As told to Ankita Chaurasia (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 3, 2019)

I was in a negative space, having just quit a TV show, Kumkum Bhagya, while also battling heartbreak. That’s when I came across a speech by Meryl Streep in which she said, “Take your broken heart, make it into art.” Coincidentally, around the same time, someone told me about this role and from Versova I rushed to Bandra, where the auditions were on. I connected instantly with the character because even I had been away from my sister for a while and missed her terribly. I didn’t know who the filmmakers or even my co-stars were, but when another film I was supposed to be a part of didn’t work out, I gave the nod to Love, Sonia. Since I had been losing weight for the earlier role, I could convincingly play a 17-year-old in my debut film.

My first shot was a test shot taken during a recce. I was told to play in the field and they shot me in silhouette. When I watched the final cut, I realised that the shot was retained as the final scene in the film. My actual first shot was with Adil Hussain in the field as I jump to the rescue of my little sister when she spills the grains while playing and is being scolded by our father. Before we faced the camera, Adil asked me if I’d done theatre and I had to admit I hadn’t. It was playing on my mind while we were enacting the scene and it made me conscious. Fortunately, I remembered I had done TV and hence I am spontaneous in front of the camera. But I was still thrown off when Freida Pinto whacked me on the face with an unbelievably hard roti. It had always been a part of the script, but I had not understood the word ‘whack’.

Another first was dubbing on the fly. We had just shot the scene where my character loses her virginity. Since I was raw and smarting from the mix of emotions, our sound engineer, Resul Pookutty, decided on the spur of the moment that this was the best time to get me to read out the lines of the letter that connects the story. I flew business class to Los Angeles and on the very first day, shot with my idol, Demi Moore. It was incredible!

I was waiting for Love, Sonia to release when I heard that auditions were on for Super 30. I went for them and then forgot about it till they called me a few months later. Several auditions followed and after a while, I broke down and called a friend from outside the Phantom Films office to ask her if I was really so bad an actress that they had to test me so many times. Then, one day, I was told I was on board. By then I had convinced myself that they really didn’t like me so I refused to believe that I was doing a film opposite Hrithik Roshan, till the film released.

My first scene in Super 30 was on the Ganga Ghat, when Hrithik’s character tells me to marry someone else because he can’t. Since Supriya is in love with his Anand Kumar, I was supposed to smile and cry at the same time. I was really nervous and walked to Hrithik’s vanity van, told him I was terrified of doing the scene with someone who’s such a good actor. I also insisted that I wouldn’t call him ‘sir’ as that would make it even more difficult for me. He laughed and told me that he had been freaking out because he thought I was too calm and collected for a newcomer. Now that I told him I had the jitters, he was feeling better. Immediately, the ice was broken.

»Vikas Bahl was accused of sexual harassment by a former employee of Phantom Films
» Probe says the complainant did not appear before the internal committee
» Bahl, who was removed from Hrithik-starrer Super 30, will be credited for directing it
» Bahl has filed defamation suits against former partners Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 1, 2019)

Director Vikas Bahl, who was accused of sexual misconduct by a former employee of Phantom Films and was removed from Hrithik Roshan-starrer Super 30, has been cleared of all charges following an internal inquiry by Reliance Entertainment, which held a 50% stake in Phantom. Mirror has learnt that the clean chit will enable Bahl to return to Super 30 and his name will be incorporated in the credits when the film’s trailer is released next week. The development could split the Hindi film industry right down the middle, as Bahl has already filed defamation suits against fellow directors Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane for comments on his alleged sexual wrongdoings. Phantom Films, founded by Bahl, Kashyap, Motwane, and film producer Madhu Mantena in 2011, was disbanded last year following the controversy.

Bahl, 47, who entered the Bollywood A-listers’ club with the 2014 blockbuster Queen which won the National Award for Best Hindi Film, was accused by the woman of sexual harassment on a trip to Goa in 2015. Subsequently, the film’s lead actor Kangana Ranaut along with Kashyap and Motwane spoke about Bahl’s alleged misconduct, culminating in his removal from Super 30 - a biopic on educationist Anand Kumar - which is produced by Reliance Entertainment.

Shibasish Sarkar (right), Group CEO, Reliance Entertainment, confirmed the clean chit to Bahl and him being credited for Super 30. “Yes, it is true that the internal complaints committee report has exonerated Vikas Bahl. With the committee clearing Vikas, we don’t have a choice but to reinstate his credit as director of Super 30,” Sarkar told Mumbai Mirror yesterday.

This newspaper has learnt that Reliance Entertainment’s internal complaints committee probed allegations with due diligence. “Despite repeated reminders, the complainant did not appear before the committee,” a source told. “Those associated with the complainant and the respondent were interviewed by the committee. It also recorded documentation and correspondence between the two and based on this, it has unanimously concluded that Vikas Bahl stands exonerated of all charges levelled against him,” the source said.

After the allegations came to light in 2017, Bahl had clarified that the woman was not an employee of his company but a friend, and that they had collaborated on a project. “I’d like to sit across the table and talk to her. I want to ask her whether I have crossed the line, whether I did anything to hurt her, and if she feels that way, I’d like to apologise to her. I have known her for long. For two-and-a-half years she has never made me feel as if she is uncomfortable (around me). I have worked very hard to be the person I have become. I do feel victimised, but I don’t know what to do about it,” Bahl had said then.

On October 8, in the wake of the #MeToo movement in India, Hrithik tweeted, “It is impossible for me to work with any person if he/she is guilty of such grave misconduct. I am away and have access to only sporadic information. I have requested the producers of Super 30 to take stock of the apparent facts and take a harsh stand if need be. This is not to be hushed or brushed under the carpet. All proven offenders must be punished, and all exploited people must be empowered and given strength to speak up.”

Sources said that Bahl wrote to Reliance Entertainment to launch an investigation as the company or Phantom Films never received a formal complaint from the woman. “The woman said the incident took place in 2015—the same year that the Reliance-Phantom merger happened. Over the next two years, till April 20, 2017, Reliance did not receive any complaint nor did it have an idea of any such alleged incident. The company always had an internal complaints committee to deal with such issues but no compliant was registered with it either,” the source said.

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; January 28, 2019)

Following the case of sexual harassment levied against co-owner Vikas Bahl, Phantom Films announced its dissolution last October. Three months since, erstwhile co-founder Anurag Kashyap appears to be struggling to get his individual ventures afloat. With Phantom out of the picture, we hear his forthcoming production — the Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar-starrer Womaniya — has been put on the backburner.

Kashyap had managed to find support from producers Shibasish Sarkar and Nidhi Parmar for the biopic on UP-based octogenarian sharpshooters Chandro and Prakashi Tomar. However, escalating budgets have apparently put the trio in a spot.

A source tells mid-day, “Taapsee and Bhumi were to prep for a month, following which the film was to be shot in Uttar Pradesh. The movie required antique weapons that were proving to be [expensive] to source. The makers were breaching the budget. Also, given the indefinite delay, the actors eventually moved on to other projects. it will be tough to reschedule their dates now.”

Gulab Jamun takes the first hit after Phantom Films' dissolution amidst sexual harassment allegations against Vikas Bahl
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; October 11, 2018)

In August, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan had confirmed to mid-day that an on-screen reunion with husband Abhishek Bachchan was on the cards with Sarvesh Mewara's Gulab Jamun. However, the slice-of-life film now stares at an uncertain future after Phantom Films — the production house founded by Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, Madhu Mantena and Vikas Bahl — announced its dissolution over the weekend amidst sexual harassment allegations against Bahl. mid-day has learnt that the much-awaited film, which was to go on floors next month, has now been put on hold indefinitely.

A source reveals, "The pre-production work on the film had started and Sarvesh was scouting for locations. The announcement of Phantom Films' dissolution took everyone by surprise, and has left the Gulab Jamun team in the lurch. Sarvesh has already been advised to approach other production houses."

Phantom Films' slate also included Ranveer Singh's 83 and Taapsee Pannu-Bhumi Pednekar starrer Womaniya. While 83 co-producer Vishnu Induri earlier confirmed to mid-day that the movie is on track with Reliance Entertainment backing it, reports suggest that Kashyap has begun groundwork on Womaniya.

Meena Iyer (DNA; October 11, 2018)

Strong rumours suggest that the much-appreciated web series Sacred Games (based on Vikram Chandra’s novel by the same name), starring Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddique and Radhika Apte, may not have its second season.

It’s funny how until yesterday, things seemed to be on course for this Netflix original. In fact, a trade source had told us, “Director Anurag Kashyap has spoken to the Netflix team and even met with some of the important office-bearers overseas and Season 2 is definitely on.”

We were even informed that Anurag and his only partner Vikramaditya Motwane, who are also co-directing the series, would actually be getting paid much more for it. Even the actors were expected to get a spike in their remuneration.

However, post the defamation notice from Vikas Bahl to his warring partners, Anurag and Vikramaditya, one hears that Sacred Games’ Season 2 is in jeopardy. In the wake of the #MeToo Movement, in which Phantom is deeply embroiled, one hears there will be a committee within Netflix that will review the decision on whether the international entertainment giant wants to continue its association with Phantom.

We texted Anurag and Vikramaditya to know if there was any truth to this. However, neither of them had responded till the time of going to press. We also contacted Netflix and got a reply via email saying, “At this time, we are evaluating options on the path forward.”

Bahl seeks withdrawal of ‘contradictory’ statements made by Kashyap and Motwane on social media regarding the victim of alleged 2015 assault
Sunil Baghel (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 10, 2018)

Film director Vikas Bahl, who was accused of sexual assault by a former employee of Phantom Films amidst the raging #MeToo campaign, has labelled his two partners at the film production company – Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane – “opportunists” for using the allegations to defame him.

In two separate, but similarly worded legal notices, sent to Kashyap and Motwane on Tuesday via email, Bahl accused them of not only orchestrating the whole campaign against him, but also using the opportunity to disband Phantom Films, making him look like the person responsible for the production house’s fall.

The notice, issued through Advocate Shamsher Garud of Jayakar and Partners, alleges that Kashyap bribed another employee of the production house to make similar allegations against Bahl. “This makes us wonder whether the alleged incident [of sexual assault] also has any authenticity, given that the alleged victim was, in fact, working as your own employee.”

Kashyap and Motwane dissolved Phantom Films on Monday after an unidentified employee of the production company outed Bahl, alleging he sexually assaulted her in Goa during a promotional tour for Bombay Velvet in 2015. As per the allegations, first reported by this newspaper in April last year, Bahl insisted on dropping her to her hotel room after an event on May 5, 2015 and pretended to pass out drunk on her bed, only to awaken soon after and masturbate on her. The victim was allegedly alone at that point and was recovering from an accident had only just begun to walk unassisted.

Phantom Films was established in 2011 by Kashyap, Motwane, Bahl and producer Madhu Mantena. The company’s productions include Lootera, Hasee Toh Phasee and blockbuster Queen starring Kangana Ranaut.

The notice alleges that Kashyap and Motwane acted on hearsay to paint Bahl as the villain of the piece. “You are neither a witness nor the alleged victim, but instead an opportunist seeking to derive benefit based on unsubstantiated information. The alleged incident has not been established in any court of law and that you have exploited the media to propagate your own personal vendetta,” the notice says.

Bahl has alleged that he, along with Kashyap, Motwane and Mantena had anyway been discussing dissolution of Phantom Films for the past few months because of creative and professional differences. “However, putting [the blame of the production house shutting down] solely on Bahl is in bad taste,” the notice says.

The notice says that with the alleged victim herself referring to Kashyap’s media statements as “sudden moral enlightenment”, it is clear that “there is personal agenda behind it [their statements in the media supporting the victim]”

The notice also points out contradictions in Kashyap’s stated position on the case in 2017 and now. Referring to the alleged victim’s statements in the media, the notice says that when she approached him in October 2015, he did not show any inclination to act on her allegations. “However, now he has changed his stand to say that he stood by the victim and had morally and contractually complied with what was expected of him as a Director of the company.”

The notice says that Motwane had earlier this month met Bahl and showed the latter screenshots of his conversations with alleged victim. “This was to show that no sexual harassment incident had taken place. Yet, Motwane, [after the victim outed him] went ahead and issued statements against Bahl,” the notice says.

The notice threatens to file civil and/or criminal defamation against Kashyap and Motwane if the two do not withdraw their “messages [on social media] and tender an unconditional apology to Bahl.”

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; October 10, 2018)

Manmarziyaan director Anurag Kashyap is the hot favourite of the four Phantom boys who announced their split last week. Known as a maverick, he has his fan following among the audience. Anurag, who is reportedly recovering from some health issues, had his own production ready before the split. The movie will star Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar in the lead roles.

Says a source, “Anurag and his bankrolling partner are backing debutant director Tushar Hiranandani’s next, Womaniya. It is a biopic on octogenarian sharpshooters Chandro and Prakashi Tomar.”

Our informer adds, “The two leading ladies shot for the first promotional poster yesterday. Shooting begins in February 2019 in the interiors of Uttar Pradesh.”

Upala KBR (MID-DAY; October 9, 2018)

With news about the dissolution of Phantom Films hitting headlines, discussion has evidently steered towards understanding the fate of the movies that were to emerge from the banner. One among them being the much anticipated Ranveer Singh-starrer 83, that chronicles India’s first world cup victory.

Even as rumour mills were abuzz with suggestions that Kabir Khan’s directorial venture would inevitably be postponed, 83 co- producer Vishnu Vardhan Induri suggests otherwise. Asserting that a tripartite agreement implied that the film was being funded by Reliance Entertainment, Induri says that financial constraints will not cause a roadblock in the filming process. “Reliance is on board this project. Along with the support of an experienced production house like mine, and with Kabir Khan [director] managing the film, things are [in control]. Phantom’s internal issues will not affect it. The film will role as per schedule. We start shooting in India in December, which will be followed by a schedule in London from March to April next year.”

While Reliance Entertainment and Phantom Films were working on the project as one entity, the former was bringing in the money for production work. Induri tells mid-day that since a conversation with the members of the now- dissolved production house is pending, decisions pertaining to their association with the film are yet to be arrived at.

BOMBAY TIMES (October 8, 2018)

Vikas Bahl’s former partner at the now-dissolved Phantom Films, issued a statement on the controversy. Excerpts...

“While at Phantom, I did everything I could, within what I was told by my partner and his lawyers. For legal and financial decisions, I was fully dependent on my partner and his tearn. They took care of those things, so I could focus on what I did better, creatives. His word and his team's word on any matter used to be the final word for us.

And according to legal advice provided to me then, I was told that we had very limited options. Now in hindsight and after taking stock of things myself, I can quite see how I was ill-advised. Since we were told then that there was very little we could do, we decided to take a strong moral stand whilst also taking steps in our power as part of the company. We first suspended him. We barred him from the premises, took away his signing authority. If that wasn't enough, I named and shamed him privately amongst whoever asked about it. While others in the industry were only rumour-mongering, it was me who was responsible for bringing out Vikas' name publicly by speaking with Mumbai Mirror on an anonymous basis and the publication eventually carried a front page article about the incident. Nothing about it was under wraps. It's been out there for more than an year...

On the basis of legal advice being sought then, we were told that we were handicapped by two things — that we were dealing with an equal Promoter/director who actually ran the company, and that there was no provision in our contract to sack him on the grounds of misconduct… What makes it worse personally for me is that the victim did not share the incident with me for a long time because she saw me dealing with my depression. She put herself through a personal hell to protect me and I could not because I was unfortunately ill-advised that there was little I could do. That being said, I fully understand that it is no excuse whatsoever and all of my actions above I'd hope are demonstrative of every intention on my part to set this right.

Now why we didn't have the necessary clause of misconduct on the contract that protected the erring partner, is the question to be asked… This industry is extremely ill-equipped to handle matters such as sexual harassment, copyright, censorship and all the things we put ourselves in dock with. A large part of the reason for this is that there is clearly lack of correct advice and awareness of legal remedies. It has taken me my own personal experience of battling the censor board over 9 years to learn that the problem with censorship is not the board, but our lack of understanding of the law. We are often advised by entertainment lawyers who represent both sides. We are often advised by people who place importance, not in the creative man, but in the one handling the money.

None of this takes away from the wrong that has been done and perhaps never will. I am better aware today to not allow ourselves to be in a similar place ever again. I am deeply, truly sorry to the woman in question and she has known this all this while. This will never happen again on my work premises ever again.”

Vikramaditya Motwane opens up on Twitter on the #MeToo controversy and his erstwhile producer-partner
MUMBAI MIRROR (October 8, 2018)

I didn’t hear about the incident between Vikas and the girl when it happened in 2015. The first time I heard of it was in March 2017, when Anurag called me and told me about it. Madhu (Mantena), me and Anurag sat with the girl and she told us the whole story, in the same detail as in the article. It was hard to hear and it horrified us.

We immediately began to take action. We offered suspending Vikas from the company for a long period of time, not letting him produce or direct, taking away his signatory rights as well as sending him to rehabilitation. She agreed. So did Vikas, who had no memory of the incident. We also worked towards formalising this and even taking steps towards documenting these terms.

However, I was informed by Anurag that the girl was unwilling to pursue this matter any further because her boyfriend didn’t want her to make her name public.

Anurag and Shubhra (Shetty) tried very hard to convince her not to back away but the boyfriend was firm. He said that “they will find their own method to make Vikas pay”. (All of the above is something that Anurag and Shubhra told the writer of the article but it’s not in there.)

Of all the various remedies offered then to the girl and us, which included suspending him (Vikas) from the office, stripping him of any signing authority and not allowing him to produce films — we did all of it.

For those of you accusing me of being complicit, creating a boys club, and protecting Vikas — I was silent in the press because I felt I was trying to make things right in a manner that, at all times, sought to protect the identity of the girl in question, without assigning any doubt whatsoever to her version of what had transpired, and most importantly, on terms that she wanted and expressly agreed to then.

I’m truly sorry about what happened to the girl. Vikas Bahl is a sexual offender. He’s preyed on a young woman, abused her trust, ruined her life. The scars are going to stay and that just isn’t right.

The only thing I can offer now is an apology. And the only thing I can say is that this will never happen again on my watch.

BOMBAY TIMES (October 8, 2018)

Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan, who began his career with Phantom Films’ Masaan (2015) shared his opinion on the Vikas Bahl incident and his views on safer working environments for women in cinema.

“My entire film career has shaped at Phantom Films. It has been a great run. However, I have to share what I felt about the recent allegations that have come out. I have felt absolutely disgusted by what Vikas Bahl did to a fellow team member. A legal complication enabled that he couldn’t be sacked owing to him being a partner. That complication has enabled him to make another film, while she continued to go through agonising mental trauma. It was her choice not to speak at the time and I respect that. However, we all are complicit in that system. I will speak for myself: I am complicit in working with the company that allows it. I allowed myself to work where such toxic male behaviour and perverse patriarchal mind-set was fostered. I am extremely sorry I didn’t push hard enough.

I can only promise, which may sound meaningless at this point, that I will do whatever it takes to break this culture of enabling the predatory behaviour. In the wake of recent events – like Tanushree Dutta’s case – I have introspected a lot. I feel that the lack of women crew members enables this male entitlement and trivialises (or brushes under the carpet) such incidents easily.

At a personal level, I have been partially following some informal/unsaid rules as far as my personal working ecosystem is concerned and I am going to stringently enforce them from here on. I will not sign a film with a company that does not enforce the PoSH (Policy on Prevention of Sexual Harassment) guidelines or if its legal framework disallows sacking/taking action against partners over sexual misconduct. I will make sure that at least 30% of the entire crew and half of the HoDs of any project I work on are women because women in power positions will ensure that such incidents are not overlooked by men in the hierarchy. I will ensure that we have meetings and orientation discussions about onset and off-set appropriate behaviour. I will enable an atmosphere that encourages women to speak.”

BOMBAY TIMES (October 8, 2018)

In April 2017, Mumbai Mirror had reported that a woman employee of Phantom Films had accused co-founder and director Vikas Bahl of sexual harassment, a charge Bahl had vehemently denied at the time. The report also hinted that there were multiple victims and quoted one of the stakeholders as saying that Bahl was prone to “bad behaviour”. Now, the woman has revealed more details about the incident to HuffPost India, alleging that Bahl sexually assaulted her during a trip to Goa in 2015, on the promotional tour of Bombay Velvet. She has also stated that she told the other partners at Phantom – Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane and Madhu Mantena – about the incident a few months later, but nothing was done about it till March 2017; and that Bahl continued to harass her till she finally quit the company.

After her detailed account of the assault and Phantom’s failure to address it, on Saturday, Kashyap announced that the production house was being dissolved, only tweeting that “Phantom was a dream, a glorious one and all dreams come to an end . We did our best and we succeeded and we failed. But I know for sure we will come out of this stronger, wiser and will continue to pursue our dreams our own individual ways.”

Now, Kangana Ranaut, whom Bahl directed in the 2014 film Queen, has also lent her weight to the allegations, giving details about Bahl’s conduct towards her, and has said she could “tell something is wrong with him”. In a statement, the actress said, “Totally believe her. Even though Vikas was married back in 2014 when we were filming Queen, he bragged about having casual sex with a new partner every other day. I don’t judge people and their marriages but you can tell when addiction becomes sickness. He partied every night and shamed me for sleeping early and not being cool enough. I often told him off. He was scared of me but still every time we met socially greeted and hugged each other, he’d bury his face in my neck, hold me really tight and breathe in the smell of my hair. It took me great amount of strength and effort to pull myself out of his embrace. He’d say, ‘I love how you smell K’. I could tell something is wrong with him.”

Kangana has also said that she lost out on a role after she supported the survivor at the time her accusations came to light, and also slammed those who are “finding the courage to attack him now”. She says, “I believe this girl, but what is sad is that now that Phantom has dissolved many are attacking him, even though the girl asked for help long ago. That time the story was conveniently killed, but I supported her at that time as well. You can see my media interaction during one of my brand endorsement interactions, I thought the movement would catch up, but I was wrong. At that time, Vikas had come to me with a script about a gold medallist from Haryana. When I supported the girl, he stopped talking to me. I didn’t mind losing out on a good script and I never called him either. I was determined to say what I felt was right. But the matter was pushed under the carpet and I didn’t hear any updates about the same. It’s amusing after the news of Phantom’s dissolution (that) many are finding the courage to attack him. Shame on such a society. Go look at yourselves in the mirror, bunch of cowards, attacking powerless men won’t begin a movement. Either we do it or we don’t. Let’s not be opportunists. If we are a shit society let’s accept (it). At least have that much honesty within yourself. Selective outrage will only serve as entertainment. This will just be tabloid gossip and nothing else.”

With inputs from Lasyapriya Sundaram, Rachana Dubey
-----------------------------


In December 2012, when Queen was being shot in Delhi and the capital was coming to terms with the Nirbhaya gang-rape, which had happened a few days before, the crew of the film decided to wear black to protest the incident. At the time, Vikas Bahl had said, “We were wondering what we could do to keep up the momentum of the protests. We thought, if we can’t stop work we can at least wear black for a day and put it out there. The sad part is that the solution – actually offered as a solution – here is that girls should stay at home and they won’t get raped. That’s not the direction this should go in. Girls should be able to go out at 2am, that’s the point.” During the protest, the director was also chanting, “Kill the bastards or castrate them.”

DNA (October 7, 2018)

It was bound to happen. When four bright minds — Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, Vikas Bahl and Madhu Mantena — came together in 2011 to form Phantom Films, the Hindi movie industry rejoiced. But a trade source also remarked at the very onset, “This relationship comes with an expiry date.” Quite obviously, this quartet, which was initially celebrated for their maverick thinking, fell apart due to various differences.

CONFLICTS THAT COULDN’T BE RESOLVED
The creative clashes could still be thrashed out at the lunch table, but their personal differences (especially the one where Vikas reportedly made a play for one of Anurag’s ‘special’ friends) is the one that broke the camel’s back. From then on, the four went around in twosomes — Vikas and Madhu stuck together, while Anurag and Vikramaditya worked together.

MOVING ON...
The latest development put up by Madhu, the smoothest-talking partner of them all, said, “Vikas and I have decided to end our partnership in Phantom and go our separate ways. We had a glorious run for seven years and I guess, sometimes even marriages end. I personally believe that Phantom is the best thing that has happened to me in my producing career. I want to thank Anurag, Vikram and Vikas for being great partners, mentors and for holding my hand patiently through dark times. Hope to continue to be friends and may be even collaborate on individual films (sic).”

TOGETHER THE FOUR MADE...
- The first film they produced together was the Ranveer Singh-Sonakshi Sinha-starrer Lootera (2013), which was directed by Vikramaditya and co-produced by Balaji Motion Pictures

- In 2014, the banner backed Hasee Toh Phasee, Queen and Ugly. Queen went on to be a critical and commercial success and also won the National Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi

- The foursome backed Hunterrr, Bombay Velvet, Masaan, Shaandar and NH10 in 2015. The same year, they had signed a deal with another production company to make four to five films, annually

- While Udta Punjab and Raman Raghav 2.0 were their Hindi productions in 2016, they also made the Gujarati film, Wrong Side Raju, the same year

- Trapped was their only production in 2017

- They returned in 2018 with five films which included Mukkabaaz, High Jack, Youngraad (Marathi), Bhavesh Joshi Superhero and Manmarziyaan.

INDEPENDENT OF EACH OTHER...
- Madhu and Vikas are making Super 30, which is slated to release on January 25, 2019
- Anurag and Vikram have directed the first season of Sacred Games. While all four have a lifeline open with their big-daddy of financing, let’s wait and watch what their individual creativity will result in.

NOT IN A BENEVOLENT MOOD
For the second outing of Sacred Games, Anurag and Vikramaditya are reportedly getting double the budget they were allocated for the first season by the digital channel, which streamed the show. Quite obviously, the two are, allegedly, in no mood to share it with their now-former partners.

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; September 9, 2018)

The four acclaimed filmmakers at Phantom Films drifted apart after a fiery turn of events that took place in March 2017. Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, Vikas Bahl and Madhu Mantena chose to part ways as friends and colleagues, when Vikas Bahl was reportedly accused of sexual harassment by a female employee of their company, which he had denied. Anurag Kashyap and Vikas Bahl haven’t been on talking terms ever since. Eighteen months later, Kashyap has spoken to BT about his estranged friend. In an unwavering tone, Kashyap says, “My stand on this is the same as it was back then. Vikas works in the company, he is a partner and nothing against him has been proven. But mutually, we’ve decided that we will work separately, in separate premises. Vikas and I are not on talking terms; everything else is a rumour. We will continue making films together but I see no point in making him uncomfortable. We can work in different set-ups. I don’t feel the need to sort anything out, because no one came forward to say or prove anything, at that time.”

The controversy grabbed attention for days. The matter surfaced again when Madhu Mantena roped in Bahl to direct Phantom’s latest film titled Super 30, with Hrithik Roshan. Ever since, there has been silence on the subject, and none of the Phantom boys, as they were popularly referred to, have spoken about the episode. Anurag continues, “I have also been through abuse, but somewhere, we have conditioned ourselves to believe that abuse comes with the rite of passage. I was a boy when I was abused. When I tried speaking about it, people said, ‘Hota hai yaar’. What does that even mean? No one ever addresses these things. When I addressed it at the age of 19, I was the only one who did it. My friends and the school got upset, saying, ‘Tu sabko badnaam kar raha hai.’ There are very few people who take a stand in such matters and this will take a long time to change. Har aadmi rumour mein baat karta hai. I have fought these battles so many times. In a recent case from another company, I had to protect a girl, who named her perpetrator, and a committee was also set up. She was threatened and I got her under my wing to protect her. Those responsible for her suffering were fired from the company. The matter was thoroughly investigated and that company was prompt in taking action. It’s the only case I know where someone stood up.”

Kashyap believes that in such sensitive cases, the victim must speak out openly. Third parties are often misunderstood. He adds, “You are perceived as the backstabber because you stood up for someone else. Fighting against abuse is pointless if the victim doesn’t speak up. My integrity and intentions will be questioned if the person abused doesn’t stand up for himself or herself and only I do the talking. It’s a cycle and it will take time to set things right.”

Rumour has it that Kashyap stopped visiting the Phantom office after Vikas was brought back to direct Super 30. Kashyap clarifies, “The subject of me working separately was all bull talk. I have worked from home for 25 years, even when we set up Phantom. Yes, Vikas and I don’t work on the same projects and we work from different premises. But everyone knows maine 25 saal se ghar ko office bana rakha hai. I work from a room and I am the happiest doing that. I had started going to office for a very silly reason. I had a massive crush on Shubhra Shetty (Kashyap’s girlfriend) and the office staff used her as a bait to get me to work. People don’t know anything and yet they talk like they know it all. You know, I love the way Vidhu Vinod Chopra works. He doesn’t come out of his house and I don’t like coming out of my house either.”

Vikas Bahl was unavailable for a comment till the time of going to press.

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; June 24, 2018)

Earlier this year, it was announced that Kriti Sanon and Taapsee Pannu would soon feature in a biopic on sharp shooters Chandro and Prakashi Tomar. Titled Womaniya, the film was supposed to mark the directorial debut of writer Tushar Hiranandani. However, three days ago, there were reports that Kriti had walked out of the project. Now, we have learnt that there’s more to the story.

A source tells us, “Kriti has not yet opted out of the film. It’s true that there are date issues, but the actress and her team are trying to work things out. They are constantly in touch with the producers — Phantom Films (primarily filmmaker Vikas Bahl, as he is more involved with this movie), but are yet to figure out a solution.”

The source adds, “When Kriti and Taapsee signed the biopic, it was supposed to go on floors this April and wrap up by June. Both the actresses had given their dates, but the project failed to take off and got pushed further.” Our khabri avers, “The team felt it would be too hot to shoot during summer, so they postponed it further to September. Kriti had not signed anything then, but soon Housefull 4 and Panipat happened. Taapsee, too, had committed her dates from September to other films and the makers of Womaniya were finding it difficult to get both the heroines in a similar time frame.”

Currently, the team is in discussions with their respective managers and is trying to work out something, adds our birdie. “Kriti will be free only around next April. She has already conveyed it to the makers and told them to go ahead with someone else, if they have to. But Vikas and Tushar are keen on having her on board, so they are figuring out the dates and checking if they can shoot in April next year. It might get tricky again weather-wise, but that’s the only solution,” informs our source.

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 23, 2017)

Krishna Udayasankar, the Singapore-based Indian author of the bestselling Aryavarta Chronicles series (Govinda, Kauravaand, Kurukshetra), a modern-retelling of the Mahabharata, has just sold the rights of her 2016 novel, Immortal, to Phantom Films. It will be adapted for screen as a trilogy on Ashwatthama, the legendary warrior who is cursed with immortality by Krishna, in a contemporary setting. Suffering insurmountable pain, he has been roaming the earth for a millennium in search for mortality as a result of which the story also spans 4000 years.

A blend of history, myth and fantasy, Immortal narrates the story of a historian-for-hire Professor Bharadvaj who is reluctantly pulled into a hunt for the ‘vajra’, a historical artifact which is believed to possess incredible alchemical power. The academician has spent many lifetimes in different identities searching for it in an effort to find a way out of his unending existence. The adventure takes him through the secret passages beneath the Somnath Temple to the home of the siddhas in the Nilgiris to the deserts of Pakistan.

The film is on the lines of a ‘quest genre’, a historical as well as an action-adventure that will take the flawed hero on a trail across the sub-continent, much like Indiana Jones. Phantom’s Madhu Mantena confirms the news. “Yes, the film is a trilogy on Ashwathama in a modern-context. It’s a very powerful story written beautifully by Krishna Udayasankar and a concept that has not been ‘experienced’ on the big screen, that too on such a huge scale. We are very excited to start this journey,” the filmmaker added.

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 24, 2017)

Soon after reports of filmmaker Vikas Bahl allegedly molesting a female colleague hit headlines in April, rumours of a rift between Bahl and the other members of the production house, Phantom Films, including Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane and Madhu Mantena also spread like wildfire. But Motwane refutes the rumours, claiming that no obstacle is strong enough to break them apart. “We boys are rock solid,” Motwane tells mid-day, adding, “Of course, there have been ups and downs, but things are good between us. Nothing is big enough to move us. Our production slate is a testament to the equation we share.”

The filmmaker adds that the team of four has a number of projects lines up in the near future, which should quell rumours of a split. “We are collaborating with Netflix and Amazon Prime. I believe that our work should speak for us. Give it time, answers will be found.”

It was suggested that Kashyap was among the wishing to part ways from the company, with news about his collaboration with Aanand L Rai for Manmarziyan, giving credence to the rumours. But Motwane points out, “After Manmarziyan, Anurag’s next, Mukkebaaz, will be produced by Phantom only. We are too busy focusing on the good work that needs to done to think about these rumours.”

Motwane, who is currently in the midst of the post-production work for his vigilante film, Bhavesh Joshi, featuring Harshvardhan Kapoor, might also helm Sacred Games, the Netflix originals series starring Saif Ali Khan, adapted from Vikram Chandra’s bestseller by the same name. “Saif likes us a lot, and thus, he came aboard. We are extremely excited about it.”