Aprajita Sharad (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 3, 2020)

Often when watching men in uniform, on screen, emotions of pride and respect overwhelm us. Films based on the armed forces have mostly done well due to the same sentiment. But now, with OTT platforms churning out more content everyday, there are ample shows based on or revolving around the armed forces. And some of them have been accused of “distorting the image of the Indian Army”. The Defence Ministry recently wrote a letter to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) seeking the need for all production houses to obtain an NOC from the Ministry before the telecast of any film, documentary or web series which has an “Army theme”.

“Whenever a film is made on the Army, even after getting it censored you still have to show the film to the Chief of Army. The same guidelines will now be enforced on OTT platforms,” informs Atul Mohan, trade analyst, adding that this was a necessary step. “People take cinematic liberties; like the recent Ekta Kapoor series (XXX Uncensored) which was taken as an insult to the military. This is why the need of an NOC arose,” adds Mohan veering the discussion towards OTT censorship.

“Hollywood puts out propaganda but also makes scathing, critical films about the US armed forces. Shouldn’t MoD work with filmmakers to highlight both glories and critical thinking about the forces? Mature democracies like ours must trust its creative people and its audiences. It is hazardous to lie and infantilise our youth. Equally, filmmakers may introspect about artistic integrity and truth. Needless sensationalism or titillation is equally problematic. The result is loss of credibility for censors and filmmakers alike. An arbitrary regime of NOCs is no solution. It’s in direct conflict with right to free speech and fundamental democratic principles,” opines National Award winning filmmaker Ashvin Kumar.

Industry insiders feel the “problem stems from misrepresenting facts or showing blasphemous or derogatory content”. Director-producer Samar Khan says, “Mistakes happen, but all creative people have a self censorship compass inside. This isn’t a move to clamour anything. It will encourage makers to take care of how the Army is represented.”

Based on the book India's Most Fearless, Amit Sadh's Avrodh revisits Uri attack
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; July 31, 2020)

Almost one-and-a-half years after Vicky Kaushal's Uri: The Surgical Strike offered a retelling of the 2016 surgical strikes that were conducted in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Amit Sadh has revisited the episode with his web series, Avrodh: The Siege Within. Creative producer Samar Khan reveals that the nine-part series is based on Rahul Singh and Shiv Aroor's book, India's Most Fearless.

"We had the book as the blueprint, so developing the show was easy. Additionally, we spoke to many military officers who were directly or indirectly involved in the operation. Our biggest responsibility was to get the facts correct. We have taken cinematic liberties, but we didn't want anything to be misrepresented," states Khan, who researched the subject for eight months before taking the Sony LIV show on floors.

Though the military operation has been depicted on the big screen with the Kaushal-starrer, Khan is not worried about comparisons. "We were conscious about the subject being tackled already. However, this is a different medium, so the treatment differs," says the creative producer, adding that Sadh was the only choice for the lead. "His passion for the craft motivates everyone to strive for excellence."

Gearing up for the cricket drama Selection Day, Akshay Oberoi on straddling movies and web, and how an actor’s life is plagued by insecurity
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; December 11, 2018)

You've been roped in for the cricket drama, Selection Day. Aren’t you worried about comparisons with Amazon Prime’s Emmy-nominated Inside Edge?
Selection Day is based on Aravind Adiga’s book [by the same name] and was the second Netflix original to be sanctioned. I haven’t seen Inside Edge, but I know it’s about how Indian Premier League [IPL] started and the chaos behind it. Selection Day is about two 16 and 14 year olds, who aspire to become the next big thing in cricket. I play their manager. The show is about relationships, dreams and aspirations.

You also have Law And Order in the pipeline.
It’s like Suits, with glamour and style. Law and Order sees me as a lawyer, and depicts the Indian law system. It’s produced by the Test Case producer Samar Khan, so I didn’t think twice before giving my nod. The cases in the show are thoroughly researched. This will be a promising show, thanks to the star cast that includes Satyadeep Mishra, Piyush Mishra and Neha Sharma.

For someone who started his career with a romantic film, we’ve barely seen you explore the genre again.
I ran away from the genre [laughs]. Isi Life Mein (2010) was a washout when it released. But Rajshri Productions invested a lot of money in a nobody like me; I will always be grateful for that. However, I hated my work in the film — what I was doing, the way I looked. I still can’t watch it on TV. Had that film been a hit, I would have probably gone down that path. But after the film released, I discovered that, that was not the kind of actor I wanted to be.

How do you deal with the insecurity of being an actor?
Fortunately, I have not been unemployed for the last two to three years. Besides the web shows, I’ve got films like Junglee, Chhote Nawab and Bombairiya with Radhika Apte. So, my kitchen is running. But there is a niggling fear that this [work] will run out.

Considering you were raised in New York, why didn’t you try your luck in Hollywood?
I thought I would establish myself here quicker than I would in Hollywood. I expected to get meatier parts. I know I’m not as successful as Ranbir Kapoor; but then again, I am not Rishi Kapoor’s son. With 10 to 11 films behind me, I’m happy with my career graph. It would not have happened there. I would have played a terrorist or something random. Mira Nair, who has been my idol, asked me the same question when I recently met her. And she agreed with my viewpoint.

Not too many people know that you’re a trained ballet dancer.
I learnt it when I was 15 because I wanted to be in Hindi cinema. The training paid off with respect to body language — it helps you align your body.

Harinder Sikka, whose book Calling Sehmat inspired Raazi, looks back at decade- long journey of the script that travelled from SRK to Akki and finally, Alia Bhatt
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 2, 2018)

A quick Google search will tell you that Calling Sehmat, the source material of Alia Bhatt starrer Raazi, is available for pre-order now. The book was taken off shelves a few years after it released in 2008, at the behest of writer Harinder Sikka, who felt that his story was meant for a big screen experience.

"I bought the rights back from the publisher and reworked the narrative and grammar. Now, the book is being republished by Penguin," says Sikka of his creation, that took him eight years and two trips to Pakistan. "This was no easy feat. I could have been in jail had I been caught. This is a story that must be told. Kashmiris aren't terrorists as how the world perceives them because of a few misguided people. They are loving and warm; the kind who will go hungry to ensure there's food on your plate," he points out.

The book's genesis can be traced back to 1999 when he was covering the Kargil war as an embedded journalist and heard about Sehmat. His story, inspired by the bravado of a young Kashmiri girl who was sent as a spy to Pakistan, caught the fancy of many a filmmaker. Sikka recalls how Shah Rukh Khan's company was the first production house to show interest. "In 2009, Samar Khan [filmmaker] came to seek the rights for a movie adaptation. It was for Red Chillies Entertainment. I didn't know it was SRK's company. But Samar objected to my demand of Rs 2 crore for the rights. He also wanted to change the storyline, which I wasn't okay with. It was then that Samar made a distasteful statement -- 'In Bollywood, we can always make a film and give you a credit in the end.' I was so hurt that I wrote a letter to SRK and he was gracious enough to ensure that Samar Khan sent an apology within 10 days."

Sikka, who has produced Nanak Shah Fakir, then found a pillar of support in Akshay Kumar. "I met Akshay Kumar during the screenings of Nanak Shah Fakir and wanted to rope him [as a producer]. It was he who invited Meghna Gulzar for a meeting about this book at his home. Instinctively, I knew that I had found my film's director." Call it a twist of fate but Sikka's first choice for director was Gulzar, who had turned the offer down in 2010, saying he was devotedly working on children's stories. Though Kumar couldn't be part of the film, Sikka maintains that he has been "a constant emotional support".

Akshay and he couldn't work out the film because NSF's release pushed Sikka into bankruptcy. "I did not want Akshay's money, though he was more than gracious. Akshay had to give his dates to another film but remained a constant support for me emotionally. After Akshay pulled out, Priti Shahani (Jungle Pictures) called me to tell that she was tracking the book."

Initially, it was a rough ride with producers Junglee Pictures, where Sikka even considered pulling out of the movie. "They weren't happy with the conditions I was putting. They felt that the money I was quoting was exorbitant. Little did they know that I had promised whatever money I make from the book and the movie, will go for charity. The book was too strong and the story too good to be missed out. I was clear that Alia Bhatt had to play the lead and Meghna would be the director. At one point, Gulzar saab told me it was time I let go of the material. But eventually, the producers kept each of these promises." Sikka adds that he donated his fee towards charity.

Ask him why he was adamant about Bhatt and he says it was Sehmat's suggestion -- one that he would've honoured at any cost. "Sehmat's way of saying yes or no was through silence. When I suggested that Alia play her, she said a silent yes. She wanted Alia to play her," says Sikka, adding, " Meghna made me meet Alia at Dharma's office in Mumbai. Only I could have told her what Sehmat was all about. It was a long delightful meeting. To her credit, Alia is sharp and caught everything. It's a life-changing role and she delved into it without qualms. I saw that my book was being respected. When the film was nearly done, Alia Bhatt asked me if she had lived up to my expectation of Sehmat's part."

Finally, question him on Sehmat's whereabouts and Sikka says, "Like an angel, she went to sleep one day and didn't wake up. She was gone. She had visited Film City where the film was being shot. I was keen that she meet Alia and Meghna, but she didn't let me tell them that she was waiting outside the set. She'll live through Alia and Meghna for years to come."

MUMBAI MIRROR (December 20, 2016)

Saif Ali Khan is set to share his private life with his fans on the upcoming TV show, Living With a Superstar.

Set to air on TLC, the series will present uninhibited access into the personal and professional life of the actor as cameras follow him in India and abroad, capturing his relationships with his family, actress-wife Kareena Kapoor, friends and staff and other filmmakers.

To be directed by filmmaker Samar Khan, the series will premiere next year.

30 filmmakers put pen to paper to ruminate on an actor, friend, talent powerhouse for a new book that traces 25 years of the superstar's life
Aastha Atray Banan (MID-DAY; November 27, 2016)

Shah Rukh Khan is a combination of all the characters he has played," says filmmaker and former journalist Samar Khan, who is out with a new book that's quite a challenge to hold thanks to its weight. It holds within it memories and reminiscences of 30 directors who Khan spoke with to reveal what it's like being around Shah Rukh on set. "The directors in my book talk about the journey they have gone on with him. It's not Shah Rukh, the father, or human being, but the actor."

Khan's relationship with the superstar has been long standing. The actor chose him to head Red Chillies Idiot Box, the television entertainment division of his production firm. Khan also directed him in a 10-part docu-series called Living With a Superstar. "They [directors] all speak about Raj or Raju or Gopal; it's about the characters that made us love him. It's these characters who have built his personality," says Khan. Which explains why instead of photographs, the book is punctuated by traditional film poster style portraits of his various characters. For Khan, speaking to stalwarts Mani Ratnam and Subhash Ghai was most fruitful, but it was Aditya Chopra who he loved interviewing.

"It's really fascinating to know what Aditya Chopra thinks of him, and I got that chance, thankfully," says Khan. When we ask if SRK is a just an 'average Joe', Khan laughs. "Offline, he plays with his kids, is on Play Station. We have chatted about food, clothes and cricket. Well, actually, he is as similar or different as any other person you may spend time with." Select excerpts from the book:


Karan Johar (Director, Kal Ho Na Ho)
Right now, unfortunately, all the big stars are trapped in the Rs 100-crore trap. There is a great deal of pressure to deliver in a certain manner, which doesn't allow them to take risks in the current system. But, I get the feeling that very soon, Shah Rukh is going to just tell everyone to get lost, leave him alone and let him do his own thing.

Breaking through the clutter is as much a responsibility of a director as it is an actor's. While people complain that actors aren't taking risks, a lot of great actors are just waiting for directors to write characters that they can get excited about. I think the day Shah Rukh comes across a script that excites him, he's going to automatically shrug off the baggage of his stardom. As a director, I'd like to work with him on something unusual myself. But, that has to come organically to me.

One can't plan reinventions. It happens when you look at a script and you want to cast Shah Rukh because it's something he hasn't done. The feeling has to come on its own. At some point, I think Shah Rukh will definitely become a director— and a superb one — at that. I think he is a born director but he's reluctant to take that step because he's scared. I think he'll make the most unusual films, completely different from what one would imagine.


Kundan Shah (Director, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa)
Similarly, Shah Rukh made the choices that made him a superstar. But that was always the dream, anyway. Yes, he does an Asoka and a Billu once in a while. But they don't work for him. Because Shah Rukh has manoeuvered his career in a way that when people go to the theatre, they go to see him, not the character or the film. He was brilliant in Hey Ram but, by and large, his experiments don't work. Like in Devdas, there wasn't a single scene that really spoke to me.

There was just too much Shah Rukh and very little Devdas. A very long time ago, I overheard a conversation between Shah Rukh and Dilip Saab at an award function where he was giving Shah Rukh an award. Shah Rukh said to him, "Sir, how did you do it?" Dilip Saab said, "Don't mistake the shadows for the substance." I think those were the wisest words I've ever heard about the film industry.


Aditya Chopra (Director, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge)
Overthe years, as a producer, a director and a friend, I have seen Shah Rukh perform multiple characters and portray all kinds of emotions. But I've always felt, and still feel, that Shah Rukh doesn't laugh whole-heartedly. His laughter never reaches his eyes. Somehow, it's always a bit hollow, a bit fake. I think, maybe that has something to do with the fact that he lost his parents very early in life.

I don't think he ever got over that loss. As an actor, I think he is the best actor in the whole world and that we've seen only 10 per cent of his talent. That 90 per cent is still to come and blow us away. As a film-maker and a friend, I hope that soon he is offered roles that tap into the remaining 90 per cent. I hope I can give him roles that tell the world, 'You've seen Shah Rukh the superstar, now see Shah Rukh the actor.'

Mani Ratnam (Director, Dil Se)
Sometimes I think his stardom is a burden. In the sense that he has too many expectations riding on him. It's a little difficult for a director who is still in the experimental space to feel comfortable enough to approach him. But despite his stardom, I still believe that he can play the average Joe convincingly. Because deep down, I think that's who he is. When you meet him in person, you realise what a normal guy he is.

The problem isn't that he can't play those roles; the problem is that the people around him can't ignore what a big star he is. As a film-maker, you start feeling like you have a responsibility towards his fans, like you owe them something.

Excerpts and illustrations reproduced from SRK: 25 Years of a Life, with permission from publishers Niyogi Books

DNA (November 9, 2016)

Journalist-turned-author Samar Khan has just launched his book on Shah Rukh Khan titled, SRK 25 Years Of A Life. The book traces the journey of the superstar through all his directors’ eyes. As Samar says, “The thought behind the book was to show why his directors thought of such iconic characters for Shah Rukh.”

Not surprisingly, the foreword has been penned by the superstar himself. Excerpts:

“After all these years, sometimes I’m not sure whether I gave form and shape to the characters I played or whether they unwittingly give me more facets than there ever had existed.

Whether it was a Rahul, Raj, Mohan or Aryan; each of them took a piece of me and departed, leaving behind a little of themselves. Call it destiny or sheer fluke; they were characters that others didn’t take up and that eventually found their way to me.

They chose me, and as I walked in their shoes and traversed their paths, these characters gave my life a direction that I wasn’t in complete control of. Now, too, these characters continue to propel me forward with a force so surreal that I can hardly believe this is anything but a fantastic dream.

To have completed 25 years in this industry is a big dream for a boy who came from Delhi 29 years ago; a dream that worked only because directors dreamt it with me with an undying passion. It takes uncompromising masters to make a dream come alive. And each time a character I have played has worked his charm into the pages of cinematic history. It has never been just me breathing life into them, but also great storytellers fuelling them with an intensity that has stood the test of time. The directors who thought me worthy enough to breathe life into the character they wrote and imagined.

What piqued my interest about this effort especially was that it wasn’t me giving an interview about my own life; it was the revisiting of my story through the lens of my directors.

On a warm summer’s afternoon, this book is a spirited reminder of the blessings I have received in the form of these fascinating characters. If you read closely, they tell a great deal of my own life as Shah Rukh Khan.”

Aditya Chopra on Shah Rukh Khan — from the beginning to the present day
Upala KBR (DNA; November 8, 2016)

Tomorrow, writer and filmmaker Samar Khan will launch a book, SRK 25 Years of A Life on Shah Rukh Khan. He has known the actor for the 20 years when he met him on the sets of English Babu Desi Mem. It took him four years to put the book together with co-author Sonali Kokra. Samar says, “The thought behind the book was to show why his directors thought of such iconic characters for Shah Rukh. I had made a documentary called Living With A Superstar on him where he had told me that every piece (of character) he does, leaves a piece behind and today he a culmination of all the characters he has ever played in his life. If I had to know the man completely, I had to talk to the filmmakers he has worked with, so I have spoken to all his directors except Raj Kanwar (passed away) and Shashilal Nair (whom I couldn’t contact).” Read on for an extract from the book. Meet the SRK that only Aditya Chopra knows. In his own words.

“I’ve made three movies with Shah Rukh — Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Mohabbatein and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. Three movies mean three characters and three stories. But in my head, all three stories are actually one person’s story. They are just three different versions of the same person. In DDLJ, I made Shah Rukh play this adorable, rich, spoilt lover-boy. He is a bad boy but he has a heart of gold. He is the kind of boy that girls are irresistibly drawn to; the stylish rogue that every girl wants to tame. Initially, I had wanted to make a trilogy based on the character’s life at different stages.

Over time, the stories evolved and changed, but yes, in a way, all of Shah Rukh’s three characters draw from each other and are interconnected. When I thought of how Raj would be 10 years after DDLJ, if he had lost the love of his life, the answer was Raj Aryan Malhotra. That was the starting point for his character in Mohabbatein. With Surinder Sahni, I was trying to portray the Raj that is hidden in each one of us. In our own love stories, we are all Raj and Simran. But just because we don’t have the paraphernalia — the leather jackets and the Harley Davidsons — is our story any lesser? It was a very sudden realisation brought about by a very everyday thing. I saw someone from my office buy flowers and chocolates for his girlfriend or wife.

And it made me realise that deep down, we all try to be the Raj that we see onscreen. Surinder Sahni is that common man who is trying to bring a little bit of the magic of movies in his own married life.

Just like the character of Raj, my relationship with Shah Rukh has also evolved over the last two decades. When we cast him for Darr, to be honest, neither dad, nor I really liked him. He was working on Rakesh Roshan’s King Uncle then and we had managed to get our hands on the reel of some footage. Neither of us were very impressed but somehow, maybe because everyone kept rejecting the negative part, we ended up signing him.

Our first shot with him was the Holi song. I think that very day itself, I knew that this man was going to be a superstar. He had a strange kind of madness in his eyes that was very exciting. I was the first assistant director on Darr.

We became casual friends, but it wasn’t like we were so pally that I’d hang out with him over beer. When I decided to make my DDLJ, I knew I had to have Shah Rukh. Mostly because in those days, Shah Rukh Khan was two people at once. There was the Shah Rukh the actual person and there was the image that he projected. Most of his roles were about this brash, arrogant and aggressive person — all the things he isn’t in real life. A good boy was playing a bad boy. In real life, he was an honest, well-read, kind boy. And that is the side of him I wanted to bring out in Dilwale... I wanted to flip his image over. Also, I didn’t want someone who had done a love story before.

I wanted the reel Shah Rukh to make the transition to the real Shah Rukh in Dilwale... So no one else would do. Initially, Shah Rukh wasn’t excited by the script. He was expecting an action hero’s role and I was asking him to play a soft, romantic character. It’s not that he didn’t like the story; it was just that it was very unexpected for him. I think being Yash Chopra’s son gave me an advantage here. His respect and reverence for my dad wouldn’t allow him to say no to me. But I think that mentally, he came onboard a 100 per cent while shooting Trimurti.

Lots of fans would come to meet the stars on the sets. One day an old lady who had been waiting to meet him, told him, “Tum itne acche ho, acche roles kyun nahi karte?” I think the woman’s words changed something in him.

By then, we had the kind of equation where I knew his dreams and aspirations for the future. I knew his ultimate goal was to become the biggest superstar in the country. I told him that he’d have to become every mother’s son, every sister’s brother and above all, every woman’s fantasy to realise his superstar dream. I told him that in DDLJ, there would be no fight sequences, no blood and chains. He would have just himself to tell his story. That was the day he said yes to the film. In retrospect, I think that old woman was an angel sent by God. By the time we started making Mohabbatein, I think I had started taking Shah Rukh for granted.

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi happened under very strange circumstances. The company wasn’t doing well and I needed to make a movie to get the company’s finances rolling. But at the same time, I didn’t want to make a movie just for the sake of it. When I made Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, I could have made a far bigger film with a star-studded cast. But the only story that compelled me was that of a simple man and his simple life. That is when I had the extraordinary-in-the-ordinary epiphany about love. I went to London for three weeks and came back with a finished script. I called Shah Rukh and told him I wanted to start shooting in three months and he said yes instantly.

When I narrated the role of Surinder to Shah Rukh, he got very excited. One day he walked into my office with a pile of notes and started telling me how Suri would walk, how he would speak, his clothes, his mannerisms, everything. I had never seen him do so much homework for anything. I think the contrast in the two characters he’s portraying in the film appealed to Shah Rukh’s own dual personality.

Over the years, as a producer, a director and a friend, I have seen Shah Rukh perform multiple characters and portray all kinds of emotions. But I’ve always felt, and still feel that Shah Rukh doesn’t laugh whole-heartedly. His laughter never reaches his eyes. Somehow, it’s always a bit hollow, a bit fake. I think that maybe that has something to do with the fact that he lost his parents very early in life. I don’t think he ever got over that loss. As an actor, I think he is the best actor in the whole world and that we’ve seen only 10 per cent of his talent. That 90 per cent is still to come and blow us away.

As a filmmaker and a friend, I hope that soon, he is offered roles that tap into the remaining 90 per cent. l hope I can give him roles that tell the world, ‘’You’ve seen Shah Rukh the superstar, now see Shah Rukh the actor.”