Once in a while, an actor comes across a role that resonates so strongly with them that they almost become possessive about it. For Chhaya Kadam, director Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light gave her that role. The actor was so enamoured by the character of Parvaty that she pitched hard for it. 

“At one point, I thought the role shouldn’t go to any other actor. So, I started listing out similarities between the character and me. I told Payal, ‘I am also from Ratnagiri. My father was a mill worker. We used to live in a MHADA building and now we live in a tower. Everything is the same between us.’ I even sang and showed her how people from Ratnagiri dance,” she laughs.

In the Cannes Grand Prix-winning film, Kadam plays a hospital staff member, who strikes an unlikely friendship with two nurses. She had complete faith in the story and in Kapadia’s vision. That it was the director’s maiden feature did not deter her.

She reasons, “For me, the most important part is my character, then the story. I started my career with Nagraj Manjule’s Fandry [2013], which was his debut. I feel first-time directors work very hard on their film.”

This may just be Kadam’s year. She began 2024 with Laapataa Ladies that saw her as the wise Manju mai, followed it up with Madgaon Express, and then had the Cannes win for All We Imagine As Light. The one thing common in all her outings is her characters’ feminist streak.

She reflects, “I always liked characters that felt like one of us. I enjoyed films that saw the hero defeating the goons with one punch, but they never felt real. I was drawn to Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi’s brand of cinema. Now, it has become a habit to do work that I enjoy, and if we can give a social message, then nothing like it.”

Hairstylist Amit Yashwant shares his journey from being a local barber for farmers in Ratnagiri to Tiger Shroff's main man
Anju Maskeri (MID-DAY; June 16, 2019)

As a local barber in Ratnagiri, Amit Yashwant had to limit his creativity and desire to experiment. His clients, mostly poor farmers and land tillers, weren't interested in undercuts, razor fades or pompadours. The haircuts had to be short, functional and easy to maintain. "I had to visit neighbouring hamlets looking for customers because there was no culture of even visiting barbershops," says Yashwant, who started cutting hair after flunking Std VII. While a haircut would cost Rs 10, a shave was offered for Rs 5. The earnings were negligible, but enough to sustain his interest in the profession. "It's the only thing I was good at. So, I would try to get my hands on Marathi newspapers and magazines to find out about trending haircuts," he says.

This was in 2007.

Cut to present.

Yashwant still travels for work, but in Mumbai's hip and sophisticated circles. His clients include actors Tiger Shroff, Disha Patani, Nidhhi Agerwal and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, among others. He even runs his own salon in Khar called Manemaniac Hair Studio that's frequented by lifestyle influencers and celebrities. If fame is coming thick and fast, it's because he did not allow the years of rejection to get the better of him. "When I moved to Mumbai in 2008, I could not speak a word of English. Due to this, no salon in the city wanted to hire me," he says. In Mumbai, it's a different matter that Yashwant is still more comfortable speaking Hindi and Marathi than English, but his initial awkwardness with the language has been ironed out. "Ironically, I had a smoother time negotiating Londoners while studying at Vidal Sassoon Academy than I did in Mumbai," he laughs, adding that most of the communication was through actions and diagrams. It's here that he got his hands dirty, learning bobs, crops and shaggy pixies. "The Indian climate impacts hair to a great extent. We tend to have frizzy, thick and more voluminous fuzz than Westerners," he says. The moolah for his stint at the famed UK institute was acquired after saving up, bit by bit, from working at salons in Jogeshwari and Ghatkopar. In Mumbai, Yashwant had to learn how men coif themselves with gels and waxes. He also extended his skills to grooming women.

Looking back, if Yashwant had to pick a turning point, he says it would be meeting his mentor, Dhruv Abhichandani, who works as the artistic director at Ghatkopar's Drama Salon. He was one of the few who saw the potential in Yashwant. "The first time he saw me cut hair, he thought I was terrible. My techniques were outdated and needed tweaking. So he set about teaching me." If it wasn't for Abhichandani, who signed him up for hairstyling courses at reputed institutes, Yashwant says he would never had the confidence to go to the UK.

At the Ghatkopar salon, the young stylist got his first celebrity client, Kunal Kemmu. By then, he had gained a small but loyal set of clients. At the time, the actor had long hair, which he would eventually chop off in favour of a short, edgy look. He had to snip Tiger Shroff's hair for his look in Baaghi. "Tiger loved his short-hair look so much that he decided to continue with it."

Today, Yashwant straddles haircuts at his salon and on movie sets. The latter is a greater challenge, he says. "When you come to my salon, I give you a haircut and my job is done. But at a set, I need to ensure that same look is recreated every day, at least for the next three months," he says. His team of stylists are people like him: hailing from small towns. "Many of them might not be comfortable speaking English, but come with robust skills. Language should not be a deterrent when you're cutting hair."

Madhuri Dixit-Nene's husband and co-producer Sriram Nene explains why teaming up with his wife was the perfect move for their new venture, 15 August
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; March 31, 2019)

Almost two decades after they tied the knot, Madhuri Dixit and Sriram Nene felt like they were doing a bridal photo shoot yet again. The photographer kept telling them how to pose, stand closer and look at each other. Amused, the couple could not help but giggle. Dixit's trademark gorgeous smile lit up the room at a Bandra hotel. The duo is launching their first film production, 15 August, under their banner, RnM Moving Pictures. The slice-of-life Marathi film dropped on Netflix, on Friday.

Dixit has been facing the camera and fielding questions for years but for hubby dearest it's new. So, she lets him do most of the talking and refrains from saying anything, except when asked a question. And Nene has lots to say. Is this new phase as doctor-turned-filmmaker exciting or exhausting? "It is an exciting learning experience," he says in his Yankee accent. "You pour your heart into something and share it with the world, it's gratifying." Before he married Dixit, he barely watched Indian films and did not know Hindi. "Abhi sabh samajhta hoon," he laughs. After relocating from the US, the actor says, "He now understands and can speak a bit."

Nene admits that from not watching movies to being a filmmaker has been quite a journey, "but every summer we came to Dadar to live with relatives, so there was that exposure to the Mumbai milieu. Life is all about constantly learning something new. I still, however, remain a doctor. We wanted to raise the bar by doing something new."

When they floated the production house, each of them designated clear-cut roles to themselves. "She looks after the creative side. While I am in charge of the production and financial aspects, more like a company's CEO," says Nene. "She has over 35 years experience in the movie business," he adds. So who better than her to team up with? He keeps referring to his actor wife with 35 plus years in the business. "He is making me sound like a really old veteran," smiles Dixit.

They preferred to debut as producers of a Marathi film "because there is some brilliant talent and amazing writers with novel concepts," say the duo. It was also a way of going back to their roots. They are Konkanastha Brahmins. Says Nene, "My kuldeva is Alibaug. I still have relatives in Diveagar, which is about a five-hour drive from Mumbai. They own plantations there, that's a life I would like to live someday." Adds Dixit, "My mother is from Ratnagiri." A while back, they had taken their kids [Arin and Ryan] to the Konkan to familiarise themselves with the places their forefathers came from.

The couple chose to release 15 August digitally rather than in theatres due to the mind-boggling reach of the digital platform. Nene has done his math when he informs that Marathi films release in barely 400 screens out of the 9,000 in the country. "Just as we watch Spanish and Italian films, we want the world to catch up on Marathi cinema as well." Adds Dixit, "The script of 15 August was relatable. It is set in a chawl in Mumbai. I had relatives who lived in one, so it was a familiar culture."

For our first production, we needed something we could understand. There were so many layers to the script. Swapnaneel Jaykar wields the directorial baton for 15 August, which stars Adinath Kothare, Rahul Pethe and Mrinmayee Kulkarni.

"We stacked the cards in our favour by picking a talented and award-winning cast and crew. They made our task easier; we had to empower them. We are proud that they all came together to show their love and passion for the craft," points out Nene who considers it a great time for movie makers as there are several platforms to showcase your projects.

As a cardiovascular surgeon, Nene, who runs a health portal, says, "I cured hearts, now I hope to spread happiness by entertaining people and cure many more hearts." Will acting be the next step for Nene? "I already act many roles everyday taking care of the kids, the pet dog," so when offered, he might think about it after having featured in a commercial with his star wife. Dixit who was last seen in Total Dhamaal has Kalank lined up for release. "Things are happening back-to-back, so I am looking for a breather."

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 31, 2013)

Sara Khan, who shot to fame with the TV show Bidaai and stayed in the limelight with a run in various reality shows, is giving the producers of her latest film, Midsummer Midnight Mumbai, sleepless nights. A source told Mirror, “Sara has become so difficult that the producers regret signing her."

Says the source, "Sara routinely threw tantrums on set and one time, even refused to shoot for a scene in a busy street owing to lack of a vanity van."

When contacted, director Braj Bhushan confirmed the news. “How can I park a vanity van at a busy traffic junction? A few people laughed at us when we went to the BMC asking for permission.”

He alleged that Sara and boyfriend Paras Chhabra, would always come late on the set, delaying the shot.
 “We had to almost cancel a song sequence because the two didn’t turn up at all. While we were at Ratnagiri, they would report at 2 for a 6 am schedule. The budget went haywire.”

Braj has somehow managed to complete the film, which is gearing up for a March release, and has vowed to never work with Sara again. “It was a big mistake to sign her,” he said. Despite repeated attempts, Sara Khan could not be reached for a comment.