With an overdose of celebrity photos and videos on social media, is the fatigue factor setting in? We find out...
Radhika Bhirani (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 10, 2020)

Are you with Farah Khan, Rohit Shetty, Diljit Dosanjh when they say “Bas karo yeh workout, cooking videos” or you’re like, ‘yeh dil maange more’? Cooking, exercising, cleaning, reading, sleeping — by now we’ve seen celebs doing all that and more.

Recently, tennis star Sania Mirza asked, “Aren’t we done with posting cooking videos and food pictures yet? Just spare a thought — there are hundreds of thousands of people... starving to death.” Earlier, Khan posted a video ruing that “there are bigger problems to focus on” while Shetty took a jibe at those showing their “cooking skills”.

While that’s one way to look at it, there are also those for whom social media is a creative outlet to feed into the demands of their fans.

Fitness enthusiast Mandira Bedi said, “Some people are peeved about workouts from home being posted, but I’m going to keep posting mine.”

Even Kishwer Merchantt, wrote, “...I made this only coz I have been getting DMs asking me to make one. (sic)”

Meanwhile, Dia Mirza has a balanced approach. She says, “Some days, I feel like we’re witnessing The Truman Show. But I guess everyone has their way of managing this time.”

Yami Gautam adds in agreement, “Everyone has their way of being themselves, and have their own coping mechanisms.”

Digital teams of actors seem to be working overtime to ensure the content keeps trickling in. There are live chat sessions, recipe sharing, masterclasses, musical snippets etc being shared.

Manish Chopra, Director and Head of Partnerships, Facebook India, confirms, “There’s been a rise in the number of IG (Instagram) Lives, with views increasing by more than 60 per cent from the past week.”

Digital media and marketing entrepreneur Sagar Madhani says, “This phase is the most insightful as celebs are actually enjoying a real connection with fans”, while digital and experiential marketing expert Udit Bhatia opines, “Celebs are taking this time to focus on spreading positivity, which in the long run helps build their credibility.”

This International Women's Day, team Times Life celebrates women who live by their rules, make their own and just dare to dare
TIMES LIFE (March 8, 2020)

A woman’s life is a litany of rules: be a lady, be the nurturer, be everything anyone wants her to be – but herself. But each moment, there’s a woman cocking a snook at patriarchy. She breaks free and dares to dare. And just like women – daring comes in different sizes. For some it’s a short haircut, for others, it’s coming out. For a few it’s saying no to a toxic relationship. A short dress, a red lipstick, a late-night stroll – daring is anything that makes you step out of your comfort zone. It’s Meghan Markle refusing Royalty, it’s Jennifer Lopez wearing ‘that’ dress at 50, it’s Greta Thunberg choosing to stay out of school. Closer home, it’s the women of Shaheen Bagh. It’s Mary Kom, who refuses to go quietly in to the night. It’s grand dame Rekha who lives by her rules. It’s the woman sitting next to you in the Metro who steps out to work even though her in-laws object. The woman driving a cab. It’s the girl posting about body stereotypes. And it’s you, who is reading this, because inside all of us there’s a quiet revolution resting. All it takes is one moment, a small step for a woman – but a giant leap for womankind.

This issue celebrates women who have challenged norms in their own little way and are now inspiring others to just break free and say “Why not?” Because the only thing that stops you is ‘you’.

“I won’t say my story is unconventional but it should be celebrated”: Neena Gupta, actor
Why she’s here: At 60, this powerhouse performer is changing rules of how “women her age” should be

I am a regular woman with a mind of my own. I have a problem with the word – “strong” or “bold” or “daring”, which are media constructs. I have seen that a strong woman is often seen as “the bad woman” in India. I have always been called that but in reality, I am vulnerable and honest. So much so that thanks to this tag, I always landed vampish or single woman roles! I had to ask directors for ordinary, gareeb woman roles (laughs).

BEING A SINGLE MOTHER
I am often asked how I managed to be a single parent (to Masaba) at that time. People always ask: “Yeh kaise kiya?” But I tell them that in India, there are so many poor women who are forced to be single mothers. The only difference was that I did it by choice. It was tough and I wanted to do it. But I’d like to point out that it’s one thing to live an independent and free life, it’s another to have a misplaced notion of “independence”. Women have to consider all aspects before taking a decision – especially one that involves family.


“You have to be your own hero”: Taapsee Pannu, actor
Why she’s here: For telling strong female stories and backing it up with sharp talk

Last time, I had written a longish blog for an online portal celebrating women and their success. A lot of women commented, “Every day should be women’s day”. I will simply say, if this day is supposed to mark a change, let’s consider it. A lot still needs to change in the way society looks at a woman. A lot of issues need to be sorted. There is no problem in dedicating a day to mark the beginning of this change. Today, I would want all women to take this pledge: Don’t wait for the police or the government to come and save you. I know we show it in films all the time, but that is not how it happens in reality. You have to be your own hero, be responsible for your own safety.

I have been raising my voice in my own way for years; especially, since I have acquired the status of being a celebrity. I would like to urge other celebs to come forward and do the same. It hasn’t been a rosy road for me. I was once told to slash my remuneration because an actor’s market value had come down. I was thrown out midway from another film because the producer said his previous film bombed and he couldn’t change the hero or cut his pay! But all this comes with the territory. Is this going to alter the way I am or the way I think? No. Frankly, as women in business, you just have to be thick-skinned.


“I was born to take up challenges”: Richa Chadha, actor
Why she’s here: Vocal, opinionated, powerhouse performer, she shakes status quo on and off work

I have an aversion towards these so called “smart” coinages like ‘power women’, ‘strong women’. These words mean nothing. Being a woman is synonymous with being powerful. So, why give it another adjective? I have done many things which typically don’t fall in my comfort zone because I was born to take up challenges. But when I did that stand-up act towards the later half of 2019 – that was really pushing myself. Did I regret it? Hell, no! In today’s day and age, all that matters is how you make yourself heard. The only way to deal with everyday sexism is to speak up – and support women who speak up.


“Dare can also be doing small things differently”: Suzanne Bernert, actor
Why she’s here: A German-born actor, she decided to come to India, learn the language and work here – all after one visit

Women dare to do things differently every day. A dare can be a challenge to do small things in a different way. It’s not just the big things. In my life, I have done quite a lot of ‘daring’ things – like going to auditions at universities at age 14. I was scared yet determined. Then packing up and moving to India to pursue a career here after just one visit and one TV show. How do you dare? Well, you go with the gut feeling. Women in every generation have their own dares. If it scares the hell out of you but also excites you then you should do it. Not blindly or foolishly. Keep your wits.

But you have only this life. You live in your own skin. No one can live your life for you. So you might as well jump!


“I could dare to dream as I was told that dreaming isn’t only for boys”: Sania Mirza, tennis player
Why she’s here: The face of Indian women’s tennis, she questions stereotypes women athletes are subjected to – time and again

The biggest lesson I have learnt is that of equality. My parents have instilled in us the strong fundamental belief that girls can achieve anything. It (our being girls) makes zero difference to them and it shouldn’t make any difference to anyone in the world. There were a lot of people who used to tell my father back then: “You have two girls, no one to carry forward your lineage.” And my answer to them was – I will always be a Mirza because it is something that has been given to me by my parents. And my child will take my surname along with my husband’s name. As my sister and I grew older, we had the freedom to make our decisions. Our parents trusted us enough to give us that independence and respect it. There is no point giving someone the freedom to decide and then telling him/her “Sorry it doesn’t work that way”.

This concept of role division according to gender is alien to me. It was never defined in my house that a man will do this and the woman will do that. My mother was a businesswoman and an equally good homemaker. She never said she wanted to sacrifice her career for raising kids. The same is the case between Shoaib and me. We do whatever comes to us naturally. For instance, I have no interest in cooking while he is a good cook. And we are both not judged for it.


“It takes daring every day to face your fears and anxiety”: Malini Agarwal, entrepreneur
Why she’s here: Single-handedly built an entertainment media brand from a blog

I think the most important thing for any woman is having the courage to believe in herself. Women grow up with less confidence than they should due to social conditioning, unattainable standards of beauty and an unhealthy dose of patriarchy. It takes the courage to push yourself forward, even when you don’t entirely believe in yourself, or when you are afraid you will fail. Being a daring woman doesn’t mean you have to scale mountains. It means giving yourself a chance when you don’t think you have or deserve one. I think my most daring moment came when I decided to up and move to Mumbai in 2000 with nothing to my name – hardly any money in the bank and probably one friend in the city. I suffered (and still suffer)

from crippling stage fright, adult acne and the fear of rejection. Overcoming that has taught me that if you work hard with your heart in the right place, you are bound to succeed.

As told to Nupur Amarnath, Nona Walia, Deebashree Mohanty, Haimanti Mukherjee 

Farah Khan to host quiz show that will test general knowledge of B-Town and sports stars; kicks off shoot with Parineeti Chopra-Sania Mirza
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; October 14, 2019)

Her cheeky humour has made her one of the most entertaining judges on television. Now, Farah Khan is set to host a quiz show, Backbenchers, that will see Bollywood and sports celebrities put their general knowledge to the test. The director-choreographer kicked off the shoot for the series with besties, Sania Mirza and Parineeti Chopra on Saturday.

A source from the creative team says, "It's a fun-filled quiz show that sees Farah as the dean of a college, and the stars as students hoping to secure admission in her college. Every episode will see two stars vying for the position of a backbencher in Farah's class. The contestants will have to go through several rounds of written and oral tests as she tests their knowledge on various subjects. The show will be peppered with Farah's witty one-liners."

The series, that drops on October 19, is being created for Flipkart app. On Khan's guest list are Anil Kapoor and Shilpa Shetty, and Bhumi Pednekar with Taapsee Pannu. "She is in talks with Hrithik Roshan and Rohit Shetty to grace the first episode," adds the source.

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; August 24, 2019)

Shraddha Kapoor has had a busy schedule this year, shooting for three films — Street Dancer, Chhichhore and Saaho. “It’s been very exhausting. I think I can cope with it only because I love what I do, be a part of such amazing films and live my dream,” she exults. And now, the actress is gearing up for her first release of 2019, Saaho, which also marks her debut in South cinema. Not only that, in a fresh pairing, she plays the love interest of Baahubali hero Prabhas. Ask her how it was to work with the Telugu superstar, and she gushes, “He has such a warm smile. From the moment I met him, he was so kind and happy. He spreads good energy around him. He is passionate about the work he does and that charges you up. After interacting with him, I was like, ‘Oh, my God!’ he’s so humble. He also has an amazing sense of humour. And he took such good care of my team and me on the sets.”

In another first, the film will see her wielding the gun as she plays a crime branch officer. “Holding and firing a gun gave me a sense of what it feels like to be in a responsible position as a police officer, who has the licence to use a weapon. Throughout the shoot, I got so comfortable holding the gun that it almost felt like an extension of my body,” smiles Shraddha, who will be seen doing a fair amount of action sequences. “It was absolutely amazing to work with international technicians and action directors. Also, for the first time, I spoke in Telugu, which, of course, was challenging, but also so much fun to do something new,” she enthuses.

Interestingly, a week after Saaho, her next film Chhichhore will hit the screens, and she will start promoting the Nitesh Tiwari directorial, too, simultaneously. “Throughout this year, I’ve been juggling the shoot of three films and now, it is ironic that two of those films are releasing just one week apart. It is the first time that something like this is happening to me. Promoting two films at the same time is going to be hectic, but I am excited about both the projects, especially, because they are so different from one other,” she says.

In Chhichhore, which is based on university life, Shraddha says it was a blast revisiting college days. “They are the best days of your life. Woh mastiyan, woh pal, I got to relive them. There was a lot of nostalgia,” she grins.

The actress has also been in the news for the Saina Nehwal biopic, which she was slated to do, but now Parineeti Chopra has taken over. When asked if she regrets letting go of the film, she says, “I don’t regret anything in my life. I just wish I could do all the things that are offered to me. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do this film because I fell sick on the first day of Saina shoot and then it got pushed. Later, Street Dancer came my way and because Remo (D’souza, director) had given me ABCD 2, I couldn’t say no to him. So, I had to let go of Saina.” But, with her lean physique and athletic body, she fits the bill as a sports personality. Any other sportswoman that she would like to essay? “Sania Mirza. Not only the fact that she is a tennis champion, but I think her journey is very interesting,” she muses.

Hits and flops are a part of every actor’s career trajectory, and Shraddha is no exception. Last year, she got a big hit with Stree after a couple of box-office failures like Haseena and Half Girlfriend. However, her next release, Batti Gul Meter Chalu, which came on the back of the hit horror-comedy again did not fare well. “You know, even if a film doesn’t do well, and people like your work saying you have done something different, you feel appreciated. Whether the film does well or not is not in your hands. Ups and downs happen, but I just want to continue being a part of good films, work hard and do my best as an actor,” she signs off.

Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 19, 2019)

Ever since the 2013 Farhan Akhtar-starrer Bhaag Milkha Bhaag made all the right noises at the box-office, Bollywood has been playing the field with sports-dramas, from Mary Kom and MS Dhoni: The Untold Story to Dangal and Gold to name a few. Over the years, this has become a sought-out genre for filmmakers and the number of films in the pipeline speaks volumes for its impressive strike rate. A look:


Hitting bullseye

Director: Tushar Hiranandani

Tushar’s directorial debut narrates the story of the world’s oldest sharpshooters, 87-year-old Chandro and her sister-inlaw, Prakashi Tomar, 82, with Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar playing them. The duo from Uttar Pradesh, also known as ‘Revolver Dadis’, started out in their mid-50s, and have since won over 100 medals in the veteran category across championships in the North zone and at the pre-nationals. With the film Saand Ki Aankh’s team shooting around their houses, the two ladies have been a regular fixture on set.


Panga with Kangana

Director: Ashwini Iyer Tiwari

Kangana Ranaut will soon be seen as a national-level kabbadi player in Panga, which is helmed by Bareilly Ki Barfi fame Ashwini Iyer Tiwari. The film, a fictional tale, follows the story of a family that challenges stereotypes and dares to dream and features Punjabi singer Jassie Gill as Kangana’s husband. Shooting of this Fox Star production kicked off last year. The team is aiming to hit theatres by the year-end.


World champs of  '83

Director: Kabir Khan

Kabir’s first shot at a sports-drama highlights one of the most historic sporting achievements of India. In 1983, the year from which the film borrows its title, the Indian team pulled off an incredible win against the then-defending champions, the West Indies, at Lord’s to lift the World Cup. Ranveer Singh as Captain Kapil Dev leads an ensemble cast, including Jeeva (Krishnamachari Srikanth), Saqib Saleem (Mohinder Amarnath), Harrdy Sandhu (Madan Lal), Chirag Patil (Sandeep Patil), Sahil Khatter (Syed Kirmani) and Ammy Wirk (Balvinder Sandhu). Pankaj Tripathi steps in as coach Man Singh. The film rolls in May and opens on April 10, 2020.


John takes the field in 1911

Director: Nikkhil Advani

After Goal (2007), John Abraham revives his screen tryst with football by joining hands with Bhushan Kumar and Nikkhil Advani for the story of India’s premiere football club, Mohan Bagan, in the 1911 Indian Football Association (IFA) Shield campaign. It kicked off on July 10 and ended on July 29 with an incredible victory over East Yorkshire Regiment, an elite branch of the British army. John plays Captain Shibdas Bhaduri in the film which kicks off in November and will be shot in Kolkata over three months, targeting a 2020 release.


Abhinav Bindra’s gold quest

Director: Kannan Iyer

Based on the life of Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra, this one has father-son duo of Anil and Harshvardhan Kapoor as Abhinav and Apjit Bindra. Harsh has been training in air rifle shooting since September 2018 for the yet-untitled biopic, which will focus on how Abhinav’s life changed in two decades—from age 15 to 35. The film releases in the last quarter of the year.


Courtside with Saina Nehwal

Director: Amole Gupte

The biopic of Olympic bronze medalist Saina Nehwal features Shraddha Kapoor in the titular role. The film will showcase the journey of the badminton ace as a Hyderabad girl who took up the sport to fulfill her mother’s dream of becoming a national level player and became World No 1. The film is slated for an early 2020 unveiling.


In the ring with Dingko Singh

Director: Raja Krishna Menon

After Airlift and Chef, Raja Krishna Menon jumps into a biopic on boxing hero Dingko Singh with Shahid Kapoor as the champ who was hailed as one of the most outstanding boxers India has ever produced. Presently being scripted, the film will also shed light on the boxer’s battle with cancer. The makers intend to take it on the floors around April this year.


Footie with Syed Abdul Rahim

Director: Amit Sharma

Amit Sharma is following up the success of his last directorial, Badhaai Ho, with a story inspired by the life of former Indian footfall coach, Syed Abdul Rahim, under whose tenure (1950-1963), the Indian team scaled new heights. Ajay Devgn plays Rahim whose life was cut short at 53 by cancer. Meanwhile, the rest of the casting, of other members who will form the football team, is presently underway. The film rolls in a few months and is eyeing a 2020 release.


Unsung hero Murlikant

Director: Prashant Singh

Currently on hold due to scripting issues, the Murlikant Petkar biopic, Murli: The Unsung Hero, has Sushant Singh Rajput as the lead. It’s about an army officer-turned-sportsperson, who won the gold at the Commonwealth Games (1970) and the Paralympics (1972). He also set a world record in swimming in 1972.


Sania slams it

Ronnie Screwvala has acquired the rights to the biopic of tennis ace Sania Mirza, a former No. 1 in doubles, who has won six Grand Slam titles. The contract was recently signed and it’s a work in progress.


Shuttling to the top with Gopi

Director: Praveen Sattaru

Actor Sudheer Babu, who made his Hindi film debut as a baddie in Tiger Shroff’s Baaghi, will play badminton coach, Pullela Gopichand who has mentored Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu, among others. The 39-year-old has already started training in the sport and the bilingual is expected to take off soon. Aditi Rao Hydari is reportedly signed on for the female lead.


Bend it like Bhutia

Filmmaker Anand Kumar is working on football captain Bhaichung Bhutia’s biopic. The Sikkimese striker became the captain in 1998 and has played for India for 16 years.


Gama returns

Salman Khan’s TV production featuring brother Sohail Khan as Gama Pehlwan will roll in April and goes on air in July. The show will be directed by Puneet Issar and will be shot in Punjab and London.


Deepa’s journey

Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani are going to produce a biopic on Deepa Malik, who is the first and only woman from India to win a medal at the Paralympic Games. Deepa, who is paralysed from the chest down, has won gold medals at the national level and at the international level in swimming, shot-put and javelin throw. She was honoured with the Arjuna Award in 2012 and a Padma Shri in 2017.


Cricketing factor

Director: Abhishek Sharma

Based on Anuja Chauhan’s 2008 novel of the same name (The Zoya Factor), this one is a fictional story of a client service rep who ends up as the lucky mascot of the Indian cricket team during the 2011 World Cup. Dulquer Salmaan plays Nikhil Khoda, a character modeled on MS Dhoni, Sonam Kapoor is Zoya. Shooting has wrapped up and the film will release on April 5.


Batting with Mithali Raj

Viacom18 Motion Pictures has acquired the rights to the biopic of Mithali Raj, captain of the Indian women’s cricket team who made her debut at the age of 16 and soon after hit a century against Ireland, becoming the youngest woman cricketer to do so. She is often described as the Sachin Tendulkar of Women’s Cricket and is first woman to score 6000 ODI runs. Taapsee Pannu has expressed a desire to play her on screen.


Punch ’em with Farhan

Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra teams up with Bhaag Milkha Bhaag actor, Farhan Akhtar, for a fictional sport film, Toofan, set against the backdrop of boxing. The film rolls later this year and presents the challenges a boxer faces in real life. Farhan has already started his training.


Learning soccer from Big B

Director: Nagraj Manjule

Nagraj Manjule’s Hindi directorial debut, Jhund, is based on the life of Vijay Barse, the founder of slum soccer. It has Amitabh Bachchan playing a retired sports teacher who weans street kids off a life of crime and drugs and redirects their talent to build a soccer team. A major chunk of the film is set in Nagpur, and the team recently wrapped up a 45-day schedule in the city. The movie is produced by Bhushan Kumar and is slated to release this year.

Rugby for Abhay

Director: Sagar Ballary

The real life story of Rudrakasha Jena is centred around the historic World Cup win of the under-14 rugby team of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences in 2007 in the UK. Abhay Deol has come on board to play the Rugby team coach, and the actor wrapped up shooting for the film in December. Ujjawal Chatterjee, director of Escape To Taliban, is also making a film on the subject.

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; February 9, 2019)

Taking mother Mana Shetty's vision forward, Athiya Shetty has joined hands with tennis star Sania Mirza to raise funds for Save The Children India, an initiative that promotes child welfare. The not-for-profit organisation has planned a fashion exhibition that will kick off in Mumbai next week.

The proceeds from the sales will be donated to different causes that the NGO champions, including education and healthcare of children. Ahead of the fundraiser, Mirza and Shetty shot for a special campaign in Worli village last week.

Mirza says that her sister Anam's fashion line, Label Bazaar, too has tied up with the initiative. "The campaign is about how glamour and giving go hand-in-hand. Even though the exhibition is about fashion and lifestyle, it feels better to know that the proceeds from the event are directed towards a noble cause." No stranger to the camera, Mirza adds that it was fun teaming up with Shetty for the shoot as it was all about "being candid instead of striking poses."

Shetty, on her part, is glad that she can put her might behind the project that was envisioned by her grandmother. "Save The Children India was founded by my nani [Vipula Kadri] 30 years ago. This is my way of keeping her passion alive."

RSVP’s next production is a biopic on the Hyderabadi superstar who put India’s tennis story on the global map
MUMBAI MIRROR (February 8, 2019)

For a nation where cricket is considered a religion, it takes unique talent, undeterred determination and single-minded focus for a female tennis personality to shine like a star. Sania Mirza managed to do this and how! She is the name that put India’s tennis story on the global map and now her life journey will now be showcased on the big screen. Fresh off the success of URI: The Surgical Strike, Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP is set to bring the biopic of India’s tennis sensation and pride to the movies.

Born to a sports journalist, Sania was introduced to the game by her mother Nasima Mirza. Touted as one of the finest doubles players in the world and without doubt one of the best women’s tennis players to have ever represented India, Sania’s achievements also include laurels like Arjuna award, WTA newcomer of the year, Padma Shri, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and the Padma Bhushan to name a few. She has won 13 medals for the country. She was appointed the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia and was also the first South Asian Woman to be appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador in the organisation’s history.

Sania is the highest ranked singles player in the men or women category in the last 30 years with number 27 in singles and world number 1 in doubles.

The story of the film promises to take the audience through the life of the remarkable female athlete—the roller coaster ride, the struggles, the ups and the downs—behind the phenomenal achievements.

Sania said, “It’s excitement combined with nervousness—a ‘butterfly in your stomach’ feeling—when you are about to let your life story out to the world. It’s what I felt when my biography was written and I feel exactly the same when my journey is going to be presented on the big screen. I know it’s in good hands with an astute producer like Ronnie (Screwvala), who’s known for telling stories impactfully. I am so excited to partner with him and his team at RSVP and honestly can’t wait for it to go on floors.”

Her journey off the court has been as fascinating as her on court achievements and is sure to pique the interest of the audience.

Producer Ronnie Screwvala said, “At RSVP, it is my endeavour to tell compelling and inspiring stories. Sania biopic is one such story that falls beautifully under both these categories. Her journey, the hurdles she faced and her resilience to overcome adversities that came her way is what makes her an inspiration. I am delighted to bring this fascinating story on celluloid.”

RSVP and producer Ronnie Screwvala believe in presenting content driven films and are focused on delivering films that are backed by power-packed performances by talented actors and directors. Having delivered the first blockbuster of 2019 with URI: The Surgical Strike, Ronnie Screwvala continues to back content driven films and the Mirza biopic promises to have all the makings of a blockbuster.

Reza Noorani (BOMBAY TIMES; August 18, 2018)

With his 2016 film Happy Bhag Jayegi (HBJ) hitting it big, director Mudassar Aziz found a budding franchise in the offing. Now, he is ready to see his feisty Happy runaway from nuptials, once again. Not one to depend on crass humour or formulaic scripts for box-office numbers, Mudassar believes in finding humour in ordinary life situations. In a chat with Bombay Times, the filmmaker opens up on his personal life, making cross-border comedies and why he based his upcoming film, Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi (HPBJ), in China...

While HBJ had Diana Penty’s character running away from home, in your upcoming film HPBJ Sonakshi Sinha, who plays the titular character, will be seen fleeing. Why are you hell-bent on having Happy run away?
(Laughs!) Very rarely does it happen that the audience, members of the media and people within the trade love a film so much. That love translated into box office numbers, and I didn’t want to shut my eyes to the fact that HBJ enjoyed success and warranted a sequel. The kind of love the film received gave us enough reason to want to tickle the viewers’ funny bone once again. It was the greed of wanting to feel the same again, that made us make HPBJ. So yes, we are going to see Happy run away, again.

The film is a breakaway from usual comedy franchises, which often depend on crass humour to crack people up. Here you’re making a new kind of franchise that depends purely on story...
Well, the humour in the film stems from my way of thinking. I want to be able to watch my films with children and elder members of the family. I can’t comment on the kind of films that others make, because filmmaking is a difficult craft. But, my film weighs on my conscience and I want it to be a certain way. I love it when people tell me about a line or a scene they liked in HBJ. Look, humour is all around us. I feel we become lazy when we write a particular type of film, where lowbrow comedy becomes the primary aim.

What is it that makes a film franchise worthy?
After watching the ending scene of HBJ, many people asked me if I had planned a sequel. But, this film has no connection to the end of the first film. The two connect somewhere down the middle and the audience will enjoy when they find that connection. If you ask me, I don’t consider myself a director who makes franchises. I think films like Tanu Weds Manu Returns and HPBJ are not franchises, these are pure sequels. It’s not that just because the first film worked, we decided to replace Diana with Sonakshi and make another film. We wanted to put someone else in Happy’s place and needed another actress for it. We are giving a new twist to the story of these characters. So, I don’t think it is a franchise. I think that if a director makes a film, which is loved by the audience, it encourages him or her to make a sequel. And if I get the same love for HPBJ, I would love to end the whole thing as a trilogy.

Your films have largely examined the ideas of marriage. What do you feel about marriage as a concept?
I am a huge believer in the institution of marriage, but unfortunately, mine failed. I got divorced about three-and-a-half years ago. Toh, meri toh chali nahi, but I feel that those people whose marriages last, last forever. I also feel that the institution of marriage is incredible, because two people are expected to live with each other and spend their lives together, but there’s no guarantee that they will have similar likes or they’ll agree upon each other’s choices. At times, these factors are great breeding grounds for comedy and drama. Having said that, I am nobody to comment on marriage. The current generation is intelligent enough to know whether to marry or not, or when to separate.

While HBJ was set in Pakistan, HPBJ is based in China. Are you fascinated by cross-border stories?
We need to poke fun at the cross-border, cultural differences around us because that is how we’ll get a good breeding ground for cinema. We still talk on the lines of, ‘Pakistan murdabaad, Hindustan zindabaad’. Or we talk about China opening fire on the border and our army firing back. Why don’t we ever get a chance to laugh at each other? For me, it makes for a great comedy when you have an example like Shoaib Malik from Pakistan marrying Sania Mirza from India and both of them living in Dubai. Imagine both of them sitting in a room and watching an India-Pakistan cricket match! They must be going hammer and tongs at each other. I find cross-cultural differences amazing. I know that there are border situations and we have political stress with both China and Pakistan, but there are qualified people to make political comments and take political decisions. Does that mean that Indians, Pakistanis and Chinese can’t have a little fun with each other? I don’t think so. That’s why I based the first film in Pakistan and the second one in China. God knows where the third instalment will be set in...

Ronnie Screwvala has acquired the rights to the tennis ace’s life for a sports-biopic
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 2, 2018) 

Sport biopics seem to be the flavour of the season. After Diljit Dosanjh portrayed fi eld hockey player and ex-captain of the Indian national team, Sandeep Singh in Soorma, Shraddha Kapoor and Harshvardhan Kapoor are gearing up to play badminton player Saina Nehwal and retired professional shooter Abhinav Bindra respectively in biopics. Now, Mirror has learnt that Ronnie Screwvala is making a film on ace tennis player Sania Mirza. A former world No. 1 in doubles, Sania has won six Grand Slam titles.

“Many have been wanting to make a film on Sania’s life for a while now and Ronnie has finally bagged the rights for it. The story will be a balance of her professional and personal life with the latter getting more prominence. The makers will zero down on a director soon, after which they will begin the casting process,” informs a source close to the development.

Soon after she was born in Mumbai, Sania’s parents Imran and Naseema Mirza moved to Hyderabad. She began playing tennis at age six, turning professional in 2003. She won the 2003 Wimbledon Championships Girls’ Doubles title, partnering with Alisa Kleybanova, and paired with Sanaa Bhambri at the 2003 Junior French Open. On the senior circuit too, Sania started to show early success as she made her debut in April 2001 on the ITF Circuit as a 15-year-old. Recipient of the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and the Arjuna Award, Sania married Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik in Hyderabad on April 12, 2010. On May 23 this year, she shared the news of her pregnancy on Twitter.

Over the years, Sania has found close friends in choreographer-filmmaker Farah Khan, among others, and is a regular fixture at filmi dos. She has also made several appearances on TV shows.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 14, 2017)

Adapting the dialogue from the 1994 Suniel Shetty-starrer, Gopikishan, “Mere do do baap…” to “Mere do do maa and I’m proud of both of them,” Sohail Khan presented an award to step-mom, Helen. Seated in the front row, the entourage of B-townies including Ileana D’Cruz, Bobby Deol, Huma Qureshi, Farah Khan with tennis ace-bestie Sania Mirza, Urmila Matondkar, Aftab Shivdasani, Zeenat Aman, Poonam Dhillon, Neha Dhupia and Athiya Shetty cheered them on before proceeding to party all night.

The stars interacted with Dr Nowhera Shaikh and Supreme Court advocate Vineet Dhanda and his wife Puneet. “Bobby who had flown in with the ladies, joked that he was not able to catch up on his sleep because of their constant chatting,” laughed one of the guests, revealing that after the event, Farah, Sania and Huma took off to the latter’s pad to celebrate the tennis star’s 31st birthday, which she brought in two days earlier.

“There was a chocolate cake, music and Huma’s chefs had prepared a delicious meal of mutton curry that the girls binged on.”

Sohail and Bobby also rocked the night with their Delhi buddies. Suniel and Athiya Shetty stayed in as they had a 6 am flight to catch with a script narration for Athiya four hours later.

The actor-duo shot for a Diwali special with tennis ace Sania Mirza recently
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 20, 2017)

Mirror had earlier reported (October 12) about Shah Rukh Khan, Sushant Singh Rajput and tennis ace Sania Mirza teaming up for the Diwali special episode of the singing reality show, Lip Sing Battle. SRK, who was shooting for Aanand L Rai’s dwarf film, took some hours off to make it to Farah Khan’s show on Tuesday.

A source from the sets reveals that Sushant danced on “Ruk Ja Ae Dil Deewane” from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, which was choreographed by Farah back in 1995. The performance also included all of Shah Rukh’s iconic dialogues and scenes. “The highlight was Sushant running behind a train, recreating the famous DDLJ climax, and SRK entering through a train. It was an unexpected moment and the crowd went crazy,” the source added.

Sushant, who has earned his stripes as a dancer, was so overwhelmed to have his icon dancing with him, that he forgot some of his steps mid-performance. Shah Rukh, who’d rehearsed his act for only a few hours, joked that he felt the pressure to match Sushant’s dancing skills. The duo rounded off their joint TV turns with the King Khan’s charttopper, “Chaiyya Chaiyya” from Dil Se.

Sania also gushed through her performance with the Khan. The actor serenaded her to the tunes of the romantic “Gerua” from Dilwale.

“Shah Rukh was shooting in Bandra for his film and hopped over to Andheri to shoot for my show. He returned to Mehboob Studio to film till the next morning. It reminded me of Om Shanti Om, when stars kept appearing from different places,” Farah says.

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 12, 2017)

Shah Rukh Khan has been roped in for a special Diwali episode in filmmaker Farah Khan’s celebrity singing show, Lip Sing Battle. Sushant Singh Rajput will also make an appearance and has been pitted against tennis ace Sania Mirza. The two will fight it out for the winner’s title.

A source associated with the show reveals that Farah has been planning this special for a while now. The trio will be shooting on Monday. Though Shah Rukh is shooting for Aanand L Rai in Byculla that day, he has promised to make it to the Andheri set on time for her shoot. Both Sushant and Sania will be shaking a leg to hit SRK chartbusters after which the actor will be making a grand entry. Currently, Sushant and Sania are shortlisting their choice of songs. He’s really keen on his all-time favourites, “Chaiya Chaiya” from Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se and “Ruk Ja Ae Dil Deewane” from the evergreen Shah Rukh-Kajol love story, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.

Farah confirmed the news, saying, “We get different kinds of people to come and do amazing stuff on the show, like Shilpa Shetty doing a take off on Amitabh Bachchan’s Hum hit, 'Jumma Chumma' and Raveena Tandon dressed up as Anil Kapoor’s Lakhan and swinging to the beat of ‘One Two Ka Four'. It’s exciting now to have Shah Rukh on the show with Sania and Sushant. Sushant confided he loves performing on SRK’s songs and it will be interesting to see Sania dance too. The idea is not to have the regulars come on to promote their films but interesting guests get competitive and have fun. Everyone plays to win.”