As Sadak 2 team kicks off the Ooty schedule, Pooja Bhaat gives the low-down on the drama that has three Bhatt talents joining forces.
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; July 20, 2019)

Soon after Sadak 2 was announced, Alia Bhatt had admitted to being nervous about being directed by father Mahesh Bhatt for the first time. It's showtime for Alia as she joined the unit for the second schedule in Ooty earlier this week. While the itinerary for the 40-day schedule includes filming of some romantic numbers and pivotal sequences between the four leads, including Sanjay Dutt and Aditya Roy Kapur, the highlight is the emotional scenes that will feature Alia and sister Pooja Bhatt.

A source from the set says, "Pooja, Sanjay and Aditya reported to the set on Monday, and shot for several key sequences. Alia joined the unit on Thursday. Over the next few days, Bhatt sahab will shoot a dramatic scene with Pooja and Alia. The sequence comes at a crucial juncture in the narrative, and Bhatt sahab wants them to dig deep as artistes to be true to the scene." The marathon schedule in the hill station will be followed by stints in Mumbai, Uttarakhand and Kashmir.

Having shot the 1991 hit, Sadak, in the scenic locales of Ooty, Pooja says the current schedule leaves her excited and nostalgic in equal measure. "Being here together after 27 years is special for my father, Sanju and me. While I have wonderful memories of Sadak, the most special role for me is that of an associate director to my father in Sadak 2. I have worked with him as an actor, producer and director too, but this is the first time I am assisting him. We are yet to finalize when we are shooting the first scene involving Alia and me."

Mahesh Bhatt describes the joy of directing his two daughters with a poetic reply: "My two daughters make my wrinkles glow. How wonderful it is for a parent to be shaped by these two different streams that come from two separate time zones. Spring is here!"

Actor plays the antagonist in Mahesh Bhatt’s directorial comeback which also features Sanjay Dutt, Pooja Bhatt and Aditya Roy Kapur
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 15, 2019)

Mirror had earlier reported (May 2) that Sadak 2, which marks Mahesh Bhatt’s return to the director’s chair after 20 years, revolves around Alia Bhatt’s encounter with a godman. The filmmaker had informed that he is in talks with a ‘great’ actor to play the godman in the story that chronicles Alia’s quest to expose a fake guru who runs an ashram.

Now, we have learnt that Bhatt has roped in Makarand Deshpande to essay the character in the thriller. “It is an intense and challenging role, and Makarand has already started acting workshops with Bhaat saab. Like Maharani, played by Sadashiv Amrapurkar in the Sanjay Dutt, Pooja Bhatt-starrer Sadak, a unique look is being designed for him in the sequel,” revealed a source close to the development.

Makarand and Mahesh Bhatt had worked together in the 1993 drama, Sir, which saw the latter in a character named Mak. Apart from Makarand, the film has another antagonist, Gulshan Grover who, as Pooja had informed with a post on April 27, was the first actor to receive the script. “It’s a strong and layered character with negative shades,” the source added. The film, which also features Aditya Roy Kapur and Pooja Bhatt in pivotal roles, goes on the floors on May 18 in Mumbai. “On the first day at a city studio, the team will shoot with Sanjay and Alia, with other members of the cast joining in at a later date. Apart from Mumbai, the film will also be shot at other locations of India.”

The Mukesh Bhatt, Mahesh Bhatt and Fox Star Studios production is Alia’s first film from her home banner and is slated to release on March 25 next year.

Sanjay Dutt reprises his role of taxi driver Ravi from the original, this time as a 54-year-old who accompanies Alia on her journey. The 59-year-old actor has already started prep with the director. 

Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; April 10, 2019)

A38-year-long career dotted with some unforgettable films, a personal life underlined with trials of the toughest kind, and triumphs that were life-changing — Sanjay Dutt has seen it all. What’s not changed, though, in all of this is his unbeatable style, swag, spirit — attributes that earned him the title of the Deadly Dutt. The two films (Bhoomi and Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster 3) that marked his comeback, didn’t leave an impression on the audience or the box office, and without a moment’s hesitation, the actor confesses that they were ‘mistakes’. But now, he’s all set to steer his career in newer directions, starting with Abhishek Varman’s upcoming period drama, Kalank. In a quick chat with BT, he tells us about working with the new breed, how the ways of the industry have changed, and most of all, how he wants the youth to learn from his life’s experiences. Read on…

Apparently, late filmmaker Yash Johar had discussed the story of Kalank with his son Karan Johar many years ago. Were you part of any of those discussions?
Yes, I briefly knew about it. He had spoken about it and I am glad that Abhishek (Varman) turned Yash uncle’s dream into reality on celluloid. For me, this is like working in my home production because of Yash uncle and the relationship that we have shared with their family for so many years. It feels great to be part of such a huge film. Aaj kal people don’t make as many multi-starrers, like we did back in the day. So, I must say that it is a fantastic attempt. Even with so many actors working together, there wasn’t ever an iota of insecurity in any one of them.

When you work with the newer breed, do you see a huge difference in the way they operate, as compared to the way the actors of your generation did?
The young actors are far more prepared than we were. I love their confidence and the interest they take in every project that they sign up for. Their honesty shows in their performance. At a press conference, when Varun (Dhawan) was asked about his part in Kalank, he said, ‘Mein Zafar ko nahin jaanta tha, toh uske bachpan ke baare mein pata karna tha’. I don’t think most actors from our generation did such detailed research for our roles. Hum logon ne yeh sab kabhi kiya hi nahin (laughs!). We didn’t ask Ballu (his character in Khalnayak) ka bachpan kaisa tha? We just went on set, the camera rolled and we acted. I think the younger generation functions differently, which is good.

I guess it is also because the volume of work the older generation did in a year, was probably far more than what the newer actors do. Hence, they have the liberty to give that much more time to each project, right?
Yes, we never had the time to research our roles, or get into the part. We were doing so many films at the same time and going from one set to the other. Mahesh Bhatt saab ne phone karke bola, ‘Yeh film karni hai’, and without hearing anything more about it, bas, we would start working on it. Subhash Ghai would call and say, ‘Sanju, yeh picture hai, sign kar dena’. Bas, kar diya. That was the kind of trust we shared with filmmakers. And we knew that the onus is on Subhash ji and Bhatt saab. So, if they are signing us on, they will do justice to our part in the film. They always did and hence, we formed the kind of strong relationships that we did.

Talking about that, a lot of actors from the previous generation would agree that today, relationships are different in the industry…
(Cuts in) Yes, the relationships within the industry are very different now. Today, the film industry has become far more competitive, it wasn’t like this in the past. Back then, we didn’t pay much attention to things like… doosre actors kiski picture kar raha hai, kaise kar raha hai and all that. We took on all the work we got, and we were happy with that.

Was there nostalgia on the sets, when Madhuri Dixit-Nene and you came together to face the camera after a gap of around 25 years?
We have worked together in so many films, so to come back and work together after so many years was an amazing feeling. At least, for me. She was a fantastic actor then, but to progress and become the kind of actress that she is now, is commendable. She is so dynamic. Everybody gets older, but to still look the way she does, and continue being in such form as an actor is something else.

Like the film industry, the media has also undergone a huge change over the years. Observing you at any press conference, one can say that you feel awkward at such huge media events…
Haan, thoda awkwardness ho jaata hai when I am on stage at such events, and when the media is asking me questions. In the past, we had a more personal connect with every person of the media and we had time to bond with them. Even now, when I meet some of these older photographers, I love them as they have grown up with me. That old equation we had with the media has changed over time.

Your last couple of films — Omung Kumar’s Bhoomi and Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3 — didn’t leave the kind of impact you expected. Did that make you rethink the kind of films that you want to do?
I feel that Bhoomi and Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3 were mistakes. That is not how the audience wants to see me. Wherever I travelled to, that’s the feedback I got from the audience. They want to see me as the ‘Baba’ that they have seen on screen all these years. I am not criticising those films, what I am saying is that they were not meant for me. Lekin theek hai, now I am trying different roles and I am excited about my line-up of films.

So, a lot more thought is going into choosing roles?
Yes, absolutely. A lot of thought is going into every film that I am doing now. I know that it has to be commercial; I need to do some action, and a few comedies, too.

How did you feel watching your biopic (Sanju) on screen? Is there anything that you would like to change? Were there some specific moments that really moved you?
It was a great, humbling feeling. The film did extremely well and Ranbir (Kapoor) was fantastic in it. The way they put out my story… it was like jo hai woh hai, aur yehi hai. There were several moments in the film when I got emotional, but the scene where my dad passes away, it brought back a lot of memories.

The original Sadak (starring Pooja Bhatt and Sanjay Dutt), which was a huge success the year it released (1991), is getting a sequel with Alia Bhatt, Aditya Roy Kapur, Pooja Bhatt and you. The best part being, Mahesh Bhatt is returning to direction after nearly 20 years. Given your equation with him, did you have a role to play in convincing him to helm the film?
It feels awesome doing this film, especially because it is Bhatt saab who is directing it. For him to get excited again and make this film, yes, it is a big deal. And yes, I was partially responsible for convincing him to direct the film. At first he said, ‘Main likh ke de doonga, koi doosra direct karega’. During the narration, I was so moved that I told him, ‘If you don’t direct it, I won’t do it’. I put him in a spot! My main reason for doing it is Bhatt saab, as I believe that he’s one of the most amazing directors that we have.

The theme of Kalank is that…love conquers all. Do you personally believe that?
In my life, I am blessed and lucky that I have received so much love from family, the film industry, media, fans and friends. Yes, love helped me conquer everything, even through my toughest phase and my jail term.

You have been doing your fair bit to involve yourself in campaigns that spread awareness about drug abuse. You have openly spoken to the youth at various forums to address this issue, which is a growing concern in our society. Apart from your film career, is this also an area you plan to focus on?
I am doing this campaign along with guru ji (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar), and I am trying to do something else with the help of the government. This cause is extremely close to my heart. I think this is one cause people are not focusing on as much as they should. We are talking about tomorrow’s generation; they can’t go down a path, which will destroy them. I want to tell them my story, as I want them to learn from my mistakes. My whole life has been an open book, right from the beginning, so mujhe kya chupana hai? If my experiences can help them follow the right path, I will do all that I can to engage with them and talk about my experiences. The youth should know that drug addiction is a disease and it’s not something that can’t be conquered. Yes, it is difficult, but one faces a lot of difficult things in life. For instance, to walk up all the way to reach the shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is very difficult, but ultimately, when you reach there, it is bliss, right? What I am trying to say is that, it is tough to deal with this disease, but it can be fought and conquered.

There were rumours of you contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, but you denied it. Such speculations always surface because your family has been associated with politics for years. You have no political ambitions right now?
I will definitely be a part of my sister Priya’s (Dutt) campaign, I will support her. Other than that, I am not interested in being a part of politics. Woh ho gaya tha ek time, now I just want to do movies.

Gulshan Grover is reuniting with mentor Mahesh Bhatt and ‘brother’ Sanjay Dutt for the former’s directorial comeback
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 7, 2019)

Twenty-one years after the action thriller Kartoos, the trio of Sanjay Dutt, Mahesh Bhatt and Gulshan Grover is set to team up again for the Sadak sequel which is expected to go on the floors in the next few months with a start-to-finish schedule. And after Sadashiv Amrapurkar’s memorable Maharani in the 1991 original, it is Gulshan who plays the Bad Man this time around.

Confirming the news, the actor exults, “I have acted in more than 400 films and I will say that this is the most exciting film of my career. Mahesh Bhatt is one of the best directors we have in the Indian film industry and I’m really happy that he zeroed in on me to portray such an important character in his comeback film.”

Gulshan who has played a number of negative roles in a career spanning almost four decades, among them Noor in Sunny Deol and Poonam Dhillon’s Sohni Mahiwal, Kabeera in the Priyadarshan laugh riot, Hera Pheri, King Don who takes on Rekha’s Maya in Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, Chappan Tikli in Bhatt’s Sir and of course, Subhash Ghai’s Bad Man in Ram Lakhan is confident that Sadak 2 will be another feather in his cap. “I’m completely focused towards creating a new iconic character, and thankfully this one is right up my alley because it has certain traits, which only I can bring to the screen,” he states with confidence.

Sadashiv as the eunuch who runs a brothel where Sanjay Dutt’s cabbie Ravi runs in to Pooja Bhatt’s character and is hell bent on rescuing her from there, sent shivers down the spine, right up to his fiery end. When asked if he fears the comparisons with that menacing character, Gulshan admitted that this one is more than just another negative role. “People will remember Maharani, but in a different way. My character is interesting and relevant, dangerous and scary, and I’m confident that even after they leave the theatre, my track will linger in the audience’s mind,” he promises, adding that there are lots of complaints on the social media about films not having a powerful villain. “I’m sure this film will bring the bad man back. It’s important for negative characters to be relevant and reflect what is happening in society and Sadak 2 falls in that zone.”

Gulshan has over the years enhanced his characters with unique get-ups. Quiz him on this aspect and he says that though acting workshops have started, the team is still contemplating his look in the film which besides bringing back Sanjay and Pooja after 28 years also features Alia Bhatt and Aditya Roy Kapur.

Interestingly, Sanjay and Gulshan started their journey together in 1981 with Rocky and since then have worked in over 30 films together. Sharing the joy of teaming up with his ‘Brother Sanju’ again, the actor says, “The animosity that Sanjay Dutt and I have on screen, as hero and villain, will be recreated in Sadak 2 and add an extra layer to our characters. He is a friend and a brother and was the happiest when I signed the film.” Gulshan adds that it is a surreal experience to play baddie in a film featuring Alia, whom he’s seen grow up before his eyes. 

Upala KBR (DNA; May 6, 2017)

Pooja Bhatt has admitted to us that she and her father Mahesh, uncle Mukesh and Sanjay Dutt have been meeting regularly “for more reasons than one” at their Khar office. And that one of those reasons is putting together a sequel to Sadak (1991).

She tells us outright, “Besides enjoying each other’s candidness, we are exploring the possibilities of a sequel to Sadak. One thing we are all clear about though — that we won’t attempt it until we believe we can live up to the first... Sadak is a classic and a favourite of millions of people. If we revisit the film, we need to be sure why. But just being in the same room together takes us back to such a precious time from all of our lives.”

While it is known that Mahesh will only write for and not direct the sequel (buzz is Srijit Mukherji), it was unclear if Alia would be a part of the project. Shares Pooja, “It’s too early to speak about the script and casting. All I can say is that Bhattsaab is writing the sequel and has to be the creative backbone with regards to the storytelling.”

Tell her that buzz is Sadak 2 will be a remake of 1994 Tamil drama Mahanadi, which deals with social issues like corruption and child trafficking and that Alia would play Sanjay and Pooja’s daughter, Pooja laughs off the rumours with a blunt reply. “There is no buzz in that buzz, unfortunately!” she says.

As Vishesh Films completes three decades on April 2, its lodestar, Mahesh Bhatt, talks about its latest offering and six intensely personal dramas that are cherished memories today
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 1, 2017)


BEGUM JAAN (2017)

This Partition drama is a new spring for Vishesh Films. After a few flops, a gloom had descended over the establishment which had the infrastructure and access to money, but the core from where my films had come had withered. That’s when I accidentally stumbled on this Bengali film, Rajkahini, whose director, Srijit Mukherji, was suggested to me by my writer Suhrita Sengupta.

I’d liked his work and when invited to see the film at a preview theatre, I dragged my reluctant brother, Mukesh Bhatt, along. I was devastated by it. The film shook me, my body and soul. I came out of the screening, hugged Srijit tightly and said, “As long as there are storytellers and filmmakers like you, the moral compass of the nation is intact.” In that embrace was born the narrative of Begum Jaan.

When Mukesh saw how overwhelmed I was by the film, he decided to remake it in Hindi. With all his caution and worldly wiseness, Mukesh Bhatt has taken many risks based on my gut instincts. He’s as much a gambler as me, without whom we would not have come this far.


ZAKHM (1998)

So many painful memories because this film was semiautobiographical, based on my proud origin of having a Hindu father, a Muslim mother and a Christian schooling. It was my last directorial and because it dealt with communal politics and the carnage post ’92-’93, my mother was concerned believing that by taking up for secular values, I’d upset the ultra right-wing forces. She died after the first schedule and I had to unmask her Muslim identity which she had hidden behind a sari, tika and mangalsutra when she was alive and had to tell the family that her last wish was to be buried.

She went into the grave as Shirin Mohammad Ali as she didn’t have her husband’s name attached to her. It was graceful of the man in charge of the burial ground in Byculla to let me perform the last rites after learning that I was a Hindu by the name of Mahesh Bhatt. When I stepped into the grave and turned her face towards Kaba, it was the most intimate time I spent with my mother who was no more. That became the defining image planted in the climax which touched the nation’s consciousness.


SADAK (1991)

I remember an enchanting night in Mysore’s Brindavan Gardens where we were shooting Nadeem-Shravan’s romantic track, “Tumhe Apna Banaane Ki Kasam” with a young Pooja Bhatt and the new star Sanjay Dutt. In between shots, I would be listening to a commentary on the Gulf War. Sanjay wondered why I was interested in something happening in Iraq. We had to finish the shoot before dawn becauses it was an expensive location but even though we stretched ourselves, one shot remained. I resigned myself to completing it elsewhere but Sanjay protested, saying, “We have to shoot it here.”

I told him it was impossible to carry the equipment to a distant location before daybreak. “I’ll do it,” he said, and lugging one of the huge archlights, turned to the lightboys and commanded, “Follow me.” They did and we got the shot before the sun came up.


DADDY (1989)

Not for nothing was I labelled the “autobiographical” filmmaker. I went through the attics of my life and shamelessly pulled out stuff others shudder to reveal to the world, including my battle with the bottle, to launch my 16-year-old daughter Pooja Bhatt as an actress in Daddy. It’s a film about an alcoholic struggling to reform for his daughter, part fiction-part real.

My wife Soni Razdan is away in Hong Kong with our newborn child and Pooja was staying with me in Juhu during the shoot. Every night she would rehearse her lines for the next day, perform them for me, then go to bed. One night, after she and the rest of the world had fallen asleep, I had a sudden craving to go to a bar and have a drink.

‘Who would know’, I asked myself. My wife was away and my daughter, asleep. A voice replied from deep within, “You can con the world, you can con your child, but how can you con yourself Mahesh Bhatt? You would know.”

I didn’t have that drink and it was a turning point for me in my struggle with alcoholism. The next morning, I rewrote the climax with Anupam Kher who played the alcoholic, being offered a drink by the baddie before going on stage and tossing the whiskey and the temptation away. What happened in life was transported to the movies. Celluoid has been my intimate diary and I’ve let the world into that space because there’s nothing to hide.


NAAM (1986)

After the critically acclaimed Saaransh and Arth, this was my first money-spinner. It enjoyed a golden jubilee run and brought back Sanjay Dutt after a string of disasters. It also put the spotlight back on Salim Khan after a split with his scriptwriter partner Javed Akhtar.

I have to thank Kumar Gaurav for making Naam possible for us. When I narrated the idea to his producer-father, Rajendra Kumar admitted it was good but then apprehensively turned to his son and pointed out that Sanjay Dutt’s role in this two-hero film was more powerful. “Why not do a film with you at the heart of it?” he suggested.

Without blinking an eye Kumar Gaurav replied, “If we’re going to make this movie, it has to be on this story.” Seeing his conviction his father agreed but ironically, Rajendra Kumar’s fears are confirmed because despite Kumar Gaurav’s brilliant performance, Naam is Sanjay’s show.


ARTH (1982)

The film was done and was the talk of the town. But there were no takers. The end —Shabana Azmi’s character Pooja choosing not to return to her philandering husband or jump into the arms of her lover who promises her the moon but opting to live alone as a single mother to her maid’s daughter—was too bold and unconventional for our Hindi film industry.

There was another problem. My narrative stood on the shoulders of two brilliant actresses, Shabana and Smita Patil, but the latter had moved out of the art house circuit into Bollywood’s A-list. She was convinced I’d been grossly unfair to her character, Kavita, pruning some of her best scenes to make her look like a lesser actress to build up Shabana. An uncomfortable silence stretched between us which I didn’t know how to bridge.

One day, I ran into her at Parkview Hotel. I’d gone to drop off playwright Vijay Tendulkar whom she’d come to meet. The staircase was too narrow to avoid a collision. She tried to walk away but I wouldn’t let her. “Smita, you can’t do this to me. You can accuse me of being a less talented director who could not do justice to your part, but to accuse me of being partial is unfair and you know it,” I entreated, looking into her eyes.

“How can you do this to me? Now I can’t even be angry with you. You’ve taken away all my anger,” she wailed. She went on to watch the film and liked it. And our almost-sour relationship had a happy ending.

SAARANSH (1984)

On the first day of the new year, when my colleagues, after a night of indulgence were still recovering from the hangover, I was at Mehboob Studio with my actors and technicians, and the entire Barjatya family, gearing up to take the first shot of my new film. I shouted, “Action” and in the foreground a telephone began to ring. A grainy image of Anupam Kher as BV Pradhan, a retired school teacher of 70, walked into the frame to pick up the receiver. A disembodied voice — mine — informed him that his only son was dead after being mugged while returning from an Independence Day celebration in New York. The shot was okayed in one take but instead of the usual claps and smiles I could see that my producers were uncomfortable.

Rajkumar Barjatya, speaking for his family, asked me respectfully if it was the right shot for the mahurat given that we were announcing an end. I pointed out that the essence of Saaransh was coming to terms with the finality of death and debunking the popular notion of immortality. With my words their concerns melted away as the true meaning of Saaransh asserted itself with the first shot.

Amaal Mallik talks about recreating the iconic 1991 song Tumhe Apna Banane for upcoming film Hate Story 3
Kasmin Fernandes (BOMBAY TIMES; November 6, 2015)

Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 3, 2015)

Mahesh Bhatt had planned his 1993 gangster drama, Sir, with Sadashiv Amrapurkar playing the main baddie, Chhappan Tikli, and Gulshan Grover as his demented but dangerous younger brother, modeled on a character from The Godfather series. But just three days before the film was to roll, Sadashiv pointed out to Bhatt that in a crowd of 'serious' actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Paresh Rawal and him, a 'commercial' actor like Gulshan stood out and should be replaced.

When prodded, Bhatt though reluctant to speak ill about someone who is no more, admitted that it was true. "The facts don't change," he sighed. "It's true that after the success of Sadak and his character Maharani, Sadashiv had begun to feel that Gulshan was not on par with the so-called talent quotient of the rest of the cast, a statement which I thought was somewhat pompous and reeked of arrogance."

Unaware of this, Gulshan had got himself clicked wearing his son's bermudas and came to Bhatt with the photographs wondering if he'd got the 'look' of his character right. He was told that he had been elevated in the cast and would be playing Chhappan Tikli. "The set at Mukesh Mills is ready. We start shooting the day after tomorrow," Bhatt informed the astounded actor.

"After Sadak, Sadashiv was a saleable name with distributors and it was unthinkable for me to replace him. But the Bhatts have never been against 'commercial' actors who they believed were more popular with the audience," points out Gulshan, who got a two-hour briefing during which Bhatt told him that he didn't want him to play Chhappan Tikli like a regular villain. Instead he was a hero determined to avenge the death of his brother, who was stripped and hanged, by doing the same to rival ganglord Veljibhai's daughter. "The character I was to play earlier, was turned into a woman, Sweety, played by Sushmita Mukherjee, and I was told to use my 'genius quality' to translate the information into a visual."

Gulshan obliged by doing a photo shoot with Times of India photographer, Pradeep Chandra, wearing his own designer suits and getting his make-up man, Suresh Sharma to create the pox marks on his face using cosmetics.

"I realised instantly that unlike Ram Lakhan's outlandish, in-your-face bad man, Chhappan Tikli was more subtly menacing, someone you would steer clear of despite the outward gloss," says Gulshan, who incorporated Mahesh Bhatt's mannerism of whipping off his glasses when angry into the character.

The glasses, he used in the film, were a gift from an actress friend. And the only scene where he takes them off carefully is when 'Sir' Naseer comes to him proposing a truce with Veljibhai and Chhapan Tikli tells him quietly, "Tu yahan se vapas jayega kaise, yeh socha hai." After the scene, Naseer who was a dear friend and respected Gulshan as an actor, applauded his performance.

The quiet menace was what made Chhappan Tikli memorable. Gulshan remembers a scene where he meets with his six-feet plus henchmen, reprimanding them for losing to a rival. The scene that had been penned was a cliche which had him raging, ranting and firing bullets in the air randomly. Gulshan wasn't impressed and nor was Bhatt who told him to throw the page away and create something new.

"He told me I should be feeling as frustrated as a director whose leading man after giving them a day to complete his portions hasn't turned up all morning but whose unit was still happily sitting down to lunch, wondering what was for dessert. From that analogy, we worked out a scene whereby Chhapan Tikli quietly sits down to lunch with his men and then suddenly overturns the table asking them how they can eat and digest the food knowing what has happened before," reminisces Gulshan.

That gave not only his men but the audience plenty of food for thought.

Hiren Kotwani & Seema Sinha (BOMBAY TIMES; November 4, 2014)

MUMBAI MIRROR (November 4, 2014)

Adieu Sadashiv Amrapurkar (May 11, 1950 - November 3, 2014)

Veteran Bollywood actor Sadashiv Amrapurkar, died at Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital on Monday, November 3. He was battling an interstitial lung infection and passed away peacefully, at 2.45 am, informed his daughter Rima. His last rites will be performed at his birth place in Ahmednagar district today.

Born Ganesh Kumar Nalawade in 1950 to a Brahmin family near Shirdi, his started out with school plays. Music was another passion but despite being a trained singer, his nasal baritone prevented him from pursuing a career as a singer At 21, he moved to the stage and took on the name Sadashiv Amrapurkar. He acted in more than 50 plays. In 1981-82, he acted in a Marathi stage play Hands-Up! alongside stage actors Avinash Masurekar and Bhakti Barve-Inamdar. The play was a super-hit and Govind Nihalani cast him in Ardh Satya.

The eventful journey continued for the next three decades with many roles, both sinister and comic. 
---------------------------------- 
Mahesh Bhatt remembers his 'Maharani', Sadashiv Amrapurkar, who passed away yesterday.

Sadashiv Amrapurkar had the humility to approach me for work. He came to meet me on the sets with my friend Avatar Gill. I'd seen him in Govind Nihalani's Om Puri-Smita Patil starrer Ardh Satya (1983), and was impressed.

Call it luck, chance or destiny but soon I stumbled on the idea of Sadak and wanted only Sadashiv for the role of Maharani. Coming from the background of people's theatre, there was still a roughness about him that hadn't been pruned by the tyranny of refinement. Maharani is unforgettable because of this coarseness, this 'crudity'.

I remember narrating the script to him at Film City. He was astounded that I was offering him such a significant role. Today, I can say that Sadak wouldn't have been possible without Sadashiv. This man of the soil, who had learnt about films not from books or discussions on cinema but from theatre, gave Maharani an energy and vitality....Also, it's get-up.

When I'd shown him a photograph of what I had in mind, he pointed out that my Maharani didn't look like a eunuch. He requested me to let him wear a saree. I sent a production assistant to the station to pick up one. And waited for Sadashiv to emerge.

The minute he stepped out, I knew Sadak, which opened in 1991, would be a smash hit. Everyone around was mesmerised and petrified. Some of the biggest producers had predicted that Sadak would be a disaster, arguing that a Hindi film hero couldn't be pitted against an antagonist who wasn't man enough. Sadashiv helped me prove them wrong.

The same year, he did a cameo in the Waheeda Rahman-starrer Swayam. He was a tough, upright cop who reprimands her children for leaving the elderly widow to fend for herself on the streets. The film touched on the problems old people face with the breakdown of the joint family system. It was a subject close to Sadashiv's heart and he did the role for free.

Our last meeting was at my office during Murder 2 (2011). The director, Mohit Suri, who has grown up on memories of Maharani, wanted to cast him in a cameo in the role of Nirmala Pandit, a politician-eunuch. Sadashiv who looked old, frail and unwell, heard me out politely. He then told me respectfully that he wanted to work with friends like me and young directors like Mohit, but he didn't want to do this particular role.

He pointed out that we both knew he could not better his performance in Sadak. So, even though several producers had approached him with similar roles, he had turned them all down. He didn't want to contaminate and annihilate the Maharani off our memories. I accepted his decision gracefully. Sandeep Sikand played the role.

On October 26, when I was celebrating my wife's birthday, I got a call from a journalist informing me that Sadashiv was no more. I was in the midst of an emotional response when the journalist was interrupted by her colleague, who informed her that though 'critical', Sadashiv was still with us. I heaved a sigh of relief but an instinct told me that the deathwatch had begun.

Yesterday, soon after I landed in Kolkata, I learnt that the man who had touched my life briefly, was gone. Back in the '80s, the highbrow critics had been appalled that the maker of Saraansh and Arth had made a Sadak. Some had even refused to review it. Today, this is the film that people remember Sadashiv for. It just goes to show that a film needs to make a place in the hearts and minds of the people to live on....Not in archives controlled by purist pacemakers. 

On April 29, 2013, Sadashiv Amrapurkar spoke to Mirror about his iconic character, Maharani. Excerpts
As told to Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 4, 2014)

"I had played similar characters in Marathi plays, but the idea of playing a transgender in a Hindi film not as a caricature to raise snickers but to terrify the audience had me hooked," reminisces Sadashiv Amrapurkar about Sadak.

Soon after, the actor spotted a photograph of a man dressed in saree and jewellery while on a visit to Mumbai's red-light area along with a friend who was researching an article for a newspaper. Enquiries revealed that though the sethji in the picture had a definite attraction toward the opposite sex, he occasionally liked to pose as a drag queen and get himself clicked. He was the muse for the character of Maharani, who wore a saree and a red bindi on her forehead.

Amrapurkar recalls a scene, where Pooja Bhatt beseeches him to let her leave the brothel with her taxi driver lover, Sanjay Dutt. But he shakes his head, saying her pleading won't help (koi fayda naheen hoga), this is her profession and he can do nothing for her. Sanjay would crow with delight after every take. "Tum hit toh film hit, film hit toh hum hit (If your character is a hit, then the film will be a hit and vice versa)," he would say.

The character of Maharani had people taking to their heels on the real sadak. "My daughter would chide me for doing roles that frightened people," laughs Amrapurkar, who bagged the first Filmfare Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role that was institutionalized to acknowledge his performance.

He says he is still addressed as Maharani and his dialogue, "Yahan ka raja, iss jism ke bazaar ka maharaja, aur naam, Maharani (I am the king of this place, the emperor of the flesh trade, and my name is Maharani)", remains unforgettable.