Showing posts with label Priya Banerjee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Priya Banerjee. Show all posts
Prateik went down on one knee in his boxers-Priya Banerjee
8:57 AM
On Propose Day, today, actor-couple Prateik Smita Patil and Priya Banerjee recall the moment that led to their forever
Akash Bhatnagar (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 8, 2026)
Valentine's Day, this year, is a day of double celebration for actor-couple Prateik Smita Patil and Priya Banerjee Patil, as it marks their first wedding anniversary. Ahead of the special moment, the couple recalls Prateik’s dreamy and “unexpected” proposal on Propose Day, today.
“I had planned to propose to Priya at the stroke of midnight on the eve of my birthday, November 28. But we had work the next morning, so we wouldn’t have had time to enjoy the moment,” Prateik recalls, adding, “Then two days before, on a Sunday morning, I was sitting on my ‘throne’ in the bathroom, where I get some of my best ideas, and realized we had the whole day to ourselves. It was the perfect day to propose.”
On November 26, 2024, after five years of living together, Prateik went for it. “It was 8 am, and I saw him crying in the corner. I was lying in bed with our dog when he suddenly came next to me and proposed,” Priya gushes. “He was so emotional that I didn’t even understand the first question he asked me,” she adds.
“He went down on one knee in his boxers. Our dog was there too, wagging his tail—it was a celebration with the three of us,” she says. While Priya suspected a proposal was coming since Prateik had spoken to her parents, the timing caught her off guard. “I’m glad he did it the day I expected it the least,” says Priya.
That family was never there, that person (hinting at Raj Babbar) was never there in his life-Priya Banerjee
8:08 AM
Vinay MR Mishra (BOMBAY TIMES; March 23, 2025)
Prateik Smita Patil and Priya Banerjee, the newly minted husband-and-wife duo, are “finally settling into married life”. The lovebirds tied the knot on Valentine's Day in an intimate ceremony at Prateik's ancestral home in Bandra, surrounded by close family and friends. The wedding was followed by a whirlwind mini-moon in Goa.
“We feel like a responsible married couple,” Prateik declares. The lovebirds address each other as “Husband” and “Wife”. “He is very serious about me calling him husband. But he is definitely a better husband (than a boyfriend),” Priya quips. “It is cringe, but it is cute. But we are both stepping up to our new titles,” Prateik states.
The two sit down for a chat with us, talking about their “fairytale yet intimate” wedding, and all the chatter around it.
‘Our wedding was too meaningful’
Talking about the wedding, Prateik recalls the moment Priya walked in as the bride to be the most beautiful moment for him. “We automatically cried together. We were bawling but we couldn't let the tears out because she had her makeup,” Prateik recollects. Priya adds, “We had family with us. It was at home. It was so special. And this is what I wanted because I was never that girl who dreamed of a big wedding. It all fell in place in a weird way.”
Prateik states, “It was too meaningful. It had so much sentimental value for everybody involved; it was just perfect. It was blessed by my mother, my grandparents.”
‘All the controversy around our wedding was unnecessary’
Prateik and Priya's dreamy wedding was not without its fair share of drama. Prateik’s step-brother-actor Aarya Babbar made unsolicited comments about their actor-father Raj Babbar and the family not being invited for the wedding.
Ask the couple if they were perturbed by all that was going on and Priya answers, “We were unfazed. It was all noise. My mom and dad were here all the way from Canada. I had my closest friends. He had his aunts, who raised him apart from his grandparents. Everybody was there who we loved. So, whatever happened, we honestly, don’t have any comments because it didn't matter.”
Prateik, on the other hand, calls all of it “unnecessary”. “I'm really happy that it didn't matter,” he says. Priya chimes in, “It could have ruined the rest of our life. It had potential. But I feel like we've been protected. We have guardian angels around us. I felt throughout this event that we were so into the whole event, the wedding, the marriage and we were into each other, we didn't care about anything.”
‘If Prateik chooses to stay quiet, if I choose to stay quiet, that is actually out of respect and dignity’
Amidst the din of speculations, we question Prateik if he wishes to reveal the reason behind the conspicuous absence of his father and the Babbar family from the wedding. Before Prateik can respond, Priya, like a lioness protecting her partner, swiftly intervenes, “No, absolutely not. We don't want to talk about it. And it's not our place. It's all online. It's all on the internet. Let people go back in the past and read some articles perhaps from back in the day and find out what went down in anybody's life before passing a reckless comment which can affect somebody's special day. Nobody has any right to say anything about it. If Prateik chooses to stay quiet, if I choose to stay quiet, that is actually out of respect and dignity. That's it. We do not want to speak about this and get in detail because we're happy.”
‘There was never an equation with the Babbar family’
Ask Prateik if the episode will change his equation with the Babbar family and Priya replies, “There is nothing to change. There was never anything there. So, I'm confused when people comment, ‘You did this to somebody’. But no, that family was never there, that person (hinting at Raj Babbar) was never there in his life. So, I'm not sure why that question is coming up now, 30 years later.”
She adds, "Some people get limelight from talking about other people. You get a little bit of attention here and there when you talk about people. People will talk. We don't have to hear it. We have to live our life. We have to be happy. We don't have to sit and justify to the entire world. We're not here to answer anybody. Nobody pays our bills."
‘It’s complicated’
While in a previous interview Prateik mentioned about mending his ways with his family, remind that to the actor, and he clarifies, “When the time is right, I will chat about this. Let's just leave it the way it is for now. It's a bit complicated.”
Priya chimes in again, “It's too much too... and not just an interview. This is not something you can just ask and somebody can explain it. It is somebody's life we're talking about. Somebody went through something for 30 years. Not a lot of people would understand what a kid goes through when they lose their mom at first, right? That's the question I would like to ask everybody who's trolling and asking questions. Did you lose your mom when you were two weeks old? And if you didn't, I don't think you have any right to comment here. Whoever spoke during our wedding, may that be a troller, may that be some family member, whoever, nobody lost their mother at two weeks old, right? Nobody has the right because nobody can understand what this person went through. Whenever he feels the time is right to speak about it, to speak about things that he has never spoken about, he will. He's born into this industry. This industry is his friend. The media is his friend. He's nothing to hide. He's never hidden anything. His past, his present.”
Prateik further adds, "It's extremely complicated for the time being and as Priya mentioned, when I am ready to talk about things that I haven't before and that need to be spoken about, it will clear the air, not just for me, but for everybody, even that family."
‘Every time something goes down, they always point fingers at a woman’
During their wedding, a lot of allegations were made against Priya, while many including Prateik’s stepbrother Aarya hinting her to be the reason behind the Babbar snub. Priya reveals it didn’t bother her at all, however, Prateik felt otherwise. “It did bother me. It was really riling me up, as people are pointing fingers at her, saying she's the reason,” he says.
Priya adds, “It's not new to us, not new to you, not new to the world. We know that every time something goes down, they always point fingers at a woman.”
‘I'm striving to be like my mother and not like my dad’
Prateik has shed his paternal surname, rebranding himself as Prateik Smita Patil. This deliberate decision to drop the Babbar name from his identity doesn’t worry Prateik, who is unworried about the potential impact on his career or public persona.
“I'm not thinking of any of that. I'm just thinking about what makes me and my soul feel better, and what makes my heart smile, not thinking if it will negatively affect my career. I don't care about the repercussions. All I care about is the way I feel when I hear that name. I need to be wholly and solely associated with my mother (Smita Patil), her name and her legacy. I don't think any other name needs to taint that legacy, if you understand what I mean. It needs to just be her name and her legacy. That's what I'm striving to be. I'm striving to be like my mother and not like my dad. It feels like a new chapter.”
On a parting note, ask the couple if they are open to parenthood and pat comes Prateik’s reply, “I am ready”. “Our marriage and everything have been all about destiny. We are married now, we’ll see what happens next,” Priya concludes.
No one was missing from our wedding or celebrations-Priya Banerjee
8:44 AM
Priya and Prateik address the absence of his father and some family members from their wedding
Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 18, 2025)
Actor Priya Banerjee and actor Prateik Babbar, who now goes by the name Prateik Smita Patil, tied the knot in an intimate ceremony on Valentine’s Day. In their first interview since the wedding, the couple opens up about their special day.
“Our wedding was exactly as we had dreamt — intimate, special and filled with the people we love the most. What made it even more meaningful was getting married at Rock Cliff, Prateik’s mother’s house. She (late actor Smita Patil) had bought it for him with the hope of raising him there, but unfortunately, she couldn’t. We believe it was her gift to us, her way of ensuring we got married in that home, and so we did,” says Priya.
While the couple has always been open about their relationship, their sudden wedding took fans by surprise. Prateik, taking a philosophical turn, says, “It feels like I’ve done this a thousand times before. It’s like another lifetime, another universe. I feel like I marry her in every lifetime, and this is just one of many more to come.”
The decision to marry on February 14 wasn’t just about Valentine’s Day. Priya explains, “What better day to celebrate love? But more importantly, my parents were visiting, and Prateik wanted to make it official. So, we gathered our closest family, kept it intimate and did the pheras. It felt perfect.”
For Priya, the most special part of the wedding was the presence of their closest family. “His two aunts and my parents were there to celebrate with us. These are the people we love the most, and getting married in his mum’s house made us feel her presence. We didn’t want a lavish event with hundreds of guests or a spectacle for the world. It was about us and the people who love us.”
ON THE BABBAR FAMILY’S ABSENCE
Addressing the speculation about Prateik’s father, actor-politician Raj Babbar, and other family members being absent, Priya clarifies, “No one was missing from our wedding or celebrations. I don’t know why there are rumours suggesting otherwise. Our families were there — my parents, his aunts who raised him, and everyone who truly matters. We were surrounded by love, and that’s all that counts.”
Prateik Babbar, Priya Banerjee married; brother Aarya Babbar reacts to being left out
9:23 AM
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 16, 2025)
February 14, a day celebrated by couples worldwide, became even more special for actor Prateik Patil Babbar and Priya Banerjee as they tied the knot in an intimate ceremony held at Prateik’s late mother, actor Smita Patil’s home.
“We wanted a ghar ki shaadi, and getting married to the love of my life here — the first house my mum bought and my home — was the best way to honour her in spirit,” Prateik told Vogue.
But his stepbrother, Aarya Babbar, son of actor-politician Raj Babbar and theatre personality Nadira Babbar, shared that the exclusion of family from the wedding left him heartbroken. “For the past few months, Prateik has decided to not answer anyone’s calls. It is hurtful,” he tells us, adding, “Hamari maa Nadira ne poori zindagi parivaar ko jodke rakha, unko nahi bulaya for whatever reason... but uss insaan ko toh bulana chahiye jisko Smita maa ne itna pyaar kiya — his dad.”
We don’t want to put Prateik Babbar under any pressure-Juuhi Babbar Soni
10:17 AM
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; February 15, 2025)
Prateik Patil Babbar and Priya Banerjee tied the knot yesterday, but the absence of the Babbar family raised eyebrows. His half-brother, Aarya Babbar, made a surprising statement, revealing that none of them were invited to the wedding.
When we reached out to their sister, Juuhi Babbar Sonii, she said, “I’m not defending Aarya, but he is obviously hurt, just like everyone else. When someone is hurt, they have the right to express themselves. This is a sensitive topic, and it has been one even before Prateik was born. But no matter what, Prateik is my brother and nothing in the world can change that, nor the fact that hum ek hi baap (Raj Babbar) ki aulaad hain.”
Prateik is surrounded by a few people who have influenced him, says Juuhi Babbar Sonii
‘PRIYA IS A WONDERFUL GIRL, AND HE IS FORTUNATE TO HAVE FOUND A PARTNER WHO TRULY LOVES HIM’
Juuhi also suggested that certain people around Prateik might have played a role in his distancing from the family. She said, “Right now, he is surrounded by a few people — whom we don’t wish to name — who have influenced him. But we don’t want to sandwich him in the middle because that won’t help anyone. When I say sandwich, it doesn’t mean Prateik is caught between Priya and us — absolutely not. Priya is a wonderful girl, and he is extremely fortunate to have found a partner who truly loves and understands him. The real sandwiching is happening because of someone else — someone desperate for publicity and importance. Everyone knows that my mother (Nadira Babbar) has always been with Prateik. It’s such a strong and dominating presence that people get intimidated, thinking we will take the attention away on his special day. Bhai, behen ya baap koi importance lenge? Hum bas yeh chahte hain ki hamara bhai shaant rahe, khush rahe — that’s all that matters to us.”
‘There is no issue from our side’
Despite not being part of the celebration, Juuhi emphasized that there is no animosity. “He has had an unhappy experience in his first marriage, and now he has taken a big step by choosing to remarry. We don’t want to put him under any pressure. Shaadi-byah mein har parivaar mein baatein hoti hain. His first wedding was a grand affair for us, hum khoob naache thay, and when his marriage ended, hamaare papa uske saath khade thay and helped him through it. There is no issue from our side,” she said.
She added, “Right now, maybe he is processing things in his own way, woh khud ko khoj raha hai zara sa. Papa, mummy aur hum sab samajhte hain uski situation ko. Family ka sabse bada kaam hai bachhe ko samajhna. We may not have shared sweets this time, but there will be more occasions to celebrate together. Bahut mauke aayenge, tab hum mithai bhi khaayenge, naachenge bhi, aur phir pictures bhi post karenge. For now, we are letting it pass.”
Prateik Babbar and I are both impulsive, we could get married tomorrow-Priya Banerjee
10:04 AM
Vinay MR Mishra (BOMBAY TIMES; February 13, 2024)
"It is celebration of love,” says Prateik Patil Babbar, when asked what Valentine’s Day means to him and now his fiancée-actress Priya Banerjee. For their first interview together, since their engagement in November last year, the couple, shot on the streets of Mumbai, as this is the city where they fell in love. They spoke to us about their love story and their idea of romance.
It's your first Valentine’s Day as an engaged couple, how does it feel?
Prateik: We have butterflies in our stomachs, it’s all exciting. It is going to feel like a mature Valentine’s Day. We are engaged now, so it is exciting.
Priya: We are engaged and now our families are involved. So, it is very special. I always thought that dating, engagement or wedding wouldn’t change much, but that’s a lie. Trust me, when there is a ring on your finger, things change.
Tell me about the proposal, how did that unfold?
Priya: Last year, on November 26, he proposed to me. I wasn’t expecting it. It was about 8 am, I was still in bed and just about waking up. He went down on one knee at the side of the bed and started staring at me, and I was like, ‘What are you doing?’ I could see that he had tears in his eyes. Then he said a lot of things, which honestly in that moment, I couldn't process. But the only thing I remember is him asking me, ‘Will you, Priya Banerjee, marry me? And since I didn’t know how to react, I was like, ‘Hain?’ (laughs).
Prateik: She said yes, and then I put a ring on her finger. Also, I did it the proper way. I asked her parents for permission. I called them a day earlier and asked for their daughter’s hand in marriage. They were thrilled about it.
So, now when will the wedding bells ring?
Priya: The kind of people we are, it could happen tomorrow, or it could happen in five years. We are both very impulsive. We have spoken about it, and we are ready for it. So, hereon, it could be any minute.
Prateik: Having said that, we do want to focus on work.
Priya: We do want to feel like we've done substantial amount of credible work to go with that feeling of togetherness. Our work is always going to be a priority. We're both extremely ambitious people. Everything else just falls in place for us like we know that nothing else.
Prateik: Not that we haven't already, but it just, it feels like we need to achieve a little bit more to take that step.
What made you feel that he/she is the one?
Prateik: We fit like hand in glove. We have so many things in common. We love the same kind of films, shows and food.
Priya: We're both extremely similar and different people. We know when to apologize and when to end an argument, which I think in today's generation, a lot of couples have a problem with. They let the ego come in. I'm not saying we are a perfect couple. We have our differences, but at the same time there is compatibility and a lot of mutual respect. People think that when you get in a relationship it's all going to be nice, with flowers and candies. No, you're going to have to put in hard work. You need to understand each other at your lowest. You have to be each other's strength and you have to push each other, especially in the industry that we're in, because our work can pull us down. So, Prateik is my rock. He has supported me even more than my family.
Prateik: You have to stick through. Relationships are work. She is extremely loving and caring and she knows how to keep her home happy. That's what every man looks for.
Did you think you will fall in love with each other?
Priya: He is my first love. I've never fallen in love before. He is actually the first love of my life. I used to be very frivolous growing up. I never had a very positive outlook towards relationships. But then I met him, and he changed that about me. I was very scared of marriage commitment. But now I want to be married to him and I never felt that ever before.
Prateik: When we first kissed, I knew it. It was game over after that. We both knew in that moment. We took a breath and we looked at each other in that moment and we knew this is a problem.
Prateik Babbar opens up on losing Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, his marriage ending and finding love in Priya Banerjee
3:54 PM
Vinay MR Mishra (BOMBAY TIMES; December 14, 2023)
Nestled in the bustling Carter Road of Bandra, Mumbai, actor Prateik Babbar’s sea-facing abode is a gift to him by his mother, actress Smita Patil. Prateik grew in the very house with his maternal grandparents. “It was very different then,” the actor states, revealing that he redesigned the place all by himself. “Not many know but I like to design interiors. I love visual aesthetics,” he mentions.
As Prateik sits down, basking in the gentle lull of the Arabian sea’s whispers, he peels back the layers of his life. He ventures into his formative years, tainted by the shadows of addiction, to his tumultuous journey through matrimony and the newfound love. Excerpts of the interview as followed:
'It was hard growing up'
“I was a very happy kid but a big brat. I could never see a straight face in a picture. My nani would always say, ‘Vakda tond nako karu’. But it was also hard growing up, trying to understand where my parents are? But I had a lot of fun with my grandmother. She spoiled me. I remember she would wake up every morning by calling me Chew – it means sparrow. I was her sparrow,”
Prateik reminisces. The actor was quite close to his grandmother. Her demise was the “most difficult time” in his life. “I knew everything will change once she was done. And it did for the better. It was an overnight decision for me to not be slave to drugs and alcohol,” he states.
'I do think that life has been extremely unfair to me'
Prateik has been vocal about his tryst with substance abuse. “Addiction is a disease. I almost lost myself,” he says. At the age of 18, Prateik was "tricked" by his family to a rehabilitation center. "I was obnoxious, nobody could talk to me. I was always intoxicated. So, they had to trick me to get into rehab. And rehab was difficult. I remember waking up in a rehab in a bed, in a straitjacket. I was just screaming, crying. I was 18 and it scared me. It was dark, I was suicidal. I wanted to be with my grandmother. ‘I just want to be with you maa,’ is all I would cry. It was painful,” Prateik shares.
The second time drugs re-entered Prateik’s life was when he was 25, fresh off the debacle of his film
Ekk Deewana Tha and nursing a heartbreak with actress Amy Jackson. “Back then I was straight out of a heartbreak. That was a widely reported relationship so it was terrible. There was an avalanche of emotions. I was feeling life was unfair to me. Even today, I do think that life has been extremely unfair to me. It took away the most precious emotion a child can have,” he recalls.
'Still disappointed that I lost Bhaag Milkha Bhaag'
During his second row with alcohol and drugs Prateik recalls on losing out on several projects: “I felt like the industry was being unfair to me. When I slipped back to self-destruction the films were getting shelved as I was too drugged up to say my dialogues or show up on set. Then I had a slump in my career. Everything was just so fast, I didn’t understand. It was overwhelming for me. Everything, the politics, the vices, and then I crashed, everything came crumbling down.”
However, for Prateik the most disappointing loss was two years before him slipping into drugs. “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag,” he names, adding, “I was locked to play the role of Milkha. I remember Ranveer Singh walked out of the audition room, and I walked in. They just stopped the audition as they found what they were looking for. I started readings with Prasoon Joshi. I was shooting in Udaipur for Aarakshan
and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, came to see me. When it came to locking the commercials, my then manager told me they would handle it. I was 23-year-old, I didn’t know what to talk about money. But my agency ghosted them. Three weeks later I found out Farhan Akhtar was doing it. I am still disappointed."
‘I was an absolute mess for a long time after my marriage ended’
Prateik married Sanya Sagar in 2019, however, soon the two decided to split. Prateik has never opened up about what went wrong in that marriage. He, however, shares, “We were in love. That’s why we married. I want to give that relationship all the respect that it deserved. We were two different people. We didn’t have time to figure each other out. And I think it is extremely important to figure each other out before you jump into a marriage or something concrete. It (The marriage) was rushed. There was some family pressure. I was 32, and I wanted to have kids by 35.” Prateik and Sanya’s divorce came through on January 31 earlier this year.
Calling the divorce “complicated”, Prateik adds, “It was heartbreaking. I was an absolute mess for a really long time. I got married for all the wrong reasons. We thought we would figure out love and compatibility on our way. (But) It doesn’t work like that. You need to figure out everything before. Emotional frustrations led to bad choices and decisions. I felt betrayed in my marriage. But (in retrospect) if that marriage had not failed, I wouldn’t have met the woman in my life today.”
'I am so blessed to have Priya'
The woman in Prateik’s life is actress Priya Banerjee. The two have been seeing each other since 2020, however, they only made the relationship official earlier this year on Valentine’s Day. “I am so blessed and fortunate to have Priya. I have made so many mistakes, but I must have done something right for such a wonderful woman to come in my life. I was separated, going through divorce and Priya had broken off her engagement. It was then, when I slipped into her DMs in 2020. When we kissed first, it was game over. I knew it (she is the one). I was hesitant initially due to my divorce and how complicated it was. But she is my home. I am more obsessed with her,” he signs off.
I am nobody to sit here and judge Prateik Babbar for his past-Priya Banerjee
8:21 AM
Actress Priya Banerjee talks about being in a relationship with Prateik Babbar for three years and how they encourage each other professionally
Neha Maheashwri (BOMBAY TIMES; August 2, 2023)
Priya Banerjeeis in a happy space, both personally and professionally. The actress, who was last seen in the web series Rana Naidu, looks forward to an eventful year with two projects ready for release and two in the pipeline. Talking about enjoying the web domain, she says, “OTT has opened the floodgates of opportunities for everyone. Also, since the shelf life of shows is much longer on OTT, it gives old shows a chance to be revived.
Films are more about Friday verdicts, which nobody wants to risk. However, theatres will always retain their larger-than-life charm. There is something about the way you are projected on the big screen that is truly magical.”
‘We have been in a relationship for about three years now’
On the personal front, the actress made her relationship with Prateik Babbar Insta official this Valentine’s Day. On being quizzed about it, she reveals that the two have been together for quite some time now. She says, “People assume we have been together only for a year because we announced it on social media on Valentine’s Day. However, it’s been about three years now. We kept it low-key, as we didn’t want the extra attention on our relationship.”
‘Prateik is passionate about his work, but he is still to get his due’
We ask her if a wedding is on the cards, and she says, “Prateik has just made a comeback, and he is very serious about his work right now. He is immensely passionate about his work, but I think he is still to get his due. But with the kind of work he has been doing lately, hopefully, it will be soon. We encourage and push each other to do better, and that’s what matters right now. The wedding will happen, and when it does, there will be a grand announcement. We are serious about our relationship. However, it’s not happening this year,” she signs off.
‘Our relationship isn’t a clichéd one’
Prateik previously dated actor Amy Jackson and later got married to producer Sanya Sagar in 2019. However, the couple separated a year later. Has his past ever been a cause for concern? “His past does not matter,” Priya replies, adding, “Everyone has a past. Some people hide it, and some don’t, and the fact that he has never hidden it, that’s respectful. I, too, have a past. I was a different person than I am now. So, I am nobody to sit here and judge him for his past. Also, our relationship isn’t a clichéd one. We are great buddies, and we talk about anything and everything with each other. It also helps that he has such a lovely big family because I am all about family, food, and celebrations!”
On getting similar tattoos:
We got the tattoo (of each other’s initials) a year and a half after we started dating. I knew he was the one. Prateik is a genuinely great human being. I was cynical about relationships and had my guard on, especially because in this industry our work is so hectic, and we have to travel a lot. That’s where Prateik came in, he was just all heart.”
Prateik Babbar and I thought it was time, says Priya Banerjee on going Insta official
8:47 AM
Vinay MR Mishra (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 27, 2023)
On Valentine’s Day this year, actors Priya Banerjee and Prateik Babbar went Instagram-official as a couple. The two have been rumoured to be seeing each for around a year now, but have never openly spoken about their relationship.
“It is always nice to fall in love,” admits Banerjee, 32, as she opens up about her bond with Babbar, 36, for the first time. Ask what made them go Insta official on February 14, and she says, “We (Prateik and her) thought it was time... We have been together since last year. And, it was Valentine’s Day, so [we thought], why not!”
At present, the two are in a “happy phase”. “We met through friends and just clicked. We are very similar people... we are fun, lazy people! We just want to work and be at home,” shares Banerjee.
Rumours of their relationship surfaced every now and then, but the couple chose to keep mum. “We are a little private when it comes to things like this. You want to be spoken about [for] your work, not your relationship. The moment you talk about relationships, the whole focus shifts there. We work so hard for people to talk about our work, and then suddenly, they don’t want to know about that — they [just] want to know who you’re dating. So, we wanted to keep it under wraps. Even now, we want to make sure it’s not the highlight of our lives. Work should always be the highlight,” she asserts.
That being said, Banerjee is elated at the response she got on the post. “We didn’t expect it to go viral! Everybody was happy for us, our friends and families. That is what matters [to us],” says the Bekaaboo actor.
It is going to be a challenge to censor so much content that we have on different OTT platforms-Priya Banerjee
8:01 AM
Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 13, 2021)
The decision to bring OTT platforms under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has sparked censorship concerns in the industry. Actor Priya Banerjee, who has done a number of web projects, feels that it is a complicated process to get all OTT platforms under the purview of the I&B Ministry.
“It is going to be a challenge to censor so much content that we have on different OTT platforms. I don’t know how they are going to censor it. It is going to be difficult,” shares Banerjee.
Last seen in the web series Twisted 3, the 30-year-old says that she understands the concerns that many have about some OTT shows going overboard. “I am not completely against censorship or for it, but yes, there are things that can be eliminated from a lot of shows. A lot of it is unnecessary and only for titillation. But still, full censorship is not going to be possible at the end of the day. Let’s see... as an actor, I can just sit and watch and follow the protocols,” she adds.
The actor, who has been a part of erotic thriller series Bekaboo and will be soon seen in its second season, says she makes sure that the intimate scenes she does are relevant to the story.
“As an actor, Bekaboo is my biggest success because of the story. I don’t think it worked because of the erotic bit,” shares Banerjee, adding, “It is a feminism-based show and that was what sold me when I read the script. I didn’t even read the intimate bits. They are okay but that should not be the only thing selling the show.”
Lights, camera but no action! Social distancing is killing the sex scene
8:34 AM
Once upon a time Bollywood relied on the bushes and the bees to show desire. With the pandemic putting an end to kissing-vissing, will films and TV shows have to press rewind on bold content?
Mohua Das (BOMBAY TIMES; June 7, 2020)
Fear of a different sort of Coronavirus casualty is looming large over film and TV folks — the death of the steamy sex scene in the wake of a pandemic and strict social distancing protocol imposed by an official directive from the cultural affairs ministry that allows shooting to resume within the two weeks but with a compulsory two-metre distance between members of the cast and crew.At a time when erotic content was sweeping through the Indian entertainment space, boldly aided by streaming platforms, the future of screen intimacy suddenly seems precarious. In April, filmmaker Shoojit Sircar had pondered the same questions in an Instagram post, where he wrote: “How the cinema world conducts shooting intimate scenarios (has) to be seen and planned, after all this is over. Especially the intimate kissing/hugging scenes.”
There is always editing and imagination to rely on, says Prabhleen Kaur Sandhu, producer of Mastram, based on the life of an erotica writer. “Two actors on screen can be made to look closer than they actually are. The build-up of the foreplay is more sensuous than the act itself and, therefore, camera angles and clever edits will become all the more important,” explains Sandhu, pointing at the industry’s need for “intimacy directors or coordinators” — a fast growing tribe in Hollywood fuelled by the MeToo movement — who help artistes and productions navigate everything from hugs and kisses to nudity and faux sex.
Before the pandemic hit, the makers of Mastram — a show on MX Player (disclosure: it is a Times Group company) — had flown in Amanda Cutting who had worked as an intimacy coordinator on a prequel of ‘Game of Thrones’. Cutting told TOI, “Some of the best intimacy is seeing the desire in a person’s eyes, the quiver of a lip, a hand that moves subtly. Intimacy isn’t really about the simulated sex. It is about the story, relationship and moments that cause it to build. As an intimacy coordinator, I have tools to trick an eye to think something is happening when in fact it isn’t.”
Sandhu says Cutting’s team came with intimacy kits that provide thick covers that help choreograph scenes in a way that looks real while protecting actors from unwanted touch. “Something like that can be useful at this time. If makers of erotic shows bring in intimacy experts for future shoots, I don’t see a reason for compromising on scenes that might take away from the essence of a show. Kissing might still be problematic, she admits, “because it’s direct contact and can still transmit the virus.”
Amid several shoulds and shouldn’ts, one thing that is hanging like a double-edged sword on actors and directors alike is whether time-honoured metaphors — two flowers brushing against each other, actors disappearing behind a giant tree to depict a liplock or a trembling bed and gyrating car to simulate sex — might make a comeback.
Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, known to settle for an ‘A’ certificate rather than butcher subjects and scenes dealing with lovemaking, pornography and infidelity, is predictably concerned. “There had been a paradigm shift in content for films and web series in recent years. They pushed boundaries and several taboos were lifted. Now with the Covid crisis and no cure in sight, I’ve been discussing with fellow filmmakers about how we can shoot romantic moments — be it on a bed or at a party. Technology can help create a crowd but what about two characters hugging? Can we go back to the primitive days in which flowers and birds symbolised intimacy?” he frets.
Vikram Bhatt, who has been churning out erotic thrillers since the ‘90s and continues to break conventions, feels a return to the chastity of “two doe-eyed lovers” is an “absurd proposition”. “It’ll be bizarre and comical if that happened! I don’t think the current generation of viewers would even understand it,” argues Bhatt, given that romances no longer end with the heroine falling into the arms of her hero but big dollops of straightforward sex.
“At the same time, intimacy applies not only to kissing or sex scenes, but also to a range of human emotions portrayed through physical touch. If one thing is allowed, the others will have to be too,” reasoned Bhatt. Emphasising on rapid testing kits to keep cameras rolling, he dwelled on single location shoots to keep a film or TV show contained in scale without necessarily constricting the story.
“Today you can’t cheat audiences with obliqueness,” agrees Vishnu Mohta, co-founder of the Bengali video streaming platform Hoichoi that has about eight shows with bold erotic content that have been given a raincheck until December when the hope is that things will begin to normalise. “Shows today are built around reality, therefore body language matters. The larger challenge is proximity and how much can you rely on cheat shots and CG?”
Mekala Krishnaswamy, who finished shooting a social drama that involved intimate moments before lockdown happened, highlights why sexual intimacy is increasingly a part of the vernacular. “Our show is about a guy who is down in the dumps when his life turns around. It’s not an erotica but does have intimate scenes because they’re part of communicating a character’s headspace and emotion, not for titillation,” she explains, while speculating on ways in which an intimate sequence could still be shot “after isolating the characters for 10 days, getting them tested, having bathing arrangements on set and a minimal crew.”
But even as lockdown lifts, sanitation is ramped up and directors get creative with how they show intimacy, actors remain perturbed. “No matter how many tests and temperature checks happen, you don’t know where your co-actors have been or who they’ve met. I do eroticas and most of my shows involve kissing. I’m scared and worried,” admits Priya Banerjee, known for turning up the heat with her steamy act in shows like Twisted, Hello Mini, Bekaboo and Baarish across OTT platforms. “While I hope there’ll be honesty between actors involved in intimate scenes, I have already spoken to my manager and producers about eliminating kissing scenes in future projects. If it isn’t needed, I am going to put my foot down. It’s not just about audiences, it’s about life and survival.”
Not alarmed by the possibility of birds and bees stealing her thunder, Priya beams: “You know, I’ll be the happiest if flowers and bushes return! Intimacy is anyway overwhelming so this would free me of any worry, my parents would be happy and the florists would be back in business!”
Goldie Behl discovers Anuja Joshi for Marry Me, Stranger
8:02 AM
MUMBAI MIRROR (September 10, 2018)
For the screen adaptation of Marry Me, Stranger, the first book in Novoneel Chakraborty’s Stranger trilogy, show runner Goldie Behl has finalised Anuja Joshi to play the protagonist Rivanah. The actress joins Gaurav Chopra, Mrinal Dutt and Priya Banerjee, who portray key characters in the series that captures the journey of the protagonist. The story is aimed at young Indians with Anuja slated to bring freshness to the role. Actor-filmmaker Faruk Kabir, who’s made the short The Awakening and the feature-length Allah Ke Bandey, has directed the series, which is one of the premiere shows of Applause Entertainment, the content studio from the Aditya Birla Group headed by Sameer Nair.
Born and brought up in the US, Anuja has studied acting and direction at New York University, and has professional theatre experience in New York with directors like Julie Taymor and Mira Nair. She will be featuring in the upcoming Hollywood film My Cousin Sister’s Wedding.
Sameer Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment, said, “Marry Me, Stranger belongs to the ‘sexy and scary’ genre and Goldie has brought Novoneel’s disturbing book to life. It is a dark, twisted story in the universe of the young and restless urban India”.
Goldie added, “The Stranger series with its present-day and relatable context is the perfect web series for today’s audiences and I’m happy to be working on it.”
Anuja said, “I am thrilled for the opportunity to portray Rivanah. We have passionately created an edge-of-the-seat adventure. I hope everyone will enjoy the trippy ride that is Marry Me, Stranger.”
Applause Entertainment has been making premium, contemporary digital series. Marry Me, Stranger is currently in the post-production phase and will be ready to stream soon.
L-R: Sameer Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment, Goldie Behl, Novoneel Chakraborty; Anuja Joshi (left)
Rana Daggubati, Priya Banerjee bag bi-lingual TV show Social, on cyber crime
7:26 AM
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 23, 2017)
After SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali 2, Rana Daggubati has been filming two
Telugu films, and is now working on a Telugu-Hindi bi-lingual show,
Social, in Hyderabad. It also features Jazbaa actress Priya Banerjee and
Naveen Kasturia, who became a household name with the online series
Pitchers. The sibling-drama revolves around a kidnapping and the ensuing
cat-and-mouse chase that brings into focus the menace of cyber-crime and
how social media can put a life to risk.Shashi Sudigala, who is wielding the microphone for the thriller series, kicked off shooting last week. The first season is expected to feature 11-12 episodes and will be filmed entirely in Hyderabad with wrapup scheduled for September-end.
“The show will be aired across South and North India simultaneously so the makers were keen to cast faces from both industries. Rana earned nationwide fame with Baahubali and Priya has appeared in multiple South films, including three Telugu projects — Kiss, Joru and Asura, so Shashi was keen to cast them,” reveals a source.
Priya Banerjee on a roll; steps into Juhi Chawla's shoes in Darr remake
8:01 AM
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 7, 2015)
Priya Banerjee, who was last seen as Shabana Azmi's teenage daughter in Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's comeback Bachchan's comeback vehicle Jazbaa, steps into Juhi Chawla's shoes.
“The 30-day schedule in Manali will be followed by an extensive schedule in Mumbai. We are currently in the process of casting the other characters,“ a source close to the development revealed, adding that the film's premise remains the same. The makers had reportedly wanted to buy the title 'Janam' from Mahesh Bhatt, who wrote and directed the movie in 1985, starring Kumar Gaurav. However, unsure of the kind of film the Darr remake would turn out to be, Bhatt refused to oblige.
Meanwhile, newbie Priya Banerjee has her hands full she will be seen in Ankoosh Bhatt's 3 Dev, a modern take on Rajiv Rai's 1989 action thriller Tridev, has replaced Akshara Haasan in Jaideep Chopra's upcoming sci-fi drama, The End, and has also signed a film with T-Series.
Two heroines in Karanvir Bohra’s Darr remake
7:41 AM
Had finalised Pakistani actresses, but faced visa issues. Now, Priya Banerjee has been signed on for Juhi Chawla’s role, and the hunt for the other girl is on
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; November 28, 2015)
While Shah Rukh Khan was obssessed with one girl Kiran (Juhi Chawla) in Darr, Karanvir Bohra’s remake will have two girls! Does that mean he will be obssessed with both the girls? Karanvir, who plays SRK’s role in the film, refuses to give details. He, however, admits that there are changes in the story. While Priya Banerjee, who made her debut with Jazbaa, has been signed on for the role that Juhi played in the original, the hunt for the other girl is on.
Interestingly, before Priya was chosen, Karanvir had finalised two Pakistani TV actresses, Ainy Jaffri and Mawra Hocane. However, visa problems at the last minute led to their cancellation. “There were a couple of reasons why I wanted to cast Pakistani actresses. One is, the story is based in Manali, so I needed girls with the pahadi look. Pakistani girls come close to it as they have sharper features. Secondly, the girl in the film is a poet and I needed that leheza and language. However, close to the time of shooting, the officials started asking for the specific city and location of the shoot. Also, here there were issues raised over Pakistani artistes shooting in India. So, I had to drop the idea.” He is however, happy that he got Priya on board as she fits the bill. “Priya is pretty, petite and has a vulnerability just like Juhi. I am more than happy at the way things have turned out,” smiles Karanvir.
Ask him who is he considering for the other role and he says it will definitely be a TV actress as he has a connect.
The actor who was last seen in Qubool Hai is also still trying to get the title Jaanam which is registered with Mahesh Bhatt. “The title is apt for my film and I am in talks with Bhattsahab to acquire it,” he says.
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