Mumbai: Observing that there was nothing to show that actor-businessman Sachiin Joshi had knowledge that he and companies associated with him were dealing with proceeds of crime, a special PMLA court on Tuesday discharged him from a money laundering case related to the Omkar Group of developers. “…basically prosecution complaint (chargesheet) and documents clearly show that they were never recipients of proceeds of crime,” special judge MG Deshpande said.

The court also accepted Joshi’s plea citing a Supreme Court ruling that held that when there is no predicate offence, a PMLA case cannot continue. The predicate or original offence against the accused and the firms, basedon which the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered its money laundering case, was closed in 2021.

The court also said that Joshi and the companies are entitled to discharge on grounds of parity with Omkar promoters, Babulal Varma and Kamalkishore Gupta, who were granted relief on August 24. This was the first such order by a special PMLA court. Represented by senior counsel Abad Ponda and advocate Subhash Jadhav for Parinam Law, Joshi had sought discharge earlier this year. In September, following the relief granted to Varma and Gupta, he sought parity.

Joshi was arrested in February 2021 and granted bail in March this year. The special PMLA court had then observed that no prima facie case ofmoney laundering existed against him. The ED had alleged that Omkar promoters took Rs 410 crore from Yes Bank to construct buildings for slumdwellers under a Slum Rehabilitation Authority scheme but diverted the money to group companies. Joshi was accused of helping Omkar Group to launder Rs 87 crore. In March 2020, an FIR was registered against Varma and Gupta in Aurangabad for cheating. Based on this predicate offence, a case was filed against them by the ED.

Police later filed a closure report in the Aurangabad case. The purported victim also gave a ‘no objection,’ saying the FIR was based on a misunderstanding and the amount due has been repaid. In 2021, the court in Aurangabad accepted the closure report and the matter was disposed of. In observations on the merits of the case, the special judge said the ED “nowhere says that Sachin Joshi and companies associated with him” had even a “remote role” to play in securing a loan of Rs 410 crore from Yes Bank and using it as proceeds of crime.

The court said Joshi was paid money because his name was lent to the SRA projects as a brand ambassador. “. . . applicants (Joshi) and his companies have paid GST of Rs 4.85 crore and TDS of Rs 2. 94 crore” for monies received from Omkar Realtors and Developers Pvt Ltd.

The judge said there was no evidence to suggest that the group of companies of the applicant were only on paper “to facilitate layering and integration of proceeds of crime as alleged in the complaint.”

Mumbai: Rejecting actor and businessman Sachiin Joshi’s plea to fly to Switzerland to meet his daughter and resolve certain issues with her boarding school there, a special PMLA court on Monday said that when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) expresses fears of a flight risk, it cannot be overlooked and ignored. “Once the applicant (Joshi) leaves India and if he does not return, the purpose of the trial will frustrate,” special judge MG Deshpande said.

Accused in a money laundering case, Joshi was granted bail in March. In May, the same court rejected Joshi’s plea to travel abroad for six months, observing that granting of such permission will amount to inviting a flight risk.

The court had then noted that during his incarceration Joshi had made various attempts to stay out of jail by citing ill-health.

In Monday’s order, the special judge referred to the email sent by the school and said that the matter could be resolved by making the requisite deposit in its account.

“It has to be noted that the applicant was behind bars and in hospital for a long period. Certainly, he must have made proper arrangements for the education of his daughter,” the judge said.

The judge also said that he could consult the school authorities through video conference. “It cannot be ignored that many times the accused had registered his appearance through a mobile when he was on a stretcher in the hospital. He can similarly resolve this difficulty through a video conference. Regarding emotional support, the applicant can invite his daughter to India for some days by requesting the school management,” the judge said.

Joshi was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on February 14, 2021. The ED had submitted its chargesheet against Joshi, Omkar Group promoters Babulal Varma, Kamal Kishor Gupta and 14 firms associated with them.

Mumbai: In a detailed order granting bail to actor and businessman Sachiin Joshi (37), a special PMLA court has observed that no prima facie case of money laundering is made out against him. “…Material two steps of layering and integration are prima facie missing from the allegations in the complaint and materials supporting it. This is the most important foundational fact which ED failed to establish prima facie,” special judge MG Deshpande said.

Joshi was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on February 14, 2021. He was released from jail on Monday. Joshi’s lawyers, Abad Ponda and Subhash Jadhav, had submitted extensive arguments, telling the court that no case of money laundering was made out against him.

The ED had submitted its chargesheet against Joshi, Omkar Group promoters Babulal Varma, Kamal Kishor Gupta and 14 firms associated with them. Omkar Group promoters allegedly took Rs 410 crore from Yes Bank to construct rehabilitation buildings for slumdwellers under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) scheme at Wadala but diverted the money to their group companies. Joshi allegedly helped Omkar Group for the layering of Rs 87 crore. The loan money was used for other purposes, alleged the ED. Referring to the evidence, in the 33-page order the court said prima facie it appeared that Joshi was not involved directly or indirectly in dealing with proceeds of crime.

It observed that prima facie it appeared that there are certain business transactions between Joshi and his group companies with ORDPL (Omkar Realtors and Developers Pvt Ltd) and their group companies. “These transactions have absolutely no nexus with Rs 410 crores (term loan-proceeds of crime). Bank entries relate to such other transaction having no nexus with POC (proceeds of crime). Hence, no prima facie case of money laundering is made out against applicant Sachin Joshi,” the special judge said.

The court also said that it was very astonishing that the ED’s complaint included many transactions between the Omkar Group and Joshi from even before the time the loan amount was actually disbursed by Yes Bank. “It is necessary to note such entries to understand how ED has put for-ward their case by making mingling various amounts claiming them being POC, when POC was not even conceived,” the court said.

The court said there is no documentary evidence to indicate the money travelled from ORDPL’s YES Bank account to its ICICI Bank account, and further to accounts of its other group companies from where it finally reached Joshi and his group companies. “Unless this basic foundational trail is established the applicant cannot be held responsible for any placement, layering or integration in the process of money laundering,” the court said.

The court said “it will be far-fetched” to hold that Joshi was aware that Varma, Gupta and others generated the proceeds for crime and he was the material link in placement, layering and integration.

Mumbai: A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court on Saturday granted bail to actor-businessman Sachin Joshi in the Rs 410 crore money laundering case involving Omkar Group. The order was kept in abeyance, though, after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) moved a plea.

“In view of grounds put forth by the ED, in the interest of justice, if one week time granted to assail the order of bail will make it proper. Hence, till then, the order of bail is kept in abeyance till April 9. The ED to bring necessary order, else the order of bail will come in force to release the accused no 5 (Joshi) on compliance of imposed conditions,” the court said.

Joshi was arrested in February. The ED recently submitted its first chargesheet against Joshi, Omkar Group promoters Babulal Varma, Kamal Kishor Gupta and 14 firms associated with them. Omkar Group promoters allegedly took Rs 410 crore from Yes Bank to construct rehabilitation buildings under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) scheme at Wadala but diverted the money to their other group companies. Joshi allegedly helped Omkar Group for the laundering of Rs 87 crore. The loan money was used for other purposes, alleged the ED.

In a separate order, taking cognisance of the chargesheet, the court recently said through the submissions, complaints and statements recorded under PMLA, it appeared accused Varma and Gupta had fraudulently availed the loan on the notional FSI which would have been available after construction of the buildings. “However, the rehab buildings were not constructed and the loan amount was diverted and not used to its intended purpose, for which it was sanctioned. It is also revealed during investigation that accused No 5 Sachin Joshi and his Viiking Group of companies have never engaged in SRA-related services, still funds have been transferred to Joshi and his Viiking Group of companies,” the court said.

Captain Abhishek Bachchan and vice captain Ranbir Kapoor have been sweating it out at a ground in Bandra with their filmi squad over the weekend. Their football team includes filmmaker Shoojit Sircar, actors Shabbir Ahluwalia, Vivian Dsena and Armaan Jain, businessmen-producers Raj Kundra and Sachiin Joshi and model-choreographer Marc Robinson. They will be taking on members of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), a wing of the Central Armed Police Force, from Maharashtra, Goa, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, on Tuesday.

The actors have already played against the Indian cricket team and Members of Parliament to raise funds for charity last year. The team is a part of Narendra Modi's Mission XI Million campaign, a school-contact programme that aims at increasing the talent pool.

“It was our PM's desire that in the run-up to the Under 17 FIFA World Cup being held in India for the first time in October, 2017, the state police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) organise football competitions. He wants celebs and students to promote the spirit of football and up fitness levels. Abhishek and Ranbir, who never say 'no' to an opportunity to be on the field, no matter how busy they are, immediately agreed,“ businessman-filmmaker Bunty Walia, who owns the team of the All Stars Football Club (ASFC), told Mirror, adding that the celebrity match will be the finale of the first tournament under the initiative. “There's another interesting line-up of matches beginning in July till September. The Bollywood squad promises to be in full attendance for the Under 17 World Cup too.“ The curtain raiser for the Mission Xi Million campaign, held on May 2, had the state Governor, Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao, and actors Farhan Akhtar and Nawazzudin Siddiqui cheering the cops.

Ranbir, who recently featured in the docu series, Girls With Goals, to create awareness and raise funds for an all-girls football team from Jharkhand and is coowner of the Mumbai Football Club, says, “Every sport should be encouraged, whether it is cricket, kabaddi or football. It's about the game and about how well it is marketed. In a tournament like this one, everyone from the sponsors and franchise owners to the players, want to put their best foot forward.“

Ram Gopal Varma is back in Bollywood after a two-year break with Veerappan, releasing this week. The break that Ramu took during which he “psychoanalysed“ himself has done him good. He feels rejuvenated, has become more systematic and is now particular about the subjects that he chooses to make movies. What of course hasn't changed about the man is his indomitable spirit, outspokenness and a penchant for controversy. Over to Ramu...

You left Mumbai in 2013, but you've constantly been in the news.
I guess it's because of my outspokenness. I went away from Mumbai at the end of 2013, but I was on twitter all the time. When it comes to social media, it doesn't matter where you are.

Your tweets often give rise to controversies. Do you say things just for effect?
Yes, I say things only for effect. What is the point of saying something if it's not for effect? You can't just be blabbering for no reason. Effect is nothing but the fact that you are trying to draw attention to something that you feel. It may be an opinion that I want to voice at that point of time.

In recent times, you seem to have taken on everyone from Rajinikanth to Shah Rukh Khan in your tweets...
That's not true. People just accuse me of saying things about SRK or Rajinikanth. Everybody believes that to become a superstar, you need to have six packs, you got to be tall and have a handsome face. Rajinikanth doesn't have any of that, yet he is the biggest superstar, which means he has proven everyone wrong. I meant it as a compliment to him; how does that amount to demeaning him? Similarly about Shah Rukh. I believe that superstardom is about being oneself in a movie, and all I said about Shah Rukh was that he should be himself in his movies. This is something I have told him even when I've met him. In fact, Shah Rukh is more charming in person than he is on screen. Now I think in my case, because of the reputation that I have developed, people tend to read too much and look for things that I don't mean.

Coming back to your film, you first made Killing Veerappan in the South and there were protests from certain quarters there. How did you deal with them?
When you make a film on a real life character or a realistic situation, there is bound to be controversy. I knew I was within my rights as a filmmaker and there were people who supported me in making the film and tackling the issues.

Why did you think of making a film on Veerappan?
In the late 90s when I was shooting near the jungles in Tamil Nadu, I heard about Veerappan for the first time. It sounded strange that a man was operating from inside the forest with a few people and was terrorising the police of three states. That fascinated me, but I was not able to zero in on a particular aspect. Then I happened to meet some people who were involved in the operation which killed Veerappan. That's when I decided to make a film from the point of view of the people who actually got him killed. Sachiin Joshi saw the film and he liked it, but he felt that in Hindi we should make it even more elaborate.

Veerappan again reflects your love for dark characters.
Basically, I'd call that intense. Even in the case of Rangeela, it's unlike any normal love story. There's a certain seriousness. The characters are realistic, put in real space and time, rather than exotic sets and things like that. I get interested in intense subjects, which are not necessarily dark. I'm interested in larger-than-life characters, those that are radically different. For example, on the road when the signal is on, I'm always interested in the guy who breaks the red light.

So law-breakers interest you more?
Yes, because that's anti-establishment. Anything that goes against the flow is what creates drama and that is required for films. I'm interested in stones that disturb still water.

Is there a deeper reason for this penchant for anti-establishment?
Like I have said in the past, I'm a criminal at heart and because I don't have the guts to be a gangster, I live out my fantasies this way (laughs). But seriously, I am like a naturalist who studies animals. If I study King Cobra, it doesn't mean I want to be one. But probably I would know more about King Cobra than he would about himself.

You mean you know gangsters better than they may know themselves?
I think so because I look at them and study them on a very objective level. I like to psychoanalyse people. Of course, I don't mean it from a medical point of view. I took a break from Bollywood for two years because I wanted to psychoanalyse myself.

What did you conclude about yourself?
I realised that I'm not as much of a psycho as I think. But then again, I don't think a mad man will ever realise he is mad! On a serious note, I honestly needed that break. I wanted to look at myself from the outside. I wanted to analyse the way I was operating for the last few years. There were various factors, but one factor predominantly was my arrogance which caused all the failures. Arrogance is nothing but you taking certain things for grant ed, taking whimsical decisions assuming that every decision of yours will work. Choosing subjects without checking and rechecking the validity in today's context. Yes, I am like a wild horse, I am impulsive and that comes naturally to me, something I don't want to curb. But now I have tried to put in a system in place which can con trol me.

Are you are a changed man now?
When somebody asked me, 'Have you changed?', I said, 'Yes I have changed, but it could be for the worse!' I feel rejuvenated today. It's like I went through a personal psychological detox.

So, would you term Veerappan as a new beginning for you in Bollywood?
Definitely. It's a special film for me which has an interesting subject and it has given me the opportunity to do a lot, in terms of direction, actors' perform ances, sound, design, locations. It is going to be very different for the audiences.

Ram Gopal Varma and Sachiin Joshi may seem like chalk and cheese at first, but the two actually have some similarities - a cool sense of humour, the courage to call a spade a spade and their passion for cinema, which has brought them together to make Veerappan, a film based on the life of the notorious dacoit. Excerpts from a conversation with the duo:

The two of you seem very different from each other... Veerappan brought you together.
Sachiin: Yes, we are completely different from each other.
Ramu: I think we have a common fetish for dark characters, which he hides and I show openly. Veerappan managed to bring both of us out in the open!
Sachiin: Yes, we all have positive and negative shades in life. Some like to talk about it openly, like Ramu.
Ramu: There is a dialogue in Company, in which Ajay Devgn says, 'Har insaan ke andar ek rakshas hota hai.' It's just a question of timing when it comes out.

So between the two of you, Ramu is the more outspoken one?
Sachiin: I am outspoken as well, but I choose my words.
Ramu: He is basically saying he is classy and I am massy!

And what about social media.. are you as active as Ramu?
Sachiin: Not really. I don't pursue it the way he does. I'm not that regular, it's only as and when required.
Ramu: So are you saying that I do it even when it's not required?
Sachiin: He needs an audience all the time!

On a serious note, how did you come together for Veerappan?
Sachiin: We had been interacting for a year-and-a-half. Ramu showed me his Kannada film Killing Veerappan and that's how it all began.
Ramu: I made Killing Veerappan because of my interest in the subject. After Sachiin saw it, he felt there were things that could be elaborated. It was his idea to make it in Hindi.
Sachiin: It focussed on how Veerappan was killed. The Karnataka audience knew a lot about him already, so telling them about how he died was fine for that market. I felt since Veerappan's story was so intriguing, it should be explored more and shown to the world. So, I thought we should make it in Hindi on a large scale.

When did you decide to play the cop's role in it?
Sachiin: It was not on my mind at all. I just wanted to make the film.
Ramu: When Sachiin broached the topic of making this in Hindi, he did not speak to me as an actor. He spoke to me only as a producer and as someone who is passionate about cinema and believed that this story should reach a wider audience. In the course of reworking the script, I felt Sachiin would be good for this particular role and I convinced him. It's not an elaborate part, but it's an important role.

Sachiin, what was your impression of Ramu before you met him? Has that changed now?
Sachiin: I had the same perception of Ramu as everyone else, but once I started interacting with him, I felt it was completely false. There's a very different side to him.
Ramu: In other words, he heard that I was bad and later realised that I was worse!
Sachiin: Actually, there is a lot that a person has within him which is difficult to express to everyone. After our interactions, I realised there was so much more to him.

Ramu, what do you have to say about Sachiin, the producer and the actor?
Ramu: My impression of him was that he was a rich father's son who made movies once in a while. When I met him, I was taken aback with his passion and understanding of cinema. He has a focussed approach and individualistic belief about movies. As an actor, he is professional. As a producer, he believes in giving people complete freedom. All in all, here is a producer, an actor and a very genuine, passionate film lover.

Were there any differences between the two of you while working on this project? If yes, how did you resolve them?
Sachiin: It was as simple as either you convince me or I convince you.
Ramu: That's easier said than done. It doesn't happen like that. But yes, in my whole career, I have never had a more comfortable creative interaction than what I had with Sachiin.
Sachiin: The understanding between us is quite good. Of course, Ramu has far more experience. He has seen many ups and downs, good and bad of cinema. I believe only a bad can teach you what good is. With that thought process and the belief that the captain of the ship knows his job best, I let people do their jobs.

What was the toughest part about making Veerappan?
Ramu: We had to depend on research material which came from diverse resources, like from people who worked with him, played the mediator and those who had tried to capture him. Different people have different perspectives about him. For instance, Veerappan's wife believes he was one of the nicest persons and was actually protecting the forests from the government and forest department. To tell his story, we took the point of view of those who wanted to kill him. So, it's not really a biopic. Getting all the information and putting it together in a two-hour film is not easy.
Sachiin: Veerappan is an intriguing and fascinating character who had no agenda. He was a criminal by fluke and then, he just started glorifying himself for various reasons, whether it was for power, name, fame, no one really knows. The things he was doing nobody would really do, not even a criminal. For me, fitting in the real space was difficult as an actor. We have seen films in which cops are glorified. But this one had to be realistic.

Did you miss the typical song and dance routine?
Sachiin: Not really ... I'm anyway not excited about it.

How nervous are the two of you as your movie approaches its release date?
Sachiin: We have made a good product. It looks good. We are happy and excited, more than being nervous.
Ramu: It's a very special project for me. I am doing my best to see that I can present it in the best way possible rather than thinking about whether it will do well.

Basically, rather than thinking only about the box office...
Sachiin: Anything can happen at the box office. Some day, a good film might not work while a bad one might do a business of Rs 300 crore. It's also about timing, the mind frame of people and what they want to watch. There's no good time or bad time; if you are there at the right place at the right time, it might just work.

The raunchy number, Khallas, from Ram 2001 Gopal Varma's crime thriller Company, will be seen in a new avatar in the director's forthcoming film Veerappan. Music composers Sharib and Toshi have recreated the track, keeping the original spirit intact. A smouldering hot Zareen Khan will be seen gyrating to the number.

Sachiin Joshi, who is producing the biopic on the sandalwood smuggler, said, “We wanted a special song for Veerappan. Both RGV and I felt that Khallas suited the best. We are releasing it today on Zareen's birthday.“ The actress said, “I'm very excited about it. I didn't know that I could enact such wild expressions. Those who have seen the song have praised it and I'm touched by Sachiin's sweet gesture to release it on my birthday.“

While Bollywood has seen a number of biopics made on real-life heroes, seldom does one hear of a biopic made on a villain. Sachiin Joshi treads off the beaten path, and into the dense jungles literally, with his latest production, Veerappan. The biopic based on India's sandalwood smuggler by the same name is directed by Ram Gopal Varma. Calling the bandit's journey from a teal supplier to a ruthless criminal exciting, actor-producer Sachiin points out, “When Ramu and I started exploring more details, we were fascinated as well as shocked. The call of the jungle is alive in all of us. Dark subjects are often more attractive to the human mind. Though Veerappan also killed elephants for their tusks and abducted people for a ransom, he was a Robin Hood for villagers living near forests.“

Quiz him about the casting and he answers, “Ramu viewed the auditions before finally casting Sandeep Bharadwaj. We chose National Award winner Usha Jadhav to essay his wife's role as she is a brilliant actress. Lisa Ray plays Priya, a woman who helps the government to nab him.“ To make the movie look authentic, the makers shot across the jungles of Karnataka where the criminal reigned. Ask him if he was apprehensive that the film may seem like it is glorifying a baddie, Sachiin, who plays a cop in it, replies, “We are neither glorifying the character nor demeaning him. Our intention is to tell the story of a criminal.“

Veerappan, produced by Viiking Media & Entertainment Pvt Ltd, releases on May 27.

It takes a lot of courage to back a film based on the most dangerous and deadly man that ever lived in the crime history of Asia and arguably the whole world. After the recent release of Ram Gopal Varma's Kannada film Killing Veerappan, producer Sachiin Joshi felt the urge to make the film in Hindi because he was taken aback by the sheer dynamism of the subject. Yet as an audience, he felt dissatisfied as he didn't know Veerappan's story in depth. Sachiin explains, “At the back of my mind, I kept thinking what caused a man like Veerappan to rise in the first place. Later, RGV told me that his reason for focusing only on his killing was because all Kannadigas knew the back story. But once I heard the whole story, it blew my mind. I insisted that this film had to be made as a biopic on an international level for it to reach its true potential. I want RGV to make this without any compromises because this will be a once in a lifetime project.“

RGV was hesitant about releasing the same version in Hindi because he thought people need to know and understand the sandalwood smuggler's life story before coming to the point of his encounter. The Hindi version is going to be completely reshot, and the story will trace the rise of Veerappan, the failure of the system to curb his growth and the eventual blood-curdling strategy which led to his killing.

Speaking about it, RGV says, “Veerappan has always fascinated me. I even toyed with the idea of making a biopic, but because so much information on him is already available in the public domain, I thought it would be an overkill. A year ago, I happened to meet some people who were involved in the intelligence operation of 'Killing Veerappan'. I heard the details and my excitement knew no bounds, and it was then that I go the idea of how exactly I should make a film on him.“

Sanjay Gupta's upcoming thriller Jazbaa boasts of a stellar cast. While Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Irrfan are playing the lead roles, Shabana Azmi, Atul Kulkarni and Chandan Roy Sanyal will be seen playing pivotal characters as well.Here's a lowdown on the film's USP and what went into its making.

TRIVIA

Photography
Jazbaa has been fabulously shot across different locations in Mumbai. Sameer Arya, the film's DOP, has beautifully captured the emerging skyline of the city like never before. Even the gritty locations in Mumbai have been shot aesthetically, making the film a treat to watch.

Dialogues
In Irrfan's words, the film's 'dhamakedaar seetimaar dialogues' are bound to entertain the audience. It was one of the prime reasons that attracted the actor towards the project.

Aishwarya's prep-work
Aishwarya did a lot of preparation to portray a lawyer in the film. She met lawyers and even went through various court case clippings to get the nuances of her character right. However, everything was not rehearsed. During a particular scene with dogs, where she was scared, her natural expressions were captured to add to the scene's authenticity.

Irrfan's perseverance:
Irrfan especially flew down from Lithuania for two days just to dub for the film so that it stayed on track for release.

During a scene with Aishwarya, Irrfan, even after delivering a perfect take, requested Sanjay to do few more takes as he wanted to provide variation in the performance. At the end, the director was left spoilt for choices as all the takes were brilliant.

SPECIAL EFFECTS
There are around 800 VFX shots in the action thriller.


PRODUCERS' TAKE ON THE FILM

Nittin Keni, CEO, Zee Studios
A unified effort, what symbolises this film is the professionalism of its star cast. It is extremely difficult to maintain the balance between a hard day's shoot and take care of a young child at the same time, the way Aishwarya did; or Irrfan's generous gesture of flying down all the way from Lithuania to dub for the film. We are confident that this sheer hard work and positive team spirit will transpire on celluloid. We are delighted to bring Jazbaa to the audiences of over 40 countries simultaneously.

Akash Chawla, Business Head, Zee Studios
Every individual worked relentlessly to achieve the best in Jazbaa. It's an edgy thriller, an edgy thriller, which has been beautifully shot across the city of Mumbai. It will leave viewers spellbound.

Sachiin Joshi, Vice Chairman, Viiking Media and Entertainment
It's been an exhilarating and great journey being associated with Jazbaa. Fans and audiences would be in for a treat with powerhouse talents like Shabana Azmi, Atul Kulkarni, Irrfan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, not to forget the music and Sanjay Gupta's direction.

Sanjay Gupta, White Feather Films
Shooting Jazbaa was like fighting a battle every day as we wrapped up the whole film in 51 days. Sameer, the DOP, literally went to locations at 5 am to get it ready to film by 9 am. We had no luxury of taking it easy or relaxing in the vanity van. It was a hands-on job.

Jazbaa, produced by Zee Studios, Viiking Media and Entertainment and White Feather Films, releases worldwide on October 9.