Amid chatter that Wheel Of Fortune India has been renewed for a second season, host Akshay Kumar recently shot for the grand finale. For the superstar, the episode brought both — the hope of meeting the audience again for a new season, and a sense of nostalgia as he walked down memory lane with Farah Khan, Bhumi Pednekkar, and Jacqueline Fernandez.

A source told mid-day that the channel is keen to continue with the actor, given his high audience engagement. The source shared, “The decision to move ahead with the next season has been influenced by contestants, who love the laughter and nostalgia that Akshay evokes.”

The final episode is a perfect example of that. Apparently, Kumar shared a warm anecdote about Farah and her brother Sajid Khan’s childhood that left the audience in splits. He revealed that the siblings would often go to the theatre to watch movies, with their mother Menaka Irani preparing sandwiches for their outings.

Kumar shared, “Farah would beat her brother during the interval, and you’ll be shocked to hear why. [It’s because] he would eat up the onions, tomatoes, eggs, and potatoes in the sandwiches, leaving just the bread for her! Does anybody beat up their brother for this?”

Reports of Sunita Ahuja’s film debut have been doing the rounds lately. Things have been kept under wraps, but a source spotted her shooting at a temple in Bhopal for the said film. The movie marks Sunita’s full-fledged Bollywood debut and not just a special appearance. An industry insider revealed that she will star alongside her son, Yashvardhan, in it.

The source shares, “The film is a horror-comedy helmed by Sajid Khan, who returns to direction after many years and is produced by Ekta Kapoor. It is being shot in Mumbai currently and stars Sunita in a pivotal role. She will be seen replicating her real-life role as Yash’s mother on screen as well. Dono maa-beta will share the screen for the first time.”

The film stars Yashvardhan with Laapataa Ladies’ Nitanshi Goel and Gadar 2’s Simrat Kaur Randhawa in leading roles.

Bollywood’s rumour mill is buzzing about Sajid Khan possibly returning to the director’s chair. Seven years after he was called out in multiple Me Too allegations by actors and journalists, and subsequently faced the Federation of Western India Cine Employees’ year-long ban that ended in 2019, it is heard that the director is in discussions with Zee Studios to helm a rom-com.

Word in the trade circle is that the yet-untitled film will serve as a launchpad for Govinda’s son Yashvardhan Ahuja. Nitanshi Goel of ‘Laapataa Ladies’ (2024) fame and Krithi Shetty have been chosen as the female leads.

An insider told mid-day, “Sajid has been approached by the studio, but he hasn’t said yes yet. The studio heads are keen to have him helm the film as the comedy elements are right up his alley. Yashvardhan has another project with Phantom Studios, but he is likely to start shooting for this first. Sajid was earlier to direct a film with John Abraham, but that didn’t work out.”

Talk also suggests that the rom-com might be a remake of a hit South Indian movie.

mid-day contacted Khan and Zee Studios. Both did not respond till press time.

He was shooting for Housefull 4 in 2018 when sexual harassment allegations by multiple women upturned his life. The storm of accusations — including claims of unwanted advances and harassment — upended his career, with work vanishing overnight. Sajid Khan, 54, became an accused in the #MeToo movement in Bollywood — called out, ridiculed and vilified. For six years, he chose silence. Until now. With trepidation in his voice, he recounts the toll the past years have taken on him, both mentally and physically.

I thought of ending my life many times in the last 6 years. It’s been extremely bad, in the sense that I’ve been out of work. Despite getting a clearance from Indian Film and Television Directors Association (IFTDA). I’m trying to get back on my feet. I had to sell my house and move to a rented flat because of no earnings. I was 14 when I started earning because my dad (actor, producer, and director, Kamran Khan) passed away, leaving me and (my sister) Farah (Khan Kunder, filmmaker and choreographer) with debts. Today, I wish my mum was alive (Menaka Irani died in 2024) to see me try to get back on my feet. More than her son, I was her caretaker. Life has been quite tough.

Looking back, yes. Now everybody does it on YouTube, but early on in my career, I used to say sensational things just to make headlines. When I worked on TV, my job was to entertain people. I used to rub many the wrong way...When I see some of my interviews today, I feel like taking a time machine back and stopping that guy — saying, ‘Idiot, what are you talking about? Why are you so brash?’ Words don’t matter; work does. Because I was so brash, I rubbed people the wrong way. I would apologize whenever I realized it, but when work stops, you start questioning your life. I’ve mellowed down. I just want to work to survive now.

I left Housefull 4 because I didn’t want the dates to get shuffled. The producer, Sajid Nadiadwala, had put up a big set with 10–15 busy actors. Changing dates would’ve disrupted the film for years. Mine was a trial by media, very one-sided. What does a man work for? Respect. When that’s taken away, your self-respect comes into doubt. I was known for my offensive humour — I believed offence was the best defence. But I’ve learned the hard way. I never disrespected women, and I never will. My mother raised me to believe in gender equality. I didn’t realize my words would make me pay such a huge price.

Ten days before it happened, I was shooting in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, and my mum wasn’t well. When I had to leave the film, I was worried she’d have a heart attack if she found out. I told Farah (sister) to hide the newspapers from her. For 10 days, I pretended everything was fine, leaving the house and coming back as if I’d been on set... I’ve never, and will never, say anything against any woman. But yes, the last six years have been a period of self-assessment. Everyone else named in the movement went back to work, but I didn’t. That felt harsh. It made me realize I needed to change not just my life but also the way I spoke to people. I’m much more restrained now.

Meetings went well, but post-Covid, entertainment has changed drastically. Ultimately, it’s about how you present yourself and the strength of your script. Whenever I would approach studios, I was told that even if the script is good, your name is involved in MeToo and we are hesitating to sign you. I have not understood why after so many years when everyone else has moved on, I am not being given that chance. I have a film starting mid-year now, but there’s no guarantee of success. That’s the nature of the industry.

I didn’t want to speak. My mother told me, ‘Silence is golden’. Perception is like mist — it has to be cleared.

Singer Sona Mohapatra has always viewed herself as a warrior against sexual harassment in the music industry, having been among the first to accuse composer Anu Malik of misconduct. Although the #MeToo movement lost momentum, the recent Hema Committee report on power dynamics and casting couch culture in Malayalam cinema has renewed the discussion on these critical issues.

“This report is a validation of what many of us have been fighting for — safer workplaces and fair opportunities based on merit,” she says.

Reflecting on her career struggles, Mohapatra recounts being “thrown out” as a judge from a music reality show, which led to financial difficulties and the loss of her team.

“I couldn’t pay my team that year and even lost a USA tour. I was labelled a troublemaker, and no TV channel has approached me since to make amends. Meanwhile, the perverts, who were named by me and multiple other women, are happily back on national TV with youngsters around them. All of them, including Anu Malik, Kailash Kher (singer), Sajid Khan (director), Vikas Bahl (filmmaker) and several others, found space in the public domain to gloat over the fact that it is very much a man’s world.”

She adds, “Public memory is short, it often forgives these perverts quickly... Some, like Sonu Nigam (singer), expressed sympathy for Anu Malik losing work but demanded hard proof from survivors.” 

Despite facing setbacks for speaking out, Mohapatra remains steadfast: “I’m back with a new show, Lal Pari Mastani, winning awards across the world.”

We attempted to contact Anu Malik, Kailash Kher, Sonu Nigam and Vikas Bahl for comments, but received no response.

Singer Sona Mohapatra’s recent tweets on the growing “wannabe celebrity culture” grabbed eyeballs. Many assumed it was a ‘dig’ at actor-singer Shehnaaz Gill, as at one point, Mohapatra had called out Gill for supporting #MeToo accused director Sajid Khan. The artiste feels it’s time we move past the “catfight” imagery and address the issue at hand.

Mohapatra tells us, “I’ve been consistent in sticking my neck out for women’s empowerment and fairplay. So, it’s equally important to call out opportunistic women who are happy to compromise whatever little ideals they have to pursue their ambitions of fame and fortune by siding with well-established male sexual predators. It’s not like we’ve ever received something even remotely resembling acknowledgement of their wrongdoings, from men like Sajid Khan or (singer) Anu Malik. When women side with them and play dumb, it’s disturbing.”

She goes on to talk about her tweets being misconstrued to make it seem like a ‘dig’. “If we expect men to do and be better, don’t those standards apply to women as well? To read headlines of me ‘lashing out’, ‘slamming’ or ‘taking a dig’ at another woman is disturbing. It is a cliché of the patriarchal mindset,” says the singer, who recently released a song, Roti Machine.

Amid times of “disturbingly popular music videos” portraying women suffering in the name of love, Mohapatra hopes her latest track can drive change in the narrative around women. “See Dhokha by Afsana Khan (singer)... Women are portrayed as gold-diggers who need ‘shopping’ to be won over or are objectified, while the men have swag. This puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on young men to provide, apart from creating a sick stereotype for women. Roti Machine is one such musical response I put out, where we say that love is a two-way street. You have to give respect to get respect,” she concludes.

Bappi Lahiri and Asha Bhosle’s Raat Baaki has undergone a contemporary revision at the behest of Sajid Khan, of Sajid-Wajid fame. The composer, who counts Iulia Vantur among his friends, admits to have created this version keeping her singing sensibilities in mind, even though Vantur was never approached for the project.

“I wanted to make something that suited her personality. I didn’t tell her I was working on it. I caught her on a day when she was in a good mood, and decided to have her record it. Initially, I told her it was for someone else, but I merely wanted her to give it a go. I guided her on the process as she simply followed my cues, and after I created it, I sent her the final track,” says Khan, adding that the 1982 number has been a favourite.

“Nakal karne ke liye bhi akal ki zaroorat hai. Many people don’t use their brains while recreating songs. I wanted to give this number a party groove, and I use her accent to favour it. Just like we can’t speak English as well as foreigners can, regardless of how hard we try, she can’t speak in Hindi like we do. And that works in her favour. People believe that is her weakness, but I think it is her strength. I have used her accent, because, today, listeners are willing to consume the works of a diverse range of singers. Also, she is so hard-working that eventually people will like her,” says Khan, further crediting his music engineer Sajid Masood for the final product.

At their core, Rendezvous With Simi Garewal, and Bigg Boss are polar opposites of one another. While the reality show thrives on voyeurism, Garewal’s chat show, which ran between 1997 and 2007, offered a rare and intimate portrait of its subjects. What happens when the two worlds collide? Guess we’ll find out as the veteran actor-host is set to conduct a rendezvous of sorts with the contestants of Bigg Boss 16, in a special episode that will be aired on Thursday. That’s not all — she is also in talks to shoot an episode with Bigg Boss host Salman Khan.

“I will wear my trademark white, and the Bigg Boss team is setting up an all-white space inside the house,” reveals Garewal, who will film the episode today with housemates Tina Datta, Shalin Bhanot, Sajid Khan, and others.

The reality show had not caught Garewal’s interest in the past. However, this season was different. “I had stopped watching after the first season as I didn’t like it at all. This season, I watched a few episodes as Farah’s [Khan] brother Sajid was on it. Surprisingly, I loved the show and didn’t miss a single episode after that.”

She adds that Farah Khan spoke to the channel about the possibility of a special episode. “The [channel officials] asked Farah if I would do a Rendezvous… with the contestants. It sounded like fun, and I gave my nod.”

While she remains tight-lipped about the Bigg Boss interview with Khan, Garewal is keen to host the superstar on her chat show, after it is relaunched. “Salman has not appeared in any of the 150 episodes I have shot for Rendezvous. Now, he has promised to come on the show when I begin it again. When I asked how I should contact him, Salman said, ‘Text me the time, place and date, and I will be there.’ His only request is that it should be the last episode of the season.”

Somy Ali has time and again hinted that people in power exploited her in the ’90s during her stint in Bollywood, but she has never taken names. And she doesn’t even intend to do so because she feels “he is not worth” mentioning at all.

“It’s only people who put an end to something with their reach and power when they have something to hide, who are ashamed that the world will find out. I was wronged, but my family, friends and I reiterate that the witnesses knew exactly what occurred, and this makes me sleep quite peacefully at night. I pity the perpetrator, who has to live with the demons and carry them for eternity. He is not even worth mentioning by name. That’s how small he is to me now,” says Ali, who reportedly used to date actor Salman Khan back in the day.

The actor, who has featured in movies such as Krishan Avtaar (1993), Anth (1994) and Chupp (1997), among others, is outraged that #MeToo accused filmmaker Sajid Khan has been given a national platform for his comeback: “By giving these people a platform, one is only enhancing and patting their backs, confirming what they did is actually fine and okay to do again. These people (show makers) are enablers for all the wrong reasons because they are members of the same club.”

Lastly, the 46-year-old shares, “Everyone should be educated on how common domestic violence can be and how it does not discriminate whether you are an athlete, a politician, or, in my case, a movie star.”

Of late, there’s been a lot of uproar around #MeToo accused Sajid Khan getting a national platform and singer Sona Mohapatra is disappointed to see the #MeToo movement getting diluted in India. With the filmmaker making it to national television with a reality show, she wonders if one should be a part of the “culture of silence”.

Mohapatra questions, “If we speak up, we lose. If we don’t, we lose. That is the Hobson’s choice for women who spoke up about #MeToo in India. Should we provide free publicity to such TV shows’ diabolical marketing teams and channels giving a hero’s welcome to sex offenders like Sajid Khan, Anu Malik (composer), Vikas Bahl (filmmaker) and more? Should we avoid bathing in the troll mud bath that follows making our identity that of controversial trouble-makers and liars, or should we be part of the culture of silence and normalize this?”

The 46-year-old, who shared her #MeToo story in 2018 and accused musicians Kailash Kher and Malik of sexual misconduct, knows that systematic changes take time. “But the least we can expect is an apology from some of these men. I expect the good people, who care about the good fight, to be in our corner,” she says, adding, “I reached out to the National Commission for Women with several testimonies of women who had spoken up about facing abuse in the hands of Anu Malik, including some minors, but unfortunately, they are merely a toothless organization on paper with no real powers.”

The Sajid Khan clamour refuses to die down. Earlier this week, Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal wrote to Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur, seeking the ouster of the #MeToo-accused filmmaker from Bigg Boss 16. In response, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) said that Khan is allowed to work as he has served his punishment.

The filmmaker was banned for a year, which was lifted in March 2019. “Ek aadmi ko hum ek case ke liye ek baar hi saza de sakte hain. Not again. He has served his punishment. Now, if someone has any issue and feels more should be done, they should take the legal route,” Birendra Nath Tiwari, FWICE president, says while clarifying the intention of the letter. He adds, “One year is a long time for a director to sit at home. We formed a committee with activists and lawyers, who decided the time frame. We can’t impose a life ban.”

For writer Vinta Nanda, who accused actor Alok Nath of sexual harassment, the current reality of the small screen is a reflection of the patriarchal mindset. Nanda says, “It’s so horrifying to see that the battery of channel executives, which includes women, are making such decisions.”

Actor Kamya Panjabi aka Kamya Shalabh Dang is also hoping for a more “transparent way of dealing with such issues”, instead of playing the blame game.

The #MeToo movement became a watershed moment in history by bringing to light accounts of sexual harassment and misconduct at the workplace. However, five years after it first gained prominence, consequences faced by the accused remain remarkably different between the Indian film industry and Hollywood.

While reports by American media speak of how men accused of #MeToo struggle to find work, closer home, things haven’t changed much for celebs accused of harassment. Latest case in point being filmmaker Sajid Khan’s participation in the reality show Bigg Boss 16. Ever since the news first emerged, social media has been abuzz with people calling the makers out for their disregard towards the survivors, who had shared their #MeToo accounts against Khan in 2018.

Actor Tanushree Dutta, who became the torchbearer of the movement in India after speaking up against actor Nana Patekar and filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, calls Khan’s entry into the show a “cheap publicity stunt” and a “desperate attempt” by makers to revive interest in the show.

Among the several women who accused Khan, was actor Mandana Karimi, who claimed that he had asked her to remove her clothes during a meeting for his film Humshakals (2014). In a recent interview with us, Karimi said she is not shocked that he is back in the limelight without any repercussions. “For people, life has become like, ‘If it is going to benefit me and I can make money, who cares?’ That shows why #MeToo movement in India and many other countries didn’t really reach anywhere,” Karimi, who has decided to bid adieu to Bollywood as a result, said.

But, this is not the first instance that such an uproar has been created over an accused facing no repercussions. National Award-winning singer Chinmayi Sripaada, who was among several women who named Tamil lyricist and poet Vairamuthu of sexual harassment. feels that such incidents make the process of coping with the trauma of abuse, tougher. “It does further the trauma. But, what can you do? My molester is the favourite nationalist Tamil boy. He continues to get a platform. So many women, who call themselves feminists, get clicked with him,” she says.

Sripaada, however, expresses hope that things will change. “I know when I came out, it was incredibly freeing... Change doesn’t happen instantly. I see men who have taken a step back after this movement, and looked inwards, trying to unlearn things. I think things will change, but they will take time,” she says.

Singer Neha Bhasin, who had spoken up against singer-composer Anu Malik in 2019, says such incidents do not undermine the accusations. “Why should I care about the verdict of a society that is okay with people accused of harassment getting important projects, as if nothing ever happened? It is their shame; those who decide to work with them and continue to be seen with them. They, in no way, undermine whatever any of the victims have said about the accused before,” she says.

Although the #MeToo wave first reached India in 2017, as it did in many other countries following the high profile cases in Hollywood, it became prominent only a year later in 2018, after actor Tanushree Dutta opened up about her account, accusing actor Nana Patekar of sexual harassment.

That interview served as the prompt for multiple others, who spoke out against high profile names in the industry. Some of those accused included filmmakers Rajkumar Hirani, Vikas Bahl, Subhash Kapoor and Sajid Khan, singers Anu Malik and Kailash Kher, and actors Alok Nath and Rajat Kapoor.

However, nearly all of those who have been accused, continue to get work in their respective fields. Social media outbursts from several pro feminist and #MeToo handles, and countless online petitions, have all fallen on deaf ears as makers continue to offer projects and positions of respect and importance to the accused.

Allegations against the composer first emerged when singer Sona Mohapatra accused him of referring to her as “maal”. Shortly after, singer Shweta Pandit opened up about being sexually harassed by him when she was 15. The alleged incident took place in 2001, when Pandit visited Empire Studio in Mumbai’s Andheri for an audition. Malik denied the allegations. While Indian Idol removed him as a judge after an uproar in 2019, he got back to the seat, a season later.

A journalist accused the filmmaker of assaulting her and exposing his genitals while she was interviewing him in the early 2000s. Another woman alleged that he harassed her in 2011 when she was working as his assistant director. Several others, including actor Mandana Karimi recounted being assaulted by the filmmaker. While he stepped down as the director of Housefull 4 (2019), Khan is back as a contestant on a reality show.

A crew member accused filmmaker Vikas Bahl of assaulting her during the filming of Bombay Velvet in Goa in 2015. Actor Kangana Ranaut, too, has accused him of sexual misconduct. Bahl sent legal notices to his former business partners, filmmakers Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane for making “defamatory allegations” against him. Following this, he worked with actor Hrithik Roshan in the film Super 30 (2019) and more recently, directed Goodbye, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Rashmika Mandanna.

Writer and director Vinta Nanda accused actor Alok Nath in 2018 of raping her in the 1990s. Subsequently, actors Renuka Shahane, Himani Shivpuri, Sandhya Mridul, Deepika Amin and an anonymous Hum Saath-Saath Hain crew member have either admitted to knowing about Nath’s predatory behaviour or written about their own experiences. Nath has denied the allegations and filed a defamation case against Nanda, with his wife’s support. He featured in two films Sonu Ke Teetu Ki Sweety (2018) and De De Pyaar de (2019) after the incident.

Actor Nana Patekar was accused by actor Tanushree Dutta, making him the first prominent name to be highlighted in the #MeToo movement in the Indian film industry. He denied the allegations and tried to drag her to court as well. Two years later, he starred in the film It’s My Life, alongside Harman Baweja and Genelia Deshmukh. Patekar is reportedly gearing up for his next release, The Confession.

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“The law and order in the US is strong. So, the people have that support. We need to strengthen our system like that. Everyone needs to come together in solidarity in India to eliminate such crimes. Industry veterans, production houses and seniors need to be more responsible not to send such a horrible message to society.”

“Incidents like these are a glaring reflection of the deep-rooted patriarchy. People might get richer and buy expensive cars, but the mindset remains the same. Women are held accountable on the basis of morality, while men are not held accountable to the same standards. Everyone is out to character assassinate a woman. And that’s why the consequences will be different here. The fact that it is acceptable, that someone can get to work after such incidents, just cements my thoughts about India being a patriarchal society.”

“There are people who agree to compromise and keep their mouths shut, or not talk about the things happening around, thinking what difference will one person make? That is the main problem... It was just a few women, they came, they spoke and that was it. Where is the action? Who is boycotting these people? Nothing is going to happen. The industry is a place were someone is someone’s mum, boyfriend, girlfriend or husband. It’s like, you scratch my back, and I will scratch yours.”

“There are not many Harvey Weinsteins (disgraced producer) in the world, who get what the deserve. Even to women in the West, their system tells them that they do it (speak up) for cheap publicity, fame or money. In India, things are even difficult because it happens on a very deep rooted cultural level, which has gone on for generations. Even in regular households, women who suffer abuse are told to adjust and keep shut or not talk about it, while the people who do the deeds, are invited to family functions and what not. But all is not bad, I do see things changing and men wanting to unlearn things. That’s the most important step, I believe.”

In 2018, when the #MeToo wave hit India, it appeared that time was truly up — on sexual harassment and misconduct, and power imbalance. But four years on, we are, unfortunately, a long way from effecting change. The entertainment industry’s moral bankruptcy came sharply into focus last week, as #MeToo accused Sajid Khan was brought on as a contestant on Bigg Boss 16.

Bollywood has habitually rehabilitated many of the accused, be it Anu Malik turning judge for Indian Idol 11 and 12, or director Vikas Bahl whose Goodbye opened in theatres yesterday. Even as the powerbrokers remain silent on the latest move, there is an online petition to evict Khan from the reality show.

On Wednesday, digital content creators Chandana Hiran and Sukriti Chauhan launched a petition on Change.org, demanding Khan’s ouster. Earlier in the week, singer Sona Mohapatra, in a series of tweets, slammed his inclusion on the show, calling Indian TV channels a “depraved and sad lot.”

Hiran tells mid-day, “We have collected over 13,000 signatures. Celebrities like Sona Mohapatra, Meera Chopra, Saloni Chopra and Chinmayi Sripaada have come out publicly and condemned this. But Colors TV is yet to acknowledge our petition. We want them to respond. One understands that they have already shot a few episodes [with Khan], but we want to know their stand on the matter. Are they planning to continue despite protests?”

In 2018, Khan was accused of sexual harassment by several actors and a journalist, among others. He was dropped from Housefull 4, a film that he was then directing, and had stayed away from the limelight until Bigg Boss 16. Hiran is hopeful that the rising voices will make the officials at Colors TV do right by the brave women, instead of chasing TRPs.

“They have been eerily silent. All we want to hear right now is that they condemn sexual harassment, and he should be evicted immediately. They need to take responsibility. We have reached out to the Viacom 18 TV Head [Nina Jaipuria] and Viacom 18 CEO [Jyoti Deshpande].”

After mid-day’s repeated attempts to reach out to Colors TV officials, the channel’s spokesperson declined to comment. A source revealed that Khan had been  approached for one of the previous seasons as well. “Sajid was chased down by the show’s casting agents a few times before. It took a lot of to and fro between the legal teams to lock him for this season. He is getting votes, which works for the show’s format.”

Mandana Karimi is bidding adieu to Bollywood. The actor, who was among the women who accused filmmaker Sajid Khan of sexual misconduct as part of the #MeToo movement four years ago, says it is appalling that Khan is now a part of a reality show, facing no repercussions whatsoever for the charges levelled against him.

Karimi claimed that during a meeting for his film Humshakals (2014), Khan asked her to remove her clothes and said, “If I like what I see, you might get the part”. Seeing him participate in a reality show now has irked her. “For people, life has become like, ‘If it’s going to benefit me and I can make money, who cares?’” she laments, adding, “The industry is a place where someone is someone’s mum, boyfriend, girlfriend or husband. It’s like, you scratch my back and I will scratch yours.”

The Iranian actor, last seen in the reality show Lock Upp, says she has not worked in seven months. “I didn’t go for any auditions. I don’t want to work in Bollywood. I don’t want to be associated with an industry where there is no respect for women,” she says, adding that her dues from her last reality show are yet to be cleared.

What does the road ahead look like for her? “I’m trying to figure it out. I need to see what makes me happy as life is too short to compromise for anyone… Let’s see where life takes me,” she wraps up.

Time does not heal all wounds, however, it teaches one to live with the pain and smile through the tears. That’s something Wajid of the composer duo Sajid-Wajid has realised over the past year, after losing his brother to COVID-related complications in June 2020. Instead of mourning Wajid’s loss, he has decided to celebrate his late sibling’s birthday today. The Khan family will celebrate his life and memories. 

Sajid says, “Wajid and our mother were very close. Woh thodi dhal si bhi gayi hain… jawaan beta chala jaaye toh maa ko sabse zyada takleef hoti hai. On his birthday, Wajid would take her out shopping. So, that is what I plan to do today. We are hosting a small function on his birthday. I felt lost after he left me. Par ho gaya abhi bohot rona dhona, we need to celebrate my brother’s life now. I don’t want my mother to cry again on the day, but celebrate the joy he spread in our lives. We will cut a cake for Wajid and if I get an opportunity, I will visit Salman (Khan) bhai like last year.”

Other than the birthday celebrations, he is releasing a song — a tribute to his brother — on the day. He shares, “Wajid and I strongly believed that no matter what genre of music is popular in India, the melody strikes a chord with the listener. He was trained for film music, while I was more involved in execution. I create a scene and weave the music around it. I am enjoying that process. I know that he is with me to lend his special touch to all the songs I make. Whenever I get stuck, especially while singing, I ask Wajid to help me and everything falls into place.”

Sajid is now focused on taking the legacy ahead. He says, “So far, I have been seen as a brother who is down and out, but we are fighters. I plan to start something new in the field of music on this special day. We never believed in cashing in on the success of our music in movies and would stick to composing music for just three films in a year. That’s what I plan to continue to do. I want to work with people I love and those who have supported me throughout. That also gives me a lot of time to focus on other aspects, including independent music.”

Ankit Tiwari, popularly known as the Sunn Raha Hai Tu music composer and singer from Aashiqui 2, has struggled to make a name for himself in the music world. Post Aashiqui 2, Tiwari has been known for his love songs in films such as Ek Villain and Roy. He says, “If my name is associated with love songs, I am proud of it, because to get associated with a genre is an achievement in the Indian music world. Having said that, I do want to explore other genres and have around 100 different songs in my bank.”

He adds, “A few years ago, I sang a song called Dil Cheez Tujhe Dedi from Airlift, but people were not ready to believe that it was my composition. They felt it belonged to Pritam Chakraborty. It was much later that people realised that I had composed it. The image of being a composer of love songs has stuck and I am happy about it now.”

Ankit is currently seen as a mentor for one of the teams in the music reality show Indian Pro Music League. He says, “I am junior to all the singers, who are participating in the show. Kailash Kher, Shaan, Sajid Khan and Mika Singh are all my seniors and have done a huge amount of work on television. I can never compete with them. I am new in this arena and learning my way around here.”

Ankit also had a music band, which unfortunately had to split up due to the lockdown. He says, “We are living in very uncertain times. I had some talented musicians in my band, but they had to relocate to their hometowns because there was not much work happening due to the pandemic. We are hoping for things to get better soon. If you are alive and healthy, then I consider it a blessing during these times.”

When composer Wajid (of the Sajid-Wajid duo fame) passed away following Coronavirus complications last year, it was more than a devastating personal loss for his brother, Sajid. Wajid’s sudden demise also cast a shadow of uncertainty over Sajid’s musical career in the industry. But the belief that his late brother is by his side, as a guiding star, gave him the strength to move forward. Today, that faith has borne fruit — Sajid has composed two songs as well as sung one of them in Salman Khan’s film, Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai.

He shares, “Many people doubted my ability to carry the legacy forward after Wajid’s death. There was a phase when even I felt that it was all over. I was confused and scared about the future. However, I realised that I can’t afford to slip as we had achieved success after a lot of hard work. The first step was to regain Salman bhai’s confidence, as we have had a long association with him.”

Sajid says, “Yes, I was apprehensive about my capabilities, but I feel Wajid’s presence all the time. He has made me more powerful than I ever was. Now, I am alone and lethal. I have become more passionate about my work.”

Radhe... is his first film as a solo composer. “I have composed two songs, out of which I’ve sung and penned one — the title track in this movie. Writing has come to me as a gift from God after he took Wajid away. Now, I am looking forward to composing an entire album. Wajid was more into melody, while my USP has been the rhythm and arrangement of a song. Lekin aaj mujhse kuchh aisa kaam nikal jaata hain, which surprises me as well,” Sajid shares, adding, “Salman bhai was so impressed with my singing that he has given me a song in his other film, Antim (being directed by Mahesh Manjrekar). I never thought that I could sing as I never liked my voice (laughs!). I was always a standby, but my brother has given me the power to take the legacy ahead.”

Sajid is also part of the Indian Pro Music League 2021 (IPML). Now that the shoot of the reality show has come to a halt due to the Coronavirus crisis in Maharashtra, does he miss it? “Of course, I do. Uss show ki energy hi alag hai. IPML has also given me a chance to restore people’s faith in me that I can make good music,” he replies.

It has been a steady climb for Romanian actor-singer Iulia Vantur, who made her industry debut in Bollywood three years ago. After rendering assorted tracks in cinema, and several independent numbers, Vantur’s work will now feature in Salman Khan-starrer Radhe - Your Most Wanted Bhai, which releases on May 13. 

The singer, who lent her voice to the Disha Patani-starrer Seeti Maar, and Zoom Zoom, tells mid-day, “The biggest compliment was being told that no one could sing the song like I did. I felt like my efforts had borne fruit. I had worked hard on nabbing the pronunciation because I don’t speak the language. I try to work on that each time. Many people have also told me that my voice sounds different. I am happy to hear that.”

Vantur knows that learning the pronunciation was only one part of the task at hand. She had to do justice to the commercial desi number by rendering the track in the required style. “There is always a method to singing a desi track like Seeti Maar. I have been around for some time and I love this style. I find it entertaining and hope to render similar songs in the future.”

For the bigger part of her journey, Vantur has been accused of paving her path in the industry with the support of the superstar. But, while she considers his backing a boon, she admits that she could benefit from being shown “some more respect”. “You want more respect for your work. But, being guided by a knowledgeable person like Salman, is a blessing. I shouldn’t be disturbed. I should be happy that I get to be advised by him.” 

Khan, on his part, encourages Vantur to work on enhancing her craft. “He says, everything will fall in place. I often wonder why I work on so many songs that do not even release, and lament about the limited results [my efforts bear]. I felt that I was not heading in the right direction, but, hard work always pays off.”

It was at long-time friend Sajid Khan’s behest that Vantur decided to render the track. Sajid, who has composed the songs of the film, had her record the track in a studio where she had turned up for another recording. “He said we should see how it sounds. Initially, I thought I was only practising. But, he then said people loved the voice.” 

She counts Sajid among the few composers who have kept their faith in her, despite criticism around her work. “I never planned to make a career in singing. It happened, and I am more confident now than ever before. However, the competition in Bollywood is a tough one because people are so good at their job. No one can do your work for you. People can encourage you, and open the doors of their studios for you, but how you eventually sing is all on you.”

While preparing the soundtrack of Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai, Sajid Khan would make his hospital-bound brother Wajid hear rushes of the tracks, hoping to get his approval. “He would suggest changes that should be made. When I made him hear the title track, all he did was raise his hand to indicate that he liked it a lot. He [expressed sorrow] at the fact that the work load had come on my shoulders. He worried for me; I was working night and day, because we were in need of a lot of things then. But he would tell me to take care of my health,” says Khan of his long time collaborator, the late musician who succumbed to a cardiac  arrest, last year.

With Khan’s passing, Sajid inevitably lost his sounding board. Feedback on his music was always readily available for him, and in his absence, he says his “music is different”. “Now, all that I do is for him; [I want him] to be proud of his brother. Salman bhai [Khan] stood by me and said he had faith in our work. I remember, in the past, when my father was unwell, Wajid and I requested to distance ourselves from working on Kick, because we were not mentally [invested]. And while it is easy to [replace musicians], Salman kept his faith in us.” 

When dealing with a Salman-starrer, there’s little to debate when establishing that Sajid-Wajid — with tracks like Mashalla (Ek Tha Tiger), Dabangg and Hello Brother in their kitty — had a fine understanding of what goes into creating a chart-buster. For Sajid, he admits that the aim is to always play to Salman’s magnificence. “He is not a regular star; even an [unsuccessful] Salman Khan film will do better than a regular actor’s successful film. People follow the way he dresses; his music is almost a factor that alters their attitude. So we don’t select normal sounds for him.” 

Sajid consistently refers to Radhe as a “town film”, one that, he was told, is stylish and advanced. “We wanted to match international standards. The soundtrack has regge, Colombian music, and carnival styles, and we needed it to sound different from Dabangg. The lyrics of the title track has been penned by me, and is a fitting tribute to Salman.”

A track rendered by Iulia Vantur and Ash King is among the soundtrack’s highlights, says Sajid, crediting the former for her trajectory as a singer in the industry.  “People say she is being promoted by Salman, but you can’t negate the effort she puts in. Previously, we would have to work with her for six to seven hours to correct each [note]. But, this time, she recorded the song in 30 minutes. People need to understand that for any singer, understanding the language is essential. Just like a foreign language would be for an Indian, Hindi can be tough for [a foreigner] to nab, and she was, at the onset, weak. Working on the pronunciation was another aspect. But look how actors like Katrina [Kaif] and Jacqueline [Fernandez] have grown. Even if they err while speaking, people love it. That’s how hard Iulia has worked too.”