Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 1, 2019)

Alok Nath who was accused of rape by producer-writer Vinta Nanda last October, and a month later expelled by Cine and TV Artistes Association (CINTAA) till further notice after a no-show at the body’s meeting on November 12, recently shot for a film, interestingly titled #Main Bhi (#MeToo in Hindi). The actor plays a judge who takes a strong stand against sexual harassment.

When contacted by Mirror, the 62-year-old actor confirmed the news, saying, “I’m not doing any films at the moment. This was something I shot for a while ago.”

He added, “Is there a problem? You sound sad that I’m doing a film. It’s a puny role for poor producers, let it release.”

Actor Khalid Siddiqui who plays one of the leads in the Nasir Khan-directed film, along with Shawar Ali and Imran Khan, informed that Alok Nath is playing a judge, who, at the end of the film, gives a speech about how molestation is wrong. Veteran actors Mukesh Khanna and Shahbaz Khan play the lawyers.

“The film deals with child molestation, a subject that hasn’t been tapped on screen often, particularly with regard to boys. My character, along with the other, are affected by incidents that change our lives. We hope the film starts a debate on the subject,” added Khalid. The film was shot in Bhopal with Sonali Raut as the female lead.

In October last year, a rape case was registered against Alok Nath by the Mumbai Police on a complaint filed by Vinta Nanda who accused him of raping her twice nearly two decades ago when they were working on the TV show Tara. After that, other actresses like Sandhya Mridul, Himani Shivpuri and Deepika Amin also came out with similar allegations against the actor, sharing their ordeals. He denied the allegations and his wife Ashu moved court against Vinta. The actor was granted anticipatory bail. 

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 31, 2018)

As Mirror had earlier reported (May 29) Bipasha Basu and her better half, actor Karan Singh Grover, are set to reunite on the big screen with a fi lm produced by singer Mika Singh. Shooting for the fi lm, which is titled Aadat, was initially slated to begin in June this year but it will now kick off on September 14. A source connected to the film revealed to Mirror that former Miss India, Natasha Suri, and former Bigg Boss inmate Sonali Raut, have been roped in as part of the acting lineup too.

“Bipasha will be seen playing a tough cop with the London police while Karan is essaying the role of an NRI businessman. The film will be shot completely in London and is expected to wrap up by November. A thriller, it is being directed by Bhushan Patel and has been written by Vikram Bhatt,” informs the source. Buzz is, the project was initially being planned as a slice-of-life film but now has some thrills incorporated into the story.

Incidentally, Bhushan had earlier directed the couple in the 2015 horror film Alone, on the sets of which their romance blossomed. The much-in-love couple tied the knot in April 30, 2016. Bipasha was last seen on screen in Alone which marked Karan’s film debut. He appeared in 3 Dev in May, which also featured Kunal Roy Kapur and Ravi Dubey.

MID-DAY (July 16, 2016)

There seems no end to the woes of 'Great Grand Masti' makers. The adult comedy, which had been leaked online three weeks before its initial release date (July 22), has now raised the hackles of Shiney Ahuja.

The actor has slapped a legal notice on the film's producers, Ekta Kapoor and Ashok Thakeria, as well as director Indra Kumar for naming a maid's character after him.

The notice was served by a Chandigarh-based legal firm which calls for immediate removal of the name Shiney from the film. Model and former Bigg Boss contestant Sonali Raut plays the maid in the sex comedy and according to Shiney's legal team, it appears to be a quirky take on a 2009 rape case where the Life...In A Metro actor's maid levelled rape charges against him. His lawyers believe that with the appeal hearing before the High Court in progress, using his name in a derogatory manner would obstruct justice.

According to them, the conduct of producers at this juncture constitutes Criminal Contempt as defined under Section 2(c) of the Contempt of Court Act 1971.

Says director Kumar, "I am not aware of any such notice. My job was only to direct the film."

Shiney, who was sentenced to seven years in jail by a lower court, has filed an appeal against the verdict in the Bombay High Court.

Subhash K Jha (DNA; December 23, 2014)

Television and theatre actor Praneet Bhatt, who was evicted from the Bigg Boss 8 house this weekend, says he has evolved as a human being after his stay there. “In three-and-a-half months, I’ve learnt more about life and experienced more facets of human nature than I have, all my life. Believe me, I’ve come away from Bigg Boss 8 a wiser man.”

Praneet, who was part of the notorious P3G gang inside the Bigg Boss house says, “Puneet, RJ Pritam Singh, Gautam Gulati and I — the P3G — bonded better than the rest of the contestants. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t get along with the rest of the house-mates. I am, by nature, a friendly and positive person. I made friends with Sushant and Sonali. And we’ll continue to be friends even after the show is over.”

So, what is the best and worst experience Praneet has come out with? “Worst, I’d like to forget. The best, by far, was the weekly interaction with Salman Sir. Every Saturday, I used to wait to talk to him. And we’d also wait for the home-made food that Salman Sir sent for all of us contestants in the Bigg Boss house. It is not a small thing to get ghar ka khana from Salman Sir’s home.”

Praneet came out from Bigg Boss with a clean working slate. “I will now be looking at work on television and of course, in movies.”

Kunal Guha (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 7, 2014)

In the Bigg Boss house, there is always someone always watching. Every corner of the Lonavala bungalow is under 24-hour vigil. The feed plays out on multiple monitors, throwing a fluorescent glow on the faces of crew members of one of the most followed shows in reality television. While this means hours of inactivity and lull, it also promises moments of mad excitement.

Model Diandra Soares kissing actor Gautam Gulati, caught on tape, was one such instant where the sleep-deprived crew in the production control room flew into a tizzy. It was a first for Indian television and a sure-fire TRP bump. But being a primetime show, telecasting the lip-lock was tricky territory. "We're used to seeing kisses but when a fullfledged smooch takes place on TV, it's unheard-of and can create controversy. We decided not to air the actual lip-lock and focus instead on the reactions of other contestants in the house," says Manisha Sharma, Head of Programming, Colors. The audience is smart enough to read between the lines, he says.

Similarly, they draw the line at placing cameras in bathrooms. "We can, however show Gautam walking towards it with Diandra in tow," adds Sharma.

Behind the reality

A unit of 500 crew and 70 cameras follows every move of each contestants. The 48-minute-episode trickles out of 24 hours of footage. "At the first level, story editors work in four-hour-shifts, tracking conversations and interactions. From it emerges a possible outline for a plot," says Malay Pradhan, creative director of the show. The findings are then pitched to an episode producer, who changes with each episode and brainstorms with the creative team and channel representative to compile the final line-up. The goings on of the previous day leave scope for development. For example, "When Gautam was given a secret task, he started behaving curiously. So we knew, we had to keep an eye on him. We also had to keep a lookout for contestants who suspected he was up to something since they may have tried to catch him in the act."

Set in cast

But, the game begins much before contestants step into the house. Months before the show is due to air, the creative team dons their casting hat to hunt for a certain 'type'. "When we thought of getting actor Puneet Issar on the show, we imagined his towering personality that could intimidate people who would follow his instructions. Instead, he is a soft spoken man but the general premise follows through," says Pradhan.

Expecting a storyline to flow from general personality traits though isn't always a safe bet. The team learned this lesson last year when casting Tanishaa Mukerji. "We knew that Tanishaa was single, so we had to think of a single guy who'd hail from a family that's equally gifted. Then you hope there will be a love story or a good relationship," says Sharma, who admits that the Armaan-Tanisha's love story surprised him as much as it did audiences at home.

The show must go on

Regardless of months of planning, the team must be ready for contestants to veer away from the pre-decided plot. Audience reactions to unlikely candidates are also anyone's guess. "We didn't know Sonali (Raut) will be such a 'dheeli'. But people love her for being herself. They enjoy watching her speak at inappropriate moments and the way she conducts herself," says Pradhan. Meanwhile, there have been mixed reactions to Puneet who comes off as brash, some love that, others don't.

On American socialite Kim Kardashian slipping through the channel's fingers (she was allegedly held up due to visa issues), Sharma has a ready answer, "The international contestants are always a value-add. We don't bank on them to be game-changers, so it's not a bother."

Putting to task

Without labelling themselves a social experiment, reality TV has the ability to crack contestants. Nudging and cajoling them to reveal their true selves that hide under a PR-driven glossy persona.

The Bigg Boss team has been privy to its fair share of such insights. So, it's no secret that; Praneet Bhatt is a self-righteous satyavadi and the noisiest when nominated, Puneet Issar is a gossip monger who has the merit of masterminding a majority of the fights, Karishma Tanna talks to the cameras for attention, Upen Patel can't help constantly licking his lips when he finds time away from his beloved protein shakes.

"Apart from individual quirks, we consider inter-personal relationships. Karishma and Gautam don't get along, Pritam and Dimpy have friction. We keep this in mind while devising tasks," reveals Pradhan, who considers the idea of having contestants smash pies in each others faces as a means to nominate them for eviction as one of the brightest.

Sharma admits that her team tries to push the boundaries of human endurance. One such idea that created a stir among viewers was strapping contestants in an airplane that served as the Bigg Boss house in the first few weeks. "You put 15 people in a small plane and you know it's going to be claustrophobic. Beyond a point, they will get on each other's nerves. You're sleeping on a chair and sharing one bathroom. We took it a step further and introduced the business class. That's great TV," says Sharma.

Other tasks are inserted just to be timely. "We came up with the 'app task' where one had to collect batteries hidden in a tub of cowdung to win prizes. At this point, we were eight weeks into the show. Contestants had started to miss their families so one of the biggest rewards was a chance to meet them," says Pradhan.

From experience

In the eighth season of the show, contestants are better informed about how to conduct themselves by learning from past trajectories. They try to project themselves in a certain way.

Contestants believe that being noticed has to do with creating a scene and "taking a stand", and nominations drive them to become attention seekers. "They are smart enough to take their act up a notch since they just have four days and need to prove themselves. So if they're in a love story, they will be all over their partner, if they've had an old argument with someone, they'd bring it up and make their point, if they've had differences, they'd want to clarify and make amends," explains Sharma.

The formula approach can backfire, as in the case of Karishma Tanna. "She is trying to be like Gauahar Khan but not quite there," adds Sharma.

And, if the makers of the show are onto the contestant's motive, it's down time. Pradhan and his team come in to foil contestant's plans. "Contestants like Sonali, Ali and Praneet have been fence-sitters and have always tried to side with all the groups. By crafting a 'team vs team' task, we make them pick a side."

Fighting fame

Through the first couple of seasons it seemed that the fighters never fail. A tried and tested mantra for reality TV, not much has changed. "You cannot manufacture a fight. We might stay on Gautam Gulati or another contestant a bit more, if we find that the person to be more dramatic than the others but apart from that, we can't do much," says Deepak Dhar, Managing Director, Endemol India, who worked as the creative director for the first two seasons before moving onto a managerial role.

Dhar also shares that a considerable portion of viewers don't like watching fights, and would rather watch relationships bond. "I remember, something we never expected, was the bromance that happened in the second season of the show. It was fun watching guys coming together to discuss life and girls," he adds.

Reality bites

Producing cutting-edge reality TV means sleeping for three hours or less, being cut off from the world and locked up in an editing studio for weeks. "You have to be invested in the show. We have to take many on-the-fly calls and this means being clued in constantly," explains Dhar, who jokes how Pradhan had to get on with the show even with conjunctivitis by slipping on shades.

"We make day trips to Mumbai 4-5 times throughout a season, when we need a haircut or need to shop for groceries but apart from that we're here," says Pradhan. Shital Iyer, the other person required to be in Lonavala constantly, misses her family dearly and is nursing her slipped disc. "My son watches the show and asks me about what's going to happen next," she says with a smile. 

Here’s what the contestants have to sign up for before they get roped in for the reality show
Vinod Talreja (DNA; November 7, 2014)

Reality show Bigg Boss has an iron-clad contract. There is no room for ambiguity. The contestants know what they are signing up for, when they initial on this 23 pages long contract, with clauses that cover everything from the behaviour of the contestant, to the prize money. BollywoodLife.com managed to get their hand on one such contract and gives you a detailed summary of the most interesting clauses that the contestants have to abide by. Take a sneak peek at some of the clauses from this and past Bigg Boss seasons:

Clause 1.2 (a) – Signing amount
Every celebrity is paid a bomb to participate in Bigg Boss. This particular contestant was paid somewhere close to Rs 8 lakh as the signing amount, which is payable within seven days of execution of the contract. And this signing amount is the minimum guarantee in case a housemate is evicted at the end of very first week.

Clause 1.2 (b) – Weekly consideration
Apart from the signing amount, participants are also given Weekly Consideration, if the contestant manages to stay in the house over a period exceeding two weeks. Obviously, Weekly Consideration is payable to a contestant only for the period of his/her stay inside the glass walled house. Last season, Tanishaa Mukerji was paid somewhere around Rs 8 lakh per week, which was the highest when compared to the weekly consideration of her co-contestants.

Clause 1.4 – Term of the contract
A Bigg Boss contestant is required to be available exclusively to Viacom 18 (producers and broadcasters of the show) for the period of 117 days, of which approximately 100 days is for shooting inside the house and the rest 17 days for the preparation, promotion, marketing and promo shoots.

Clause 1.7 – Contestants cannot interfere in the matters of editing and final cut of the episodes
No contestant is allowed to interfere in the nature and manner of editing of the programme. So let’s just say, if Ali Quli Mirza touched Sonali Raut under the blanket and he doesn’t want it to be shown on the TV, it can’t happen.

Clause 1.9 – Identity of the contestants
A participant is not entitled to know the identity of the other contestant. This year’s contestants, Minissha Lamba and Arya Babbar talked on the phone just days before they entered the house and they apparently strategised about their stay, which was a clear breach of contract.

Clause 1.10 (b) [3] – Criminal convictions have to be notified to the makers
Celebrities with criminal conviction (other than those already notified to Viacom 18) are not allowed to participate in Bigg Boss. So celebrities like Monica Bedi, Rahul Mahajan, Devender, Abbas Kazmi and Aseem Trivedi, who were criminally involved in some way or the other didn’t hide their identity from the makers before entering the house.

Clause 1.10 (b) [5] – No holy books. Makers will provide them
No celeb is permitted are not allowed to take any reading material including holy books inside the house. The producers provide holy books or scriptures to whoever who needs them. This season, Soni Singh got some puja ka samaan in her luggage, which was taken away from her.

Clause 1.11 – No talking with the media about the selection before entering the house
Participants are not allowed to liaise with the media about their selection. If they do then the producers have the right to exclude that particular contestant from the show.

Clause 1.13 iii and 1.13 (a) – Fine for leaving the house
The most important clause in the BB contract. A contestant is liable to pay Rs 50 lakh if he/she leaves the show mid-way. When Rahul Mahajan called it quits from BB2, he paid a fine to the producers. Similarly both Kushal Tandon and Gauahar Khan were asked to pay the penalty for their untimely exit from BB7. However, they both returned to the house and the rest as we all know is history.

Clause 1.16 – Re-entry inside the house
If an eliminated housemate is asked to make a wild card entry inside the house, he/she cannot refuse it. Last year there was a huge public demand of Kushal’s return inside the Bigg Boss house. However, the TV actor apparently refused to make a comeback to the show. It is after using this clause that the makers got him back.

Clause 2.6 – No obscene pictures inside the house
Contestants are not allowed to take any obscene and objectionable pictures with them inside. .

Clause 3.1 – Prize money after 75 days
The winning amount is paid to the winner within 75 days of the grand finale. And of course, the amount is subject to all applicable taxes in India on prize money.

Clause 3.2 – No sharing of the prize money
No contestant is allowed to share their prize money with their co-contestant. If they do, the makers reserve the right to remove him/her from the show.

Neha Maheshwri Bhagat (BOMBAY TIMES; November 7, 2014)

DNA (October 20, 2014)

Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 2, 2014)

Mirror (July 10) had earlier reported that Salman Khan will not be hosting the eighth season of Bigg Boss. But soon after, he was persuaded to fly with the reality show.

He admitted (Mirror, September 10) that "he was in it for the money" (He is reportedly being paid Rs 8 crore per episode). "Of course the money is great and it is one of the main reasons for me to host it. But there are a lot of quirky characters on the show whom I like moulding. I emotionally invest myself in them. It's like being a parent and taking care of your baby," he reasoned.

However, there was one condition he laid down to the broadcasters: That once a contestant is out, he/she remains out. If this demand was not adhered to, he threatened to walk out of the show.

Reportedly, the actor was very upset when Kushal Tandon returned to the house last season and became one of the top contenders for the prize. However, just a week into the new season, the first contestant to be evicted last Saturday, model turned-actress Sonali Raut, is on her way back, in direct defiance of the Salman's orders. The channel's spokesperson confirmed, "Yes, Sonali will return to Bigg Boss 8."

Mirror has learnt that Sonali bid adieu to the star host on last Saturday's episode but never returned to Mumbai. She stayed on in Lonavala, close to the set, in anticipation of her return.

Defending the decision, a source from the production house said, "So what if Sonali is coming back? She was nominated by the secret society members and not the actual housemates."

Meanwhile, someone else other, than Salman is miffed, by the decision. Kannada film director S K Basheed, who has signed The Xpose starlet for his debut Hindi film, 100% Useless Fellows, is waiting to meet her this Saturday.

Basheed was shocked to learn that Sonali had jumped ship to enter the show, just days before the film was set to roll (Mirror, Sept 24).

When told that she was going to re-enter the house, he flew into a rage: "After I heard that she is out from Bigg Boss, I contacted her management who set up a meeting with her on Saturday. How can she go back, that too without informing me? I have complained to the IMPPA (Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association) regarding this."

Basheed agrees with Salman that no contestant should return after eviction. "The broadcasters simply stretch the show by doing this. Salman should put his foot down and show Sonali the door, asap. My film has a budget of Rs 44 crore, my money is going down the drain."

Director Basheed says the Bigg Boss contestant, who has abandoned his project for the show, is living up to the title of the film
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 24, 2014)

When Kannada film director S K Basheed signed The Xpose star Sonali Raut for his Hindi debut 100% Useless Fellows, little did he know that the leading lady would soon jump ship.

Basheed, who had enthusiastically roped in four music directors, including Bappi Lahiri, Leslie Lewis, Ismail Darbar and Sandesh Shandilya, for his first Hindi film was shocked to learn that Sonali had entered the Bigg Boss House, just days before the film was set to roll.

When contacted, Basheed raged: "My film's set is standing at Ramoji Rao Studio in Hyderabad. And here in Mumbai I am tearing my hair out. Sonali didn't even have the courtesy to inform me in advance that she was planning to enter the reality show. When she finally called me, she had the cheek to tell me that she has now upped her price and I will have to pay her Rs 28 lakh. I had earlier paid her Rs 18 lakh. Sonali is 100% useless."

Basheed has now taken the matter to IMPPA (Indian Motion Pitcures Producers Association). "They now need to inform the broadcasters to evict her from the show," he said.

At the time of going to the press, Basheed had not decided whether to wait for Sonali or replace her with another actress. If he sticks with his first choice, the film will get delayed and the producers will incur heavy losses.

Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; May 15, 2014)

When Himesh Reshammiya approached Ananth Narayan Mahadevan to direct The Xposé, his prime condition was to stick to the budget. “Himesh told me that if I couldn't make this film in the stipulated budget, it wouldn't be made. At the same time, he didn't want to compromise on quality," says Ananth.

The two began their professional association over 20 years ago, on the small years ago, on the smallscreen. “I have acted in all television serials produced by Himesh. Later, after he started composing music for films and I entered direction, we worked together in Dil Maange More and Aksar," recalls the director.

So, when the composer-singer-actor approached him with The Xposé, it was like revisiting old days. “When he said it's a thriller set in the Bollywood of 1960s, I was fascinated. Though Himesh has written the story as well, he was open to how I visualised the movie," the director says.

Careful not to spoof on yesteryear actors who have inspired the characters, the cast was made to put in a lot of hard work. “Himesh had to lose 20 kilos. Rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh plays a music composer, so in a way , he was on home ground. Along with debutantes Zoya Afroz (Miss India 2013, Second Runner-Up) and Sonali Raut, workshops were held even for experienced actors like Irrfan and Adil Hussain," says Ananth.

The director is also acting in the film, produced by Vipin Reshammiya. “Initially , Himesh simply suggested that I play filmmaker Subba Prasad. I refused as I didn't want additional burden. But after much persuasion, I agreed," he signs off.

REAL VS REEL
In December 1970, it was rumored that to ensure a successful run for Johny Mera Naam, Gulshan Rai created illwill for Raj Kapoor's Mera Naam Joker. A similar clash will be seen in the film when Chandni's (Zoya) Reena Mera Naam and Zara's (Sonali) Ujjwal Nirmal Sheetal releases on the same day. The former's producer will use black marketeer Alec D'Costa (Irrfan) to sell the latter's tickets at a lesser price.

Apart from a scene inspired by Zeenat Aman in Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Sonali's biggest challenge was to shoot an intimate sequence with industrialist Ranjit Desai (Bharat Dabholkar). Only Ananth and cinematographer Maneesh Bhatt were in the room when the shot was canned. Afterwards, the actress was overheard telling someone, “That was for real. I actually felt him all over me."

Though his character Ravi Kumar is inspired by yesteryear actor Raaj Kumar, Himesh has copied Salman Khan in the way he holds his cigarette.

The film will also remind one of Kamal Amrohi's Pakeezah. The film, which didn't open well, picked up after the untimely demise of lead actress Meena Kumari. Reportedly, a voice message - recorded by Padma Khanna, but passed off as Meena Kumari's last message - also helped the film run to packed houses. A similar method is used by the producer of Zara's film after her death.

The scene of a radio presenter asking Zara about her affair with Kenny Damania aka KD (Honey) is rumoured to be based on Ameen Sayani asking Zeenat Aman about her relationship with Sanjay Khan.

The Xposé, produced by HR Musik, releases May 16.

Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; May 11, 2014)

Who murdered sex symbol Zara Fernandes (played by Sonali Raut)? That’s the mystery that plays out in the musical suspense thriller The Xposé. Set in Bollywood of the 60s, the film shows that everyone who crossed her path — 11 suspects in all — had motive to kill her.

Her bitter rivalry with Chandni (played by Zoya Afroz, Miss India 2013 second runner-up) is reason enough for the latter to be suspected. Eccentric superstar Ravi Kumar (Himesh Reshammiya) holds a grudge against Zara, even as he tries to solve the case. Kenny Damania aka KD (Yo Yo Honey Singh) becomes a prime suspect as his fling with her makes news. His wife Shabnam Rai (Jesse Randhawa), too, is under the radar as she’s aware of KD’s affair with Zara. Her reel director Subba Prasad (played by Xposé director Ananth Narayan Mahadevan) too has a reason to gain from her death. Another suspect is Subba’s rival Bobby Chadha (Ashwin Dhar), who plans to destroy him and Ravi. Caught between his co-star Zara and his ex-flame Chandni, Virman Shah (Nakul Vaid) also becomes a suspect for siding with the latter after the two women get into a catfight.

Underworld don Rajan Anna (Adil Hussain) is under suspicion as he was associated wth her rival Chandni’s film Reena Mera Naam. And blackmarketeer Alec D’Costa (Irrfan in a special appearance) for his association with Zara’s film. Inspector Grover’s (Rajesh Sharma) involvement is doubted after he arrests an innocent man for Zara’s murder. Also under the radar are actor Ronnie Mukherjee (Kunal Thakur), Zara’s matron and landlady Mrs D’Silva (Kanika Dang) and industrialist Desai (Bharat Dabholkar).

The Xposé, produced by HR Musik, releases May 16.

Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 10, 2014)

Raj Kapoor got away with the scene in Satyam Shivam Sundaram but when Ananth Naryan Mahadevan's recreated it, he was met by the scissor-weilding censors.

The Xpose's leading lady Sonali Raut is clad in a wet white saree in a song which recreates Zeenat Aman's iconic turn in the Raj Kapoor classic and the Central Board of Film Certification has asked the filmmaker to clip those scenes which offer a glimpse of the actress's bosom.

Rakesh Upadhyay, the film's creative producer said: "I was told by the Censor Board that the mistakes made in the '70s should not be repeated."

And that was the end of Sonali's cleavage display. Another scene in which former Miss India Zoya Afroz uses expletives against Sonali has also been snipped.

The characters of the two actresses are reportedly inspired by Parveen Babi and Zeenat Aman.

The rivalry between the two exploded in several catfights, including one at a city hotel when they almost came to blows. This incident along with other real-life references have reportedly found their way into the film's script.

Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; May 10, 2014)

After their recent catfight, debutante actresses Zoya Afroz (Miss India 2013 Second Runner-Up) and Sonali Raut have decided against jointly promoting The Xposé, which will release on May 16. The two had clashed while shooting for Kapil Sharma’s television show Comedy Nights With Kapil, as part of the film’s promotional campaign. Lead actor Himesh Reshammiya tried to broker peace, but in vain.

Interestingly, the girls had first locked horns while shooting a similar scene for the movie. Back then, Himesh had managed to calm them down. This time around, we hear, Kapil is also attempting a truce between Zoya and Sonali. “He is planning to host a dinner for them so that they can resolve their differences,” says a source.

While Kapil remained unavailable for comment, Zoya maintains, “Kapil’s show was the last instance where Sonali and I promoted our film together. Henceforth, I’ll only be promoting it with Himesh. I’m not interested in patching up with Sonali.”

Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; May 6, 2014)

Sonali Raut and Zoya Afroz (Miss India 2013, Second Runnerup), who are making their Bollywood debut with The Xposé, came to blows while making a promotional appearance on Kapil Sharma’s television show, Comedy Nights With Kapil.

It seems the two have a history — the situation had apparently turned ugly while shooting a catfight sequence for the film, featuring Himesh Reshammiya and Yo Yo Honey Singh. But back then, they were pacified.

Matters heated up once again when the two came face-to-face during the TV show. Says a source, “Sonali confronted Zoya in the makeup van and reminded her about their earlier tiff. She also asked her to behave well, saying she would otherwise hit Zoya.”

An infuriated Zoya apparently slapped Sonali, who retaliated. The source adds, “Himesh immediately intervened and brokered peace, but the two girls hate the sight of each other.”

While Sonali says, “I’m not scared of anyone,” Zoya is clear that she doesn’t want to comment. “Sonali should know how to behave,” is all she had to say.

Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 22, 2014)

Recently, Margot Robbie admitted that she'd lied to her family about the X-rated scenes she'd shot for in The Wolf of Wall Street and how thinking about their reactions gave her the chills. Closer to home, debutant Sonali Raut is facing a similar predicament.

Her opening scene in the trailer of Himesh Reshammiya's The Xpose is difficult to miss. Mirror broke the story (April 2) about how the scene is a tribute to Raj Kapoor's1978 film Satyam Shivam Sundaram with Sonali aping Zeenat Aman in a wet white saree. On Saturday, the actress had a showdown with the film's director Anant Narayan Mahadevan. She wanted the scene deleted or toned down.

Sonali confirmed her reservations saying, "I've expressed my concerns to Ananth sir. I don't want to say anything more."

Ananth admitted that Sonali wants the scene to be cut but he is yet to take a final call on this. "As of now, I don't intend to tamper with the scene at all," he asserted. "Some of her cousins were shocked by the trailer and that rattled her."

He says she was kept in the loop at every point, shown stills from the original film and told this was her opportunity to recreate the iconic scene. He says, "I see no reason why I should comply to what she is asking for given that the scene was shot aesthetically and she knew exactly what she was doing." 

Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 2, 2014)

Himesh Reshammiya’s The Xpose revolves around a death that takes place in a fivestar hotel after a gltizy awards night. It is the trigger for the film’s narrator, Alec D’Costa, played by Irrfan Khan, to expose the dark underbelly of the Hindi film industry and unmask its larger-than-life superstars.

Himesh, who lost 20 kg through a year of organic dieting and workouts, plays Ravi Kumar. He is a former cop thrown out of the force following an accidental death in custody, who goes on to become a charismatic and enigmatic star who supposedly bears an uncanny resemblance to Raaj Kumar.

The characters of two actresses, Chandni, enacted by a former Miss India Zoya Afroz, and Zara, brought to life by another debutante Sonali Raut, are reportedly inspired by Parveen Babi and Zeenat Aman, who broke away from the image of a stereotypical heroine to set the benchmark for Bollywood’s sex symbols. The rivalry between the two exploded in several catfights, including one at a city hotel when they almost came to blows. This incident along with other real-life references, are believed to have found their way into the film’s script.

Director Ananth Narayan Mahadevan is tightlipped on this, but admits that there’s a song sequence which is a tribute to Raj Kapoor’s Satyam Shivam Sundaram with Sonali in a white half-sari which is almost a replica of Zeenat’s iconic get-up. “We created a set of a temple in ruins at Filmistan Studio. There is no roof and hence the rain streams in, soaking Zara to the skin as she pours water over the Shivling while singing the title track of a film being shot within the film. Ujjwal, Nirmal, Sheetal is a classical number composed by Himesh but on the lines of Satyam Shivam Sundaram’s Bhor bhaye panghat pe,” elaborates Ananth.

He admits that they spent weeks trying to source the exact material for the sari, then waited for Sonali to overcome her inhibitions. “We’d shown her the original picture and pointed out that this was her opportunity to recreate Raj Kapoor and Zeenat’s iconic scene in her very first film. Initially, Sonali came out in a body suit but then went back and returned without it. The sequence has been shot very aesthetically,” asserts Ananth.

Besides Ujwal Sheetal Nirmal, another film is being shot within the film, Reena Mera Naam. The Xpose itself abounds in several colourful characters many of whom may seem familiar. Popular singer Yo Yo Honey Singh plays Kenny Damania, a suave villain with shades of Pran while Adil Hussain’s Rajan Anna is supposed to have drawn from underworld don Vardha Rajan. Ananth clams up again only saying, “The ’60s was the most glamorous, sensational and musical era in Hindi cinema with stars who were the stuff legends are made of.”

Hiren Kotwani (MID-DAY; January 20, 2014)

Himesh Reshammiya will play an ex-copturned-superstar in his next, The Xpose, which is a thriller set in 1960s’ Bollywood. The composersinger-actor has shed 20 kilos to fit into the role of Ravi Kumar, which is inspired by the late actor Raaj Kumar.

Himesh, who weighed 77 kilos when he started preparing for the film five months ago, adopted an organic diet to go with his training regimen. And now, he weighs 57 kilos. Along with shunning carbohydrates, he also stopped eating between 9 pm and 9 am. Himesh is pleased with the results and is working towards getting six-pack abs in a month. Says he, “I have some superb music coming this year with Humshakals, Action Jackson, All Is Well and Kick. And there’s The Xpose, whose director Ananth Mahadevan is doing a wonderful job.”

The negative character played by Yo Yo Honey Singh apparently is inspired by Pran. Irrfan Khan also makes a special appearance in the film, which introduces Zoya Afroz (Miss India 2013 second runner-up) and Sonali Raut, who are playing characters inspired by Parveen Babi and Zeenat Aman, respectively.

The Xpose, produced by HR Musik, releases May 16.