The upcoming film has also got a new title that embodies its theme
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 8, 2019)

Sushant Singh Rajput, along with his leading lady Sanjana Sanghi, had flown to Paris in mid-January to wrap up the last schedule of their upcoming film, the Hindi adaptation of Josh Boone’s 2014 Hollywood film, The Fault In Our Stars, that kicked off in Jamshedpur last July. Earlier Kizie Aur Manny, the film has now been titled Dil Bechara.

Saif Ali Khan also joined the duo in the city of love for an interesting cameo. Reportedly, he plays the author Peter Van Houten, who in the original was essayed by Willem Dafoe. While debutant director Mukesh Chhabra is tight-lipped on details, explaining that he can’t reveal much of Saif’s character which is integral to the plot, he does admit that they shot with the actor at Quai de l’Hotel-de-ville near Montmartre where very few people have filmed earlier. “We shot in Paris for a week but Saif was only there for a few days. He gelled well with the team and we had a great time,” says Mukesh who also canned a scene at the iconic Eiffel Tower. “Shooting there was surreal and no, I didn’t make Sushant and Sanjana dance around the tower,” he laughs.

When quizzed on the change in the title, Rucha Pathak, Chief Creative Officer of Fox Star Studios, pointed out that the new title emerged as they were completing the shoot. “A R Rahman, who is composing the music, shared a vibrant and fun number, with lyrics penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya. When we heard the song, we found our title in it. It perfectly embodies the theme of our film,” she says.

Mukesh adds that the earlier title was a combo of the names of Sushant and Sanjana’s characters. “But in retrospect we felt that viewers would only connect with it after watching the film while Dil Bechara is self-explanatory and people will instantly relate to it,” he maintains. 

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 29, 2018)

Sonam Kapoor kicks off the shoot of Abhishek Sharma’s upcoming directorial, the screen adaptation of Anuja Chauhan’s 2008 novel, The Zoya Factor, today in a plush SoBo apartment.

The actress will be joined by Sikandar Kher who plays her onscreen brother, and Sanjay Kapoor, her real-life uncle stepping into the role of her reel life dad. A source from the film reveals, “The week-long shoot kicks off with light-hearted scenes featuring the family at their residence. Dulquer Salmaan, who plays the male lead in the film, joins the shoot on Friday. From there, the team will move to the cricket sequences which will be filmed at popular cricket grounds like Navi Mumbai’s D Y Patil Stadium.”

Rucha Pathak, Chief Creative Officer, Fox Star Studios, tells Mirror, “The Zoya Factor is a much-loved novel by Anuja, which we’re thrilled to bring to the big screen. I think this is her first novel being turned into a feature so it’s quite a new and exciting journey for all of us.”

Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari on the inspiration behind her upcoming directorial, Panga, produced by Fox Star Studios
MUMBAI MIRROR (August 21, 2018) 

Behind every successful person is his or her family. It is the silent force and a source of strength. For Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, her existing reality is a reflection of her dear ones’ belief in her. The filmmaker, who has earlier made compelling films like Nil Battey Sannata and Bareilly Ki Barfi, is all set to direct Panga, which narrates a story reaffirming that a family that laughs, cries, dreams together, is a solid support system and makes everything seem possible even in the face of adversity.

Kangana Ranaut and Jassie Gill, as leads, see this belief taking shape in Panga, whic revolves around a new-age family that challenges stereotypes and dares to dream.

“When Ashwiny narrated the film’s story, I was completely moved. My family has been my pillar of strength and have always stood by me through thick and thin. I could really relate to the emotions of the film. Plus, Ashwiny is known for her slice-of-life films and I loved her recent work in Bareilly Ki Barfi. Panga is even more special for me as, for the first time, I will be playing the role of a National-level Kabaddi player. That’s going to be challenging for sure! I am looking forward to some exciting times with Ashwiny and the Fox Star team,” says Kangana.

Jassie, who is playing Kangana’s husband in the film, says, “I loved the script, especially the inspiring family angle. The film is a roller coaster of emotions but to me the real Indian family feeling was the most heart-warming part of the subject. Since I come from a very close-knit family, I could identify with the story.”

“I wanted to keep evolving with stories that talk about relationships in a new-age Indian family. Fox Star Studios is exactly in the same space of storytelling and I am filled with gratitude to work with them to see our vision unfold and create characters and stories that would be relatable to all and still be unique,” says Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari.

Rucha Pathak, chief creative officer, Fox Star Studios, adds “About a year ago, we had approached Ashwiny with an initial draft of a script that we believed would resonate with her. The idea was that almost all great achievers in any field credit their success to their family which is what resonated with Ashwiny as she developed the script further with Nikhil Mehrotra. Kangana herself did not hesitate for a second when we narrated the script to her and we’re delighted to have her, Jassie Gill and Neena Gupta as part of the Fox Star Studios family on this journey!”

Taking the family concept ahead, the makers decided to announce the title with the favourite family pictures of the primary cast and director. Surprised by the unusual idea, everyone enthusiastically shared the pictures that came together to announce the film in a unique way.
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DNA (August 21, 2018)

After Hrs had got this title from the grapevine a few weeks ago.

However, at the behest of the makers, we held back our information. Now, hit director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari (of Nil Battey Sannata and Bareilly Ki Barfi fame) has finalised the title for her family entertainer starring Kangana Ranaut, Jassi Gill and Neena Gupta. It’s going to be called Panga! And now, we can finally go public with this one.

The title was revealed late last night in an interesting fashion. The makers put out a collage of some pictures from the actual family albums of Kangana, Jassi, Neena and Ashwini indicating that when your kin stands behind you, no one in the world can take panga with you.

MUMBAI MIRROR (August 14, 2018)

Fox Star Studios and Raj Kumar Gupta’s next offering is an espionage thriller, India’s Most Wanted, which is inspired by true events. It is the story of the mission that captured India’s most wanted terrorist without firing a single bullet. Arjun Kapoor will be seen playing the role of an intelligence officer for the first time on-screen.

Acclaimed director Raj Kumar Gupta, who recently delivered a hit with Raid and is also known for writing and directing taut narratives like Aamir and No One Killed Jessica, says, “India’s Most Wanted is very close to my heart. It’s a script that I have been researching and writing for the past three years and I am eager to tell a story that needs to be told. I am glad to be working with the talented, sincere and hardworking Arjun Kapoor on this film and am also looking forward to my first collaboration with Fox Star Studios as the producing partner on this film.”

Arjun, who is excited to collaborate with Fox Star Studios and Raj Kumar Gupta, says, “Raj sir was the first director to call me after the release of my first film Ishaqzaade. We’ve been waiting to collaborate ever since. India’s Most Wanted is a film about real people and real incidents. Raj sir has his finger on this genre’s pulse. As an actor, I feel India’s Most Wanted is something that is extremely unique as a film; it’s a special and important story that needs to be told. Personally, I’m entering an uncharted territory with this genre, I am nervous and excited working on such an evocative and impactful film that every Indian needs to watch.”

Rucha Pathak, Chief Creative Officer, Fox Star Studios, says, “At Fox Star Studios, we are excited when we spot a special script. When Raj Kumar first narrated the story to us, we knew we had found that special story. Our excitement doubled when Arjun agreed to be a part of this wonderful project. This is the story of our unknown, everyday heroes that we want to bring to the big screen and there is no better person than Raj Kumar to direct this film.”

Produced by Fox Star Studios and Raj Kumar Gupta, the film is slated for release on May 24, 2019.

Hindi adaptation of the H’wood romantic drama The Fault in our Stars kicked off in Jamshedpur today with Mukesh Chhabra calling the shots
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 9, 2018)

Mirror ( March 19) was the first to report that after months of scouting, Mukesh Chhabra had zeroed in on Sanjana Sanghi, seen briefly in Rockstar, Hindi Medium and Fukrey Returns, to play the leading lady opposite Sushant Singh Rajput in his directorial debut, the Hindi remake of Josh Boone’s 2014 Hollywood romantic drama, The Fault in our Stars. The film kicked off in Jamshedpur today with a 5 am shoot. “The first shot will be taken with Sanjana, who plays Kizie, and her parents in their home,” Mukesh informed from the Steel City on Sunday evening, admitting that he didn’t think he would get much sleep before D-Day. The film is titled Kizie Aur Manny, after its protagonists.

Based on John Green’s bestselling 2012 novel, The Fault in our Stars, it’s the story of a 16-year-old cancer patient who is forced by her parents to attend a support group, where she meets and subsequently falls in love with another patient who has lost a leg to bone cancer. “The very fact that the story revolves around cancer makes it seem heavy and intense. But we’ve turned it into a beautiful love story which plays out lightly between these two main characters. I’ve tried to keep it as simple as possible which is why we decided on this title that has the ring of a rhyme, like Bunty aur Babli,” explained Mukesh.

When it was pointed out to him that Kizie is not a common Indian name, he acknowledged that they had imported it from Africa because it is a perfect fit for their leading lady. Manny, on the other hand, is a common name across countries and unusual enough to spark of interest.

The first-time director pointed out that as one of Bollywood’s best known casting directors, he was sure when he met her, seven years after Rockstar, that Sanjana is best suited to play Kizie. “As for Sushant, I was the one who got him his first break, Kai Po Che! and during the shoot of PK where again I was the casting director, I had told him that whenever I directed my first film, he would be in it and he had replied that he would always be there for me. Four days ago, he reminded me of that. In an age of empty words, he has kept his promise,” exulted Mukesh.

And why Jamshedpur? He reasoned that the city happily welcomed people from across the country and gave them a home there. “So you have a South Indian living next to a Bengali family, while a Parsi and a Bihari could be neighbours. I needed a place with a small town vibe and had heard a lot about Jamshedpur from Imtiaz (Ali) and R Madhavan. When I came here for recee, I knew instantly that this was where I wanted my love story to take root,” he avered.

Rucha Pathak, Chief Creative Officer, Fox Star Studios, which is producing the romantic drama, is happy that finally the stars have aligned for their Indian adaptation of The Fault in our Stars. “We’re especially happy that the script that we’ve been developing over the last few years is seeing the start of shoot and the title itself has come so organically from the Indian characters in the film. Kizie and Manny are characters from the imagination of Suprotim Sengupta who wrote the screenplay and Shashank Khaitan who gave them wonderful voices through his dialogues. Mukesh now is going to bring them to life,” she asserted.

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 19, 2018)

After months of scouting for a leading lady to step into Hazel Grace Lancaster’s shoes for the Hindi remake of Josh Boone’s 2014 Hollywood romantic drama, The Fault In Our Stars, the makers have zeroed in on Sanjana Sanghi, who was seen in brief roles in Rockstar, Hindi Medium and Fukrey Returns. The 21-yearold actress will pair up with Sushant Singh Rajput, who had been fi nalised last October, in her big Bollywood break.

Casting director Mukesh Chhabra, who will be making his directorial debut with the film, confirmed the news to Mirror, saying, “I met Sanjana while casting for Rockstar and found her to be a dynamic girl with great energy. After a few years, she reconnected for a few ad jobs and this time she came across as a mature young lady and to my surprise, a fabulous actor. I knew instantly that I would love to make a film with her one day. Once The Fault in Our Stars script was ready, she fit right in. She’s the perfect face and I can’t wait to create magic with this talented girl.”

Based on a bestselling novel of the same name by John Green, the film revolves around Hazel, a 16-year-old cancer patient who is forced by her parents to attend a support group, where she meets and subsequently falls in love with Augustus Waters, another cancer patient who has lost a leg to bone cancer.

Rucha Pathak, chief creative officer, Fox Star Studios, that is producing the film, informed that Mukesh had called her one day to meet Sanjana. “She has a striking yet innocent personality but her screen-test really caught my eye. She nailed her audition and we knew right away she was our leading lady. We’re looking forward to launch her,” Rucha asserted.

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 22, 2018)

Mirror (August 11) was the first to report that after delivering hits like Mani Ratnam’s O Kadhal Kanmani, Anjali Menon’s Bangalore Days and Martin Prakkat’s Charlie, Malayalam actor and son of veteran South actor Mammootty, Dulquer Salmaan is to make his Bollywood debut with Ronnie Screwvala’s Karwaan which also features Irrfan Khan and Mithila Palkar. While reports of the 31-year-old actor signing many new films have been doing the rounds, we have learnt that Dulquer has given his nod to a Sonam Kapoor-starrer, a screen adaptation of Anuja Chauhan’s 2008 novel The Zoya Factor. “It’s an interesting character and Dulquer has liked the script. While he has committed to the project he is yet to sign on the dotted line,” informs a source.

The fictional story revolves around Zoya Singh Solanki and the younger players in India’s cricket team, who after discovering that the advertising executive was born at the very moment when India won the World Cup in 1983 and that having breakfast with her ensures victory, decide she is their lucky charm. Pursued by international cricket boards and wooed by advertisers, Zoya struggles to stay grounded in the thick of World Cup action. It doesn’t help that she keeps clashing with the brilliant new skipper who tells her that he doesn’t believe in luck.

In August, Sonam had confirmed that she is a part of the film. “Super excited to work with amazing sister duo, Aarti and Pooja Shetty, with the brilliant Abhishek Sharma on Anuja Chauhan’s Zoya factor (sic),” she had announced on the social media.

The actress is currently busy with the promotions of R Balki’s Pad Man, with Akshay Kumar in the titular role, and the filming of her home production, Veere Di Wedding, also featuring Kareena Kapoor. “The Zoya Factor is expected to roll sometime in March-April,” adds the source.

When contacted, Rucha Pathak of Fox Star Studios who is producing the film did not deny the news, saying instead, “We are yet to finalise the cast and will soon make the announcement.”

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 6, 2017)

It was a happy ending for the Kriti Sanon, Ayushmann Khurrana and Rajkummar Rao love story, Bareilly Ki Barfi, and now three months later, it’s versatile director, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari has a new game plan. Mirror has learnt that her next film, which is currently being scripted, revolves around kabaddi which has become a popular sport over the last three years thanks to the annual Pro Kabaddi League which has Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan and filmmaker Ronnie Screwvala rooting for it.

Ashwiny when contacted confirmed the news, saying, “My quest for telling stories close to my heart has found a like-minded partner in Fox Star Studios. Bareilly Ki Barfi was very different film from my debut directorial Nil Battey Sannata, but the idea is always to tell varied, content-driven stories that resonate with the audiences.”

The writer-director goes on to reveal she enjoys tennis and badminton in real life but kabaddi, even as a sport, is new to her. “It’s something I’d like to explore because like football, kabaddi too is getting into the limelight. The film will go on the floors next year. We are still to finalise the cast,” she informed.

Rucha Pathak of the production house says, “While researching and developing a concept on kabaddi we came across an idea that we felt was just right for Ashwiny, who has a unique voice as a storyteller as was evident in her first two films. I’m really glad she is going to be directing the film.”

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 20, 2014)

Anurag Basu’s quest for perfection may see portions of his upcoming film, the Ranbir Kapoor-Katrina Kaif starrer Jagga Jasoos, being reshot. We have learnt that the director wants to improve on some of the scenes he has already canned.

Mirror had earlier reported that Ranbir had to furiously work out to lose weight to transform from Bombay Velvet’s beefy street fighter to a lanky 18-year-old for the first schedule of Jagga Jasoos that took place in-between the ongoing shoot of Bombay Velvet.

Revealed a source close to the production, “Around 20 days of shooting has been completed with Ranbir and Katrina. But Anurag feels that he can do better and will be reshooting some portions.”

However, the reshoot will not hamper the upcoming schedule of the film. “Anurag will accommodate the changes in the second schedule without extending it. He knows that after Barfi!, expectations from him and Ranbir have increased and he is determined to make an even better film without any creative compromises,” adds the source.

Buzz is, the film is a musical which revolves around a gifted teenage detective’s search for his missing father. It will have 20 odd songs composed by Pritam who had also given the Barfi! score.

The film was earlier scheduled to wrap up by May 2014, but now it's release has been pushed forward to May 2015. Anurag can afford to spend some more time on the shoot.

When contacted, Rucha Pathak, Senior Creative Director of Disney UTV, producers of the film, said, “Completely baseless. We are extremely happy with the way the shoot has gone so far, so the question of a reshoot does not arise.”