to take place after air quality improves
7:48 AM
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 13, 2019)
Mirror (October 15) had earlier reported that 11 years after the Karan Johar-produced Dostana, featuring Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra, released, its sequel with Kartik Aaryan, Janhvi Kapoor and debutant Lakshya will go on the floors in November. On Saturday, Kartik shared a picture of him holding the clapboard with the news that the romcom had kicked off in Chandigarh. They were supposed to film in national capital as well, but the crew who were in Delhi trying to set things up for the upcoming schedule, found it hard to breathe because of increased air pollution.
“With visibility also being poor, the makers decided not to risk the health of the team and have pushed the Delhi schedule to a later date when the air quality improves. Kartik, Janhvi and Lakshya will be shooting in Chandigarh for a few more days, where they will be joined by the supporting cast. Closer to the weekend, they will move to Patiala for another week-long spell,” informs a source.
After Diwali this year, the air quality of Delhi and the NCR region has dropped to ‘dangerous’ levels in several places. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) study, the capital is one of the worst of the 1600 cities in terms of air pollution.
Earlier this month, Priyanka Chopra, wearing a mask, had taken to the social media to highlight the concern when filming there with Rajkummar Rao. “It’s so hard to shoot here right now that I can’t even imagine what it must be like to live here under these conditions,” she had said.
Kartik Aaryan, Janhvi Kapoor and Lakshya to kick-off Dostana 2 in November
8:06 AM
Film will be shot in Chandigarh, Patiala and other places in North India before a stint abroad
Hiren Kotwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 15, 2019)
Eleven years after the Karan Johar-produced Dostana, featuring Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra, hit the marquee, its sequel is inching closer to reality. To be directed by debutant Collin D’Cunha, the film features Kartik Aaryan, Janhvi Kapoor and newcomer Lakshya as the leads and is set to go on the floors next month in North India. Collin has previously assisted Rajkumar Hirani (Sanju and PK), Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Bhaag Milkha Bhaag) and Reema Kagti (Talaash).According to a source close to the development, the trio is currently undergoing look tests. “Kartik and Janhvi sport avatars that are a departure from everything one has seen on screen so far. Filming is slated to start in the first week of November,” the source informs.
The first schedule, which will be spread across 22 days, will take place in Chandigarh, Patiala and other locations in North India. Later, the film’s team will also shoot overseas. Janhvi was recently quoted as saying, “I’m excited about Dostana 2 because it’s a very funny script. If you talk about path-breaking films, I feel this story will be like that.”
Apart from the look tests, prep is also on. Kartik had recently shared a picture of himself with a script on the social media, saying, “Dostana 2 ka prep shuru,” and tagged his director. Recently, Janhvi and Lakshya were also spotted at KJo’s old office.
Mukkabaaz grew out of the shock of seeing a senior boxer working as a porter at Varanasi-Vineet Kumar Singh
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As told to Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 25, 2019)
Since I was not getting the kind of work I wanted, I decided to script a sports-drama. My sister, Mukti Singh Srinet, and I are basketball players. I have played six national games and seen from up close the struggle of athletes in our country in the face of indifferent officials, political pressures, lack of facilities and meagre finances. Mukkabaaz grew out of the shock of seeing a once-feted senior boxer working as a porter and lugging bags at Varanasi Junction railway station. When I started researching for my script, I learnt of other athletes who had sold medals to make ends meet. There was another one who had to take up work as a sweeper.
After completing the script, I decided I wanted to play the protagonist, a talented pugilist, Shravan Kumar Singh, and started training in the sport while scouting for a director. It was a long journey, spanning two-and-a-half years during which I learnt the basics of boxing, before Anurag Kashyap agreed to direct the film. I had worked with him in Gangs Of Wasseypur, Bombay Talkies and Ugly and he was ready to direct my desi Rocky. His only condition was that I should look as convincing as any professional boxer.
In Mumbai, it’s difficult to train in pure boxing as most of the coaches are into mix martial arts, so I decided to shift to Patiala where I had a chance of training with professionals. I prepped with them for a year without them realising that I was learning the sport for a film. Had they known, they would have never taken me seriously.
The training sessions were long and rigorous, replete with potential accidents. I broke my ribs once, but by the end of my prep, I had managed to impress my coaches with my dedication. I developed neuromuscular reflexes at an age when most boxers retire. It was a miracle because the body stops responding to training after a certain age. In all, it was a four-year prep till the film went on the floors.
We were determined to keep all the fights non-choreographed and real as the film featuring professional international boxers. The reactions, reflexes and punches were all spontaneous without us compromising on anything. By then, I was trained to put up a good fight even against a boxer representing a country on an international platform.
After Mukkabaaz, I wanted to take up another sports film and auditioned for Reema Kagti’s Gold which revolved around India’s first hockey win in the Olympics as an independent nation. As opposed to my bulky look in Mukkabaaz, this one required a leaner body since people didn’t hit the gym in 1930s and ’40s. So, I changed my diet plan as well as my workout schedule to break all the muscle I had built. The hockey training sessions with the team were not difficult because I had played the sport in my childhood. That aside, the extensive boxing sessions had given me the strength to train like an international athlete, so I only had to work on polishing my skills.
The hockey sticks used in the ’30s and ’40s, however, were very different from the ones used today. They were heavy with thick blades, and that made it difficult to control the ball initially. Another challenge was to play on artificial grass as I had played on the turf as a kid. But I think I managed to do a convincing job as Imtiaz Ali, who was a part of the Indian team but after Partition crossed the border and went on to captain the ‘other side’.
Every character I play has its own graph. I make it a point to discuss them with the writer and director first to get their points of view before jumping into the prep. For my upcoming films, Adhar and Saand Ki Aankh, I had to learn two different lingos, from Jharkhand and Punjab respectively. I interacted with locals for around four months. This helped me imbibe and incorporate local characteristics into my performance as well.
Ranveer Singh is a cricket crazy guy, with a good batting technique-Balvinder Singh Sandhu
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Balvinder Singh Sandhu, member of India’s 1983 winning cricket team, is coaching Kabir Khan’s players
Natasha Countinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 15, 2019)
Kabir Khan’s sports drama, 83, based on India’s World Cup cricket win, flags off in mid-May with Ranveer Singh stepping into the shoes of then skipper, all-rounder Kapil Dev. Veteran cricketer Balvinder Singh Sandhu, who was part of the winning team, has been training Ranveer and his onscreen teammates over the last few months, and is all praise for the actor. “Ranveer is a cricket crazy guy, with a good batting technique evident on the first day itself. His bowling was a little rusty, but after three-four days he was running well and executing the action required,” the former fast bowler raves. “We are working on improving his technique to make him look like Kapil Dev and not Ranveer Singh.”Prod him on the prep and he informs that they practise two cricketing shots every day. “Ranveer was supposed to train for an hour a day, but high on energy and keen to learn, he stays back for two-and-half-hours. He has been busy the past few days, but will resume training in the coming week,” he informs.
They begin shooting around May 15 in London and Scotland. It’s a 100-day schedule, and towards March-end they will have a 10-day bonding and training session in Dharamshala. They will also train in Mumbai for a week. “I treat all the actors like actual cricketers and follow the same techniques that I do at the National Cricket Academy,” says the coach who is currently in Patiala training Ammy Virk who plays him on screen.Virk says he’s 95 per cent ready and trying hard to get his cricket right to make his Sandhu believable. “I’m looking forward to getting to know Ranveer better during the training sessions. Since we will all be living together for three-four months, it’s important to know each other. Sandhu sir will be on the sets all the time which will make my work easier,” he says with relief.
Sandhu himself is also happy with the progress of the other actors. Jiiva who plays Krishnamachari Srikanth, has his manager, a cricketer himself, helping him with his technique while Chirag Patil who plays his cricketer-father Sandeep Patil, has been hitting the ball well. “Kabir Khan is the actual captain of this team, friendly, open to suggestions and very patient,” he smiles.
Flashbacking to the memorable final in ’83 when India took on West Indies at Lord’s, Sandhu says getting the first wicket of Gordon Greenidge was the big high. “That gave us hope that we could win the Cup.”
If a role scares me in a good way, I want to play it-Vicky Kaushal
10:39 PM
Lasyapriya Sundaram (BOMBAY TIMES; Janaury 6, 2019)
He was first noticed for his sensitive performance as a boy who tries to transcend casteism in Neeraj Ghaywan festival favourite, Masaan (2015).
However, 2018 established him as an actor whose versatility is unquestionable, having played diverse roles in films like Raazi, Sanju and Manmarziyaan. With the upcoming URI: The Surgical Strike, directed by Aditya Dhar, the actor will be carrying the film on his own shoulders. But he has nothing to worry about, he has heavy-duty ammo (read: talent) for support and the actor also insists that the hero of the film is no one else but the script.” In a candid chat with BT, Vicky Kaushal talks about his interactions with the men in uniform, the turning point of his career and the direction in which he is charging ahead. Read on. Excerpts…
Your upcoming film Uri is based on the 2016 surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army in retaliation to the attack by armed militants on security forces in Uri. How much did you know about this operation before you embarked on the project?
I was in front of the television when the Uri attacks were reported. It was the first time that a military camp was attacked. They came right inside. What followed was the surgical strike. It was widely covered. Though I knew that this had happened, what I didn’t know was how it had happened. I was in the middle of the shoot for Raazi and that’s when this script came my way.
I was excited about finding out how the operation was carried out and how the team was formed. Also, the politics around it intrigued me. As an actor, I wanted to explore the action genre. The action in this film is realistic and that appealed to me. As an audience, be it Indian or international films, I get kicked about movies based on the military forces. Through the process of this film, I understood the life of our men in uniform, and a subject like this brings a change within you. Our problems seem immaterial when you look at their lives and what they do on a daily basis. We were shooting in the cantonment area in Patiala. The regiment was called Haathi Regiment and they hosted us for dinner. The party went on till about 4 in the morning. The following day was our day-off and I was planning to sleep. There was this 26-year-old Captain with us and when I asked him about his schedule for the next day, he said that they had to be on the grounds at 5 am for a 25-km run. I almost felt apologetic about hanging out with them for so long. The Captain also said that they live every day to the fullest, because the next day their photos could be in the papers. I was stumped and I couldn’t sleep after that. They have reached a state of mind where they don’t care about death. They are doing this for us. I feel honoured that I got a chance to pay a tribute to their valour and sacrifice. Also, playing a Special Forces commando is a different ballgame. They call themselves a breed apart, which they truly are. I kept telling my director that this is not a film heroes, but about superheroes.
When it came to portraying Major Vihaan Shergill, did you rely on the script and the director’s vision, or did you dig out all that was available about the surgical strike to construct the character? How much of what is shown in the film is based on what happened in reality and how much of it has been fictionalised?
After meeting top bureaucrats and defence personnel, my director had his research in place. There are certain aspects which can’t be revealed in the public domain because of security protocol, especially when it comes to a mission like the surgical strike. Firstly, when a surgical strike is carried out, the identity of the army men who are involved in it cannot be revealed. The names of the commandos in the film are fictional. Secondly, some details involving the mission, which fall under the purview of intelligence detail, also can’t be given out and therefore, those portions are fictionalised. That will be confidential no matter what happens and that was not shared with us. But at the same time, while fictionalising it, we couldn’t take many liberties. Apart from this, everything else is exactly the way it happened.
Several media reports suggested that the surgical strike was politicised for gaining mileage by political parties. What are your views on the subject?
I am not a politically aware person because I find it complicated. Also, I feel my understanding of politics is at a surface level. I do hear people discussing it. I don’t understand the language that is spoken on news channels or at rallies. Terrorism is something that should be condemned. One feels sad that there is so much hatred towards another human being. Terrorists in the past have taken over cities. Earlier, one would say that terrorists operate only in the border areas. Today, it is happening in military camps and it’s happening 5 km away from my house as well. I could have been around the Gateway Of India with my family when the 26/11 attacks happened. Our army and government shoulder a huge responsibility. They have to take some hard decisions on behalf of the entire nation. What I understand is that a call like the surgical strike was long pending, because it wasn’t a strike on Pakistani civilians or the Pakistani government. The strike was targeted at the militants who were responsible for the Uri attacks and who might have carried out further attacks. As far the views of various political parties, I don’t understand it. I believe in the army and their spirit. Retaliation like this also gives a boost to them and sends out a message that they are not sitting ducks. My conclusions are based on what I have understood of this, I could be wrong about it.
2018 has been a turning point for your career. Raazi, Sanju and Manmarziyaan gave you the opportunity to showcase your range as an actor. Do you agree?
Yes, given my short filmography so far, 2018 was the year when things changed for me. I was part of films that enabled me to reach a larger audience. The films were massy, which led to people recognising me. In 2017, I was shooting for these films and I was only hopping from one set to the other. I was keen on finding out how 2018 would pan out, given that I had many releases. I was also wondering how my performances would be received. It was something that I wanted validation for and I got it. The feedback I got for my work made me believe that I was going in the right direction. It motivated me to push boundaries in terms of the roles that I can take on.
Today, actors like Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Ayushmann Khurrana and Rajkummar Rao are able to co-exist and they all bring different things to the table. You started out with content-driven films like Masaan and Raman Raghav 2.0 and eventually, made your way towards more commercial films. Are trying to avoid being straight jacketed in categories?
For me, there are only two categories. Either it’s a good film or a bad film. It could be a niche film or a commercial film, the story needs to connect with me. Whether a film is made with Rs 100 or a hundred crore is immaterial. If the role scares me in a good way, I want to play it. I don’t look at films from a surgeon’s point of view. There are no calculations. The audience has evolved in such a way that there is no formula that can be applied to make films. What has also happened is that the audience doesn’t compare you with other actors. They compare you with your earlier work. I realised this after reading comments about my work by people on social media. As an actor, one needs to be aware that there are only two destinations. One is where people will give you all the love and you will be in the limelight, but along with that comes pressure and expectations. The second destination is where they don’t care about who you are and what you do because they are not affected by you. One has to be aware of which destination they are aiming for. I am willing to embrace the pressure and the expectations which come with being in the limelight, as a result of being an actor. Everybody has realised that the hero of the film is the script. Today, you can work with non-actors, but if your script is good, the audience will flock to the theatres.
The #MeToo movement exposed many skeletons in the cupboard. What did you make of it and how do you think this movement will affect change in the future?
It’s a historic and revolutionary movement. The most beautiful thing to have happened as a result is that men have started thinking twice, as to what their behaviour could lead to. They have started monitoring their behaviour and that’s a great thing to have happened. It’s high time men realised that they can’t take anyone for granted. It’s not easy for people to reveal their identity and name people. It was messy, but it was needed. There will be collateral damage, but the foundation has been shaken. This movement will help in creating a safe and equal work environment.
Every time I went to Vipul Amrutlal Shah's office, he tried to kiss me-Elnaaz Norouzi
8:15 AM
Iranian actor who acted in Sacred Games opens up about three months of non-stop sexual harassment at the hands of Vipul Shah
Elnaaz Norouzi (MID-DAY; October 19, 2018)
I came to Mumbai and faced a lot of sh*t. I met him (Vipul Shah) during [the pre-production of the film] Namaste England. My manager informed me that Parineeti Chopra was playing the main lead. And I could be cast as the second lead.
Vipul had offered the role to Jacqueline (Fernandez), who had let it pass. He met me, and I was surprised that in the first (quick) meeting itself, he spoke as if we were going ahead with it (the offer). "We just need to do a look-test, and sign papers," he said, making it (contract) sound like a formality. I hadn't even auditioned for the film. It was weird because things like these take time.
A few days later, he made me do an audition with (casting director) Honey Trehan, which wasn't even for an actual scene. I woke up at 6 am, reached Versova beach; was made to do a few natural scenes, just being myself. The casting director, it seemed to me, had not even been briefed.
Vipul got back saying this isn't what he wanted. I met him again in his office, and again he mentioned, "We will sign the papers over the next couple of days." This time, when we were saying bye, he came on to me. It was too close for comfort. I didn't get the right vibe. He gave a peck on my face. I didn't expect it. I called up my manager after this to say, "Vipul is serious. He wants to sign the papers. Get in touch with him and go ahead." For days, I kept chasing my manager, who told me that Vipul wasn't getting back.
(Norousi's former manager, who wishes to stay anonymous, when contacted independently by mid-day, corroborated the fact that the casting deal was nearly done, and then had fallen through, for no apparent reason)
When I asked Vipul, he said he wanted to conduct another audition. Basically, I went through six rounds of auditions for the film, and he made me feel like the planet's worst actor. My confidence was shattered. I kept feeling like I was auditioning, and not cracking the part. It was only later I realised that this was his way of calling me to his office, over and over again, to get closer to me.
The next time we met at his office, he tried to kiss me. I backed off, said, "What are you doing? We are in your office!" I pushed him away, being affirmative; but careful enough not to come across as rude, because I really wanted the film.
Vipul didn't apologise, though I hoped he had understood (the point). During this time, I had asked him about when we were starting (the film). He told me we would begin the Punjab schedule, followed by a London schedule, and that I didn't have any work in the former, only the latter. He wanted me to get familiar with (lead actors) Arjun (Kapoor) and Parineeti (Chopra). So he told me that he would make sure that I get to go to Punjab, when they shoot the (film's) first schedule as well.
We did another set of auditions. Again, he said he needed to look at them, see if he can do workshops with me, after which, I would be ready (for the role). (During this meeting), once more, he tried to touch me inappropriately. I said I was unwell, and that I had to leave. I left the country thereafter to promote a film of mine. When I returned, and got in touch with Vipul, he called me over to Patiala. It was a five-hour drive from Amritsar. I did another audition there, in his presence. We were staying on the same hotel-floor. After the audition, we went up together. I asked him about when I could hear the (film's) story. He had always avoided narrating it thus far.
This time, he said, "Come to my room. I will make you hear the script." At this point, he touched my butt, and dragged me towards himself. I dodged him, went to my room, and sat there wondering if I should just give in. When I got a message from his assistant to come down for dinner, I thought everything was normal. But I felt there was something weird about him at the table.
(One of the associates working on Namaste England, when independently contacted by mid-day, confirmed that Norousi was in Patiala for no apparent reason. Shah was merely considering her for the part. She was never on-board. The associate claimed that Shah hadn't liked Norousi's audition tapes much. And, yet, she was a part of the film's recce).
For two months after this, I would wake up anxiously every morning, waiting for a text back from Vipul, on when I'd be signing (the contract). He kept delaying it. In the meantime, I had cracked (a part in the Netflix series) Sacred Games. They were keen to sign me up.
At that point, I took the offer to Vipul. He said that he would launch me in a big way. It was a girl-next-door part in Namaste England, and that he was clear he would not be able to cast me, as a result of Sacred Games, and that I should skip the offer, since they would make me do nude scenes. I was ready to let go of Sacred Games, when a friend of mine made me go back to Phantom, and ask them what my scenes were going to be like. I told Vipul that I had no (nude) scenes in Sacred Games, and that I had read the script.
He kept asking me to skip (the offer). He still had not signed a contract with me for Namaste England. I was mentally tortured for three months. It was evident that if I slept with Vipul, I would get the part. Every time I went to his office, he tried (to hit) on me. He (would) inappropriately touch me, and (try to) kiss me.
I want these men to stop doing this, because they think they have enough power to do so. He used my vulnerabilities to ensure that I give in. I almost agreed, at one point in Patiala, when I was away from home and family. I could see that it was a big offer. Thankfully, I had realised that the part was way smaller than how he was projecting it (to be). I wouldn't have been on posters, and in songs. I could have broken (down), and given in. I used the time to understand his tactics instead.
I didn't take the matter to the police, because as a foreigner, I didn't know enough about my rights. And I strongly believe in karma. I know this happens to women everywhere, not just in Bollywood. No one wants to jeopardise their jobs.
The police would (probably) laugh at me. Vipul is a stronger figure. I am a foreign national. They could create visa issues for me. I have had it hard enough here, already. So I was scared. I was happy that Sacred Games came my way, and I could pull myself out of months of depression over not bagging Namaste England. If I was such a bad actor, then how come they (Phantom/Netflix) hired me?
It's okay to be attracted to someone, and do something consensually. But this is coercing someone to get physical. It would have been okay if he had approached me saying, "Hey, I like you, but film won't work out."
But this was his way of keeping me hanging in there, so I give in, and he gets to take advantage of his power — being a big director. It (the episode) took me to dark places. It was funny when his guys (recently) called me back, saying they loved me in Sacred Games, and wanted me to do Commando 3. I let it pass. No woman should have to succumb and submit to get work.
The only reason I am sharing this is because I want these kinds of disgusting people to stop misusing their power. There are many like Vipul. There shall be more stories, if we see that things don't change.
As told to Mohar Basu
I enjoy the danger-Amit Sadh's exotic vacation plans revealed
8:34 AM
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; April 22, 2018)
It’s that time of the year when most actors go on a vacay either abroad or to places that have cooler climes in order to avoid the hot Mumbai summer. But for Amit Sadh, who is an adventure freak, summer means carrying a backpack, taking his bike and going on a road trip to the mountains. “I like the concept of minimalism. I can stay in a tent, with a rucksack and sleeping bag for the rest of my life, provided I have a bike,” grins Amit, who has been riding a two-wheeler and going on adventure trips to the mountains since he was 14. “I think I got mountaineering first and then a heartbeat,” he jokes.
So far, Amit has traversed through India and Europe on his bike. Next, he wants to ride through South America and the Silk Route. Last year, the actor went on a biking trail to Leh Ladakh and Kargil. “After finishing the shooting of Gold in Patiala, I took my bike and did the entire Kargil stretch, Ladakh and Nubra Valley. There was lot of off-roading (there are no roads). I stayed in tents and homestays,” he informs.
This summer, Amit is planning a bike ride through the east — Arunachal Pradesh to Bhutan. “Passes (mountain) are open till October in the upper Himalayas, so I am thinking of going on an exciting ride with my buddies. Have made a tentative plan where we will start from Delhi, ride through the entire east including Manipur, Nagaland right up to the China border. We will be crossing Kaziranga and from there, it’s an amazing 40- km stretch of off-roading to Nagaland,” he enthuses.
These trips are not just an adventure for Amit who uses the time for reflection as well. “You are on your own, you meet different people who are warm, welcoming and non-judgmental. It enriches you and keeps you grounded. There is also the struggle of climbing the mountain. You want to see the view from the peak, but for that you have to strain your back, leg and the ankle. But when you go up and see that sunset — the view and submit to the peak — it’s your achievement. And more than anything, I just enjoy it,” says Amit, who has had his share of injuries and surgeries. “The ride through the upper Himalayas is not easy, glaciers are melting, your 350 kg bike is slipping... Last year, I was in Chang La, a mountain pass at 17,590 ft, and my hands and legs were numb from the cold. These things keep happening,” he says nonchalantly. Needless to say, it hasn’t deterred Amit from taking his bike and zooming off to the mountains every year.
In fact, the actor is now getting ready to take part in MotoGp. “It is going to start soon here and I want to get into track racing. It is a difficult sport — the level of the bikes and the talent for riding — it is very fast. The other day, somebody from the industry advised me to not take part because accidents can happen, but kya karein, I enjoy the danger,” signs off the adventure junkie.
Regina Cassandra joins Anil, Sonam Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao in Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga?
8:00 AM
The actress joins Anil and Sonam Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao in their next film
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 10, 2018)
South actress Regina Cassandra was to make her Bollywood debut in Gaurang Doshi’s Aankhen 2 alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Arshad Warsi, Arjun Rampal and Anil Kapoor. But after an announcement in August 2016, the sequel hasn’t taken off.
Now, Mirror has learnt that the actress who has worked in a number of Tamil and Telugu films, is a part of another Bollywood biggie. She has been signed for debutante director Shelly Chopra Dhar’s upcoming family drama, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga, which has the father– daughter duo of Anil and Sonam Kapoor teaming up for the first time, and Rajkummar Rao.
A source from the sets revealed, “Regina has been paired opposite Rajkummar’s character. She has begun shooting in Patiala.”
Life isn’t all about attack; you’ve got to be prepared to defend yourself too-Vineet Kumar Singh
8:09 AM
Actor Vineet Kumar Singh on what kept him going in his 18 years of struggle before success in Bollywood
Deebashree Mohanty (TIMES LIFE; April 8, 2018)
The 38-year-old actor from Varanasi, who found success with Mukkabaaz, was so keen on the role of a boxer that he left everything and went to train in mixed martial arts (MMA) for two years before taking on the role in Anurag Kashyap’s film. Here, Vineet Kumar Singh tells us how boxing as a sport helped him rethink his failures, and prepared him for success.
Did the acting bug hit you early?
I was hardly 8. The only audience I had for my furtive performances were my younger brother and sister. They enjoyed every act. But the moment everyone at home came to know I wanted to join NSD, all hell broke loose. It was an earth-shattering moment, an ajooba (miracle) for my family because everyone was either into academics or sports. Acting was never a ‘real’ profession for a typical middle-class family like ours. I had to change my tactics and be smart about my options to realise my dream.
Your big break, Pitaah , bombed at the B.O.
That was a rude awakening. I had thought after the release of the film, my name would be splashed all across TV channels, producers would line up at my doorstep. I thought “Main toh hero ban gaya!” But boom! The movie came and went, I was hardly noticed.
How did you cope?
My elder sister, a professor in Banaras Hindu University, and I, secretly broke FDs that belonged to my siblings. I would take up any scene, any role that came my way. I would play a ghost, cop or a rag picker in DD afternoon serials. But going home was never an option.
You took your role of playing a boxer rather seriously...
I am a method actor. When Anurag Kashyap asked me to become a boxer; I packed my bags and left for Patiala. There was a year of rigorous training which included four schedules daily. The first one started at 5 am, then there was a gym session mid noon. The next boxing session was at 5 pm followed by one hour of swimming. I felt dead when I hit the sack.
How was it dealing with other boxers during the training?
The others had no idea I was an actor. They thought I was a crazy old man who suddenly wanted to bear all the blows for some stupid reason. After every injury, they were certain I would return to wherever I had come from.
Did boxing help you personally?
There is a popular saying in the sports world – anyone who is sure about their stamina needs to step into a boxing ring for 2 minutes. If you come out unscathed (mentally), you are a winner. Boxing actually makes you a calmer person too. Most of your angst, whining will find a way out with the punches and blows. I also learnt the importance of defending. Life isn’t all about attack. Sometimes, you have to be prepared to defend yourself too.
12 filmmakers explore untapped interiors of India and it's quite exciting
8:27 AM
Many Bollywood filmmakers have ditched popular locations to explore untapped interiors
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 17, 2018)
RAAZI’S SEARCH ENDS AT THE VALLEY OF MILK
Meghna Gulzar’s adaptation of Harinder Sikka’s novel, ‘Calling Sehmat’, featuring Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal, has been filmed across Nabha and Malerkotla — two historically significant towns in Punjab from the British Raj, as well as in Patiala. The unit also discovered Dodhpatri (Valley of Milk) in Kashmir’s Budgam district, where no Bollywood film has ever been shot. Dodhpatri remains inaccessible for five–six months every year because of heavy snowfall. There was no way to get to the valley till a road was built just five years ago. The Junglee Pictures and Dharma Productions’ espionage drama was filmed in a lush green meadow where wild horses and sheep graze, with picturesque hills and waterfalls in the background.
LAILA MAJNU IN CHANDANWARI
After three years of seeking permissions, Imtiaz Ali’s brother, Sajid, wrapped up ‘Laila Majnu’ in Chandanwari, close to the base camp of the Amarnath Yatra. They shot inside the dense forests 15 km away, and in the jungles of Pir Panjal; before moving towards the Zabarwan sub-mountain range.
BATTI GUL METER CHALU IN TEHRI
Since January-end, Shree Narayan Singh has been shooting in the North Indian towns of Haridwar, Rishikesh, Tehri, Mussoorie and Nainital with Shahid Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor, dressed in colourful prints from the region. The film highlights electricity problems for which the Tehri lake and reservoir in Uttarakhand’s Garhwal district make for an ideal backdrop. Several local temples located in the hilly regions of Tehri also feature in the social-drama.
SUPER 30 PEDALS THROUGH SAMBHAR
Vikas Bahl’s ‘Super 30’, mathematician Anand Kumar’s biopic, was filmed for 10 days in Rajasthan’s lake town of Sambhar, a few kilometres from Jaipur. Hrithik Roshan, almost unrecognisable as a Bihari papad seller, was spotted cycling through the narrow bylanes, the local market and bus depot, dodging cattle. Sambhar will be passed off as Kota in Rajasthan, a popular hub for students preparing for IIT entrance examinations, in the film.
SONCHIRIYA TAKES OFF IN CHAMBAL’S RAVINES
Set in the 1970s with Sushant Singh Rajput playing a dacoit and Bhumi Pednekar as a village belle, Abhishek Chaubey’s daku-drama, which kicked off in January and also features Manoj Bajpayee, is presently being filmed on the banks of the river Chambal in a start-to-finish three-month schedule. Months before it rolled, permission was sought to shoot near the dam and the national parks situated in the confluence of three states — Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan — across Chambal and Bundelkhand.
PALTAN BATTLES SNOW IN LADAKH
A 200-member unit of J P Dutta’s upcoming war-drama filmed at minus-20 degrees, with a 30 percent oxygen deficit, at a remote army camp two-and-a-half-hours north of the Khardung La mountainous pass in Ladakh. “We were at 15,500 feet high and freezing. We had to stand on wooden planks to prevent frost-bite. It took months to get permission to shoot where no filmmaker had ventured before and we had soldiers accompanying us,” informs Dutta’s daughter and the film’s producer, Nidhi.
NAVDEEP SINGH’S NEXT WITH SAIF IN REMOTE DESURI
The unit of this historical-drama was based in Udaipur, but Saif Ali Khan, Sonakshi Sinha and the crew took two-hour jeep rides to Desuri all of last month. This remote village in Rajasthan’s Pali District boasts of many Shiva temples and the Kumbhalgarh National Park and is spread around the Solanki Rajput fortress. Scenes were filmed there and other historical structures, now the property of Jodhpur royal Gaj Singh.
SUSHANT, SARA ON A KEDARNATH YATRA
Situated in the Garhwal Himalayan range, near River Mandakini, the temple of Kedarnath can be reached after an 18-km trek from Gaurikund. The journey has been shot by director Abhishek Kapoor at real locations, with scenic mountains and meadows, and pony and manchan services. Sushant Singh Rajput plays a pilgrim carrier and Sara Ali Khan a tourist in the film, ‘Kedarnath’.
SAHEB, BIWI AUR GANGSTER INSIDE KING GEORGE V’S HOME
Director Tigmanshu Dhulia has shot the third Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster film, featuring Sanjay Dutt, at Bikaner’s Laxmi Niwas Palace with a sequence starring the royals, a scrumptious Rajasthani spread and Russian roulette. The palace was home to King George V and Queen Mary, and the unit has shot inside the Hari Mahal and Swarna Mahal, which date back to 1904. The movie has also been filmed at Gujarat’s Santarampur and Devgadh Baria districts.
STREE WEARS THE COLOURS OF CHANDERI
Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK’s horror-comedy is currently being filmed in Chanderi, a Madhya Pradesh town, with Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao. “We literally took over the small and colourful town and were enthusiastically welcomed into the houses of the weavers and tailors. With its hills, narrow lanes, rivers and desert, Chanderi makes for spectacular visuals,” asserts Rajkummar.
LOVERATRI’S GARBA TRAIL THROUGH VADODARA
Abhiraj Minawala’s directorial debut with new faces Aayush Sharma and Warina Hussain has been shot at seven locations in and around Vadodara, including the 1557 Lehripura Gate (the western gateway to the old city), the Jhulelal Mandir and the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with 114 monuments including the Jami Masjid. They also filmed the love story in crowded Tibetan Market in the Kala Bhavan grounds, the Ratri bazaar and the Mangal Bazaar.
DHADAK FINDS HEARTBEAT IN 16TH CENTURY AMER
Karan Johar’s Hindi remake of ‘Sairat’ kicked off in Rajasthan last December. Ishaan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor’s romance blossomed in and around the Jagat Shiromani Temple and Panna Meena ka Kund, a step-well in Amer, a short distance from Jaipur, as they met up furtively at these 16th-century landmarks.
Singer Daler Mehndi convicted in human trafficking case; granted bail immediately
8:21 AM
MID-DAY (March 17, 2018)
Noted singer Daler Mehndi was sentenced to two years of imprisonment on Friday in connection with a 2003 human trafficking case. He, however, was granted bail and said he would appeal to a higher court. “It has been 14 years since a case was lodged against my brother, who passed away last year. As of now, I have been granted bail, but we will appeal to a higher court,” he stated.
Earlier in the day, the Patiala Court sentenced Mehndi after he was found guilty. He was later let off with a fine of Rs 10,000. It had been alleged that Mehndi, his brother Shamsher, and others had duped several people of a hefty sum — to the tune of Rs 1 crore — with the promise of relocating them to the USA. The Mehndi brothers allegedly took people to the USA as troupe members, but “dropped them off” illegally.
In 2003, Bakshish Singh of Punjab’s Balbehra village lodged a complaint against them. In 2006, the Patiala Police had filed two discharge petitions stating Mehndi to be innocent, but the court set aside the petitions maintaining the singer was to be prosecuted.
Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra's Namastey England to start in Amritsar
4:20 PM
The love story begins there; moves to Ludhiana, Patiala, Dhaka, Paris, Brussels and finally London
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 20, 2018)
Arjun Kapoor who made his Bollywood debut opposite Parineeti Chopra in Habib Faisal’s 2012 romantic thriller Ishaqzaade, will be reuniting with the actress in Vipul Amrutlal Shah’s Namastey England which will kick start from Thursday in Amritsar.
The director had earlier filmed in Chandigarh and Patiala for the Salman Khan-Ajay Devgn starrer London Dreams and for Namastey London with Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. This is the first time he will be shooting in Amritsar and Vipul who loves Punjab is looking forward to it. “From Amritsar, we move to Ludhiana and Patiala. We are filming at more than 75 locations spread across these three cities. Later, we’ll also be shooting in Dhaka, Paris, Brussels and finally in London. That’s how the love story progresses,” informs Vipul.
The director says that this is the perfect time to be in Punjab as the weather is neither too hot nor too cold and the crops will make for stunning visuals. “Both their characters are from Punjab and this is the first time that Arjun and Parineeti will be playing genuine lovers. Away from the camera, they are good friends and are always joking and pranking. There’s a lot of camaraderie and it’s going to be fun working with them,” he adds.
Arjun and Parineeti have been prepping for a few weeks. They have gone through dance rehearsals, costume trials, readings and now are ready for “Lights, Camera, Action! You will see a completely new Arjun and Parineeti,” Vipul promises.
Anil Kapoor’s training time is his ‘me’ time-Marc Mead
8:15 AM
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 13, 2018)
Anil Kapoor and his actress-daughter Sonam Kapoor may be tucked away in Patiala, filming their on-screen debut as father and daughter, but the duo never train or prep together on set. “Anil’s training time is his ‘me’ time when he concentrates solely on himself, no distractions, no compromise,” says his Australia-based trainer, Marc Mead, who has been working closely with the actor since 2011.
Marc had first come on board as the actor’s yoga instructor and, over the years, has trained the 61-year-old actor with multi-functional workouts. Now, he is travelling with the actor for the first schedule of his next, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga.
The film which kicked off on January 24, also features Anil’s Andaaz and Deewana Mastana co-star Juhi Chawla who will join the schedule in February, and Rajkummar Rao as Sonam’s love interest. TV actress Madhu Malti has stepped in as Anil’s wife. “Anil is like a kid, extremely excited. His character sports a look that hasn’t been seen in a long time — with a grey beard. We are shooting at a family house in Patiala which is the perfect setting for the film,” director Shelly Dhar reveals, adding that the film is being shot entirely at real locations.
Meanwhile, Marc’s focus has been to make Anil looking suave for the part. The actor will be undertaking a new routine every month so he stays energised. “We brought in a tyre-training technique to help him improve his compound moves. On location, there is no gym. Anil likes adapting to a new training environment while my aim is to find new ways to shock his muscle system. He trains with at least one or two intensive workouts, six days a week, and never has a slack period,” informs Marc.
Anil and Sonam Kapoor kick off Shelly Dhar's Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga in Patiala
7:52 AM
Father-daughter duo is set to shoot together in Patiala for debutante director Shelly Dhar’s family-drama which also features Juhi Chawla
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 24, 2018)
Mirror (September 23) had earlier reported that Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s sister Shelly Dhar is set to turn director with a film titled Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga which will have Sonam and Anil Kapoor, who play a father-daughter duo in the film, share screen space for the first time. We have now learnt that the film goes on the floors today with Anil and popular TV actress Madhu Malti (as his mother) in Patiala, while Sonam will join them in the next few days.
Shelly confirmed the news to Mirror, saying, “I just came back from a meeting with Anil and he is like a kid, extremely excited about his role. His character sports a look that hasn’t been seen on him in a long time. We will be shooting at a family house in Patiala, which is perfect setting for the film. I am shooting entirely at real locations as I want the film to develop as organically as possible. We can’t wait to start rolling now.” Juhi Chawla, who has worked with Anil in films inlcuding Deewana Mastana and Andaz, among others, joins the unit in the first week of February.
The debutante filmmaker also reveals that the father-daughter duo is nervous about sharing screen space for the first time. “But Anil is also really looking forward to the outing. While I have all his costumes in place, he insisted on bringing his own stuff too,” she laughs, adding that her producer-brother Vidhu Vinod Chopra will be joining her on the sets in a few days. “Vinod is busy with his next directorial at the moment but I talk to him all the time. He is on top of everything and knows what is happening here.”
Meanwhile, Rajkummar Rao who is playing Sonam’s love interest in the film is presently shooting for Dinesh Vijan’s horror-comedy Stree with Shraddha Kapoor and will be joining Anil and Sonam on Januray 29.
Incidentally, Rajkummar has earlier worked with the 32-year-old actress in the Arbaaz Khan-produced romcom Dolly Ki Doli and is sharing screen space with her father in another debutante filmmaker, Atul Manjrekar’s musical Fanne Khan.
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