Rachit Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; April 15, 2018)

Sudhir Mishra and Rahul Bhat are perfect examples of a filmmaker and an actor being distinctly different, yet seamlessly compatible. While Mishra made his foray into filmmaking during the onset of parallel movies in the ’80s, Rahul burst onto the scene in the new millennium. Yet, the two share a unique rapport. Both love politics and view cinema as a medium of art and not just mart. No surprises then, that they have joined hands to make DaasDev. The film, they say, is a “reverse engineered version” of Devdas. In an exclusive chat with BT, the two mercurial artistes trash out their ideals of cinema. Excerpts…

Sudhir Mishra calls you a chameleon. How do you react to that, Rahul?
Sudhir Mishra: Once you get to know him, you’ll find it hard to believe that he played a loser in Ugly, because he is very different in real life. I think his character in DaasDev is closer to his real self — a slightly arrogant person with a devil-may-care attitude.
Rahul Bhat: Achcha, chameleon ke saath saath, arrogant bhi bol diya (laughs!).
SM: Isse toh aata hi nahi sahi baat bolna. Ye kucch bhi, kahin bhi bol deta hai. We’ll be at a party together, aur yeh kisi bhi bade aadmi ko kuchh bhi bol dega. He can only interact with people like us, people who don’t strut around thinking they are Gods. Unfortunately, chaar filmein chal jaati hai toh, most people in the industry think that they are Gods.
RB: I’ve been like this since childhood. I can’t change myself in real life, but I am more than willing to do so for a film. That’s my job as an actor. My eccentricities as a person may result in me losing out on work, but then, I get to work with acclaimed filmmakers like Sudhir sir, Anurag Kashyap and Prakash Jha sir. They don’t give two hoots about my behaviour, and appreciate me as an actor. What more can I ask for?

Which quality of Rahul as an actor has impressed you the most?
SM: He just gives himself to the part. The best actors are the most transparent ones, they don’t obstruct the storytelling process. In our industry, we like people who do drama. So, the film takes a pause and you admire the actor’s histrionics on the screen. The hallmark of good actors is that you realise that they did a fabulous job only after the film is over. Rahul has that ability, he’s an actor who can work selflessly for the film. Another common scenario in our films is the hero saying, ‘Maine heroine ko bachaya, maine gaadi chalayi, main pahad pe chadha, main bura aadmi nahin ban sakta’... The moment an actor says these things, he ceases to be an actor.

Rahul, you’ve already worked with acclaimed filmmakers like Anurag Kashyap, Prakash Jha and Abhishek Kapoor. How different was Sudhir’s approach towards filmmaking?
RB: Just before Ugly went on floors, I was talking to Anurag and praising him to the skies. He then told me, ‘I would like to see you work with Sudhir Mishra’. He then added that there are directors who help liberate actors. ‘Har actor ka ek dhakkan hota hai. And some filmmakers have the knack of uncorking and setting him free,’ he said. At that point, I couldn’t grasp what he said. But after working with Sudhir sir for about 10 days, Anurag’s words started making sense to me. Now, I’ve learnt to use my craft to its full potential.

Were the two of you apprehensive about comparisons with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas and Bimal Roy’s 1955 classic with Dilip Kumar playing the title role? Even Anurag Kashyap did a spin on Devdas with Dev.D...
SM: I have taken the essence of the original novel, i.e. the relationship between Dev and Paro as well as the one between him and Chandramukhi, to a certain extent. However, I have placed them in a totally different context. My film should not be seen as another version of Devdas, it should be treated like a film loosely inspired by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s novel. I loved Anurag’s version, too. For me, this story is about addiction to power. How Dev becomes obsessed with power and then he liberates himself, encompassing the journey of daas to dev. Similarly, a modern woman like Paro fights injustice, but she too gets addicted to power. Chandni (Chandramukhi) is manipulative and wants to extract something for herself. It’s essentially a story of our times. It’s an observation of the lust for power. In that way, it’s also slightly Shakespearean.

Your films always have a strong undertone of politics and reality. Are they your perennial inspirations?
SM: I’d like to think that all my films talk about something new. I feel Chameli is different from Yeh Saali Zindagi, which is different from Inkaar. I try and put myself in a new situation every time, and make every film like it’s my debut. My attempt is to evoke new reactions and emotions, and in the process, perhaps discover something new about myself. Even I don’t know the kind of film I’ll end up with when I start making it. There’s a reason why I’m not making Hazaron Khwaishein 2 or 3. That’s what most modern filmmakers do — they make the same film over and over again, and just keep camouflaging it.

What were the conversations on the sets of DaasDev about? Love or politics?
SM: Love has a lot to do with politics.
RB: Yeah, love is political.
SM: A lot of things were said, a lot of things that we can’t reveal (laughs!).
RB: A lot of things we shouldn’t reveal (laughs!).
SM: Rahul has suffered politically, as he comes from Kashmir. Given the circumstances they come from, most Kashmiri have strong political views.
RB: Yeah, Kashmiri pandits are sometimes more political than they should be. (laughs!) But I have never wanted to play the card that I am a Kashmiri pandit and that I am a victim of a situation. I am an actor and I belong to Mumbai. I’m more of a Mumbaikar than a Kashmiri pandit.

DaasDev has an ensemble cast of acclaimed actors. Rahul, as an actor, do you view it as a situation of fierce competition? Also, how does a filmmaker control so many actors?
RB: With established and talented actors is always a challenge. You’ve to be on your toes and that’s quite an interesting experience. Ensemble cast ke saath kaam karne mein maza toh bahut aata hai.
SM: Acting is not a wrestling match, all actors share the dais in a film. A good actor will always raise the bar for others and make his co-stars perform better. I believe that it’s a fantastic environment to work in. It can be an enriching experience.
RB: No actor is perfect, be it Naseeruddin Shah, who is my favourite actor, or even Robert De Niro. There’s no actor who was perfect in all the films he did. They are great in some movies and not so good in others. That’s how an actor’s career pans out. Which is why, when people ask me what I look for in a film before signing it, I don’t talk about my co-stars or the script. All I say is that the director should be good. If the director is good, the story will be good, the choice of actors will be good and eventually, the film will also be good.

Who makes or breaks a film? The actors or the director?
RB: Cinema is a director’s medium. No actor can make or break a film. Yes if you’re a star, you have a stronger influence, but that’s because you keep making the same kind of films over and over again.
SM: From the director’s perspective, an actor is very important. Even the smallest actor contributes to a film immensely. In DaasDev, the characters of journalists are played by real journalists, because that’s the only way to ensure authenticity. No actor will be able to fill that space. So, I always keep a mix of actors and non-actors in my films.
RB: There’s a journalist in DaasDev who says, ‘Aisi kaun si davai khayi thi bees saal pehle, jo aapko bees saal purani ghatna yaad aa gayi’. No actor on this planet could say that line the way that guy has said it in the film. He says the line with such nonchalance that only a real journalist can pull it off. Anybody else will just make a fool of themselves.

Do actors and directors share a love-hate relationship?
SM: I love working with good actors, because I can trust them blindly. That’s the reason why I cast Saurabh Shukla in all my films. I know that I can just put him in a scene and he’ll handle it well. At times, I would give the other actors the exact lines that they have to speak. But with Saurabh, I just give him the gist of the scene and let him fill in the gaps. Such actors are the biggest asset for any filmmaker.
RB: What better compliment for an actor than to have the filmmaker say that he can be trusted blindly. But having said that, it’s not easy to work with filmmakers like Anurag and Sudhir sir, because you have no idea what could happen on the set. One day, they’ll just show up with random ideas plucked out of thin air. You’ll have no inkling as to how to react to their demands.
SM: Sometimes, we’re not the nicest people on the set (laughs). Filmmakers are like Jekyll and Hyde. We can suddenly turn into monsters on the sets.
RB: The good thing about working with mercurial filmmakers is that they’re always on the lookout for something new. Filmmakers like Sudhir sir and Anurag are always looking to create magic. They are not the kind of people who will simply shoot a scene, they will keep pushing the envelope till they create something wonderful and magical.

DNA (February 2, 2018)

Sudhir Mishra’s DaasDev, which was supposed to open in cinemas on February 16, will now finally release on March 9. With Padmaavat hitting the marquee on January 25, the makers had to postpone the unconventional love story which features Rahul Bhatt, Richa Chadha, and Aditi Rao Hydari. The film, which reprises the fascinating story of Devdas (one of author Sarat Chandra Chatterjee’s most famous works), has a unique contemporary twist to it. Mishra gives us an insight into the movie, which is set against a political backdrop.

Since Padmaavat opened in cinemas on January 25, you moved the release date of DaasDev...
Everybody had to shift their films because suddenly Padmaavat announced their date. We will now hit the marquee on March 9, which is a good date. Hate Story 4 is coming on the same day but there is always place for two movies. We are very excited as we have a good film on our hands.

Tell us a bit about it…
It all started when one of my friends suggested, ‘Why don’t you make Devdas?’ I started working on it with a fellow writer and suddenly things started changing. I began to feel that Hamlet and Devdas were similar stories. Then, the Indian political scenario came in. So, if the original was the story of a man from a noble family who becomes a slave (a Daas) to his addiction, this is like a reverse journey. My film’s hero has the same lineage as Sarat Chandra Chatterjee’s Devdas, but the movie is about how he breaks free at the end. Our view point also includes Paro, who had to stay behind closed doors in the original. In my movie’s second half, she confronts Dev. So, DaasDev explores if love is possible in today’s corrupt times.

It features Rahul Bhatt, Richa Chadha and Aditi Rao Hydari as the lead cast...
I loved Richa’s performances in Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (where she had a small part), Gangs of Wasseypur, Fukrey, and Masaan. I always wanted to see her playing a spunky, modern and rooted character. Paro is exactly like that. So, she came to my mind when I was casting for this role. Luckily, she agreed to do the film. Chandramukhi is an independent-minded woman who delivers a fatal blow to Dev. DaasDev, which is about Dev and Paro, is told through Chandramukhi’s point of view. I immediately thought of Aditi, whose first major part was in Yeh Saali Zindagi. I had seen Ugly and really liked Rahul’s (Bhat) acting in it. He has that air of a khandaani man, who is vulnerable but has a natural arrogance.

The ensemble cast is an interesting mix too...
Saurabh (Shukla) is a must in all my films. He plays the antagonist here. Then, there are actors like Vipin Sharma, Vinit Singh, Sohela Kapoor, Deepak Rana and Anil George who had a pivotal role in Ashim Ahluwalia’s Miss Lovely. Anurag Kashyap will also be seen in a special appearance. So, the cast is outstanding.

How is the story relevant in today’s times?
It is set in the present scenario. The characters are modern and the women are independent. They can betray you just as you can betray them, they don’t ask for mercy. Dev is a modern man trying to find his way in this mess as he is the heir to a political legacy. I think it’s very rare that a parallel can be drawn with contemporary politics. The movie is about addiction — power being the most dangerous one. Dev Chauhan, the character of my film, moves from alcohol to power and he discovers that power is a far more lethal addiction.

How come your muse, Chitrangda Singh, is not in this film?
Scripts find their actors. Chitrangda was in Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, but she wasn’t there in Khoya Khoya Chand. Why wasn’t this question asked at that time? She may be seen in my another film, if she wants to do it.

Amyra Dastur, Disha Patani and Sonu Sood all share screen time with Jackie Chan in Kung Fu Yoga

Several Indian actors are heading to the East as Chinese films beckon
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; October 23, 2016)

Making it big in Hollywood has always been on the wish list of Indian actors. A number of big-ticket Hollywood projects have roped in desi actors like Irrfan Khan and lately Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone. However, of late, an increasing number of Indian actors are traversing a new path. Instead of going West, they are trying to make a presence in Chinese productions.

Sonu Sood is one of the first actors to have a full-fledged role in a Chinese film. The actor essayed the role of King Harshavardhan in Xuanzang, a film which has been chosen by China as the entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 89th Academy Awards in February.

Sonu says, "Period films have always fascinated me. The regal costumes, the stunts, the detailing, it looks magical on screen. When I was approached for the film, I thought it would challenge me as an actor because Chinese films have always been an alien territory for Indian actors." Sonu will also be sharing screen space with Jackie Chan in the upcoming film, Kung Fu Yoga, which features Bollwood actresses Amyra Dastur and Disha Patani.


Working with Chan
Talking about her experience of working with the Chinese superstar, Disha says, "Jackie is such a humble man. I was completely awestruck when I saw him for the first time. When he came and spoke to me, I thought, "OMG he's real! He knows my name!". He is one of the finest and kindest human beings I have come across."

Amyra, too, was excited about working with Jackie. "It made me want to be part of it." Another actor who is looking to make it big in China is Rahul Bhat (above) who was seen in Bollywood films like Ugly (2013) and Jai Gangaajal this year. Rahul features in True Heroes, an action-comedy. As part of prep for the film, he learnt Mandarin and martial arts. "I am grateful to the producers who saw my film [Ugly] at Cannes and gave me an opportunity."

Gaining popularity
With changing content in the international market, the demand for Indian actors in Chinese films is on a rise. Sonu was surprised that he was already a known face, "I wasn't aware that people recognised me. They would sing songs from Happy New Year (2014) and knew that I had worked with Shah Rukh Khan who is a big star in China."

Apart from acting, Sonu is also keen on collaborating with Chinese production houses to produce films. "I have shot two films, so I am aware how they work. I am already in talks with a few production houses and I have also met a few people from the China Film Group Corporation to discuss work. They too are keen on doing something in India so I hope something will materalise soon," he adds.

Indian actors are often criticised for playing cameos in international films, but Rahul feels the fact that they managed to get an international film is incredible. "A lot of people say, 'Chhota role play kiya hain', but that is how it works. You have to start small to make it big. The fact that someone has actually got a role is enormous in itself." He adds, "The doors are opening, not just for actors, but also for technicians. The collaboration is growing. The Chinese market is keeping an eye on India to get new stories and talent," he says.

Amyra feels that cinema is expanding and world cinema is being appreciated more and more. "Different cultures are coming together to make movies on a grand scale for the global audience rather than their own country. As an actor one cannot ask for more, " she explains.

Global exposure
"Indians have always been fascinated by Chinese films. Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee have always been popular in India. But, now the tables have turned and Indian films are gaining popularity. Also, when a film features popular faces from across the world it tends to become more universal," says Bhatt. Sonu says the trend is catching up because India is increasingly contributing to Chinese films' coffers? "Kung Fu Yoga, a Sino-Indian project, is a part of the three-film agreement signed between the two countries during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to India.

Similary, a lot of co-production of films is planned for the future. Currently, China has a policy where they showcase 40 films from outside the country. Out of that, 36 films are from all over the world, mostly Hollywood, and only four films from India. They have a restrictive policy. But the new agreement will allow more films to release in China."

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 10, 2015)

After being stuck in the pipeline for over two years, Sudhir Mishra's Aur Devdas, repackaged and renamed Dasdev, is nearing completion. Over 90 per cent of the film has been shot in Lucknow and Delhi. At the centre of the story is a modern-day neta from an affluent political family. Smart but selfdestructive, the protagonist is modelled after Congress vice president.

"Yes, Rahul Gandhi has been a reference point for my character. Sudhir kept reminding me to focus on the character's vulnerability without making him come across as an idiot," confirms Rahul Bhatt who plays the titular character in the political drama.

Dasdev also features Richa Chadha as Paro and Aditi Rao Hydari as Chandramukhi. "It's a contemporary take on how the hero reclaims his love. It goes from 'being Das' to 'being Dev' quite literally, with a little bit of Shakespearean tragedy thrown in. This film is going to be my Rangeela," says the actor, who was last seen in Anurag Kashyap's Ugly.

Is the thought of being compared to Dilip Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan and Abhay Deol who have played Devdas before unnerving? "Adaptations of Devdas have always been successful as there is so much scope for experimenting when it comes to the three central characters. Anurag Kashyap's Dev D gave a new spin to the tragic love story. Dasdev will also surprise audiences," he promises.

Gaurav Dubey (MID-DAY; May 14, 2015)

Gossip mills have it that a film is being planned on underworld don Babloo Shrivastava, who is currently serving a life sentence at the Bareilly Central Jail in connection with several criminal cases. And Rahul Bhat, last seen in Anurag Kashyap’s 'Ugly', has apparently been finalised to play the protagonist.

Says a source, “The casting team auditioned a lot of aspirants, but the makers zeroed in on Rahul Bhat to essay the gangster’s role.”

A source close to the actor, however, says: “Rahul is considering the role, but nothing has been finalised as yet. It’s a challenging role and will take a lot of effort on any actor’s part to portray the character.”

The film will follow the gangster’s early life from 1984 to 1995 and how he went from being a law student of Lucknow University to an underworld don, a former associate of Dawood Ibrahim. The film will be shot majorly in Uttar Pradesh as well as in overseas locations.

Rahul was not available to confirm the buzz.

DNA (April 18, 2015)

Prakash Jha has finalised actor Rahul Bhat in a prominent lead role for the sequel of his 2003 film, Gangaajal. His portrayal of a troubled father in Anurag Kashyap’s Ugly won him a couple of roles and now he’ll be seen in Abhishek Kapoor’s Fitoor with Katrina Kaif and in Sudhir Mishra’s Aur Devdas. The sequel will feature a female IPS officer played by Priyanka Chopra. A source informs, “Rahul and Priyanka are pitted opposite each other and there are several confrontation scenes between the two in the movie.” Battle of the sexes up ahead!

Anil Raina (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 31, 2015)

Katrina Kaif who is in Srinagar for four days to shoot Abhishek Kapoor's Fitoor has been provided with three-tier security. When she arrived at Nishat Bagh on Friday to start her first day of filming, the garden was swarming with CRPF personnel and members of J&K police. Regular vehicles were not allowed in but Katrina's car dropped her to the set erected in the lower half of the garden which is closed to tourists and locals. She was accompanied by AK-47 wielding personnel. The scene was Rekha's funeral which explained her all-white apparel.

The silence was broken with sudden shouts of "Fire, fire" around noon which caused panic among the cast and crew. The blaze started in a tent where the unit's production props are stored. With the temperature dipped to 5 degrees, the security guard had lit a small fire to keep himself warm. A spark burst into flames and engulfed the tent. Alerted by the commotion, the crew rushed to the spot. Katrina retreated to a tent which doubled as a vanity van. The fire was quickly doused and shooting resumed after half an hour.

Katrina's co-star, Rahul Bhat, a local boy was extremely concerned for her safety. Even Fitoor's leading man, Aditya Roy Kapur, dropped by to check on her after he heard about the fire though he was not shooting yesterday.

Fitoor is an Indianised adaptation of Charles Dicken's Great Expectations. Rekha and Aditya had shot in the valley in November-December but this is the first time Katrina is visiting Srinagar. She will shoot today and tomorrow, at Nishat Bagh and around the famous Dal Lake.

Mohar Basu (BOMBAY TIMES; January 19, 2015)

MUMBAI MIRROR (December 24, 2014)

Anurag Kashyap has always taken an unconventional and daring path when it comes to his films or their promotions. In what is definitely a first for Indian cinema, the filmmaker is releasing a 5-minute prologue to his keenly anticipated new film Ugly, online today.

The short film Kali-Katha, specially crafted from the deleted scenes of the film is not a mere teaser, but aims to give audiences an emotional backdrop to the story and characters of Ugly, which is about the harrowing search for Kali-a young girl who is kidnapped under mysterious circumstances.

Says Anurag, "It's a very dark prologue to the film that talks about the circumstances around the conception of Kali. It explores the uncomfortable truth below the surface of relationships, which we often ignore and refuse to accept".

The short film shows the past relationship between Kali's parents -- Rahul who is a struggling actor and Shalini who is a housewife, though not by choice, and the disturbing conditions under which she was born.

Rahul Bhat and Tejaswini Kolhapure who play the parents of Kali, were also taken aback a bit when Anurag decided to put the short film out. But Anurag is confident that the short film sets up the viewer in the right way to get a better understanding of the characters before they go and watch Ugly.

Ugly releases across Indian cinemas this Friday, 26th December 2014.

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; December 19, 2014)


You have been away from the scene for a long time...
Yes, I am back after eight years. I stopped acting because of the kind of films that were offered to people like me who were relatively new and had no guidance. I quit the profession in anger.

What stopped you from doing TV?
As I said I just stopped acting, so TV was also out of question. Instead, I decided to produce TV shows, but still didn’t act in them.

How did Ugly happen?
Anurag Kashyap and I know each other from the time we were strugglers. We used to stay in the same locality and he would say ‘you should be doing movies’. However, it was when he met me two years ago that he said he has a script for me. It was a challenging role and I immediately said yes. Sudhir Mishra saw me in the film and offered the title role in Aur Devdas. And I am back! At least for the next one year I am booked (smiles).

What made Ugly challenging?
It is a layered film. The basic story is about a girl who goes missing. However, the movie brings out several inter-personal relationships and how each of us is busy in our personal lives and selfish. To really bring out that emotion, I had to go deep into my inner self. I remember, for a scene that was shot in a Colaba’s Irani Cafe, I had to break down. Even after Anurag said ‘cut’, I couldn’t stop crying. Anurag tried to comfort me but in the end he also started weeping. The scene had really shaken us up. Besides, it was a demanding shoot. We shot on real locations in Mumbai. Both Anurag and I decided to leave the comfort our homes and stayed outside a hotel, exactly the way we lived during out struggling days. We had a terrible time revisiting those days.

Why did Anurag keep you away from the media glare during the filming?
(Laughs) That was because he had told me to go without sleep throughout the shoot. Trust me, I used to hardly sleep for two to two-and-a-half hours. Also, since I was shown to be a drunkard, I used to actually drink on the sets. I had a wired look, which was the requirement of the film.

Now that it’s releasing what are your expectations?
The film has been acclaimed at international film festivals. I was even nominated at the New York Film Festival. We’ve shot a kick-ass film. Now it’s up to the audience, who are always complaining about watching the run-of-the mill fare, to make this successful. We are offering them something different.

Tell us about Aur Devdas. This must be the fourth Devdas now...
Yes. But this is different from what you have seen so far. It is set against a political backdrop in Lucknow. I play the role of a rich guy, who just parties, is into drugs, generally a wastrel. He is from a political family and one day he goes back to his roots to claim his rightful place. Let me tell you, I did not drink to play the role of Devdas. I told Sudhir that since I had done a lot of drinking in Ugly I had enough experience to play a drunkard!

What next?
I have several interesting offers, but am yet to take a call.

Anurag Kashyap on how people perceive him, his upcoming film, censor battles and more
Srishti Dixit (DNA; December 18, 2014)


Ugly is releasing a week after PK. Any fears?
Why should there be insecurities? It’s a very well thought through thing. The primary reason, when we were trying to release Ugly was: Why should we spend more money on planning and analysis than we have spent on the film? It doesn’t make any sense. The industry is not going to change; everybody thinks that there is a certain way in which every film should be promoted. Secondly, why should we promote the film in a wrong way you know, just by using songs, or promising the wrong things. Also, during our discussion, we realised that you decide you want to watch a film by its first promotion, its first trailer, its first look. We do a lot of promotion to get people’s interest in it. Ugly is not a big star cast film, the only promotion is going to be for its content. The content of the film is such that till people don’t see it, there won’t be any word-of-mouth. So we just focussed on making people watch the trailer, see the poster and get intrigued. PK is a 6000-screen release, we are a 400-screen release. We just need four to six shows, they’ll have some 15 shows in every theatre. PK is like a big fish in the sea, all the small fishes cling on to it. We are the small fish.

How did the idea for Ugly germinate?
I’d started writing a story about kidnapping quite a while back but the head of STF in Lucknow, Amit Pathak, he helped me a lot with the actual cases and that helped with the script.

Did you have a specific star-cast in mind while writing the film?
Not the rest, but Rahul Bhat definitely was in mind...

Which is surprising given that he has been off the grid for quite some time...
He has been off the radar for a long time but he was in my head. In my struggling days, I used to see him often. I have seen his rise through Heena and then doing films and then disappearing, then he became a producer. So he was definitely in my mind.

Some call you a pioneer, some call you a sell-out because now you have ventured into commercial cinema. You were quoted saying, “I am not an NGO for indies.” So how do you tackle that kind of criticism?
I am indifferent to it. It is the nature of things. I did not want to start a movement. I wasn’t fighting for everybody’s cinema, I was fighting for my cinema. People turned that fight into everybody’s fight. Then I was made into a poster-boy, I never asked for it. People put you up, then they pull you down. Every poster-boy becomes a dartboard. One thing I take pride in is that I pick up good films. I picked up The Lunchbox. A lot of people make films for God knows what reason! Take responsibility, bring returns. Now anybody can make an independent film, but every film isn’t good. Zaroori nahi hai ki indie hai toh achhi hai. A film that makes sense to me will be supported by me. Many of my films get delayed because we don’t ask for a percentage of the money it makes. Yeh baat sabko pata hai ki ye aadmi free mein karta hai. But main yahi sab karta rahunga toh main kya karunga? I have suffered so much because of this, so much of my time gets consumed in getting a film released, that at one point I used to think ki main hi karta rahunga ye sab ya koi aur bhi karega?

But in Hindi commercial cinema, content isn’t king. Some films making profits are low on quality content...
If it is a Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Ajay Devgn or Hrithik Roshan film, people will go and watch it. In that case, the responsibility lies with the producer-director. A Rajkumar Hirani film will run successfully from the start till the end, because content is good. Aamir’s star aura is not as much as Shah Rukh and Salman, but he makes sure that the content is good, so his films run more. If a producer and director take responsibility for the content then the film will make no less than Rs 300-400 crore. But that never happens; they take it for granted ki stars hain toh log aayenge film dekhne. Now look at Queen’s opening. When it opened it made Rs 6 crore but over time, it made 10 times the opening business. With other films, the weekend is Rs 100 crore but by the end it hasn’t touched 200. Ugly won’t have a big opening and I know it. We’ll come after PK on December 26 so the first week of release will be our promotion week. After that the word-of-mouth will pick up and then the second week will be our actual release week. That’s how I’ve thought of it, but let’s see what happens.

You fought a long battle with the Censor Board over the ‘Smoking is injurious to health’ message in Ugly...
The case was deferred by High Court because a similar case is pending in Supreme Court.

In retrospect, do you think that you wasted your time fighting?
Definitely, time waste hua. We would have released the film earlier had we known that the issue would be stretched for so long and this would be the end of it. I wished they told us earlier about the SC case, we would have released Ugly earlier. I’ve decided to forget it because kisi ke paise lage hain aur ispe interest padh raha hai. So, better to release it now.

Do you think that the Censor Board is too touchy?
See, the Censor Board is not an autonomous body. It’s not the Board that is touchy, it is the people who are leading the Censors who are scared of controversies because they are scared of the Ministry. The bureaucrat sitting in the ministry is like ‘Boss, I am not going to the court and be answerable for something.’ And we have this old dinosaur sitting in the ministry. Till the time the Censor Board is not autonomous, things won’t change.

How do you plan on taking on the deep-seated hypocrisy?
We have to fight it. We have to call a spade a spade.

Do you get support from within the film fraternity?
There are people who actually pat your back and say, ‘Let’s do it’ but they don’t come together.

They don’t?
Coming together means vocally addressing an issue together, not lend ing support silently off-record.

But why is it so? If an issue like the ‘Smoking is injurious to heath’ message gets resolved, it will benefit everybody right?
Nobody cares. Someone who doesn’t care about his cinema wouldn’t care how many disclaimers are put on screen. If you really care about your film, if you really love what you do, then you will not allow anything to be put on that screen. The fact that they don’t come together and they allow for so many disclaimers on the screen shows how much they love their films.

About your next release Bombay Velvet, rumours have been doing rounds that Ranbir Kapoor is not happy with the film...
All these rumours have started from one trade magazine, Box Office India. That trade magazine co-produced a film with Fox Star Studios and unki aapas mein ladai chal rahi hai. It doesn’t matter what the rumour is.

When are you releasing the first look of Bombay Velvet?
That is not in my hands. That is for the studio to decide. I can tell you Ranbir loves the film, everybody loves the film; you ask them and they will tell you the same thing. There is a hell lot of excitement around the film and we cannot reveal what we are planning, we aren’t at liberty to say.

Reports suggested that you were playing the lead in a Sudhir Mishra film?
Ye news jahaan se aayi hai unhi se poochiye! I shot for Sudhir Mishra’s Aur Devdas precisely for one day; it is the film that he is shooting at the moment.

Subhash K Jha (DNA; September 2, 2014)


Shooting began in Lucknow (where the film will be shot in its entirety) and the schedule is expected to last for three months.

The film, which has been talked about for years now, reportedly had names like Lara Dutta and Chitrangada Singh associated with it. Last heard, Kajal Aggarwal was on board. Prior commitments in Tollywood were cited as a reason for the Singham actress to opt out of the project. Her exit paved the way for Aditi to take over as Chandramukhi. A source close to the project maintains, “Richa fits the bill as far as the requirements for Paro went — he wanted someone fiery, yet dignified. And having worked with Aditi in Yeh Saali ZIndagi, Sudhir was aware that she is a trained Indian classical dancer and would be perfect as his Chandramukhi. Also, he had a particular personality and look in mind for both roles.”

For the role of the modern-day Devdas, however, Bhatt was Sudhir’s first and only choice after being ‘blown away’ by his performance in Anurag Kashyap’s Ugly, says the source.

In a recent interview, Sudhir admitted that the film, “a political thriller with very strong romantic angles to it” was his “tribute to Devdas” but added that it owed as much to the “influence of William Shakespeare” on him maintaining that it was “certainly not a remake of classic Devdas”.

Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 27, 2014)

Singham girl Kajal Aggarwal will return to Bollywood, a year after Special Chabbis, as Chandramukhi. After a long search, director Sudhir Mishra has finally zeroed down on the Southern star to essay the lovelorn courtesan in his adaptation of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's Bengali novel Devdas, reportedly titled Aur Devdas. Earlier, it was speculated that Aditi Rao Hydari was going to play the role. Now, with Kajal on board, Sudhir is ready to put the films on floors next month.

Richa Chadha will essay the role of Parvati aka Paro while Rahul Bhat who plays the lead in Anurag Kashyap's Ugly is the modern-day Devdas.

Rahul says he's looking forward to working with Richa and Kajal.  "I know them socially. If Sudhir has chosen them to play such pivotal roles, it goes without saying that they are talented," he points out, adding: "The film is a modern version of Devdas so I don't have to grow my hair."