Surekha Sikri, who plays mother-in-law to Neena Gupta in the film, hopes it will open up avenues for actors her age
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 17, 2018)

Surekha Sikri, Kalyani Devi aka Dadisa of the long running telly soap Balika Vadhu, is returning to mainstream cinema with Junglee Pictures’ Badhaai Ho. Directed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma, the slice-of-life comedy revolves around a Delhi boy, Ayushmann Khurrana, who suddenly discovers that his mother, played by Neena Gupta, is pregnant again and he’s going to have a second sibling. The veteran actress plays Neena’s mother-in-law and says she was instantly drawn to this “interesting and sweet character”.

“It’s a great time to be in films as so many good scripts are being written,” says the two-time National Award-winning actress, adding that she kept telling Neena and Gajraj Rao, who plays her son, that they are the second lead, after Ayushmann and Sanya Malhotra.

She adds that while she hasn’t faced a similar situation in her immediate family, she has uncles and aunts who are younger than her. “It’s quite common in smaller towns, but in cities, people worry ki log kya kahenge, more so when your older son is of marriageable age, maybe even has a child of his own. This awkwardness is the fun part of the story,” Surekha chuckles.

She informs that she had read in the papers that a couple in Bihar committed suicide after they learnt that the woman was pregnant again. “Though she was only 39, she had grown-up children with kids of their own and the shame was too much to bear. I was shocked to read this because there’s nothing wrong in romancing your wife, no matter what your age,” she asserts.

The actress was last seen on the big screen in Amole Gupte’s kiddie adventure, Sniff, last year, a film that not many saw. Why don’t we see her more often in films? “I need good scripts. This one came out of the blue. Badhaai Ho is my comeback film in the real sense. I did a couple of movies years ago, then, got busy with TV. I hope this will open up more avenues for actors of my age,” she says optimistically.

And what are the chances of Balika Vadhu returning? “Nothing is impossible. It was an iconic show, and everybody put their best in it, making sure we didn’t compromise on the quality. I wouldn’t mind if it came back,” she signs off.

DNA (November 14, 2017)

Amole Gupte hates the word kids. “I have an allergy to that word. I prefer to call them children. In the attitude itself the adult world doesn’t know how to respect children that’s the starting point for me.” Amole was the brain behind Taare Zameen Par before he handed the reigns of the film to Aamir Khan. He went on to make films like Stanley Ka Dabba, Hawaa Hawaai, and Sniff!!! He says, “My comfort zone is children. I have seen they are brutally honest and transparent, therefore I can retain my sanity in their world. In the adult world, people have huge egos. With children, I manage to create content with their help. It’s not a one-way street. It’s a two-way workshop mode. We have never used a single school day for our activity. And what comes out of our activities is the film. They have kept me sane. The children’s world and the cinema world; not Bollywood. I try to bring out the issues I have. Sadly, the adult world doesn’t want to pay attention to it.”

Here the filmmaker-actor talks about the world that he feels comfortable in, and why Hindi cinema hasn’t been able to do justice to them.

You said you had lot of issues with the way children are dealt with...
I have issues about respecting children, about the communication system, about listening to them. The entire adult world seems to be such a one-way street, the anguish of the child doesn’t reach their ears. So you have to bring it out, you have to talk about the educational system, the financial system. You have to talk about inequality. There are so many things that need to be brought out, it can’t follow the ridiculous entertainment programme, as it is made out to be.

What do you think about reality shows that focus on kids?
I think some children have the talent and they need a platform. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it should not be burlesque. Imagine a little girl or boy dancing in that way or creating laughter which is not tasteful for that age. You have to be careful of their age, or you can spoil their childhood by creating these little geniuses who are burlesque to watch. Many shows the adult judges and people who are running the show they seem to be praising the ability and quality that the kids are dancing like a grown up man or woman. They don’t realise ke usko time hai abhi. Let them grow, let them become trees from plants. We just need to see to it that the pace doesn’t become awful.

There doesn’t seem to be enough cinema for children...
Sniff !!! was taken off the theatre in a week, there was no audience because it wasn’t promoted well. Nobody actually gave it value. There seems to be an audience waiting somewhere that goes to see films like Harry Potter and The Jungle Book, but they are not aware that an Indian film was made. I actually have many people coming and asking me when is the film coming. There was no promotion, the theatres didn’t support it neither did the distributors. I can’t blame the audience because it did not reach them. The same audience received Stanley Ka Dabba and Hawaa Hawaai very well. So, for such movies its about the level of awareness created and the faith that the studio puts behind children’s content. Everytime you don’t get lucky and get an Aamir Khan in your film to get more eyeballs. People didn’t know any actor in Harry Potter, The Jungle Book is an animation film, but there were so many people who lapped it up. That kind of awareness and marketing nobody is talking about. People only wake up on November 14 and talk about it. That’s the unfortunate place I am in because I am fully wedded to children’s cause, but it is a fight for me to survive.

Do you think our industry doesn’t take the children audience very seriously?
Of course. Not just in Hollywood, even in Europe, children’s films do more business than movies made for adults. That happens because for films made for adults only that age group goes to the theatres, whereas for the films for children, the entire family sees it. The eyeballs multiply. That’s the reason they make it an event. Here you go to a U/A film with little kids, there will be an item song in it, it’ll have sex comedy...

Do you keep in touch with the children you work with?
Of course. Khushmeet (Gill from Sniff!!!) has been with me since Stanley Ka Dabba. I think about what can I do for a child like that so then I give him a cycle as a birthday present.

Your son Partho has stayed away from films or ads...
After Stanley Ka Dabba and Hawa Hawaai, you can imagine the endorsements and offers that must’ve didn’t take a single one because we shoot only on a Saturday. Will they do it? No, because they don’t plan for children. Because I am his parent I can control that. But I am not Darsheel’s (Safary’s) father or Khushmeet’s father, so I can’t control their movements. I can only advise the parents. I can only tell them to not take their children out of the system, else he or she will lose their childhood. But they may or may not listen, so it’s difficult.

While a thousand films are made annually in India, barely 30 are children’s flicks and only a handful of them get a decent release. And no, we’re not ‘kidding’
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; November 14, 2017)

Celebrated poet and writer Gulzar, while addressing a festival called Jashn-e-Bachpan had said, “It’s not that writers don’t love kids. To identify with children, you have to put yourself in their place and get involved with them. This doesn’t happen as often as it does with adults. And it is because of this lack of identification that so few films are being made or fewer pieces of lyrics written for kids.” Evidently, his words ring true. And as you read this, the 20th Children’s Film Festival of India — that started in Telangana on November 8, concludes today and not many are even aware of it.

Gulzar leads the pack of torchbearers of children’s content across literature and films in India. While mainstream Bollywood has a countable number of movies that cater to children, Hollywood studios have continued to flood the Indian market with their animated and feature content aimed for the knee-high audiences, year on year. Odds are possibly stacked against desi filmmakers, which coaxes them to think more mainstream and adult entertainment.

For example: In the 1960s, Satyajit Ray toyed with the idea of making Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne. The fantasy adventure took several years in the making and on release, it worked commercially and also won the Best Picture Award at the National Film Awards in 1970. It took over three decades for Shwaas, another child-focussed film, albeit in Marathi, to win this coveted award. Moreover, it was also India’s official entry for the Oscars. Incidentally, the first film to ever win the National Award was Shyamchi Aai (1953), which revolved around a poor child and his mother. While it’s often debated whether a film made for kids only centres around them or appeals only to them, what is indisputable is that children’s cinema in India is not only underfunded, but is also under-evolved and under-consumed.

Institutions like the Children’s Film Society of India (CFSI) have been struggling to create and present content catering to children despite subsidies from the government to champion the cause. Rajan Khosa’s Gattu was among the last films that came out of CFSI. Shilpa Ranade’s Goopy Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya, an animated take on Satyajit Ray’s Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne, made rounds of the international festivals, but failed to get a theatrical release in the domestic market. Nagesh Kukunoor’s Dhanak, which won the National Award for Best Children’s Film and Grand Prix for Best Feature and Special Mention of Children’s Jury at the Berlin International Film Festival 2015, met with a similar fate; the only difference is that it didn’t get a wide enough release.

Not surprising then, that Indian filmmakers claim that lack of funds, poor distribution and exhibition machinery, and the general apathy of parents towards children’s content are together responsible for the despicable condition of the genre that continues to remain out of bounds for them. Hollywood, of course, continues to milk it, quantitatively and qualitatively, with its far superior content. About a dozen movies are released in India annually: The Jungle Book, Finding Dory, Boss Baby, the superhero franchises and many more.

The home-grown market for children’s films is at an alarming low. According to certain trade researchers, it contributes not more than 0.2 per cent of the total box office collections every year. Amole Gupte, director of Stanley Ka Dabba and Hawaa Hawaai, says, “Most people don’t know when Sniff!!! released.”

Amole Gupte adds, “Sniff!!! was treated like a lawaris bachcha; a child buried before it could even breathe. The studio I partnered with had no faith in the film, although it backed some good adult films like Shubh Mangal Saavdhan and Newton. They didn’t bother marketing Sniff!!! or even letting it run in cinemas for more than a week, although we had floods in Mumbai that week and a curfew in the North, which means the footfall was low at cinemas anyway. When I showed it to children at pre-booked shows, they applauded it. I’m aware a lot of critics didn’t like it, but Sniff!!! was designed for kids and they liked it. Sometimes, adults have to keep their adult perspective aside. As a filmmaking industry, I have realised that we don’t respect children. We’ve failed them. You ‘kid’ them into watching what you, as adults, want to consume. As an adult, you get the scale of visuals you paid for and the child gets to see some fantasy. The fact that we use phrases like, ‘Don’t kid me or kid it down, yaar’ in our daily lingo shows how dumb we think kids really are when that’s not the case. If mainstream comedies are what we expose our kids to, how do we even expect them to engage in something that’s remotely meant only for them? They won’t know how to appreciate that. The only other bracket of films they can possibly enjoy is the fare that comes from Hollywood; though not every animated film or a film with kids is for them.”

Here’s a typical chicken-and-egg situation where the filmmaker blames the market forces and they push the blame back on the filmmaker. Amidst this tussle, children have found avenues to entertain themselves: TV shows, cartoon channels with dubbed versions of decade-old Chinese, Japanese and European shows and the web-streaming spaces apart from various films that are made in Hollywood.

Back on the home turf, apart from Sniff!!!, Ruchi Narain’s Hanuman Da Damdaar was the only other film that catered to little ones this year. When asked about the odds piled before a filmmaker backing children’s content, Ruchi points out that animation of international quality is expensive and the budgets in India for animation films are not even a small percentage of the Hollywood counterparts.

She elaborates, “Hollywood films can afford high budgets because they have a worldwide box office. Take The Jungle Book for instance. A Hindi animation film can’t be made at even five percent of that cost. While trying to get Hanuman Da Damdaar out, I realised that we were literally like trying to carve a market. It’s not a ready space waiting to consume children’s content. A lot of the mainstream films in India are made in a way that children can also accompany their parents to cinemas. As filmmakers, you are competing with the biggest Hindi blockbusters apart from Hollywood films for your kids’ viewing. Actually, there is no competition from Hollywood because they are the only ones who generate some differentiated content for kids. We make one-off films. Studios don’t largely encourage our films. Bodies like the CFSI are also given such tiny budgets that the outcome doesn’t match the content the kids are already consuming. At cinemas, children’s films are given morning shows, which are not only sold at lower ticket rates but are also difficult to fill because kids don’t come unaccompanied to a cinema hall. And on weekdays, most parents are away at work. So, monetarily, a kids’ film doesn’t make much money. In my case, the cinemas revised our shows to the evening slots, which was a relief.”

Even as filmmakers, few possess the ability to reach out to children as equals, without sermonising or giving them life lessons. A memorable children’s film, like Chillar Party has the ability to transcend age barriers and reach out to adults and children alike. Few would know that the film nearly didn’t take off for the lack of a director. Most filmmakers who were offered to direct, rejected the project citing the lack of a star face or a ‘compelling’ story. Eventually, Nitesh Tiwari and Vikas Bahl, who wrote the movie, decided to direct it together. “It’s an unfortunate scenario. Producers’ interest in backing any film is backed by box-office returns and we have many examples of monetarily successful kids’ films. That is the reason we see fewer kids’ films although there is a huge potential,” concedes Nitesh, adding, “I will credit Vikas for getting Chillar Party off the ground. We need more people with that conviction to push a film with 10 children and a stray dog. Unfortunate situation is that budgets are not decided by the script alone, it’s also about the star. With that in mind, what budget do you think a kids’ film will get? A kids’ film can have a star like Hrithik Roshan doing Koi Mil Gaya and Krrish which were happily consumed by them. As a parent, I don’t show every Hollywood animation film to my seven-year-olds and I am sure many feel that heat, too. We tap holiday weekends two years in advance but leave the summer vacations without releasing anything for kids.”

Writer Salim Khan, who wrote Mr India, one of most well-recalled children’s films ever, with his then-partner Javed Akhtar, agrees with Nitesh’s point of view. He firmly believes that a film with kids alone will find it difficult to secure any financial backing. “We have to acknowledge that a film sells on a star. Children’s films often lack stars and that’s why often they don’t even take off. A kiddie film with a star has more chances of working at the box office. Look at Haathi Mere Saathi, or for that matter, even Bajrangi Bhaijaan. The films had stories for children and were about children; but they had the backing of a star which got them a huge push. If people want to make films for kids, get a star to back it because remember, a child doesn’t watch a film alone. That is the intention we had when we wrote Mr India. Its sequel too should apply the same formula,” he says.

While filmmakers are still not rushing to make a film for kids, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has digressed from his usual lavish story-telling ways to make a simple drama, Mere Pyaar Prime Minister with kids from a slum in Mumbai. He believes, “You can’t direct children. They will direct you. They teach you so much about your craft. I had a wonderful time making my film with these little boys. It’s a story that has something for the child and for the parent. I’ve attempted to blend their interests in.”

Even though the current scenario of kids’ films seems bleak, future holds some hope. Vishal Bhardwaj, known to back children’s content, is constantly working on stories that can please a tot. Ruchi is also planning her next animation film for kids. And Amole, despite his last experience with Sniff, is raring to make an even better children’s film that before. He sums it up saying, “The only thing left out of a child’s plate is his or her share of entertainment. Even cartoons like Oggy And the Cockroaches are Bollywood comic caricatures of stars which don't satisfy kids. It’s such a shame! We don’t know how to respect our children. What you sow is what you will get. How can you expect kids’ cinema to work wonders here when it lacks basic encouragement from the parents in the audience? You want a desi Harry Potter without investing in it. I have been fighting a losing battle. In an insecure industry, children’s cinema comes below regional cinema in the pecking order. I am not Alice in Wonderland. I know making my next kids’ film will not be easy but my conviction in that cinema is full, not token. I don’t ‘kid’ the audience.”

A GENTLEMAN joins the list of major disasters over the past couple of years like BOMBAY VELVET, ROCK ON 2, RAABTA etc with business of just 16.75 crore nett in its first week. There is hardly any business to come after the first week and even 20 crore nett looks impossible for the film to reach. The audience is being ruthless to any Hindi film today that has its germs in Europe or Hollywood and A GENTLEMAN has its germs in the latter. The title has also not been kind with three films of the same name flopping badly over the last 30 years - GENTLEMAN (1989) with Govinda, GENTLEMAN (1994) with South star Chiranjeevi and now A GENTLEMAN in 2017.

BABUMOSHAI BANDOOKBAAZ has also fared very poorly with business of 6.25 crore nett in its first week. The opened poorly and could not even trend over the weekend as collections remained flat which meant the weekdays were also going to be tough and that is how it turned out. The film does not have much of a budget and so even business of 11-12 crore nett would have seen it through but that is impossible after such a low first week as second week will hardly see any business.

The other release QAIDI BAND and SNIFF were also disasters with the former not managing to reach 50 lakhs nett and the latter falling short of 1 crore nett.

It was a disaster weekend for the film industry with all new releases failing badly at box office. A GENTLEMAN was the biggest film and just about managed to collect 12 crore nett over three days. Being an action film, the only chance is to open but this was well short and then there is not much hope which will mean huge losses for the makers. Its going to very tough on Monday for the film going by the trend. The business of A GENTLEMAN for the weekend is as follows.
Friday - 3,75,00,000
Saturday - 4,00,00,000
Sunday - 4,50,00,000 apprx
TOTAL - 12,25,00,000 apprx

BABUMOSHAI BANDOOKBAAZ also fared poorly with under 4 crore nett business for the weekend. A similar costing film like LIPSTICK UNDER MY BURKHA had a fair result a few weeks back and this needed similar business but with a such a low weekend the 12-13 crore lifetime it needed looks like a big dream. The business of BABUMOSHAI BANDOOKBAAZ over the first two days is as follows.
Friday - 1,25,00,000
Saturday - 1,25,00,000
Sunday - 1,35,00,000
TOTAL - 3,85,00,000

QAIDI BAND and SNIFF found zero audience with collections of 25 lakhs and 50 lakhs nett respectively. The latter managed growth but it is irrelevant at such low levels.

A GENTLEMAN was flat on day two as it grossed in the 3.75-4 crore nett range. The little growth that came was outside Mumbai circuit as it was a partial holiday there on Friday. The film had to show growth of 70-75% if it was to go anywhere but that just does not happen with action films. The film is on course to suffer huge losses unless there is some unlikely miracle on Monday and does not drop. The business of A GENTLEMAN for the first two days is as follows.
Friday - 3,75,00,000
Saturday - 4,00,00,000 apprx
TOTAL - 7,75,00,000 apprx

BABUMOSHAI BANDOOKBAAZ was flat on its second day and is also faring poorly. It is comparatively the best performer out of all the new releases this week. The film has low costs but it still needed to start at around 2 crore nett to get to safety but it was around 40% short. The business of BABUMOSHAI BANDOOKBAAZ over the first two days is as follows.
Friday - 1,25,00,000
Saturday - 1,25,00,000
TOTAL - 2,50,00,000

QAIDI BAND is a dull affair while SNIFF managed 60-70% growth on Saturday but when starting point is 10 odd lakhs you cant really go anywhere.

A GENTLEMAN had a poor opening day as it grossed 3.75 crore nett apprx and it is practically impossible to recover from this position. The directors have an awful track record who make films which have no place in Hindi cinema and here they have even been given a big budget by the makers and the results look like being a total disaster.

This film actually had a glossy look and action but the audience can easily see through this and that is what has happened and they have not turned up. There could be improvement on Saturday but its not really going to matter.

BABUMOSHAI BANDOOKBAAZ also opened poorly at 1.25 crore nett but compared to the other new releases the opening here is around the expectations. The film from the promos looked in the zone of those GANGS OF WASSEYPUR films and when those flopped with all the media support this one does not have much a of a chance. Comparatively it is probably the best of the weeks releases.

QAIDI BAND and SNIFF were both very dull with collections around 10 lakhs. The later is a film for children so should grow well on Saturday but from 10 lakhs where can you go unless its three or four fold growth.

MUSKURAHATEIN hardly collected 5 lakhs nett on day one.

8 FILM RELEASES TOMORROW; ONLY A GENTLEMAN AND VIVEGAM TO MAKE A MARK!

On June 1, I had reported about deluge of Hindi releases on Friday June 2 - Dobaara, A Death In The Gunj, Dear Maya, Hanuman Da Damdaar, Sweetiee Weds NRI and Mirror Game. Apart from these releases, two Hollywood biggies, Wonder Woman and Baywatch, also hit screens apart from a Marathi biggie, FU. Something similar will happen tomorrow when five Hindi films are all set to release. Then there are also two Hollywood films – The Hitman’s Bodyguard and The Dark Tower – releasing. And down south, superstar Ajith’s Tamil flick Vivegam will hit screens which is expected to dominate Bollywood films hugely. My analysis on the Hindi releases:

A GENTLEMAN: It stars Sidharth Malhotra and Jacqueline Fernandez and is directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, who are known to make quirky entertainers like 99, Shor In The City and Go Goa Gone. The film initially was believed to be a sequel to Bang Bang. Then the film was titled as Reload or Reloaded. It was recently that the title of the film was unveiled. From the trailers, it looks like a fun action entertainer. Music hasn’t been huge but has got noticed. Sadly, A Gentleman is not the massy action entertainer, like Dabangg, Singham or even Wanted. It looks too classy and might hence appeal more to the multiplex and urban audiences. It’ll surely get the best opening among all Bollywood releases.

BABUMOSHAI BANDOOKBAAZ: It features Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Bidita Bag and is directed by Kushan Nandy. It seems more in the Gangs Of Wasseypur space. The trailer is interesting and it seems like the film has adequate dose of sex, action and humour. The film made noise recently when Censor Board asked for around 45-48 cuts. But the makers took the film to the Tribunal and got the film passed with very few voluntary cuts. Such adult-rated films anyways appeal to only a section of audiences. With competition from A Gentleman, Babumoshai Bandookbaaz will be affected despite both films being different. Opening will be just okay or even poor. A good word of mouth will ensure the film turns successful.

QAIDI BAND: This is the launch vehicle of Raj Kapoor’s grandchild Armaan Jain and Anya Singh. Directed by Habib Faisal, it is set in a jail and is about a group of prisoners who start a band inside. The trailer is highly impressive but the promotional strategy is poor. Songs haven’t worked at all. It is directed by Yash Raj Films (YRF), who are known to enhance the buzz for their films with minimal publicity. In case of Qaidi Band, it has failed to even make people aware of this film, forget making them excited for it. It’s also bewildering why this film is releasing in the midst of so many releases. It’s a big folly by YRF that can cost them dearly. Are they trying to come before Lucknow Central, the September 15 release that shockingly is also about prisoners opening a band in jail?

SNIFF: It is directed by Amole Gupte, who has made kiddie films like Stanley Ka Dabba and Hawaa Hawaai in the past. This film is about a child detective, who has extraordinary powers of smell. It is the first film produced by Ajit Thakur’s Trinity Pictures, which is a part of Eros International. The film looks great from the trailers but again, awareness and excitement is negligible. On top of it, it releases among so many films and is bound to get lost. The makers probably should have tried to release this film on a different date, even clashing with a biggie. For instance, releasing Sniff with Toilet – Ek Prem Katha would have been a more sensible decision. At least, it would have got noticed and got required number of screens.

MUSKURAHATEIN: This is a sure-shot disaster and looks unintentionally funny. The trailer begins showing Sanjay Mishra fooling around and even dancing on a booze-themed song. But halfway through the trailer, it is revealed that he’s not the lead, it’s Dr J S Randhawa who is the ‘main hero’. His acting and expressions are silly and I was wondering how on earth he bagged the role. I guessed that he must be the director of the film and I was right!

WHICH FILM WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AND WHY? DO LET ME KNOW!

Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; August 24, 2017)

DNA (August 23, 2017)

Crowded Fridays are no longer an isolated occurrence. We frequently face a flurry of releases on Friday. But the coming Friday will see four interesting Hindi films and two Hollywood biggies, The Hitman’s Bodyguard and Dark Tower, vying for attention. ​While Seema Kapoor, the late Om Puri wife, has decided to take her directorial debut Mr Kabaadi to a later date, September 8, the others are determined to weather the storm come what may.​

Leading this week’s gallery of eyeball grabbers are two bandook wallahs belonging to very different breeds of violence. Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Kushan Nandy’s Babumoshai Bandookbaaz culturally and geo-politically far removed from Sidharth Malhotra’s gun-slinging super-slicker in A Gentleman. But at the end of the day they are both trigger-happy heroes romancing sexy women, shooting down the baddies and revving up that highway in fast-flying automobiles.

A Gentleman’s co-director Raj Nidimoru says, “Our producers Fox-Star had announced this date (August 25) long back. There were no other films scheduled for that Friday when we announced A Gentleman. By and by, the others also came in for this Friday. I feel the other films that are releasing this week are in a completely different zone. I think every film will have its own audience. No film gets an all-clear solo release these days.”

Ajit Thakur, who produces this week’s third major release Sniff on behalf of Eros International feels the choices for producers to release their films has narrowed down markedly. “We have to release our film along with others in the hope that the unique content — Sniff is about a child detective — will be its USP.”

Aadar Jain, who gets his big launch this Friday in Yash Raj films’ Qaidi Band, expresses helplessness at the clutter of releases. “It’s not up to me to decide the release date. I think Yash Raj Films would be better able to explain the release strategy.”

Explains trade analyst Atul Mohan, “We had three back-to-back big-budgeted films Mubarakan, Jab Harry Met Sejal and Toilet - Ek Prem Katha. Usually, when one big film releases, the subsequent week is avoided by smaller films. But this time we had three biggies in a row which resulted in this pile. We have only 52 weeks to accommodate every film. We also have festive season beginning this week to be followed by Shraaddh when releases are avoided, which will take away two weeks. So the mad rush.”

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; August 11, 2017)

Amole Gupte has his hands full with his upcoming projects. The filmmaker is shuttling between promotional work of his upcoming children’s spy-thriller, Sniff, and shooting for the biopic on badminton champion Saina Nehwal.

Talking about the training being given to his leading lady, Shraddha Kapoor, Gupte says, “She is currently going through an intensive regimen with Jitesh Padukone (former badminton player) and is practically transforming herself into Nehwal. She is committed. Playing Nehwal will not be easy, so I want Shraddha to be ready before we start rolling.”

After having spent two years with Nehwal, Gupte says he’s now certain of the aspects of her life that he wishes to highlight on the big screen. “The film will trace her journey to becoming the number one player in the world. I spent a lot of time with Nehwal before deciding to make the film. I don’t want to waste this opportunity by making it look so unbelievable that it almost seems fictional.”

Apart from interacting with the player, Gupte also spent time with those close to her. “Since my film also portrays the life of her family before her birth, I had to meet her parents [Harvir Singh and Usha Rani]. I also spent time with her coach Pullela Gopichand, and her friends.”

The filmmaker suggests that he may title his biopic, Maar Dungi, based on the phrase Nehwal uses before a match.

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; August 4, 2017)

Amole Gupte, the man behind acclaimed children-centric films like Taare Zameen Par (2007), Stanley Ka Dabba (2011) and Hawaa Hawaai (2014) is now ready with his next, Sniff, a spy thriller that revolves around a Sikh boy, played by eight-year-old Sunny Gill, who has a sharp nose.

Interestingly, Gupte will make his singing debut with this film by lending his vocals to the track, Naak. Talking about the quirky number, which has been written by Gupte and composed by Mujtaba Aziz Naza, the filmmaker says, "I have sung earlier, but this is the first time I am singing a full-fledged song. One day, we were sitting in my office, and I told Mujtaba to give me a spin, because I felt the track needed to be contemporary. That's when we arrived at this tune." He also adds that the song will be available in two versions, the second being composed by guitarist Sanjay Divecha.

MID-DAY (February 2, 2017)

After Shah Rukh Khan released Ra. One (2011) with a video game tie-in, several Bollywood movies have had a gaming run. Now, in a first for a kiddie flick, Amole Gupta’s Sniff is set to get a digital avatar. Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra’s company, Viaan Studios, is developing an Android arcade game for Sniff, the first franchise film of Eros International’s Trinity Pictures.

Kundra says, “We hope this unique venture will entertain gamers across the country.” Called Sunny Singh And The Agents Of Sniff, it seems to be on the lines of iconic arcade games, Mario and Contra, and will be launched ahead of the film’s release in May.

Ajit Thakur, CEO of Trinity Pictures, says, “This one’s customised, and is not just another mobile game. So, both kids and adults can enjoy it. We will soon unveil it for the audience to experience the film’s characters and their exploits.”

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; November 14, 2016)

The kiddie spy genre may be at a nascent stage in India, but that hasn’t deterred Amole Gupte from trying his hand at it. In fact, the filmmaker plans to start a franchise with his upcoming project, Sniff, a live-action adventure drama.

Gupte, the man behind acclaimed children-centric films Taare Zameen Par (2007), Stanley Ka Dabba (2011) and Hawaa Hawaai (2014), says, “I don’t audition children. Instead, I do workshops with them. During workshops for this film, I came across several talented kids who are natural in front of the camera. I am planning to turn this [Sniff] into a franchise and will cast those kids. Once this film releases, we will start planning for the series.”

Sniff, which is scheduled to release early next year, revolves around a young Sikh boy (played by eight- year-old Sunny Gill), who is a spy in the making. The shoot started in September and is likely to be wrapped up by January 2017. Gupte’s son, Partho, who featured in his last two films — Stanley Ka Dabba and won’t be part of Sniff, “He has grown taller than me, so I couldn’t cast him. He is a fabulous poet and plays the guitar well, so this time round, he will be composing a song,” the 52-year-old filmmaker informs. “But you have left me with a good thought, so there is a possibility that I might include him in the film by introducing a guest track. He might add a cool quotient to my film. Apart from Partho, we also have popular qawwali singer, Aziz Naza’s (of Charta Sooraj fame) sons, Mujtaba and Munir, who will make their debut as composers with the film.”

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 13, 2016)

Mirror (Feb 24) had earlier reported that Amole Gupte, the director of Hawaa Hawaai and Stanley Ka Dabba, is gearing up for a one-of-its-kind kids action film which revolves around a spy-in-the-making. We have now learnt that the film is titled Sniff and the director has found his wonder boy in eight-year-old Khushmeet Gill who began shooting for the film last Monday.

"We started off on Ganesh Chaturthi with a Ganesh Aarti sung by Shankar Mahadevan. It was shot in a pandal in Virar with kids and senior citizens from a local housing society. It's a beautiful number; we couldn't have asked for a better start," Amole informed Mirror, adding that popular Qawwali singer Aziz Naza's sons, Mujtaba and Munir, make their debut as composers with the film, the first one to roll out of Eros's Trinity Pictures.

What sealed the deal for Khushmeet? "I don't audition children; I offer them films in the form of workshops. Khushmeet was a part of one such workshop since April. I knew he was apt for the role when I saw him for the first time. The other kids in the film have been selected from the same workshops," points out Amole. In his own words, his protagonist is supremely talented, a bit of a wonder boy who is more intelligent than intellectual.

After shooting for seven days in Virar and Mazgaon's St. Mary's School, the writer-filmmaker plans to resume filming during the Diwali vacation. "I might shoot during the weekends as well but only if it's convenient for the kids. I don't want them to miss school," he reasons, adding that he should wrap up the film by mid-January.