Regina Cassandra, love interest of Sonam Kapoor’s Sweety in Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, on why she didn’t negotiate for more screen time
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; February 7, 2019)

A quick glance at the reviews of Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga will reveal that both cinephiles and critics alike would have liked to see more of Sonam Kapoor’s on-screen love interest. Seated before us days after her movie hit screens, we ask Regina Cassandra why she chose against negotiating for more screen time. “When we started discussing [the film] there was some talk of giving Kuhu [her character] more to do in it. But, at the end of the day, it is Sweety’s [Kapoor’s character] story and is narrated from her perspective. I am glad I could add to it,” she says, certain that director Shelly Chopra Dhar and writer Gazal Dhaliwal sketched her part with “great love and care”.

There may have been apprehensions, we presume, when a film on same-sex love was to mark the Bollywood debut of the celebrated South actor. Yet, Cassandra can only cherish the fact that the “fun film” is a step further in making the taboo subject, part of everyday conversation. She confesses she didn’t have to look too far when finding reference points for her role. “I have friends who are lesbians; they’re bold and outgoing, and openly hit on women. They are also unabashed and unapologetic, and that’s also how my character is. She grew up with the confidence [and freedom] to be who she wants to be. So, it was important to show Kuhu as someone who is comfortable in her skin. It wasn’t about portraying a lesbian relationship, but, more of showcasing a love story. That it involved two women was incidental. No one calls a regular love story a heterosexual love story.”

The actor was to make her debut in this industry with the upcoming thriller Aankhen 2, which is yet to go on floors. “I was game to be part of that film. But it wasn’t working out. This [offer] came out of nowhere. Shelly was determined to get me on board. I am proud of this choice. These stories need to be told.”

BOMBAY TIMES (January 14, 2019)

Director Rajkumar Hirani, who has made films like the Munna Bhai series, 3 Idiots, PK and Sanju, has been reportedly accused of sexually harassing a woman. She has alleged that the filmmaker sexually abused her on more than one occasion, over six months, between March and September 2018. A website has reported that the alleged incident took place during the post-production work on his last release, Sanju.

It’s learnt that the accuser in question sent out an email on November 3, 2018, addressing Rajkumar’s business associate, filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra, also marking Anupama Chopra (his wife), a Director with Vinod Chopra Films Pvt. Ltd, scriptwriter Abhijat Joshi, who has often collaborated with Hirani, and Shelly Chopra, the director of their upcoming film, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga. Hirani’s lawyer has reportedly denied the allegations. The matter is being investigated.

The accusations have put considerable pressure on Chopra and Hirani’s partnership. While the June 27, 2018, teaser of Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga included Rajkumar Hirani Films as the co-producer, the trailer of the film, which released later on December 26, 2018, had no mention of him.
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MUMBAI MIRROR (January 14, 2019)

Rajkumar Hirani, one of Bollywood’s top filmmakers who has directed blockbusters like 3 Idiots, PK, and the Munna Bhai series, finds himself in the midst of the #MeToo storm with a woman he worked with accusing him of sexual abuse and harassment.

According to a report published by HuffPost India, the woman has alleged that she was targeted by Hirani while working on the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer, Sanju, last year. The assault allegedly took place on more than one occasion and continued over a six month period between March and September 2018 when post-production work on the film was in progress.

The complainant has levelled these allegations in an email, dated November 3, 2018, to Hirani’s Sanju co-producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra. She also marked the mail to Chopra’s wife and film journalist Anupama Chopra, Hirani’s co-writer Abhijat Joshi and Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s sister Shelly Chopra Dhar. Huffpost India also claimed to have verified the claims with the woman and her friends.

Hirani, on his part, refuted the allegations, calling them “false, malicious and mischievous”.

The HuffPost report says that the director “refused to answer any questions, but shared printouts of text messages and emails exchanged between him and the complainant over the course of six months, to claim that he had a normal professional relationship with the complainant.”

In response to queries sent by HuffPost India, Hirani’s lawyer Anand Desai replied on December 5, 2018, saying, “These communications establish that the allegations made against our client to you, that have given rise to your queries, are false and completely unjustified.”

Hirani also issued a statement on Sunday evening after the HuffPost article went viral.

“I was completely shocked when these allegations were brought to my notice about two months back. I had suggested immediately that it is essential to take this matter to any committee or any legal body. The complainant has chosen to go to the media instead. I want to very strongly state that this is a false, malicious and mischievous story being spread with the sole intention of destroying my reputation,” the statement read.

In her email to the Chopras, the woman claimed that Hirani first made a sexually suggestive remark to her on April 9, 2018, and then sexually assaulted her at his home-office.

She wrote: “I remember forming these words on my lips – ‘Sir. This is wrong... Because of this power structure. You being the absolute power and me being a mere assistant, a nobody — I will never be able to express myself to you’.”

The complainant further said that she always regarded Hirani as a “father figure” and that she was forced to maintain a facade of normalcy during work because her father is fighting a terminal illness and she could not give up her job. “If Hirani said I wasn’t good, my future would be in jeopardy,” she wrote in the email.

While Vidhu Vinod Chopra did not respond to the complainant’s allegations, his wife Anupama confirmed to HuffPost India that the woman had shared an account with her and Vinod Chopra Films (VCF) has since set up a committee to address complaints of sexual harassment.

“I’ve met the complainant twice. Both times, I have offered my full support and recommended that she take the complaint to a legal body or a neutral party since we cannot be arbitrators or judges on this. We also offered to set up an ICC (Internal Complaints Committee) at VCF (which we have set up since then) even though a VCF ICC could not have taken up the case since she was an RHF (Rajkumar Hirani Films) employee at the time. These are two separate companies,” Anupama was quoted as saying in the HuffPost report.

Anupama further added that the complainant stayed at “our house for two nights. We also provided the number of an expert on the issue, so she could talk to a professional. She said she needed time to think through how she will take it forward. I did not want in any way to pressurise her or steer her in any direction. As Vinod and I told her then, she has our full support and we are fully respectful of whatever decision she has taken.”

Mirror tried to contact Hirani, the Chopras and Joshi, but they were not available for comments. 

MID-DAY (December 26, 2018)

Rajkummar Rao, who has seen a successful 2018, said that the success of a film is not determined by its budget.

Rao was interacting with media during the unveiling of the first look of his forthcoming film, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga along with co-actors Anil Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Juhi Chawla and producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra.

Rao-starrer horror comedy Stree went on to become one of the highest grossers of 2018, and earned Rs 180 crore against its budget of Rs 25 crore.

Similarly, many small budgets films like Raazi, Andhadun, Badhaai Ho, Hichki and Pad Man managed to earn several folds more than the budget they were mounted on. On the other hand, big budget films like Race 3, Thugs Of Hindostan and Zero bombed at the box-office.

“I think the success of a film is not determined by its budget. I feel, it’s about the content. Content of a film eventually decides the budget of your film. So, if your content is strong and your audience is able to connect with it, then it will do well,” said Rao.

Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga narrates the story of a Hindu woman who is in love with a Muslim man. Her life falls apart when she discovers her father’s infidelity with a woman who aspires to be an actor. On working in Ek Ladki Ko..., Rao said, “When the makers approached me with the script, I decided to do this film. I was moved after reading the script.” Talking about her experience, Sonam said, “When Vinod called me and told me he was doing a film and wanted me to be part of it, I felt it was a wonderful compliment coming from such a reputed director and producer. Shelly ji [Shelly Chopra Dhar, director] narrated the script to me, and, after hearing it, I felt that it was one of the most beautifully structured scripts I have heard. It is a complete, entertaining story. It has an emotionally satisfying and beautiful ending. So, I told myself that I had to do it.”

With Vidhu Vinod Chopra demanding re-shoot of portions of sister Shelly Dhar's directorial debut Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, Sonam Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao to dedicate weekends to project
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; August 28, 2018)

Shelly Dhar's directorial venture, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, has generated tremendous curiosity since it brings together the father-daughter duo of Anil Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor aka Sonam K Ahuja on screen for the first time. However, with sources suggesting that producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra is not satisfied with the rushes, Sonam and co-star Rajkummar Rao have apparently been asked to reshuffle their other film commitments to accommodate the re-shoot of the drama.

The sudden turn of events has understandably put the actors in a quandary. A source reveals, "Sonam starts shooting for The Zoya Factor today onwards and has allotted bulk dates to the project till the year-end. Rajkummar too is dividing his time between Stree promotions and the shoots of Made In China and Mental Hai Kya."

Their fondness for the filmmaker duo aside, the stars are said to be deeply invested in the project as they believe that the family drama has the potential to strike a chord with the audience.

Eager to see the film shape up in the best way possible, we hear, Sonam and Rao have agreed to dedicate their weekends to it. "Ever since Vidhu sir expressed his reservations about the product, the stars have been trying to reshuffle their dates. It has now been decided that Sonam and Raj will honour their prior commitments through the week and will forgo their day offs over the weekends to shoot the said portions in Mumbai. They are required to allot 15 days, and hope to wrap up the portions by the end of September. If all goes as expected, the film should be able to meet its deadline. But any lapse could see the film missing its release date of February 1."

Anil, who plays the patriarch in the movie, will apparently be able to train his sight on the project only after he has wrapped up his Total Dhamaal shoot in October.

Shelly Chopra Dhar on her directorial debut which borrows its title from her brother’s 1942 A Love Story and brings Anil and Sonam Kapoor together on screen for the first time
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 1, 2018)

Shelly Chopra Dhar wrapped up her directorial debut, the family-drama Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, on Sunday with its last schedule in Mumbai. The film, produced by Fox Star Studios, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Rajkumar Hirani, had taken off in January this year and was shot predominantly in Punjab. It brings Anil Kapoor and daughter Sonam on screen together for the first time. Excerpts from an interview:

What was it like watching Anil and Sonam Kapoor work together on screen and off it?
All my characters have an arch of their own so the task was evenly divided and worked out well for them given that both Anil and Sonam are stars. The script satisfied them both individually. (Smiles) I’m lucky they are both very professional so it worked out well for me too.

The film also brings back the hit jodi of the ’90s, Anil and Juhi Chawla.
Yes, and their chemistry is amazing. I have always enjoyed Juhi’s performances, she can get away with saying anything because she’s so innocent and we tapped that quality for this role of a simple woman who is a romantic. (Laughs) As they say, ‘philosophy is in simplicity’.

Talking of romantics, the intense Rajkummar Rao is reportedly playing a lover boy?
Raj is an amazing actor and brought his individuality to the part. Yes, the romance bit was different for him which gives him a new graph to play with.

You have borrowed your title from the iconic song of your brother Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s film, 1942—A Love Story. How did the idea come about? Are you recreating the song for your film?
I love the song and after we got Anil on board it fit in perfectly because it connects a whole lifetime. R D (Burman, who composed the song) was outstanding and I wanted to bring it back to the new generation. The idea is to prolong its life.

What are your memories of 1942: A Love Story and does Sonam remind you of the ethereally beautiful Manisha Koirala?
Manisha’s natural beauty and simplicity as portrayed by Vinod (Chopra) has stayed with me all these years. She had just one release before 1942 but the way Vinod showed her on screen, she didn’t look like the same person. I have tried to follow that ‘beauty in simplicity’ mantra with Sonam in my film too.

How did the last day of shoot go?
When you are going through the process, you don’t realise the weight you are carrying till it is done. It only hits you when the weight drops because your body has got used to lugging it around. It will take me two-three days to realise that the milestone has been completed. We had initially planned to shoot the climax in Punjab too and were into the last 15 days of shoot, hoping for a wrap on March 12, when Sridevi’s sudden demise affected our process. I had to shift the climax to July since all my actors had taken time off from their busy schedules to complete the film in one shot. That didn’t happen and we finally got combination dates in July but because the monsoon has set in, we couldn’t go back and wrapped it up in Mumbai.

Did you do anything special on the last day?
We stayed back on the set after packup and partied. For the next few hours, it was only food and drinks. That’s all the time we had to celebrate because now I have to get into post production and I am working 10 hours a day on my edit.