Aware of the pressures of being a star kid, Karan Deol on waiting for Dharmendra's stamp of approval for debut film
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; September 8, 2019)

"I'm finally part of the fraternity," says Karan Deol—the third generation of the Deol family—as he sits down for a conversation with mid-day. Under the supervision of his father, Sunny Deol, Karan says it was like film school for him. He talks about hailing from a lineage of actors, soaring expectations and learning acting from scratch.

Edited Excerpts From The Interview.

There's barely a week left for your debut film. Has the nervousness settled in?
It's a mixture of both [nervousness and excitement]. I got teary-eyed when I saw the trailer of my film. I am finally a part of the fraternity and that's an emotional moment. The mounting expectations are scary. The fall is obviously going to hurt more, but I don't want to concentrate on that. [This film] is a responsibility and we've worked hard on it. I hope people give me a fair chance, see me as an individual and not compare me to anyone. I haven't tried to mimic anyone.

Was it a conscious decision not to use your nick name, Rocky, as your screen name?
Dad wanted Rocky to be my onscreen name, but I insisted on being recognized by my first name. Also, I associate Rocky with my family, so it would be weird if random people started addressing me as Rocky.

Most star kids follow in their parents' footsteps. Did you always aspire to be an actor?
At 18, I was clear that I want to be an actor. While dad is understanding and loving, I feared him, not only because he is strict, but out of respect. I confided in my mother, who acted as a mediator between dad and me. I remember telling him about my aspirations and he said, "Are you sure? It is emotionally and mentally challenging. During your good moments people will be with you and abandon you as quickly when in trouble. But come what may, you can't succumb to the pressure."

Are you professionally trained as an actor?
I attended several workshops and learnt acting under director Rahul Rawail's guidance. I had to let go of my inhibitions. I did a six-month filmmaking course in London. I also assisted [Sangeeth Sivan, director] on Yamla Pagla Deewana 2, which was an enriching experience. The scripting of Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas started after dad was done with Ghayal Returns. To prep for my character who hails from the hills, I moved base to Himachal Pradesh for four months. I trained in valley crossing, rappelling and other mountaineering techniques. I camped in the wilderness, interacted with locals and grasped the area. It wasn't easy to get under the skin of my character.

Was it easy for you to keep the father-son relationship aside while filming?
For 27 years I have only been his son, so it was difficult to switch that off. Once dad donned the hat of the director, he became a hard taskmaster. It took me a while to adjust to it, but in the hindsight it helped me grow as an actor. There were days when I would break down because he wouldn't let go until he was satisfied with the shot. Dad doesn't believe in complimenting you either. The take is 'okay' or 'decent', it was never 'good'. He constantly pushed me to do better.

Growing up, was watching Sunny's films a part of your routine?
Yes, it was. We wouldn't see him often, so watching him on the screen was a way to emotionally connect with him. On rare occasions, Mom and I would travel to his shoots. When his character was punched by villains, I'd start crying. At the same time, seeing him do action was scary. I
feared that dad was an angry person [laughs].

What was it like among peers who knew your lineage?
No one told me to recite my father's dialogues. In fact, as they were aware that I was a quiet kid, they would often intimidate me by pushing me around to check if I would ever behave like his onscreen characters. But I didn't let it affect me.

Your grandfather and father have seen the highs and lows of the film industry, has it prepared you the feedback you may receive?
It prepared me to maintain a balanced view. There was a phase in my father's career where he had a back injury, which affected the workflow. In this industry, out of sight is out of mind. I have seen him at his most vulnerable state, but he is a fighter and emerged out from it. Even in the toughest times, he had a smile on his face.

Are you aware that being a star kid is like a double-edged sword?
Yes, there are people who are eager to pull me down and nitpick on my performance. I am aware that this opportunity has come my way because of my father. However, I have also put in a lot of hard work and dedication. Even with all the criticism, if my work speaks out, I don't think anything else matters. I am also aware that I have the privilege that despite the outcome of this film, I might get a few more of chances, but if I am not good nobody will want to put their money on me. More than anyone, I am dreading my grandfather's reaction. Until I get his stamp of approval, nothing else matters.

Manisha Koirala's bucket list includes more acting and travelling, writing more books and directing a film
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 5, 2019)

After playing Sanjay Dutt’s mother, Nargis, in Rajkumar Hirani’s Sanju, Manisha Koirala has teamed up with the actor, whom she fondly calls Baba, for his upcoming home production, Prassthanam. This time, she plays his wife, Saroj. Talking about her three-decade association with the actor, Manisha says, “I became a big fan of Baba after watching Rocky and even had his posters up in my room. It was a fan-girl moment when I first worked with him, but over the years we have become good have seen him go through his ups and downs in life, and whenever I have a problem, I just have to tell him. A few days later, he will call to ask, ‘Manya, sab theek ho gaya na?’ We are very comfortable with each other now.”

Signing Prassthanam was a decision that came from the heart. “Maanayata ji (Sanjay’s wife) is producing the film, and I can’t say ‘no’ to Baba and her,” she says. The film, directed by Deva Katta, also features Jackie Shroff in a pivotal role, and is the remake of a Telugu film of the same name. Manisha however hasn’t seen the original film yet.

The second innings in her career is extremely important for her. “In the first, I was lucky I got to work with the best of directors and actors. I can’t hope for a repeat, I can only choose the best from the roles I get. But I now have the responsibility of doing a better job than before,” she reasons.

About the Sanjay biopic, she reveals that she had doubts about it. She wasn’t convinced if she should play a mother, afraid that she could get typecast. “Luckily, that hasn’t happened, the roles I’m getting offer a lot of scope to perform. I was also apprehensive if I’d be able to perform a character suffering from cancer as I’d just come out of it,” she explains. Eventually, she couldn’t say ‘no’ to playing a legend like Nargis. “More than Baba or Raju sir, I took up the film because of Nargis ji.” Manisha was diagnosed with the Big C in 2012. After several rounds of treatment, she is doing fine now.

Has life changed since? She points out that after any kind of life-threatening incident, one’s perception changes. “If there is heaven, it’s here. If there is hell, it’s here. When I was close to death, I realised how lucky I was to be born and be alive. When you are in danger of losing something, you start valuing it more. I love life and want to live it fully. It can be demanding but I want to make the most of my living years,” she says.

Manisha has a bucket list of things she wishes to do. She wants to act more, write more books, direct a film and travel more. “This year, I went to the Everest Base Camp. I want to climb more mountains. And finally, I want to be more useful in whichever part of the world and society I am. I want to live well and chase happiness,” she says.

Her inspiration when battling cancer was cricketer Yuvraj Singh who came out victorious. Sonali Bendre recently admitted that she found her inspiration in Manisha fighting the disease. “Sonali is a beautiful, strong woman. Cancer can shake you up, but one should ensure that it doesn’t get the better of you,” she says.

Salman Khan recently said that he met Sanjay Leela Bhansali through Manisha during Khamoshi: The Musical. Tell her that and she laughs, “I wish Salman and I got along during Khamoshi but we didn’t. Sanjay has always liked Salman, and I knew them both long before Khamoshi. We had our fights and our moments during the film, and I still think Salman’s best work is with Bhansali. I am fond of both of them, Bhansali is my jaan. He was on board as the assistant director on 1942—A Love Story,” she reminisces, revealing that she wasn’t the first choice for his directorial debut. “I had read his script long back, when he was looking to cast either one of his favourites—Kajol or Madhuri (Dixit)—but both rejected the film, and that’s when I came on board.”

Meena Iyer (DNA; April 24, 2018)

It’s a quiet Sunday afternoon. The only sound you hear around filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani’s suburban bungalow is the rustle of dry leaves that wither and fall, unable to bear the scorching sun. Raju is neck-deep in editing his biopic on Sanjay Dutt, which stars the dynamic Ranbir Kapoor.

We tiptoe into his room guided by a polite assistant, who points to a set of sofas away from the work table. After we have finished a cup of strong, homemade chai and bitten into a slice of cake, Raju walks across. He says he is nervous because the teaser of the film is about to launch. When I call him the Big Daddy of Bollywood who has delivered superhits like the Munnabhai franchise, 3 Idiots and PK, he sighs and says, “Please, don’t do that. All this makes me even more nervous.”

Of course, when he begins to talk about Sanjay’s biopic, everything changes. You can tell he has been deeply affected by his subject. After all, the actor isn’t just a stranger whose story he will bring alive on the marquee. That his Munnabhai has laid bare his life and entrusted Raju with the task of taking it across to the world clearly shows Sanju’s respect for his craft. Over to Rajkumar Hirani...

Your biopic on Sanjay is highly anticipated. Are you excited?
Quite honestly, expectations are always there at this stage. I’m happy and excited, but nervous, too. Also, it is hard for me to be objective about my own work. You live with the movie for so long. You write it, then shoot it and edit it. There are so many internal and external processes involved.

What prompted you to make this biopic on Sanjay? Weren’t you discussing another Munnabhai film with him?
I must tell you how I got attracted to it. I was writing Munnabhai. However, much earlier when I was penning PK, Sanjay was out on parole and I happened to meet him. He just started talking about his life. He was lonely. Manyata (I think) was in hospital and he used to go there (sometimes) and then come home to an empty house. So, he was just venting, speaking straight from the heart. And, he started giving me anecdotes that were just gems for a filmmaker... ki aisi film toh hum soch hi nahin sakte, likh hi nahin sakte... Even though I had worked with him, I wasn’t close friends with him, like, say, other filmmakers such as Sanjay Gupta, Mahesh Manjrekar and others were. I knew Sanju, but there was always a distance. He had never opened up like he did on that occasion. I had gone at 5 pm, stayed with him till 3 am and then came back home.

The next day, when I was editing, he called me and asked me to come over. I think he wanted to talk. After that, I called Abhijat (writer Abhijat Joshi) and told him I’m hearing these crazy anecdotes, which even if I want to write, I don’t know how to go about it.

The following day, I took Abhijat along. For over 25 days, we sat for a crazy amount of time and recorded everything. We didn’t know if there was a film because most of the things he recounted were anecdotal. I had no idea how to string them together. But what we did feel was that here was a man who had led such a crazy life in every way. He was coping with the loss of his mother, he had been to rehab for drug addiction, then he went to jail (sighs). Besides what he told me, I also met others who knew him — journalists, cops, relatives and friends. I felt there was a movie that should be told. The first thought that came to me was we will say it like it is. I told Sanju that we won’t glorify him and he was okay with it. He was like, jo bhi hai, banao.. He had talked about drugs, women, the gun, almost everything that happened. For a filmmaker, it’s like a goldmine.

How did you think of titling it Sanju? Dutt went around for a long time...
Actually, we thought of many titles. One of them was Aisa Hi Hoon. Anything you attach with a name in a biopic is like an adjective. Even if you say Aisa Hi Hoon or Sarphira, either you are glorifying him or attacking him. One thing all of us were clear about was that we wanted a neutral title. Dutt seemed a little harsh. Then I heard a gem from him. Apparently, Nargis ji used to call him ‘Sanju’ with a lot of affection. We thought this is the most non-committal and neutral title, with no pre-conceived notions.

You are the maker of super-duper hits like the Munnabhai franchise, 3 Idiots and PK. Why should you be nervous at all?
The first films are the most fearless ones; you don’t worry about them. When your first movie releases, in my case it was Munnabhai MBBS, I was just relieved that it was out there. Just that sheer thought makes you happy. It is only later that other thoughts cross your mind. Slowly, you realise that you want your movie to be liked, then you want it to succeed and become a hit. But as I said, these are thoughts that come much later. The first thing is relief.

Oh, but all that is clearly in the past. Now, you’re the Big Daddy of cinema!
Don’t bait me. I don’t buy into such things (smiles). I’m a filmmaker first, nothing else matters.

People say that you’re the best writer in the business...
Abhijat and I work together as a team. Please don’t put pressure on me by saying things like that. Anyway, in this case, we didn’t have to write. For the last 50 years, Sanjay has been writing his life. It’s said that bad choices make good stories. And this is a classic case of that.

The teaser gets launched later today. A penny for your thoughts on this occasion?
I have a terrible reputation for being nervous. If you ask Abhijat and Boman Irani, I’m a nervous wreck before every film. I recall after seven days of 3 Idiots’ release, I asked Boman if people were liking the film or was it just Aamir’s presence. I’m a bit of a mess like that because as I pointed out earlier on, I write, shoot and edit a film for months. So being objective about the end product is so hard. Every moment, every joke stops affecting me after a point in time. However, I am fortunate to have people like Abhijat, Boman and a couple of others. So, I see it from their point of view. Their reactions are fantastic to the teaser of Sanju, so I guess it’s good.

You managed a coup when you cast Ranbir Kapoor as Sanjay. The two of them are not directly connected. How did you manage to see him as Sanju?
I had a basic draft of this biopic when I sent Ranbir a message, ‘I’ve a script, let’s meet up when you’re free.’ Ranbir is usually aware of everything that is happening in the industry. He is very sharp. I’m guessing he already knew that I was planning a biopic on Sanjay. When I sent him the message, Ranbir promptly replied, ‘I hope it’s not the Sanjay Dutt biopic.’ And I thought, ‘Oh God, maybe he has heard and he may not want to do it.’ I told him it’s the same script, but let’s meet. When I met him, I realised he knew a lot about Sanju. He had spent time with him and knew him well. He used to work out at his gym and had probably heard the stories. But when he saw the angle of the story, he was like, ‘It’s interesting, let’s do it.’

Yet, Ranbir made for an unusual choice...
Hmmm. Why Ranbir? The first reason for choosing him is that he’s a fantastic actor. And the second reason is that he is at the perfect age. I needed an actor who could be 21 (years old) because that is where the film begins. That was the age when Sanju was shooting for Rocky and his drug phase started. And then we have Sanju when he came out of prison (around 56 years). So, we needed someone who could fit that transformation.

Since you managed to get up, close and personal, did you spot any similarities between them?
Both come from film families, and have that X-factor, the charm. They have lived the life of actors all through. Ranbir is not someone from outside the industry who came here to be a hero. In a sense, it was easier for me to see him as Sanju. Physically, they’re not similar. Sanju is bigger, but Ranbir is slightly taller than him. He doesn’t seem so, but it is true. Ranbir worked very hard to get the physicality right. He spent days watching tons of videos to strike the right balance and when you observe him in the film, you will notice that there is a resemblance of Sanjay Dutt, yet you know it is Ranbir Kapoor. If he did anything slightly more, it would look caricaturish and if he did a little less, it wouldn’t work. I didn’t think about anyone else. I first thought of Ranbir and went straight to him and I can tell you, we were right.

Have you shown the teaser to Sanjay?
Yes, I have shown it as well as some scenes to him. He gets overwhelmed. In fact, I told him to see the full film, but he said no, he would watch it when it’s complete. He came to the sets only twice. I think he is pretty brave. He has talked about everything in his life. I don’t think everyone will have that courage.

An excerpt from a new biography on Sanjay Dutt revisits the time when the troubled actor struggled with substance abuse, even as his mother, Nargis, lay in coma at a hospital in New York
MID-DAY (March 18, 2018)

Nargis Dutt fighting for life, Sunil Dutt shatters' screamed the headline of film weekly Screen India. "We were in a state of panic," said Sanjay [Dutt]. "We couldn't believe that this was actually happening to us. It was a crazy nightmare. Something that happened in films or in novels or to someone else... When dad signed the papers giving the doctors permission to operate [on] Mom, I dreaded the fact that it could mean he was signing her death certificate. It was horrible!"

As Nargis's severe internal bleeding continued, the doctors had to open her up to stop the haemorrhaging. But her body couldn't take it and Nargis went into a coma. The doctors suggested more surgery but feared Nargis might die on the operating table. Sunil [Dutt] felt helpless. He was all alone and didn't want to take these decisions unilaterally. He asked all three children to come to New York immediately.

Knowing how critical his mother's condition was, Sanjay had tried to drop his drug habit for a few days. But the withdrawal symptoms were too painful to bear. So while the Dutt family was going through hell, Sanjay was resorting to substance abuse every now and then. The drugs had complete control over him and made him do reckless things. When he had to go to the US with his sisters, he wondered how he would keep his supply going. He didn't want to go into withdrawal again. What Sanjay did next still makes him sick to the stomach. "When I think about it I can't believe it. I carried something like thirty grams of heroin in my shoes, and my sisters were with me," he recalled in a TV interview.

Sanjay has no memory of how he walked through immigration and customs and got out. What if he was caught? It would have been catastrophic for the Dutts at an already precarious time. The three siblings went straight to the hospital. Nargis was on life support, hooked to numerous tubes and machines. Sanjay was speechless seeing his mother like that. His eyes brimmed with tears. "The only thing left for us to do was to pray," says Sanjay. "We found a gurdwara, a masjid and a mandir in New York City. All the doctors used to laugh at us. Dr Fortner even told us that if Mom survived, he would convert himself into a Hindu."

Sunil Dutt prayed constantly. He would circle the hospital building, doing endless parikramas in prayer. Every morning Sunil Dutt and the kids used to go to the hospital from their rented apartment in the city hoping for some good news. But Nargis did not come out of coma. There was nothing the Dutts could do. Days would pass in a blur of hospital duties. If someone made a valiant attempt to rally the others, a stray tear would slip and pull everyone back down. "All of us were crying. Dad had gone berserk... At that moment I wanted nothing in the world - no money, no films, no stardom, no glamour, no guns, no friends - only my mother... How could I sit there and watch her go away? I was so helpless, I felt impotent," said Sanjay.

The trauma was too much to bear and Sanjay would try to retreat into his drug-induced cocoon. "I used to hide the heroin under the bed in the apartment in New York, and one day I couldn't find it. I came to know that dad had it. And I had the guts to go up to him and say, 'Give me my drugs back.'" Sanjay's behaviour shook Sunil to his core. Sanjay later recalled with deep regret that he was even disallowed from donating blood for his mother because of his addiction.

The family was in New York City for months, but Sanjay had to return to Mumbai to finish Rocky. "I couldn't believe I had to come back and finish Rocky, sing a song and do all that stuff when my mother was in coma. But the show has to go on," he later said. Gulshan Rai, the producer of Rocky, was jittery that the project was stuck and the dates that the actors had earmarked for the film were going to waste. Sunil had to ask his film-maker friend Raj Khosla to step in as director of the film. Patiently, over several phone calls, he explained all the scenes to Raj, shot by shot, and requested him to take on the film where he had left it.

As the months passed, Nargis underwent seven surgeries in total. The doctors would frequently tell the family to "let her go away in peace". But Sunil and the children refused to give up on Nargis. And then a miracle happened. Sunil used to lovingly hold Nargis's hand for hours on end. One day he felt her pressing his hand. Almost three months after she went into coma, Nargis opened her eyes. Everyone in the hospital started calling her "the miracle lady of Sloan Kettering".

When she came out of coma, the first thing she asked was, "Where is Sanju?" Sunil proffered an excuse and phoned Sanjay to take the first flight out of Mumbai. When Sanjay finally arrived, Sunil told Nargis he had a surprise for her. "She closed her eyes and I walked in and I just said 'Ma?'" Sanjay said. "Her face just changed. She was so happy - she was crying and she held me. Her hands were shaking. She just wanted to come back home." Nargis was desperate to catch up and wanted to know everything about what was going on in Sanjay's life and career. Most of all, she was really looking forward to finally seeing Rocky.

Excerpted with permission from Sanjay Dutt: The Crazy Untold Story of Bollywood's Bad Boy by Yasser Usman, published by Juggernaut Books

Deepali Singh (DNA; February 16, 2018)

Ever since the shoot of the Sanjay Dutt biopic was wrapped up, there has been constant speculation and eagerness to know when the movie’s trailer will be out. Helmed by Rajkumar Hirani, the film is based on Sanjay Dutt’s life and stars Ranbir Kapoor. Now, according to sources, Sanju is keen that the film’s trailer comes out on May 8 because of emotional reasons. “Sanjay started his career with Rocky, which released on May 8, 1981. Naturally, the date is very important and memorable for him,” says a source.

Rocky is also special for Sanjay, as it was directed by his father, the late Sunil Dutt, who also starred in the film. However, they did not share screen space in the movie. Again, it was Hirani who brought the father-son duo together for the first time in Munnabhai MBBS. Now, it remains to be seen whether Raju will respect actor’s wish, and release the trailer on May 8. The film is slated to hit the big screen around June-end.

The release of Rocky came at a very trying time in Sanjay’s life. His mother Nargis lost her life to cancer on May 3, just five days before his big screen debut. A source says that they had left a seat vacant in the theatre in her memory at the premiere of the film. Both, Sunil and Sanjay Dutt, are known to have broken down when the latter appeared on the screen because the most important woman in their lives had just passed away.

Subhash K Jha (DNA; October 28, 2017)

The Rajkumar Hirani-Ranbir Kapoor biopic on Sanjay Dutt’s life just got more exciting. The latest development on that front is the inclusion of the song Kya Yehi Pyar Hai from Sanjay Dutt’s debut film Rocky (1981).

Music buffs will recall this Lata Mangeshkar-Kishore Kumar duet composed by R D Burman as one of the most romantic melodies of the 1980s. This was the song Sanjay sang to his then-girlfriend Tina Munim, who played the romantic lead opposite him in Rocky.

While the ultra-romantic track’s inclusion in the film is indeed welcome, what comes as surprise is the context in which it will be used in the new film. Says a source, “Kya Yehi Pyar Hai won’t be about romantic love, but the love for life. The female voice has been completely eliminated and will only have singer Armaan Malik crooning about the love for life as Sanjay Dutt (Ranbir in the movie) goes from one crisis to another. The song will play like a theme track throughout the film.”

Amaal Malik, who has been given the task of remixing the song, says, “Yes, I am doing a new version of Kya Yehi Pyar Hai. But what a huge responsibility this is. This R D Burman song is the baap of romantic duets. To recreate that kind of composition and to get the voice quality of Kishore Kumarji is so difficult. I am not much into remixes, but I had to do this one because a filmmaker like Rajkumar Hirani asked me to and also because it’s a vintage R D number.”

Amaal is prompt to point out that he will be duly crediting Burman for the song. “Not for a moment am I going to claim credit for it. I see many reprised versions where the guy doing the remix talks of the song as though it is his original. That’s a shame.”

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 15, 2017)

Sanjay Dutt is no stranger to the recording studio. In his career spanning over nearly four decades, the actor has displayed his singing skills quite a few times. But, in his comeback film, Bhoomi, it is no ordinary ditty — the actor has crooned to a song titled Jai Mata Di. “I am reciting shlokas in the song. I’m an ardent believer of Mata Rani, who has given me the strength to face hard times. When the makers came up with the idea, I was immediately sold,” says Dutt.

Composers Sachin-Jigar reveal that Dutt’s deep baritone made him an ideal choice for a song such as this. “We always wanted to use his voice in the track. His baritone is impactful and adds heft to any track,” says Sachin Sanghvi.

Despite his previous brush with music — his last being Samjho Ho Hi Gaya for Lage Raho Munnabhai (2006) — Dutt doesn’t consider singing an easy job. “It’s slightly easier nowadays because there are instruments to enhance your tonality and voice. But during my early days, I’ve seen legendary singers like Lata ji [Mangeshkar] record songs in a single take. During Rocky (1981), I was in awe of her prowess. We are fortunate that our singers make us sound so good on screen. Singers and musicians need to be lauded more than they are today.”

He knows with the Omung Kumar-directed film, the stakes are high. “I feel fortunate that the audience cares so much for me. It’s because of my fans that I have overcome the hard times and am still around.”