Upala KBR, Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; August 18, 2020)

The past 15 years have witnessed the resurgence of Marathi cinema. Among those leading from the front in the emergence of the new wave was filmmaker Nishikant Kamat. His directorial debut Dombivali Fast (2005) was a biting commentary on how the common man will rarely win against the corrupt system. Where it fetched him the National Award for Best Marathi Feature Film, the drama also compelled the Hindi movie industry to look at Marathi cinema — until then regarded as its poor cousin — as a treasure trove of powerful stories.

Interestingly, Kamat was at the centre of another milestone in Marathi cinema that occurred less than a decade later. His brainchild, Lai Bhaari (2014), which marked the Marathi debut of actor-producer Riteish Deshmukh, was a raging hit at the box-office. In rivalling the earnings of some Bollywood films that year, it redefined the commerce of regional cinema. Perhaps, Kamat had imbibed the importance of box-office figures from the Hindi film industry, having spent over six years in Bollywood by then.

Genelia Deshmukh, who collaborated with the filmmaker on John Abraham-fronted Force (2011), remembers him as a "one-take director". "Nishi would walk you through the entire scene — discussing your expression, the mood of the scene and would ask you to relive an experience that comes closest to the sequence to be shot. Every scene would be preceded by a detailed chat because once he went on the floors, he would shoot the scene in one take. Most of my scenes in Force were filmed in a single take," she recounts.

Where he was analytical and sharp about the work at hand, Deshmukh says he was also deeply emotional. "During the Force shoot, I remember he broke down after we shot the scene where my character dies. He was the kind of person who was deeply invested in every character. Also, I have never seen a director who treated his crew so well. He would tell actors, 'Say what you want to me, but not to my bachchas.'"

While the mystery thriller Drishyam (2015) and Irrfan-fronted Madaari remain some of his best works, director Sudhir Mishra believes Mumbai Meri Jaan (2008) was perhaps his most underrated movie. "He was kind enough to involve me in the making of Mumbai Meri Jaan right from the beginning. I had seen the rough cut and it was easy to see that his outlook towards films was exceptional. He was one of the most underrated filmmakers; it may be because he didn't belong to any Bollywood camps, he did his job quietly."

When not giving instructions to actors, the director would frequently face the camera, playing menacing antagonists to Abraham in Rocky Handsome (2016) and Harshvardhan Kapoor in Bhavesh Joshi Superhero (2018). Arjun Rampal, who shared screen space with him in Daddy (2017), says Kamat enjoyed his stint in front of the camera as much as he did behind it. "During the shoot, he told us, 'I am just an actor here. Bolo, director saab, what do you want me to do?' And he did such a marvellous job in the film!" Rampal considers himself fortunate to be directed by Kamat in a few episodes of his web series, The Final Call. "Before every shot, we used to read out the scene several times over. He would always ask me how I would like to do a particular scene, and place his cameras accordingly."

His Best Works


Dombivali Fast (2005)
Telling the story of a middle-class bank employee whose existence is hinged on the frustration at the hands of law and lawmakers, the film walks us through the systematic breakdown of his mental state and how it turns him into a vigilante.

Evano Oruvan (2007)
Kamat adapted his critically acclaimed Dombivali Fast in Tamil with R Madhavan in the lead, thus proving that powerful stories have a universal appeal.

Mumbai Meri Jaan (2008)
Starring Madhavan, Soha Ali Khan and Irrrfan among others, Mumbai Meri Jaan skillfully took the audience through the aftermath of the 2006 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai.


Force (2011)
The John Abraham and Vidyut Jammwal-starrer is one of the first slick actioners that kickstarted an entire genre of such movies. A remake of Gautham Menon's Kakha Kakha, the film is a revenge saga between a cop and a dreaded gangster.

Lai Bhaari (2014)
Marking Riteish Deshmukh's debut in Marathi films, Lai Bhaari was a runaway hit and changed the face of commerce in regional cinema.

Drishyam (2015)
A remake of a Malayalam film, the Ajay Devgn-starrer is the unofficial adaptation of Kiego Higashino's popular novel.

Madaari (2016)
Starring Irrfan who played a vigilante in the film, Kamat narrated a fictional tale which is inspired by the collapse of the Mumbai metro bridge in 2012.

Sakshi Tanwar on rediscovering her chemistry with Kapoor in Karrle Tu Bhi Mohabbat, and embracing motherhood
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; April 16, 2019)

Sakshi Tanwar is in the happiest phase of her life as she is discovering the joys of motherhood with daughter Dityaa. On the professional front, she has reunited with Ram Kapoor for the third season of Karrle Tu Bhi Mohabbat. Over to Tanwar as she talks about her favourite co-star and discussing mommy duties with Ekta Kapoor.

Was the third season of Karrle... always on the cards?
We had signed a three-year contract with Alt Balaji. When we did the first season, we didn’t know if viewers would want a second edition, and now, we are in the third season. it has been driven by the audience’s response.

Was it hectic juggling this with the web series, The Final Call?
When you’re doing a daily soap, you must report to set every day. But the style of functioning is completely different with a web series. Here, you have to allot 90 to 100 days to the project and wrap it up. I did The Final Call during my break and had to dedicate only a few days to it. So, there was no overlapping of dates.

You have been romancing Ram for years. Does it get repetitive?
When I was shooting for Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, his set of Kasamh Se was close by. But we never thought that we would end up working together. During the last episode’s shoot of Kahaani, Ekta came on the set and said that she had a script for me. Within four months of Kahaani ending, I was offered Bade Acche Lagte Hain. Since I was on a sabbatical, I turned it down for almost two-and-a-half years. But right from the promo shoot of Bade, I realised that Ram and my chemistry is organic.

Most love stories play on conflicts until the leads unite in the end. Is that the only way to make content last for years?
Viewers must be enjoying the plot because they keep asking for more. People like it when Ram and I are pitted against each other, only to unite in the end. Once we are together, the audience has little excitement. They like to see us fight, argue and keep the banter going, which is why the script is designed in that manner.

You two are famous for your on-screen banter. How is your equation off-camera?
Ram and I are poles apart. He is a prankster, who plays little tricks on the set and is very happy with himself for pulling them off. I keep asking him, ‘Ram, how old are you?’

You’ve recently embraced motherhood. How is it at home?
Dityaa knows exactly how to behave with her nana, nani, the nanny and me. Every time she does something wrong, she will flash this big grin and you can’t help falling for it.

Ekta and you are both enjoying parenthood. Do you share notes?
We do. it’s one of the most beautiful phases of our lives, and we have so much to talk about and discuss.

Arjun Rampal talks about why he chose The Final Call over a period drama on Taj Mahal as his web debut
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; March 5, 2019)

Bollywood's romance with the digital platform continues, with Arjun Rampal being the latest star to jump on the bandwagon. The actor opens up on his maiden web project and why it was a "draining" experience. Edited excerpts from the interview:

You were in talks for a web series on Taj Mahal. What made you choose The Final Call over it?
I was quite excited to do Taj Mahal, which would have seen me play Shah Jahan. But when I read the first two episodes, I wasn't convinced. Luckily, Tarun Katiyal [CEO, Zee5] and I were on the same page regarding the material. He then suggested that I read the script of The Final Call. I realised that it would be one of the most challenging characters I've played.

The show deals with depression, something that is not often discussed on screen.
One of the main reasons I did the show was to create awareness about the subject. Since it has dropped online, I have got several messages saying that we have depicted it with sensitivity. Depression is a mental condition that can occur due to various reasons, including stress. Sometimes a person harbours negative feelings because things aren't going his way. In some cases, it is a chemical imbalance; at other times, it could be bipolarism. So, it's important to recognise the issue and seek help accordingly. In our society, many feel that going to a psychiatrist is taboo, but it is necessary for a person to discuss his emotional state.

Was it tough to get into the psyche of a troubled pilot?
Understanding the mind of a character requires you to draw from different experiences. It was a draining process. Vijay Lalwani [director] read up about what happens to fighter pilots. He told me how most fighter pilots go into depression after retirement. It can be because of the missing adrenaline rush or simply, post-traumatic stress disorder. Many of them don't sleep with their family because they have nightmares and fear hurting them in their sleep. I tried to bring in this struggle in my character.

This is the first time that you have explored the OTT platform. What has been your understanding so far?
The digital platform is a completely different ball game. It is a great medium because it allows creative minds to showcase their work, which otherwise wouldn't have seen the light of day. While it has a wider reach, the competition is also stiff. That's why quality is paramount. We have to compete with the likes of House Of Cards and Game Of Thrones. We don't have the same budgets, but we cannot put out anything that looks shabby or cheap.

In the long run, do you think OTT will replace theatres?
Cinema isn't going anywhere; it is the mother of all formats. The OTT platform cannot replace it. It has surely raised the bar and made filmmakers conscious of showcasing good content, failing which the audience will not come to cinema halls. So, the way forward is to make larger-than-life films or provide interesting content.