WILL BOLLYWOOD TALK THE OTT BAIT?

With theatres shut on account of Coronavirus pandemic, the film industry all over the world has taken a hit. Bollywood, too, is no exception. We have discussed in the past editions of Bollywood Talk about films that were to release in the months of March, April and May which got sadly pushed as theatres were ordered to be shut. Many of these films were fully ready. And it’s no surprise that the OTT giants have begun to eye these movies.

As we all know, right now, TV and streaming platforms are booming and have got record viewership since people are all locked down in their homes. Hence, they are consuming unusually high amount of content, which they wouldn’t have done if the situation was normal. The OTT platforms obviously are laughing all the way to the bank. But they too are concerned since after a point, they won’t have anything new to offer as even their productions have been halted. Hence, in order to keep the interest going, they have started approaching makers of all the films that were scheduled for release in the near future. One might expect that they’ll approach only filmmakers of smaller and medium-sized films. However, they have been sending feelers to producers of biggies as well. Thankfully, Reliance Entertainment, the producers of ’83 and Sooryavanshi, have refused to take the bait and are preferring to wait. Same with Salman Khan-starrer Radhe.

However, the industry and trade were left shocked as it came to light that Fox Star Studios, Akshay Kumar, Tusshar Kapoor and Shabinaa Khan are in advanced talks with Disney+ Hotstar for their film Laxmmi Bomb. It has Akshay in the lead and is one of the biggest and one of the most awaited films of 2020. It was to in fact clash with Radhe on Eid 2020. Hence, many were astonished that such a big film is opting for direct-to-digital release. There’s no confirmation on how much Disney+ Hotstar is offering them but it surely must be an excessive amount.

The Laxmmi Bomb makers haven’t still signed on the dotted line. However, the fact that they are in talks and that they haven’t denied the reports has led to anger and even concern among the exhibitors. The theatres have been shut since mid-March and are running into heavy losses. They don’t just have to pay salary employees but also bear the overhead costs. Also, once cinemas began, they’ll have to further invest in sanitation measures, which will further give them a financial blow. Hence, they are just hoping that more and more big films release so that they can earn profit. And Laxmmi Bomb is one such film which they were looking forward to big time. As a result, the speculations of it going on Disney+ Hotstar has naturally infuriated them. They are also worried that filmmakers of many smaller and mid-sized flicks might also follow suit, motivated by Laxmmi Bomb episode. That, in turn, will led to closure of some cinema halls and loss of jobs for it’s staff.

The scenario arose in the South as well but there, the exhibitors have much more power and have resorted to extreme measures. When it came to light that Ponmagal Vandhal, produced by Suriya’s wife Jyothika will come directly on Amazon Prime after it failed to release on March 27 as it scheduled, it led to a lot of brouhaha. The Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners’ Association have in fact threatened to ban films produced by or featuring Suriya if Ponmagal Vandhal directly arrives on OTT. It won’t be a surprise if our theatre owners also take a similar, drastic step.

Shabinaa Khan, one of the producers of Akshay Kumar’s horror-comedy, addresses the controversy surrounding creative differences between the film’s director and the makers
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 6, 2019)

Akshay Kumar started shooting for his upcoming horror-comedy, Laxmmi Bomb, at a city studio last month with his leading lady, Kiara Advani. Soon after wrapping up the first schedule, Raghava Lawrence who had directed the Tamil franchise Kanchana of which the Hindi film is a remake, announced on Twitter that he would no longer direct the remake citing creative differences with the makers. “In this world, more than money and fame, self-respect is the most important attribute to a person’s character,” he had said in a note.

While speculations were rife that the producers, Shabinaa Khan and Tusshar Kapoor, would rope in a new director, the duo flew to Chennai instead to meet Raghava and resolve the issue. Last week, the director returned to Twitter to announce that he is back onboard the project. When Mirror contacted Shabinaa, she was evasive about the details of the meeting, saying, “There were no conversations. There were minor creative differences which are all sorted out now. There’s nothing beyond that, and what you have read so far is all that has happened.” When asked if the controversy surrounding Raghava’s initial exit will impact the environment on the set, she said, “Not at all. Raghava is the best director for this film as he is the creator of the Kanchana franchise down South. He is a talented director and was always on board.”

The designer-turned-filmmaker, who has previously collaborated with Akshay on Rowdy Rathore and Gabbar Is Back, informed that the Khiladi Kumar was always her first choice for the film. “We had been in talks for a Kanchana remake for a while. It took some time because we were tweaking the script for our audience. After writing it again and again, it eventually fell into the space we were looking at,” she revealed. The film, which is the official adaptation of Muni 2: Kanchana, the second film in the original series, will see Akshay’s character possessed by a transgender ghost which leads to comic situations. Shabinaa clarified that the 51-year-old actor doesn’t play the role of a transgender in the story. “There’s a different dynamic for which you need to see the film,” she added.

Next up, Laxmmi Bomb returns to regular programming with the team gearing up to kick off the second schedule. “We shot a song in a three-day shoot in Mumbai which started on April 27, but the upcoming schedule will be the biggest of the lot and it will start in mid-July,” Shabinaa signed off.
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Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 6, 2019)

In 2012, Akshay Kumar and Prabhudheva teamed up for the first time for the action-comedy Rowdy Rathore. Now, Mirror has learnt that almost seven years later, a sequel is in the works. “We are in the process of writing Rowdy Rathore 2 right now and inshallah, it will feature Akshay in the lead,” said Shabinaa Khan, who had co-produced the first film with Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

Noting that her leading man’s celluloid stories may have changed but the template remains the same, the filmmaker added, “Right from Toilet - Ek Prem Katha to Pad Man, his films have ample of humour. He can manage anything and everything and is one of the only all-rounders we have in the industry today.”

While Shabinaa refused to divulge further details pertaining to the project, a source close to the development informed that it is expected to go on the floors sometime next year.

In the first installment, Akshay was seen in a double role - as Inspector Vikram Singh Rathore and a local thug, Shiva. The film was the official remake of S S Rajamouli’s 2006 Telugu actioner, Vikramarkudu, and featured Sonakshi Sinha as the female lead.

BOMBAY TIMES (May 20, 2019)

Akshay Kumar-starrer Laxmmi Bomb, which is the Hindi remake of the popular South franchise Kanchana, has run into controversy after the makers released the first look of the film. Raghava Lawrence (right), the director of Kanchana and also its Hindi remake, wasn’t too happy with this development. Expressing his grievance in a post on his Twitter handle, he said that the first look of the film was released without his knowledge, and therefore, he was opting out of the movie.

In his post, he said, “There is an old popular saying in Tamil which tells, 'Don’t step into any house where there is no respect'. In this world, more than money and fame, self-respect is the most important attribute to a person’s character. So, I have decided to step out of the project, ‘Laxmmi Bomb’ the Hindi remake of Kanchana. I don’t want to mention the reason because there are multiple reasons, but one of them is that the first look poster of the film was released today without my knowledge and even without discussing anything with me. I was informed about this by a third person. It is very painful for a director to know about his movie’s first look release from others. I feel very disrespected and disappointed. As a creator, I am not satisfied with the poster design as well. This shouldn’t happen to any director. I can hold back my script because I haven’t signed any agreement regarding this film, but I won’t do it because it is not professional. I’m ready to give my script because I personally respect Akshay Kumar sir a lot. They can replace me with some other director according to their wish. Soon, I’m going to meet Akshay Kumar sir to give the script and step out of this project in a good way. All the very best to the entire team. I wish the movie a great success. (sic)”

His tweet came a day after Akshay, Tusshar Kapoor and Shabinaa Khan, producers of the film, released the first poster on Twitter. Their posts clearly mentioned Raghava as the director of the project. We tried reaching out to Tusshar, Shabinaa, Akshay and Raghava, but they didn’t respond till the time of going to press.
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Shabinaa Khan on wanting to be a creative producer and how her journey so far has all led up to this point
Sarita A Tanwar (DNA; May 22, 2016)


Why did you make a Marathi movie?
Because both the movies I made (Gabbar Is Back or Rowdy Rathore) were big-budget films. I always wanted to make a small film. In fact, I wanted to go and study in New York after GIB for five weeks to do a filmmaking and editing course as I wanted to learn something. I was going to be doing Rowdy 2 anyway after that, but I thought, ‘Why not make a small film and learn the same thing here?’

Do you speak Marathi?
Not many people know that I am from Kolhapur and I speak fluent Marathi. We have a house in Kolhapur. We are Marathi Muslims and that is the reason I wanted to make a Marathi film.

How did you greenlight this project?
It’s a very strange story. I bumped into the director who made the pilot for my first TV serial back in 2002 at a temple and asked her what she was doing next. I thought we could do TV again. So, we met over coffee later and she told me, ‘Why you don’t make a Marathi film? Let’s do a film with Swwapnil Joshi.’ He came to my office. We didn’t have a script at the time, but for nine months, we brainstormed. That’s how we came up with Laal Ishq.

Are you familiar with Marathi cinema?
Very. I see a lot of regional cinema. I watch all Tamil, Telugu and Marathi films. I would never do a film without knowing everything about it. I am a Libran, so I would never do something that I cannot control and if you don’t know something, you cannot control it. Every Sunday, I watch a movie with my mom. She comes to my house and after lunch, we take a nap and then I put on a movie. So, of late, because I am making a Marathi film, I’m watching a lot of Marathi cinema. I recently watched this film Katyar Kaljat Ghusli. I was so impressed with it. It has one of the finest storytelling and screenwriting I have seen. It’s an amazing history-based film about a Muslim singer and a Hindu Pandit singer.

If making a small-budget film was the driving factor, why didn’t you make a small Hindi film?
My only thing is, that I make a commercially entertaining movie, and I feel the small Hindi movies are all in a different genre completely, which is not my cup of tea. In Marathi cinema, you can even make a small budget film on the scale of a Rowdy Rathore. In three or four crores! So I’d rather do a Marathi film with a genre I am comfortable with, than a Hindi small film with a genre I am unsure of. An offbeat film is not my sensibility. I like to make and watch the same kind of films. I love making films that are entertaining. I do not like depressing films. I like films that make me laugh, make me cry, make me dance and by the end of it there is a culmination of the entire story. I don’t like question mark ends. When I enter a theatre, I want to forget all my problems. After the film ends, of course, I have to return to my problems. But for those two-three hours, I need to shut down.

Why have you only done co-productions with SLB?
Because I am really happy and comfortable making films with Sanjay. He is a hands-on producer. I am like a crybaby. Anytime I am stuck, I call him. I consider him my guru. Whatever I know about filmmaking, I have learnt from him. I am even doing mixing and background score… He has taught me so much. I was an assistant on Black. I will never leave Sanjay. I will always make films with him unless he decides to leave me.

What has making a non-Hindi film taught you?
I learnt the commercials of a small-budget film. I also learnt that there are friends in the industry. My entire team of Rowdy and Gabbar did this film at the Marathi industry pay scale. Everybody has come down to not half but to 10 per cent of their fee and I am really impressed by that.

Tell me about it
My film is an intense love story which has a backdrop of murder so you can call it an intensely romantic thriller and the story is told through the hero and the heroine who are the prime suspects.

Sounds like The Affair.
It’s like that but I didn’t have The Affair in mind. There is a very, very old foreign film Rashomon, which I love which has the same concept, but the story is original.

Did you at any point think of making it a bi-lingual?
No. When I am going in one direction, I don’t go idhar udhar. I have my two Hindi films which are there and this I always wanted to make in Marathi. But, yes it is releasing with subtitles in quite a few screens everywhere.

How did you get into production?
I stopped designing for a while and I was going through a phase of no work. I was always creatively inclined. I used to sit with Ekta (Kapoor) for script sittings, etc when that phase was happening and I would crib to her. They say everyone has three or four angels that come in their life. Ekta is one of them in my life, who made me make a serial and she launched my company. So I made two serials in 2002.

What did you know about production at the time?
Very little. She did everything. She helped me. She would sit with me for editing and say take this out, do that, put this background and I made 45 episodes that made money. Today, whatever I am in production, is because of these three people — Ekta Kapoor, Shobha Kapoor and Sanjay Bhansali.

Please continue...
Then I tried from 2002 till 2010 to make serials, but nothing worked. I think because TV was booming at the time, so everybody was getting into it. In 2009, I told Sanjay, ‘Let’s make movies together.’ I knew Sanjay because I had designed clothes for Khamoshi and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Then, for Devdas, he worked with Abu-Sandeep. Then in Black, I was the AD and didn’t do the clothes.

Why did you become an AD?
Because I wanted to learn filmmaking. I never wanted to do clothes. I was only doing clothes because I was getting to go to London to shop, and I was enjoying all that. I had no inclination, though I had the flair for it. So when I told Sanjay, ‘Let’s make movies together.” He said, ‘Yes, get a script. So for four years, we looked around, but nothing interested me and nothing interested him.’ In the meantime, I was doing Akshay’s and Ajay’s clothes. I was doing a lot of films… Then one fine day, I thought that Akshay needed a change after seven-eight years of the same Hera Pheris and Housefulls, I thought: Let’s get him back with action. Without meeting Akshay, I went to meet Prabhu Dheva. I said, ‘Prabhu Sir, I want you to direct a film for me and I want Akshay. I want you to him bring back to action.’ This was soon after Wanted. He said, ‘I am on.’ I came back and I told Sanjay about Prabhu sir and he said also said he was on. He said, ’I see the spark in you and you’ll do it. I asked him, ‘So can I tell Akshay, you and I are doing this film and ask him if he wants to do it?” Sanjay gave me the go-ahead. Then I met Akshay. When I spoke to Akshay, he was doing Khatta Meetha. I was doing his clothes for that film, and one day, I said to him ‘Akshay, I want to do a film’. He asked, ‘Kaun direct kar raha hai?’ I told him. ‘Who is the partner?’, he asked. I said Bhansali. ‘Chalo I am on,’ said Akshay. Then I went looking for a script and then I got Rajamouli’s second film to be remade in Hindi.

That’s a crazy beginning.
(Smiles) It’s a long journey and it’s my 26th year in the industry. My designing career also began like that, haphazardly. I was in college with Salman. He used to sit behind me. We knew each other since school. I don’t even remember how it began, but he’d finished Maine Pyar Kiya and was looking for a new designer. I went to become an air hostess in Saudi. I resigned in one day and came back. In those days, it paid like three lakh a month. It was most prestigious, as there was no Emirates and all that then. I came back and I was in depression, wondering what to do. My parents were like ‘We asked you not to do it’. So Salman said ‘Listen, just do my clothes’. I told him I don’t know anything about designing. He said, ‘I also don’t know acting, we’ll do it together’. And then I worked with Salman for 17 years!

Do you want to direct someday?
I don’t want to direct. I don’t want to be the captain of the ship. (Laughs) I like to fire the gun from someone else’s shoulder. I like to be a creative producer because, as a director I would have to take certain calls which could be right, could be wrong. I want someone else to take those calls so that I can tell that person ‘Arre yeh mat karo, yeh karo’.

You have the reputation of being a devil of a boss. Comment.
(Smiles) I just feel that other people always find people who are super-efficient, to be monsters.

Not true.
With filmmaking, it’s different.

How so?
Because there are certain things that you need to do at a certain time. There are time limits, there are deliveries, there are date hassles, there are too many irritants.

Not everyone is a monster.
Farah (Khan) is also a monster. I think people who are that highly talented, they all have some quirks. Everybody has them and I am a Libran. When I lose it, I really lose it.

Sanam Puri alleges that he has not been given credit for a song in Gabbar Is Back
Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 29, 2015)

Singer Sanam Puri, who is the lead vocalist of the band, Sanam, recorded Coffee Peetey Peetey, a romantic song for Akshay Kumar's upcoming action thriller Gabbar Is Back. He was shocked when the album released with the song but his name missing from the credits. While the voice is definitely his, the singer who's getting all the applause is Dev Negi.

An upset Sanam told Mirror, "It's really disappointing. I recorded the song two months ago and at that time the Gabbar team was really happy with it. I don't know what happened in the interim."

He admits that he'd heard that his version of Coffee Peetey had been dubbed by another singer and was prepared to hear the song in someone else's voice. "But they eventually released my version without giving me the credit. Now only my regular listeners will know it's me, the rest think the voice is Dev's. It's so unfair," he lamented.

Didn't he try to reach out to the production house? "I did, but nobody bothered to enlighten me or correct the error," he groused.

The film's producer Shabinaa Khan chose not to respond to our text message.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali on why he has repeated the Khiladi in two of his productions but never directed him
Sarita A Tanwar (DNA; April 28, 2015)


Why have you been treating your production Gabbar Is Back like a stepchild and only concentrating on Bajirao Mastani that you are directing as well?
Stepchild? Who gave the title? Who finally said, ‘Okay let’s make this film’? Me! I insisted on buying it. I am caught up with the shooting of Bajirao Mastani, it’s on a very big scale but I’ve seen Gabbar to the end. I’ve seen the background, music, songs, everything…

But you haven’t gone on the set even for a day.
Sets... I never visit the sets of any of the films because it is not fair to the director. It is important to give him the space, and the freedom. Actors should interact only with the director. If I am on the set, the actors will look at me and say ‘Aap ko kaisa lagaa?’ Once I start going to the set, then they will ask for me to attend more shootings. Also, if I go on the set, the actors might feel that may be the producer is insecure or maybe I don’t trust the director so I am following up with him. So, I don’t ever go to any sets of mine.

But you are fully involved before the film begins shooting.
Yes. Once I put the film together, I say, ‘This is the film, this is the cast, this is the script. Now go make it.’ For the script, music, casting, etc there are many meetings but once the shooting starts, I step away. Then I see the edit and if I don’t like it, then I cut a little bit here and there. Like Mary Kom, I completely cut on my own. I decided to edit the way I thought it should be edited. Then the film goes for mixing and other departments and all professionals do their work. But Gabbar is very special to me, so it can never be a stepchild. Yes, there are a lot of films that I am making, it’s not that I am working on it full day and full night but I am absolutely there, now Shabinaa (Khan, co-producer) is looking into it. But if she is saying that she is the only one who is doing everything, please correct it.

Akshay was in both your co-productions Rowdy Rathore and now Gabbar Is Back. Why haven’t you ever directed him?
(Dramatically) What nasty questions you have started asking me. You started the interview on an offensive note. Why haven’t I taken Akshay in my films? Will he give me 150 days? Or 200 days. No.

Yes, he will finish three films in that many number of days.
His and my style of working are very different. I am very fond of Akshay as an actor, he is fantastic, there are no two ways about it. Can you imagine anybody else doing Rowdy Rathore? When I see the way he has changed for Gabbar, the things he has done, I am so impressed. He is so professional, talented, he has a huge audience, he keeps up with the time, and he has got everything that makes a big star. When I get the right subject for him, I will work with him.

There is nothing that can stop me from working with Akshay Kumar. He is such a good star but his film philosophies are different from mine, so ideologies are different. I just don’t only make films or make money. I make films for me. It is making a film that matters. I wait to create a certain scene and a certain moment. I mean his style does not permit that, he might get impatient, he might feel like running away for all you know after the 10th day. I love Akshay so much, when the right script comes along, I’ll work with him.

Is it feasible for actors to block a year for a film, given that equations change every Friday?
I feel when an actor limits himself saying, ‘I am only going to give you 50 days for a film and I can’t give you even one more day,’ you are limiting a lot of possibilities and opportunities that can come your way. Don’t look at the number of days, look at the script, look at the possibilities of making a great film. A film that will need a lot of hard work and give you new opportunites to explore as an actor. So actors should not take a film which will get over in 45 days. And as a director, I should not make a film only because it is going to be made in 150 days or 200 days, that is not right. But I feel somewhere there might be that understanding. When I worked with Shah Rukh Khan on Devdas, we never talked about how many days we would shoot. He shot for 260 days with me. That was a lot of time, but we didn’t even discuss it because you are not supposed to. Because you know that this is the style, and the mounting of the film. This is the kind of scene construction will take that time. It’s the difference between building the Taj Mahal and constructing a mall. It’s different, one will take less time, so it depends on what you are making and what an actor is comfortable being part of.

Give me three reasons why one should go and see Gabbar Is Back?
One because it’s a great script, and talks about a very relevant issue called corruption which I think is eating up the country and it gives you a great solution because it just raises your conscience to it. Of course people are more aware of it now. Ten years ago, they used to ignore corruption and we used to succumb to it. Now people are discussing it, and I feel that discussion needs to be taken to another level. Secondly, because it’s Akshay Kumar’s finest performance. It’s also because it’s Gabbar. Which for us, is a cult figure. And fourthly, because it is my film. (Smiles).

You make very different films as a director and as a producer. Is that because Rowdy Rathore and Gabbar Is Back are not your sensibility?
I love all kinds of films. One section is multiplex audience, which says only family films are good, then we make those kind of films. Another section feels only films which are being shot in Bhendi Bazaar and Pydhoni, running through the lanes, only are good films. I am saying both are good. I’ve grown up, watching films with Fakira, Chor Machaye Shor, Loafer and Pratigya. These are all my favourite films. I want to make those kind of films. If actually I would have got a chance, I would have directed Rowdy but I was shooting Ram Leela at the time. I would have loved to do Mary Kom also. Half the time, all those things that I want to do actually can’t do, so I say ‘chalo, let’s produce.’ It’s important for a director to have that range, to enjoy the basic roots of Indian cinema, in the Indian audiences. Finally the audience, mainstream audience, single screen theatre, that is what our nation is all about. That is what Bollywood is all about, so I am very proud of having produced Rowdy Rathore or Gabbar as much as I am proud of Mary Kom and the other films, I have directed. Personally to make a film, to direct a film, I don’t know. If you gave me the total of all the films I’ll make it. But they made the whole film in ten crores.

Do you think it is possible for you to make a small budget film?
I tried making Black as a small film but it became big, now what to do. It’s just the way that my mind goes. I feel budget is not... First of all you have to justify the budget. If you get the budget you should know how to use that money. When you get a lot of money it doesn’t necessarily mean that you know how to use it. I know of directors who have big budgets but it’s not worth it because they don’t know how to spend. But spending is not the reason why I make a film. It just happens that I want this, I want that and then you realise that it’s costing a lot more than it actually should. Most directors or producers will say, ‘bunk it, you don’t need it’ or ‘who cares a damn’, or ‘who is going to bother about it?’ This doesn’t happen abroad. Look at their softer films or their smaller films, there is a lot of detailing even in them. Their budgets are bigger, their level of everything is higher because of the precision and the excellence... I justify the money I spend and can say, ‘okay, I used the money correctly.’ A lot of people feel that I waste money, a lot but that’s not true. I shoot my songs in over 12 or 15 days. I want my song precise, perfect, it has to be correct, I want to give my actors all the time of the world. And the feeling that they have enjoyed working on this film. They need to be loved, need to be pampered so it’s all a sense of good living that everyone experiences when I am making a film, so I justify my budgets.

Your mentor Vidhu Vinod Chopra has made a film for the West with actors from there. Do you want to do that at some stage?
I won’t ever make a Hollywood film because I can’t be the flavour of the month. I feel it’s very important to know that it is that you are making. I understand Bollywood because this is what one have grown up with. Our language, our traditions, our society today, what is happening, our people, is what I know and that is what I make. How do I make a film on people living abroad? I don’t know anything about their world. If you are asking about a collaboration and whether I would do an Indian film with a producer abroad, that might be a possibility. But I won’t go there to make an English film, with an English ambience, English surrounding and English script because it doesn’t make sense for me to do that. I don’t know it, so I will not make it, I should only make what I know, Vinod Sir is comfortable, as he has lived a lot in LA, he travels a lot, he interacts with people a lot over there, so maybe he knows the place but I don’t.

When was the last time you took off on a holiday?
Last year. I went after a long time to Paris. The weather sometimes gets depressing. Have you been inside the village, the old Paris? When I did the opera I stayed in the old Paris. It was a Spanish writer’s apartment, given to me by the theatre, Her record player and her records.. Oh what an apartment I didn’t want to get out of that place.

BOMBAY TIMES (April 2, 2015)

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 29, 2015)

BOMBAY TIMES (January 15, 2015)

Sanjay Leela Bhansali admits that Main Gabbar is far from a typical Bhansali film and insists that's the reason he is all the more excited about it. The filmmaker opens up about the action entertainer, which releases this summer, and all his other films in the pipeline. Excerpts:

Main Gabbar is quite an unusual offering from Bhansali Productions. What prompted you to produce it?
As an artiste, I wanted to explore a new genre and since action entertainers are not my forte, I decided to back them as a producer. Main Gabbar is a commercial out-and-out action film and one that I personally find entertaining. It also marks my return with Shabinaa Khan after the success of Rowdy Rathore.

Besides the action thriller and Bajirao Mastani, what are the films on your slate this year?
A lot of interesting films are in the pipeline. We will soon make a formal announcement and put all speculation to rest. We also have a new CEO, Shobha Sant, who will streamline the production house's endeavours.

You've enjoyed a good run with the success of Rowdy Rathore, Ram-Leela and Mary Kom. How does it feel to be among the most successful producers?
I'm humbled and thankful to the audience for all the love and support. This is the best cinematic time of my life. I'm doing interesting films and working on my dream projects.

Upala KBR (DNA; July 24, 2014)

Tusshar Kapoor and Shabinaa Khan's first joint production, a Tamil remake of Kanchana has run into a bit of toruble. In the film Ajay's character gets possessed by the spirit of a transgender. For the climax scene, Devgn had to wear a sari and make-up but he has flatly refused to do so.

Ajay has made it clear that said the scenes where he had to wear female, the makers have to find a way to do it without him wearing a sari. He told Shabinaa he would plan something with her where the attire would be a feminine one but definitely not a sari."

The source says this has put his producers and director Raghava Lawrence in a quandry. "The climax scene in the temple is crucial to the film which is where Kanchana (the trangender) avenges his murder by possessing Raghav's (Ajay's character) body. Raghav has to dress like Kanchana. Shabina and Tusshar have tried convincing Ajay that they will try to tone down the effiminate look but they can't do away with the saree. Ajay won't wear a salwar-kurta too so now nobody knows what to do!" They are all stuck at a dead end with the first schedule starting in October.

Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 10, 2014)

Akshay Kumar broke his dry spell with the first film in 2012 and now the producers of Rowdy Rathore are planning a second instalment of the kitschy action entertainer.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Shabinaa Khan are teaming up once again to produce the sequel. The decision was taken last week.

While Akshay Kumar will topline the cast once again, the makers are yet to decide on the heroine. Sonakshi Sinha had played Akshay's love interest in the first movie. However, Prabhu Dheva will direct the sequel as well.

A source close to the development told Mirror, "Bhansali will put Bajirao Mastani on floors in October and Rowdy Rathore 2 will roll by the mid of next year. The sequel was in the pipeline ever since the film entered the Rs 100 crore club."

When contacted, co-producer Shabinaa Khan, who had also designed Akshay's look in the film, confirmed the news, saying, "Yes, we are making Rowdy Rathore 2. We are in the process of locking the script."

Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 10, 2014)

After announcing a box office clash between his magnum opus Bajirao Mastani and Karan Johar’s Shuddhi, Sanjay Leela Bhansali is at it again. The filmmaker has now announced that his production Gabbar starring Akshay Kumar will be a Republic Day release in 2015; even though Neeraj Pandey has already called dibs on that date for his untitled next. Though Bhansali seems to have won round one as Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone, also the top contenders for KJo’s flick, have picked his film instead, the second bout seems like a tough one. The reason being that Akshay, who is also the star of Pandey’s next, has not taken kindly to Bhansali’s surprise move and made his displeasure clear to Shabinaa Khan, Bhansali’s co-producer of Gabbar.

When the actor came to know that both his films will clash at the theatres, he was not amused especially as the decision was made without consulting him.

A source close to the development told Mirror that Akshay had a heated conversation with Shabinaa regarding the same.

“Akshay is sure that if both the films release simultaneously, the conflict will only divide his audience,” said the source. “Shabinaa was taken aback by the conversation and Akshay’s anger but she promised to look into the matter,” added the source. So will Bhansali bow to Akshay’s wrath and take one for the team? Only time will tell.

Subhash K Jha (DNA; April 9, 2014)

A few days ago, the internet was abuzz with rumours that Kareena Kapoor Khan is doing a sizzling item song with the Tamil superstar Suriya in his film Anjaan. The story, that went viral in no time, also had the film’s director Linguswamy being quoted as saying that this would be Kareena’s entry into Tamil cinema.

Reacting sharply to the story the actress says, “I don’t know where such baseless stories come from. I haven’t signed any such film. I don’t even know who Suriya and Linguswamy are. I’ve never seen them. I’ve zero interest in acting in non-Hindi films whether it is down South or in Hollywood.”

Kareena says it’s her career policy to not do films in a language she doesn’t speak or understand. “How can I emote in a language that I don’t know? I was offered beautiful scripts by the late Rituparno Ghosh in Bengali. I never could bring myself to work with this brilliant filmmaker because of the language barrier, and now he is gone.”

The actress says she has turned down some of the biggest South Indian films throughout her career. “I love the work that’s being done in South Indian languages as well as in Marathi and Bengali. But I’ll have to learn these languages to act in them.”

She also refutes any interest in doing item songs in any language. “Even in Gabbar, the number is a guest appearance and a romantic song. And I did it for my friend Shabinaa Khan who is the film’s co-producer.”

DNA (April 3, 2014)

Kareena Kapoor has trod on many filmmakers’ fragile egos by turning down their films and the disgruntled list has grown quite long. Today, she’s on a mending-bridges spree. A source says, “Kareena had turned down Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela, because of dates issue and lived to rue the day when it became a huge hit. So when producer Shabina Khan, who is co-producing Gabbar, apparoached Kareena to do a song in the film, the actress jumped at the chance. Apart from Shabina being a friend, Sanjay is co-producing the film. Kareena saw this as a chance of patching up with the temperamental director is known not to forgive or forget. Apparently, she has been sending him feelers, now that he is casting now for his historical Bajirao Mastani and has even asked her Singham 2 co-star Ajay Devgn (who is being considered by Sanjay as the main lead in the historical) to put in a word for her.” Is Zoya Akhtar too, next?

Bella Jaisinghani & Hemali Chhapia | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; March 23, 2014)

Mumbai: Trouble erupted inside the Wilson College campus on Saturday as staff members protested against a film shoot that was underway during the HSC examination. Board officials as well as the Gamdevi police arrived on the premises but allowed filming to continue since the college authorities and the collector had granted permission.

Actor Akshay Kumar was shooting on the premises. His bodyguards tried to prevent the TOI photographer from taking pictures although they have no authority over the college campus property. The actor was not reachable for comment.

A professor, who called the HSC board as well as Gamdevi police to complain, said, “Three examinations were scheduled through the day but shooting continued with impunity. Board and police officials declined to intervene, saying the collector had allowed the shoot. However, I don’t see what involvement the collector has in church property. Moreover, police permission is required and that was not obtained.”

Principal V J Sirwaiya said only three students were taking the exam. “Ours is a 5.5-acre campus. The exam was taking place in the northern end, the shoot was happening at the southern end. A board official was present,” he said.

The incident follows a longstanding dispute between college authorities and professors who have been “protesting the entry of mafia elements” into the Wilson College hostel and campus, which comes under the Church of North India. Activists have stepped in to prevent the “commercialization” of church property.
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Kranti Vibhute (MID-DAY; March 23, 2014)

Asira Tarannum (MID-DAY; February 11, 2014)

If sources are to be believed, designer and co-producer Shabinaa Khan has been rubbing people the wrong way. It is being said that Wasiq  Khan, the art director in her film Gabbar, has quit the project due to irreconcilable differences.

What makes this news more interesting is the fact that he is not the only one to have had problems with Shabinaa.

Within a week of the film going on the floors, this Akshay Kumar-Shruti Hassan starrer, which is being produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Sanjay Leela Bhansali along with Shabinaa, tasted controversy: sources said that five crew members walked out of the film, owing to her short temper and high- handedness.
Then there was news about Shraddha Kapoor being asked to opt out of Gabbar as the actress didn’t have dates to spare.

A source says, “A lot of crew members have quit the film because of Shabinaa Khan. And this time around, she didn’t ask them to leave; they quit on their own because they couldn’t deal with her acid tongue anymore. She is known to insult people on the sets and this isn’t the first time she’s facing such problems — she had people walking out during the making of Rowdy Rathore as well.”

When contacted, Wasik said that he has opted out of the film due to personal reasons. “Shabinaa and I are like family – it’s just that I had to come to Delhi for some personal work and that's why I am no longer doing the film. I have recommended some names to them,” he said.

Shabinaa Khan echoed his statement. “There’s no truth to this. Wasiq had to rush to Delhi and take a month off, so he is not able to do the film,” she said.

But our source maintains that this is not the case. “A lot of people on the sets are scared of her because of the way she treats people.”

Seema Sinha (BOMBAY TIMES; December 17, 2013)

Tusshar will soon don the producer’s hat with his maiden venture, to be co-produced by Shabinaa Khan. Incidentally, the latter made her debut as a producer with Rowdy Rathore. Their joint venture, yet untitled, will star Ajay Devgn and will go on the floor next August.

While details of the film are being kept under wraps, the makers are in the process of finalising the script, having bought the official rights of the Tamil horror comedy Kanchana — one of the top grossers of 2011. The Hindi remake will be directed by Raghava Lawrence, who also helmed the original Tamil film.

Tusshar, who has always been a fan of the horror genre, says, “I have been waiting for the right story to come my way to make my debut in production. Kanchana is a great story and I am really happy to have Ajay on board. He is not only a good actor, who has excelled in both action and comedy, but is also a close friend.” Shabinaa adds, “Horror comedy is a relatively new genre in Bollywood and I am looking forward to it.” 
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Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 17, 2013)

Tusshar Kapoor has bought the official rights of the Tamil-hit Kanchana, and its Hindi remake will mark the actor’s debut as producer under his banner TK Films. Buzz was that Salman Khan had expressed interest to play the lead role, but finally it is Ajay Devgn who has been finalised for the part.

The film will be directed by Raghava Lawrence, who also helmed the original Tamil film, and Ajay will reprise the role played by Lawrence. Presently the writers are developing the story which will be given the quintessential Bollywood spin.

Says a source close to the development, “In the film the lead character is possessed by a ghost and that leads to him acquiring multiple personalities. One of them is slightly effeminate. It will be interesting to see how the macho Ajay plays it.”

When contacted, Tusshar confirmed the news, “Yes, Ajay Devgn will lead the cast of Kanchana though its been quite difficult to get his dates. We will go on floors in August 2014.”

When asked whether Devgn will be seen playing an effeminate character, Tusshar said, “It is one of the personalities that spring up.” The rest of the cast is still to be finalised.

Kanchana, which released in July 2011 was a major box-office success, and won actor Sarathkumar much acclaim for his portrayal of a transgender.