Showing posts with label Shaira Khan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shaira Khan. Show all posts
Welcome To The Jungle scores Rs 90 crore-plus OTT deal after Rs 196 crore run
11:32 PM
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; August 22, 2026)
A good comedy is one that not only leaves the audience in splits, but also has its makers laughing all the way to the bank. Like Ahmed Khan’s Welcome To The Jungle. After making waves at the box office, the Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty-starrer dropped on JioHotstar on August 21. Word is that producer Firoz A Nadiadwallah and Khan landed a lucrative deal with the streamer.
A trade source revealed, “The ensemble comedy made approximately Rs 196 crore worldwide. The icing on the cake is the sweet deal, said to be over Rs. 90 crore, that they secured with the platform.”
For Khan, August 21 brought a double celebration. While his film began streaming online, it was also his wife Shaira Khan’s birthday.
The director told mid-day, “Working with so many actors was a delight, and now after a super hit, to see it releasing it on OTT is sheer joy. Plus, it’s Shaira’s birthday. She is my pillar of support and always stood like a rock behind me.”
Ahmed Khan and wife Shaira organize a no-alcohol Baaghi 3 success bash
10:44 AM
Ahmed Khan and wife Shaira celebrate the success of Baaghi 3 trailer launch, and their 22nd anniversary, with a no-alcohol do at plush Goregaon home
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; February 10, 2020)
Baaghi 3 director Ahmed Khan and wife Shaira threw an intimate bash for the cast and crew of the film, on Friday. The do saw the presence of Tiger Shroff and mother Ayesha, Disha Patani, Shraddha Kapoor, Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh, Sajid and Warda Nadiadwala, Jaideep Ahlawat, Manav Gohil and wife Shweta Kawatra, and Satish Kaushik, among others.
A source tells mid-day, "The party was thrown at the Khans' newly acquired palatial property in Royal Palms at Goregaon, which Ahmed has gifted Shaira for their 22nd wedding anniversary. It will also serve as their weekend getaway. There were mocktails, but no alcohol at the bash because Ahmed and Shaira don't drink. On the drinks menu was virgin pina coladas, virgin mojitos and blue lagoons. An assorted variety of cakes was brought by guests. Shaira and Ahmed cut a red velvet one as they rung in their anniversary the next day."
Shaira tells mid-day, "The Baaghi team celebrated the success of the trailer along with Ahmed, and my 22nd wedding anniversary. It also served as a house-warming party. Given that we are early risers, it served us well to have a non-alcoholic do."
Bobby Deol to do a Tony Montana in The Rise And Fall Of Bambai?
4:36 PM
Bobby Deol turns to role played by Al Pacino in Scarface for his next with Sanjay Dutt, tentatively titled The Rise And Fall Of Bambai
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; November 29, 2018)
Set to play brother to a gangster in his next, Bobby Deol, we hear, is turning to American film Scarface's Tony Montana — made popular by Al Pacino — for inspiration. Deol, who plays the sibling of the character essayed by Sanjay Dutt, is set to pull off a sinister part after several years.A source from the creative team of the film, tentatively titled The Rise And Fall Of Bambai, tells mid-day, "Bobby's role is dark and challenging. He has never done a movie based on the underworld before. [Deol and Dutt were active] in the '90s, which makes this selection apt since the film is based across 1930 to 1990. Bobby's role is like Tony Montana's in Scarface. He will be seen as the wild brother of a powerful don, a psycho who kills, and then [reasons]. There is no justification to his evil deeds."
Deol, the source adds, was initially apprehensive of pulling off the part, but was equally excited to be part of the film. A source from the trade circuit reveals that while Dutt and Deol have been roped in to play the main characters, Aayush Sharma has been approached for the part of the youngest gangster. Sharma confirms the news to mid-day, adding, "Nothing has been finalised yet. I will meet the team this week again to discuss the film."
Being produced by Shaira Khan, Arjun N Kapoor (pictured right, above) and Prernaa Arora, the film sees Khan's nephew Adnan Shaikh slipping into the director's chair. Even though it was suggested that the film was based on don Karim Lala, Khan says, "The film is not based on any real-life figure. It is a fictionalised story, a retro saga that puts the spotlight on the rise of Mumbai's underworld. However, some true incidents have been referenced for inspiration."
Co-producer Kapoor adds, "I'm excited to dabble in a different genre. Ahmed [Khan, under who Adnan Shaikh worked as an assistant for several years] is guiding us on the project."
Azhar shoot extended by a week after Ahmed Khan cancels ticket due to vertigo
7:45 AM
Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; August 11, 2015)
The month-long London schedule of Emraan Hashmi-starrer Azhar biopic has been extended by almost a week. Reason? Choreographer Ahmed Khan, who had to fly to the English capital along with the cast and crew three days ago, was forced to cancel his ticket at the last minute due to sudden dizziness.
A source close to the production team says, “Ahmed was struck by vertigo just before boarding the flight. He had no option but to postpone his travel and intimate the producers, who did not mind adjusting the schedule. He is supposed to direct a romantic song sequence featuring Emraan Hashmi and Nargis Fakhri and once he recuperates, he will join us for the shoot.”
Ahmed’s wife, Shaira, confirms the news. “We were on the way to the airport when he suddenly got a bout of vertigo, thanks to his recent injury caused by his mixed martial arts practice. He was unfortunately not able to fly to London. Ekta (Kapoor, producer of Azhar biopic) was kind and understanding when he informed her that he could not join the team in London. She even sent Ahmed flowers,” she says.
Bhushan Kumar thought Hrithik Roshan-Sonam Kapoor would make a fab jodi - Ahmed Khan
8:06 AM
Hrithik Roshan and Sonam Kapoor recreate the Aashiqui magic
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 23, 2015)
Music videos of singles with A-listers have become B-town's latest trend. Following in the footsteps of Zindagi aa raha hoon main showcasing the bromance between Tiger Shroff and Pakistani pop singer Atif Aslam, and Tiger and Kriti Sanon's romance in Chal wahan jaate hain, comes Dheere dheere se meri zindagi mein aana, which brings to the screen Hrithik Roshan and Sonam Kapoor's reel life Aashiqui. With revised lyrics, hip-hop beats and a rap section, Yo Yo Honey Singh has recreated Nadeem-Shravan's cult hit from the 1990 love story while keeping the hookline intact, as an ode to the film's producer Gulshan Kumar. Ahmed Khan has directed and choreographed the video for his wife Shaira Khan and Bhushan Kumar.
Speaking to Mirror from Bangkok, Ahmed reveals that while there were several directors in contention for this video, Hrithik insisted on him since he'd directed the other two videos. He immediately zeroed in on Antalya in Turkey, where he had shot a song for the Ranbir Kapoor-Katrina Kaif starrer, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani. "It has good hotels and beaches, has a sense of history and hundreds of bylanes, some of which will remind you of picture-perfect Spain, while others are reminiscent of Greece or Jordan and some others are distinctly Turkish. We blocked six-seven such gallis in the European side of Antalya. The story demanded this location. Also, the Asian parts have been seen in films. We shot through the day for three days, driving the line producer crazy," he laughs.
Did wife Shaira also tear out her hair in tufts? The chuckle is louder as Ahmed insists that his "doll" is more the unit's caretaker than a producer. "Her inputs are honest, uncorrupted," he adds.
For him, the challenge was to create visuals which will bring back memories of Rahul Roy and Anu Agarwal, and yet go beyond the original storyline of Aashiqui to tell a new kahani. "This one is about a young, bubbly girl dreaming of her Prince Charming and getting him for real, or rather reel. It was Bhushan's idea to cast Sonam because he thought the high-fashion actress and suave, cool dude Hrithik would make a fresh and fab jodi. He was right as everyone will see when Bhushan's music label releases the single next month," he says.
Ahmed admits that his hero has never looked better even though, unlike the original where we see Rahul diving into the pool in trunks, there are no bare bodied shots of Hrithik. "I had already shot him that way in Meherbaan for Bang Bang and didn't want to repeat myself. But both he and Sonam have eight-nine changes, including a tux and a bridal gown," says Ahmed.
The gown has a connect with the original film. In the song Mera dil tere liye dhadakta hai, Anu, going against tradition, is potrayed as a bride in white. The image stuck in Ahmed's mind, and a quarter of a century later, he dressed Sonam in a white gown. So, does the song end with a wedding? "That would be telling," Ahmed quips. "All I can tell you is that Hrithik is a hero to even the locals. Fortunately for us, the Turks are very well behaved and never disrupted the shoot. In fact, all the crowd dancers and passersby you see are hired local talent and each one did their job perfectly."
Shahid Kapoor will stand with you even at midnight if you need him-Ahmed Khan
7:33 AM
Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; April 10, 2015)
Ahmed Khan, 40, won his
first Filmfare award at the age of 21 for
choreographing Ram Gopal Varma's Rangeela. He may have a temper and may
be fickle-minded, but is genuine and a family man. Ahead of his first
co-production with Bhushan Kumar on Ek Paheli Leela, he talks about his
best friend and wife Shaira, his love for Shahid Kapoor and why he calls
Ranbir Kapoor 'Chingla'. Excerpts:
How did you become a choreographer?
I was born and brought up in Mumbai. My father is a fourth generation person who owned, trained and rode horses. We lived in Poonam Chambers in Worli. My father was a top jockey and for horse riding, he would travel across India. I went to a school in Pune. I was dancing on stage at the age of 11 when Shekhar Kapur spotted me and chose me for a role in his Mr India. I met my guru Saroj Khan (who he calls Saroj aunty) for the first time on the set and got greatly influenced by dancing. I joined her as an apprentice and worked with her for three years. I also assisted Ashok Mehta as I wanted to learn the camera and assisted Mukul Anand, as I wanted to learn direction. Saroj aunty was supposed to do Rangeela, but she did not like the music and nor did Ramu understand her. Ramu saw me on set and said, 'Ahmed, why don't you choregraph the songs?' I asked Saroj aunty and she was fine. I anyways was fascinated with A R Rahman's music and Ramu had told me that if I didn't do it, he would take Prabhu Dheva, so I decided to do it. I was just 21 and won my first Filmfare award as the best choreographer of the year for it.
Given your family background, did horses fascinate you also?
My dad Yusuf Khan is a jockey and my family owned about 200 horses. My father was a great jockey who had won 4 derbys. I was mad about horses, but my dad never allowed us to get into that because firstly, he felt that that line was really tough. It involved getting up at 5am, remaining fit, training and knowing the horses and most importantly, it involved a lot of potential physical injury. One of my older brothers had broken his back and injured his back permanently and my father had lost a member of his family in horse riding. Race horses are very naughty as they need to be kept naughty. If you tame them, they lose races. So you get majorly injured riding them. Also, that line had the risk of the underworld being involved in your life.
Do you have friends in the industry?
Shahid Kapoor is my childhood friend. His mother and my mother were friends. His mother was working, so she would mandatorily drop him to my house and tell my mom to take care of him when she went for shooting. So he would be in my house all the time. My mom would ask me to take care of him, as I was a few years older to him. So I would be dancing and he would be sitting on the bed looking at me. He must have been 15 then. He is like my brother and I love him. He is actually like me, as we both don't party, are quiet, don't drink or smoke. Now he has opened up. While I love him, what I don't like about him is that he does not know how to behave like an actor. He feels like everyone is trying to run behind him. But I also know his reasons for behaving like that. He comes from a broken family where his mother, despite being a talented actor, did not see success and his father, Pankaj Kapur, despite being a brilliant actor, did not get his due as much as he should have and finally they split, so Shahid had a hard life. So from his childhood, he knew one thing that if I make it I want to be the biggest star of the country. He always lives with that feeling and therefore, behaves likes that. What is truly special about him is that Shahid will stand with you even at midnight and that too, without having a hidden agenda. If he is attached with you, he is very badly emotionally attached to you. For instance, if I need to go to my in-laws' place, he will drive with you in the car till there just to be with you. He always says that the only person I feel scared if he shouts at me, is you. If he does something that I don't like, I will shout at him. He has worked very hard to reach where he is and that too, without any support. So I understand that his guard is always up. Ranbir Kapoor and my dad were old friends as they were connected through the races. Ranbir I call 'Chingla' as he chickened out when I was shooting for a song in Bachna Ae Haseeno. I made him climb on a stone that was 70 feet tall and he has vertigo, so he started shivering. From that day, I started calling him first Chicken Legs, then Chingles and now it's Chingla. Ranbir is a treat to be with, fight with, spend time with and work with. He is simply a treat in every way. I am also very close to Akshay Kumar. The best thing about Akshay is that he is just the same as he was in 1992 when he started. He is street-smart, very enterprising and clean and he doesn't waste time at all. He comes straight to the point. While others want to ask you about the money, they will talk about a 1,000 things before they come to the point, but Akshay will ask you straight.
Which was the lowest point of your life emotionally?
Right from my childhood, my parents did not get along with each other. My father remarried, but did not divorce my mother. When they separated, I didn't get his wealth and started working. We sold our house at Poonam Chambers and moved to Andheri. My mother got cancer and brain haemorrhage in 1999. She got paralysed, but came out of it. My lowest time was a few years back when she again was diagnosed with third stage of breast cancer. I am very attached to my mother. In cancer, it's not the disease; the treatment of the disease is killing. I respect my wife Shaira as she looked after her like a daughter at that time.
Who do you love the most in the world?
My wife Shaira. I had first met her at 21, when she had come to my shoot with her friends. I spotted her, asked my assistant at that time, Remo D'Souza, to ask for her number on my behalf. I called her after five days and luckily for me, she said that she had seen me many times below her building where I would go with my swanky car with full music on to the Pioneer showroom there. I told her that I wanted to meet her parents to propose to her. Fortunately, I had won my Filmfare by then and within six months, we got married. After 17 years of marriage, I love her even more today. She is hot, very understanding and is my best friend. She never tries to change me. She looks snobbish, but she is actually very simple. My mother is a very dominating person as also my father was a pathan mind. When I was growing up, things were not great between them. I have never seen my parents holding hands and walking. So, I know what a woman feels when a man does not give her that 2% importance also. I take care and that is why my wife adjusts with me as I know what a woman is looking for in a husband. I tell my wife that whatever time I come, trust me, its because I am working for you and the kids. So when I come home, whatever be the problems, meet me and greet me well and don't talk about any problems for half an hour. And I tell her that I don't want to see you in an old, shattered nighty. I want to see you beautiful every time. And that she maintains and after that, my love for her can never come down. I do with my wife what my father did not do with my mom. My father did not express the love he should have towards a wife, that is my mother, but I make it a point to do that to my wife. It's not that I make it public, but I actually do it.
How did you become a choreographer?
I was born and brought up in Mumbai. My father is a fourth generation person who owned, trained and rode horses. We lived in Poonam Chambers in Worli. My father was a top jockey and for horse riding, he would travel across India. I went to a school in Pune. I was dancing on stage at the age of 11 when Shekhar Kapur spotted me and chose me for a role in his Mr India. I met my guru Saroj Khan (who he calls Saroj aunty) for the first time on the set and got greatly influenced by dancing. I joined her as an apprentice and worked with her for three years. I also assisted Ashok Mehta as I wanted to learn the camera and assisted Mukul Anand, as I wanted to learn direction. Saroj aunty was supposed to do Rangeela, but she did not like the music and nor did Ramu understand her. Ramu saw me on set and said, 'Ahmed, why don't you choregraph the songs?' I asked Saroj aunty and she was fine. I anyways was fascinated with A R Rahman's music and Ramu had told me that if I didn't do it, he would take Prabhu Dheva, so I decided to do it. I was just 21 and won my first Filmfare award as the best choreographer of the year for it.
Given your family background, did horses fascinate you also?
My dad Yusuf Khan is a jockey and my family owned about 200 horses. My father was a great jockey who had won 4 derbys. I was mad about horses, but my dad never allowed us to get into that because firstly, he felt that that line was really tough. It involved getting up at 5am, remaining fit, training and knowing the horses and most importantly, it involved a lot of potential physical injury. One of my older brothers had broken his back and injured his back permanently and my father had lost a member of his family in horse riding. Race horses are very naughty as they need to be kept naughty. If you tame them, they lose races. So you get majorly injured riding them. Also, that line had the risk of the underworld being involved in your life.
Do you have friends in the industry?
Shahid Kapoor is my childhood friend. His mother and my mother were friends. His mother was working, so she would mandatorily drop him to my house and tell my mom to take care of him when she went for shooting. So he would be in my house all the time. My mom would ask me to take care of him, as I was a few years older to him. So I would be dancing and he would be sitting on the bed looking at me. He must have been 15 then. He is like my brother and I love him. He is actually like me, as we both don't party, are quiet, don't drink or smoke. Now he has opened up. While I love him, what I don't like about him is that he does not know how to behave like an actor. He feels like everyone is trying to run behind him. But I also know his reasons for behaving like that. He comes from a broken family where his mother, despite being a talented actor, did not see success and his father, Pankaj Kapur, despite being a brilliant actor, did not get his due as much as he should have and finally they split, so Shahid had a hard life. So from his childhood, he knew one thing that if I make it I want to be the biggest star of the country. He always lives with that feeling and therefore, behaves likes that. What is truly special about him is that Shahid will stand with you even at midnight and that too, without having a hidden agenda. If he is attached with you, he is very badly emotionally attached to you. For instance, if I need to go to my in-laws' place, he will drive with you in the car till there just to be with you. He always says that the only person I feel scared if he shouts at me, is you. If he does something that I don't like, I will shout at him. He has worked very hard to reach where he is and that too, without any support. So I understand that his guard is always up. Ranbir Kapoor and my dad were old friends as they were connected through the races. Ranbir I call 'Chingla' as he chickened out when I was shooting for a song in Bachna Ae Haseeno. I made him climb on a stone that was 70 feet tall and he has vertigo, so he started shivering. From that day, I started calling him first Chicken Legs, then Chingles and now it's Chingla. Ranbir is a treat to be with, fight with, spend time with and work with. He is simply a treat in every way. I am also very close to Akshay Kumar. The best thing about Akshay is that he is just the same as he was in 1992 when he started. He is street-smart, very enterprising and clean and he doesn't waste time at all. He comes straight to the point. While others want to ask you about the money, they will talk about a 1,000 things before they come to the point, but Akshay will ask you straight.
Which was the lowest point of your life emotionally?
Right from my childhood, my parents did not get along with each other. My father remarried, but did not divorce my mother. When they separated, I didn't get his wealth and started working. We sold our house at Poonam Chambers and moved to Andheri. My mother got cancer and brain haemorrhage in 1999. She got paralysed, but came out of it. My lowest time was a few years back when she again was diagnosed with third stage of breast cancer. I am very attached to my mother. In cancer, it's not the disease; the treatment of the disease is killing. I respect my wife Shaira as she looked after her like a daughter at that time.
Who do you love the most in the world?
My wife Shaira. I had first met her at 21, when she had come to my shoot with her friends. I spotted her, asked my assistant at that time, Remo D'Souza, to ask for her number on my behalf. I called her after five days and luckily for me, she said that she had seen me many times below her building where I would go with my swanky car with full music on to the Pioneer showroom there. I told her that I wanted to meet her parents to propose to her. Fortunately, I had won my Filmfare by then and within six months, we got married. After 17 years of marriage, I love her even more today. She is hot, very understanding and is my best friend. She never tries to change me. She looks snobbish, but she is actually very simple. My mother is a very dominating person as also my father was a pathan mind. When I was growing up, things were not great between them. I have never seen my parents holding hands and walking. So, I know what a woman feels when a man does not give her that 2% importance also. I take care and that is why my wife adjusts with me as I know what a woman is looking for in a husband. I tell my wife that whatever time I come, trust me, its because I am working for you and the kids. So when I come home, whatever be the problems, meet me and greet me well and don't talk about any problems for half an hour. And I tell her that I don't want to see you in an old, shattered nighty. I want to see you beautiful every time. And that she maintains and after that, my love for her can never come down. I do with my wife what my father did not do with my mom. My father did not express the love he should have towards a wife, that is my mother, but I make it a point to do that to my wife. It's not that I make it public, but I actually do it.
Sunny Leone to feature in Bobby Khan's musical?
7:50 AM
Upala KBR (DNA; May 27, 2014)
Sunny Leone will be seen next in a musical. It will be directed by Bobby Khan, brother of choreographer Ahmed Khan, and produced by Ahmed’s wife Shaira Khan. Bobby has produced and directed many music videos in the past. While his older brother Ahmed’s first directorial film was the action film Lakeer — The Forbidden Lines, Bobby is making his debut with a musical.
Says an insider, “Sunny Leone was signed by Ahmed and Bobby six months ago. Ahmed is producing the film as well. The untitled musical will be a big budget extravaganza with 11 songs. Each song will be conceptualised on a grand scale and choreographed by Ahmed. It will be shot in Delhi, Agra, Jaisalmer and Mumbai. Some songs may be shot abroad. The film will roll this year. the brothers are in the process of finalising the male lead.” Ahmed confirms, “Yes, I have signed Sunny but it’s too early to talk about it.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)