Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; February 18, 2018)

Sajid Nadiadwala, who celebrates his birthday today, is one of the leading producers in Bollywood. With a bevy of superstars queuing up to associate with him and several fresh faces being launched by his banner, Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment (NGE), his production house, has catapulted itself into the biggest league. So, frankly, he has something to celebrate all through the year. But birthdays are extra-special. Ask him how he plans to celebrate it this year and he tells us, “I usually spend the day with my staff and then my family. But this time it’s a Sunday, so I’ll spend some quality time only with my family.”

That being noted, we begin a conversation where he talks about dealing with success and failure, his upcoming projects, and what he looks for in a film when he decides to back it. Over to him...

Currently, your banner is a front-runner with you producing multiple projects. Are you happy with the way things are shaping up?
You become big only when you have great stories to tell. Sometimes, somebody has a great year and at times, they don’t have much to do. For example, 2014 was a big year for our company when we had Highway, Kick, 2 States, and Heropanti. Then, in 2016, it was followed by Housefull 3. I’m lucky to have a great pre-production team, which takes care of things. And, it has been like this right from 1987, when I started working. Whether I have three films or six, they have always been there for me. For instance, Baaghi 2 was supposed to release this April and we were almost struggling to meet that date, but they assured me we could do it. Now, we have advanced the release date to March 30. So, you can see how my team has been functioning. There’s a great work culture at Nadiadwala Grandson. It’s true that I’m heading the organisation, but there are some brilliant minds here. All of them are working towards making our banner a good, entertaining company.

When you pick a film, what’s the one thing that you look for?
There are two types of productions that I undertake. One are the kind of people whom I give a break to, where I’m like a driver to them. There is another set, whom I sign in order to learn from them. I’ve worked with Imtiaz (Ali), Vishal (Bhardwaj), Kabir (Khan) and now Nitesh (Tiwari). These are the people you work with to learn about filmmaking. You get to sit with these creative minds and understand things the way you never did before. That’s great.

Over the years, has the perception of success and failure changed?
My only problem is that I’m too sensitive about my movies. I feel each of them has to work and consider every film as my last one. That’s also one of the reasons why I’ve survived 30 years in the industry. Every time I pick a story to tell, everything comes down to the release and for me, it’s always ‘this is it’. At any given point of time, I’m not complacent. I’m excited, overburdened and stressed when a film releases. I check whether I’ve made a good decision. It’s everyone’s journey after all and sometimes, they look up to me. They feel that since my track record is good, if I’m green-lighting a project, it would mean it’s good. But honestly, that stress helps me more. If I’m easy and relaxed, I may not work that much (smiles).

How do you deal with a movie’s failure?
Luckily, that has happened only twice or thrice in these 30 years. Otherwise, all my films have done well. Only a couple of them didn’t and it was shocking. It hurt me. At that time, I just went into my shell and tried introspecting why it went wrong.

Have you ever looked back and thought you could have made a film better or in a different way?
When I see my movies on the editing table, I do think I could have done them a certain way. The satisfaction is never there even when I’m directing a film. You need to have the feeling that you could have done this better. Only then you will improve. You should never reach that point of saturation where you feel this is the best I could do. No director or producer can think like this. When you release the film and watch it on satellite TV again, you tend to think why did I even take this shot!

Is there something that you would never do as a producer?
I would not like to produce anything which has a negative feeling. I’ve never done it in the last 30 years. I don’t even watch such films. I need movies that end on a positive note. I’d never produce something that’s a downer.

The team wanted to launch Housefull 4 and Nitesh Tiwari’s next on your birthday. What’s the plan?
They are working on them. Housefull 4 is a big-star cast film, so there are a lot of permutations and combinations. The only people who are confirmed for it are Akshay (Kumar) and Riteish (Deshmukh). There are a lot of other names coming up, but the right time to announce it is only when they sign on the dotted line. There are a couple of more actors in the movie. They are not waiting for my birthday, but they’re waiting for the script to be narrated, which is taking time. Every time you have somebody new, it’s not easy because it’s a successful unit and there are few people who are always part of it; so the new ones also need to be comfortable with them. There’s a way these films are made and there are a lot of improvisations and on-set chemistry. All these factors have to be considered while casting somebody.

In a previous interview, you had said that Housefull 4 will have all the actors from the franchise. Is that the plan?
It’s not true. These things were said even before the script was penned. But only when it falls into place, you can decide who to approach.

This will be the first comedy film that will have reincarnation as its theme...
Yes, that’s why it’s very difficult. But the writers are doing an incredible job. There are no references. The film’s budget is huge and almost triple the size of Housefull. It’s actually three movies of the series put together. There’s one hour of VFX and one hour of period setting. It’s not just humour, there’s a lot of administration, preparation and planning. It’s going to be a difficult process and it will take time. We roll sometime in June.

Even with Baaghi 2, the action is going to be several notches higher and it’s expected to be another biggie...
When we made Heropanti, we knew we had a great script. So, it was only after the script was locked, Tiger (Shroff) was included in the cast. But when we saw the film, we realised that Tiger has a great X-factor. So we tried capitalising on that in Baaghi and it paid off. People were surprised with the way he did his action and the way he performed the stunts in Bangkok. It becomes difficult to devise strategies to cross a film like Baaghi. But the team including Tiger and Ahmed (Khan), worked day and night on that and they have done a brilliant job.

Everyone will see when they watch the Baaghi 2 trailer this Wednesday. I had a story with me for a long time and I asked them if they are ready to execute it. It was adapted from a South film. The designing and execution of stunts is unbelievable. When you see the action, you will understand that it was very painful. The way they have shot an action sequence is the way any other actor would do a scene. From 7 am to 7 pm, they have worked tirelessly, despite the restrictions of locations and injuries. When I saw the rushes, I was really happy with the result. People will expect the same once they watch the trailer.

Talking of Tiger, you have launched some new faces and now, you are introducing another lot of actors. What’s the plan?
Officially, at present, I’m launching Ahan Shetty and years ago, I worked with his father (Suniel Shetty) on Waqt Hamara Hai. So, it comes a full circle. I’ve always been doing it but now, it’s coming to the forefront.

Apart from these, there are other films that you are backing. There’s Shiddat, which you are co-producing with Karan Johar, Super 30 with Madhu Mantena and Nitesh Tiwari’s next. Tell us more about them.
What happens is one day, you sow seeds and suddenly you see them growing. I wanted to make such kind of films. I loved Toilet - Ek Prem Katha. So, I signed Shree Narayan Singh, who’s working on a film for me. I liked Hindi Medium, hence I’ve got Saket (Chaudhary) on board for his next. Then, there’s Nitesh (Tiwari) who is doing a movie with us. It has Sushant Singh Rajput and we are finalising the remaining cast. Once that is locked, we will announce it. Shiddat was part of our deal when Karan and I came together for 2 States. Along with them, there’s Hrithik’s Super 30 which is one of the finest scripts that I have heard in recent times. So, you keep working and some day, you feel you’ve a lot on your plate. Fortunately, we are not a public limited company, so we don’t need results to show our investors every quarter (smiles). Whenever we like a script, we go ahead.

There were talks about you and Hrithik coming together for a film for the longest time. Along with Super 30, now you have another production with him, which will be directed by Rohit Dhawan...
Rohit is writing a script and he takes his time. He usually writes his first draft with the screenplay and dialogues. He hasn’t completed that yet. It’s in the final stage and nobody will disturb him till he’s ready. So, all this news about him approaching an actor is just speculation.

Isn’t it a sci-fi film?
I don’t want to comment on this because if I say something, it will be tagged to the film while he’s still writing it.

You return to direction yet again with Kick 2...
Yes, I was extremely nervous while making Kick as it was my directorial debut. I would keep thinking if I was doing justice to it. When it did well, we decided to make a sequel. Now, I’m not that nervous, but anxious to begin work on Kick 2. With Salman (Khan), you can’t just sit back and not deliver. So, let’s see. The plan is to start it in 2019 and release it on Christmas that year.

DNA (February 18, 2016)


The coffee table book, titled Simply Grand(son) which has 500 pictures and 150 pages took 50 days to create just one copy. It has messages from all the actors and directors that Grandson (as he is fondly called) has worked with. The actors who have penned a special message for the birthday boy belong to three different generations — Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor and Tiger Shroff. Ditto for the actresses — Karisma Kapoor to Priyanka Chopra to Kriti Sanon. Directors like David Dhawan, Imtiaz Ali and Kabir Khan all feature in the book. Since Sajid is also the president of the Producers Guild, there are notes from producers as well.

An insider adds, “There is also an international actor (Sylvester Stallone?) and director. The book will be presented to Sajid today in his office. He couldn’t have asked for a better birthday gift!

On his birthday, one of the industry’s most successful producers Sajid Nadiadwala takes stock of the year gone by and talks about the one ahead...
Sarita A Tanwar (DNA; February 18, 2015)


Birthdays are time to take stock of the year gone by. Looking back, are you happy with your last year?
Yes. Everything is fantastic. On the personal front, the kids have grown up and are doing well in school. Professionally, until now, I used to make one film at a time. Last year, I made four. It worked so well, now I’ve got the energy to make more films like Highway, more joint collaborations like 2 States... However, direction — definitely not for the next two or three years.

Why not?
I feel the actors who do my films — besides the script — 50-60 per cent of the time, they do it because I produce them and the journey is good. I am a good USP for my films, for my brand. What happens is if I am not around they will feel let down. I have learnt, it’s not right. As a director, I’ll be neglecting all these films.

You never know, it might just happen. First time also, it was like that. You didn’t have any plan to be a director right? Salman pushed you into direction.
I know (laughs) but right now even he’s too busy. He has no time to push me for the next three years or so. You know, he’s already writing the sequel... Some thought that he has come up with it. It’ll take time though.

What’s the plan for your banner in 2015?
Our first release is the Katrina Kaif, Saif Ali Khan-starrer Phantom directed by Kabir Khan. Then, Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone’s Tamasha. There’s is Tiger’s (Shroff) film which is a very different kind of movie — total action. Saabir Khan will direct and we’ll be shooting in Hong Kong. It’s the same Heropanti team and it’s titled Baaghi. And then the fourth one. Every four years I come up with one big mass entertainer with 25-30 actors. Housefull 3 is next. It’s got Abhishek Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh and three girls we are finalising... Then there’s another very interesting film with David Dhawan’s son Varun and John Abraham — it’s called Dhishoom. Jacqueline’s in it, too. Rohit Dhawan is directing it. So there are about six-seven films for 2015. There’s something more interesting I am working on, I will announce it shortly.

Saif’s last three films haven’t been received well. Nervous about your release with him?
Not at all. I don’t think like that. It has never been the case. Even earlier in the ’90s when I worked with Akshay or Salman, they didn’t have big hits behind them... They had their ups and downs. I don’t think about these things. Ups and downs in my actors’ careers don’t affect me...

Did you push the film ahead because it was similar to Baby?
That could be one-tenth of the reason, but mostly because Kabir was shooting for Bajrangi Bhaijaan, and we have about six days of shooting left. By the time he comes, Katrina’s dates are with Fitoor. By the time the dates matched, it would be somewhere around April or May. I felt it’s not right for the film to release so close, so we should release in August.

You turned producer first and then director. What next?
I don’t know... It’s destiny. I don’t want to list my company, that is for sure. We’ve got three-four offices now and we’ve got six films a year coming on. Now, I don’t know what’s the difference between that and a studio. Definitely, it’s a private-funded company.

Why not list it?
I am a creative person. I don’t know if I’ll be able to give quarterly results. Sometimes there are five films and there will be times when there won’t be a single film in a quarter. That’s something which happens in filmmaking. And I don’t want to be bogged down with that. There’s no point. Maybe my kids will go ahead and make it, I am not made for that.

Your son wants to be an actor, right?
The elder one Subhaan is training, yes. I don’t know about launching him though. From his earliest days, he’s wanted to be an actor. He keeps counting now — to 21, there are seven years now and then five more. Acting is one thing that isn’t in anyone’s hands. It is pure destiny. But he’s preparing for it. He’s very focussed, he studies and the moment he gets some free time, he’s into some martial arts, or dancing and backflips...

Your wife Wardha is already in the star mother mode.
(Smiles) Yes, star mother. When he’s training, she’s there standing behind him with a bottle, saying, ‘Beta juice lo.’

Chetan Bhagat always gives you the first right of refusal. What happened with Half Girlfriend?
The earlier one was Revolution 2020. I thought it was a good script, but too dark for me at that time. Maybe today I could think about attempting it, but that time I wasn’t ready. So I let it go. It was my first refusal. The second refusal was not on paper, morally. We’ve been very close. There were many reasons why we didn’t do that. He has designed everything by himself — he had written the script, signed the director. I don’t work like that. I have never had somebody else design a film we produce. But I liked the book. I remember he had given me those papers to read even before it was published. The only reason it didn’t work out was that it was his baby -— everything was done by him, and he had visualised the film the way he had written. So I didn’t have any scope in it.

The industry is going through bad times with big films not working. What’s your take on it?
I feel from the time I joined the industry during 1983-84 from Ghulami days, every four to five years, there has been a recession for some rhyme or reason. Earlier it was for video cassettes, piracy, DVDs, then corporates coming in... Every time the reason was different and the solution was different. This time, the reason is that because of the revenue going up, actors started taking fees according to the revenue and when the revenues came down — satellite for whatever reason - the actors fees haven’t come down. But in times to come, they have understood that and because of that 80 per cent of them are producers now. Earlier, it used to be the producer vs the actor, actors vs producers — so you against me. Today it’s not you against me, it’s like we. They also understand what the scene is. The only problem is this tsunami, whenever there is a recession, the immediate 30-40 films fall in trouble, the ones who have already made commitments and signed contracts, everybody is already paid and there’s a downside. That’s the nature of this business.

Are you disappointed with not getting a debut award?
In two-three functions they were giving me awards, I refused. I said, ‘Yaar, when I’m getting it, I feel I should not get it.’ I felt, why should I get it? There are new kids now like Abhishek Varman (2 States) who has done a good job, I have seen him grow and I wanted him to have his moment in the sun. That magnanimity comes to your, mind says that, ‘Isko milna chahiye.’ You go on stage and you dedicate it to him. But to be honest when you don’t get it, that thought does come into your mind, ‘kyun nahin mila.’ But it is a passing thought. After 27 years of being here, it doesn’t matter.

You were more upset about Tiger not getting Best Debut, right?
Definitely, yaar. He was the best. But kya sabke apne-apne agendas hote hain. Good, he learnt early in his career. I just sent him a text saying —welcome to the industry.

Three things you want to change on your birthday.
I could not ask for anything. This year’s been good. It’s just that the four films which have given me success in a span of five months last year, have made me greedy — to give better cinema. I’ll be trying different cinema now. Earlier, my success ratio was around 95 per cent. In about 20 years, I feel only one film didn’t do well — Jaan-e-Mann — unfortunately and that was my fav film. That 95 per cent record was because I was making commercial films which were safe. Now films like Highway, launching a boy in Heropanti, has given me a little more courage to make different cinema. I am ready to take on everything now. I was one of the first guys in the ’90s to make two-hero films and now I have got three-hero films, which no other producer is managing to do. I am trying to work with directors like Imtiaz Ali, Vishal Bhardwaj and Kabir — learning from them. In 2016-17, it’ll be a different cinema. I’ll have my Housefulls but I’ll also have films which are different.

Any dream that you have not been able to fulfill professionally yet?
Actually, all these things that have happened in the last five-seven years, I didn’t think I could do. What happened was beyond my dreams. All films which were successful — we have had 30 to 35 nominations — all four films put together. Being a debut director, launching Tiger... I think what now? And it’s scary, also. Because you need to get more dreams. I wanted to work with (Sylvester) Stallone, foreign actors — and that also happened. I’m doing some joint collaboration with some international actor which I will announce in the coming year. I’m doing a collaboration with an action hero. So, a lot of stuff is happening on that front. Now that you have asked me, I’m realising that I need to build new dreams. Jo they, woh poore ho gaye. We keep talking — Wardha and I —about what has happened, what a great year we’ve had and doing good stuff without stepping on any toes. Now it’s about how do we sustain it.

Where does your strength come from?
My family. What happens is — there are two aspects — one is your family life and one is your professional life. If your back is to your family and you are facing your professional life, then all are behind you. The strength of the family gives you the strength to face your professional life. When your face is towards your family ghar mein stress chal raha hai, then you are in trouble. I think the energy comes from the time you get up in the morning and look at your family and then you go out to work with a smile... If you are happy you face people well. That I have been very lucky, God has been kind.

Any advice you’d like to give producers?
Quality, that’s what you need to have as green-lighting a film. Hard work. And intention. Everything in the world is about intention. If you intend to make good films, you’ll make it. If you’ll intend making big films, you’ll make it. If your intent is becoming a thief, you’ll become one. Everything is about intention.