Showing posts with label Rajesh Sharma. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rajesh Sharma. Show all posts
Doctors warned I could lose my leg-Rajesh Sharma
10:05 AM
S Farah Rizvi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 25, 2026)
After being hospitalized in critical condition recently at a hospital in West Bengal, reportedly after suffering an insect bite, actor Rajesh Sharma is now on the road to recovery. However, the ordeal has left him traumatized. The actor, known for films such as Khosla Ka Ghosla (2006), Ishqiya (2010) and Special 26 (2013), was shooting for actor Prabhas’ upcoming film in Hyderabad when the incident occurred.
Speaking to us, he shares, “I am much better now. Aaj se 10-12 din pehle meri halat bahut hi zyada kharab thi.”
Recalling the initial symptoms, the 56-year-old reveals he still isn’t sure what triggered the condition. “When I reached home after my shoot, I noticed that mera pair uth hi nahin raha tha, aur swelling bhi thi, along with body temperature. I am not sure what led to this condition of mine. I still wonder whether it was an insect bite or something wrong that I ate,” he says.
Despite his worsening condition, the actor initially tried to honour his work commitments and went to a hospital only when his condition worsened. He shares, “The medicos told me that my sugar had gone up and the infection had increased. They said, ‘Yeh gangrene ki taraf jaa raha hai. Agar remove nahin kiya toh paon katna padh jayega.’ Fortunately, the infection had not reached the bone; and was successfully removed through surgery.”
The experience, Sharma says, has left him with an important lesson: “Beparwah nahin hona chahiye apni sehat ko lekar kabhi bhi. Koi unhoni ho sakti thhi with me but thankfully I am safe.”
"He’s a little better now": Team shares update on Rajesh Sharma
3:15 PM
S Farah Rizvi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 10, 2026)
Actor Rajesh Sharma, 55, is recovering in a private hospital in Kolkata after developing an infection linked to a suspected insect bite. The actor had recently returned from Hyderabad, where he was working on a project featuring Prabhas.
Providing an update on his condition, actor Sudipa Chatterjee says, “He’s a little better now. It’s an unknown insect bite and tests are being done. His condition is being monitored and treatment is ongoing. The last two days have been much better.”
According to Chatterjee, Sharma initially experienced fever after returning home and believed it could be a routine mosquito bite. But, after his condition worsened, he was admitted to hospital. His manager also dismissed reports suggesting the infection had spread to his lungs. “Rajesh ji is better. Bahut fake news phail gaya.”
AICWA seeks probe
Following reports of the incident, the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) called for an “immediate, impartial and transparent investigation” into the circumstances surrounding the case.
AICWA urged Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to order a high-level inquiry and sought accountability if any lapses in worker safety are found. “We have demanded a thorough probe as the incident raises several critical questions about working conditions on film sets,” AICWA president Suresh Shyamlal Gupta said.
Sushant Singh Rajput was very fond of football, his knowledge about the sport was commendable-Rajesh Sharma
8:28 AM
The actor, who was part of some of Sushant Singh Rajput’s notable films, shares fond memories of the time spent with the actor
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; June 7, 2021)
Recalling his memories of interacting with SSR on the sets of the former film, Sharma says, “During Shuddh Desi Romance, I had just two days of shoot with Sushant and Rishi Kapoor in Jaipur. In those two days, Sushant didn’t open up much with me. He came across as an introvert. A few years later when we met on the sets of Dhoni where we really bonded.”
Talking further about his experience on the sets of Dhoni, he adds, “On screen, I played his coach, but off screen, we were friends. We were staying in the same hotel and during the 14 days of shooting, we bonded well. We would have breakfast together every morning. Sushant ko kebab bade pasand the. Every evening, he used to call me and say, ‘Sir neeche aajaiye, kebab khaate hai’. So, Sushant, Anupam Kher and I would sit and have kebabs together.”
He continues, “Sushant was also very fond of football. Since I have spent a lot of time in Kolkata, he would discuss the football scene in West Bengal with me. He had a lot of knowledge about the sport, which was commendable. We also discussed a lot about theatre. After every shot, he would come to me and ask about his performance and even take my suggestions. After this film, there was one more film that we were supposed to do together. I was really looking forward to that, but unfortunately it didn’t work out.”
Raj Kumar Gupta’s faith in me is heartening-Rajesh Sharma
7:51 AM
Rajesh Sharma, who’s been a regular fixture in the director’s recent films, discusses the beginning of their collaboration
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 7, 2019)
After acting in films like Parineeta, Khosla Ka Ghosla and Ishqiya, Rajesh Sharma hit pay dirt for his portrayal of investigating officer NK in Raj Kumar Gupta’s No One Killed Jessica, which had Rani Mukerji and Vidya Balan as leads. For the actor, the fame came as a huge surprise as he had bagged the role quite unexpectedly.“I was in Delhi for a show as I wasn’t doing a lot of films back then and I got an audition call for a film. I went in without any prep, met Raj Kumar’s assistant and auditioned,” Rajesh reveals, adding that on his first day of the shoot, Raj Kumar told him that he had fought with the producers to get the actor on board as the makers wanted a known face. “It gave me a sense of responsibility and brought the best out of me.”
Soon after, he reunited with the director for the Emraan Hashmi-starrer dark-comedy, Ghanchakkar. “There’s a back-story to my character in the film, which was conceptualised with a different actor as the story demanded someone in the age bracket of 65-70. Raj Kumar eventually got the age down to 45 years and cast. His faith in me is heartening,” the actor smiles.
Next up, Rajesh will pop up in the filmmaker’s Arjun Kapoor-starrer India’s Most Wanted, which chronicles the capture of a dreaded terrorist without a single bullet being fired. “Like many people, even I hadn’t heard of the mission and was surprised to discover that it took place in our country. It’s a stamp on the bravery and efficiency of our police, who are perceived negatively. This film proves that,” he asserts, adding that he plays Rajesh Singh, a senior Intelligence Bureau officer from Bihar in the film. “It’s based on a real-life character, but I’ve approached it in my unique style,” he signs off.
Rohan Sippy makes TV debut with Khan No 1, a show about white-collar crimes
8:03 AM
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 9, 2018)
Rohan Sippy, who has directed films like Bluffmaster! and Dum Maaro
Dum, recently made the transition to television and directed a couple of
episodes of Khan No 1, which he is also producing. The other episodes
will be directed by his industry friends.“Each episode has a different story and setting. I helmed the one about a pimp who turns into a godman and another about young struggling actors turning conmen. Kunaal Roy Kapur has directed an episode and so has Raj Acharya. Dharmesh Mehta, known for Gujarati movies and the popular TV show Tarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, has also come on board,” Rohan says.
Speaking about his cast, Sippy says that Rajesh Sharma is the sutradhar as well as the cop who brings criminals to justice. “Other than him being a constant, every episode has new characters. We have some fun cameos by actors like Pitobash Tripathy playing a conman,” he informs.
Sippy admits that crime has always interested him and the genre is popular on TV. “When I pitched the idea, it was called Bluffmaster! because thanks to journalists, we keep reading crazy crime stories every day and that is where the inspiration came from. There are so many Buntys and Bablis out there, and while there are a lot of shows about rapes and murders, there wasn’t any about white-collar crimes. We aren’t getting into the violent space,” he adds.
He admits that it takes a while to adjust to TV as you are working with limited resources as compared to films and ads. “My memories of the shoot are blurred because there’s so much to pack in so little time, there’s no breathing space,” he says.
Even if I do only one Hindi film a year, it should be brilliant-Gippy Grewal
7:43 AM
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; September 16, 2017)
With his first Hindi film,
Lucknow Central, running in cinemas, Gippy Grewal, a front-runner in
Punjabi cinema, talks about his journey so far and the road ahead. Read
on...
Why did you choose Lucknow Central, which has a strong ensemble cast, for your Bollywood debut when you've played lead roles in Punjabi films?
Well, I learnt quite a bit from Farhan Akhtar, Deepak Dobriyal and Rajesh Sharma. From the word go, I knew that it would be a raw film, which would require a strong performance from me. Yes, I could have started off in Bollywood with a lead role too, but a lot depends on what suits you. I've turned down Hindi films even without a narration, but with Lucknow Central, I decided to hear the story.
Do you mean to say that it was the ensemble cast that drew you to the film?
Yes, I debuted in Bollywood with this film because the story revolves around five people and each one has a space of his own. I play a Punjabi character and it worked for me because I am familiar with that zone.
So, do we see you taking the character-actor route in Bollywood?
No, I am looking at doing lead roles, but I am not hung up on them. I am even open to playing a villain, provided the role requires a powerful performance. Acting is what I love the most, though I have been a singer, producer and director. I signed Lucknow Central on instinct. I'll continue to follow the formula.
Now that your Bollywood debut has released, what's the plan ahead?
Though I am satisfied with my work in Lucknow Central, I am yet to find out what the audience thinks. Now, I'm busy with my Punjabi film, Subedar Joginder Singh, and I also have another project that will soon be announced by Nikkhil Advani. I play the hero in it. The idea is that even if I do one Hindi film a year, it should be brilliant.
As an accomplished singer, despite a couple of hits under your belt, why are you averse to singing?
I want to sing, but I don't want to playback for others. I want to either bring out my own singles or sing in films that feature me. When you sing for others, people seldom get to know the singer. For example, no one on Lucknow Central's sets knew that I had sung Angreji Beat with Honey Singh's music and rap. Aise gaa ke mujhe kya faayda? I'd rather focus on acting.
Punjabi films reach out to pockets in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, apart from the UK and US. As a producer and actor, do you participate in planning your film's international reach?
Yes. Subedar Joginder Singh is releasing in April next year, but we've already planned its release calendar. I would advise my friends in Bollywood also to follow this practice. These pockets have a lot of patrons of Punjabi and Hindi cinema.
Why did you choose Lucknow Central, which has a strong ensemble cast, for your Bollywood debut when you've played lead roles in Punjabi films?
Well, I learnt quite a bit from Farhan Akhtar, Deepak Dobriyal and Rajesh Sharma. From the word go, I knew that it would be a raw film, which would require a strong performance from me. Yes, I could have started off in Bollywood with a lead role too, but a lot depends on what suits you. I've turned down Hindi films even without a narration, but with Lucknow Central, I decided to hear the story.
Do you mean to say that it was the ensemble cast that drew you to the film?
Yes, I debuted in Bollywood with this film because the story revolves around five people and each one has a space of his own. I play a Punjabi character and it worked for me because I am familiar with that zone.
So, do we see you taking the character-actor route in Bollywood?
No, I am looking at doing lead roles, but I am not hung up on them. I am even open to playing a villain, provided the role requires a powerful performance. Acting is what I love the most, though I have been a singer, producer and director. I signed Lucknow Central on instinct. I'll continue to follow the formula.
Now that your Bollywood debut has released, what's the plan ahead?
Though I am satisfied with my work in Lucknow Central, I am yet to find out what the audience thinks. Now, I'm busy with my Punjabi film, Subedar Joginder Singh, and I also have another project that will soon be announced by Nikkhil Advani. I play the hero in it. The idea is that even if I do one Hindi film a year, it should be brilliant.
As an accomplished singer, despite a couple of hits under your belt, why are you averse to singing?
I want to sing, but I don't want to playback for others. I want to either bring out my own singles or sing in films that feature me. When you sing for others, people seldom get to know the singer. For example, no one on Lucknow Central's sets knew that I had sung Angreji Beat with Honey Singh's music and rap. Aise gaa ke mujhe kya faayda? I'd rather focus on acting.
Punjabi films reach out to pockets in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, apart from the UK and US. As a producer and actor, do you participate in planning your film's international reach?
Yes. Subedar Joginder Singh is releasing in April next year, but we've already planned its release calendar. I would advise my friends in Bollywood also to follow this practice. These pockets have a lot of patrons of Punjabi and Hindi cinema.
Farhan Akhtar tries his hand at a cappella for Lucknow Central
7:14 AM
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; August 11, 2017)
Farhan Akhtar’s love for music is well- known — the actor has crooned several numbers in his previous outings, Rock On (2008), Rock On 2 (2016) and Dil Dhadakne Do (2015), among others. Akhtar has now tried his hand at a cappella for the song Ek Kabootar, Do Kabootar from his forthcoming film, Lucknow Central, where he plays a jailbird.
A cappella is essentially a style of singing, solo or group, without any instrument accompaniment. Director Ranjit Tiwari says the idea of including this form of music came from daily life incidents. He says, “Sometimes, when we are talking to someone, the person is tapping his foot. It is from here that we got the idea of giving these traits a musical bend. So, while writing the characters of the film, these traits naturally became a part of them.”
Producer Nikkhil Advani says that they explored the a cappella style as the song is based in jail and the inmates wouldn’t be familiar with musical instruments. “Since the jail inmates aren’t competent with musical instruments, we decided to incorporate body percussion and a cappella techniques. We got ace percussionist Taufiq Qureshi on board, he added a lot of layers to the song.”
The makers also brought world famous body percussionist Bharat Verma on board to train the actors, including Akhtar. “Everyone — Farhan, Gippy [Grewal], Deepak [Dobriyal], Rajesh [Sharma] and Inaamulhaq — submitted themselves to learning this technique and have actually performed it in the song.”
Images: How the prison set of Lucknow Central looks from inside
8:01 AM
Nikkhil Advani’s next is being shot in a replica of Lucknow Central Jail
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 31, 2017)
After a glimpse of the Lucknow Central jail that has been recreated in Film City for Ranjit Tiwari’s eponymous Farhan Akhtar-starrer (January 23) from the outside, Mirror has now got its hands on some pictures of what the jail looks from inside.
“Eighty percent of the film is set in this jail so it was important to make it look convincing. The team is currently shooting the cast’s introductory sequences and smaller portions of gang wars that happen inside the jail. In the midst of all that, Farhan’s character is in the process of scouting for mates for his music band. The schedule kicked off from January 10,” informs a source close to the development.
Farhan and his co-stars recently filmed a rain sequence amidst tight security, for which water tankers had been hired for the most part of the day. Diana Penty, who has stepped in for Kriti Sanon as the leading lady after the latter walked out citing scheduling conflicts, has begun shooting as well.
While speaking to Mirror (November 28) earlier, producer Nikkhil Advani had revealed that the film is inspired by a true story of convicts sentenced to life imprisonment in the Lucknow Central jail. “They start a band and discover pride, self-confidence, a reason to wake up every morning,” he had said.
Punjabi actor-singer Gippy Grewal, who had made his Bollywood debut alongside Tina Ahuja in Second Hand Husband, Deepak Dobriyal and Rajesh Sharma (of Tanu Weds Manu Returns fame) and Inaamulhaq (Filmistaan) play Farhan’s prison mates. Manav Vij, who was last seen in Abhishek Chaubey’s Udta Punjab, will feature in a pivotal role.
Riya Sen to play Sheena Bora in Bengali film
7:50 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (September 16, 2015)
News from Kolkata has it
that Riya Sen will play a character inspired by Sheena Bora in a Bengali
film based on her murder that already has Rituparna Sengupta as the
Indrani Mukerjea figure. Director Agnidev Chatterjee confirms that when
he decided to make a film inspired by the Sheena Bora murder case, Riya
was his first choice for the role of Sheena.
Riya, who was travelling to London and then Washington when we got in touch, said, “Agnidev is a sensible filmmaker. I'm sure a topic such as this will make for great viewing material. Sheena's character comes across as grey, and it will be a challenge for me. The film is special as I'll be working with Rituparna. My dad had told me that if ever there was a movie on the case, I should play Sheena. So, it's like a dream and my parents are thrilled to bits.“
Agnidev added, “We're considering Dhritiman Chatterjee for the character inspired by Peter Mukerjea and Rajesh Sharma for the driver's role. While Shataf Figar will be playing the role based on Sanjeev Khanna, Sabyasachi Chakrabarty will slip into the top police officer's shoes. Others we're looking at for supporting roles include Biswajit Chakraborty, Sreela Majumdar, Biplab Chatterjee, Tota Roy Choudhury and Kaushik Sen.“ Both Tota and Kaushik confirmed that they had been approached but were yet to sign up.
The film, which will go on the floors on September 27, will be shot in Kolkata, Mumbai and Guwahati.
Riya, who was travelling to London and then Washington when we got in touch, said, “Agnidev is a sensible filmmaker. I'm sure a topic such as this will make for great viewing material. Sheena's character comes across as grey, and it will be a challenge for me. The film is special as I'll be working with Rituparna. My dad had told me that if ever there was a movie on the case, I should play Sheena. So, it's like a dream and my parents are thrilled to bits.“
Agnidev added, “We're considering Dhritiman Chatterjee for the character inspired by Peter Mukerjea and Rajesh Sharma for the driver's role. While Shataf Figar will be playing the role based on Sanjeev Khanna, Sabyasachi Chakrabarty will slip into the top police officer's shoes. Others we're looking at for supporting roles include Biswajit Chakraborty, Sreela Majumdar, Biplab Chatterjee, Tota Roy Choudhury and Kaushik Sen.“ Both Tota and Kaushik confirmed that they had been approached but were yet to sign up.
The film, which will go on the floors on September 27, will be shot in Kolkata, Mumbai and Guwahati.
The Xpose: One murder, 11 suspects
9:30 AM
Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; May 11, 2014)
Who murdered sex symbol Zara Fernandes (played by Sonali Raut)? That’s the mystery that plays out in the musical suspense thriller The Xposé. Set in Bollywood of the 60s, the film shows that everyone who crossed her path — 11 suspects in all — had motive to kill her.
Her bitter rivalry with Chandni (played by Zoya Afroz, Miss India 2013 second runner-up) is reason enough for the latter to be suspected. Eccentric superstar Ravi Kumar (Himesh Reshammiya) holds a grudge against Zara, even as he tries to solve the case. Kenny Damania aka KD (Yo Yo Honey Singh) becomes a prime suspect as his fling with her makes news. His wife Shabnam Rai (Jesse Randhawa), too, is under the radar as she’s aware of KD’s affair with Zara. Her reel director Subba Prasad (played by Xposé director Ananth Narayan Mahadevan) too has a reason to gain from her death. Another suspect is Subba’s rival Bobby Chadha (Ashwin Dhar), who plans to destroy him and Ravi. Caught between his co-star Zara and his ex-flame Chandni, Virman Shah (Nakul Vaid) also becomes a suspect for siding with the latter after the two women get into a catfight.
Underworld don Rajan Anna (Adil Hussain) is under suspicion as he was associated wth her rival Chandni’s film Reena Mera Naam. And blackmarketeer Alec D’Costa (Irrfan in a special appearance) for his association with Zara’s film. Inspector Grover’s (Rajesh Sharma) involvement is doubted after he arrests an innocent man for Zara’s murder. Also under the radar are actor Ronnie Mukherjee (Kunal Thakur), Zara’s matron and landlady Mrs D’Silva (Kanika Dang) and industrialist Desai (Bharat Dabholkar).
The Xposé, produced by HR Musik, releases May 16.
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