Showing posts with label Shanoo Sharma. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shanoo Sharma. Show all posts
Janki Bodiwala reveals how she bagged Mardaani 3: "Had come to Mumbai for other work and did a YRF film"
10:48 AM
Actor Janki Bodiwala reveals she travelled from Ahmedabad to Mumbai for another job, but ended up bagging a role in Mardaani 3
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; February 4, 2026)
Sometimes talent is not the only factor; you need to be at the right place, at the right time. Janki Bodiwala, who plays a cop in Rani Mukerji’s Mardaani 3, will vouch for this. The actor was on a day trip to Mumbai and it surprisingly ended with her bagging the cop fare.
“I had gone to Mumbai for some other work. That very day, I got a call from Shanoo ma’am [Sharma, casting director], who asked me to audition for a part. I went [to YRF Studios], she helped me prepare, and then auditioned me. Later, when I was returning to Ahmedabad, she called and said that the [makers] had liked me and wanted me to come back. I thought to myself, ‘I had gone for some other work and now I’m doing a YRF film’,” she marvels, still surprised at how it all panned out.
If Bodiwala starred with Ajay Devgn in her maiden Bollywood film Shaitaan (2024), her second outing saw her rub shoulders with Mukerji.
“For the first two-three shots, I was quite nervous. But your co-actors’ energy helps you. She was so involved in her character that it set the tone on the set,” she says.
Off set, she saw a completely different side to Mukerji. “At the mahurat puja, she was there with her family. She was exactly how we are with our families. There was no hint of her stardom.”
Boys have been messaging me that they hated my character in Saiyaara-Shaan R Grover
8:51 AM
Saiyaara's antagonist Shaan Grover recalls auditioning for Mardaani 2 and later joining YRF’s casting team
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; July 24, 2025)
Shaan R Grover belongs to that rare breed who is happy that his social media, over the past few days, has been flooded with hate messages. To the actor, it’s proof that his negative turn in Saiyaara has hit a chord with the audience. “Boys have been messaging me that they hated my character, while girls are leaving comments that they loved my performance. I’m happy people are showing love for my work, even if it’s through hate messages,” laughs Grover, who plays Aneet Padda’s former boyfriend in the love story.
Mohit Suri’s directorial venture, which serves as Ahaan Panday and Padda’s Bollywood launchpad, also marks Grover’s first Hindi film. If things were different, he would have debuted years ago with another Yash Raj Films’ (YRF) offering.
“I had auditioned for Mardaani 2 [2019], but I didn’t get through. I’ve had a long connection with YRF as I was a part of Shanoo Sharma’s casting team from 2016 for a year. After seeing my dubsmash videos, she felt there was something special about me. So, she trained me for a year.”
Around that time, Grover first met Panday, both unaware that they’d go on to share screen space. What bound them was their love for Hindi movies and Shah Rukh Khan. He recalls, “I remember both of us saw Jab Harry Met Sejal [2017] on the first day, and we spoke about it for three-four hours. I love Ahaan. He has given a brilliant performance because he is a Hindi movie keeda.”
Getting suspended was one of the best things that happened to me-Bhumi Pednekar
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Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; April 1, 2025)
Bhumi Pednekar has clocked in 10 years in the industry, and reflecting on her journey, she admits that while she is grateful for all the opportunities she got, having a mentor to guide her along the way would have helped a great deal.
“I wish someone had told me that these are the kind of opportunities I should be grateful for. What’s missing in our system, especially for people who don’t come from film families, is mentorship. We don’t really have mentors. We have agents and agencies, but they aren’t the same. For those who come from an established film ecosystem, there’s so much you’re already prepared for — the good, the bad and the ugly. Without that, it’s easy to feel lost,” shares the actress, who was recently seen in Mere Husband Ki Biwi.
‘Getting suspended from film school was one of the best things that happened to me’
In this phase of her life, Bhumi is eager to learn more about subjects that go beyond the realm of acting. The actress is studying global policy and leadership at Harvard Kennedy School. However, few know that she was once expelled from the film school she had enrolled into for poor attendance.
“I was just 16 back then, but getting suspended was one of the best things that happened to me. Once I was out, I started emailing my CV to people and asking friends from the film school to help me connect with production houses. That’s how I got my foot in the door, and the rest is history.”
She adds, “I want to keep my head down and just work hard. I don’t know if I’ve arrived yet. I’m always scared of losing what I’ve built, which is why I try to stay humble.”
‘I went through a phase of self-doubt’
During that time, Bhumi was also coping with the loss of her father, which pushed her to seek a stable job to support her family. “I went through a major personal loss, which taught me about responsibility. After my father passed away, I went through a phase of self-doubt, questioning whether I was cut out to be an actor because I didn’t look like the other actresses. I even considered becoming a director or producer. At that point, financial stability was my priority, so I started working with Shanoo Sharma (casting director). I told myself I would be so good at what I do that one day they’d ask me to act — and that’s what happened!”
Shah Rukh Khan looked me and whispered, 'Mashallah, so beautiful'-Shriya Pilgaonkar
8:48 AM
Shriya Pilgaonkar with mid-day’s entertainment editor Mayank Shekhar at the latest edition of Sit with Hitlist
Walking into Hitlist OTT Awards with two Best Actor: Series nominations, Shriya Pilgaonkar reflects on the shows that put her on the map
Mayank Shekhar (MID-DAY; February 18, 2023)
Serendipity, I suspect, plays the starring role in most lives. But it’s something we kept going back to, over an hour-long conversation with actor Shriya Pilgaonkar, 33, who’s legitimately an OTT star in her own right, and has been a film buff forever. Enough to bleed her eyes bingeing on five back-to-back films on the big screen at Mumbai’s MAMI festival.
One of which was The Artist (2011) — i.e. before the French tour de force became the toast at the Oscars, and indeed before Shriya was an actor herself.
There is a strange connect she felt with the film’s lead actor Jean Dujardin on the screen, which went beyond the fact that she obviously found him attractive. She told her mother about it later, and ‘journaled’ it at night — about being inexplicably drawn towards this man.
“Cut to,” Shriya says — as all readers of screenplays are prone to narrate their anecdotes — she had cracked an audition for a part, that turned out to be for a French production, set in India, starring Dujardin.
Likewise, before she took up acting as a profession, like many film aspirants, Shriya was assisting a director, Megha Ramaswamy, on a short film, being shot at the Yash Raj Films’ (YRF) studio, where Shah Rukh Khan was shooting as well. Ramaswamy, also Chak De! India director Shimit Amin’s wife, knew SRK, and introduced Shriya to the superstar.
The nation’s charmer number one, and the actor to have cornered all desi female hearts, looked at Shriya, whispered, “Mashallah, so beautiful!” At that moment, Shriya recalls, she died!
Cut to, 2015: There was a moment in Shriya’s life, when during the day, she was shooting with Dujardin, and at night, with SRK — for Maneesh Sharma’s YRF production, Fan (2016), her Bollywood debut.
How did the latter happen? With auditions over three months, where she was testing for multiple parts, and even sitting in for cues for other actors, hoping to be cast, at YRF. It was one such tape — that wasn’t hers, and so she was totally relaxed on the screen — that “Maneesh (director) and Adi Sir (Chopra, producer) saw,” and selected her.
“I like how all these stories happen late at night — I got a call from Shanoo Sharma (YRF’s casting director). I just went over to my parents’ room, told them I’ve been cast as Shah Rukh’s love-interest. And I just shut their door, without waiting for their reaction! Didn’t know what to say.”
The parents being Sachin, and Supriya Pilgaonkar. Both of whom are prominent, professional actors. She belongs to the third generation in the film industry. Shriya’s paternal grandfather, Sharad Pilgaonkar, who she never got to see, was a producer. That explains how Sachin himself started early as an actor in his father’s film — that paved his path as a career child-actor, Master Sachin, from thereon.
Sachin, 65, has been an actor for 60 years! Supriya debuted with the Marathi film Navri Mile Navriyala (1984), directed by Sachin. Shriya herself appeared as an infant in one of Sachin’s movies. She doesn’t remember which one: “He’s directed 21 films!”
Reversing movie history, if you may — since men played female parts on screen once — Shriya first spoke for the screen as a little boy, basically “kid with boy cut”, to say, “Aunty, mummy ne achaar mangaya hai!”
That was her cameo in the hit TV show, Tu Tu Main Main. Those of a certain vintage might instantly remember the sing-song way Tu Tu Main Main was said in the title sequence, after which director Sachin would yell, “Action”, before the episode started.
Shriya followed director Sachin’s instruction in her debut film, in Marathi, Ekulti Ek (2013), too — which fetched her Maharashtra government’s film award.
Given the self-sufficient family unit of filmies, one would assume Shriya as an actor is an obvious career move. And yet, when she’d taken up a part in a short play as a stage debut of sorts, her mother simply looked at the adult child, for where she was headed, and sighed: “How predictable.”
Until 14, Shriya was set to be a professional swimmer; her days centred on training for the sport that she was participating at the state-level: “The sportsperson’s is a tough life. Even in swimming, a difference in micro-seconds sets apart the winner from others. It consumes you.” She was training at Bandra’s Otters’ Club, and gave up on the sport, shortly after her coach passed away.
And it’s not like she had a Plan B, or any particular plan at all. As someone scoring high in class, she did what most over-achiever type kids do, in school, and later in college — everything. I learnt later that she was also the student-boss of Malhar, St Xavier’s College annual festival — it’s the kind of designation collegians, I notice, flaunt even on LinkedIn!
A big move she did make, Shriya admits, was actually the one that she did not — that is, to pursue her master’s at Columbia University, where she had secured admission. Columbia was her trying to postpone/evade the question about what she really wants to do next. Instead she enrolled in a film appreciation course at FTII, began acting in plays, directing short films, documentary, eventually auditioning for acting parts for movies.
That she is multi-talented could have a lot to do with her father Sachin. Best way to describe Sachin is as Rajshri Productions’ OG Prem. He was the lead in the super-hit Nadiya Ke Paar (1982), that got remade into Hum Aapke Hain Koun (1994), with Salman Khan.
Another way to describe Sachin is as a singer, writer, producer, director… Between her parents, Shriya rightly insists her father is the star — all about showmanship — while her mother is the ‘actor’, who can detach herself from her work as well.
What’s common between them is they can break a leg! For proof, the Pilgaonkar couple had famously won the maiden season of dance-reality show, Nach Baliye (2005), surprising many with their killer moves.
Which is also in common with the daughter, we learn. Shriya extensively trained in kathak, growing up — that, in fact, pretty much all Bollywood female actors do, at some point. As we speak, she’s finally put that talent to test in a “full dhamaal” song-and-dance routine, “for an unannounced film, produced by Emmay Entertainment.”
From her mother, Shriya says, she’s acquired ‘body-language’ as an important acting lesson. At some point in the conversation, she effectively shows us how her three well-known characters — lawyer Kashaf Quaze, from Guilty Minds (2022); journalist Radha Bhargava, from The Broken News (2022); sex-worker Madhubala, from Taaza Khabar (2023) — would sit, if they were in the same room.
And that’s self-awareness at the level of where the legs are placed, how the head moves, whether she is leaning-in (Kashaf), straight, and attentive (Radha), or totally carefree (Madhubala).
When she was offered the part of Sweety Gupta, on the other hand — a girl from the hardcore, Hindi heartland, namely Mirzapur, meaning Uttar Pradesh (UP) — an advice/warning she got was not to come across as the Maharashtrian girl that she is.
This is where her dad would’ve been the inspiration: “Unki zubaan bahut saaf hai (he has clear diction). One thing he told me is to always master the dialect, before you play any part.”
Sweety is as UP as they get. Shriya jokes people have come up to Sachin to suggest he couldn’t be Sweety Gupta ke papa. It’s this role of Guddu Bhaiya’s girlfriend in Mirzapur, she admits, that gave her “the taste of pan-India fame. Till today, there’s the Sweety-love everywhere I go, and I love that,” although her character died in the first season of Mirzapur (2018).
Guilty Minds, though, she reckons, is what brought her “critical appreciation” as an actor; she came into her own. There is some serendipity here too. In the sense that dad Sachin, all her life, she tells me, had wished to play a lawyer. It’s never happened. He’s drawn to law as a hobby as well — reads books, goes through minutiae of contracts, etc.
It’s Shriya who got to dive deep into the world in ways that Indian screen hasn’t before. In terms of movies, Chaitanya Tamhane’s Court (2015) was a masterpiece on India’s legal system. Shriya agrees. That apart, for long-form content, the realism and authenticity of Guilty Minds is refreshingly first-rate.
Much of it comes from the series creator, Shefali Bhushan, daughter of prominent jurist, ex law minister of India, Shanti Bhushan; sister of top lawyer and activist, Prashant Bhushan. Can’t get more insider than that!
The writing was such, Shriya recalls, that there is a scene in the show, where her character Kashaf, and her team, along with the opposing lawyers, are in a village, fighting against a power plant coming up, that will wreck lives of locals.
Somehow, while performing that (third episode’s) monologue, detailing the human cost of development, Shriya broke down on the shoulders of Sugandha Garg (co-actor), after the director called cut: “I felt something. Maybe the line between the actor and character broke.”
As an actor, she says, she actively practices an attachment-detachment relationship with her work, given that the outcome, in terms of success, is out of everyone’s hands. But it’s hard to pretend you don’t care, after all the effort that’s gone in.
Going back to her journal that night after Guilty Minds shoot, she wrote about what she had experienced doing the emotional scene. And that it doesn’t matter how the show is received, in terms of numbers of reviewers’ nods — this is something special that will stay, regardless.
The Broken News, likewise, enters the world of television journalism, with Shriya’s character at the centre of the newsroom, navigating nuances, if not serious dilemmas of this profession. The apprehension, Shriya confesses, about being typecast as this everyday/important professional, did cross her mind.
“Even my friends say which profession is left to play? But that’s not the point. Even among lawyers or journalists, there are different types.” To prep for her part of a reporter, she in fact spoke to (mainly former) journalists on how they’d respond to life’s choices, rather than intricacies of the newsroom itself.
Not be an ‘ageist’ about it — I’m an old man myself — but there is a rejuvenating aspect to hosting long chats with younger guests, as they delve into their early experiences. The memories are firstly fresh, rather than jaded from having gone through these same interviews/questions, over years. Shriya is one of the youngest to feature on the Sit with Hitlist series of conversations, before a live audience.
Also, you can probe — without, hopefully, coming across as a nosey uncle — on random fun stuff, like her favourite drunken story? Involved lots of wine, during the India-Pakistan match, at Melbourne Cricket Grounds — she had to keep drinking, because once India scored, you’re supposed to stay put in the same position, and repeat exactly what you were doing before!
Or how about check on important issues, like who’s she dating? Well, this chat took place on Feb 13. She said she didn’t have a date for Feb 14. So I’m guessing she’s single. Although she’ll be happy, she mentioned, if she somebody made a plan. If you search for this chat on YouTube, we’ve left her number there (of course, I’m kidding).
Most elementally though, the fact of a young star is you’re catching them on the curve. There’s so much to look ahead. I had looked up Shriya’s TEDx talk, from 2019, and already her professional life has transformed enough to render that talk premature. As would be this interview.
Considered the past year alone for Shriya — The Broken News on ZEE5, Guilty Minds on Amazon Prime Video, Taaza Khabar (2023) on Disney+ Hotstar — you can’t escape on her on OTT.
So much so that there’s stuff of hers on other platforms that I haven’t had the chance to catch: new season of The Gone Game on Voot, a show called Murder In Agonda on Amazon Mini? She’s the only actor to be nominated twice for Best Lead (Female) at the Hitlist OTT Awards.
The first time most Indians, including me, saw Shriya on screen was, of course, in Fan. I kept wondering where I’d met her before. It was at a party in Pune, when she wasn’t an actor, and she was pissed with movie critics, in general. I reasoned that film reviewing was indeed a low form of writing, because it often lacked empathy.
“At that time obviously I didn’t know I was going to be an actor, and that I’d have to change my opinion on critics,” Shriya laughs, pointing out that what had irked her after Fan were actually reviews that didn’t mention her at all.
Which is fair. Indifference is the opposite of love, not hate. While the film was a YRF production, starring SRK, it wasn’t exactly the proverbial launch vehicle, associated with star-kids. In this case, Sachin’s daughter.
Shriya says, “[There are star] children, who get papped, groomed, branded, for two years, before they come as movie stars [on screen]. I didn’t want to be on a magazine cover, even before I was an actor.” That’s also Instagram all right.
But the actual scene among screen talents has changed too dramatically to count on tested measures. And is it even about Bollywood anymore, as one supposes?
Look at the galazy of stars getting created in the OTT space, starting with Shriya, for instance. It’s a medium that isn’t ‘television’ enough for actors to surrender their identity to their character, that carries on playing itself, over hundreds of episodes!
Although exhibiting similar aesthetics, it isn’t exactly film, that is centred on the male lead, hustling over box-office returns. Let alone conversations on nepotism for debutants.
“Every role I’ve got is through passing an audition,” Shriya reveals, on the real serendipity surrounding her — right talent, at the right time. It’s like being an actor with a great voice, just when silent films have given way to talkies!
Cast your vote for the Hitlist OTT Awards
Shriya Pilgaonkar has been nominated in the Best Actor (Female): Series category for Guilty Minds and The Broken News.
The other nominees are:
- Amruta Subhash (Saas Bahu Achaar Pvt Ltd)
- Fatima Sana Shaikh (Modern Love Mumbai)
- Huma Qureshi (Maharani S02)
- Masaba Gupta (Masaba Masaba S02)
- Sakshi Tanwar (Mai: A Mother’s Rage)
- Shefali Shah (Delhi Crime S02)
There are 16 categories that the public can vote in. Log on to www.radiocity.in/hitlistott to cast your vote.
Voting lines close on February 22.
A still from Guilty Minds. Pics/Ashish Raje
Shriya Pilgaonkar in The Broken News
Everybody thinks ki film school se nikalte hi producers and directors ki line hogi to sign you-Pavail Gulati
8:19 AM
Riya Sharma (BOMBAY TIMES; August 1, 2022)
Delhi boy Pavail Gulati credits the city in a big way for helping him find his calling as an actor. Pavail says it’s his summer workshops at the National School Of Drama (NSD) and his family’s love for cinema and theatre – along with his experiences at film school, behind the camera (as assistant casting director for My Name Is Khan), and on stage – that helped pave the way for roles in films like Thappad and web series like Made In Heaven. During a chat, he traced his journey in showbiz so far and spoke about learning from, and acting with, veterans like Naseeruddin Shah and Amitabh Bachchan. Excerpts:
‘I GREW UP WATCHING A LOT OF PLAYS’
Though he lives and works in Mumbai now, Pavail says Delhi played a huge role in him choosing a career in acting.
“My father, Kanwar Deepak Gulati, is a theatre practitioner, so I grew up watching a lot of plays. I did summer workshops at NSD and learnt dance with Shiamak Davar, so everything that led me to becoming an actor, started from Delhi,” he shares.
‘I STARTED OUT AS AN ASSISTANT CASTING DIRECTOR IN MY NAME IS KHAN’
Not many know that Pavail started as an assistant casting director. “I was training to become an actor and after film school, when that period comes when you have to struggle and go for auditions, I knew that it is not going to be easy. Everybody thinks ki film school se nikalte hi producers and directors ki line hogi to sign you, but I knew that’s not going to happen because my parents told me ki aisa nahi hota. So, I thought it’s better that I start giving auditions on one side, and also learn from the other side how casting really happens.”
He adds, “I was Shanoo Sharma’s first assistant. I started with the film My Name Is Khan. I was working on a big budget film, but that was my first learning ground. It was my first experience of working on a film and how casting takes place and that made me learn about how actors perform in an audition, what are the dos and dont’s of it, etc. That gave me a head start, and helped a lot in terms of getting to know the craft. I was then assisting on ads to make money and editing short films. I also assisted Mukesh Chhabra and did theatre with Naseer sir on the side. Thode bohot paise aa jaate thay and that was the whole grind until Thappad happened,” explains the actor.
‘FILM SCHOOL WAS LIKE DISNEYLAND FOR ME’
Talking about his experience in film school, he says, “Film school or no film school, it actually depends on the student. At the end of it, if I am in films, I am learning for the rest of my life. Every film teaches me something. So, you can go to the best film school in the world and yet learn nothing. Naseer sir used to tell us that acting can be learnt, it cannot be taught. Film schools give you the basic confidence. You watch a lot of stuff, you pick it up critically, and it builds your foundation really fast. I think it gives you a little edge over the others. I was a good student because I have grown up watching films. My parents still watch movies in theatres every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so going to a film school was like Disneyland for me. It was a beautiful experience,” he says.
‘MR BACHCHAN MAKES YOU A BETTER ACTOR’
Pavail, who has recently finished shooting for Goodbye, a movie where he shares screen space with the likes of Amitabh Bachchan and Neena Gupta, among others, tells us, “Mr Bachchan and I had worked in a show called Yudh (2014). I remember, at that time, I was young and really nervous to meet him. But this time, I had such a beautiful experience working with him. He is the kindest actor ever and I love doing scenes with him because he makes you a better actor. He rehearses so much and while doing a scene, you are in awe of him and he likes to compete with you. That’s what I love about him, he is a hungry actor that when you are doing a scene with him, he is a scene stealer. That competition sort of makes you work better, and harder.”
When I star opposite Ranbir Kapoor, people want to know my credibility. They ask, ‘Why is she in this film?’-Vaani Kapoor
8:28 AM
Aware that playing Ranbir’s love interest in Shamshera is a big opportunity, Vaani says she has tried to prove her credibility with each film
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 23, 2022)
In the past three years, Vaani Kapoor has been part of some big-ticket releases — War (2019), Bellbottom (2021) and now, Shamshera. But she is under no delusion. The actor admits she is far from a star, as she states, “I am the underdog.”
If her latest release sees her opposite Ranbir Kapoor, one of the biggest stars today, she asserts it’s the result of years of hard work. “I didn’t have to live up to a parent’s legacy, nor did opportunities knock on my door. [Yet], people said, ‘Oh, she is lucky!’ My place of privilege is that I found my way to Shanoo Sharma [casting director]. I got some opportunities, but what I made of those opportunities is what makes me. When I star opposite Ranbir in Shamshera, people want to know my credibility. They ask, ‘Why is she in this film?’ With each movie, I am trying to prove who I am as an artiste.”
The actor shut down many of her detractors with Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui (2021). Vaani defied the norms of an industry that places importance on glamour by bravely playing a trans-woman in Abhishek Kapoor’s love story. While the film took the discourse around queer love ahead, it made little money at the box office.
Did the lack of commercial success bother her? “It was a risque subject. When we were making it, at the back of our minds, we knew it might not cater to a large audience. Was it a film for the masses? No. It aimed to create conversations [around a] subject that has hardly [been discussed] before. We are proud of the film we made. After it dropped on Netflix, it found love. That is half a step towards progressive thinking. As an actor, I am greedy to do such roles so that when I look back at my trajectory, I feel I have contributed to something respectable.”
For now though, she is busy enjoying Shamshera’s release. Happy to share the frame with Ranbir, she says, “I have so much respect for the actor he is. He has no starry behaviour. Working with him was a joy.”
Over 26 years after Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge made cinematic history, Aditya Chopra to helm it for Broadway
8:32 AM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; October 23, 2021)
In 1995, Aditya Chopra’s debut directorial, the country’s longest running film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. 26 years later, Chopra is set to direct DDLJ all over again and this time it will mark his debut as a director on Broadway. As someone who believes Broadway and Indian films are ‘two long lost lovers separated in time’ because of their intrinsic similarities as both celebrate heart-warming stories and human emotions through music and dance, the transition was long coming. Aditya has been working on this passion project for the past three years and has roped in a stellar, extremely diverse team, comprising some of the best talents of Broadway and India for the same.
Come…Fall In Love - The DDLJ Musical is being produced by Yash Raj Films. Based on an original story by Chopra, the musical will feature book and lyrics by Laurence Oliver Award-winner Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde, Mean Girls), top Indian songwriters Vishal Dadlani & Shekhar Ravjiani will serve as composers. Tony and Emmy winner Rob Ashford (Frozen, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Boys from Syracuse) will choreograph with associate choreographer Shruti Merchant.
The design team will also include set design by Emmy and Tony Award winner Derek McLane (Moulin Rouge!, Hairspray Live!, 33 Variations) and music supervision by Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award-winning Bill Sherman (In The Heights, Sesame Street, Hamilton). Adam Zotovich is the Executive Producer for the project.
Set to be on stage in the Broadway season of 2022-2023, the team is looking at a World Premiere at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego September 2022. A global casting search begins shortly headed by Duncan Stewart of Stewart/Whitley casting and YRF casting head Shanoo Sharma.
In a note, Chopra sent to mid-day, he wrote, “Summer 1985. I was 14 and on a holiday in London. My parents took my brother and me for our first musical theatre experience. The lights dimmed, the curtains lifted and what unfolded in the next 3 hours left me speechless and stunned. Now, till then, I was a kid who was an avid movie watcher and what I loved the most was big screen Indian blockbusters. But that day what I saw on stage blew my mind. I couldn’t believe that this kind of spectacle could be created live on stage. But the most significant aspect that resonated with me was how similar musical theatre was to our Indian films. It was just not the fact that both use songs to tell the story, it was much more than that, it was the feeling they evoked which was exactly the same. The burst of colours, the heightened drama, the passionate singing, the unabashed dancing, a classic story, a happy end. It filled me with the same joy and emotions that a good Indian film does. I realised then, that worlds apart, languages apart, western musical theatre and Indian films are two long lost lovers separated in time. In Autumn 2021, I’m embarking on my most ambitious project till date. I’m reuniting two long lost lovers, Broadway Musical and Indian Films. 26 years back I started my career with a film called Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ, what it is more famously known as). The film created history and changed my life and many others forever. But what many don’t know is that I never intended to make DDLJ in Hindi. As a 23 year old young man greatly influenced by Hollywood and American pop culture, I thought I would make a couple of Indian films and then I would be off to Hollywood and make DDLJ for a worldwide English speaking audience with Tom Cruise as my leading man. That obviously didn’t happen. DDLJ released in 1995 and became the longest running film of Indian cinema. It gave me my identity and kickstarted an amazing journey for which I’ll always be grateful. 26 years later I’m going back to my original vision of the story of DDLJ, a love story of an American boy and an Indian girl, a love story of two cultures…two worlds. But this time the medium is not cinema but theatre. 26 years later I will be directing DDLJ all over again but this time as an English language Broadway Musical for a worldwide audience. I’m terribly nervous and incredibly excited. I’m a hardcore cinema guy, I have never done theatre in my life and here I am trying to pull off the craziest ambition of my life. But what is giving me confidence is the fantastic team that I have. Each one of them are masters of their field and their brilliance and expertise is going to make this a fantastic show. The past 3 years as we have developed this passion project, I have learnt so much from them and discovered the unbelievable talent that the Broadway community has. I feel 23 again, the same age I was when I directed DDLJ. I’m once again a student, each one of my team members is more experienced than me in the world of theatre, I’m the rookie and I’m loving every moment of it. I’m all set to learn, explore, create and enjoy these wonderful theatre artists and the magical world of Broadway Musicals."
Nell Benjamin adds, “DDLJ was my introduction to Indian filmmaking before I even knew who the amazing Aditya Chopra was, and the movie had such joy and heart that I fell in love with it. I was so happy to be approached to do the musical and I hope my work helps everyone fall in love with Simran and Rog and their journey across multiple cultures to love. The world can always use a little more cultural understanding, and I can’t wait to sit in a theater with an audience sharing the joy and surprise of this project."
My first day on the set was nerve wracking. I gave 11 retakes-Bhumi Pednekar
8:22 AM
As told to Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 25, 2020)
I used to assist casting director Shanoo Sharma and was auditioning actresses for Dum Laga Ke Haisha. Deep down, I had always wanted to act, but not many knew my secret, definitely not Shanoo. So, it was incredible when she ‘spotted’ me and convinced the director (Sharat Katariya) to gamble with me.I needed months of prep because I was a city girl while my character, Sandhya, was from Haridwar. Also, she was overweight, so, I needed to pile on the calories in around 10 months. It was exciting to see myself reach an XXL size and the expression on people’s faces when told that I was the leading lady.
My first day on the set was nerve-wracking. I was still inherently urban and Sharat wasn’t convinced I’d pull off the role. He loved the supporting cast, but was doubtful about Ayushmann (Khurrana) and me. We were getting ready in a dharamshala as no vans could get into those narrow lanes, and he asked me if I remembered my lines so we didn’t end up wasting time. Since I wasn’t my natural self physically, I didn’t have Sandhya’s confidence and I was feeling rather lost and alone.
In my first shot, I had to chat with my mother on the phone, the morning after my wedding. An assistant director was sitting by my feet giving me cues. I would sometimes look at him, untutored in camera angles, and an impatient Sharat would scream at me.
“Bhumi don’t forget your lines,” was playing on loop in my head even as I wondered if I was standing on the right mark and was confused about where to look. I was surrounded by Sanjay Mishra, Sheeba Chadha, Alka Amin and Ayushmann, all of them in the same frame. It was intimidating, more so because we were shooting with sync sound and I was terrified I’d start speaking Bambaiya Hindi. I gave 11 retakes.
The first few days were really difficult. I felt Sharat was unhappy with my work, everyone was giving me advice and I was trying to do it all. Then, I started listening to my instincts, and finally got it right. I haven’t stopped it since. It was tough losing all the weight afterwards, but I’m grateful that I got an unconventional debut, as I learnt to push the boundaries as an actress.
Tiger Shroff and I bonded over boy talk-Aditya Seal
7:47 AM
Aditya Seal on the SOTY sequel and his bold beginning in films alongside Manisha Koirala
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 18, 2019)
Aditya Seal who will be seen as Manav in the Student Of The Year sequel, headlined by Tiger Shroff, Ananya Panday and Tara Sutaria, made his debut with the controversial Manisha Koirala-starrer Ek Chhotisi Love Story in 2002 when he was just 14.
Jog his memory about the bold coming-of-age first film which had him as a teenage Peeping Tom who is seduced by the woman of his dreams, and he says, “My dad got a call informing him of the audition. I was finalised the same evening and was on set at 9 am the next morning. My portions were shot in just 16 days with a body double filming the erotic scenes while I was studying in my room as I had exams coming up.” Aditya only learnt about them while watching the film at Gaiety-Galaxy theatre with his parents on his right and his grandparents on the left. “I was watching ‘myself’ in sex scenes at a time when I didn’t even know what sex was,” he laughs.He went on to do Tum Bin 2 and Namaste England, among others, before he learnt through casting director Mukesh Chhabra about auditions for SOTY 2. “Shanoo Sharma (casting director) recommended my name and though Punit (Malhotra, director) liked my audition, he told me the final call would be Karan’s (Johar, producer) who gave me the good news a fortnight later,” he reminisces. The actor is looking forward to showcasing his dancing and martial art skills. “I’m a black belt, Tiger and I would train together on set. I had started learning Taekwondo to use in my films. I stayed in South Korea for months training with the world’s number one team, The Korean Tigers,” he informs proudly.
While one assumes Aditya plays the baddie in SOTY 2, he insists that Manav is the college’s blue-eyed boy. The teachers like him and so do most of the others except Ananya with whom he is at loggerheads. “In the film, Tara interests me but I don’t like Ananya’s attitude. And if anyone steps into my territory, I don’t take it well,” he says, raving about how sorted the two girls are, knowing what they want and how to go about getting it. “At their age I was bunking college to hang out with friends and lying to parents about it.”
He is all praise for Tiger who having heard Punit’s instructions, demonstrated how he should slide across a car for a song. “That was nice and we bonded over boy talk. No, don’t ask me for details,” he guffaws. “But I will share some pictures of Punit harmlessly flirting with women on the set on Instagram soon.”
The biggest surprise was sharing the screen with Hollywood star Will Smith during the new version of the “Radha” song. “I’m a huge fan of the man having watched interviews of his wife and kids speaking about him. He has the perfect family. Someone accidently blurted out that he would be shooting with us and I had tears in my eyes,” Aditya flashbacks, saying that he greeted everyone, from the spot boy to the director and dancers, with a hi-five. “And he performed like a boss.”
Sharing his memories of watching SOTY, Aditya recalls how Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra were introduced. “I remember Sidharth in swimming trunks, he had the guts to wear a Speedo on screen, and he pulled it off,” he raves. Before we sign off, we ask him about Anushka Ranjan, the girl he is reportedly dating, and he reacts with another guffaw, “Who? What? We are great friends.”
Ranveer Singh kicks off wedding festivities with Satyanarayan puja and haldi ceremony
8:21 AM
Ranveer Singh takes a break from Simmba's Goa shoot to attend pre-wedding function in Mumbai
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 5, 2018)
After Deepika Padukone flew down to Bengaluru for Nandi Puja last week, groom-to-be Ranveer Singh kicked off wedding celebrations with a Satyanarayan puja and haldi ceremony on Sunday. The actor, who was shooting Simmba in Goa, flew down to Mumbai for a day.
"When Ranveer informed Rohit Shetty that he will be taking a day off for the pre-wedding celebrations, the director happily obliged. He flew down on Saturday evening, well in time for the Satyanarayan puja that was held on Sunday morning. It was followed by a haldi ceremony. Arjun Kapoor and casting director Shanoo Sharma attended the function, apart from Ranveer's friends from outside the industry," informs a source.
The actor's Bandra residence was bedecked with flowers for the occasion. Clad in a white kurta and pyjama, Singh was spotted at his balcony as he posed with Sharma for selfies.
Ranveer Singh and Shanoo Sharma (Pic/Yogen Shah)
Ranveer Singh and Shanoo Sharma clicked while taking a selfie
---------------------------------
Dutch bachelorette for Priyanka Chopra; Ranveer Singh keeps it desi for haldi
MUMBAI MIRROR (November 5, 2018)
Celebrations have begun for the two big weddings of the year. While Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh’s nuptials are scheduled for November 14 and 15 at Lake Como in Italy, Priyanka Chopra will tie the knot with her American singersongwriter beau Nick Jonas in Jodhpur between November 29 and December 2.
After a bridal shower in New York organised by her besties, filmmaker Mubina Rattonsey and manager Anjula Acharia last Sunday, PeeCee has taken off to Amsterdam for her bachelorette with her girl gang of Srishti Behl Arya, Tamanna Dutt, Natasha Pal, Chanchal Dsouza, Dana Supnick-Guidoni and Sophie Turner. “They will hang out for a couple of days in the Dutch capital before the bride-to-be gets busy with a work commitment. The plan is to chill,” informs a source.
Meanwhile, Ranveer Singh’s haldi celebrations took place at his Bandra residence on Sunday. His close buddy and casting director Shanoo Sharma clicked selfies with the excited groom-to-be, who’s still sporting his Simmba mousetache, on his terrace. The strings of marigold added a festive touch and reminded one of Deepika who wore the same shade of orange during the nandi puja on Friday at her Bangalore home.
I was obsessed with Ranbir Kapoor-Aadar Jain
7:55 AM
Here, the newbie talks about his debut film, cousin Ranbir and takes head-on the charges of nepotism
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; July 20, 2017)
He is the newest kid from the Kapoor khandaan to make a foray into films. Son of Reema Jain and grandson of Raj Kapoor, Aadar Jain is all set to make his debut in the film Qaidi Band. Even before the film hits the theatres, the youngster is making news. After all, he was introduced by none other than cousin Ranbir Kapoor as the new talent of YRF, the banner, which is launching him. His promotional campaign, however, got targeted by the Twitterati as reeking of nepotism. Here, the newbie talks about his debut film, cousin Ranbir and takes head-on the charges of nepotism..
The trailer of Qaidi Band is out, what are your thoughts right now?
It’s an amazing surreal feeling. I am at a loss of words. My family, friends, teachers, everyone, who has been a part of my life have appreciated it. My mother got so emotional, she was in tears. She actually saw it a couple of days before the launch. She has a Ganpatiji ka photo on her phone and she was pointing it at the trailer to seek his blessings. That was a special moment for me, because she was so overwhelmed. When my nani saw the trailer, she called and told me, ‘I am proud of you’.
What was Ranbir’s reaction?
He hasn’t seen it yet. He is in New York shooting for the Dutt biopic. I am waiting for him to watch it and give me his feedback.
Are you closest to him among your cousins?
Yes, as a child, I was obsessed with Ranbir. I would follow in his footsteps. He was the one who gave me my first football shoes. We have several things in common. We share the same love for movies, sports and food! He also bullied me a lot! I am also close to Karisma, Kareena, Riddhima and Natasha Nanda, who is my maasi Ritu Nanda’s daughter, Nikhil bhaiyaa. We are a close-knit family. When we get together, it is like a big parade — it’s a full table tennis match. Food is going from one side of the table to the other, there is a lot of noise. Every Sunday we make a conscious effort to go and meet my nani and we never miss the annual Christmas party at Shashi nana’s house.
Every actor dreams of making a debut in a love story with pretty visuals and foreign locales. What made you choose a film on undertrials as your first film?
My dream was to act and to entertain people. When I was auditioning for the film, Habib (Faisal) narrated the story to me. He said it is important that I like the story and connect with it. When he narrated it to me I didn’t see it ki yeh koi alag type ki picture hai, I really connected with the story. I thought it was entertaining and engaging and at the same time educational. I never knew anything about the situation of undertrials in jail. I had only seen it in films like Shawshank Redemption and Prison Break. I had a rough idea. What was interesting for me was our country has more undertrials than what is considered normal. Overall, I connected with the character and the music aspect. I have always been musically inclined growing up and played an instrument. In the film, my character plays the guitar. The way all of us express through music and come together in the film also interested me.
Did you discuss it with your family and take any tips?
To be honest, when I started out, I told my family I wanted their blessings. I didn’t want any advice. Whatever choices I make I want to take credit. I just went with my gut feeling.
What kind of prep did you do for the film?
We attended a rigorous workshop. I am a drummer, so had to learn the guitar, the nuances, etc. During the shot, I actually played the chords. I also learnt a particular dialect because my character has a northern accent. Since music is an important part of the film, I sat with the composer Amit Trivedi to draw some inspiration. I read up on different cases of undertrails and jails as the film is based on real incidents and real characters. There was an Assamese undertrail Machang Lalung who was in jail for 54 years for a crime he didn’t commit! When he got acquitted, he felt that his whole life was wasted and it affected him. I read his entire story.
Physically did you have to undergo any changes?
Yes, I had to lose five-six kilos for the film. In jails they serve phiki dal and rice. My character had to reflect that. My lifestyle is such that I get proper food, but I can’t look healthy in the film, so I had to lose weight and get the rugged look.
Like Ranbir, you also started out by assisting directors. What is the idea behind it?
When I was in high school, I decided, I wanted to act. I went to New York Film Academy to educate myself. When I came back, I realised I needed to do the ground work. As a child, I had never gone on the set of a film, so didn’t know how a film was made. I wanted to know the basics, what actually goes into the making, how the DOP frames his shots, how the actor hits his mark, etc. I wanted to gain experience and exposure so I assisted Farah Khan on Happy New Year and Karan Johar on Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Incidentally, Ranbir tried to bully me on the sets of ADHM. He treated me like a professional and I used to call him ‘Sir’ though it was a little awkward! Actually, he wanted to teach me how to do things in the right way. Then he told me, he didn’t find much to bully me!
After ADHM, did you decide to face the camera?
I wanted to train myself, I went to dance and acting workshops, concentrated on my fitness — I was doing all those things when I met Shanoo Sharma (casting agent). She told me that if I am ready to audition, she will test me. I was auditioning for three-four weeks before I got the film.
Soon after you were introduced by YRF, you had to face charges of nepotism as you come from a big film family. Were you prepared for it, did you get affected?
I did read a couple of comments. When it’s your first film, you work so hard and you give it your all for one year — of course, you feel bad when you read these comments. Obviously, you can’t help it. People will always have opinions. The only thing you can do is work hard and speak through your work. I just feel no matter where you come from, no matter your background, the odds are the same. Yes, it might be a bit easy for me to meet the casting director. But I have to audition, prove my mettle as an actor because I don’t think a producer or a director wants to take an actor who is not worthy of the script. A producer/director is putting so much of his own money on new talent. So, you have to audition whether you are the “insider” or the “outsider”. I got the film purely on the merit of my talent. There are so many who don’t belong to a film family, like a Ranveer Singh or an Anushka Sharma, who also audition. The odds are the same for everyone.
Aditya Chopra instructs Bhumi Pednekar not to sign any more films till he gives the go-ahead?
6:45 AM
Upala KBR (DNA; January 25, 2017)
Bhumi Pednekar’s mentor Aditya Chopra has seen some rushes of her upcoming Toilet - Ek Prem Katha and came away so impressed with her performance that he has asked her not to sign more films till he gives the go-ahead.
He firmly believes that directors will make a beeline for her after the film releases. Bhumi confirms, “I have two films this year. But I am not on a signing spree. I want to finish one project and move on to my next film. And I don’t take any step in my career without speaking to Adi Sir about it. He is a part of every decision I make. I have a conversation with him on everything. For Adi Sir and YRF it has always been quality over quantity. It’s not just as an actor but I have such immense love and respect for Adi sir as he has changed my life. He and Shanoo (Sharma, casting director) have shown such faith in me that I can’t say yes to anything without speaking to them.”
Bhumi says besides Adi her career advisor is her mom Sumitra who takes care of her husband’s construction business. “Mom’s a big part of my career, too. She’s so dedicated to my sister and me despite being a working woman and has her own job. When I get a script we both read, jam, jam over it and discuss its pros and cons. We are very close to each other. Mom is very involved in my work — be it my appearances or scripts, she has the last word.”
I can’t afford surgery, I am only one film old-Vaani Kapoor
8:07 AM
Vaani Kapoor on the French cold, and cruel camera angles fanning rumours of a face job
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; December 6, 2016)
Over three years ago, Vaani Kapoor made her debut in Maneesh Sharma’s Shuddh Desi Romance, which starred Sushant Singh Rajput and Parineeti Chopra. The actress from Delhi has patiently waited for her second Bollywood outing, Befikre, helmed by Aditya Chopra.
When the trailer launched this October, social media took potshots at her, saying, “pretty Vaani” had turned into “handsome Vaana”. There was something different about the way she looked. Twitterati have been sharing her ‘then-and-now’ pictures, claiming she has done a lip job and chin surgery, and that she may have resorted to a special skin treatment that showed up in the initial stages of the film’s shoot.
When we met her at Yash Raj Studios in Andheri, there are no tell-tale signs of the ‘job’. Without beating around the bush, she asks, “Does it look like I’ve done something? I don’t know what to say.” That the audience is seeing her after a break could be the reason, she reasons. “I have lost weight; my face is bound to look different. We shot in Paris when it was freezing; the cameras keep zooming in and out. The face looks different from different angles.” And then comes the final punch: “I can’t afford surgery, I am only one-film old.” She quickly clarifies, though, that she doesn’t judge those who opt for it.
Vaani would rather talk about how she waited long for a second outing. “I kept auditioning with Shanoo Sharma (YRF’s casting director) for the last three years to hone my skills. I also did a Tamil film called Aaha Kalyanam (2014), a remake of Band Baaja Baaraat (2010). I requested Adi [Aditya Chopra] to make me an AD on a film so that I could learn filmmaking tricks.” She hopes once Befikre releases, the audience will have more to discuss than her face and the liplocks she shares with co-star Ranveer Singh. “There’s lots more to the film!”
Delhi girl Anya Singh to play the female lead in Habib Faisal-Yash Raj Films' next
9:32 AM
'Daawat-e-Ishq' director Habib Faisal's hunt for the leading lady of his upcoming musical-drama ends with newbie Anya Singh
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; December 5, 2016)
Bouncing back from the failure of 'Daawat-e-Ishq' (2014), director Habib Faisal is set to roll with his next, shortly. The project has come under the spotlight over the last few months for multiple reasons.
It began with the story being a little too similar to Nikkhil Advani's 'Lucknow Central', starring Farhan Akhtar and Kriti Sanon — about jail inmates forming a rock band. Then, in the wake of the Uri attacks, the production house was rumoured to have dropped leading man, Danyal Zafar (Ali Zafar's younger brother) following a ban on Pakistani artistes in India.
It was only last week that Habib got on board Ranbir Kapoor's cousin, Aadar Jain (son of Raj Kapoor's daughter Rima Jain), to fill Danyal's shoes. Now, Delhi girl Anya Singh has been signed on as the female lead.
Shanoo Sharma, casting director of YRF, which is backing the project, says, "Adi [Aditya Chopra, producer] always pushes me to go out and find new talent. When casting for this film, we were trying to get girls from Delhi, Chandigarh and other cities. Anya was the result of the hunt to find the next Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma. We wanted someone to come out of nowhere, lead regular lives and conquer the industry. Anya filled that spot for me. She came out of nowhere and landed a three-film deal with YRF."
Shanoo had first met Anya at a restaurant about two years ago. "A year later, I was sitting at a coffee shop and she walked in after workout to grab a cuppa. We discussed everything she had been up to in the past year. That very day, I sent her to audition for the part and two rounds later, she was selected. She is the kind of girl I would chat with at a pub, if I bumped into her."
Shanoo adds Habib had shot down hundreds of aspirants before Anya. "She gave a crackling audition. Habib sir said, 'I am liking her, show me more.' She is a bit of a child, but that's what will work in favour of the film's story."
I am Ayushmann Khurrana’s guy buddy-Bhumi Pednekar
8:40 AM
Bhumi Pednekar on her equation with her Dum Laga Ke Haisha co-star in her second film... and more
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; January 28, 2016)
Dressed in a white tee and dark blue jeans, Bhumi
Pednekar has a wide grin on her face as she greets me. And why not, she
has swept all the Best Newcomer Female awards this year. That’s not all,
the actress who played the overweight Sandhya in Dum Laga Ke Haisha has
lost all the extra kilos and is looking slim and trim. “I took a year
to gain 23 kilos and the same amount of time to reach my natural size
with gymming and diet,” reveals the actress who is all set to step into
the role of a Punjabi girl for her next film Manmarziyan. Hectic
workshops are on and in Bhumi’s words, “It’s madness starting from 6 am
to 11 pm”. But the actress is enjoying every bit of it and has also
started learning bike riding — though she confesses she doesn’t even
know how to ride a bicycle. Over to the chirpy Bhumi...
You swept all the debut awards this year. Happy?
Yes, mainly because the competition was really good. Everyone who debuted last year came with their own positive and negatives, and all of us are different. There is no similarity between me and Akshara (Haasan), Athiya (Shetty) or even that little girl Harshaali (Malhotra). We all did well in our own space. I remember as a child when I was watching award shows on TV, the thought uppermost in my mind was ‘mujhe awards mile more than what film I am going to do’! So, for me awards are a big source of motivation. It started off with the positive response from audience, critics, media, family and friends to awards. It is humbling and I have a lot of gratitude. So many people are responsible for where I am in life today. Most importantly, I had the right instinct (of doing Dum Laga Ke Haisha) and I know hard work pays off.
Did you always want to be an actress?
Yes. The first time I realised I wanted to take up acting as a career was when I was 12 or 13. Even in school, I would always lean towards performing arts, elocution, drama — I was the front-runner for everything. I always had that streak in me. When I was a lot younger, I would always dress up with my cousins and take pictures. I have one where I am pouting and I was just three! I love every aspect of performance from getting dressed to acting.
What was your parents’ reaction when you told them you wanted to act?
My family is full of engineers and doctors, and the first time I told them I want to be an actress, they didn’t take me seriously. Also, they wanted to shelter me, not because they thought it was a bad profession, but because of the things they had heard. Eventually, they became very supportive and my mother has lived the dream with me. They always instilled a sense of ambition in us (she and her sister Samiksha) and were a source of motivation.
Is your sister also interested in acting?
No, she is studying to be a lawyer.
How did you end up being a casting agent if you wanted to be an actress?
There came a point in my life when I realised that if I don’t start working, my parents would send me abroad to study. So, I decided to take up a job when I was 18. One of my friends told me about a job as a casting assistant in YRF and I took it up. My parents weren’t happy and told me I have to complete my education. So, I did open schooling and got my degree even as I was working. I have been working with YRF for six years now — first as an assistant to Abhimanyu Ray and then as an associate with Shanoo.
But acting was always at the back of your mind?
I didn’t have an agenda. Actually, I started thinking may be I should direct because when you are younger you don’t know where and how things will happen. Shanoo was the first few people along with my mother to tell me that if I wanted to direct, I would have already done it. ‘Don’t fool yourself’ Shanoo told me.
Is it true that you didn’t know that you were auditioning for the role in Dum Laga Ke Haisha?
Yes, and that’s because I was always doing mock auditions. A lot of actors outside of Mumbai and abroad don’t know how to give an audition and this helps them. Shanoo told me to do it. As for me, I would always be ready saying ‘Mujhse acting kara lo’. I would be nervous conducting or doing auditions in front of Shanoo because we are very close — she is like my elder sister — and close people are your biggest critics. That was an interesting phase in my life. In the mornings, I would give the audition and from afternoon to evening, I would conduct auditions with other girls for the same part!
What was your reaction when you landed the role?
Forget being cast, when I realised I was being considered for the role, I was really happy because I had already read the script since I was casting!
You had no apprehensions of being an overweight heroine?
At that point, the fact that I was getting a film which had a brilliant script and was being made by YRF was more than enough. I did think about the fact I would have to gain and then lose 23 kilos, but the role was so good, any girl would have done it.
Which scene from the film is your favourite?
Since it’s my first film, every scene is equally important. Actually, I cringe a lot when I see my performance and think I could have been better. But yes, the scene that stands out for me is the one where Sandhya is sitting on the stairs crying and Prem (Ayushmann Khurrana) is walking away. It comes in the second half and it sums up the film. We shot it pretty early in the schedule and that kind of broke the ice between Sandhya and Bhumi. I tapped into a lot of personal memories to feel and emote that scene.
You shared a cute chemistry with Ayushmann Khurrana in the film. What is your equation with him?
Ayushmann is my fist hero and now, the only hero as he is my co-star in my second film Manmarziyan along with Vicky Kaushal. I have known Ayushmann from before (the film). He is one of the finest talents — a musician, actor, and a VJ. He is a true artiste. He is a great guy and we are thick friends. We understand each other well, he is my chick buddy and I am his guy buddy. That chemistry transformed on screen.
What is Manmarziyan all about?
It’s a classic love story set in Punjab. It is relevant to today’s time and is in a real space. I can’t tell you more at this stage but the workshops are on. I believe that whatever character I play I want to give my mind, body and soul to it.
Your first film was applauded for dealing with the subject of a girl being overweight. But in your second film you will be presented as a slim beauty. Will that be more challenging?
I believe talent and vanity go hand-in-hand. Beauty is subjective, it’s a state of mind. Yes, it is important in the line of entertainment, but at the same time you can’t define beauty. Even as the overweight Sandhya I think I was stunning. I don’t propagate obesity only because it is unhealthy. I know that because I lived both the phases in my life. As Bhumi, I don’t think in terms of main patli hoon ya moti hoon. There is a lot more to me — what I think, what I am trying to be. As an actor I do not want to be confined to doing one thing. I don’t want people to look at me in a certain way. I want to become the character. I wish people stop defining a person by their weight. Also, Dum Laga Ke Haisha was not just about an obese girl. I look at it as a film that deal with characters with a complex whether it was Prem or Sandhya.
Both your films are with Ayushmann, which other heroes are on your wishlist?
Growing up and even now, I am a huge fan of Salman Khan. Who wouldn’t want to work with him? Among today’s generation of heroes, I want to work with all of them, I can’t pick and choose. There are different kinds of talent and amazing films are being made.
What would you say about the way women are being portrayed in films?
Look at 2015 — Piku, Tanu Weds Manu Retuns, NH- 10, Hunterr (Radhika Apte is fantastic in that). Even Bajirao Mastani — Priyanka (Chopra) and Deepika (Padukone) are brilliant. The distinction between male and female actors has been erased. For me, Priyanka, Deepika and Anushka are heroes.
Any favourite films growing up?
Rang De Basanti is all my all-time favourite. I was 14 when the film released and it had a big impact in my life. For my generation, it’s the first cult film. I remember I fought with my mother when we went to watch the film because we were late. I refused to enter the theatre and waited two-and-half-hours to catch the next show! I would love to play one character if the film is ever remade.
Is Anushka Sharma upset with Yash Raj Films?
4:13 PM
Anushka Sharma avoids screening of YRF film that was to clash with her next 'NH10', chooses to watch it at a Mumbai multiplex
Gaurav Dubey (MID-DAY; March 5, 2015)
The absence of Anushka Sharma from the special screening of Yash Raj Films' latest offering, 'Dum Laga Ke Haisha', has been feeding grist to the gossip mills. Sources say the actress gave it a miss and chose to watch it at a Mumbai theatre more or less at the same time.
"Shanoo, the casting director of YRF, held a special preview of 'Dum Laga Ke Haisha' last week and invited a lot of her industry friends, including Anushka. While all the YRF protegés who were in town made sure that they turned up for the event, Anushka decided to steer clear of it. But what was baffling was the fact that she decided to watch the film at the same time at a suburban multiplex," a source says.
Earlier, there were reports that Anushka Sharma's maiden production, NH10, which is due to release next week, and 'Dum Laga Ke Haisha' were supposed to hit the marquee on the same day and she was not particularly happy about it. YRF boss Aditya Chopra then decided to advance the latter's release to February 28 going against recommendations of his distribution team for 'emotional reasons'.
A YRF spokesperson had reasoned that since both Anushka and 'Dum Laga Ke Haisha' actress Bhumi Pednekar were Aditya Chopra's discovery, he wanted to avoid a box office clash.
Dismissing the rumours about being upset with YRF, Anushka's spokesperson says: "She had made plans to watch the film with her friends for which the tickets had been bought much in advance. Though she was invited for the screening, she went ahead with her own plans. After watching the film, she messaged both Bhumi and Ayushmann (Khurrana) congratulating them on their performance."
Dum Laga Ke Haisha heroine, like Parineeti Chopra, is former employee of YRF
7:54 AM
Tushar Joshi (DNA; November 19, 2014)
Parineeti Chopra used to work at Yash Raj Films and
then she landed a film. Today five films later, she is a household name.
History is set to repeat itself with another YRF employee, Bhumi
Pednekar making her big screen debut soon.YRF casting director Shanoo Sharma, who has launched many faces, says she spotted Bhumi’s talent when she would double up as an actor for auditions. Says Shanoo, “I am proud of Bhumi. She has signed a three-film contract with us. Her first film will be with Ayushmann Khurrana in Dum Laga Ke Haisha.”
Shanoo adds, “She was Abhimanyu Ray’s (YRF’s former casting director) assistant, then she joined like me do the secondary. She is like a baby sister to me.”
Interestingly, Bhumi did not even know she was being considered for the part. She was hoodwinked into doing a screen test. She was told to do a mock test for an actor who lived overseas, so that a link could be sent to them lest they needed a brief! Bhumi played it right and found herself cast in the film.
When asked to name her fav finds, Shanoo says, “I am proud of Tahir Bhasin (Mardaani), of my little girls in Mardaani, especially Pyaari, of my little boy from Dhoom:3. I am proud of Jackie Da, I am also proud of Swara Bhaskar, Saba Azad and Saqeeb Salim. Even Nishant Dahiya, who is not with us anymore.....”
I wanted to be married, have kids & have my husband take care of me-Shanoo Sharma, the starmaker
8:30 AM
Sarita A Tanwar (DNA; October 6, 2014)
I was asked by a wannabe actress a few years ago, “Do you know Shanoo Sharma?” Nope, never heard of her, I said. ‘She is the casting director for Yash Raj Films,” I was told. Also, that she was the most powerful woman in YRF, and she could make an unknown person a star overnight. In a country of 1.25 billion where every third person wants to become an actor, she is the hope of lakhs of aspiring actors. Over the last two years, I’ve heard her name several times, mostly by struggling actors in awed tones. I was told she is rude, mean, controlling, drunk on power, and more difficult to get in touch with than President Obama. I was intrigued. I wanted to meet her. But I didn’t want to message someone notorious for never answering calls or texts and wait endlessly. So I called Karan Johar (she appeared on his chat show) and asked him to connect us. The ever-helpful KJo, (he gets that from his dad and one of film industry’s most loved men, Yash Johar) did his thing and we connected. We decided to meet at her home. Her only request before we begin, “Don’t ask me to talk about (her discoveries) Arjun (Kapoor) and Ranveer (Singh), etc. I assure her that I am only interested in her story. And so between cups of green tea, we chat about her work, her life, her fundas. I came away impressed with this 26-year-old cool chica. Mostly because she makes time for herself and knows how to balance her work hard and party hard.”
Her average day, she tells me is different. No two days are alike, “It begins at… some days start at 9.30 am, some at 11 am. The best thing about my work is, it can happen from anywhere. I don’t need to be in an office. I can be in bed and I can be working till 12 am. On days when I have meetings, I start a little earlier, but it’s very fluid.”
I love that someone who is so busy, has her priorities so clear, “My assistants at the office start with all their sourcing, looking for new faces, downloading emails, etc. I only go office at around 2.30 or 3 in the afternoon, because I like to spend a certain amount of time in the morning with my family. I see my presentations at night so that it doesn’t clog up my day. I go through everything. Every download, new advertisements… I don’t necessarily go watch plays, my team does that, but we keep track of new faces everywhere.”
Being a casting director for Yash Raj Films is something she stumbled into. In fact, her first real big break came from Karan Johar and she almost turned it down. She informs, “I started with Sudhir Mishra. I did four projects with him I sort of helped Shimit Amin for Chak De! India even though he had another casting director, and he told Karan (Johar), ‘She will be able to manage this.’ So my first big commercial film was Kurbaan for Karan. And he was blown by my casting. And he said, ‘I want you to do My Name Is Khan’. That was a huge, massive film. I remember saying, ‘I won’t be able to do it. I don’t have the system and the set-up. I am working from my house with a small camera. But Karan just super-supported me and said, ‘Nobody is going to be as nervous as I am, and we’ll get through it together.’ That one line gave me strength. Then I did four films for Dharma Productions. I was doing odd projects here and there, and then finally I got Ranveer for Band Baaja Baaraat and Yash Raj made an offer to me to join them full time.”
I ask her to go into flashback the time it all started, and if this is something she has always wanted to do? She grins, “I never wanted to be a casting director. I wanted to be married, have kids and have my husband take care of me.” But she has held some of the most fun jobs in the meantime, “I bartended and washed cars in South Africa. I started waitressing when I was 14 because I wanted to be a grown up. I have no hang-ups. Because once you are a waitress you don’t do that thing ‘Yaar mein inki beti hoon’ or ‘I am from this family’ and being abroad helps.” I listen fascinated as she tells me she doesn’t have any degree. She never went to college, and she even got sacked from the first two jobs, she had! “I am almost a school dropout. I don’t have my school certificate but I passed. I got educated all over India and then I went to South Africa for 10 years because my family moved there. One day my father asked me, ‘You want to work or go to college?’ I said I am dying to work and I came to India in 1997. I wanted to earn just Rs 2,000 or 2,500 a month to pay for like phone bills, silver earrings, or whatever I wanted to buy.”
Her first real job was with Manish Malhotra, “I used to shave my head. I was bald, well-spoken and Manish was like I like this style and hired me. It was my first time away from my family. I was living alone and wanted to go out partying every night. I’d come home and pretty much pass out at his house. So he fired me after a month. We laugh about it today.”
After that, I worked with with Rodney Barns as production assistant and he was my most amazing boss ever. Because I spoke well, they got me to do events as well. It was too much. One day their receptionist walked out and because I happened to be standing near the phone and they offered me that job. I said, ‘I don’t want to do this’ and then I think I got fired from there as well. I would wake up every morning and I would tell my dad ‘I think I should be a hairdresser’ or ‘I think I want to be a singer as it is my calling.’ I didn’t know what I wanted to do.
After six months of doing odd jobs here, she got pulled back to South Africa, “My father opened another restaurant which I ran and I brought it up to whatever level and then I started bartending. After that there was a family issue and we decided unanimously that it’s time to come back home (Mumbai). Then I worked for Audhuna (Akhtar) at Juice. I trained for a month or two over there. I was constantly hopping jobs. My parents were fed up. I was the most irresponsible human being and the black sheep of the family. I used to get lectures from my uncles. I just couldn’t focus. I was a wreck, I was completely rebellious and not at all organized. I would just be doing different things. My father said to me one day, ‘You will never do a job for longer than a year.’ Then I went to this place called 5 Restaurant in Santacruz and I did PR and marketing for one year and then I left and joined Niharika Khan as PR and marketing for a store that she was opening in Bandra. I was doing all sorts of jobs here and there. I ran a Western Café, I did styling, a little bit of singing here, there whatever I could do and then I broke my leg in an accident, and was bedridden for a while. So my brother said to me “Why don’t you start talent management” as I knew everybody. Yash Raj would kind of call me and say we need a stylist for Saif’s hair for Hum Tum. So I sent Ryan in and he got the job and he became Saif’s stylist. We need a costume designer for Aaja Nachle. They knew that I was hanging with the groovy and with cool people. I was asked to cast a girl as Madhuri’s daughter. They knew that I would be able to bring people in. So I started talent management and I made a lot of money. But I couldn’t do it for long. I can’t deal with people’s baggage like ‘Why is this one getting work, why am I not getting work?’ While I was doing talent management I got to meet a lot of directors and then someone said you should cast. I was just random working on the Forest with Ashwin Kumar and he said what do you think of this actor and what do you think of that actor and and he would say ‘You are bang on, you are absolutely right.’ So there was a sense. And then my brother was assisting Sudhir Mishra and he asked me if I wanted to cast Khoya Khoya Chaand. By then I was doing UCLA projects, like student films that get made in India. So for three thousand rupees I was casting movies. So I did my first film and it was called Monsoon where I cast Ravi Baswani for a man called Shyam Palse and slowly it started kicking in. By the time Khoya Khoya Chand happened, I was like ‘ya man, this is a piece of cake’ and of course I had no idea what I was getting into.”
She never imagined she would get stalked and even get death threats from struggling actors. She has 17 lakh actors in her bank and she cannot find work for everyone. She has to deal with over 8,000 mails daily. And he mailbox is always full with mails bouncing back. She gets hundreds of text messages. How does she deal with it all? She sighs, “I’ll be honest with you, when I came here, I would meet 30 to 40 people a day. I would meet everybody who wanted to meet me everyday. By the end of the day I was sapped and I realised that I was becoming like shrink to these people, and counselling them. Now, I have a trained team that meets the people. Their needs are met and their audition is shown to me. When I need someone for a particular project, I will call them in. I also have to do train and groom of actors. I have to construct leads. I have to make my new Ranveer Singhs, Parineeti Chopras and Arjun Kapoors. And for that, I need time. I can’t be meeting everybody, but anybody who comes into our office is treated with respect. The minute I don’t respond, I become a bitch. A couple of years ago, at the beginning of my career there was a man from London and he had an accent. I said, ‘Please work on your accent and come back to me when you know how to speak Hindi.’ He went around telling people that I came on to him because he refused to sleep with him I didn’t help him.”
Shanoo knows that in her line of work, there are always going to be people who are disappointed because they can’t reach her or meet her personally. “The message that I give actors is that don’t get intimidated by me or what you have heard about me. Go through that one experience and form your own opinion. Don’t hear what people have to say about someone, because then you might miss out on an opportunity. We are all professionals here. I got famous at one point because I didn’t answer phone calls. Not because I was doing my job well. That’s how ridiculous it is. I don’t answer calls. We work over text messages. I check my messages once a week because I want to respond to each one. Then I sit with my assistant and go through this person’s email and then they are called in for an audition.” I express surprise that she answers each text. But I learn from an acquaintance who tried to reach her 10 days ago that he got a reply. “The truth of the matter is that I am still learning myself and still making mistakes and I am getting ahead with life like that. I understand where actors come from. There are times when I meet a person who is waiting at my office for six hours for me. I tell them, instead of sitting with me for six hours, give an introduction and go do other work. Go and train yourself. Go to Prithvi Theatre, watch a play, do something, you can’t be sitting in an office just to meet someone for two minutes. I respect actors and would never be rude to them. There have been people who have called me and abused, or sent angry emails. But luckily, I work for a production house that’s like a home, and if I have a problem with anyone, I have their full support. If I have a problem they will completely push it to the cyber cell. I get threats on Facebook, mails and on my phone. Initially, it used to freak me out. Now I know none of that has ever culminated into anything so I am okay.”
How does casting work? “We have camera introductions and we revisit out log every time we are casting. Always looking for new talent and revisiting the old, so it’s a blend of both. I audition all the primary stuff. The first round is done by my assistants. They do the introductions because pictures are very deceptive. Every person who sends a picture gets to be called in and is gets a camera introduction.” She gives her team full credit for her success, “I am very rude to them, I am very mean to them but they are my absolute core. They are the reason why I am, where I am at today. They are my pillars. The amount of protection and love I get from my assistants, I don’t get from anybody in the world.”
What does she hate about her job? “I don’t like telling an actor that he didn’t get the part. And I don’t like casting children. I feel kids should not have…let me just say, I like casting children with responsible parents. And What I love about my job is: When my producer and my director are happy. I love the blessings that I get from my actors and their families. Very recently I cast an actor in Mardaani. He has an 87-year-old nani who cooked 15 things without any help, packed them in big big boxes and came from Churchgate to our office and served it to us. To me, that’s just wow. So when I get, someone’s mother make me Yakhni pulao or a mother send me a little token like a nose pin, or bindis, a dupatta... it’s a great feeling. I feel very blessed.”
The girl who could not hold on to a job has now been with YRF for five years and she is still going strong, “I don’t take a day off, not because I can’t, because I have made my life a holiday. Like now, if in the evening I want to go watch the sunset, that’s where we are working from. On the beach. I don’t read the news or watch the TV. I don’t like it. I learn songs for karaoke nights, I like to hang out with friends, do coffees, and talk about things that are not movie related. Be a girl, go shopping, get my manicure, get a head massage or maybe I go to Colaba, walk the Causeway and do random things. Mine is a mobile office and my office is still running whilst we speak. Someone is being auditioned in my office and if they need to show me, they can skype with me right now.”
She admits that friends and family are always recommending actors to her but she says that the person who lands the role is the one who deserves it, and for no other reason. “I meet everybody that comes in through a reference, and who has a potential. I don’t meet everybody that comes. There’s hundreds but everybody gets the same treatment whether it’s my cousin, sister-in-law.. I don’t care. People don’t get cast because they are somebody’s cousins. I also have to protect my reputation.”
It’s often whispered in hallowed tones that you are the only person whom Aditya Chopra listens to. “My job is to cast. If I feel strongly about something, I can put up my point but it better be valid. My producer’s film is still running in Maratha Mandir after 25 years. He has build an empire of genius. I don’t think he has come this far by listening to people, but I also think he has come this far by listening to people. There are so many times I feel strongly about something and I have the freedom to voice it. He is the most amazing boss. He has the patience to explain to me why I am wrong, and not just say ‘you are wrong’. He is my teacher. I am learning everyday under him. My true inner happiness is when I am taught something by him and I am able to deliver it and he has acknowledged. That is fireworks of blessings. Apart from YRF, I only cast for Karan and help friends like Shabina Khan. My friend just made a short film, I cast. So anything that doesn’t take me away from my work, I’ll help but officially I will only cast for a Karan because he gave me the first big break and I will never ever be able to say no to him. But I am not leaving anytime Yash Raj anytime soon. I love working here, I am obsessed with my work and that’s what makes me do twenty four hours.”
What’s ahead? Launch her own casting firm? She shakes her head, “South Africa’s one of their first Indian restaurants was opened by my dad. And my dream is to open up a restaurant. I want to have a husband, who is a chef or a musician or a photographer. I am hoping he will be temperamental like me. We will call the restaurant something like the moody chef. There will be corners for people who want to come and chill by themselves. There will be corners for people who want to mingle and there will be corners for social family gatherings. I want to feed people and take their money, and then they should go.”
She is single, but she laughs when I ask her if that’s because she is married to her work, “No, no. Please, I hate that line. I am not married to my work. I date people on and off. I am not your conventional cup of tea. I’m trying to do something about it. But I need a ghanti yaar. I need my ‘Tu ne mari entryaan, dil mein baji ghantiyaan’ to happen. I grew up watching films, so… I know, this is a bit fairy tale. Today I feel like I really don’t mind getting married but I can’t be bored of the person I get married to. If that happens, I’ll be done. For me it’s not about the status or how you look. I see good looking people every day, for me the minute someone makes me laugh… that’s all I need. Also, he needs to be able to dance. That’s it.”
I was really scared about working with Rani Mukerji-Tahir Raj Bhasin
8:11 AM
Namrata Thakker (DNA; September 2, 2014)
He may have failed to make a mark with his debut film
One By Two, but Tahir Raj Bhasin is currently the talk of the town,
courtesy his powerful performance in Mardaani. He’s a good-looking lad,
one film old and just 26. While any newbie would prefer playing it safe,
Bhasin decided to experiment and took the risk of playing a baddie in
his second film itself. But he isn’t complaining because he has managed
to impress with his villainous act in Pradeep Sarkar’s Mardaani,
starring Rani Mukerji. BollywoodLife recently caught up with Tahir and
he spoke about a lot of things including all the praise coming his way,
working with Rani and what’s next on the cards professionally….
Your performance in Mardaani has been widely appreciated along with Rani’s. Even Aamir Khan praised you on Twitter. How does it feel?
Wow…It feels surreal. I haven’t slept much out of excitement. I was really tense on Friday about how people would react. During the test screening, people from the cast and crew would come out and say good job but I always felt these people have worked on the film so they will say good things but when critics started writing about it, it was such a reassurance. For someone who has been through audition after audition and that phase of self-doubt that every struggler goes through, to be told in one weekend by so many senior people, Aamir Khan included, that it’s a job well done, I think it’s the biggest praise an actor can ask for.
One By Two didn’t fare well at the box office. How did you land Mardaani despite that?
I have been in touch with Shanoo Sharma (YRF’s casting director) for two and a half years now. She met me socially and then I sent my pictures to YRF. I had auditioned with her assistants as well. So I had been in their database for two years. And then, I was picked from the random list of 100 people to audition for this role. From 100, it went down to 25 then to 10 and lastly, the final five. We were then told about the character and those two weeks were really taxing because when a film casting happens, you just give the audition. There is no certainty if they will get back to you the same week. But it was great when I got that phone call.
People expect you to play chocolate boy roles if you’re good-looking. Apprehensive about playing a negative role?
Yes, I was really apprehensive in the beginning because when I read the script I realised the character was so negative that he will be hated. But I was given the liberty to play the role in a very casual and cool way. And I guess that’s why people have managed to differentiate between the two.
How was it working with Rani Mukerji?
Scary… really scary because you come with so much baggage in your mind about this persona that you’re going to be working with. I have watched Black and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai so I have grown up on her films. The first time I met her was on the set. She was doing this dialogue which was a page-and-a-half long and she did some seven to eight variations and Dada (Pradeep Sarkar) approved it all. So there was pressure because I was going to shoot and with an actor like Rani. But at the same time I think it helped me up my game as well.
She gave you any tips?
Loads of them… I remember complaining to her how sometimes actors have to do the same scenes over and over again. And she was like ‘welcome to the movies. That’s the difference between an audition and the real thing.’ That stayed with me. Also, a lot of credit goes to her for not treating me like a newcomer and that comes out in my performance.
How was it working with Pradeep?
I think if it wouldn’t have been for his conviction in my audition tape, I wouldn’t have got this part. So I am eternally grateful for that. As a director, he is a perfectionist and when he okays a take, you know everything must have been perfect — from the lighting to the way you are holding a coffee mug.
Post-Mardaani, have you signed any films?
My phone has been ringing and a lot and people have said good things, but it’s too premature to put my finger on something and say this is what I am doing next.
Given your good looks, is an out-and-out romantic film next on your list?
For sure…. As an actor, you want to convince the audience that you can do different things. So, if I have to run in slow motion, I am more than happy to romance.
Directors you want to work with?
Vishal Bhardwaj, Vikramaditya Motwane, Dibakar Banerjee, Shaad Ali and Habib Faisal.
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