Showing posts with label Simmba. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Simmba. Show all posts
Exit Ranveer Singh, enter a clearer picture for artist exit
10:36 PM
Right to opt out without a row, creative control mechanisms may rank high on list of clauses: experts
Rajesh N Naidu (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; June 4, 2026)
Mumbai: The controversy surrounding Ranveer Singh's exit from Don 3, which prompted producers to take the matter public and led to a brief non-cooperation move against the actor, has again brought the spotlight on Bollywood's lack of a structured and equitable exit mechanism in film contracts.
This development, at a time when the industry is grappling with soaring costs and a shortage of stories that can be developed into commercially viable franchises, however, may prompt stakeholders to ensure clearer and prominent exit clauses in future film contracts, lawyers told ET.
Among the various provisions that could help avert such disputes, artists' exit rights and creative control mechanisms rank high on the list, they said.
"Creative control disputes are among the most litigated yet contractually overlooked areas in Indian entertainment law. A well-drafted artist agreement should set a clear deadline tied to the start of principal photography, beyond which an artist can no longer exit the project on grounds of creative disagreement," said Priyanka Sinha, cofounder and partner at law firm A&P Partners.
"Before that deadline, a clean exit option, backed by an advance refund obligation, gives both parties a legally sound way out, limiting exposure to consequential damage claims on either side. The clause reflects a simple principle: creative freedom and commercial certainty can coexist; it just takes precise drafting," she added.
Lawyers also pointed to the importance of including an "exclusivity period" clause in film contracts.
"It is critical to spell out the period for which an artist will be associated with a film. This will help avoid clashes between artists and producers," said a lawyer who did not want to be named.
In 2018, actor Sara Ali Khan began shooting for director Rohit Shetty's film Simmba after her debut film Kedarnath, directed by Abhishek Kapoor, was delayed. Subsequently, Kapoor demanded exclusive dates from Khan for Kedarnath. These dates coincided with her shooting schedule for Simmba. Consequently, Kapoor initiated legal proceedings against the actor.
Legal experts also stressed that film contracts should include provisions for the reimbursement of documented costs.
"Given the significant investments made in development, financing, marketing and production planning based on the cast, agreements should provide for reimbursement of documented costs, along with other pre-agreed remedies, in the event of an unjustified withdrawal by an artist," said Nitika Nagar Mohandas, associate partner designate at Anand & Naik.
Film contracts involve personal services and therefore cannot be specifically enforced, said experts.
"In India, the legal position regarding contracts involving personal services, such as those of actors, directors and other creative professionals, is that they cannot be specifically enforced. A court will not compel an artist to continue performing in a project against his or her will," said Anushree Rauta, head of media and entertainment practice at ANM Global.
"While Indian courts have historically recognized and enforced negative covenants during the subsistence of a contract, such enforcement is not automatic and is subject to important limitations, particularly where the effect would be to force the artist to remain idle or indirectly compel performance," she added.
I don’t mind being loved or hated, but I don’t want to lie to anyone-Sara Ali Khan
8:42 AM
Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; August 23, 2023)
She was raised by liberal parents who encouraged her to blossom, thrive and be who she wanted to be. And here’s what we have today — a bindaas, spunky, confident and cool girl, who likes living her lifezara hatke. Someone who is proud about not “being manicured”. Take it, or leave it — that’s Sara Ali Khan for you, darshakon! Sitting in her lovely Juhu home, we talk about all that matters – success, failure, beliefs, criticism, love, and most of all, about her honest, true self. Read on…
With films ranging from Kedarnath, Simmba, Coolie No 1 to Atrangi Re, Gaslight, and your recent release Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, would you say that your career has been zara hatke, or did you tread more bachke?
I definitely think that my career has been hatke. Aankh Maare (Simmba) dropped on December 6, 2018, and Kedarnath released the next day, on December 7, and just those two pieces of work are so different. However, I think whenever I have played a girl from the heartland of India, it has connected with the audience, because I am that person in my soul – in the way I travel, eat, talk or my values. Whether it is the Bihari dialect in Atrangi Re or dressing up like a Punjabi girl in Zara Hatke Zara Bachke (ZHZB), these are things you have to work on, but desiness to me is an emotion. So, the desire to be versatile is always there, but beyond that, there has been no planning my career trajectory.
You have received a lot of love for ZHZB, which went on to become a success. But how do you deal with the harsh criticism that comes your way for some of your work? In fact, a lot of opinions and comments on various aspects of your life are put out there by people on social media. How deeply does it affect you?
I think it is important to understand what the criticism is. If I am being criticized for going to a temple, the length of my shorts or the colour of my dupatta – then I don’t care. It’s no one’s business, but my own! But, if I am being criticized about my work, and if they don’t like my work, then that’s a problem because I work for the audience. It is important to take feedback, learn and grow. If I had carried the burden of the failure of Love Aaj Kal onto the set of Atrangi Re, I wouldn’t have been able to deliver. Whatever I do, I do it with my heart and soul. It is difficult to detach when you love something so much. It broke my heart when the media and audience that gave me so much love for my first two films panned me in Love Aaj Kal. It shattered me entirely. But I decided that main haar nahin maan sakti, and I have to do better. I am not one of those people who will say that they don’t care. Of course, I do. I don’t let failure or criticism break me, but I don’t let it make me either. Now, when I meet people at the gym, they are much nicer to me than they were a few months ago (owing to the success of my film). The love I received for ZHZB has given me a lot of confidence, but I didn’t let it excite me much as I know it’s till next Friday. So, I don’t get too attached to the love, for I know that it might not last.
In the last few years, do you think you have come into your own?
Yes, I have. I am getting better at being able to surrender to the director’s vision. I think somewhere, I had become a little insecure after some of my films that released didn’t get the kind of response and love that I had hoped they would. Suddenly, I became unsure…ki bharosa bhi karu to kispe karu, kitna, kya karu? To fully let that feeling go and be able to honestly present yourself in every set is a different learning. Also, because I am loud, funny and bindaas, one thing I have learnt recently is that the idea is not to be the joker on set. The idea is not to exhaust yourself so much that action aur cut ke beech mein kuch rahe na because you have to leave the juice and meat for what really matters. The rest is all useless.
When you interact with your fans and the media – whether in person or via social media – there seems to be a certain ease and comfort. You are fun, chatty and even goofy. Does it come naturally to you, and is this your honest, real self that you put out there?
I guess I am so different from others that I come across as bindaas, ziddi, pagal…aur mujhe yeh sun ke bahut garv mehsoos hone laga ki I am not manicured, and I started liking that. I started enjoying the fact that people appreciate me for who I am. Since childhood, I was encouraged to be myself by my parents. But people often told me, ‘Talk softly, don’t laugh so loudly, your body language and posture should change now that you are going to be an actor.’ Then I actually got accepted for who I am, and I was like…why should I waste my energy trying to be someone else. I can be different people for my screen roles, and if I need to do justice to all these characters on screen, I need to be Sara when I am not any of these in real life, else I will go crazy. I admire people who can put up this front 24/7. It is exhausting, and I want to save that energy for action and cut. It is not that I say anything anywhere, I do have that awareness. But yes, off-camera, I want to be myself and be real.
Having done all-out commercial films to the hatke ones – is there any genre you specifically want to explore or do more of?
I want to be able to do everything. There is a certain connect that I feel to heartland India, and I would like to do another one in that zone. But I also want to do a royal period drama and a romantic film. I want to reach a point where people say that there is no genre that Sara can’t do. I set very high standards for myself; I always have. I believe that if you aim for the moon, you will land on the stars. Anand L Rai taught me that – give a bad shot, but never give a safe shot. Take a risk, take that leap.
What is Sara’s ideal man like? Do men get deterred by your honesty and frankness?
I don’t know if it is a deterrent, but it is who I am. I have learnt thus far in life that I don’t mind being loved, I don’t mind being hated, but I don’t want to lie – whether it is to my friends, audience, media, or the man in my life. You have to take me for who I am. I do have an opinion, a brain, a heart, and I am not going to silence any of them. Hopefully, I will find the right person who accepts that.
‘I don’t want to be known as a knock-knock queen, that’s not my name’
I am beginning to understand what the job is and what isn’t. People pleasing is a defence mechanism you will adopt when you don’t think you are good enough for the job. I went through that phase after Love Aaj Kal when I thought my jokes would be appreciated if not anything else. But I am realizing that the work will speak. I don’t want to be known as a knock-knock queen, that’s not my name. That is only funny if there is a decent amount of work to substantiate it. Confusing audiences into buying their love by giving intelligent interviews or jokes on reels instead of work is not the approach. The more films I do, the more I realize that.
I don’t feel pressure while working with a big director-Sara Ali Khan
8:11 AM
Sara Ali Khan doesn’t let the pressure of big names or her films’ successes get to her
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 31, 2023)
Since she broke on to the film scene five years ago, Sara Ali Khan has worked with a number of A-list directors like Abhishek Kapoor (Kedarnath; 2018), Rohit Shetty (Simmba; 2018), Imtiaz Ali (Love Aaj Kal; 2020) and Aanand L Rai (Atrangi Re; 2021). Riding high on her latest, Laxman Utekar’s Zara Hatke Zara Bachke (ZHZB), the actor, who is a “nervous person in general” believes that working with these big names is a privilege.
The 27-year-old shares, “I don’t feel pressure while working with a big director, but rather privileged. I want to work with filmmakers, who I can fully surrender myself to and say ‘Bhai aap jo bologe, as an actor, main vahi karungi’. I want to continue to do honest work so that more directors want to work with me. That’s the only way to grow.”
Sara, who comes from a filmy family (her parents are actors Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh), doesn’t let that go to her head. “Early on in my career, I was spoiled. But I understood that mera kaam hai apna kaam karna. I have to be on set on time, know my lines and do what the director says. Films are a director’s medium,” she says.
Sara, who starred along with Vicky Kaushal in ZHZB says, she is taking success with a pinch of salt. “You’re only as relevant as your last Friday [collections]. I got a lot of love for the film. I’m enjoying the moment but I am not holding onto it. One wrong Friday and it can all go away,” she ends.
Zara Hatke Zara Bachke is my highest grossing film so far-Sara Ali Khan
10:27 AM
Content with the box-office collections of her latest, the actor feels that people resonate with her roles because they come from an ‘honest space’
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 30, 2023)
“The title is very appropriate with what has happened with the film. Everyone in the industry was going bachke, but we went the hatke way,” gushes actor Sara Ali Khan, referring to her latest movie, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke (ZHZB), which has been running in theatres for close to a month now. “I’ve never really understood numbers; the only currency I prefer is the love I get from the audience,” says the actor.
The 27-year-old is glad that her film has helped defy the notion that people are no longer interested in going to the theatres. “I am happy to see that we (cinemas) are back. Bahut log bolte the badi film honi chahiye, action film honi chahiye, sirf tabhi big screen par aayegi. But, that’s not necessary. I’ve always said that if you tell stories honestly, it will touch people’s hearts,” says Khan.
While she might not understand numbers, Khan does admit that they matter. “ZHZB is my highest-grossing film so far. I can’t claim Simmba (2018) as much as Ranveer Singh (actor) and Rohit Shetty (director) can. Yes, it was my film too, but ZHZB feels more personal,” she says.
The actor is aware that her most well-received performances — including in Kedarnath (2018), Atrangi Re (2021) and now ZHZB — saw her play a “small town girl”. How does she pull these off? “I may not have lived in rural India, but I am a desi girl at the core and am very proud of my Indianness. It’s an emotion. Even my vacations are very different, maybe that’s why people don’t like holidaying with me (laughs). If I go to Himachal [Pradesh] for five days, for instance, I will have at least six meals with the locals. I enjoy that... So if people resonated with these roles, that’s maybe because they come from an honest space,” she ends.
‘VISITING TEMPLES IS A PERSONAL CHOICE’
Khan’s visits to religious places such as Kedarnath and most recently, Mahakaleshwar Temple, have created a lot of buzz. Ask her about it, and she says, “People are in the habit of it (trolling); whatever keeps them entertained. I don’t mind if every third person is trolling me, as long as the work I do for the audiences does not go unnoticed. The rest is background noise. Aapko achha lagega, toh theek hai, nahin lagega, toh aisa nahin hai ki nahin jaaungi! It is my personal choice.”
Experts, writers and filmmakers react to Bollywood's new trend of creating cinematic universes
8:27 AM
Experts says it’s an exciting idea worth exploring
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 19, 2022)
The evolution of a ‘shared universe’ — which primarily consists of a franchise featuring an umbrella of multiple movies, each telling its own stand-alone story focusing on a different character (or group of characters) and set within the same continuity — appears to be the direction the film industry is headed. And like the West, which regularly releases blockbusters through the Star Wars, Marvel and DC universes, Bollywood also appears to have adapted to the trend.
Take, for instance, Singham (played by Ajay Devgn), Sooryavanshi (Akshay Kumar), and Simmba (Ranveer Singh), who assembled to fight the baddies in Rohit Shetty’s film Sooryavanshi. In fact, the filmmaker has even announced the fourth instalment in this ‘copverse’, Singham Again, which has a new addition: Deepika Padukone, his first female cop!
Another instance of this trend infiltrating Bollywood can be seen in the works of producer Dinesh Vijan, who has already begun creating the characters for his horror-comedy universe. The latest release, Bhediya, starring Varun Dhawan, included a special cameo by actors Rajkummar Rao and Aparshakti Khurana (from the cast of Stree, 2018).
Hardik Mehta, who helmed Roohi (2021), also by Vijan, tells us, “A good film [regardless of universe or franchise] will last longer. I was pleasantly surprised by Bhediya’s end, though. What I liked about it was that the main story was not dependent on Stree.”
Hussain Dalal, the writer of films such as Mere Pyaare Prime Minister and the upcoming Shehzaada, says, “This universe is a format that guarantees success. It’s an intelligent thing that the West taught us.”
Dalal also wrote the dialogue for Brahmastra (part of Astraverse), which was a big hit and audiences will see the plot unfold in its pre-declared trilogy. From a producer’s perspective, too, exploring this seems to be a lucrative option, as Anand Pandit notes: “I think it’s very interesting. As a producer, you can stick to your genre and create loyal viewers. This universe concept will absolutely work. And if the content is good, that will be an add-on.”
However, trade expert Atul Mohan says the Hindi film industry “always copies the trends in the West”. “The problem with us could be that unlike Hollywood, where they work on it (franchises) properly, here they look at franchises as a gimmick,” he adds.
People have taken jibes at the way I look and questioned how someone like me can even be called an actor-Siddharth Jadhav
8:35 AM
Mihir Bhanage (BOMBAY TIMES; October 9, 2022)
On screen, he’s called ‘energy bomb’ and ‘Ranveer Singh of the Marathi industry’ but there’s another side to Siddharth Jadhav. One that’s vulnerable and introspective. In a chat with us, the actor, who has been shaking up our social media feeds as much with his style as with his new projects, speaks to us about breaking the comedy stereotype, the new phase and the ups and downs in his career. Excerpts:
‘COMEDY IS MY FORTE, BUT THAT’S NOT ALL THAT I AM GOOD AT’
Throughout his initial years in Marathi cinema, Siddharth created a name for himself among the list of comic actors in the industry. But he gradually branched out into different roles with films like Me Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy, Razzakar, Dream Mall etc. Ask him what changed, and he replies, “As a person nothing changed drastically. People identify me as a comic actor, and I too know that comedy is my forte. But that’s not all. I am fortunate that people accepted my serious roles as nicely as they did my comic ones. Credit for this goes to the directors and writers who thought of me for these roles, especially Mahesh Manjrekar sir who was among the first people to recognize and execute a different side of mine on the big screen. He was also someone who told me that I had the talent of making people laugh when I laughed, and cry when I cried. I consider myself fortunate to have worked with people who saw beyond the stereotype that I had come to be associated with.”
‘WENT THROUGH A VERY LOW PHASE FROM 2013-17’
Despite his best efforts, many of Siddharth’s hatke films didn’t work at the box office. The actor, who is otherwise full of energy, went through a low phase between 2013 and 2017. “Although I was doing a play, Gela Udat, and a TV show, I was devastated that my films weren’t working. These four years were an extremely low phase for me. I didn’t know what to do and life seemed to have stopped at one point. It was like being stuck on a boat in the middle of the lake. But my brother, Dr Lavesh Jadhav, told me something that I haven’t stopped following till date,” he says.
“Mahesh sir said that we only think that nothing is happening because there’s no work to do. But there’s so much work that you can do work on yourself, meet people, write, develop your skills. That helped me dive from that stuck boat and swim to the shore. In the process, I left the baggage from Siddharth Jadhav 1.0 behind because had I carried that with me, I would’ve drowned. So, to anyone who may be going through such a phase right now, I want to say that stay put and be strong, this too shall pass,” shares Siddharth.
2017 AND BEYOND: SIDDHARTH JADHAV 2. 0
In 2017, things changed for Siddharth with the release of Faster Fene. Then came Simmba, which reunited Siddharth with his Golmaal director Rohit Shetty and had him sharing the screen with Ranveer Singh. “Aditya Sarpotdar, Kshitij Patwardhan, Riteish Deshmukh these people believed in me and gave me an opportunity in Faster Fene. I won’t ever forget that. With Simmba, of course, came wider recognition. These were not things that I had planned. They happened. All I did was to give my best to whatever I did and just enjoyed the moment,” he says.
Siddharth’s tryst with big-budget Hindi films continued with special appearances in Radhe and Sooryavanshi. He will soon be working with Rohit Shetty and Ranveer Singh again in Cirkus, and he has a silent film titled Gandhi Talks set to release next year. “Cirkus is a family entertainer where I play a fun character. On the other hand, Gandhi Talks is a very interesting film by director Kishor Belekar. It’s a silent film, which also features Vijay Sethupathi, Aditi Rao Hydari and Arvind Swamy. The music is by A R Rahman. What else does one need in a film?” asks Siddharth.
‘EVERYONE HAS AN OPINION ON SOCIAL MEDIA’
While he has learned to ignore trolls on social media today, there was a point when they affected him. Sharing that he is open to criticism of his work, Siddharth adds, “Personal attacks are something I don’t like. People have taken jibes at the way I look and questioned how someone like me can even be called an actor. I would feel bad before, but not anymore. Criticize my work if you find it bad, but avoid personal attacks. That said, I realise that people need an outlet to vent their frustrations and often, public figures are at the receiving end. Yes, there are some people who troll others just for the heck of it. But I’ve learned not to fixate on that. Today, even if someone writes something bad about me on a photo I have posted, I like the comment and move on.”
I love my peers; there is boundless scope to learn from them-Sara Ali Khan
8:17 AM
With Sara becoming every industry actress’s best buddy, the actor on shattering the age-old adage that contemporaries must be rivals
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 5, 2022)
Despite the polarising reviews the film received, Sara Ali Khan has earned acclaim for her act as the feisty Rinku in Atrangi Re. Acknowledging that the uncanny storyline, which amused and puzzled viewers in equal measure, is what drew her to the film, she says, “I want to work on films which are as [unique] as Atrangi Re. None of my films should have anything in common. I want to live different lives,” she says, delighted to have found herself in viewers’ good-books after their lukewarm reaction to Love Aaj Kal.
“When things don’t work, you lose a bit of your confidence. After Kedarnath and Simmba, I was put on a pedestal that I wasn’t sure I deserved. After Love Aaj Kal, I was dragged down brutally. But, I love social media, regardless. I can’t change how people think. So I work on myself instead.”
Since the subject of social media is raised, we can’t help but ask her about her new-found friendship with Janhvi Kapoor. Ever since the duo attended a music concert last month, discussions on their camaraderie has become the talk of the town. “We are both ambitious, young girls who have lost 18 months of our lives to COVID. We bond over that. We are different people, but comfortable in our skin.”
Kapoor is not the only one to make a frequent appearance on Khan’s social media. On one occasion, she can be seen shaking a leg with Ananya Panday; on another, she is spotted trekking with Radhika Madan. “I love my peers because they are so different from me. There is boundless scope to learn from them.”
Apart from her endeavour to shatter the age-old adage that female actors can’t be friends, Khan admits she has many battles to wage against trolls. That they pick on her for being inauthentic each time she greets lensmen with a ‘namaste’, hasn’t gone down well with her. “I have an understanding of what to say, and where. I talk differently with my friends, contemporaries, the press and the paps. That doesn’t suggest that I am fake. I grew up with a single-mother, and learnt that you [must] be a soft person, but have a hard exterior to protect yourself.”
Khan (right) training with Kapoor
You cannot attach your self worth to how your films fare-Sara Ali Khan
8:03 AM
Renuka Vyavahare (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 18, 2021)
Sara Ali Khan, like her famous parents (Amrita Singh and Saif Ali Khan), is nonchalantly honest. Exuding wisdom beyond her years, she lets us in on a secret. She may seem all confident and vivacious, but deep down, that’s her concealing her nerves better. The actress owns failure with as much integrity as success. In a candid chat with Bombay Times, Sara opened up on her life and beyond — right from relationships and highs and lows in her career, to her incredible weight loss journey and her forthcoming film Atrangi Re. Excerpts:
Your film Atrangi Re is a love triangle. You play a girl who cannot make up her mind between two men. Did that indecisiveness, not just limited to romantic relationships, resonate with you at any level?
There’s a line in the trailer that has caught a lot of attention. ‘Agar ek baar, ek ladki ko dono (ladke) mil jayenge toh kya aafat aa jayegi!’ I was so excited to say this line because I thought it was path-breaking in a way. Why does it have to be this or that in life? Aanand ji (director Aanand L Rai) told me, it’s not a path-breaking line, and you won’t say it like that. Say it in the same way as any other line because only then will people relate to it. He didn’t want me to make it sound like I was giving a speech or a sermon. He explained how it was a genuine, innocent and simple thought.
When you truly believe in something, you don’t jatao it. If I want to have salad and pizza, why can’t I have both? Other than the indecisiveness, what I found most exciting about my character Rinku is her demeanour. She says these assertive, confident and strong things, but it’s all coming from a pure and innocent space. She seems unabashed, but she isn’t callous. If I were to compare, Rinku is not quite like me except for one thing, and this one similarity outweighs the differences. Like her, I may seem bubbly and display clarity of thought, but that’s on the exterior. In reality, I am extremely sensitive as a person. I just know how to conceal that side of me better with confidence. I grew up with a single mother (actress Amrita Singh) who understood early in life that if you have a soft shell, you will be crumpled easily. I idolize my mother and hope to be like her every day, so the strength to conceal the vulnerability comes from there.
As your film hints, do you believe one person can fall in love with two people at the same time?
Love is a very personal and subjective phenomenon. I do believe in one thing. To have any kind of love in your life, you need to love yourself first. It took me a while to realise that. The rest is different for different people.
Your weight-loss journey has often been spoken about. What’s impressive is that you were confident then and you are confident now. It wasn’t based on the weighing scale, was it?
Confidence for me is never about what I look like. That’s not real. You are who you are on the inside. That’s your identity. Baahar ka toh theek hai. Aap paanch pizza khaogay thoday motay lagogay, paanch ghanta bhagoge, patle lagogay. What you are on the inside is what matters the most. Also, it doesn’t matter to me what people say. You allow a troll to win when their comments affect you. You look in the mirror and say, mujhe farak nahi padta toh nahi padta. It’s unrealistic to believe that you can change how the world thinks. It would be great if we all woke up to being body positive, but that may not happen. The need for validation from other people is inevitable in our jobs, but you need to compartmentalize it. I mean no disrespect to anyone, but what they think of how I look does not matter to me. However, what you think of my acting does matter to me. That’s my job. I do films for the people and media. If they don’t like my work, then it’s a problem, and I need to work on it. That I will take seriously. But how I walk, look or what I wear is nobody’s business. That’s my life. I am proud of the fact that I have been able to segregate Sara, the actor, from Sara, the person.
Does this wisdom come from your parents, who are known for being independent in their thinking?
Absolutely! They both have taught me to have a sense of balance. After Kedarnath and Simmba, I could have thought I’d arrived and after Love Aaj Kal, I could have locked myself in a room. I didn’t do either of those things. You cannot attach your self-worth to how your films fare. My job matters a lot to me, but if you stop mattering to yourself, job kaise kar paogay? My mom stopped working as a leading lady the year before I was born. She bagged the Filmfare Award for Aaina (1993) and called it quits. My father gave 17 flops, and then became somebody who won numerous awards later on, including the National Award for Hum Tum. He went on to do films like Omkara. I learnt from them that if your heart is in the right place and you try hard and mean well, you are sorted.
Atrangi Re will be out on the same day as Kabir Khan’s '83. Both films are much awaited. Is it unnerving to go head-to-head with another promising film?
I do have butterflies in my stomach, but for other reasons. I haven’t had a release in a year. My last release was Coolie No 1. Honestly, it’s been two years since I have done a film that I can say I am really proud of. I started shooting for Atrangi Re two weeks after Love Aaj Kal was released, and that film was my first failure. With much love and compassion, Aanand ji told me that, ‘You cannot play on the back foot now. You are a confident girl, and I need that confidence to reflect in the performance. I want people to see that.’ He made me believe in myself at a time when I didn’t.
We live in a world where success is celebrated and failure is brushed under the carpet when it’s the latter that teaches you more, doesn’t it?
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Love Aaj Kal’s failure taught me more than Kedarnath’s success. When Kedarnath released, I had no expectations. I didn’t know what would happen. I loved my job, but bhook nahi thi aur itna khaana mil gaya. In Love Aaj Kal, I wasn’t appreciated at all and rightfully so. But now I have that hunger.
What do you think went wrong with Love Aaj Kal? Your performance evoked a fair amount of criticism. In hindsight, do you wish you had approached the role differently?
I had a blast working with Imtiaz Ali sir on that film and films are ultimately a director’s medium. We make movies for the audience and media. If you guys didn’t like the movie, then it didn’t work. I should have been a bit more understated in my performance, but that wasn’t the brief given to me. It could have been different, but you learn. If a character didn’t connect with you, I have to accept the fact that maybe my pitch was unreal. Maybe I wasn’t emotionally convinced as an actor to pull that off. I am cognisant of my failure. I hope to learn from my mistakes and get better in the future. As far as criticism is concerned, it’s important to understand what didn’t work, but you cannot take it to heart and lose confidence.
Bringing Chulbul Pandey and Singham together is a big responsibility-Rohit Shetty
8:25 AM
Building his own cop universe with Akshay, Ajay and Ranveer, Shetty says team developing the final draft of script hopefully to make way for new hero in uniform
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; December 12, 2021)
If Hollywood has its superhero world of Marvel Cinematic universe, closer home, Rohit Shetty has built his own cop universe with the Singham franchise, Simmba (2018) and the recent Sooryavanshi. The filmmaker is happy to have created three heroes — Ajay Devgn’s Bajirao Singham, Akshay Kumar’s Veer Sooryavanshi and Ranveer Singh’s Sangram Simmba Bhalerao — each distinct from one another.
“For me, the most important part of a cop universe should be that the characters should not be the same. Tomorrow if another cop comes on board, he has to be completely different from Simmba, Sooryavanshi and Singham. Each of the three films have a distinct take on cop heroes. When people come to the theatres, they should not feel ‘Arre, yeh toh Singham jaisa hai,’” says Shetty.
Clearly, the filmmaker is thinking of expanding the universe, bringing a fourth hero to join forces with Kumar, Devgn and Singh. In fact, there’s talk that Shetty may introduce another police officer in Singham 3. “At present, we cannot say what we will be doing,” he laughs, before adding, “We have another story for a different cop, but we have not decided whether he will come in Singham 3. [We could also] add a lady cop. We need to write the final draft of that story keeping Sooryavanshi [the last offering in the universe] in mind.”
Speculation is rife that Salman Khan aka his Dabangg cop character Chulbul Pandey will make an appearance in Singham 3. The union of Dabangg with Shetty’s world will be a treat for Bollywood fans. Excited as he is at the prospect, the filmmaker chooses to tread with caution. “Whenever Salman and I meet, we talk about Singham and Chulbul coming together, but nothing has been planned. Bringing both of them together is a big responsibility. Chulbul has a [big] fan following and is a brand in himself. If and when it happens, it will be a big [undertaking]. At present, I don’t see it happening as I am focusing on Cirkus, and then Singham 3.”
Maybe I was too high-pitched and loud in Love Aaj Kal. Maybe it was unconvincing-Sara Ali Khan
8:32 AM
Admitting that Love Aaj Kal’s box-office fate left her shattered, Sara discusses learning lessons from its failure and blooming creatively on the Atrangi Re set
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; December 9, 2021)
Sara Ali Khan doesn’t want to drink too many black coffees the morning we catch up with her for an interview. Having inherited her father Saif Ali Khan’s candid nature, she is worried she will tell us too much about Atrangi Re. She argues that the Aanand L Rai film has a complex plot that’s best revealed when it drops online. For now, all she is willing to say is that the Akshay Kumar and Dhanush-starrer is a film of a lifetime to her.
“I have the Thalaiva of the north and the Thalaiva of the south on screen with me. Aanand sir found vulnerability and innocence in me, which I hide beneath my confidence. He helped me bring those out on screen. So, in some ways, my character is like me. I am softer on the inside than I show. I have grown up with a single mother, and learnt from her that I need a hard exterior to protect what’s inside,” she says.
Rai’s stories usually have fierce women driving the narrative. Khan believes the beauty of his heroines lies in their love and compassion. “He loved me so much on that set. I started this film a week after Love Aaj Kal [2020] released. That film didn’t do well. Being with Aanand sir helped me rebuild myself. He had confidence in me when I did not. He made me perform when my self-esteem was at its lowest.”
We prod her about overcoming the failure of Imtiaz Ali’s Love Aaj Kal. The love story was slammed even by the filmmaker’s devout fans. “If something doesn’t work, I can’t defend it. I had to accept that it wasn’t good. We did what we thought was best; it didn’t translate on the screen. Maybe I was too high-pitched and loud. Maybe it was unconvincing. I tried to be receptive to [the audience’s feedback] to change that.”
She remembers Rai being her pillar of strength at the time. “During one of our early days, Aanand sir told me, ‘Tu hil gayi hogi Love Aaj Kal ke baad, but you have to play on the front foot.’ My mom [Amrita Singh] made sure that Kedarnath [2018] and Simmba’s [2018] success did not affect my behaviour on Love Aaj Kal’s set. So it’s only right that the failure of this shouldn’t affect Atrangi Re. It’s harder to forget a failure than the high of a success, but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
The one thing that looms large over Atrangi Re is that it’s set for a digital premiere despite theatres having reopened. Khan points out that the deal was cracked long ago, and adapting to different mediums is part of the job. “I became an actor for the big screen. But I also realise that with changing times, viewers will watch wherever they have to. Disney+ Hotstar has a massive viewership. Aanand sir made this decision. I won’t question his judgment. I fully support it.”
Meri aukaat nahi hai ki main Rohit Shetty ya Aanand L Rai ko chunungi. Woh mujhe chunenge-Sara Ali Khan
8:17 AM
Sara Ali Khan feels social media has made celebs ‘answerable’ to more people
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 3, 2020)
It’s challenging to try and make a place for yourself in an industry where you have barely started off, and people think you are being served everything on a platter as you belong to an illustrious family. Sara Ali Khan, with her debut film Kedarnath (2018), managed to shut down all such naysayers.
The 25-year-old completes two years as an actor in Bollywood, and already has three released films under her belt. Talking about her process of choosing projects, Khan asserts, “I don’t choose my films; my films choose me. I’ve been very lucky that so early in my career I got to work with directors who I am not in a position to choose. Meri aukaat nahi hai ki main Rohit Shetty (director of 2018 film Simmba) ya Aanand L Rai (director of upcoming film Atrangi Re) ko chunungi. Woh mujhe chunenge.”
She adds, “All I will say is that my dream, and the reason I became an actor in the first place, is to experience and portray emotions and situations that I wouldn’t be able to in my own life.”
Hoping for “versatility and diversity” in her career, the actor tells us that she’s looking forward to “working with different kind of filmmakers and doing different genre of films”.
We ask Khan what she feels is the most challenging part about being a movie star in today’s age, in her experience navigating through the showbiz world, and she doesn’t hesitate to reply: “I think it’s not about challenging. The one thing that’s both an advantage and disadvantage in its own way is that there is a lot of scrutiny in today’s day and age. While social media presence has given us a lot more reach, fans and well wishers, it has also given us a lot more people that we are, for the lack of a better word, answerable to,” the actor explains.
She considers this enhanced reach and visibility as a “slightly dangerous territory”. “Especially under the guise of anonymity, you don’t know who your critics are. Veterans who write, one has a lot of respect for them, but a ‘robot18’ abusing you [on social media], you are like, ‘Really, what the hell?’ I don’t like that,” elaborates Khan, whose next film will release on a streaming platform.
We have a complimentary dose of Ranveer Singh's energy on set-Pooja Hegde
8:00 AM
Bagging Cirkus opposite Ranveer Singh, Pooja Hegde on reviving her career after Mohenjo Daro debacle
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; October 31, 2020)
Pooja Hegde is amused that her date diary is chock-a-block in the middle of a pandemic. Currently filming Radhe Shyam in Italy, she will kick off the shoot of Rohit Shetty's Cirkus when she returns to the bay next month. "I love Rohit Shetty films. My dad and I watched Simmba together, and we were hooting at Ajay Devgn's entry. I had first met Rohit at Ramoji [Film City] in Hyderabad a few years ago. This offer came my way out of the blue," says Hegde, who will team up with Ranveer Singh, Jacqueline Fernandez and Varun Sharma in the laugh riot.
Given how different the worlds of Shakespeare and Shetty are, one wonders what The Comedy Of Errors looks like when viewed through the filmmaker's lens. "It will be a masala film; it's his version rather than an adaptation. Plus, we have a complimentary dose of Ranveer's energy on set," she laughs.
After making her Bollywood debut with Mohenjo Daro (2016), Hegde went missing from the Hindi film circuit, resurfacing last year with Housefull 4. Ask her how she emerged stronger after the debacle of the Hrithik Roshan-starrer, and she says, "An actor's first film is their show-reel to the world. I was under contract, so I hadn't signed another film during the period. Its failure was heart-breaking. Eventually, South films came along, and work attracted more work. I held off signing Hindi films because I needed a sturdy second movie. I built on the success of Housefull 4, and here I am!"
Blast from the past: Now theatres in India too will re-release blockbusters?
8:06 AM
Production houses contemplate playing previous hit films to increase footfalls, should cinema halls reopen
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; August 2, 2020)
Taking a cue from countries that have resumed operations of theatrical screenings amid the Coronavirus pandemic, Indian production houses will also screen their previous blockbusters to lure viewers back to cinema halls.A trade source tells mid-day, "Some multiplexes and single screen owners are in talks with distributors and studios like Warner Bros India, Yash Raj Films, and Reliance Entertainment, among others, to showcase their blockbusters."
Devang Sampat from Cinepolis says that with the Indian audience comprising viewers of Indian and international content, they have a large slate to play with. "For the first two weeks, Cinepolis plans to screen 3D films like Avatar, Gravity, and Titanic, and Oscar-winning movies. Regional films will also be aired in accordance with each state," he says, adding that a survey conducted by their team has revealed that 86 per cent of moviegoers are eager to visit theatres. "Once we decide which titles we want to play, we will work on acquiring the rights."
Exhibitor Akshaye Rathi, who runs 17 single-screens across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, adds, "Single screens have been at the forefront of these conversations. Reliance has Rohit Shetty-movies like Golmaal 3 and Golmaal Again, Singham, and Simmba. Warner Bros has gone a step ahead and created interesting packages and catalogues where the best of their comedies and action films can be sent to the exhibitors. The idea is to rebuild the habit of watching movies at theatres and earn the confidence of our audiences."
A look at the collections of Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, Street Dancer, Simmba, Kedarnath in New Zealand
8:29 AM
Box Office India Trade Network
The box office of Hindi films has also started in New Zealand for a few weeks now which makes it two countries playing Hindi films at the moment with UAE and New Zealand. Cinemas in Australia are also open but there has been no Hindi film screened there as yet.
TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR, STREET DANCER and SIMMBA have been screened in New Zealand with minimal footfalls. KEDARNATH also saw some screenings due to the death of Sushant Singh Rajput but again there were negligible collections.
The figures of Hindi films released in New Zealand post the the Coronavirus lockdown are as follows.
$8000
Street Dancer 3D
$5000
Simmba
$7000
Kedarnath
$3000
A 70mm voice is missing for many years now-Mika Singh
8:08 AM
Nikita Deb (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 11, 2020)
As we slowly move towards reopening things after an almost three-month-long nationwide Coronavirus lockdown, singer Mika Singh says he is very excited that life is getting back to normal. “Everyone knows about the dos and don’ts of going out, so if they continue to follow the rules of social distancing, etc., I think we will be fine,” he says.
During the lockdown, Singh had released a single titled Quarantine Love, and yesterday he released another single titled Tum Jo Mil Gaye Ho (Lockdown). With this remake of the popular song, Tum Jo Mil Gaye Ho (Hanste Zakhm; 1973), the singer has attempted to remake a Mohammad Rafi song for the first time. “I have sung remakes in the past but I never tried Mohammed Rafi Saab’s songs. Thankfully and luckily, none of my remakes got trolled,” says Singh, who has sung recreations such as Poster Lagwado (Luka Chuppi; 2019) and Aankh Marey (Simmba; 2018), among others.
He adds, “All these songs became hits by God’s grace, but most importantly, no one said anything bad about them. Meri hamesha koshish rehti hai ki in gaano ki kabhi taang na todi jaye, unke lyrics kharab na ho, so that people like the song.”
The 43-year-old singer feels we have extremely talented young singers in the industry but there’s a problem with the way they sing remakes. “They give the old songs a certain kind of sound jisse gaana kharab ho jata hai. For example, Kumar Sanu is the tiger of the music industry, and when I sang Aankh Marey, I had to match his voice. I took a week to listen to all of dada’s songs, to understand how he has such a brilliant voice — the kind of voice that we call a 70mm voice, a voice that suits the big screen. Woh bade parde wali awaaz hi gayab ho rakhi hai pichle kayi saalon se,” shares Singh.
“When you remake a legend’s song, you have to be very careful because you can never compare yourself to them. Aapko yeh maan ke chalna hai ki main uske ird gird nahi gaa paunga, na hi better ga paunga. But because the song is maybe 20 years old, there are a lot of young people who may not have heard it. So it is important to remake these songs for them,” he explains.
After Sooryavanshi, Rohit Shetty scouting for fourth cop?
8:28 AM
Even as fans wait to see Ajay Devgn, Ranveer Singh team up with Akshay Kumar in Sooryavanshi, sources say Rohit Shetty is developing next cop character to join his universe
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; March 16, 2020)
Rohit Shetty has been vocal about his desire to create a cop crossover film that will see the union of his three larger-than-life heroes — Ajay Devgn's Singham, Akshay Kumar's Sooryavanshi and Ranveer Singh's Simmba. But industry insiders suggest that the filmmaker is keen to add more cop heroes to the universe before he rolls the magnum opus that will see his khaki heroes join forces to fight the evil powers. Even as Sooryavanshi is looking at a new release date, buzz is that Shetty's team of writers is at work, developing new cop characters to take the franchise forward.A source reveals, "After Sooryavanshi, Rohit will train his focus on the next edition of Golmaal. In the meanwhile, his team of writers has been asked to create cop avatars that will have different personality traits from those of Singham, Simmba and Sooryavanshi, and will hail from different parts of India, thus tackling diverse issues of the country. He has a few heroes in mind that he wants to tap for the action franchise. In Simmba, he showed the crossover of Singham and Sooryavanshi. It is being said that in Sooryavanshi, Rohit has made a mention of his next cop hero who is likely to take the franchise forward."
mid-day reached out to Rohit Shetty, who remained unavailable for comment.
I can do action for another five years. Then, my age will tell me to back off-Akshay Kumar
8:30 AM
Akshay Kumar discusses moving from handstands and kicks to more daredevil stunts in his 30-year career; says it’s a good time to be an actor because ‘there’s an audience for all kinds of films’
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 7, 2020)
It may be the onset of a weekend but for Akshay Kumar, it’s just another day at work. Punctual to the dot, he strolls into his beach-facing office to talk shop.Excerpts from an interview:
Why did it take you so long to collaborate with Rohit Shetty, who was an assistant director on Suhaag?
A director is the captain of the ship and he decides the cast. We would have collaborated before. In fact, we had tried twice, but things didn’t work out. Better late than never, no?
You get back to action with Sooryavanshi. Were the heavy-duty stunts difficult?
For me, doing stunts is like going to Disneyland; I love it. And it’s all real action. It’s not the VFX guy in front of the computer making the actor a hero, but the actor, who is working towards becoming one. I can do action for another four-five years. Then, my age will tell me to back off.
Would you agree that the plane stunt in Khiladi 420 was the most challenging?
It’s difficult to pinpoint a particular stunt as I have done so much of action. Action is tricky; actors who have pulled off bigger stunts broke their knees or ankles jumping from a stool.
Any particular prep you underwent for this role?
I lost eight-nine kg, as I needed to look like an ATS (Anti Terror Squad) officer.
What do you think of Rohit’s cop universe brainwave, getting Singham and Simmba together with Sooryavanshi?
It’s unusual as three actors don’t come under one roof on everyday basis. Singham was the first film. Then Rohit introduced Sooryavanshi in Simmba. Now, they come together with me towards the end of my film. Hats off to Ajay Devgn and Ranveer Singh for agreeing to play small parts in this film.
Perhaps, it is a build-up to the big finale with all the three super cops?
It is India’s Avengers and is very successful. I feel a lot of pressure to ensure that Sooryavanshi does not break the chain towards building a successful cop universe. If this one doesn’t run, the chain will be broken.
How do you differentiate Sooryavanshi from Simmba and Singham?
The traits of all three characters and their way of looking at things is different. The only thing they have in common is the uniform.
A lot has been spoken about your ‘Tip Tip Barsa’ recreation with Katrina Kaif…
It was an iconic song. There is a lot of pressure to recreate it and get the same sort of response. Katrina and I are working together a decade after Tees Maar Khan. I wonder why it took so long…
Rohit Shetty is also known for his comedies. Any ideas for another crossover?(Winks) We have discussed comedies in the past. Anything can happen. About crossover, imagine Hera Pheri meeting Golmaal. Wouldn’t it be amazing to see characters from both films together?
Talking of Hera Pheri, what’s happening with Part 3?
It all depends on my producer, Firoz Nadiadwala. Talks have been on since the last 14 years.
You complete 30 years in the industry in 2021 …
(Cuts in) No, no, I started shooting for Saugandh in 1990, so this is the 30th year. Time just flew by, from 20 to 50. It feels like just yesterday that I shot for “Waada Raha Sanam” (Khiladi) and “Mang Meri Bharo” (Sabse Bada Khiladi).
What do you remember of your first day on the set?
I had 103 temperature when I landed in Coimbatore, driving down to Ooty, to shoot for Saugandh. I had to perform a handstand, kick the villain and get kissed on the forehead by Rakhee ji who was playing my mother. My make-up man gave me some Ayurvedic medicine for the fever and I was fine. He is still working with me.
From action to comedy and drama, you have been jumping genres over years. Any particular zone you wish to explore now?
Unlike 12 years ago, the audience today is ready to see a film on sanitary pads (Pad Man), toilets (Toilet - Ek Prem Katha), IVF (Good Newwz) and sperm donation (Vicky Donor). So many issues can be touched on, so many historic events be recreated. I want to do it all. It’s a good time to be an actor.
And what’s your detox plan?
The only detox from work is more work. That’s what rejuvenates me. I like travelling—to Maldives, South Africa, even a drive to Lonavala.
Tell us something about your upcoming films, Bachchan Pandey, Atrangi Re and Laxmmi Bomb.
Bachchan Pandey is still being scripted. Atrangi Re is a lovely film written by Himanshu Sharma; I’m looking forward to working with Aanand L Rai. In Laxmmi Bomb, I play a transgender. Nobody has ever touched this topic. If I speak more about these films, the producers will take away my contract.
There’s a lot of buzz about the Eid 2020 clash between Laxmmi Bomb and Salman Khan’s Radhe…
It is all hype, nothing more. I was shooting at Mehboob Studio and Salman was there too. We sat and chatted for a long time, but didn’t even discuss the clash. It is a festive period. Two films can easily be divided between 6000 screens. There have been clashes in the past; I don’t see a problem here.
Laxmmi Bomb and Radhe's clash is not my career’s first clash and it won’t be the last-Akshay Kumar
8:26 AM
As Akshay Kumar crosses the 150-film mark, he says it wasn’t even in his “wildest dreams” that he would survive as a Bollywood actor for so long
Prashant Singh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 3, 2020)
He has been on a roll for the past few years with a track record of back-to-back successes. A case in point: Last year all four of his films (Kesari, Mission Mangal, Housefull 4 and Good Newwz) hit bull’s eye. But Akshay Kumar, who’s readying for the release of Rohit Shetty’s Sooryavanshi next, insists he doesn’t have any “success mantra” but only hard work to credit for the feat. “It’s been a good two decades plus [for me], and I want to be here [in Bollywood] only,” says the actor, who has multiple releases in 2020 as well. Excerpts from an interview:
Last year, you completed your 150th film. That’s been quite a trip. How do you look at the journey?
I truly believe in counting my blessings, and gratitude is all I feel. More than awe, it’s a surprise that I’ve come this far, because it’s something I didn’t imagine even in my wildest dreams when I started out. It’s been a good two decades plus for me, and I want to be here [in Bollywood] only, doing this every day of my life, till audiences want me to do it.
You have had a very special and successful association with cop roles in your career. Now, as you return to that space in Sooryavanshi, what are your feelings like?
Any role that requires me to wear a uniform – be it of an army person, navy officer or a police man – it automatically instills a sense of pride. In my career, I’ve had the good fortune of portraying all the above mentioned parts. Now, the only part I’m yet to do is that of an Air Force pilot. Let’s see if I get lucky with that as well.
Unlike most cop dramas in Bollywood, the film’s storyline is extremely relevant to today’s times and the world that we live in. Was that one of the reasons for you to say yes to the film?
Of course, and I’ve said that before also. It’s true that the main idea of making a film is to entertain but, along with that, if a message can also be conveyed in an entertaining manner, I’m absolutely game. Plus, having watched and enjoyed Singham (2011) and Simmba (2018), I was very happy to collaborate with the master action director, Rohit Shetty and be a part of his cop universe.
The film has you along with Ranveer Singh and Ajay Devgn. How was that, especially since nowadays, we don’t see big stars sharing screen space with one another? Does that bother you?
Absolutely not, I’ve always believed in ‘more the merrier’. It’s a pity that unlike Hollywood, we don’t do multi-starrers or even two-hero films in Bollywood. As for shooting with them, it was great. In fact, Ajay and I go back a long way, having done quite a few films together [mainly in the 90s] when ‘two-hero’ films were a thing. And Ranveer is a good friend, we share a great rapport on and off screen.
2019 turned out to be another super successful year for you. Does such success streak make you happy, or pressurise you since there are a lot of expectations from you now?
Expectation is the root cause of disappointment. Every actor wants every film of his to work, no matter how many successes he/she has had. And that’s how even I function, but while striving for success, sometimes you get lucky, and at times, you don’t. So, what’s important is to take it all in your stride, be it the past glory or failure, and move ahead.
Talking about Sooryavanshi, it’s the first time that you have teamed up with filmmaker Rohit Shetty. How was it being a part of his ‘over-the-top, super entertaining’ world?
Rohit knows exactly what he wants and I know his filming style is “over-the-top” but it’s massy as well. He knows the pulse of the audience and what works with them. So, it was a lot of fun blowing up cars and hanging from helicopters, as it’s all completely within my comfort zone (laughs).
With such back-to-back hits, many wonder if you have hit upon a secret mantra. Is there one?
If I tell you, then it wouldn’t be secret. Right? I am just kidding, as there’s no secret mantra. It’s all about a little bit of hard work and lots of luck because even if you work really hard but luck isn’t on your side, then there’s nothing really that you can do.
One thing that really stands out in your filmography is the sheer variety that you have been offering, and that too successfully. Has it been a well thought-out strategy?
Well, as they say, ‘variety is the spice of life.’ And though I can’t handle spices in my food, they are a must in my films (laughs). I don’t like to be monotonous – trying out something new excites me and luckily for me, I’ve been getting new script ideas which make me tick.
For some time now, there has been a lot of talk about the big Eid clash between Salman Khan’s Radhe and your Laxmmi Bomb…
I’m aware, but it’s not my career’s first clash and I’m also fully aware that it won’t be the last. With the volume of films releasing every year in our industry, and the limited number of Fridays, clashes are bound to happen. The chatter is more when two big films clash, as more is at stake, but it’s very natural.
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Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 3, 2020)
Akshay Kumar is one actor who never shies away when it comes to helping the lesser privileged or uplifting the society. In the same stride, he has donated ₹1.5 crore to build a transgender home in Chennai.
Filmmaker Raghava Lawrence, who took to Facebook to announce this, claims it’s the “first time in India” that a transgender home is being set up. In fact, it was during the shoot of the director’s film Laxmmi Bomb that Akshay came to know about the initiative, and readily extended a helping hand. Raghava says that he was once sharing his plans to make a shelter for transgenders, with Akshay, who then asked: “Can I build this building?”
“I was shocked as we were planning to go to big people and ask (for help), even doing a show through which we could collect funds, but here was Akshay sir. These kind of people are God... The place is yet to be ready,” Raghava tells us.
The move has been welcomed by LGBTQI+ activists such as Gauri Sawant, who says, “It’s a good initiative if someone is donating money for the community... (Bollywood stars like Akshay) supporting this is the need of the hour.” And equal rights activist Harish Iyer adds, “It’s a welcome move and people should stand up for other people.”
Filmmaker Sridhar Rangayan, whose works have had special focus on queer subjects, adds, “Transgender people have a lot of problems in finding a home. A commune like this is very welcome.”
Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh and I are secure actors; we have no qualms in working together-Ajay Devgn
8:09 AM
Sharing screen space with Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh in Rohit Shetty's cop universe, Ajay Devgn on the casting coup that no other filmmaker has been able to pull off, lately
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; December 30, 2019)
After a two-year stint of teasing fans with an Avengers-like cop film that would bring together three reigning stars, Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh and Ajay Devgn, Rohit Shetty, on Saturday, titillated cinephiles with a short video that featured them together. The teaser, unveiled to mark one year since the release of Simmba, included scenes from the 2018 Singh-fronted actioner. It also featured what could possibly be rushes of the March 2020 release, Sooryavanshi, which will introduce Kumar into this universe.
Given that the three actors have a penchant for comedy — both on and off screen — it seems rather redundant for Kumar to specify that filming their collaborative portion was "fun". "It didn't feel like we were shooting, but merely having a picnic. Rohit was our partner in crime. Also, Ajay and I go back a long way," says Kumar of Devgn, who he has featured alongside in several '90s films.
Devgn, the first entrant into this universe with Singham, seconds the Khiladi's opinion when he says, "It felt like Akshay and I took off from where we left. It was nostalgic. We respect each other, and have [been witness to] one another's journey, because we started our careers only a year apart. With Ranveer joining us, it was a house on fire."
In an era where persuading two leading superstars to share the screen is a Herculean task, one can trust the able and affable Shetty to manage to rope in this trio. Devgn also attributes their willingness to collaborate, to the success they have achieved. "The three of us are secure actors who have no qualms in working together. Singham and Simmba have become desi cop superheroes. I am sure Sooryavanshi will be a hit too. It's a great idea to get three of us together [for an entire film]. The script is being developed; it will happen."
Larger-than-life carnival song to be shot soon for Akshay Kumar-starrer Sooryavanshi
8:02 AM
Akshay Kumar-Rohit Shetty to wrap up Sooryavanshi with a grand carnival song, along the lines of Golmaal 4 title track
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; November 1, 2019)
Akshay Kumar's Sooryavanshi is racing towards the finish line. As the superstar kicks off the penultimate schedule of the cop thriller in the city today, the final schedule that is slated for November-end is being planned down to the last detail. Director Rohit Shetty has saved the last for the best — he intends to film a grand song featuring Kumar, leading lady Katrina Kaif and the entire cast next month at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad.A trade source says, "On the cards for the month-long final schedule in Hyderabad is the shoot of some action scenes, including a car chase sequence featuring Akshay. But Rohit is the most gung-ho about filming the dance number. In his signature style, the director has envisioned it as a larger-than-life, carnival song that will see the entire cast of the cop thriller come together. It will be along the lines of the title tracks of Golmaal Again [2017] and Simmba [2018]. An elaborate set will be built for the song, which will also feature as many as 300 background dancers."
It may be recalled that Shetty had spearheaded another schedule in Hyderabad last month. The filmmaker had brought his three on-screen heroes — Ajay Devgn aka Bajirao Singham, Ranveer Singh aka Simmba and Kumar aka ATS Chief Veer Sooryavanshi — together for the climax.
The filmmaker's production house, Rohit Shetty Picturez, confirmed the news of the final schedule.
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