Rachit Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; July 11, 2018)

They say, parenthood is akin to seeing your heart beating outside your body for the rest of your life. Actor-producer-filmmaker Shreyas Talpade certainly subscribes to the thought. These days, he is relishing his new role as a doting dad to his two-month-old daughter, Aadya.

Shreyas and his wife Deepti welcomed their first child through surrogacy on May 4, this year. And ever since, the Talpade household has put cinema conversations on hold. Shreyas says, “Aadya had us wrapped around her little finger from the very beginning. She made us come back to India the very day we landed in Hong Kong. It was like her saying, ‘How could you go on a vacation without me? Come back!’ Deepti and I flew back in an instant.”

For now, Shreyas has decided to take each day as it comes. He says, “Deepti and I are both chilled out, we’re not worrying about every little thing.”

Shreyas says, “We also have two pets and the first thing we did was to make sure that they didn’t feel insecure with Aadya’s arrival. We want our daughter to treat Don and Knight like her elder brothers. Right now, we’re just enjoying every moment with her. Every day, we see a little change in her.”

Equal parenting has become the norm today, and the actor fully endorses it. “Gone are the days when only mothers used to tend to the children. In any situation, kids would always seek their mother. But I want my daughter to count on me, too. I want her to tell me everything — her fears, happiness and excitement. That won’t happen unless I am completely involved in her life,” he explains.

So, the actor has taken to changing nappies and getting the temperature right for the baby’s milk. He adds, “I am feeding her, I am cleaning the nappies, too. The only thing that I’m scared of is bathing her. I am enjoying all these new experiences. I’m really enjoying being a hands-on father.”

While he’s really kicked about fatherhood, Shreyas hasn’t forgotten that his career is going through a purple patch, too. His last release, Golmaal Again (2017), was a hit and he debuted as a director with Poster Boys (2017), which was a remake of his own Marathi production, Poshter Boyz (2014). And over the years, Shreyas has become a sought-after name in Marathi cinema, too. He says, “There’s new belief and passion, and a whole new spate of filmmakers who want to create exciting stuff. Marathi cinema has started competing with not just Bollywood, but Hollywood, too. We have Hollywood films earning Rs 100 crore, capturing a big part of the Indian market. If you have to compete with them, you have to make sure that your content is good enough.” About his upcoming Marathi projects, he says, “I will be shooting for that film in the US in August-September. We will also start work on the sequel to Poshter Boyz.”

Throughout his career, Shreyas has tried to balance films like Iqbal (2005) and Dor (2006) with commercial fare like Apna Sapna Money Money (2006), Om Shanti Om (2007) and the Golmaal series. He says, “When it comes to choosing films and roles, I just go with my instinct and pick up whatever I feel I’ll enjoy doing. I feel that it’s never really gone bad for my career.”

Looking back, Shreyas says that he feels fortunate to have made a career in the movies. “After I am gone, the only thing that will keep my memories alive is cinema. If you can manage to make a film that sparks off a trend or a cult following, you’ve achieved something. We all constantly try to make these moments with our films,” he notes.

Shreyas also feels that the only way to survive in showbiz is to work tirelessly. “In the long run, only the best survives. Lambi race ka ghoda banna bahut zaroori hota hai. Those who come to the film industry to earn a quick buck or become famous do their three-four films and disappear into oblivion. But if your intentions are honest and you have a penchant for trying out new things, the film industry gives you a chance to shine and make your mark. I had no connections, I came from nowhere. But the film industry embraced me and gave me a chance.”

Bobby Deol has just turned 48 and he tells us about how he’s moving with the times
Upala KBR (DNA; January 28, 2017)

Bobby Deol has turned over a new leaf. He insists his reclusiveness is a thing of the past. The actor, who turned 48 yesterday, now sports a new lean and mean avatar. He spoke to us about turning producer with Poster Boys with his older brother Sunny.

You turned 48 yesterday, but many thought it was your 50th birthday...
I turned 48, yes, not 50 (laughs). I have never hidden my age because it has never bothered me. Why make myself younger? My mother wanted to name me after astronaut Neil Armstrong who had just landed when I was born, but my aunt named me Vijay Singh Deol. I celebrated my birthday at our farmhouse in Lonavala. There was a huge family get-together with some of my closest friends and their families. When I was younger, I wanted to celebrate my birthday on January 26 (laughs), as it was a holiday in India. I cut two-three cakes which my friends got.

Aren’t you on a diet?
No. I can’t diet and starve myself. I have just been taking care of myself, working out, and eating the right kind of food. When I didn’t, I had fallen ill and didn’t look so great. But now I am changing my way of looking at things. Everything slowed down in my life for the last couple of years. I didn’t realise time was passing me by. I am a little old-fashioned, but times have changed now and I am just trying to move with it. I feel there is so much in me to give.

Why were you so elusive?
I am going to change all that now. In between, people started carrying false news about me and maligning me. On the Internet, I would read that I was lazy and people stopped approaching me for their films. I just could not understand any of this. I have never cancelled my shooting, and none of my films got delayed. I have always been professional. I just got disheartened after reading all that negative stuff. People started believing in it and that I was really like this. I want to change their outlook. I am now meeting people and telling them I want to do good characters. Nice and meaty roles in all genres.

You have turned producer, independent of your family banner. Comment.
Yes, Sohail (Maklai) and I are working towards something. It’s tentatively called Changez, but the script keeps changing. Sohail and I are working together after a long time. The film is a little dark for me to produce right now, but I would love to produce family entertainers and I am working on it.

Why aren’t you on social media?
People keep asking me where have I disappeared and I realise how much my fans love me. I am trying really hard to be there. I am a bit wary about social media, especially Twitter. There are many Bobbys on it and most write rubbish impersonating me. I want people to know that I am not one of those. Only if my name comes with the blue tick, it’s me. They use my name for wrong things. I think I will enjoy that as I am always taking photos. I need to be on social media as that’s the only way to be with the new generation. So, I have started with Instagram. But I can’t wish people or pass comments on issues. I can’t be fake. That’s just how I am.

Any birthday wish?
I hope this year I get very busy with work. That’s all I am looking forward to. I think I still have many years left in me. When you go through a low phase, you either get destructive or fight all that negativity with positivity. I spent time with my two sons — Aryaman who’s turned 15 and Dharam who is 12. It’s only with time that you realise how they have grown up. I used this time to work on myself and trying to figure out why work had slowed down. While I have not signed anything except Poster Boys, I won’t give up.

What’s with the new look?
It’s my look for my character in Poshter Boyz with Sunny bhaiyya. I play a small-town school teacher who is totally henpecked by his wife. In real life that’s not the case (laughs). It’s a cute, funny entertainer with a little message and emotions in it. It’s about three men whose lives turn upside down when their pics come on a poster by mistake. It has been great working with bhaiyya as we both know each other inside out. As my elder brother, he gives me suggestions and amazing advice. It was my director Shreyas’s (Talpade) birthday too, but he couldn’t join us in Lonavala as he was busy editing.

'90s superstar pitches for re-entry in films. Anyone in Bolly, give Bobby a job, please?
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 28, 2017)

As a class 3 student, when Bobby Deol was asked by his teacher about his ambition, he had innocently said, “Main hero banunga”. Acting happened by default, he admits, because he was Dharmendra’s son. “Everyone told me, ‘Tu hero banega’. I spent too much time on film sets while growing up. I didn’t even know that I wanted to be an actor, but I was obsessed with being a film hero,” he recounts.

After decades in the industry, the Deol scion, who was a big name in the ’90s, says his career took a nosedive after Humraaz (2002). “Stardom is a bubble and no one should fool themselves into believing it’s forever. I had a great start and then suddenly, a few films didn’t fare well. Work slowed down and so did I. Social media took over and I didn’t keep up because I am too old-fashioned for it. I don’t understand how people can keep talking about themselves. In the last five years, I disappeared. I was made to sound lackadaisical and temperamental. Apparently, I am lazy and not punctual. I don’t remember a single time I was late for work. But I was a chiller. I would tell those around me, ‘Shit, I have a 6 am call time’. Doesn’t everyone do that? God knows what people thought I am! The biggest problem with me is that I am what I am. There is no façade. Maybe I should’ve been two-faced,” says the actor.

He agrees that people held on to that image of his for longer than they should have. “Maybe, I didn’t change enough. People still think I am a snazzy boy with long hair, gyrating to peppy songs. Maybe Gupt (1997) stuck on in people’s minds,” Bobby quips, adding his next film, Poshter Boys, will change that image.

Ask him if he went through depression and he nods. “I was frustrated and no one else understood how I felt. I wasn’t getting work. I didn’t know anything else except being on an acting set. Since I couldn’t be anyone’s groupie, I lost out. I never sought benefit from friendships. I was ready to work with everyone, but luck failed me. I let go of myself because the negativity began to eat me up.”

But there were a handful of friends, who stood by him. He counts Akshay Kumar, Akshaye Khanna and Preity Zinta as his closest pals. “I have more colleagues than friends in the industry. Here, everyone is self-involved. No wonder they lose love easily. Akshaye is a sweetheart, a bigger recluse than me. Akki is a badmaash. Preity is my Pritam Singh and is one of the boys. Salman [Khan] is a darling, but the Khans are busy men. Everyone wants to be friends with them.”

One of the things he couldn’t adapt to is actors being put out for sale as commodities. “People sell themselves everywhere. The privacy of the ’90s is gone. Thankfully, at no point, stardom made me lose my mind. But these days, actors constantly talk to the media."

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; December 15, 2016)

Deol brothers, Sunny and Bobby, will share screen space once again in Shreyas Talpade’s directorial debut, the Hindi remake of 2014 Marathi hit Poshter Boyz. Daddy Dharmendra will soon join his sons in raising the comic quotient with a special appearance. The film is centered on vasectomy and also features Shreyas in a prominent role.

Confirming the development, Shreyas tells hitlist, “We are in talks. Dharamji is a warm person, and I hope he obliges. I have asked Sunny paaji to speak to his father. I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping it works out.”

Apart from including Dharmendra, the actor-turned-filmmaker is also planning to incorporate a few famous dialogues of Sunny. “It is too early to divulge any details, but I have grown up watching his films and idolising him. He is known for his dialogue-baazi, so we would love to weave some of his famous lines into the script,” he adds.

Shreyas says people will get the opportunity to see both Deol brothers in a refreshing avatar. “Sunny paaji plays a selfie addict. Even while bashing up someone, he first stops to take a selfie with his intended victim. Bobby plays the rustic character of a teacher who speaks in shuddh Hindi. It’s an interesting combo.”

Donning the director’s hat was not an easy job for him. He explains that he was a bag of nerves on the first day of the shoot. “There is a certain kind of responsibility, when you have two seasoned actors working with you. But, at the same time, both Sunny and Bobby bring so much experience to the table. They have contributed immensely to the film. I was definitely nervous, but as the shoot progressed, things became a lot calmer,” he recalls.

Shreyas adds that he has newfound respect and admiration for all actors who also direct their own films: “To balance both is difficult. I would remember Sunny paajii’s line, but forget mine (laughs). However, my cast and crew has been very supportive.”

One is an ex-army man who's a selfie addict, the other a teacher and the third a movie buff
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 12, 2016)

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 26, 2016)

Mirror had earlier reported (November 7) about brothers Sunny and Bobby Deol coming together for Shreyas Talpade’s directorial debut, a Hindi remake of his hit Marathi production, Poshter Boyz, in Bhor. We have now learnt that actress Sonali Kulkarni has been roped in to play Sunny’s wife in the film.

A source from the sets reveals, “The team has just wrapped up the first schedule and the film is being shot all over Bhor with a brief shoot in Mumbai planned for later. After scouting for Sunny’s leading lady for over the last couple of months, Shreyas has roped in Sonali Kulkarni. Their scenes are light-hearted and had the unit in splits while they were being filmed. Sonali’s look is Indian while the character is sweet and humorous. A new actress has been cast opposite Bobby’s character but the team is keeping her identity under wraps for the moment. While the essence of the film remains the same, Shreyas is making a few changes in terms of setting to ensure the film appeals to the audience all over India, unlike the original that targeted the Marathi viewers.”

Both Sonali and Shreyas remained unavailable for comment.

The Marathi Poshter Boyz released in 2014 and was inspired by a real life incident where three men inadvertently found themselves on a poster promoting vasectomy. They are ridiculed in their village as locals believe that the trio has actually undergone the operation and subsequently ‘lost their masculinity’, which launches the protagonists on a mission to prove everyone wrong.

MUMBAI MIRROR (November 9, 2016)

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 7, 2016)

Rana Daggubati gears up for its sequel, India's first submarine film and more in the coming months
Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; November 30, 2015)

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 9, 2015)

After a successful foray into production, Shreyas Talpade is all set to don the director's hat.

The actor, who won praise for his performance in films like Iqbal, Dor and Om Shanti Om, produced the Marathi hit Poshter Boyz. This year he will direct the film's sequel.

The actors from the original, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Hrishikesh Joshi and Aniket Vishwasrao, will reprise their roles in Part 2. A source close to the development told Mirror: "Shreyas discussed the idea with his friend, Nikhil Mahajan, who is directing him in Baji. Nikhil convinced him that as the idea had come from him, he was the best person to take it forward and should direct the film."

Confirming the same, Shreyas said, "I've realised that it is easy to balance acting and direction. Farhan Akhtar and Aamir Khan have successfully managed both and that inspired me to take the plunge," he said, adding that as an artiste, he wants to experiment with different mediums.

"There is no 'right time' for such things. The 'right time' is when you decide to do it. At present, I'm full of nervous energy which I hope will translate into another good film."

Does the fact that the original was one of the highest grossing Marathi films of 2014, add to the pressure? "If I think about that it will be a constant distraction. I don't want to compromise my vision to accommodate a populist view," he asserts. "The intention is to make an honest film. We go on floors in May."

Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; August 12, 2014)

Shreyas Talpade is a harrowed man. The actor, who recently turned producer with his maiden production, Poster Boyz, is upset about pirated DVDs of his film doing the rounds. Similarly, Ameya Khopkar, the co- producer of Riteish Deshmukh’s film, Lai Bhaari, too is said to be disturbed by the sale of pirated copies of the film.

A source says, “Recently, one of Shreyas’ close friends called him to let him know about pirated copies of Poster Boyz being sold in Mumbai. Lai Bhaari too has become the victim of piracy and this is why Shreyas and Amay met the Mumbai Police Commissioner on Monday.”

Urging the commissioner to take strict action against the culprits, they lodged a complaint with the city police’s anti- piracy cell on Monday. Shreyas and Amay confirmed the story.

Shreyas Talpade admits that he lost the plot midway, but is now back on track with his latest Marathi hit 
Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 8, 2014)

Neha Maheshwri Bhagat (BOMBAY TIMES; July 15, 2014)

Neha Maheshwri Bhagat (BOMBAY TIMES; April 13, 2014)

When Shreyas Talpade returned to acting after releasing his first co-production Sanai Choughade (2008) — under his home banner Affluence Movies Pvt Ltd — many looked at it as a one-off indulgence. However, the actor says he took a break from production only because he did not want to invest his time and money on any passing script. The self-imposed break is over now and Shreyas is returning as an independent producer with another Marathi movie, Poshter Boyz, which is slated to release in July.

Also, after dabbling in Marathi cinema, he is keen to touch base with “the rest of India”. “I am as much a part of the Marathi industry as Bollywood and I owe it to myself and my fans to finally make a Hindi film,” says he. He elaborates, “I have chosen two scripts. We will take a call on which will be made first in a couple of weeks. Both the movies are content-driven family entertainers. I want to explore various genres. We are currently in discussion with an A-list actor and hope to kick-start production by end of this year.” So, will he act in it? “That’s not been decided yet. I may act in one or both of them depending on the role,” he answers.

Parag Maniar (BOMBAY TIMES; November 29, 2013)

Shreyas Talpade is all set to make his mark as an independent producer. To begin with, the actor will soon start a Marathi venture, Poshter Boyj, under his banner Affluence Movies Pvt Ltd. He says that it is his love for the language that inspired him to create the project. The plot revolves around three average characters who suddenly see their lives slipping out of their hands.
 
Shreyas says, “I wanted to evolve in the field of entertainment. A lot of people suggested film direction, but that is not my calling... not for now, at least. I wanted to produce a film as I love getting involved in the minutest details of filmmaking.”
 
The actor in him, however, is currently looking forward to his upcoming films — Bhaiyyaji Superhitt and Wah Taj. The former has him playing a Bengali on screen for the first time and the latter, shot extensively in Agra and Bhopal, has him essaying a crusader of sorts who takes on the system.