Bombay High court says Prernaa Arora, who was out on bail, “consistently undermined” its authority by failing to follow through on November promise to pay her creditors the Rs 3 crore she owed them
Sharmaan Hakim (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 1, 2020)

Just four-and-a-half months after film producer Prernaa Arora wad granted bail following promises to repay her creditors, the Bombay High Court last week held her guilty of “aggravated” contempt of court and sentenced her to six months imprisonment.

After Arora failed to repay Rs 1 crore of the Rs 3 crore despite giving the court an undertaking as a “last chance” last November, Justice G S Kulkarni held that there could be doubt that that Arora “neither has any regard for the process of law nor for the orders of the court” and that her approach was to “consistently undermine the authority of the court”. “There is absolutely no remorse,” the judge added. Arora has produced critically acclaimed films such as Toilet - Ek Prema Katha and Rustom.

Arora had originally been asked to surrender by March 2, but she appealed against the order before a division bench of the Bombay High Court. The bench postponed the date of her surrender to March 23 after she submitted an unconditional apology, the title of a Mira Road flat, and Rs 15 lakh to the court. Her appeal is pending before the high court. The order was passed by Justice Kulakrni on February 24, in an execution application filed by Gothic Entertainment Pvt Ltd against Kriarj Entertainment Private Limited, of which Arora is a director. Arora’s company initially entered into consent terms with Gothic after arbitration proceedings to pay Rs 17 crore in batches, with the final payment of Rs. 1.5 crore scheduled for March 2019. So far, she has paid Rs 14.5 crore. However, the company, represented by counsel Nitesh Jain from law firm Amarchand Managaldas and & Co, approached the High Court early last year owing to default in payments. Following several orders the parties arrived at a Rs 3-crore settlement figure and Arora assured the court in November that she would pay up. In the order the judge noted that despite several orders of the court asking Arora to disclose her assets, it was filed only in February. “Having persistently breached the orders of this court, an affidavit being thrown at the court at the last minute would not suffice,” the order read.

The court also noted that despite orders to personally remain present in court, Arora stayed away. “Mr J S Kini (Prernaa’s advocate) would not agree that the conduct of respondent No 2 is most objectionable, not only showing utter disregard and neglect for the orders passed by the court but even to brazenly defy her counsel’s instructions to her to remain present in the Court at 3 pm, which was in compliance of the orders passed by the court,” the judge said while holding her in aggravated contempt.

Arora was arrested on December 8, 2018 after it was alleged that her production house KriArj Entertainment Pvt Ltd “induced” film financier Vashu Bhagnani and Pooja Entertainment to finance the movies Pad Man and Kedarnath on the condition that they got the rights release them. But Arora also signed similar deals with other production houses. She was booked along with her mother Protima Arora. She managed to get out on bail after signing MoUs in September 2019 promising to pay all her creditors.

Out on bail after being arrested on charges of fraud, producer Prernaa Arora claims the past nine months in prison helped her reflect on her actions
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; September 25, 2019)

Producer Prernaa Arora of KriArj Entertainment, who was arrested by Mumbai's Economic Offence Wing in a case of criminal breach of trust for allegedly cheating Vashu Bhagnani of Rs 31.6 crore last year, was released on bail last week. The past nine months in prison, she claims, have made her reflect on her Bollywood journey that came to a halt when she was accused by several filmmakers of foul play.

"Every business suffers losses, but you cover up [the loss] by making other films. Newcomers need time to establish themselves, but I never got that space. I started with Rustom [2016] and went on to sign films back-to-back. I admit I have made mistakes; I should have slowed down and learned more. But the intention was never to run away with somebody's money," asserts Arora.

Having struck gold with Rustom, Arora quickly bankrolled a slew of projects. Trouble began when Kedarnath director Abhishek Kapoor locked horns with her, citing "lack of transparency" in the studio's financial dealings, followed by Parmanu actor-producer John Abraham accusing her studio of "non-payment of dues". Things turned worse when Vashu Bhagnani accused her of wrongly selling the rights of Kedarnath to him when producer Ronnie Screwvala had compensated producers Ekta Kapoor, Arora and Bhushan Kumar for the rights.

"Maybe seniors here have a different way of working, and my style didn't match theirs. I realised that things could go wrong or that they weren't working out, but it was too late for me to withdraw." She hopes to bounce back. "I want to apologise to each and every person whom I have angered. I will work hard and do my paperwork correctly hereon."

Three months after film was stalled following producer Prernaa Arora’s arrest, it is being resuscitated with new makers, new title and new look for leading lady
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 6, 2019)

Mirror had earlier reported (October 7) that Iulia Vantur is making her Hindi debut with Radha Kyun Gori Main Kyun Kaala alongside Jimmy Sheirgill. However, the film which was to go on the floors in November last year, hit rough weather in December with the arrest of its producer, Prernaa Arora, in a cheating case. While buzz was that it was shelved, Mirror has learnt that three months on, it is being resuscitated with a new title, new producers and a new look for Iulia.

According to a source, Kashish Khan and Om Prakash Bhatt have come on board to produce the film with director Prem Soni. “It is now called Moh Moh Ke Dhaage. Shooting starts in Europe in the first week of May with Iulia and Jimmy where the childhood and younger portions of Iulia’s character will be shot. After that, the team will move to Mathura where the film is based and will chronicle Iulia’s connection with Lord Krishna. The team plans to wrap up in one schedule.”

Soni confirmed the news, saying, “I am producing the film with my production partners. Now, the project has nothing to do with Studio Five Elements (Prernaa’s production house) or Prernaa. The rights are with me and everything is going as planned. Europe will be a small schedule, a major portion will be shot in Mathura. We will be revealing Iulia’s new look soon.” As Mirror had earlier reported, Iulia plays a Krishna bhakt in the film.

Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; April 2, 2019)

He’s the guy who rages and roars on screen, ripping apart the wrong doers with deadly vengeance that makes you shudder and scream, but it feels real. He walks through the walls and doors, with every sinew in that 100-kilo body, throbbing with energy. And be forewarned, you can’t mess with the man in real life, too. He doesn’t mince words when he says, “It is very difficult to tell me lies and get away with it. There is nothing that will get past me.” His action avatar aside, what John really loves delving into is history and world politics, and understanding how all of that impacts human lives. In a chat with BT, the actor excitedly talks about his upcoming spy thriller, RAW (Romeo, Akbar, Walter), a story that’s inspired by true events from the 1971 Indo-Pak war, his views on social media activism and how he will always stand up and speak his mind, through his stories on celluloid. Read on...

Stories that stem from real incidents and significant episodes in history have always interested you (Madras Café, Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran, and the upcoming Batla House). So, what clinched it specifically for RAW? Also, the mood of the country is different now from what it was a year ago, post the heinous Pulwama attack. Hence, films with a political backdrop need to be doubly sure that they are touching the right chord with the audience. Would you agree?
I read the script and I wanted to do it, I knew this was a fantastic story. I was fortunate that Robbie Grewal (writer-director) approached me, though he didn’t expect me to do it. The minute I heard it, I was floored and the first thing I told him was that this is not flaky stuff; the film is so well-researched. Robbie has grown up in an army background; his father was part of the military intelligence, so the subject is close to his heart. Both Robbie and I are intrinsically India lovers. The good thing is that this film is not jingoistic or overtly patriotic. It does not get into the zone of bashing other countries, it is a thriller. Just like Raazi, which was after all a human story, this one is, too. Unfortunately for us, the film is releasing post the Pulwama attacks. It has been in the making for a year. In fact, it was always meant to release between March 15 and April 12, you can find it mentioned in the industry trade magazines. We pushed the date ahead to April 5. We know that unfortunately, the film resonates with the mood of the country, but it’s not pre-planned.

RAW is inspired by true events, and set against the backdrop of the Indo-Pak war of 1971. How much have you personally researched the events that happened during that period? And while doing that, did it throw up interesting insights and give you a different perspective on the subject?
When I hear stories about wars from people in general, they mostly come from a space of ignorance, pardon me for saying this. In this case, a huge amount of research has gone into the film; I give all credit to Robbie for it. On my part, I think the fact that I am politically aware and I know what has historically happened in the world around us, helps while telling such stories. Subjects like Madras Café, Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran, Batla House and RAW is the space that I dwell in. We shot this film in Kashmir, in the middle of a shootout that happened during Eid. We know and understand the mood of the region and are aware of the history of what has happened there for a long time. When you make a film on a sensitive subject, you have to be very responsible in your storytelling. You cannot fudge anything, or take creative liberties, it has to be factual. My biggest source of information was of course, Robbie and all that he had gathered from his father. Other than that, I have read numerous books on the pre-Partition and post-Partition eras. I generally read a lot on such subjects, so if you ask me about what’s happening in Syria, Ecuador, Venezuela or any other part of the world, I am well-informed. I like understanding why there is conflict, where it is coming from and what is the root of it all. You understand all this, process it, and then, when you read Twitter hashtags that tell you… say yes to this, say no to that, I feel bad. You need to have the right information before Tweeting and commenting on such serious issues.

Yes, social media commentary is common these days and it is often misleading. There is no dearth of armchair activists on social media platforms, people who have an opinion on most issues and dole out advice on various subjects. There are some who genuinely make an impact, but a huge number of them say things out of line to simply draw attention…
I would say that it is dangerous. If you are saying something that is sensitive, you rather not say it if you are not backed by the knowledge to comment on the subject. The most dangerous thing in this world is low IQ and high confidence. It can’t get worse than that.



While you might have strong views on pertinent issues and you are well-informed, one does not see you participating in debates, discussions, or commenting on burning issues (political, social or otherwise) on such forums...
I keep telling people that I am not in the business of trending on social media. I do not want to be in a space where I have to be in the news and say something exceptional that will trend. In our line of work, things have changed so much. Earlier, a producer would take you to a hoarding in Juhu and tell you, ‘Look, here is where you are’. Now, the same producer says, ‘Look, you are trending at number one and you are tracking so well’. It might make some actors happy, but I have seen film promotions that have got the fastest 100 million views online, but then, what’s happened to some of those films after they hit the theatres? I feel that a good film will always find its audience. So, my point is, just make a good film, and don’t worry how it is tracking, trending or anything else.

You have backed good films as a producer and made brave choices with movies that went on to make a mark at the box office. Do you think that made industry folks build more faith in you as an actor, too?
Yes, people take my word for it and I am very responsible with my words. If I tell a certain studio that this content is good, they take my word for it, as they trust my instinct and know that I would be saying the right thing. I think I have worked hard for that. Ever since I turned producer, I have always gone with my instinct and taken risks. We released Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran during the IPL semi-finals, it was like committing hara-kiri. I had gone through a court case with the producer (Prernaa Arora), but I saw that release through and it taught me a lot. I learnt a lot about the legal process and how things work in court. I learnt a lot about distribution and about everything else under the sun. In some of my interviews during that time, I had said that it is very difficult to tell John lies and get away with it. There is nothing that can fool me or will get past me.

You took a strong stand and fought it out in court, and others followed...
(Cuts in)… I will always take a stand, even as an actor when I am working on my movies. I am not one of those politically correct actors who is pro-India, but will not say anything that will antagonise anybody. I won’t make a political statement just to trend on social media, but I will say things as they are, as they are meant to be said and I will say it through my films.

You recently said that looking ahead, you can see your best five years coming up (as an actor and producer). The fact that the audience’s appetite for cinema is growing, actors are getting greedier for better and well written roles and that there is a plethora of options for actors to choose from, has a huge role to play in the benchmark you have set for your career goals. Right?
Yes, even going ahead, I will only develop content. I will work with the new Ayushmanns (Khurrana) of the world and new directors. I will give them opportunities, and at the end of the day, who will be the hero? The content. Nothing else will drive the film other than good content. I look at it from the audience’s perspective, as I converse a lot with my audience. Why did I become a producer in the first place? For two reasons, firstly, as an actor, I wasn’t getting the kind of films that I wanted to do. Secondly, I wasn’t getting to watch the kind of films I wanted to watch as an audience. If you see my trajectory as an actor before I turned producer and post that, there is a quantum leap. It is because I am doing films which I am convinced that I am meant to do, and I am saying this with all humility. I am a learner, I have learnt through the process. I couldn’t understand the garish performances and overacting that was considered good acting when I first came into the industry, where my subtle acting was considered underacting. People would think, ‘He is not acting’. Today, that subtle acting is considered good. The audience’s tastes have changed and we are at that inflection point, where there is need for content, new-age cinema, subtleties in performances, and everything I am here for.

Even while you are doing these content-heavy films, I assume that you would still want to be seen as Action Abraham, the kickass action hero, right? Also, today, the action in our films has gone notches higher (as far as skill, technique and style are concerned). Do you see it scaling up even further?
You could do the best action in this country, but it will not work if you don’t connect emotionally with the story. If the EQ (emotional quotient) is good and the action is average, your film will still do wonders. So, I feel that movies here still run on emotions, not on great action. Think of this…who are your biggest action heroes? Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, Dwayne Johnson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, these are the massive action heroes of Hollywood. What is common between all of them? None of them can really do action…it is their attitude that makes them such huge action heroes. When Arnold says, ‘I will be back’, it’s the way he says it that stays with you. It is the attitude that makes an action hero, not the action itself.

Given how involved you are in every aspect of filmmaking, you must have given some thought to the idea of turning director, too?
Yes, I have. I will direct someday. I get a lot of hope when I see films directed by artistes like Bradley Cooper, Clint Eastwood and Robert Redford. They are actors who are also such fine directors, they inspire me.

Chargesheet against film producer Prernaa Arora lists multiple passports, fake driving licence. She also allegedly conned a director by trying to pass off earlier payment of Rs 1.5 crore to Amitabh Bachchan as his settlement, transferred large sums of money to staff’s accounts
Vallabh Ozarkar (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 4, 2019)

Film producer Prernaa Arora, who has been arrested for allegedly cheating film financier Vashu Bhagnani and his production house Pooja Entertainment and Films Ltd of Rs 31.6 crore, allegedly defrauded a director whom she owed Rs 1.5 crore by trying to pass off a previous payment made to actor Amitabh Bachchan as his settlement. Arora allegedly also transferred some of the funds to her employees’ bank accounts.

These allegations are among several explosive claims made by the Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in its chargesheet against Arora, which was submitted before a court last month. The sessions court rejected her bail application on Saturday.

Arora, producer of critically acclaimed films like Toilet - Ek Prem Katha, Rustom and Pad Man, was arrested on December 8 last year after a complaint was filed that her production house KriArj Entertainment Pvt Ltd “induced” Bhagnani and Pooja Entertainment to finance Pad Man and Kedarnath on the condition that they would get the rights to the films’ release. But Arora allegedly also signed similar deals with other production houses. She was booked along with mother Protima Arora and an aide, Arjun N Kapoor.

According to the chargesheet, Arora’s bank statement revealed that she had indeed taken money from film financiers, and that she used some of it to buy a bungalow in Khandala worth Rs 8 crore through actor Suniel Shetty’s real estate company. Protima, who is a director in KriArj Entertainment, allegedly invested Rs 2.85 crore in the bungalow.

Arora also allegedly used the money to go a shopping spree of Rs 3.40 crore—the chargesheet claims she splurged Rs 88 lakh on Jimmy Choo shoes, purses and bags; Rs 1.38 crore on Burberry shoes and clothes; Rs 92 lakh on clothes, shoes and purses from Genesis La Mode Pvt Ltd; and Rs 22.10 lakh on Diesel products. She allegedly still owes some of the stores Rs 29.40 lakh in total. The stores have sent notices for payment to her.

A police source said she bought items in similar sizes, indicating that they were meant for personal use and not for film shoots. “We have got details from other stores where she shopped as well and will add them to the supplementary chargesheet,” he said. “Her expenses on shopping alone could go up to Rs 5 crore.”

The EOW has alleged that after she came into money from film financiers, she began paying her bodyguards—who were hired for a monthly pay of Rs 16,000—Rs 50,000 a month.

The 1,176-page chargesheet claimed that Arora had several documents with three different birthdates—1979,1983 and 1986—and possessed a fake driving licence and two passports with these dates. It cites a statement given by Arora’s father, Virendrakumar Arora, which says she was born in 1979, but to apparently get work easily, she produced documents stating 1986 as her birth year.

Arora’s lawyer declined to comment. The media managers of Bachchan and Shetty were not available for comment. 

Upala KBR (MID-DAY; January 30, 2019)

Iulia’s Vantur’s Bollywood debut vehicle Radha Kyun Gori Main Kyun Kaala had hit a roadblock after producer Prernaa Arora was arrested by the Economics Offences Wing (EOW) in December, for allegedly cheating Vashu Bhagnani of Rs 32 crore. Now, the movie is back on track.

Director Prem R Soni says that the social drama, which was to go on floors last December, will roll in March. “We will start shooting in Mathura and Delhi. Post that, we will move to Europe and complete the film by May. It will be made in co-production with another studio that I am in conversation with. However, Arjun Rampal is no longer part of the movie. He has been replaced by Jimmy Sheirgill.”

He maintains an optimistic attitude about the unfortunate turn of events. “If we had shot the movie with Studio 5 Elements [Arora’s studio], we would have been in a problem now. I am thankful that didn’t happen.”

He also refutes rumours that the movie rights rest with Arora. “From the title to the script — all the rights lie with me.”

Ask if Vantur is disappointed by the delay and he says, “Iulia is a positive person. She knows we have a great story that needs to be told.”

DNA (December 20, 2018)

Even as producer Prernaa Arora hopes to get bail today in the case filed against her by Vashu Bhagnani, she still won’t be able to go home yet. Once her police custody in this matter ends, she is likely to be arrested again as there are three cheating cases against her registered with the EOW (Economic Offences Wing). Moreover, arrest warrant has also been issued against her mother Protima Arora.

Earlier this Monday, the Toilet - Ek Prem Katha, Pad Man and Pari producer, who was allegedly arrested for duping Bhagnani and his company, Pooja Films, to the tune of Rs 31.6 crore, told the Mumbai Police that she couldn’t repay her investors as her company KriArj Entertainment suffered big losses. Currently in police remand till today (December 20), Prernaa has three cheating cases, the total of which amounts to Rs 65.9 cr.

Meanwhile, both, Protima and Prernaa’s business partner Arjun N Kapoor, were reportedly not at their respective residences when the cops reached there. Last heard, they hadn’t been arrested.

Interestingly, industry sources say that the producer, who began her innings with Rustom and got into financial trouble earlier this year when her collaborations like Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran, Fanney Khan, Batti Gul Meter Chalu and Kedarnath came to a halt, was apparently advised to take stock of her situation, but she didn’t heed the warnings. According to an industry source, “Prernaa had taken about Rs 50 crore from Vashu, promising him first claim on her film, even though she had given away the rights to another organisation. After much delay, she settled about Rs 18 cr and apparently kept on procrastinating settling the remaining amount. After she repeatedly failed to deposit Rs 5 cr as ordered by the court in the Parmanu matter, Vashu reportedly felt she was harassing him and he finally decided to go the legal route to get recover his money.”

Elaborating on the losses she suffered, our informer adds, “Prernaa suffered a big loss of over Rs 20 cr from two films. Add to that, she was spreading herself too thin, inking multiple co-productions when she should have waited for those films under-production to complete and release. She had paid about Rs 8 cr to Vishal Bhardwaj for their collaboration, and between Rs 2.5 cr and Rs 3 cr each to Siddharth Anand and Ahmed Khan. Since those films didn’t materialise for various reasons, a filmmakers’ association advised her to ask her money back from them and settle part of her dues with Vashu. But she didn’t take it too seriously, and that’s also escalated to the amount she owes her investors. Now, today’s will determine her next course of action.”

We tried contacting Prernaa’s lawyer, Rizwan Merchant for their side of the story, but he was in court and couldn’t respond till the time of going to press.

Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 13, 2018)

On December 7, Prernaa Arora, the co-founder of KriArj Entertainment, was arrested by the Economic Offense Wing of Mumbai Police for allegedly swindling producer Vashu Bhagnani of Rs 32 crore. Reportedly, she ha sold ‘exclusive’ rights of her films to multiple investors resulting in a breach of contract. Following her arrest, there was talk about her upcoming production, Radha Kyun Gori Main Kyun Kaala, which mark the Hindi film debut of Salman Khan’s good friend Iulia Vantur, being shelved. However, director Prem Soni, who’s also her co-producer, told Mirror that the film will go on the floors as scheduled in January 2019 and unaffected by Prernaa’s skirmishes with the law.

"There will be no delay. The shoot commences in Europe from January 20, followed by a two-month schedule in Mathura starting in February,” informed Prem.

Mirror had earlier reported (October7) that Iulia plays a Polish girl who falls in love with India and becomes a Krishna bhakt. Jimmy Sheirgill also plays a pivotal role in the film, which is inspired by a true incident. It was to be produced under the banner of Studio Five Elements founded by Prernaa, Arjun N Kapoor, Om Prakash Bhatt and Kashish Khan in association with Prem’s banner, Premraj Pictures. “I’m in touch with the relevant people who have assured me that everything is in place,” Prem asserted.

Meanwhile, singer Mika Singh was recently arrested by the UAE Police following a complaint by a 17-year-old Brazilian model that he llegedly sent her indent pictures. He is curntly in an Abu Dhabi jail and being questioned by the local police.

In June, Singh had announced his foray to film production with Aadat, which features Bipasha Basu as a cop and her actor-husband Karan Singh Grover as a shrewd businessman. The Bhushan Patel directorial rolled in London in September. Vikram Bhatt, the film’s co-producer and writer, told Mirror, “The film wrapped up on November 1 and will release in the first half of 2019 without any hurdles. We are done with the shooting and are currently into post-production. I don’t see any concern regarding the film because everything was finalised way in advance,” he stated.

Bipasha and Karan had earlier featured in the 2015 horror film, Alone, coincidentally also directed by Bhushan. 

Ahmed Ali (THE TIMES OF INDIA; December 9, 2018)

Mumbai: Prernaa Arora, who runs an A-lister movie production house, was arrested by Mumbai police’s economic offences wing (EOW) on Saturday for allegedly cheating another production company of Rs 31.6 crore. This is the fourth cheating case filed against her this year. She has been booked in three similar frauds collectively involving Rs 66 crore, said police sources.

EOW’s housing unit arrested Aroraa, director of KriArj Entertainment, which has produced, distributed and promoted recent movies such as ‘Pad Man’ and ‘Toilet - Ek Prem Katha’.

Aroraa has been booked under Indian Penal Code sections for cheating and criminal conspiracy. She was produced before the holiday court, which remanded her to police custody. The police said Nagesh Vaidikar, production manager at Pooja Films, had lodged the complaint with EOW in September.

Vaidikar said Arora, along with two other absconding accused, Arjun N Kapoor and Pratima Arora, allegedly induced Pooja Films and its head Vashu Bhagnani to provide finance for ‘Pad Man’, promising first claim on its post-release revenue. But they had already reportedly given the right to another organisation and accepted money, a fact intentionally concealed from Bhagnani. Later, they allegedly failed to return the money to Bhagnani, causing losses to the tune of Rs 31.6 crore.

During the investigation, the police learnt KriArj Entertainment had taken loans from various financial organisations for the film and kept Pooja Films in the dark. KriArj had signed a contract with Gothic Entertainment in November 2017 for ‘Pad Man’ and other films and given it first claim on their revenues. KriArj hid this fact from the complainant’s company, the police concluded.

The complainant said that Aroraa’s company had signed contracts with Gothic Entertainment for several movies, including ‘Pad Man’, ‘Batti Gul Meter Chalu’ and ‘Fanney Khan’, last year.

The police claim it found Arora took money from victims “for buying properties and maintaining a lavish lifestyle”.

They need to interrogate Arora and her associates to follow the money trail, for which they need to freeze several bank accounts in which sums were deposited, transferred and allegedly siphoned off, they added.

Bobby Deol turns to role played by Al Pacino in Scarface for his next with Sanjay Dutt, tentatively titled The Rise And Fall Of Bambai
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; November 29, 2018)

Set to play brother to a gangster in his next, Bobby Deol, we hear, is turning to American film Scarface's Tony Montana — made popular by Al Pacino — for inspiration. Deol, who plays the sibling of the character essayed by Sanjay Dutt, is set to pull off a sinister part after several years.

A source from the creative team of the film, tentatively titled The Rise And Fall Of Bambai, tells mid-day, "Bobby's role is dark and challenging. He has never done a movie based on the underworld before. [Deol and Dutt were active] in the '90s, which makes this selection apt since the film is based across 1930 to 1990. Bobby's role is like Tony Montana's in Scarface. He will be seen as the wild brother of a powerful don, a psycho who kills, and then [reasons]. There is no justification to his evil deeds."

Deol, the source adds, was initially apprehensive of pulling off the part, but was equally excited to be part of the film. A source from the trade circuit reveals that while Dutt and Deol have been roped in to play the main characters, Aayush Sharma has been approached for the part of the youngest gangster. Sharma confirms the news to mid-day, adding, "Nothing has been finalised yet. I will meet the team this week again to discuss the film."

Being produced by Shaira Khan, Arjun N Kapoor (pictured right, above) and Prernaa Arora, the film sees Khan's nephew Adnan Shaikh slipping into the director's chair. Even though it was suggested that the film was based on don Karim Lala, Khan says, "The film is not based on any real-life figure. It is a fictionalised story, a retro saga that puts the spotlight on the rise of Mumbai's underworld. However, some true incidents have been referenced for inspiration."

Co-producer Kapoor adds, "I'm excited to dabble in a different genre. Ahmed [Khan, under who Adnan Shaikh worked as an assistant for several years] is guiding us on the project."

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; September 22, 2018)

Conceptualising a film is not as easy as one thinks it is. Ask writer Vipul Rawal, a former naval official, who started working on the concept of Batti Gul Meter Chalu back in 2009. The film, which released yesterday, revolves around the issue of electricity theft and the way a common man struggles to find a solution to the problem. If you’re wondering why it took so long in the making, and what drove an ex-defence personnel to craft a film like this, check out the excerpts from our conversation with Vipul...

What drove you to conceptualise a film on electricity theft and a commoner’s battle against it?
The journey began in 2009. A friend of mine, also a social worker, was visiting my house. He showed me an electricity bill, which ran into seven columns before arriving at the final figure, which was faulty. That triggered the writer in me. At that time, my friend was fighting a corporation for faulty electricity charges. I started attending court hearings with him, and during the course of that, I started wondering what a person would really do if he is not happy with the electricity services he’s receiving. I then joined consumer groups with my friend, which aided my research. So, I spent a lot of time between 2009 and 2016, putting the script together.

It was your fifth draft that clicked with the makers, and the film made a decade-long journey before releasing in cinemas. Did you get anxious at any point?
Iqbal was rejected by 17 producers before getting made. It was my first film and I never lost faith. Rustom changed hands several times. It started with Abbas Mustan, went to John Abraham and eventually, Neeraj Pandey made it. I don’t compromise on the subject matter of my films. When I approach producers, I go with a bound 120-page draft, not a concept note. In fact, if my films take less than five years in the making now, I actually start feeling that something is amiss. I sold a script to John Mathew Matthan six years ago and it has still not been made. The basic rule of the game is that you have to be patient. It’s not a 100-metre race that wraps up fast. It’s a marathon that takes long before it draws to a close.

Considering that Batti Gul Meter Chalu was written by you, could you tell us why Sidharth and Garima share the writing credit with you?
I gave the bound script to Prernaa Arora, and Shree Narayan Singh came on board to direct it. While I had set the movie in Mumbai, they felt that moving the narrative to a small town in Uttarakhand would make it more palatable for the audience. Since I got busy with other scripts, Sidharth-Garima were roped in to rewrite the script accordingly. I understand that filmmaking is a director’s medium and the director will bring in his sensibilities and understanding of the subject for sure. So, while they retained my core concept, research and characters, everything else was redone.

As a former navy official, you could lend authenticity to the script of Rustom and the characters you crafted. Where did you find inspiration for Shahid Kapoor’s character in Batti Gul Meter Chalu?
Shahid’s character also emanated from my own experiences. I once battled a company that manufactures alcohol. I bought two bottles of beer and one of them had pieces of glass in it. I demanded compensation and moved court. It was resolved in two months, but in the interim, the company tried every trick in the book to procure the bottle from me. I could decipher their moves and was always one step ahead. I learnt that if you can anticipate what their moves are, you can get what you deserve even from gigantic companies. I also learnt that you shouldn’t trust anything on face value. This experience, coupled with my imagination as a writer, helped me create a grey character for Shahid, which is interesting and has layers.

What do you think the audience will take away from Batti Gul Meter Chalu?
Every time I met someone with the script of this film, they’d dig out a copy of their electricity bill to see whether they were also being fleeced. It triggered a thought. I’ve seen millionaires worrying about faulty electricity bills. The middle class suffers even more. After watching this film, no one will take their electricity bills lightly.

The Romanian model-singer is set to make her acting debut with a Prem Soni directorial which is expected to roll by the year-end
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 22, 2018)

Romanian model, TV actress and singer Iulia Vantur, popularly known as Salman Khan’s good friend, is all set to make her acting debut. The film rolls towards the end of the year and will be directed by Prem Soni who had helmed the Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, and Sohail Khan-starrer Main Aur Mrs Khanna in 2009, followed by Preity Zinta’s home production Ishkq In Paris four years later. Still untitled, it is reportedly based on a true incident and will have Iulia playing a Polish girl who comes to India and her life takes a drastic turn. It will be shot in Poland, Mathura and Delhi.

“She falls in love with the country and becomes a Krishna bhakt. The team had been looking for a foreigner who can speak Hindi but not too well for months. Iulia was approached recently,” informs a source close to the development, adding that besides playing the lead, Iulia who recently lent her voice to Salman and Jacqueline Fernandez’s action-thriller Race 3, will also be singing for it. “It will be shot in a start-to-finish schedule and expected to release by the summer of 2019. Jimmy Sheirgill has been signed on for a pivotal role too.”

Prem, when contacted, admitted that while he has made star-studded films in the past, they were not very successful. “So, I had to make my comeback with the right film. Yes, we have been in talks with Iulia and the production house will make an announcement soon. My producer, Prernaa Arora, has always backed content-driven films,” he asserted.

Iulia had earlier featured in a cameo as part of a song in the Pulkit Samrat, Bilal Amrohi and Sarah Jane Dias laugh riot, O Teri, in 2014.

Hiren Kotwani (DNA; August 1, 2018)

Even as the Anil Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan-starrer Fanney Khan releases this Friday (August 3), producer Vashu Bhagnani moved the Supreme Court on July 30 stating he has been cheated as far as the film’s distribution rights are concerned. He claimed they were surreptitiously given to T-Series and asked that the film’s release should be stayed as the transfer of a related suit, which was filed in the Bombay High Court, was pending.

While the transfer petition was mentioned before the apex court, Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud ordered that the matter be listed before the appropriate bench today. Claiming its reputation, fair name and profitability has been “adversely and unfairly affected, in a most unjustified and unseemly manner, owing to certain machinations and surreptitious arrangements between, a co-producer, Kriarj Entertainment Private Limited, Mumbai and Super Cassettes Industries Private Limited New Delhi, in relation to all India distribution rights of the film Fanney Khan”, the petitioner Pooja Ent & Films Pvt Ltd (owned by Vashu) stated that it had acquired the sole distribution rights of the movie for Rs 10 crore, of which Rs 8.50 cr has been paid and duly acknowledged.

Conspiracy theory
The petition further stated that ‘in connivance with others, the rights were parted with its entire co-production and distribution rights’. Vashu’s petition states that they have filed a suit in the Bombay High Court against T-Series, KriArj Ent and others. Also, they were oblivious about the case T-Series had filed against Pooja Ent & Films in Delhi High Court, and obtained an ex-parte order restraining his company from interfering in distribution and exhibition of Fanney Khan and Batti Gul Meter Chalu (the Shahid Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor-starrer that was also produced by KriArj before T-Series reportedly took over).

Vashu sought the apex court’s direction for transfer of the suit pending in Bombay HC to Delhi HC or to the SC and stay the release of Fanney Khan in the interregnum. The veteran producer, reportedly, is claiming Rs 10 cr from T-Series if Pooja Ent & Films Pvt Ltd is being ousted as the All India distributor of Fanney Khan.

When contacted, Bhushan Kumar, head of T-Series, pointed out that after the Delhi HC issued an order that Vashu should not interfere in the distribution and exhibition of Fanney Khan and Batti Gul Meter Chalu (BGMC), the latter filed a case in Bombay High Court seeking a stay on the release of the Anil-Aishwarya-starrer. “The Bombay HC refused to grant the stay and Delhi HC didn’t grant him any relief in the subsequent hearing either. While the final order is awaited, he’s now asking for transfer of petition from the Bombay HC to the Delhi HC or SC,” said Bhushan. He added, “In all cases, he is seeking a stay on Fanney Khan’s release, but didn’t get it. As per our lawyers, there is no reason for him to go to SC now, until the HC gives the order. But he has every right to approach the authorities. We have prior contracts and rights with us. From wherever he got the rights, they don’t have value. Hence, there has been no order in his favour. The Delhi HC and SC hearings are today. I’m optimistic about releasing the film this Friday, August 3, as scheduled.”

Right to stay justified
Vashu’s lawyer Ravi Mehrotra told After Hrs that the Delhi HC has asked Prernaa Arora of KriArj to be present for the hearing on August 1. He added, “As per Vashu ji, KriArj and T-Series are hand-in-glove. We’ve moved the Supreme Court to transfer our petition from Bombay HC to Delhi and in the interest of justice, we want the release of Fanney Khan to be stayed pending transfer of the case from Bombay HC to Delhi. There’s a conspiracy between KriArj and T-Series against Vashu’s Pooja Ent & Films Pvt Ltd. It is not just about financing a film, but it’s linked to distribution rights. Hence, we’re seeking a stay on the release till the matter is decided.”

Dispute over Fanney Khan distribution rights continues as Bhagnani files FIR against Arora
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; July 19, 2018)

A month after Vashu Bhagnani filed a case against the team of Fanney Khan alleging they hadn't rightfully credited him as distributor, he has filed an FIR against former co-producer KriArj Entertainment. The case is registered against company members Prernaa and Protima Arora, and Arjun N Kapoor, and forwarded to the Economic Offence Wing (EOW). Bhagnani's lawyer Vibhav Krishna tells mid-day of the two-part complaint that his client continues to fight for credit in Fanney Khan.

"KriArj has sold the India theatrical distribution [rights] to my client for Rs 10 crore. Rs 5.5 crore was to be paid when signing the agreement on December 16, 2017, and the rest, a week before the release [of the film]. Since Prernaa needed money, my client paid her Rs 8.5 crore in advance. Now, [co-producers] T-Series tells us we don't have rights to distribute the film," says Krishna.

Bhagnani's FIR also pulls up Arora for apparently violating a bulk deal they had entered into. "Bhagnani's company, Pooja Entertainment And Films Limited, entered into a bulk deal to get the theatrical distribution rights in India for Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran, Fanney Khan, Batti Gul Meter Chalu, Kedarnath, and a couple of other ventures. As for a deal made for Pad Man, that my client had also invested in, Kriarj Entertainment had instructed Sony Pictures to pay Bhagnani a sum from the money collected after the release. The payment was to be made by April 15, but it hasn't been done."

The legal team of Bhushan Kumar's T-Series had reportedly stated that in a previous case registered in Delhi over the dispute surrounding Batti Gul Meter Chalu, the court had ruled in their favour. "The EOW has summoned Altaf Hussain, who handles the finances of KirArj with the account books, and copies of the agreements. Prernaa has assured them that he will explain [matters]," Krishna adds.

Vashu Bhagnani has sent notices to Bhushan Kumar, Prernaa Arora, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra because his name as producer, distributor is missing from the credits of Fanney Khan’s poster
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 26, 2018)

Mirror (May 18, 2018) had earlier reported that after the exit of Prernaa Arora of KriArj Entertainment, Bhushan Kumar has taken over the Shree Narayan Singh-directed social drama, Batti Gul Meter Chalu as producer, and that Bhushan and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra are now the only two producers of Atul Manjrekar’s Fanney Khan. On Sunday, the makers unveiled the first poster of Fanney Khan and immediately incited the ire of Vashu Bhagnani. Vashu has issued a public notice claiming his rights over the film.

“Notice is given to the Public at large and person associated with the Film Trade that our clients (1) Pooja Entertainment and Films Limited (2) Pooja Film Company through Vashu Bhagnani have entered into Agreements with KriArj Entertainment Private Limited whereby they have acquired rights for the following Films: A) Batti Gul Meter Chalu starring Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Yami Gautam directed by Shree Narayan Singh (Previously known as ‘Roshini’ vide Agreement dated 16.10.2017). B) Fanney Khan starring Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Rajkummar Rao, directed by Shree Atul Manjrekar (Agreement dated 16.12.2017). Our clients are therefore entitled to exploit the rights in the films listed herein, granted to our clients free from encumbrance, or claim interalia credit in the film,” reads the notice of which Mirror has a copy.

The notice further reiterates that Vashu has the exhibition, distribution and exploitation of commercial and noncommercial theatrical rights for all India territories of both the films, as also right in perpetuity to 15 per cent overflow and the right that the films would not be released without his prior permission, approval and consent in writing. It goes on to say that M/s. Super Cassettes (T-Series) and M/s. Kriarj Entertainment have been notified of the same by an advocate’s letter dated June 18 that they have not given any permission to release the aforementioned films.
Vashu told Mirror, “Yes, I have sent legal notices to Bhushan, Prernaa and Rakeysh on Monday claiming the rights to these films. For Fanney Khan, I have the all-India distribution rights and am entitled to producer’s credit, while in Baati Gul Meter Chalu I’ve the producer title and a commitment of the all-India distribution of the film. I’ve documents supporting my claims, except for the distribution agreement of Batti Gul Meter Chalu which Prernaa had promised me would be made once the film goes on the floors but that didn’t happen.”

Vashu informs that these documents were submitted in court three months ago when he was fighting the Parmanu case which he also co-produced. It was earlier being made with Pernaa. “They released the Fanney Khan poster without my consent, but nobody can release the film as the rights are with me,” he states. Vashu has the all-India distribution right of Abhishek Kapoor’s Kedarnath which Ronnie Screwvala has taken over after paying off earlier producers Bhushan, Ekta Kapoor and Prernaa.

The filmmaker claims that he had initially invested Rs 6 crore-plus in Batti Gul Meter Chalu and around Rs 8 crore in Fanney Khan. “Prernaa was the producer of these films earlier but since she didn’t have that much money to invest, she borrowed from other filmmakers, including Bhushan and me,” Vashu explains.

Prod him why didn’t object when Mirror broke the news of Bhushan taking over the films, he retorts, “I wondered how he could take over the projects when I have all the documents stating that I have the rights to them. When the poster came out yesterday with the names of Prernaa’s parents but not mine, I was justified in my objection. Why should I call Bhushan, my deal was with Prernaa?” He reveals that Rakeysh had called him a few months ago stating that he was happy Vashu was distributing Fanney Khan. “I’m told they had a meeting about Prernaa giving the distribution rights to me and not Anil Thadani during which she reportedly confirmed that she’s taken money from me. They are all aware that I have the rights,” he asserts.

Meanwhile, Vashu’s lawyer Vibhav Krishna informs, “After our clients came across the Mirror report (May 18) regarding the takeover of the films, they had taken up this issue with Prernaa and her erstwhile partner Arjun N Kapoor and were informed that their company has challenged the signature and misuse of papers and documents as they were not signed. This issue has been raised by them in the Delhi High Court also. So, there is no deal with Bhushan Kumar and T-Series. Our clients have also learnt that in view of these allegations, certain out-of- court settlements are being worked out by Bhushan and Prernaa so these issues don’t come out in the open. Our clients will challenge the takeover, ask for forensic audit and EOW investigation.”

When contacted, Ankit Relan from the T-Series legal team said, “The number of people claiming parallel rights in these films is astonishing. We filed a suit last month before the Delhi High Court against KriArj, Gothic Entertainment, Ease My Trip and other such entities. After considering all the material on record, the court had issued an order in T-series’ favour observing that KriArj did not have the right to create any lien over the film which it was co-producing with T-Series without taking the written consent of T-Series. The court restrained all these parties from interfering in the exploitation of rights, including distribution rights therein and held that only T-Series has the right to do so as per its coproduction agreement with KriArj. This agreement, I want to clarify, was executed prior to the agreement under which Pooja Films and Vashu ji are claiming rights. Given the protection already offered by the court against other similarly placed claimants, I don’t see how Vashu ji’s claims will hold up in court.”

Rakyesh and Prernaa did not revert to our text messages and calls.


Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Bhushan Kumar, Prernaa Arora, Vashu Bhagnani

John Abraham celebrates a hard-won battle; insists he’ll continue to back subjects he believes in but will be wary in picking who he works with
Roshmila bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 18, 2018)

Parmanu was a difficult journey but your confidence and conviction in the film seems to have eventually paid off…
Yes, today I feel vindicated, validated and relieved. I was clear about what I was making and that I wanted the film to release, come hail or storm because Parmanu was a special baby. The odds were stacked against us, we had just 10 days to promote the film which released during the IPL semis and finals, just two weeks after Raazi and a week before Veere Di Wedding. Had it had a smoother release, we might have done better business going by trade estimates, but I’m grateful to the media and the audience for their support. It’s so humbling when people say it’s my best film as a producer and my best performance as an actor that at times I don’t know how to react.

When you look back, what was the darkest phase in this journey?
When I realised this was a battle I had to justifiably fight alone. I’m a realist, I don’t expect anything from anyone, somebody had to raise their voice and I did. I’m thankful to the High Court and the judge for ruling in my favour, ensuring Parmanu saw the light of the day.

What’s happening with your erstwhile partner Prernaa Arora?
I have no idea and I don’t think the subject merits a discussion.

This was the first time you collaborated with someone who was not from the industry. Has the experience made you wary as far as choosing production partners is concerned?
Of course it has. But I am collaborating on RAW: Romeo Akbar Walter as an actor with Ajay Kapoor who was my production partner on Parmanu too and stuck by me to the end, which I really appreciate. We, as an industry, run to where the money is. But after my experience I will tell my colleagues to make sure they know exactly where the money comes from and more importantly, where it doesn’t come from. I’m a beggar for appreciation and money is just a by-product of the journey.

As a producer you’ve always gambled with films like Vicky Donor, Madras Café and now Parmanu, none of them safe commercial entertainers...
As a producer, I’ve always aimed to marry content with commerce and ensure that everyone in the distribution chain makes money. But at the same time, I want to explore subjects difficult to make because I’m not afraid of failure, so I can take risks. I’ll take full responsibility for the failure of any film made under my banner and if I’m successful, I’d like people to know that I went with my gut instinct. I’m prepared for the bouquets with the brickbats and here, I got the bouquets.

You did but after a hard-won battle against Prernaa. Has the experience put you off production?
Not at all, I also discovered that there are good people who back honesty and credibility. This has empowered me to back the kind of subjects I want to make even though I know I will face the regular creative questions with them.

For two years, you hardly accepted any acting assignments and now you are on an over-drive. You’ve wrapped up Satyamev Jayate, signed another Nikkhil Advani production, Batla House, kicked off RAW and then there’s a film with Rensil D’Silva based on the book, Moryaa Re: The Ganpati Murders...
First, let me clarify that I’m doing a film with Rensil which should happen by the middle of next year and I’m making a web series based on this book but that’s not with Rensil. Rensil’s film is a beautiful human story, around two years of research has already gone into it and anything that comes out of that will be special. RAW and Batla House are probably the most challenging films I’m doing, the subjects were too good to be missed.

What’s coming from your production house?
I’m co-producing Batla House with Nikkhil. After a long time I’ve found a friend, confidante, producer, director and now a partner in Nikkhil. I wanted to extend my association with him in every count because we’re very happy to be with each other. We are exploring other ideas too but for the moment there’s just Batla House and two web series.

From the films you are doing, one gets the impression that you have gone back to action?
Most of the films I’m doing right now are high-voltage dramas with a bit of action. Whether I do action or not, the image of an action hero stays and I’m happy with that. There’s a huge vacuum in the kind of action I do and I want to fill it with an intelligent emotional action film. We’re working on scripts. There’s a fantastic action series but that’s just an idea now.

What about taking the Force franchise forward?
Vipul (Shah) and I have been communicating regularly. Right now he’s busy with his film and we’ll know better once he is back. I want to take Force forward but it will depend on how we structure our deal from here on.

DNA (May 25, 2018)

Ever since Sara Ali Khan was signed up for Abhishek Kapoor’s Kedarnath, it was known that this romance saga would mark the Bollywood debut of Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh’s daughter. The agency, which manages her work, had committed the dates till July to the Kai Po Che filmmaker. At that time, the 20-something debutante hadn’t signed any other film.

However, when Kedarnath got stuck due to the tussle between Abhishek and KriArj Entertainment (co-owned by Prernaa Arora and Arjun N Kapoor), many doubted the future of the film that also starred Sushant Singh Rajput. Then, Sara was offered the leading lady’s part in Karan Johar and Rohit Shetty’s joint production, Simmba. Given the uncertainty over Gattu’s film, the young star kid signed up for the Ranveer Singh-starrer and her agency, apparently, allotted dates to it. Back then, the talk was that this could be Sara’s debut as it’s slated to release on December 28, this year.

Fortunately for all involved in Kedarnath, things were resolved as Abhishek found another producer to back his dream project. With the film back on track and the director announcing November 30, this year as its release date, he asked for Sara’s dates in June. But her agency is said to have allotted her dates till July to Simmba, the shooting of which begins on June 6.

To overcome this hurdle, the Kedarnath director reportedly reached out to Saif, to intervene and help resolve this issue. No one had anticipated this situation and newbie, Sara, too, found herself in the middle of a date hassle for no fault of hers.

Interestingly, on Wednesday evening, Saif and Sara went to meet the filmmaker. Shutterbugs clicked photographs of the father-daughter duo entering the building that houses Abhishek’s office. “Abhishek explained his predicament to Saif and requested him to help him sort out the date hassle,” says our source, adding that the actor has apparently assured him his co-operation in doing the best he can. This is the first time Saif will intervene in his daughter’s career as he plays troubleshooter to salvage the situation. “Nobody had imagined that such a situation would come up. Saif has been requested to help clear this stalemate amicably,” sums up our source.

WILL THE LONG DELAYED, UNDER PROMOTED PARMANU GET ITS DUE?

Some 16-17 days ago, no one had a clear idea that tomorrow, the long-delayed flick of John Abraham, Parmanu, would release. After all, the film faced lot of legal issues but finally, John, also the film’s principle producer, emerged victorious.

Parmanu also stars Diana Penty and Boman Irani and is based on the nuclear bomb test explosions conducted by the Indian Army at Pokhran in 1998. The plot itself is quite incredible and the trailer shows that the film has some gripping, thrilling moments. It is directed by Abhishek Sharma, known for comic capers like Tere Bin Laden series and The Shaukeens.

Parmanu was shot last year and was to initially release on December 8. But when the big budget Padmaavat was scheduled to release just a week before, on December 1, it was pushed ahead to February-March 2018. This was also the time when KriArj Entertainment’s (then one of the producers of Parmanu) Pari, starring Anushka Sharma, was slated to release and as a result, Parmanu was further postponed to April 6. Meanwhile, reports were already floating around of trouble between John Abraham and KriArj’s Prernaa Arora. Finally, on April 1, John Abraham put up a public notice that KriArj Entertainment is no longer involved with Parmanu as he was upset with incessant delays and non-payment of dues. A war of words began between the two parties, with both slinging mud on each other. Prernaa Arora did it quite more, even predicting that John Abraham will become a laughing stock. Both parties went to the Bombay High Court and the judgment came in favour of John. On the other hand, it was a huge blow to Prernaa Arora and the perception was already against her. This is because besides the Parmanu row, she also had a public confrontation with director Abhishek Kapoor as well, who was co-producing Sushant Singh Rajput-Sara Ali Khan starrer Kedarnath with her. He too broke the association with her. With Parmanu and Kedarnath no longer in Prernaa’s kitty, she began to focus on her other two upcoming productions – Anil Kapoor-Aishwarya Rai Bachchan starrer Fanne Khan and Shahid Kapoor-Shraddha Kapoor-Yami Gautam starrer Batti Gul Meter Chalu. Shockingly, there were problems in these films too and Prernaa made an unceremonious exit from them as well. Prernaa Arora is now left with no film and she is expected to announce her next soon.

Coming back to Parmanu, the court order came around two weeks ago and on May 11, John Abraham announced May 25 as the film’s release date. He has tried his best in promoting the film as much as possible. However, the buzz is very limited. Some feel that the film needed at least one month’s time for promotions. But even then, it won’t have helped much. The subject of the film is not something that would get it a huge opening, even if the promotions had been there for a long time. Also, John Abraham doesn’t have a huge pull at the box office. Parmanu is a word of mouth film. The opening will be poor but if the reports are positive, it can get in a lot of viewers from Day 2. Thankfully, it has kind of got a solo release. With last week’s Deadpool 2 underperforming, it only has three-weeks old Raazi as competition and that won’t be a big problem. Parmanu looks great and here’s hoping all the struggles of John Abraham pay off well!

The other release of the film is Bioscopewala, based on Rabindranath Tagore’s classic story Kabuliwala. It stars Danny Denzongpa and looks quite lovely and poetic. Sadly, the excitement is negligible and in theatres, it won’t earn much. Hopefully, it’ll get recognition later on, on non-theatrical platforms.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE PARMANU OR BIOSCOPEWALA AND WHY? DO LET ME KNOW!

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 18, 2018)

The Shree Narayan Singh-directed social-drama Batti Gul Meter Chalu, which features Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor and Yami Gautam, had ground to an abrupt halt after kicking off in February over several issues including payment issues. Now, Mirror has learnt that the makers will resume shooing from today in Mumbai. But producer Prernaa Arora of KriArj Entertainment has exited the project and now Bhushan Kumar is the principal producer.

“The modalities have been worked out and the remaining remuneration of the actors will be paid. Bhushan has all the rights now and will be taking the film forward,” informs a source close to the development. The source adds that Prernaa is also out of Atul Manjrekar’s musical-drama, the Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Rajkummar Rao-starrer Fanne Khan. Bhushan and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra are the only two producers on the film now. “There’s only one song left to be shot in Fanne Khan which will be filmed in the first week of June,” adds the source.

Confirming the news, Bhushan told Mirror, “Yes, I’m the sole producer on Batti Gul Meter Chalu, Shree Narayan along with his partner Nitin Chandrachud are the stakeholders. Prernaa is also no longer a part of Fanne Khan because of all the trouble happening around her. She wants to solve all these problems first before she gets back to making movies. I will now be producing both these films with my partners on it.”

Mirror (April 12) had reported that Ronnie Screwvala had taken over Abhishek Kapoor’s Sushant Singh Rajput, Sara Ali Khan-starrer Kedarnath, which resumed shooting last month. The film was earlier being produced by Bhushan, Prernaa and Ekta Kapoor.

Also, following a crucial Bombay High Court hearing in a case involving John Abraham’s JA Entertainment and Prernaa Arora’s KriArj Entertainment’s film, Parmanu, on May 10 conducted in Justice Kathawalla’s chamber, it was decided that Vashu Bhagnani’s Pooja Entertainment will bear the cost of P&A (print and advertising) and distribute the film across India. Zee Studios will distribute the film internationally while John Abraham’s JA Entertainment will be credited as a producer for the film. Ajay Kapoor’s Kyta Productions will also be credited for their contribution to the project, but Prernaa Arora’s KriArj Entertainment will not be a part of the project in any capacity.

John Abraham says the industry was mute witness to the fracas with producer Prernaa Arora, despite their issues with her
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; May 14, 2018)

John Abraham stands vindicated today. Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran — which was in a lockdown after JA Entertainment along with Zee Studios and Kyta Productions filed criminal cases against Prernaa Arora's KriArj Entertainment alleging non-payment of dues — is set to hit screens on May 25. Last week, the Bombay High Court ruled in favour of Abraham's banner, ceasing Arora's association with the film.

Although several filmmakers have run into trouble with Arora, John Abraham rues that he found little support from the film fraternity. "Nobody came out to support me, nor did I expect anyone to do so. Everyone says, 'Thank God, it's not me.' I have cleaned up the mess for a lot of people. It was all because I had the guts to stand up for what is right, credible and honest."