Showing posts with label Saba Azad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saba Azad. Show all posts
Hrithik Roshan's first web series as a producer, Storm, goes on floors in Mumbai
11:27 PM
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; January 6, 2026)
It may be a while before fans see Hrithik Roshan back on screen, but the superstar has ensured that work behind the scenes is well underway. Roshan, who announced his entry into the streaming space as a producer on October 10, 2025, has taken his first production, Storm, on floors. Sources tell mid-day that the thriller series began shooting in Mumbai in November 2025.
“The shooting for Storm is in full swing. Ajitpal Singh serves as the show’s director, writer, and creator. It’s largely a start-to-end schedule. Ajit is looking at wrapping it by February,” says a source of the series, which stars Parvathy Thiruvothu, Alaya F, Saba Azad, Srishti Shrivastava, Rrama Sharma, Ashish Vidyarthi, and Rajit Kapur.
The show marks the first of many collaborations between Prime Video and Roshan’s HRX Films, a division of his FilmKraft Productions. The makers worked on the script for over three years before taking the series on floors.
“Hrithik and Ajitpal have spent considerable time exchanging ideas through the scripting and pre-production stage. Hrithik is kicked about the show’s script. He loved Ajit’s directorial venture Tabbar (2021). So, he knows the filmmaker will bring his unique flavour to the genre, where style, substance, and sensitivity will unite,” shares another insider.
My parents have never pressured me to marry-Saba Azad
10:08 AM
Vishakha Pandit (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 23, 2025)
Actor Saba Azad is in no hurry to fit into Bollywood’s conventional boxes, and that includes the expectation of getting hitched. She calls herself a “greedy actor”, someone who seeks out parts that require her to “apply herself”. “Playing someone who lives in a city like me isn’t that far from who I am. But being a part of someone’s journey, stepping into their world — that’s the kind of role I can really sink my teeth into,” she tells us.
While the 39-year-old is focused on expanding her filmography, she also acknowledges the intense curiosity surrounding her personal life. Saba, whose partner is actor Hrithik Roshan, often faces questions about wedding plans. Yet, she says she grew up in a family where marriage was never the “be all and end all”
“At the age of six, my parents sat me down and said, ‘Beta, you never need to get married if you don’t want to. We don’t have any expectations from you.’ So no, I’ve never felt any pressure from my family about how to live my life,” she tells us.
Last seen in Songs Of Paradise, Saba also opens up about being typecast. “I often get boxed into urban characters. People ask me, ‘Can you even speak Hindi?’ And I’m like, ‘Of course I can!’” she laughs. “It’s always a challenge to break out of stereotypes. So when a director imagines you differently, it’s a gift,” she adds.
I stopped getting voice over projects after dating Hrithik Roshan-Saba Azad
8:13 AM
Yashika Mathur (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 15, 2024)
Recently, actor and voice-over (VO) artiste Saba Azad posted a series of Instagram stories revealing the reason behind the sudden halt in her VO projects. Expressing her frustration, she shared how about two-and-a-half years ago, she stopped getting VO assignments after she started dating actor Hrithik Roshan.
“Are we really still living in the dark ages where we assume a woman in a relationship with a successful partner no longer has to put food on her own table?? Or pay her rent and bills? Or take pride in her work and take care of herself and her family??? This is sadly a one-dimensional patriarchal and regressive mindset,” the 38-year-old actor, who started dating Roshan in 2020, shared.
Clarifying this statement further, she explained how an old friend and director told her that she doesn’t need to work anymore since he assumed that she “wouldn’t like to do something like a voice-over anymore...given...”.
Refuting such assumptions, Azad clarified, “Being a voice actor is one of my three careers and has been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had creatively monetarily (sic).”
She added, “I never told anyone I am quitting, never said I am disinterested. I never altered my session fee, nothing was different from my end so what changed? (sic).”
You feel like sh*t, says Saba Azad on being trolled for dating Hrithik Roshan
8:37 AM
HINDUSTAN TIMES (October 4, 2023)
Actors Saba Azad and Hrithik Roshan aren’t opposed to posting about their personal lives on social media or getting papped together. But the relationship has exposed Azad to a lot of hate comments online. There were rumours that the couple, who reportedly began dating early last year, was planning to tie the knot soon, which also caused her to be trolled.
Sharing how she deals with the hate, Azad said in an interview, “It’s taken me some time to come to a place where I treat everything as white noise because hatred is palpable. I am not made of stone. You feel like sh*t and you wonder, ‘What did I do to you? I am living my life, you live yours’. But you realize you are not responsible for how people think.”
Being a “private person”, the singer-actor had to make “peace” with today’s “scary” paparazzi culture. Speaking to India Today, she said, “I love being at home. It was very daunting in the beginning… However, you understand and empathize that I may not relate to paparazzi culture, but that guy, who is taking a photo, is doing his job. There is some space in the market, which is curious about other people’s lives. He is filling that space. I am existing and doing my job.”
At the rate we procreate, we must talk about sex-Saba Azad
8:09 AM
Saba Azad on how the series, Who’s Your Gynac, is a step towards normalizing dialogue around reproductive health
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; October 3, 2023)
"Such topics need to be normalized,” states Saba Azad during our interview, highlighting how our society shies away from sex education and discussions on reproductive health. Now, the actor is bringing the subject right to our laptop screens with Who’s Your Gynac? In the Amazon miniTV series by TVF, she plays a gynaecologist who is scouting for patients for her new clinic. In a chat with mid-day, the actor discusses how the show explores an urgent theme, and why she has been away from mainstream cinema.
Edited excerpts from the interview.
When was the first time you visited a gynaecologist? Were you awkward during the visit?
I was 19 or 20 when I first felt the need to visit a gynaecologist. I was awkward at first because it is not comfortable taking your pants off in front of the doctor. Almost 30 seconds into it, it was so technical that it didn’t feel much.
What were your initial thoughts when you got the show?
I didn’t have any inhibitions. This is a long time coming. People should talk about sex, reproductive health and have sex education. At the rate that we procreate, we must definitely be talking about these topics.
In the series, it is shown that the menstruation is covered in sex education in schools, but the topic of intercourse is ignored. Your thoughts?
I don’t think sex education has been made compulsory throughout the country. It needs to be because it is ultimately about health and making adults aware about their bodies. No one talks about reproduction, and people are walking into life with half-baked information. Kids have a lot of questions about their bodies, they must be addressed. Open dialogue with parents or in school would be the best practice.
When did you have this conversation?
It was during sex education in school. My parents never had this conversation with me. Conversation on sex should be normalized.
Why do you think people are wary of going to a gynaec?
In our culture, we have attached shame to anything regarding reproduction, which is weird because we procreate the most. There is a sense of shame attached to sexuality and sex, and it has been passed on from generation to generation. So, kids find it awkward to talk to their parents about it and vice versa.
Your Rocket Boys co-star Jim Sarbh has bagged an Emmy nomination. Did you congratulate him?
I am yet to call him. This is a fantastic development. We were all secretly manifesting it.
What do awards mean to you?
Awards mean something because it’s celebrating someone’s hard work. That said, it also depends on the body that is giving out the awards. There are a lot of award functions, which are held for the purpose of making money, and they do little to facilitate talent or go through a voting process. But something as prestigious as the Emmys is wonderful and respectful.
You haven’t done too many films. Why?
I forayed into films with Dil Kabaddi [2008] and Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge [2011]. After that, I was being offered only college [capers] and rom-coms. I am a child of theatre and wanted something substantial. I was bored of the [offers] coming my way. Thankfully, I am a musician-singer and a theatre actor. My hands were in several pies, so I didn’t feel the lack [of work]. I pulled back from mainstream [cinema]. But as soon as the lockdown happened, a lot of people came in the eye-line of casting directors. Now, I am finally getting meaty roles where I can sink my teeth.
Does cinema satisfy you as much as theatre does?
I am in a transitional phase. I have always been a live performer. However, over the last five years, I have begun to enjoy being in front of the camera as much as I do on stage.
I am not averse to songs, I am just not too fond of Hindi film music-Naseeruddin Shah
8:22 AM
Seventeen years after his last directorial effort left him frustrated, Naseeruddin Shah returns with a tender short film about relationships, casting family and friends
Jane Borges (MID-DAY; August 27, 2023)
In the early noughties, when filmmakers were successfully experimenting with ensemble casts and multiple plot threads, Naseeruddin Shah, with a reputation for being sagacious in his choice of films, joined the fray with his directorial debut, Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota (2006), a 9/11 hijack drama that was a collage of four inter-twined stories.
We meet the 73-year-old at his Bandra West residence, on a day when the sun and rain clouds are playing hide-and-seek. Shah is dressed in a multi-coloured checked shirt and was only minutes before our interruption, deep into a book; he looks back at the film as a mixed bag. “I was hurried into it [making the film],” he remembers, “And I didn’t get the time to consult anyone about the screenplay.”
In hindsight, he says, “I should have.” “I should have waited,” he repeats, “But the producer kept this carrot on a stick in front of me, and said, ‘we’ll launch it on your birthday’. I got tempted by the idea, became rather sentimental. It was released on my birthday… Not that it lasted very long at the box office.” If there’s any disappointment, Shah coats it with his dry humour.
Several years followed, during which theatre, and big and bit roles in the movies served as Shah’s creative fuel. “I was nervous about making another film,” he says. “I preferred [directing for] theatre, which is a living thing. You can keep adding to, subtracting from, improving upon, and it keeps evolving as you keep rehearsing and performing. Whereas a film is fixed in stone. Once it’s out, you cannot revise it.”
But Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota never really left him. “I have been thinking about it a great deal. It did not turn out quite as I had hoped.
Shah says the movie fell short on many scores—he had wanted to make something more “cohesive” where the four stories overlapped, and where characters of one story would appear in the other. “The Irrfan [Khan] story I was particularly most unhappy about, because there was so much more I could have given a great actor like him to do. I realized that you can’t have a central character do nothing; that’s exactly what he was. Lucky for me, Irrfan didn’t hold it against me.” He sums it up: “I was not really well prepared enough.”
While the film had left him with a terrible sense of frustration, Shah confesses he always itched to get back to direction. Dissatisfaction with some of the movies that he had acted in drew him to it in the first place—“I would try and think about how I could repair some of the absolutely ghastly scenes that I was forced to enact.”
The opportunity came recently with Man Woman Man Woman, which is also theatre company Motley Productions’ first short film production, with Trigger Productions and Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films. Starring spouse Ratna Pathak Shah, son Vivaan, Saba Azad and Tarun Dhanrajgir, the 25-minute film is a tender story about relationships and second chance at happiness. It released on Large Short Films’ YouTube channel on Friday.
Shah says he was more prepared this time around, with Ratna and Vivaan contributing with suggestions to his script, and older son Imaad taking the reigns as associate director, helping with everything from the screenplay to the music, which he composed with Samar Grewal. “There’s [just] one song in the film… I am not averse to songs, I am just not too fond of Hindi film music,” shares Shah.
When Ratna, who has joined us for the interview with Vivaan, first read the script, she found it “charming and simple”. “It was also a story that required the actors to behave in an utterly natural and comfortable manner… those are things that Naseer is really good at. And there were lovely parts for each one of us. They were short and brief, but the scenes had enough meat in them.”
What helped a great deal, she says, was that everyone on the set were either friends or family. Sanah Abbott was second assistant director; Anil Mehta was cinematographer, and Hina Saiyyada, editor. “We’ve known everyone for years. It was really a carry forward of the way we do things at Motley, where the work is done in a collaborative fashion… eventually, it’s a bunch of friends making a film together.”
Actor-singer Saba Azad, who plays Ratna’s daughter in the film, she says, “is practically daughter to me”. She and Imaad have been musical partners for years as electro funk duo Madboy/Mink. At this point, the doorbell rings. It’s Saba who rushes to hug Shah and Ratna—her ‘Baba’ and ‘Mama’. They break away briefly from talking about the film to discuss her recent freezing cold holiday in South America. “The transfer of affection doesn’t have to be underlined there,” says Ratna reeling us back in, “These are the kind of moments that came naturally to us when we were performing.”
Saba, who has been looking for material that challenges her as an actor, says she was drawn to the film because she found it to be an “inclusive love story”. “It’s also unusual… we don’t often talk about older love and sexuality.”
The challenge for Shah was to translate that idea on screen in a shorter format, and “getting rid of the flab”. Film, as a medium, makes tremendous demands of a director. Shah describes the role as more “organizational and exhausting” than creative. Ratna says that while Naseer has been successfully directing theatre for several years now, to put those lessons aside and re-learn and re-invent for film was a hard-fought experience.
“It was more traumatic for him, than it was for us; we were frankly having a party,” Ratna laughs. Saba adds, “I think theatre functions in a more controlled environment than films; there are so many more variables on a film set. I remember the first scene, the rain came down on us, and it happened again and again.”
She says working with a meticulous director like Shah was an experience. “He knows exactly what he wants from the actor. I don’t know if this is something that comes from years of directing for theatre.”
The entire script was written keeping Ratna, Vivaan and Saba, in mind, except the elderly man, says Shah. “I was certain I would not play the role,” he says. Shah offered it to well-known actors, “but I realized they bring too much baggage.”
Ratna suggested Tarun Dhanrajgir, whom they knew from their early years as theatre actors. “We hadn’t met for close to 40 years. He was a slim lad back then, who had turned into a portly, personable, white-bearded, handsome gent. I had faith in his acting because we had worked together in two plays way back in 1982 and ’83.”
Dhanrajgir, who is based out of Hyderabad, joins us over a call and says he was a bundle of nerves because he hadn’t faced the camera in years, except for short roles in Telugu movies. “But it was an emotional moment for me… going back and working with Naseer and Ratna after all this time.”
Vivaan, who aside from acting in theatre and films, has also been writing novels (his third novel, The Forsaken Wilderness released earlier this year), says he and his father are great collaborators. “So much of my immersion in literature is thanks to what I have learnt from my parents. Baba is a brilliant storyteller. I remember, as a kid, when we used to go on these long car rides, he would synopsize the entire plot of Shakespeare. That’s how I was first exposed to The Merchant Of Venice and Macbeth,” he says and adds, “Another very interesting thing about him is his ingenuity as a dramatist. That really harks back to all his theatre work.”
Vivaan says his father’s adaptation, restructuring and re-formulation and of pre-existing literature for the stage, sets him apart. “That’s really what great screenplay writers do. It’s wonderful to witness Baba apply the same ingenuity as a dramaturge into this film.”
Actor-singer Saba Azad plays Ratna Pathak Shah’s daughter in the film
After 17 years, Naseeruddin Shah turns director for short film Man Woman Man Woman
8:35 AM
Helming a short 17 years after his first directorial venture Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota, Naseer says its failure made him wary of creating features
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; August 18, 2023)
If Naseeruddin Shah is in front of the camera, you can be assured he will be a scene-stealer. Going behind the camera, however, is something he is wary of. Over 17 years since his maiden directorial venture, Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota (2006), the senior actor has picked up the directorial baton again for Man Woman Man Woman. The short film features his actor-wife Ratna Pathak Shah, son Vivaan Shah, Tarun Dhanrajgir and Saba Azad.
The veteran actor wrote the relationship drama with wife Ratna, and shot it in October over six days. At the writing stage itself, he envisioned Ratna and Vivaan in the central parts. He says, “Ratna plays a woman with a sense of humour, determined to enjoy every moment in her life, and who doesn’t cower down to people. For Vivaan’s role, I wanted him to shed his intensity as he had to play a quieter and more laidback person.”
Naseeruddin’s elder son Imaad Shah served as an associate director on the project. So, how was it collaborating with the family? “They are all actors on sets and don’t behave like family. Sometimes, they take a little liberty with me. Vivaan and Ratna have worked with me as a director, and know what to expect. In fact, at one point, I got angry and Vivaan gave me a hug and said ‘Baba, cool it.’”
Even as he enjoyed making the short film, the scars of Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota remain. The drama featured some of Hindi cinema’s finest actors, including Konkona Sens Sharma, Paresh Rawal, and the late Irrfan Khan.
“I was disappointed with the way the film turned out, and I take all the blame for it. I was focusing only on the actors, but fell short as far as imagining the scenes [was concerned]. Irrfan’s story was a big blunder. I feel terrible that I wasted a marvellous actor like him. I apologized to him as many of his scenes got cut. I won’t make a feature film again, though I may direct another short.”
Back in 2016, we thought OTT might be tacky like TV-Saba Azad
8:37 AM
Shaheen Irani (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 8, 2023)
Actor-singer Saba Azad set many hearts aflutter, including beau, actor Hrithik Roshan’s as the “lady in red”, at the recently held grand opening of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre. But that’s not all; the actor is also receiving applause for her role as Pipsy in the web series Rocket Boys, whose second season was released recently.
Azad, who is also a theatre artiste, looks back at her journey since she made her Bollywood debut in 2008 with Dil Kabaddi. She stepped into the world of web later, with the series Ladies Room (2016). She says that back then, OTT was considered similar to television. “We thought it might be tacky like TV. No one knew about OTT when I started. There were no digital platforms. Things were still very uncertain. We had no idea what we were doing,” she recalls.
However, the 37-year-old maintains she kept getting similar roles as Anil Senior’s directorial for a while. “After Dil Kabaddi, I got Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge (2011). I somehow got clubbed with the college romance genre. The offers that came my way were always the same. So, I took out some time to work on music. I was singing for three bands at a time and doing playback, too. With the web world coming into place, there were more interesting concepts. So, I never stopped acting,” adds Azad.
The actor is also happy with the way her character in Rocket Boys, Parvana Irani, aka Pipsy (Dr Homi Bhabha’s love interest), has shaped up. The series has Jim Sarbh, Regina Cassandra and Ishwak Singh in prominent roles. When asked if she felt emotional about Pipsy’s wedding scene, Azad says, “It was heartbreaking. She (Pipsy) knew that if she stepped into a new life with him (Dr Bhabha), he would prioritise work. But she wanted more [from the marriage]. So she made her choice. She wasn’t the bechari who would wait for her man. However, the love between them never died.”
Azad also tells us about her favourite scenes from the series. “Pipsy’s introduction scene and the scene in the library, where she asks Dr Bhabha if he wants to continue being an idiot or wants to do something with his life,” says the actor.
On the work front, Azad has three films releasing later in the year and she’s also working on two web series. Meanwhile, the singer has also ventured into filmmaking: “I’m working towards becoming a director and hoping it will happen in the next five years.”
I came to Mumbai alone with no friends nor relatives; I built all four of my careers from scratch-Saba Azad
8:31 AM
Sanya (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 16, 2022)
Actor Saba Azad might be making headlines lately for her relationship with actor Hrithik Roshan, but one can’t overlook the work that she has been doing on various mediums. The Rocket Boys actor says she’s “just starting out”, but none of what she does is by chance. “I came to Mumbai alone with neither friends nor relatives in the city, and I built all four of my careers from scratch.”
Apart from acting, Azad, 36, has three alternate careers. “I am a musician, I have a band, I am a playback singer and a voice-over artiste. I briefly ran and owned a bar and restaurant in Bengaluru. I hope to direct and make films of my own one day,” she says.
A creative soul, the multihyphenate, who hails from a family of academics and artists, modelled her stage name on her grandmother’s pen name. She says, “The name on my passport is Saba Grewal. My father is of Sikh origin and my mother of Muslim, but neither practised religion nor imposed their opinions upon me. Azad was my nani’s pen name. I liked the sound of it and the meaning of course. The want for freedom is the most human instinct. So (with her permission) I adopted it as my stage name.”
Azad, who describes herself as a “curious, permanently-amused, strong-willed, mildly-gifted, independent animal”, shares how her childhood shaped her up to be the creative individual she is today: “I’m from Delhi, and have had a very normal middle-class upbringing with a lot of cultural exposure. Theatre, cinema, dance, and music were a big part of my growing years.”
Ask her about the way her acting career has shaped up, Azad replies she is happy to be finally getting the kind of roles she always wanted. “I waited a long time to get the kind of roles that require me to apply myself. I am thankful for the kind of projects coming my way lately… I just completed an independent film titled Minimum, Rocket Boys season 2 is on its way, and I’m shooting another indie [film] in Srinagar as we speak.”
Azad further adds, “I have enjoyed being a part of the indie music scene and I have had my fair share of acceptance as an actor. I feel lucky to be able to balance multiple careers and enjoy them all equally. Getting paid to do what you love is a blessing.”
Rumours of Hrithik Roshan tying the knot with Saba Azad doing the rounds
9:45 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (July 21, 2022)
Hrithik Roshan and Saba Azad may not have spoken about their relationship, but they haven’t really hidden it from the world. In fact, Saba has often been seen in pictures with the Roshans at their residence. The couple made their relationship official when they walked in together for Karan Johar’s 50th birthday party and smiled for the cameras. On social media, too, they often post sweet messages for each other.
Now, there’s buzz that they are planning to tie the knot soon. While the marriage rumours seem to be just that as of now, the couple did spend some quality time together during their recent Europe vacation. Saba shared pictures from Paris as well as London. In April, they were spotted partying in Goa with Hrithik’s ex-wife Sussanne Khan and her good friend Arslan Goni. The two were among the guests present for the opening of Sussanne’s restaurant there.
On the work front, Hrithik will be seen in the Hindi remake of the Tamil film Vikram Vedha alongside Saif Ali Khan and Radhika Apte, and Fighter opposite Deepika Padukone.
Saba, who is an actor and singer, has been a part of the electronic band Madboy/Mink, which she started with actor and musician Imaad Shah. She made her Bollywood debut with the movie Dil Kabaddi and is currently working in a few web shows.
Check out Karan Johar's blingtastic 50th birthday bash
8:22 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (May 27, 2022)
Karan Johar’s landmark birthday bash was nothing short of a Bollywood blockbuster. The party had the biggest stars at their blingiest best, sashaying on the red carpet, along with a splash of vibrant colours, a grand décor that blended with the theme and every other element that made this the party of the year.
Bling was the theme of the evening, and everybody, including Karan, followed the dress code. The evening saw Hrithik Roshan and Saba Azad make their first red carpet appearance. While they have been indulging in playful banter on social media, this is their first appearance at a filmi do.
While Alia Bhatt was away shooting, Ranbir Kapoor was accompanied by his mom Neetu Kapoor. Ranveer Singh, too, was spotted sans wife Deepika Padukone, who is currently a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival.
Among those who joined in to raise a toast to Karan were Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri with Aryan and Salman Khan, who walked into the party way past midnight. Aamir Khan and his former wife Kiran Rao walked in together.
B-Town jodis who added much dazzle to the evening were Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, Mira Rajput Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor, Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh, Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedi, among others.
Also seen at the party were Varun Dhawan, Kiara Advani, Janhvi Kapoor, Tiger Shroff, Parineeti Chopra, Kriti Sanon, Shanaya Kapoor, Pooja Hegde, Mrunal Thakur, Rashmika Mandanna, Vijay Deverakonda, Tiger Shroff, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Tamannaah Bhatia, Rajkummar Rao, Vaani Kapoor, Farah Khan, Rohit Shetty, Luv Ranjan, Kabir Khan and Mini Mathur, Pritam, Sonali Bendre and Twinkle Khanna, among others.
Saba Azad, Namit Das and Geetanjali Kulkarni's Minimum highlights stories of Indian immigrants
8:17 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (May 12, 2022)
The film Minimum, which revolves around Indian immigrants, marks the directorial debut of writer-actor Rumana Molla. The international drama set in Belgium deals with transactional marriage and migration with love, affection and friendship at the core.
Produced by Shiladitya Bora and Radhika Lavu, the movie is slated to go on floors this June. The film’s cast features talented actors like Saba Azad, Namit Das, Geetanjali Kulkarni and Rumana in major roles. It also has four ex-Berlinale talents, writer director Rumana, director of photography Pooja Gupte, producer Shiladitya Bora and line producer Marija Stojnic.
Saba says, “I knew I had to be a part of Minimum as soon as I read it. It’s a very unusual story.” The actor, who plays a French tutor in the film, feels the character of Laurie is possibly the toughest she has taken up. “That’s because I have to do this in a language that I’m not familiar with. That’s what pulled me to the film, I knew it would test my abilities as an artist,” she shares.
Geetanjali adds, “It is an honest and detailed depiction of the life of an immigrant family. The character I play is of a person who is a survivor trying her best so that she and her son could live a better life.”
Talking about what drew him to the project, Namit says, “The name itself intrigued me. Whatever Shiladitya does, I find it very hatke and soulful. As I drowned myself in the script, I realised that it’s a deceptively simple film, with complex layers. I’m fascinated by the world of these characters.”
About working with debutant director Rumana, he says, “In my first meeting with her, I realised that she knows what she wants, and that’s the best quality for a director. I love her warmth and her vision. Minimum is her world that she dreamt about and is bringing to life – and I can’t wait to dive into it!”
Rumana says, “I feel blessed to have such an amazing cast. I have been throwing curveballs left, right and centre, and they have embraced each one of them at every step of the way. The level of enthusiasm and commitment that I have observed is rare to come by.”
Minimum, produced by Platoon One Films and Ellanar Films, will aim for a June 2023 release.
I’m delighted both Hrithik Roshan, Sussanne Khan both have found love again-Pooja Bedi
8:51 AM
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; April 7, 2022)
Over the years, Hrithik Roshan and Sussanne Khan, though they divorced in 2014, have always been there for their sons, Hridaan and Hrehaan like one rock-solid family. They have been spotted together at family celebrations and even on some vacations. Recently, the two were seen at a party in Goa, though this time around with their partners. While Hrithik was at the event with musician-actress Saba Azad, Sussanne was accompanied by actor Arslan Goni. The couples were clicked at the Mumbai airport holding hands when they returned to the city on Tuesday.
While earlier reports claimed they were at a bash hosted by Pooja Bedi, that wasn’t the case. Talking to BT, Pooja says, “It wasn’t my party, but Sussanne’s! It was all her hard work and the ability to multi-task and host something on this scale, and I don’t want to take away from that. ”
Pooja adds, “Sussanne had hosted a party to launch a café in Panjim for which she’s done the interiors, hence all of us were there. This Sunday, I am launching my café, too, and I hope we’ll have a similar vibe.”
While both the couples haven’t officially commented on their relationship status, Hrithik and Saba seemed to have made their relationship Insta official with their recent exchange on social media. Ask Pooja what she thinks about her friend Hrithik and his new partner, Saba, and she says, “Please don’t ask me anything about Hrithik and Saba.”
She adds, “Overall, I am just happy when people find love, as not all relationships last forever. So, when you move out of what is not working and find someone who enables and empowers your journey ahead, it becomes liberating for any individual. You feel glad to leave behind what was wonderful, but wasn’t working anymore. Everyone must find meaningful and purposeful relationships at different phases of their lives. I’m delighted both Hrithik and Sussanne maintain so much respect and support between them and that both have found love again.”
Sussanne’s sister Farah Khan Ali, brother Zayed Khan with his wife Malaika and filmmaker Abhishek Kapoor were among the guests present for the event.
Did Saba Azad make her relationship with Hrithik Roshan Insta official?
8:21 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (March 28, 2022)
Hrithik Roshan and Saba Azad, who sparked dating rumours earlier this year after they were clicked at a restaurant in the city, have been commenting on each other’s social media posts. While they are yet to make an official statement about their relationship, Hrithik recently gave Saba a shoutout on social media. The actresssinger, who is a part of the band Madboy/Mink, shared a video ofpre-concert prep on social media. Inviting music lovers to join them, she wrote, “Come dance with us Pune (sic).”
Hrithik, too, posted the video and wrote, “Kill it you insanely amazing woman. Wish I was there for this one,” he added. Saba reposted the video and replied, “Wish you was here too my cute (sic).”
It does look like they have made their relationship Insta official.
-------------------------------------------
INDIAN EXPRESS (March 27, 2022)
Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan often drops comments on rumoured girlfriend Saba Azad’s Instagram posts. On Saturday, the actor reposted a story that Saba shared on the photo-sharing app and wrote how he wishes he was there with her as gets ready to perform her show in Pune.
Saba shared a video from the music festival, NH7 Weekender in Pune. Along with the video, she shared, “Sunburnt and ready..” Hrithik re-posted the video and wrote, “Kill it you insanely amazing woman.” He added a heart emoji with the statement. He also wrote, “Wish I was there for this one.”
The Rocket Boys actor was quick to respond to her rumoured boyfriend. Resharing Hrithik’s Instagram story, she wrote, “Wish you was here too my cute.”
Hrithik Roshan and Saba Azad’s Instagram exchanges are proof enough that the couple isn’t shy of making their relationship public. They were first spotted by photographers as they walked out of a restaurant hand-in-hand. Hrithik waved as he walked by and seemed quite comfortable in getting photographed with Saba.
Saba also spent time with the Roshan family and also seem to share a good bond with Hrithik’s ex-wife Sussanne Khan.
Has Hrithik Roshan found love in Saba Azad?
8:32 AM
HINDUSTAN TIMES (January 31, 2022)
Seems like Bollywood’s new love birds are actor Hrithik Roshan and actor-musician Saba Azad. Recently, the duo was spotted holding hands and leaving a restaurant in Mumbai suburbs, and this has fuelled rumours about them dating.
A source close to Roshan, 48, told Bollywood Hungama that the War (2019) actor has been “silently seeing” Azad for a while and are currently taking things slow. The source added, “Duggu (his nickname) prefers to keep his personal life under wraps…. He is finally in the state of making public appearances with her. The two make for a great couple… They (Roshan and his ex-wife Sussanne Khan) respect each other, and will continue to co-parent, while moving on with their personal lives (sic).”
Roshan’s divorce with Khan (interior and fashion designer) was finalized in November 2014. But they continue to remain amicable, attending family gatherings and posting pictures with their children, Hrehaan (15) and Hridhaan (13), on multiple occasions.
Azad, 32, marked her Bollywood debut with Dil Kabaddi (2008). She is also a playback singer and is one half of the band Madboy Mink. In March 2013, actor Naseeruddin Shah’s son, actor Imaad Shah confirmed that he was in a live-in relationship with Azad. But we learnt that they broke up last year.
We realised that there are people who aren't into aggressive politics or harsh messaging-Swara Bhasker
10:41 AM
Organisers of 10-city event 'India, My Valentine', which will start in Delhi on Feb 14 and end in Mumbai on Feb 16, say they will reach out to those who may not turn up at protest, but will go to a cultural event
Gaurav Sarkar (MID-DAY; February 10, 2020)
At a time when the country is polarised and lines have been drawn between the Left and Right with CAA-NRC-NPR at the epicentre, one could say there's been little bhaichaara and pyaar and more nafrat and aag. To counter this, love seems all set to be in the air next weekend, that is, the Valentine's Day weekend, when 10 cities across the country are expected to come together to celebrate their one true love — India.
The event is being organised by a group of citizens under the umbrella platform, India My Valentine. This includes people from the film fraternity Swara Bhasker, Vikas Katyal, Aditi Anand, activist Fahad Ahmad (above), Kabeer Palshikar and entrepreneur Richard Jacob, among others.
The celebratory and collaborative programme aims at celebrating the February 14 weekend with music and spoken word. So far, the event is to take place in ten cities including New Delhi, Kolkata, Indore, Jaipur, Kochi, and Hyderabad. The opening ceremony will be held in New Delhi on February 14 and the closing concert on February 16 will be held in Mumbai.
"The event will reaffirm our faith in our fraternity; in our unity; in our Constitution — as Indians — no matter what our political differences may be," reads the concept note. "We will help you curate the line-up of talent and artists and help coordinate the event in your city. Logistical and financial responsibility will belong to the local groups."
The note further read: "We gather to celebrate the India we know and love — the India of tolerance, the India of acceptance, the India that strove to be a better place for even her most oppressed children, the India that was a dream. We celebrate the India of Tagore and Gandhi, the India of Ashfaqullah, Bismil, Savitribai Phule, Fatima. The India of Bhagat Singh and Ambedkar."
Facilitating hosts, artists The organisers will act as facilitators between potential venue sites and the artists themselves. Those interested in bringing the event to their city can contact them at Indiamyvalentine@gmail.com.
"It is a sort of callout," said Bhasker, who is one of the organisers. "We realised that there are people who aren't into aggressive politics or harsh messaging. They might not come for a protest but they will come to attend an evening of cultural performances such as spoken word, poetry, and music. The name 'India, My Valentine' represents the fact that no matter how many differences the electorate might have over political views, we love India."
India, My Valentine will also act as a liaison between artists and the venue. The city-based venues will have the freedom to choose the content for the event. For instance, whether or not to mention the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the National Register of Citizens (NRC), and the National Population Register (NPR) will be up to the individual venues.
"On the other hand, some venues are hardcore protest sites themselves. So it is open to interpretation," Bhasker said.
The organisers have also received requests from smaller towns of Uttar Pradesh. "We are concerned about the artists' safety. We won't compromise on security," Bhasker said.
"Most of the current protests are taking place in echo chambers. The Right wing has successfully polarised them. Whether we have been able to reach across this echo chamber is unclear," she added.
"It is heartening to see the response. People from all across the country have offered their spaces to host the event or participate as performers. It goes to show how deeply the events of the past months have captured the imagination of the youth," she said.
Ahmad, on the other hand, said, "The idea is to celebrate an India that gives equal rights to everyone without any discrimination. We will restore that India for which our freedom fighters fought. India is my first love because it gives us everything today that we have in our life."
Participating Artistes
Vishal Dadlani (music/vocals), Rekha Bhardwaj (music/vocals), Swanand Kirkire (poetry/vocals), Aditi Mittal (stand-up), Kaneez Surka (stand-up), Sanjay Rajoura (stand-up), Ankur Tewari (music/vocals), Saba Azad (music/vocals), Madara (rap), Aamir Aziz (spoken word), Sabika Naqvi (spoken word), Himanshu Bajpai (dastangoi — Urdu storytelling), Dolly Singh (YouTube sketches)
I wanted to explore death but in a playful way-Imaad Shah
7:19 AM
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 25, 2018)
Imaad Shah, who had made his Bollywood debut with his father Naseeruddin Shah’s 2006 directorial Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota, turned composer with Prawaal Raman’s 2011 psychological thriller 404: Error Not Found for which he had even sung. He then crooned “Calcutta Kiss” for Dibakar Banerjee’s mystery thriller Detective Byomkesh Bakshy in 2015. Now, three years later, Imaad has sung and composed a song titled “Bharde Hamara Glass” for Akarsh Khurana’s Karwaan, featuring Irrfan Khan, Malayalam star Dulquer Salmaan and internet sensation Mithila Palkar.
“The song is filmed on all the principal characters. I wanted an upbeat but philosophical song and Imaad has a nice new sound. More importantly, the script resonated with him, with his lyrics very apt for the situation. I think it will find its way to a lot of listening playlists,” says Akarsh.
The film produced by Ronnie Screwvala
and Priti Rathi Gupta, follows Dulquer’s character Avinash who is
forced to take a trip from Bangalore to Kochi. His friend, Shaukat,
played by Irrfan, accompanies him. While Avinash is reserved, Shaukat
has a funny take on life. En route, they pick up Mithila, a spunky
teenager, and the road trip becomes even more enlightening.
Imaad says when Akarsh, his old buddy, asked him to do this song, he was happy to come on board. “His script is really interesting and while he had a mood in mind, he gave me complete freedom to choose the musical direction I wanted,” he informs.
Imaad, who had started Madboy/Mink an Electro Cabaret-Disco-Funk duo, over five years ago with actress-singer Saba Azad, adds that working on the song had been effortless and an absolute joy.
“It’s a black comedy so I wanted to create a bittersweet song that explores the concept of death and mortality, but in a playful way. I like using opposing emotions in my music and Saba’s voice was a perfect fit for this kind of a song,” he points out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)