Sangita Ghosh celebrated her 15th wedding anniversary over a video call with her husband Shailendra Singh and four-year-old daughter Devi on Tuesday, even as she continued shooting in Chandigarh. Being away from her family, she admitted she was missing them dearly.

“Today is my 15th wedding anniversary and I’m here shooting in Chandigarh, while my husband Micky and daughter Devi are in Jaipur. I’m terribly missing them, but that’s how an actor’s life is."

Sangita further adds, "Next month is my baby’s fourth birthday, and I’m not going to miss it. Either I’ll fly to Jaipur or she’ll join me here. Though honestly, I want to go because Jaipur winters have their own charm. I love bonfires in the garden, chulhe ka khana, everyone sitting together… every evening turns into a fun party with friends and family. And the cold weather just adds to it.”

Sangita, who has portrayed a wide range of characters in her 25-year career, is once again taking on a negative role in her new show. As Gulaab, a control-freak mother, she enjoys exploring the character’s many layers.

“First of all, there’s no story without a mom — and I love playing one. And this isn’t a typical mother. She’s protective yet controlling. She’s a stay-at-home mom but still lets her kids pursue what they want in life. Roles like this give you so much scope to explore your skills as an actor, and I’m loving it.”

Reflecting on her journey, she shares, “Indian television has taught me a lot. I’ve worked with some of the best directors, actors, and production houses. TV ka stardom aaj bhi hai, and I love when people still remember me from Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand, which I did years ago. Surviving in this industry and being part of some of the best shows wasn’t easy, and I think I should pat myself on the back. It happened because of my hard work, consistency, and of course a little luck that gave me the opportunity to showcase my talent.”

With a vast body of work across genres, the actress now wishes to explore OTT. “This is something I really want to try. I seriously want to crack OTT because it offers a different approach to storytelling. I keep manifesting it, and I hope it becomes another great chapter in my acting journey,” she says.

Sangita loves being in smaller cities and is currently enjoying her stay in Chandigarh.

“Chandigarh is a beautiful city, and I spent a couple of months here earlier when I shot for Swarn Ghar. I’ve always loved the city for its natural beauty. There’s less stress and anxiety, less traffic, less pollution, and so much calm and peace — something I really miss in Mumbai. I’m living in a beautiful flat surrounded by nature. I’ve always liked smaller places, and it’s no exaggeration to say these cities offer much more to your soul.”

Abhishek Shukla (BOMBAY TIMES; December 28, 2019)

The yesteryear’s singer and actor, Shailendra Singh of Main Shayar Toh Nahin fame was in Lucknow to meet his sister recently. In a candid chat with the team, the Do Jasoos actor talked about how Bollywood music has changed over the years and more.

Ask the Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se singer about how music has changed in Bollywood since the Bobby days, and he says, “There is no music in most of the songs today, it’s mostly noise! Lyrics too are not that great in today’s time. Do you find any meaningful song today, no na? Ek-aad gaana aata hai acchha, woh bhi kabhi kabhi. Music directors are catering to the younger lot and for them, rhythm is more important now. So, technically we have advanced a lot, but not quality wise.”

He adds, “There were good writers, directors, composers earlier. Name a good composer today? Because they cannot compose, so they are coming up with lots of remixes. Keyboard bajane waala composer nahi hota kabhi bhi. Pehle situation ke hisaab se gaana likhte the, lyrics were meaningful and were in sync with the story. But in the present time, putting a catchy word in a song is in vogue. So what happens is that these songs are played for 10 days in pubs and then they are forgotten. Even Punjabi songs and music, which is quite popular these days, don’t have a shelf life.”

The Jeete Hain Shaan Se singer is also of the opinion that folk music in Bollywood should be promoted. “Folk is the root of music and if you bring that to Bollywood it will definitely be a hit. Because it has melody and rhythm and accompanied by good lyrics, it touches your heart. For example, a song from the film Teesri Kasam – Chalat Musafir Moh Liya Re, a folk song from UP, composed by Shailendra ji, was a superhit song. Kalyan ji bhai ne bhi Gujarati folk songs garba style mein diye hai, which were hits.”

Talking about reality shows, the Hum Tum Ek Kamre Mein Band Ho singer, who appeared on Indian Idol recently, believes this platform brings a lot of talent in the front, “These singing reality shows are bringing in good talent and are providing a platform to budding singers. Kamaal ka talent hai aaj ki generation mein. Not only youngsters but even the kids, too, have immense potential. They are so ready and full of confidence, that it surprises me at times.”

Quiz the Lambuji Tinguji singer about the short-lived fame for these reality show winners, he is quick to respond, “Destiny plays an important role in our life. Ab destiny Shreya Ghoshal ki, Sunidhi Chauhan ki acchi thi so they got that much name and fame. But everyone can’t be a successful singer in Bollywood, though they often get to do a lot many shows and stage performances.”



Shailendra Singh came to be known as Rishi Kapoor’s voice after the success of the song, Main Shayar Toh Nahin from the film Bobby

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; December 14, 2019)

Hollywood couple, Michael Douglas and wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, was in the city on Thursday. The two came over to meet their friend, filmmaker Shailendra Singh, who Michael has known for the past 15 years. While Michael has been to Mumbai before, this was Catherine’s first visit to the city, and the trio made the most of their time together.

The couple, who landed in India around five days ago, also spent some time in Udaipur before heading for Mumbai. Shailendra took them for a quick tour of South Mumbai before treating them to an evening of soulful Sufi music at his home with his family. When asked about the couple’s hush-hush visit to Mumbai, Shailendra told Bombay Times, “Michael and I have been friends for the past 15 years after a common friend introduced us. We were supposed to collaborate on a film called Racing The Monsoon, which was set in India, but that didn’t work out. However, we kept in touch as we are like-minded and there’s this banter that we share. If you hear us talk, you’ll feel there’s going to be a fight anytime (laughs!). They are global artistes and their energy and outlook towards life is inspirational. It’s fascinating to see how unpretentious they are.”

The filmmaker took them around for some Mumbai Darshan. “Michael has been here before, but this was Catherine’s first visit to Mumbai. We went to Gateway Of India, Dhobi Ghat and the highlight was the Babulnath temple. The priests allowed us to do the aarti and because of Michael and Catherine, I got to know about the history of the temple,” he said.

The Hollywood couple went to Shailendra’s home in the evening for some home-cooked food and live Sufi music. “I flew my favourite singer and santoor player from Jaipur to perform for them. We wanted to keep it quiet and personal and that’s how it was. Catherine loves the Bollywood film Om Shanti Om (Farah Khan’s movie), so she spoke about that as well. It was a perfect family time for us.”

Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 24, 2019)

On May 5, a Mumbai-based hip hop dance group Kings United India was declared the global champs of the American reality show, World Of Dance. The dancers won high praise from judges Jennifer Lopez, Ne-Yo and Derek Hough for their cinematic Baahubali-style performance, choreographed by Suresh Mukund. The team has been together for over 12 years and it’s leader, Suresh, had inspired the Bollywood musical, Remo D’souza’s ABCD 2, featuring Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor.

Now, Mirror has learnt, that another dance film is on the cards which will chronicle Kings United’s journey from Nalasopara to Las Vegas. “Our journey has been full of trials and tribulations, victory and glory. We are excited to see it unfold on screen,” Suresh stated.

The film is already in prep and producer Shailendra Singh is in talks with international talents to come on board. Yet-untitled it is expected to go on the floors by year-end and will feature members of the group to make the dance face-offs look real. 

Rohit Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 22, 2018)

Ashrut Jain, who features as a lawyer alongside Shahid Kapoor in Shree Narayan Singh’s Batti Gul Meter Chalu after Anubhav Sinha’s Mulk, will now reunite with his Sunshine Music Tours and Travels director Shailendra Singh for a film titled A Road Trip To Pakistan. He is currently scripting it and will feature as the lead.

Shailendra, who is on board as a producer, confirmed the news, saying, “Ashrut has done an incredible job in Mulk. I’ve known him since a long time and I’m very fond of him. He narrated his idea and I found it really interesting. The script is registered in Ashrut’s name. We will hire some script doctors to polish it over the next four months before we roll with it.”

Ask him if the film will be shot in Pakistan and he says, “I would love to but given the geo-political situation, it is tricky to go to real locations, unless (Pak Prime Minister) Imran Khan works some magic. Kabir Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan which was also an Indo-Pak story was shot in Manali. It is easier to recreate locations in India than to cross the border,” he reasons.

According to Ashrut, the film travels from Delhi to Abbottabad in Pakistan with its male protagonist who goes to the neighbouring country for some work. “There, he meets and falls in love with a local girl and ends up bringing her back home with him. You will get to see an Indian give a fitting reply to Pakistanis in their own country. I love acting but writing enhances my creativity. This is one of the best scripts I’ve written. We are in the process of finalising the director and the female lead,” he concludes.

Upala KBR (MID-DAY; January 6, 2018)

Ranveer Singh was to fill Akshay Kumar’s shoes in the sequel to Singh Is Kinng (2008). The actor was to play a Sikh in the film, titled Sher Singh, but the collaboration hasn’t come through. Singh refused to take on Sher Singh because he had committed to playing a sardar in his Band Baaja Baaraat director, Maneesh Sharma’s next.

A trade source says, “Ranveer and producer Shailendra Singh had a couple of meetings for narration. The actor loved Sher Singh’s story. But Shailendra was shocked to receive a call from Ranveer’s manager and Yash Raj Films’ talent management group head, Ashish Patil, who told him that Ranveer has bowed out of the film. Ranveer and Shailendra haven’t communicated since then.
The producer has been meeting other stars for Sher Singh.”

YRF and Sharma refused to comment.

BOMBAY TIMES (November 8, 2017)

Subhash K Jha (DNA; October 30, 2017)

Ranveer Singh is all set to take over the Singh Is Kinng one-film old franchise from Akshay Kumar. Of course, now the franchise is no longer called Singh Is Kinng, but Sher Singh, as producer Vipul Shah has refused to part with the original title.

After the 2008 hit, producer Vipul Shah had a fallout with director Anees Bazmee. The original ‘Singh’ Akshay Kumar tried to bring Shah and Bazmee back together, but to no avail. Akshay is no longer associated with the franchise. He did try to get his former friend and business associate Vipul Shah to part with the Singh Is Kinng title for a sequel, but failed.

With this baggage behind the troubled franchise, it is no surprise that Ranveer Singh has decided to do the sequel for producer Shailendra Singh only after Akshay approves. Says a source, “Ranveer likes the idea of Sher Singh, but for him to actually do it he first needs to get an all-okay from Akshay.”

RELATIONSHIPS MATTER
Akshay and Ranveer share a terrific bonding. Ranveer promoted Akshay’s Rustom as well as Toilet - Ek Prem Katha by starring in two videos that became huge hits on the social media.

Bazmee, who directed Singh Is Kinng nine years ago, wishes the new film all the best. “Singh Is Kinng was a cult film, which enthralled audiences to the core, not only because of its brilliant script but also the fantastic portrayal of Happy Singh by Akshay Kumar. Audiences would have a lot of expectations from the sequel. I am sure the team would leave no stone unturned to match or surpass the benchmark. I wish them success. I sincerely think Akshay playing Singh’s character would do justice, but Ranveer is a fine performer. He has to go deep to play Happy Singh’s character. Anyway, they have my blessings. May the audience accept Ranveer as wholeheartedly as they accepted Akshay.”

ARJUN DID IT, TOO
Arjun Kapoor will be seen in another film that’s a sequel to an Akshay Kumar movie. It was recently announced that he will be stepping into the Khiladi’s shoes for the sequel of Namastey London. When Arjun was approached, the first call he made was to Akshay to tell him that the film was offered to him. They spoke and obviously, Akshay had no issues with Arjun doing the film. The sequel is titled Namastey Canada and will see Arjun opposite, Parineeti Chopra. The two are also sharing screen space in Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar, which will be directed by Dibakar Banerjee.

Upala KBR (MID-DAY; October 20, 2017)

Over a month after producer Shailendra Singh had said that he had acquired “a title that’s sexier than Singh Is Kinng”, for the sequel to his 2008  comedy, mid-day has learnt the name. The second instalment, which will apparently see Ranveer Singh fill in the shoes of Akshay Kumar, will be titled Sher Singh. The producer was forced to revise the name after Vipul A Shah, who helmed the original, refused to part with the title.

Shailendra tells mid-day that he acquired the rights to this name on Wednesday after difficulty. “While we had initially wanted the title Singh Is Kinng, Vipul Shah refused to part with it. I have been asking him to return it to me for the last five years. Then, I decided to pick another name, because, the name Singh Is Bliing had also been explored. So, a similar sounding title would cause confusion.”

His upcoming film, he is certain, will emerge as an important franchise in the industry. “Bollywood doesn’t have an iconic superhero. Sher Singh will be that character. He does not have super powers, but will be an extraordinary human being.”

The producer says Ranveer was his first choice, given that the actor “ can be Bollywood’s ultimate sardar”. “Ranveer has all the characteristics needed to play a sardar, just like Akshay and Ajay Devgn do. I narrated the story to him in one line about a month-and-a-half ago, and discussed his look too. He expressed interest in the project and asked me for a 10-page script, which I will send him this week.”

Shailendra’s enthusiasm is palpable when he talks about his protagonist. “I will tell you one thing — Sher Singh ordinary hai, lekin kaam extraordinary karta hai!”

Upala KBR (MID-DAY; October 18, 2017)

With as many as 43 women accusing Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment, the scandal has put the spotlight on the murky side of showbiz, highlighting once again how the industry is riddled with misogyny and sexism. As more skeletons come tumbling out of Weinstein’s closet, closer home, it has served as an inspiration for producer-director Shailendra Singh’s web film, titled Casting Couch Ouch. Singh has approached Ram Kapoor to play the central character that is modelled on the disgraced producer.

Singh reveals that he had devised a script based on the casting couch prevalent in the industry. However, once the scandal broke out, he amended the story to make it more relevant. “We reworked the character of the producer and based him on Harvey Weinstein. We are in talks with Ram Kapoor for the role, as he has a similar build to that of Harvey. We will be shooting the film over the next 10 days,” he says.

Much like Hollywood, Singh says that its desi counterpart too has umpteen cases of powerful men preying on actors. His web film will bring to light such unspoken truths of Bollywood. “I felt that if we address the issue in our film, it will send shivers down the spines of many in Bollywood. We hope to create awareness at large. The Weinstein episode is just as relevant here. I think the casting couch still exists in Bollywood. The young generation of actresses may be sharp, but as an insider in the film circuit, I know that they still have uncomfortable experiences during their auditions today.”

Bharati Dubey & Subhash K Jha (DNA; October 2, 2017)

The Hindi film industry is going through tough times, reeling under the impact of fewer hits and big-budget films failing. Amidst this, the Tamil Nadu government has slapped local body tax on the Hindi films. As per the new notification, non-Tamil films need to pay 20 per cent local body tax from this week. The film industry is unwilling to accept this burden, and plans to make a representation to the TN government. The concern is that other states will follow suit, further damaging the industry that has had a terrible year at the BO. Distributor Ramesh Sippy says, “Today, TN has levied this tax and if we don’t object, other states like Rajasthan, Bengal and Andhra Pradesh will do the same. We don’t need to look at the value but as a principle, we cannot allow this to happen to us.’’

High tax rate
Producer Ramesh Taurani says, “What has happened is unfair to us and we’ll be making a representation to the TN government soon.’’ Hindi film industry is already paying an entertainment tax of 48 per cent and an additional 28 per cent of GST. Kulmeet Makkar, CEO, Indian Film and Television Producers Guild says, “The additional tax would mean that audiences in Chennai will now have to pay 53.6 per cent as an effective gross tax on tickets for non-Tamil films. How can an industry survive with tax at this rate? Unless the state government wants to ensure that either the TN film industry is forced to shut down or the attempt is to make sure the audience in Chennai is deprived of films in other languages.’’ Apoorva Mehta, CEO, Dharma Production, adds, “I think this is not correct because the idea of GST was that it would be the one and only tax that’ll prevail. The film industry is already going through pressures in terms of the number of films that are doing well, this is only going to burden the whole business of films and everyone involved. This is something that needs to be avoided completely.”

A meeting soon
President of the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce, L Suresh, said that Tamil films have to pay 10 per cent local body tax and they’re upset with the government, too. He said, “We are convening a meeting on Wednesday to request the government to withdraw this notification.’’

Will hamper footfalls
While the film industry plans to make a representation, some film trade people say that TN is not a big territory and one should not bother as it’s only five per cent business, and films with big star cast run in cinemas in that state. Unless they’re dubbed, the business is not big. T P Aggarwal says, “South Indian states had a cap on ticket pricing and it was affordable to everyone, but after additional taxation, the rates will go up and affect footfalls. As an industry, we’ll come together and fight against this. If we don’t resist, other states will also do the same. As it is, films are not doing well, and now, the local body taxation.”

Films that will suffer
“The Hindi industry must take a cue from this and put ideas together for its own benefit and protection. We’ve seen that governments do little to protect or promote us; it’s time we looked after ourselves and made sure governments did too,” stresses Anubhav Sinha. Films up for release in the coming months — Golmaal Again, Secret Superstar, Tiger Zinda Hai and Padmavati — will be affected.

Shailendra Singh: United we stand, divided we fall. This move makes this even truer. Why use entertainment as a political agenda? Sad new low in political strategy.

Nishikant Kamat: It is unfortunate... art should be above languages and provinces. It might instigate other states to emulate.

Sheetal Talwar: It’s protectionism at its best. Whereas Tamil cinema has its strength in the quality and style of storytelling, there is no reason that English, Hindi and Telugu cinema should not be given equal opportunity in a state where cinema and cinema viewing is a religion.

Upala KBR (MID-DAY; September 5, 2017)

Nine years after Akshay Kumar’s Singh Is Kinng (2008) spun magic at the box office, producer Shailendra Singh is keen on making a sequel to the action comedy. He is in talks with Ranveer Singh to step into the shoes of Kumar. However, Singh has run into his first hurdle in the nascent stages of production itself — filmmaker Vipul A Shah, who has the copyright to Singh Is Kinng, has refused to part with the title.

What’s interesting is that while Shah is giving Singh a hard time over the film’s title, he was embroiled in a similar situation in July. The filmmaker had to rename his Namastey London sequel as Namastey Canada since Kumar, who co-owns the intellectual property rights of the film, refused to part with the titles, Namastey England and Namastey London 2.

Talking about his ordeal, Singh says, “I created the franchise — the concept of the movie and the title was owned by me. I gifted it to Akshay, who, in turn, gave it to Vipul Shah. They have even thanked me for the title in the credit roll. I have been begging Vipul to return it to me, but he hasn’t relented.”

Singh adds that whenever he broaches the subject with Shah, the filmmaker states that he needs the title as he intends to make a sequel. “Yesterday, I sent him a text saying, ‘It’s been more than nine years and it’s obvious that you are not making Singh Is Kinng 2. So why not give the title back gracefully? Be a gentleman!’”

Disappointed by Shah’s behaviour, the producer has now submitted another title for registration. “I don’t want to fight any longer. I have got a new title; it’s sexier than Singh Is Kinng,” he claims.

Singh adds that he has already bounced the idea off Ranveer. “My priority is to work with Ranveer Singh. He is a lethal combination of Salman Khan and Johnny Depp. The film will be a heist drama. As soon as the script is ready, we’ll give him a narration.”

We reached out to Shah, but he remained unavailable for comment.