Ronnie Screwvala & Siddharth Roy Kapur’s new film, Pippa, helmed by Raja Krishna Menon, revisits the 1971 war
MUMBAI MIRROR (August 14, 2020)

Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur announce their next, Pippa—an action-packed war film with a celebrated army tank at its centre—with director Raja Krishna Menon and starring Ishaan Khatter. The young actor portrays the part of war veteran Brigadier Balram Singh Mehta of the 45th Cavalry Tank Squadron, who, along with his siblings, fought on the eastern front during the 1971 Indo-Pak War.

It was with this battle, which took place in Garibpur, that India infiltrated the enemy land for the first time, thus leading to the liberation of our neighbour Bangladesh. Based on the book, The Burning Chaffees authored by Brig Mehta himself, the film’s unique title highlights the magnificent Russian amphibious war tank called PT-76, popularly known as ‘Pippa’, an empty ghee da dabba that smoothly floats on water. In their Pippa, Brig Mehta and his tank squadron fought the riveting 48-hour battle that influenced the outcome of war in India’s favour.

The film also portrays the coming-of-age of a young Mehta as well as of our nation, as both stepped up to prove themselves in a war for the liberation of another country. The battle paved the path for India’s triumph as Brig Mehta rose to the occasion and led his troops to victory. The key roles of Mehta’s elder brother and younger sister, who also bravely conducted themselves during the war, are in the process of being cast.

Siddharth points out that “the covert operation that became the Battle of Garibpur, one of the lesser-known chapters of the widely documented 1971 Indo-Pak wars, played a significant part in India’s eventual victory.” He elaborates, “This is the war that is often heralded as the only ‘just war’ in history because it was fought to save human lives and free a nation. Brig Mehta’s fascinating account resonated with us deeply, and we instinctively knew that Ishaan would be ideal to play him.” Talking about the actor, Siddharth adds, “Ishaan’s raw, youthful energy perfectly complements Brig Mehta’s valour. His acting chops paired with Raja’s sensitivity towards the subject, knowledge of every facet of this war and panache for largescale action dramas, makes this all the more compelling a story for us to take to the screen!”

An excited Ishaan says, “I’m exhilarated to be a part of a film of such magnitude and importance, and getting a chance to play the role of the suave and spirited tank commander, Brig Mehta is a true privilege. I’m honoured by the faith shown in me by Ronnie sir, Siddharth sir and Raja sir and I’m looking forward to the exciting experience of Pippa.” Ronnie, who produced Uri: The Surgical Strike, one of the biggest war films, says, “It’s not just about a great patriotic battle. The story of the 45th Squadron led by Brig Mehta is one that needs to be told to this generation. This film is a visual celebration of not only India’s valour, but also our sharp strategy during the 1971 war along with our alliance with Bangladesh, seen through the eyes of the Mehtas and their internal and external conflicts”

Raja states that apart from being a war movie, “Pippa also has an emotional core celebrating the triumph of love and humanity.” He adds, “The fact that there is going to be some never-seen-before tank war action is extremely thrilling to me as a filmmaker, but it’s the heroism and patriotism displayed by the young Brig Mehta, despite all that he was going through in his family, that really connected with me when Siddharth shared this story. I’m very happy that Ronnie and Siddharth have shown tremendous belief in my vision and I can think of no one better to do justice to the role than the terrifically talented Ishaan. This is truly going to be a special one!” Pippa, produced by RSVP and Roy Kapur Films, will open in cinemas late next year.

Sudhir Mishra, Anubhav Sinha, Raja Krishna Menon and Nikkhil Advani

B-Town filmmakers Sudhir Mishra, Anubhav Sinha, Nikkhil Advani, Raja Krishna Menon join forces with Producers' Guild to lend financial assistance to daily wage workers who will be hit by suspension of the shoot
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; March 17, 2020)

Hours after the Indian cine bodies announced that all shoots will be suspended from March 19 in light of the current situation, director Sudhir Mishra brought to fore an urgent implication of the decision. The filmmaker, tagging his peers Vikramaditya Motwane, Anubhav Sinha and Anurag Kashyap, highlighted the need to set up a fund for the 3.5 lakh daily wage workers who are part of the Federation and will be directly hit by the impending halt.

When mid-day reached out to Nikkhil Advani yesterday, the director revealed that they had set the ball rolling on the endeavour. "As a production company, we have a group of daily wage technicians who work with us, including the light team and spot boys. We have told our HoDs [heads of departments] to [let their respective teams know] that we will compensate them for their losses." Sinha, who will be following the same practice, shares, "I will lend support to those with whom I have worked till my last film. If every director and producer takes the initiative, we will cover [most of] the work force."

Airlift director Raja Krishna Menon, while applauding the initiative taken by the film industry, points out that a transparent system needs to be put in place. "There are enough people who will contribute, but the question is, how are we going to disperse this money. We need to figure out the logistics because the money should reach the right people."

On Sunday, Ashoke Pandit, president, Indian Films & television Directors' Association, informed the directors on Twitter that they could send their contributions to an account of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees. On his part, Advani reveals that the filmmakers will be meeting members of Producers' Guild of India today to implement the plan. "We will follow the Guild's guidelines and formulate a method for this purpose."

Shahid Kapoor, who was keen to headline the cast, had announced the project six months ago
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; August 9, 2019)

It has been about six months since Shahid Kapoor announced his decision to turn producer with the biopic on Manipuri boxer, Ngangom Dingko Singh. The actor had also expressed that was keen to headline the cast. The film, to be directed by Raja Krishna Menon, was originally expected to go on floors by the end of this year with schedules planned in Manipur, Delhi and an undisclosed international location. However, the movie, currently at an advanced stage of development, might not go on floors any time soon.

Confirming this, Raja told BT, “Shahid and I have often spoken about the film over the last few months. He wants to do it and is really keen to make it well. The thing is, after we procured the rights, sealed the various deals and got down to the writing table, he got busy and so did I. I had another commitment, too. We’ve not arrived at a final draft of the script even now. And with his recent run at the box office, things have changed. He’s not been in the country for the last two-three weeks, and has taken time off to think about what he wants to do next. This film might not be the one he does close on the heels of Kabir Singh. For now, we’ve put Dingko Singh on the backburner. We’ll revisit it the moment Shahid is ready to do so.”

For those who came in late, Dingko Singh is considered to be among the best boxers in India. He won the King’s Cup in Bangkok in 1997, and also bagged a gold medal at the Asian Games in 1998. He is a service personnel of the Indian Navy and was awarded the Padma Shri in 2013.

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 20, 2019)

 Mirror has learnt that Shahid Kapoor is turning producer with Raja Krishna Menon’s next directorial. Based on the life of legendary Manipuri boxer Ngangom Dingko Singh, the sports biopic also features the actor in the titular role.

The film, which was initially to take off in January this year, is currently in the scripting stages with plans to take it on the floors later in the year. Shahid is co-producing the film with Raja.

According to a source close to the development, Shahid owns the rights to Dingko Singh’s story and he got Raja on board to direct it. “Now, they have joined hands to produce the film. It will be shot primarily in Manipur, besides Delhi, while an international schedule is also being planned,” the source added, attributing the initial delays to several rewrites. “It’s a difficult script to write, so it has taken time, but it will go on the floors this year. Raja is currently putting the research together with his writers.”

Dingko Singh, with whom Shahid has spent some time last year to understand his life, is one of the most outstanding boxers India has produced. At 19, he won a gold medal at the Bangkok Asian Games in Thailand in 1998.

Born in the remote village of Sekta in the Imphal East District, Manipur, Singh fought adversities right since the beginning. Unable to raise him due to poor financial conditions, his parents had to leave him in an orphanage. Another jolt followed when he was diagnosed with bile duct cancer in 2017. The father-of-two had to sell his house in Imphal to pay for the treatment, which included 13 rounds of chemotherapy.

The boxer, who was awarded the Padma Shri in 2013, now works as a coach at the SAI Special Area Games (SAG) Centre in Khuman Lampak, Imphal and trains around 150 boxers in the 12-14 age group.

Shahid has been shooting for Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Kabir Singh with Kiara Advani in Mumbai and Delhi. For the Dingko Singh film, he starts boxing lessons in Mumbai under the guidance of a professional soon. The 37-year-old actor, when contacted, chose not to comment.

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; October 25, 2018)

It’s a known fact that Saif Ali Khan is an interesting conversationalist. Be it movies, history, politics, global issues, or current affairs — you can trust the actor to engage you in a stimulating chat. If and when he isn’t aware about certain things, which is rare, he has no qualms about asking those around to enlighten him. His eloquence, outspokenness and knack of being politically incorrect adds to his Nawabi charm. Ahead of the release of his next, Baazaar, he talks to BT about box-office success, his son Taimur being a social media sensation and why he admires Amitabh Bachchan and Anil Kapoor. Excerpts...

You have completed 25 years in cinema. Despite giving some wonderful performances in unconventional films, many of your recent movies didn’t translate into box-office success. Does that bother you?
It’s not uncommon. A lot of good films do not work. It’s interesting to know how the box office functions. There’s quality, there’s mass appeal and sometimes, there’s a lot of gap between the two. The Holy Grail is achieving both, but that’s rare. The trick is to strike a balance between the two. There are some films that have a stronger shot at the box office. Some of the films that I do, have more of an outside chance, but I was hoping that Kaalakaandi would be more mainstream. I thought that it was a really good movie and so was Chef.

Is it disheartening to see films with unique content not being received well by the audience?
Naturally, you are disappointed when these films don’t work and you wonder if you are doing something wrong. You question many things like yourself and whether you are doing the wrong kind of movies. I don’t want to take the pressure though (smiles). I leave it to the producers. If he feels that he should make a film in a certain way, he should. Baazaar is more commercial, Chef could have been more commercial, but the director gave it a European approach, which I was okay with at the time. It’s a risky area. Vikram Malhotra (producer), Raja Menon (director, Chef)... these guys have made Rs 100-crore films before. I think it’s a phase. You get certain things right, certain things wrong, but you’ve got to just keep working. Eventually, if you know what you are doing and if you are a good actor, hopefully something turns out that makes sense. I am spending my time trying to become a better actor, learning more about my craft. I am lucky that I am being offered interesting opportunities. More than making money, I am interested in quality roles.

Since Baazaar deals with the game of money and stock market, many are curious to know if it has similarities to The Wolf Of Wall Street...
Not at all. Baazaar is about what money means to different people. Money is called a whore sometimes, because it pretends to be something it isn’t. The Wolf Of Wall Street was more about American excess, corruption of society and the absurdity of American capitalism taken to an extreme. It’s also about drugs, parties and debauchery — it’s a completely different world. We can never get there in our movies because a Gujarati businessman (his character in Baazaar) comes from a very different methodology. It’s in a very Mahabharata space, which is an epic for us. That’s the way an Indian guy may operate mostly. He may believe he’s religious while taking you for a ride. Baazaar is not a sex-and-drugs kind of drama. It’s more about morality, money and legitimacy. Just look at our mythological epics to know what matters to an Indian. What is the class of your background and values? How far would you go to achieve want you want? People pretend to be pure and holier-than-thou, but they also justify violence. We’re talking about a philosophical explanation of fulfilling your dharm; the film falls into that space. The way the story unfolds is tense and pulls you in slowly. Also, you don’t have to understand investments to like this film. It’s about ambitious people and the repercussions of their actions.

Your policy of playing age-appropriate roles is a rare trait among most A-list Indian actors.
I grew up on international films and we used to make fun of how you cannot play a college boy at a certain age. Forty-year-olds going to college, I mean, that can look demented (laughs!). I want to be like Anil Kapoor and Mr (Amitabh) Bachchan. I want to be a fit 60-year-old like Anil. It’s amazing. I am not worried about competing with anybody. I want to be in my space. I feel there are so many dramatic stories to tell at this age. What a father goes through is as exciting as what the kids are going through. We should be a complex film industry that has stories for every age group. Like Hollywood, we should make our Twilights and campus romances, as well as have something more serious for the adults as life gets serious. The experience of reading Anna Karenina in school and then at 45 is completely different. Life changes and it’s nice to be able to express yourself from that point of view. I was telling this to Imtiaz Ali the other day, when we were talking about a love story. Too early to talk about it, but that’s also for a certain age and it’s cool. There’s always this wisdom that comes with age. Also luckily, the film industry is changing. Actors like Anil and Mr Bachchan, these guys are beacons for their respective age and I want to be one for my age, too. The stories will find you if you are fit and correct enough for the part.

Let’s talk about Taimur. What do you make of people stalking him on social media and he being a paparazzi’s delight?
Being photographed all the time while coming out of the house with him used to bother me, as I looked a bit slobby. Now, I dress up a bit, and I have got a nice pair of track pants (smiles), but it’s a bit of a pain. Taimur makes people happy, I understand that. He is always smiling, even at four in the morning, when I am half asleep. People have had interest in this kid ever since he was born and I can’t keep him away. I’d rather not have him photographed, but I can’t physically hide him and if I do that, the paps will be persistent. I want him to grow up as a normal kid, but he won’t. I don’t know whose fault that is and I am not pleased about it. The only option I have is to treat this as normal and make it as civilised as possible. There’s a nice relationship between the paparazzi and Indian stars. We have a clear understanding. We stop for a picture and respect the media and they respect us. They are not chasing his car or jumping on him while he is going to school and they shouldn’t. This becomes hectic when you run away from the paps and could lead to a scenario like Lady Diana’s where she was avoiding the paparazzi. If she’d given that photograph, they wouldn’t have chased the car. Also it’s the age of social media. If Tiger Pataudi and Sharmila had a kid today, even I’d have been photographed. Sara (his daughter) was such a cute kid! Taimur is from a different time. I had never been interested in anybody’s kids, so I don’t understand it (frenzy), but I respect it.

Initially, there was a lot of brouhaha about Taimur’s name…
I have now given him a soft nickname — Tim Tim, which takes the edge off Taimur. I think of India as a secular country, I don’t think of it as a Hindutva nation. I understand that there will be a right wing movement in the country because of independence and the creation of Pakistan and this idea of identity forming that is ours. I understand Hindutva. The scariest ideologies have a bit of truth to them. But my idea of India is that in my blood and his blood and on this earth, there have been so many people who have come and gone. Alexander the Great, Chandragupta Maurya, Babur, Humayun, Taimur and various other people. Whether they were good people, bad people, violent people, doesn’t really matter in my head. People have called Rama violent. We have had these conversations. To me, it’s a great name. Taimur means iron and I like it. He’s not named after a particular person, but even if he’s named after anybody, this is a part of us and history. We can’t pretend that we have been around only after 1948. That’s not what India is. India is the land of Kama Sutra, Yoga, Mohenjo-daro, Harappan civilisation, Mahabharata, including Taimur. It’s all a part of our history.

Will we see you playing Sara’s screen father in your next home production? There were speculations about it.
No. It was a nice idea, but acting is a very selfish business. You don’t want to act with your daughter, because you’d be worried about how she’s feeling all the time. The only time I’ll offer her a film is when I feel she is facing trouble in her career. If she didn’t have a Karan Johar film or Kedarnath, I’d offer her a father daughter story to help, but if she’s okay with Dharma and I am happy, Karan can be her father. Sara is already a good person; I want her to enjoy being an artiste and an actor.

Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; August 30, 2018)

Shahid Kapoor is all set to embark on what is probably one of the most ambitious projects of his career. Lately, we have seen a string of films based on sports and the lives of sporting heroes, and now, we will see Shahid portray former boxing champ and Asian Games gold medallist Dingko Singh on screen. The film will be directed by Raja Krishna Menon (who has directed Airlift and Chef), and it will go on floors sometime around April 2019.

Ngangom Dingko Singh, known as Dingko Singh (from Manipur) was the first and only Asian gold medallist boxer from India in the Bantamweight category. In 2013, he was awarded the Padma Shri. The former Indian Navy boxer has seen extreme adversities in life; his unbelievable experiences go beyond the boxing ring and that’s what makes his life a fascinating story. Dingko has been an inspiration to many boxers who came into the ring after him, and he is so passionate about the sport, that he went on to become a coach for young boxers.

In 2017, he had to battle cancer and he struggled to raise funds for his treatment. Shahid, who is deeply involved in this film, exclusively told BT, “The thing that I loved about this story is that he is one of those superstars who we don’t know much about. If a film like Dangal (2016) wasn’t made, we wouldn’t know as much about the Phogat sisters from Haryana. Dingko is a cancer survivor, and he went through 13 rounds of chemotherapy. He has even gone on to say that his biggest win was surviving cancer and not the gold medal he won at the age of 19 at the Asian Games in Bangkok (1998). In 2017, cricketer Gautam Gambhir became aware of his situation and sent money towards his treatment. Soon after, people found out who he was and 13 doctors came forward to help him with his cancer treatment. He is a sports star who survived cancer, and at some point in his past, he had almost become a Naxalite. His life story is unbelievably crazy; it is very human and extremely inspiring. Such amazing stories of heroes need to be told.” For an actor, these are big gloves to fit into, and Shahid is gearing up to do everything he can to give us a knockout performance.

Raja Krishna Menon to produce assistant Uday Singh’s directorial debut that features Priyanshu Painyuli and is based in India’s Silicon Valley
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 12, 2018)

After directing the Akshay Kumar-starrer Airlift and the gastronomical drama Chef with Saif Ali Khan, Raja Krishna Menon is producing his associate Uday Singh’s yet-untitled directorial debut, which features Bhavesh Joshi Superhero actor Priyanshu Painyuli as lead. Before assisting Raja on Airlift, Uday has worked with National Award-winning filmmaker Sudhir Mishra on Yeh Saali Zindagi and Inkaar.

“I was approached for this film last year after I had finished shooting for Bhavesh Joshi and was excited when I learnt that Raja sir is producing it. Then, I met Uday, who narrated the story which is set in Bangalore and revolves around three friends from IT background who form a start-up. In the story, my character Kapil gets stuck between his belief system and the ideas with which their investors come on board. Uday is from the IT sector, having worked at Microsoft years ago. That experience has come in handy,” informs Priyanshu, admitting that he is a huge fan of Raja whose next directorial features Shahid Kapoor in the lead.

The young actor found common ground with Raja as both are from Bangalore and went to the same college.  “He is really chilled out and easy to talk to. We had a lot to discuss in terms of Bangalore stories and singer Raghu Dixit whom both of us love,” the actor informs, adding that he has friends in Bangalore who have their own startups that are doing well who he will be meeting for his prep. “The production team will also get us to meet some successful CEOs for guidance. Uday has narrated the story to some of them who related with the script instantly,” he adds.

Was he disappointed that Bhavesh Joshi Superhero didn’t live up to expectations and he admits it was a little upsetting. “But those who saw the film gave us really good feedback, which I am happy about,” he says.

Actor to undergo three-month training for professional boxer turn in Raja Krishna Menon’s next that takes off in December
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 5, 2018)

Mirror (April 12) was the first to report that Shahid Kapoor is teaming up with Airlift director Raja Krishna Menon for a film based on a real-life story. Now, we have learnt that the actor, who is playing a boxer in the film, is gearing up to train for three months with a professional boxer for the role before the film goes on floors in December. The film captures the life journey of a professional boxer through its highs and lows.

A source connected to the project reveals, “Shahid will begin the prep for Raja’s film simultaneously with the prep for his other film, the Hindi remake of Arjun Reddy helmed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga. Both films require him to look lean and train in action. Raja’s team is currently on the lookout for a professional boxer who will train Shahid for the part. They are also looking for an actress to play his leading lady.”

Meanwhile Shahid, who is gearing up to welcome his second child with wife Mira Rajput in October, will be taking a few weeks off to be on daddy duty but the break won’t affect his shooting schedule. “After the Batti Gul Meter Chalu (Shree Narayan Singh’s upcoming social-drama which is currently under production) dates got postponed (following an issue over non-payment of dues), the schedules of his other films got pushed around too but Shahid is making up for it by working extra hours. Once back from the Uttarakhand schedule in Tehri and Dehradun of Batti in mid-June, he starts prepping for Arjun Reddy that goes on the floors soon after,” the source adds.

After wrapping the film by November, he immediately starts shooting Raja’s boxer film. “Yes, Shahid will be training for at least three months to portray the role of a boxer authentically on screen. He is a trained dancer and is nimble on his feet which will come in handy for this film,” the filmmaker told Mirror.

Over the years, Bollywood has seen a rise in the number of female technicians, but cinematography is one area where women DoPs (Director of Photography) are still trying to make inroads. BT speaks to women cinematographers to find out the challenges of working in a male-dominated profession
Lasyapriya Sundaram (BOMBAY TIMES; April 30, 2018)

Recently, during an interaction with the media, superstar Amitabh Bachchan rightly pointed out how during his earlier days, the only women present on the set would be the actress and her mother. Cut to present day, a movie set is seen teeming with women doing various kinds of skilled jobs. There are many areas of filmmaking where women have created a space for themselves and made their presence strongly felt. However, in the area of cinematography, it’s been tougher for them to make inroads. While close to 100 female DoPs (Director of Photography) are currently active in the Indian entertainment industry, only a handful helm projects in mainstream cinema. Though many technical fields in filmmaking boast of gender parity, cinematography, not just in India but even in Hollywood, hasn’t turned out to be a level-playing field.


‘IT’S TOUGHER FOR WOMEN CINEMATOGRAPHERS TO GET THEIR BIG BREAK IN FILMS’
Priya Seth, who has shot big-budget films with A-list actors like Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan in Airlift (2016) and Chef (2017) respectively, points out that it is director Raja Krishna Menon, who was instrumental in helping her fight the inherent sexism in the industry. She says, “For women cinematographers, the system doesn’t help in getting them their big break. It’s somebody who believes in them who gives them the opportunity. For somebody like me, it was Menon who gave me a fair opportunity. When I was going to shoot Airlift, the question that was posed was, ‘Will she be able to handle the pressure?’ These questions are never asked when a man is involved. There hasn’t been a systemic change in the industry per se. However, overall there has been a visible increase in the number of female cinematographers in the past 10 years in the industry. But in mainstream cinema, there aren’t that many. Also, what happens is that people want to work with those who they are comfortable with. It’s basically a boy’s club. That’s where the crux of the problem is.”

‘WOMEN ARE FAR BETTER AT ORGANISING THAN MEN’
Director Raja Krishna Menon shares, “The general perception is that women are better with emotional subjects rather than action-driven content. But I don’t endorse this as it’s a question of perspective. I like to take advantage of the difference in perspective that one’s gender brings about and I don’t see it as a drawback. It’s a technical field and the camera used to weigh 50 odd kilos until recently. Perhaps, it’s the fault of gender stereotyping that many women in the past didn’t opt for cinematography. It’s also seen as a physically demanding job, as opposed to something like editing. Many producers and directors are men and possibly, they find it harder to work with women technicians because they haven’t done it. More women need to come out and shoot films like Airlift and prove them wrong. In fact, I am surprised how often I am asked why I chose to work with a female cinematographer on Airlift. I knew I was going to work with Priya and her gender was something that didn’t even cross my mind. Someone like her makes my job easier. In fact, I work with many female crew members on my set. Women are far better at organising than men.”

After training under cameraman Binod Pradhan, cinematographer Sunita Radia, who shot the Ajay Devgn and Ileana D’Cruz starrer Baadshaho (2017) and Hate Story 4 recently, reiterates, “Cinematography has been a male-dominated profession. Eighteen years ago when I started out, there weren’t too many women in the camera department. Earlier, it was believed that women couldn’t carry heavy equipment. One has to carry approximately 12-15 kilos as that’s how much a camera weighs.”



‘WE HAVE TO PROVE OUR WORTH TO GET THE JOB’
Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) graduate Neha Parti Matiyani, who kicked off her career as an independent cinematographer after having assisted cameraman Ravi K Chandran for five years, shares that unlike many others, she didn’t have to struggle a lot to get a break, as she had started her career working in films made by Karan Johar. The lady who shot the Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt-starrer Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017) states that, while getting a break might be difficult, once that happens, nobody makes bones about whether the cinematographer is male or female. She elaborates, “People are opening up to working with female cinematographers. It is assumed that men are good at their job until they go completely wrong. When it comes to women, they have to prove their worth before everyone starts believing that they can do the job. As a cinematographer, you have a minimum of 35 people working under you. That’s not all; you have to practically run the set. Once you shoot a big film successfully, there is no stopping you. Then, gender ceases to be a point of contention. But I can’t deny the fact that if a man and woman had the same qualifications, then the man would get the job.”

‘THE AUDIENCE’S PERCEPTION IS THAT A DOP IS ALWAYS MALE’
Citing an example about the deep-rooted sexism that’s prevalent, Sunita adds, “A reviewer who had critiqued Baadshaho praised my cinematography in the film and referred to me as Sunit Radia, assuming that I was a man. The perception is such that the cinematographer is always male.” Priya adds, “Today, I have done big films and I know that I am talented; earlier, I was questioning my capabilities because I didn’t know any better. It took me 10 years longer than my male counterparts to reach where I am today. Nobody will accept it, but it’s a fact.” Cinematographer Fowzia Fathima who started out in the late 1990s with Mitr: My Friend, after having trained under P C Sreeram, states, “At that time, work would rather go to a lesser-equipped male DoP than a well-trained female. It’s because of the mindset. There was an innate confidence and belief when a man was behind the camera. However, today there are more women entering the field and there is a slight shift in perspective. Sometimes, the perception that cinematography is a man’s job’ is often used as a tool to deny women DoPs opportunities.”


‘YOUNGSTERS NEED TO HAVE STRONG WOMEN ROLE MODELS IN FILMMAKING’
Given that a number of young female cinematographers are trying to break stereotypes and make a mark, Fowzia along with other colleagues including Deepti Gupta (who was the DoP for Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd, 2007) and Savita Singh (who was the DoP for Phoonk, 2008) formed the Indian Women Cinematographers’ Collective’ (IWCC) last year on International Women’s Day. Fowzia says, “Women DoPs formed the collective to register their presence, for the younger generation to have a peer group and strong women role models in the field of cinematography to identify with. Essentially, it acts as a professional support group. We launched the collective last year and today, we have more than 100 members. A concerted effort to encourage women to be a part of every department of filmmaking is the need of the hour.”

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; April 24, 2018)

Shahid Kapoor was supposed to start work on Imtiaz Ali’s next after wrapping up Shree Narayan Singh’s Batti Gul Meter Chalu. Now that the former has been put on the back burner, the Padmaavat hero has signed a film with Raja Krishna Menon (of Airlift and Chef fame). The director had confirmed the development but details about the project have been tightly guarded. Now, an industry insider tells us, “Shahid is doing a sports-based film with Raja. He wanted to explore that space for quite some time. He plays a boxer who emerges triumphant against all odds in his life.”

The actor will start prepping and training for the role right after he wraps up work on Batti Gul Meter Chalu. “He needs to have a particular physique to play the character convincingly and learn the techniques of boxing,” says the source. This is his second movie where he essays the role of a sportsman. Previously, he played a cricketer in Dil Bole Hadippa!

The film is currently in the scripting stage. Adds our source, “Someone had approached Shahid with the story. He liked it and since he was already discussing about collaborating with Raja, Sasha asked the filmmaker if he would want to work on it. And the latter started developing it further.”

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 12, 2018)

While Shree Narayan Singh’s upcoming social-drama Batti Gul Meter Chalu, Shahid Kapoor’s first film since Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat, finds itself in a limbo due to internal tussles over money (Mirror, April 11), he has signed up for his next. The actor is set to play the lead in Airlift and Chef director Raja Krishna Menon’s upcoming directorial, which is based on a real story and goes on the floors by the year-end.

According to a source close to the development, the film will be shot across India with one schedule abroad. Locations are yet to be finalised. “Shahid and Raja have been planning to work together for a while now. They had met after the release of Udta Punjab back in June 2016 and had kept in touch, looking for a project to collaborate on. Both agreed on a script that Raja had been working on,” the source added.

The director, when contacted, told Mirror, “Yes Shahid and I are very keen to do our next film together. We have been working on an idea that we are both excited about and it will be a film based on a true story.” Mirror had recently reported (March 23) that Shahid’s film with Imtiaz Ali that was to take off in April in Mumbai has been put on the backburner as the producers approached were somewhat sceptical about its experimental nature.

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 20, 2017)

After Akshay Kumar's Airlift and the Saif Ali Khan-starrer Chef, which released in October, Raja Krishna Menon has started work on his next. The film will be shot across multiple countries. Currently shortlisting his options, the filmmaker is irked with speculation that he's cast Ranbir Kapoor in the lead. "My script is ready, it's a drama in the thriller space, but I haven't met Ranbir or even had a chat with him. I don't know why people are making up stories. Hopefully in the next three-four weeks, I will know who fits the script," he grouses, admitting that he did want to meet Ranbir after Chef but just to catch up and say hello. "But that didn't work out because he got busy and so did I. He is a fantastic actor and at some point I would like to collaborate with him but there are no immediate plans at the moment."

Raja says it will only go on floors next year because it needs to be shot in summer. "We're looking to start shooting mid-next year as I need six months of prep. I should lock the actor by December," he says decisively.

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; November 16, 2017)

Ranbir Kapoor’s last few releases, barring Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, may not have worked at the box office as expected. But the actor’s choice of films and his way of juggling genres was well appreciated by the audience.

Bombay Velvet was diametrically different from Tamasha or Jagga Jasoos and now, we hear, the actor is willing to take up another challenging project.

Our source tells us, “Raja Krishna Menon (the director of Airlift and Chef) is planning a film with Ranbir Kapoor. He’s working on the script currently. The actor and the director are yet to meet and take the discussion forward.”

Raja says, “I am planning a film. It’s a fictional thriller-drama. The first draft of the film is ready. I do have a few actors in mind but I don’t want to name anyone right now. I haven’t approached anyone. We plan to begin shooting sometime around end-summer next year.”

Ask him about signing Ranbir and he hesitates, “Ranbir is a fantastic actor. I would love to work with him. He makes some interesting choices. I haven’t offered him the film yet. He’s busy with Brahmastra right now. We had planned to meet, not for a film or anything, but just to catch up and know each other. We don’t know each other at all. We just wanted to meet and discuss what space he would like to be in. But right now, if you ask me, there’s nothing which has been discussed with him.”