Bareilly: Renowned Bollywood director and screenwriter Ikram Akhtar, known for his work alongside superstars like Ajay Devgn and Salman Khan, has been incarcerated in Moradabad jail for more than two months in a cheque bounce case. Akhtar was arrested by the UP police in Mumbai on September 19, following his evasion of arrest since December 2022 when a warrant was issued against him.

A resident of Mumbai, Akhtar has been unable to find guarantors despite being granted bail by the court, which ordered him to provide two sureties of Rs 10 lakh each before he is released. Akhtar has screenwriting credits for blockbusters like Salman Khan starrer ‘Ready’, Ajay Devgn’s ‘Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha’ among many others. His legal woes trace back to his involvement in the film ‘I Love Dubai’, produced by Moradabad-based real estate baron Kuldeep Katyal.

During the making, disputes cropped up between the two, with Akhtar abandoning the project midway. Katyal then filed a complaint against him in 2016.

Akhtar then alleged the film’s completion was stalled due to a dispute between Katyal and the lead actress. This culminated in Akhtar’s arrest and incarceration in 2017.

Zareen Khan, during a recent Ask Me Anything session on Reddit, spoke about doing the erotic thriller Hate Story 3 (2015), which was one of her biggest hits. She said she did it only because she needed the money.

The 36-year-old, who didn’t have a “filmy father” in the industry, tells us, “I would’ve been okay if I came from generational wealth, but I had to fend for myself and take care of my family. Thank God, I got the song Character Dheela in Ready (2011) and later a role in Housefull 2 (2012), which got me bits here and there. But [those movies] still didn’t do for me what Hate Story 3 did [in terms of] success and appreciation. I did bold scenes [onscreen], but at least I wasn’t doing something off-screen or selling my body. I wouldn’t have had a peaceful sleep at night if I did that.”

Coming from an “orthodox Muslim background”, Khan did have a lot of reservations about going ahead with Hate Story 3. “I had many thoughts and questions, but at the end of the day, I had to fend for my family. But the kind of things (bold scenes) we are now seeing on screen, what I did in the film was nothing [in comparison]! I got a lot of appreciation for my role, but many people in the industry said, ‘She doesn’t know how to act, so she’s shedding her clothes’,” says Khan, adding, “To all those bigwigs and makers, I want to say, ‘Today, you are making actors and actresses do much more than what I did at that time’. I am very confused how this industry works.”

When Farhad Samji started out as a lyricist in the industry 20 years ago, he didn’t have a godfather. If over the years, anyone has come close to playing the role for him, it would be Salman Khan. “After I became a script writer, I wrote Ready [2011] for him. So, our collaboration was bound to happen. If I didn’t make a film with Salman sir, my career would have remained incomplete,” begins Samji, who realised his wish with the upcoming offering, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan.

The director, who previously helmed Housefull 4 (2019) and Bachchhan Paandey (2022), feels Khan and he are a natural fit. Tracing the film’s genesis, he says, “Both of us are into mainstream films. He is the king of commercial movies. We bounced this idea of north-meeting-south, and began developing the script at his Panvel farmhouse a few years ago.”

With the Eid release — also starring south star Venkatesh, Pooja Hegde, Shehnaaz Gill, Raghav Juyal and Bhumika Chawla, among others — the director has the pressure of appealing to Khan’s legion of fans. That aside, working with a superstar can be daunting in itself, especially when the actor is known for his larger-than-life persona. Mention this to Samji, and he laughs it off.

“When you tell Salman, ‘Sir, you have to do this,’ you get scared because he has an [intimidating] personality. But being a creative person, I tell him this is the need of his character, and he understands that. He knows that he has to bring in certain [traits] to his role.”

Collaborating with Khan has been everything the director hoped for. In fact, he says he was pleasantly surprised on seeing the superstar’s dedication and knowledge first-hand. “Being a superstar, he knows his job well. But Salman sir holds expertise over almost every branch of filmmaking — right from costumes to music, from locations to framing and VFX. Such rich experience comes after doing 1,000 films. In my sittings with him, I’d notice how he seemed to know everything. That was a revelation.”

Earlier this month, mid-day had reported that Kartik Aaryan was shooting a last-minute song for Shehzada, which was one of the reasons the film’s release was deferred (Taking a chance on dance, Feb 2). It appears that the team didn’t look too far for inspiration. The makers of the Aaryan and Kriti Sanon-starrer recently released Character Dheela 2.0, a recreation of Salman Khan’s hit number from Ready (2011).

Production designer Rajat Poddarr reveals that Aaryan — who is also one of Shehzada’s producers — suggested incorporating a promotional song to amp up the buzz around Rohit Dhawan’s directorial venture.

“Kartik wanted to [reimagine] this number from Ready, in his own way. Initially, the team felt that the situation didn’t require a song, but he insisted it would enhance the movie’s promotions. He contacted Bosco [Martis] for the choreography, and me for the sets. He suggested to the producers that this would be his team, as we had done the title track of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 together,” shares Poddarr. 

With the team in place, it was time for execution. The leading man prepped for two days with choreographer Martis, before the dance number was shot over three days in the last week of January at a Madh Island bungalow. Building the set in such a short time was no mean feat.

“We were constructing one part of the set, while Kartik would be shooting in the other part. We built different sets, including a swimming pool, ramp, and a colourful scooter. We submerged the ramp in water so that Kartik could do his slide step. He had referenced videos with Bosco, Manu [Anand, director of photography] and me [to determine the song’s treatment].”

Character dheela had become a rage when it was released. Aaryan knew that stepping into Khan’s dancing shoes was a huge responsibility. So, instead of recreating the track, step for step, he did the next best thing. Martis says, “Recreating Salman bhai’s song could have created a backlash. So, we decided to celebrate the song. We wanted to make it peppier and relevant.”

The soundtrack of Allu Arjun-starrer Pushpa: The Rise - Part 01 (2021) has received a lot of attention, Oo Antava being one of the popular songs in the film. While the track, featuring actor Samantha, has emerged as a chartbuster across five languages, some slammed the dance number as sleazy and misogynistic.

Commenting on the subject, the film’s music composer Devi Sri Prasad, popularly known as DSP, says, “With Oo Antava, we aren’t demeaning anyone. We’re simply describing certain men. Defining a woman’s body and beauty has never been a problem all these years. Some of the biggest music directors have composed such songs.”

He adds that the song has received the most appreciation from women, and that it’s more of “a social message song, rather than an item number”.

Known for dance numbers, DSP asserts that he has always steered clear from lyrics with innuendos: “I’m very careful with the lyrics in all my dance songs. In fact, most of them are sung by kids, like Dhinka Chika (Ready; 2011). I always tell my directors and lyricists that there shouldn’t be anything derogatory... But sometimes, the hidden grammar is unavoidable.”

In fact, he states that a song makes the cut for him only once he makes his family listen to it at the dining table. “When I read the lyrics, I ask [myself] if I would be able to play it in front of my mother and sister. I have often argued in situations where a song was likely to make women feel uncomfortable. When you’re brought up in a household with strong women around you, the way you look at women, in general, is different,” he says, adding that Pushpa’s director Sukumar and lyricist Chandrabose also “respect women a lot”.

Box Office India Trade Network

Bhushan Kumar was only 19 when he was straddled with the responsibility of carrying forward his father Gulshan Kumar's legacy. Today, apart from being a big player in the music industry, his company, T-Series, is packing an interesting mix of films, which include smaller content-driven movies and big-starrer projects. In a chat with BT, Bhushan talks about his upcoming films and how he wants to fulfill his dad's dream. Excerpts...

While you have produced out-and-out commercial films in the past, many of your releases this year are small-budget projects driven by content. Has there been a shift in the kind of movies that you want to back?
Our focus is to make content-driven films because that's what the audience seems to like. Pucca commercial projects haven't done well at the box office recently. This year, our film, Hindi Medium, became a huge success. That movie was a real test for us and we didn't expect it to open big at the ticket windows. We were of the opinion that if it doesn't work, then we are on the wrong path. But clearly, realistic narratives and films with strong and relatable stories are making a mark. Our recent film Raabta, which was based on the concept of reincarnation, didn't work. People couldn't relate to it. Baadshaho was a big-budget multi-starrer, but the backdrop of the film was based on a real incident. That helped pique people's curiosity. Two of my upcoming projects, Kedarnath and Raid, are also based on real events. While the former is a love story set during the 2013 Uttarakhand floods, the latter is a thriller about a real-life income tax raid.

There was a time when it was believed that people went to the theatres to indulge in fantasies and leave behind their daily struggles. Now, the tide has turned, and people want to see more realistic cinema even while getting entertained...
Today, people either want to see meaningful cinema or are demanding a film like Baahubali. With the latter, the audience knows that willing suspension of disbelief is a prerequisite. In such a film, the protagonist fighting a thousand adversaries alone and emerging victorious without a scratch is palatable because of the superb quality of production and visuals. On the other hand, mere star-driven films fail to earn box-office revenue.

There are also more takers for films driven by women today? Is that the reason that many of your recent and upcoming films - Simran, Bhoomi and Tumhari Sullu - have women-oriented narratives?
With women empowerment becoming a talking point, the number of films with women as protagonists has been on the rise. While some women-centric films are impactful, some are not. I recently saw the rushes of our film Tumhari Sulu, starring Vidya Balan, and realised how relevant it is to our times. Bhoomi is a father-daughter story which also highlights a current issue.

It is to be noted that an important aspect of making a content-driven film is to keep the budget tight...
I am a passionate filmmaker, but at the same time, I also ensure that my films are budgeted smartly. I don't believe in pumping in any amount just to fulfill my passion. Producers who don't keep a check on their budget end up losing money. We put in our own money, we don't borrow from anyone. I earn from my music business and use it to produce films. Actors now insist that a movie's budget shouldn't be on the higher end of the spectrum, and often reduce their remuneration to help make the film a profitable venture.

You have been part of the music business and film industry. As a businessman, which one do you find tougher to handle?
I have been in the music business for close to 18 years. Now, filmmakers consult me before they zero in on the songs for their films. So, as far as music is concerned, I know the game. However, I haven't nailed it as far as ascertaining what makes for good content in movies. In fact, I have green lit films that I was not sure about and admitted ki mujhe nahi maloom ki yeh chalegi ya nahi. I did that because I wanted to take a chance and learn. The turning point for our production house was the Salman-starrer Ready, which turned out to be a huge hit. That's when we decided to get into full-fledged production. At that time, franchises like Raaz and Murder were in vogue and so, I thought of making Aashiqui 2. Aashiqui was my father's first film, and I was anyway keen on taking it forward. It was my father's dream to make films after music, and I wanted to carry his legacy forward. Talking about my father, Mogul is a very special film for us, as it's his biopic. Akshay will essay the lead role; I didn't even narrate the script (penned by Subhash Kapoor) to him. I simply told him that we wanted to make the film. While my father is my idol and inspiration, my mother has been my biggest support. Twenty years back, when I took over the business, it was her encouragement and belief that helped me. She would keep telling me that my father would guide me and help me take the business forward even though he was no more.

Going by the opening day collection and the total weekend number of Housefull 3, it looks certain that the film is racing to the top of all comedy films. We hear that the makers, Sajid Nadiadwala and Eros International are in celebratory mood and extremely happy with the thundering response that the film has received amongst the audiences.

This franchise film has already made history with the weekend numbers and now with the way it is going, looks like they will surpass all records ever made in any comedy film. Exhibitors reveal that the film is consistently doing extraordinarily brilliant at the cash counter! Before Housefull 3, films like Amitabh Bachchan's Namak Halaal, released in a time when data and numbers were not recorded and Salman Khan's Ready are the two films that did extremely well. Ready, which was till now the holder of the biggest comedy film ever will be passed on to Housefull 3.

Trade analysts predict that Housefull 3 will not only break all records and become the biggest comedy film, but also set extremely high benchmarks for future comedy films. In today's times, it is Housefull 3 that is raking in the moolah and steadily inching closer to the top position in the list of super successful comedy films.

A source close to the industry adds, “Collections are the most objective way in which one can assess the success of a film. And box-office collections prove beyond doubt that HF 3 is the biggest comedy so far. That it will surpass the first two in the franchise viz. Housefull and Housefull 2 is now a given after the huge weekend but it may also mean that it will surpass the total collections of Ready, another hit comedy. Namak Halaal is another successful comedy which comes to mind. Housefull 3 may well become the new comedy benchmark from now on.“

The arbitration order may have gone in favour of Anees Bazmee (Mirror, Nov 11) but Ready producer Bhushan Kumar is not ready to pay up yet. He has in fact moved the High Court against the director.

His lawyer, Hiren Mehta told Mirror, “Bazmee was to be paid Rs 8.61 crore but the project did not take off on time and on March 30, 2010, two agreements were signed whereby his remuneration was scaled down to Rs 5.50 crore, with profits to be shared by the two. Now, Bazmee wants Rs 11 crore, inclusive of profits. This would leave Bhushan with only Rs 9 crore. The gross collection of the film was Rs 120 crore. Why would Bhushan invest Rs 55 crore in a film which would fetch him less than the director?“