WILL PATHAAN’S FIRST DAY COLLECTIONS CROSS THE RS. 50 CRORE MARK?

The excitement is at its peak as Pathaan will release tomorrow, that is, January 25. It's a foregone conclusion now that it's all set to take a terrific opening.

Pathaan stars Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham. Directed by Siddharth Anand, it is produced by Aditya Chopra's Yash Raj Films (YRF) and is a part of the YRF Spy Universe. This means that it belongs to the same world as Tiger (Salman Khan) from Ek Tha Tiger and Tiger Zinda Hai and Kabir (Hrithik Roshan) from War. It's come to light that Salman reprises his role as Tiger and will have a special appearance. This factor has made the film one of the most awaited ones for a long time. Also, it's Shah Rukh Khan's first film in more than 4 years.

The promotions of Pathaan began with the teaser which was dropped on Shah Rukh Khan's birthday, on November 2, 2022. In December, the first song of the film, 'Besharam Rang', was released. Amusingly, a section of politicians and trolls raised objections that too over Deepika Padukone's orange swimsuit. They claimed that it insults Hindu sentiments! As expected, people didn't buy the illogical argument. But since all news channels gave a lot of footage to this controversy, it helped the film in getting free publicity.

As for 'Besharam Rang', it became a chartbuster. The other song, 'Jhoome Jo Pathaan' started slow but gradually, also became very big.

After these songs were out, the trailer was launched on January 12. It made it clear that the film is made on a grand scale and is replete with action, grandeur, style and patriotism.

The advance booking of Pathaan opened on January 18 and ever since the ticket sales have gone up with each passing day. What's interesting is that it's releasing on a non-holiday. Yet, several shows are already full. With January 26 being a National Holiday owing to Republic Day, the evening and night shows have great bookings too.

As for the opening day number, Pathaan is sure to collect more than Rs. 40 crores on the first day. It now remains to be seen how far it can go on the basis of spot bookings and last-minute advance bookings.

Baahubali 2's Hindi version has the record of being the biggest non-holiday opener at Rs. 40.73 crores. Pathaan is sure to cross the figure and also the day 1 of Bharat, which was Rs. 41.62 crores.

The next opening day record is of Thugs Of Hindostan which collected Rs. 48.27 crores and War, which earned Rs. 50.61 crores. Pathaan has a strong chance of crossing these figures.

The Hindi version of KGF - Chapter 2, meanwhile, had collected Rs. 52.50 crores on day 1 while Avengers: Endgame had collected Rs. 53.50 crores. Avengers: Endgame also holds the record of collecting the highest-ever collection in a single day - Rs. 53.75 crores - on its third day of release. Readers will be shocked to know that Pathaan can even go past these almost impossible-to-achieve numbers on its first day. If not on the first day, it can cross these figures on the day 2 holiday. Of course, this will depend on the content and reports.

If the word of mouth for Pathaan is positive, it can earn Rs. 200 crores by Sunday, that is, in five days. Even if reports are not strong, audiences are sure to throng to cinemas to watch the film as the excitement is too much. Moreover, there has been no major film release since Cirkus last month. As a result, even in a worst-case scenario, Pathaan can have lifetime collections of more than Rs. 150 crores!

The other release of the week is Gandhi Godse - Ek Yudh. It is directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and presents a fictional narrative and a dialogue between Mahatma Gandhi and Nathuram Godse.

Due to the non-commercial subject, there’s very little excitement. But since it’s a politically controversial subject, a small section of the audience is curious to see it. It releases on Thursday, January 26, and is expected to collect in the range of Rs. 10 lakhs and Rs. 50 lakhs. If word of mouth is positive, it might have a long run and can also have decent box office results.

The actress talks about how she has been spending quality time with her family during the lockdown, the insecurities of showbiz and the need to keep oneself relevant at all times
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; April 23, 2020)

From your social media profile, it’s evident that you love being outdoors. So, how are you handling this phase of being homebound?
I’m a restless person and I can’t stay indoors for very long. So, throughout the day, I go to the terrace a couple of times. Other than that, I spend time chilling with my family and reading books. As for my workout, I go up and down the building’s staircase a few times, and also do functional training at home, which does not need equipment. I force my brother to keep me company in all of this and he never says no. My family is happy to see me around. We live in the same building, but in different apartments. Usually, they don’t see much of me because I keep travelling for work commitments, but the Coronavirus lockdown has given us plenty of time to catch up on conversations.

It’s been almost 18 months since your last release (Thugs Of Hindostan). It was your second film (after Dangal) and it failed to click with the audience. Did you introspect on what happened and the way ahead?
I didn’t have any outings last year because all my projects were getting pushed around for dates or due to technical issues. This is the nature of our business; once you’re done shooting, there’s nothing you can do except wait and watch. That’s sometimes disappointing for actors because all their hard work is sitting in a can, waiting to be shown to people. And just when we were hoping that my films would move ahead, the pandemic put everything on hold. Thankfully, we wrapped up Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari a day before the lockdown. Let’s hope things get back to normal, soon.

Many child actors become full-time actors after growing up, but most of them don’t find their way around. What has your experience been like? You started off as a child actor, who grew up and went through several auditions before landing the lead role in Dangal...
I continue to audition for roles and I think that’s fine. After Dangal, I was accepted in the industry, but post Thugs Of Hindostan, things changed. The most difficult part is to stay relevant, especially when you are not working as much as others. This industry gets so many newcomers every year that someone launched a while back, becomes redundant. They forget about you and that is scary. At times, I fear that I will not get more work because when I look around, everyone wants to team up with the current favourite in the market. However, I came to terms with that realisation early on in my career. I have promised myself that I will make the most of this time. I am not great at approaching people, but I believe in shamelessly and yet, organically, letting them know that I want to work with them.

Under normal circumstances, you are barely seen socialising or hanging out with your peers. Have you managed to find friends in this industry?
Anurag (Basu, director) dada is someone I call when I am confused. Another person I speak to is Manoj Bajpayee, who I just worked with in Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari. These are the people I am usually in touch with and I have grown fond of them. About making friends, I get along with my colleagues and peers pretty easily, but I also disconnect just as quickly. The moment we wrap a film, I go back into my shell. I like it that way.

The actor is all for constructive criticism on social media, but says he doesn’t pay heed to arbitrary people attacking him for no reason
Monika Rawal Kukreja (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 21, 2020)

Aamir Khan possibly is the last person to experience FOMO (fear of missing out). Whether it’s not attending award shows, not doing multiple films in a year or not making frequent public appearances, Aamir has neither been part of any rat race nor even bothered about being left out. So, even when it comes to his social media presence, Mr Perfectionist follows his own norms.

In fact, he made his Instagram debut only in 2018, well after most of Bollywood. Ask why, and pat comes the reply, “I am a person who is in my own world half the time. So, I am not very often there on social media platforms. You can say I am not very communicative on social media.”

However, Aamir is quick to add that his films and other works are the means through which he wants to be known. He insists that he likes to communicate through his films. “For me, that’s the most important form of communication. Whether it’s through my films or (TV show) Satyamev Jayate or through Paani Foundation, the communication that I do through my work is what counts,” he explains.

However, it’s not that Aamir totally stays away from airing his views on social media, as he says, “Once in a while I would tweet something or post a picture on Instagram, but yeah, I am not very regular.”

Perhaps that’s also the reason one hasn’t really heard or read about the actor getting into any war of words or hitting back at trolls for nasty comments, if any. But does he take out time to read the comments on his posts on social media? “Yes, I do read them occasionally. Especially around my film’s release, I definitely do, because I want to know what people feel about the film and my character. That’s the time when I go and particularly look for what people are saying,” says the actor, who is currently shooting for his next, Laal Singh Chaddha.

And Aamir asserts he doesn’t let too much negativity affect him. “If someone is just making fun of me or attacking me for no reason, I don’t bother. Aise hi arbitrary log negative bol rahe hain, usse mujhe kucch farak nahi padta aur main uss par respond bhi nahi karta,” he says.

But constructive criticism is something that the Thugs Of Hindostan (2018) actor happily welcomes. “If someone gives me criticism which is constructive, I take it seriously because that’s where I am learning. As an actor and a creative person, it helps me learn and grow,” he continues, “When people appreciate my work, it makes me feel nice. I understand what they’ve understood in the film, how they’ve perceived the character; they describe it and it’s a happy feeling that my work connected with them. Even at times when people say they don’t like my work and describe what they didn’t like, it helps me to improve myself. So, I am all for sensible criticism.”

Fatima Sana Shaikh is all set to return to screen in March with Anurag Basu’s crime anthology; kicks off a horror-comedy with Saif Ali Khan in January
Ankita Chaurasia (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 22, 2019)

Fatima Sana Shaikh’s life looks like a travelogue. From Macau and McLeodganj to Beijing and Turkey, the actress is living out of suitcases and loving it. But it’s not all play. Despite being a box-office debacle, Thugs Of Hindostan bagged her an award for her action scenes, presented by Jackie Chan and Adrien Brody. “After collecting my award, I went to Jackie Chan’s room, where many top actors from the Chinese film industry were present. They immediately recognised me as the Dangal girl and were excited to meet me. It was surreal!” she exults.

The actress, however, admits that she lost out on a film she’d been finalised for because Thugs... didn’t bring the numbers. “It’s plain business,” she says, matter-of-factly, going on to point out that now casting is done taking the number of Instagram followers and who you are friends with into account. “I don’t attend parties unless I know the host and the guests. If it is only about pictures, I can click and upload them myself, but to pay for people to dress you up and click you for an event, is not organic. I’d rather use the money to travel.”

Fatima has just wrapped up Anurag Basu’s next (below), a crime anthology of four stories, which pairs her with Rajkummar Rao. “For the first time, I play a normal woman in a sari on screen. After battling for a medal in the ring and performing superhuman, gravity-defying stunts, this one was a breeze,” she smiles, adding they would start the day’s shoot with breakfast on the set, followed by long gossip sessions while the scene was being set up. “After quickly wrapping up the shot, it was back to more gossip.” Didn’t the director reprimand them? With a chuckle, Fatima relays that he was a part of the addas and had amazing stories to share. “Dada would also break into a dance when he felt like it and we joined in.”

While most filmmakers do away with music in crime dramas, Fatima assures this one will have Basu’s signature tunes, with an overall fun vibe. “We shot for songs, but haven’t heard any of them yet as they are recorded much later. Even in Jagga Jasoos, he had done the same and yet everything looked so coordinated on screen,” she reasons.

Meanwhile, the shoot of the horror-comedy, Bhoot Police, featuring Saif Ali Khan and Ali Fazal, has been pushed to January 2020. Insisting she wasn’t the reason behind the delay, the actress adds, “It’s a very urban character, again a first for me. I’m a fattu at heart and am already dreading the shoot. As long as I am on the set with people around me, I’ll be fine. But as soon as I’m alone in my room, meri barbaadi hone wali hai.”

The team is expected to shoot in Darjeeling and the hills can get spooky. So, what is her contingency plan? Fatima sheepishly admits that since she lives alone and gets scared by the tiniest of noises at night, she has an arsenal of soft toys. “There’s a particular teddy bear that’s my bodyguard. I’m going to take it along and sleep with it. Also, you will immediately identify my room in the hotel because the lights will never be turned off through the night. I have asked them to give me a room in the middle,” she confides.

But that won’t stop the prankster in her and she plans to make the most of the setting by spooking others. “I used to prank Sanya and AK (Aamir Khan) all the time. I have so much footage of them screaming their lungs out. They get scared so easily that even if I go ‘Boo’ as they come out of the loo, they’d be terrified,” she recalls, between chuckles. But what if the tables turn and she ends up getting pranked? Almost as if challenging her co-stars, Fatima quips, “What will they do? Drop a lizard on me? Well, I find them cute because they help keep the house clean. What’s not to love about them.”

Meanwhile, Fatima has been putting up clips showing off her daredevilry, but reveals that her heart was in her mouth when she was attempting them. Now, the only thing left to try is skydiving. For the moment she is happy learning new skating tricks from YouTube. “It’s only a hobby and takes me outdoors, otherwise I would spend hours bingeing on online content on my phone. I scatter books all around the house so that I see them, feel guilty and picking one up, start reading,” she grins.

Her dad has started accompanying her on her trips. “I started flying business class only when the production houses started paying for my ticket. And when I got an opportunity, I took him on a trip with me. It was the first time he was flying business class. I taught him how things functioned and he was proud of me,” beams the actress who is reconnecting with her parents after what she terms a “rebellious phase”. “For them, I’m not a celeb and we keep fighting all the time.

You take people around you for granted and try to connect with strangers; but in the process, you are estranged from your own family,” she points out, admitting she has “calmed” down a bit now. So, what’s top priority on her bucket list? Pat comes the answer, “I want to buy a house,” And what about work? “As soon as I finish one film, I wonder what’s next. At that time, it doesn’t matter how famous I am or who recognizes me,” she signs off.

Ten films which went beyond the two-and-a-half hour length and stood to gain… or lose
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 22, 2019)

A movie’s run time is tricky business. If it is too short, the audience may not get it, if it is too long, it could turn into a snore fest. So, most Hindi filmmakers play safe and keep it to two-and-a-half hours, but once in a while, surprises do crop up, be it the almost four-hour-long Lagaan or the hour-and-a-half Dolly Ki Doli. Currently on a record-breaking spree, Kabir Singh, is almost three-hour long, yet the audience is happily lapping up the dollops of misogyny. To cut a long story short, many filmmakers today are ready to gamble with the age-old maxim ‘the longer, the better’. Does the length of a film influence its box-office outcome? Trade experts analyse...

KABIR SINGH (2019) - 2 hrs and 53 mins
Director: Sandeep Vanga
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani
Synopsis: A remake of the Telugu romance Arjun Reddy, the film follows an alcoholic surgeon on the path of self-destruction after his girlfriend leaves him.
Trade speak: Distributor Raj Bansal believes the runtime affects number of shows and this film could have upped its business by 10-15 per cent had it been 20 minutes shorter. “Long runtime erodes entertainment value and brings down collections, but that’s where content kicks in. The trade had not expected Kabir Singh to even hit the century mark, but people found it engaging and identified with Shahid’s angry young man with the result that even the most vitriolic criticism could not keep them away,” he reasons.


BHARAT (2019) - 2 hrs and 47 mins
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Synopsis: A remake of the South Korean film Ode To My Father, Bharat traces the six-decade parallel journeys of independent India and the film’s eponymous character.
Trade speak: According to exhibitor Manoj Desai, the audience today finds it hard to understand and relate to the sacrifices made for India’s independence. “Partition is too out-dated for the Gen X and the film was a drag resulting in less than expected business. Salman should stick to action and romance, he is invincible in these genres and will rule for the next decade or two,” he adds.


KALANK (2019) - 2 hrs and 46 mins
Director: Abhishek Varman
Cast: Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sonakshi Sinha
Synopsis: The period-romance unfolds against the backdrop of the Partition and revolves around star-crossed lovers.
Trade speak: Distributor Raj Bansal believes that despite a stellar cast, Kalank failed to impress as it lacked depth; also, characters were not well defined and their world too alien. “Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit’s reunion didn’t add to the narrative, with the former barely there and the latter largely ineffective despite her all-pervasive presence. Even Varun and Alia’s love story was insipid. So despite opening with a bang, it ended on a whimper,” he explains.


AVENGERS: ENDGAME (2019) - 3 hrs 1 min
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johannson, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo
Synopsis: In the aftermath of the destruction caused by Thanos, the Avengers team up with their allies to reverse the damage.
Trade speak: Kamal Gianchandani of the PVR chain of theatres, says that it is the audience’s love and loyalty for the franchise and its characters that pulled them in. “The film offered spectacular visuals and action sequences, so people didn’t mind sitting through three hours. Also, in this case the runtime did not restrict the number of shows due to the number of screens allotted in India,” the exhibitor avers.


RANGEELA RAJA (2019) - 2 hrs 42 mins
Director: Sikander Bharti
Cast: Govinda
Synopsis: A comic flick about twin brothers, where one of them decides to bring the other’s life on track.
Trade speak: Industry veteran and founder of Mumbai’s first multiplex chain, Fame Adlabs, Balkrishna Shroff believes Govinda’s time as a lead actor is over. “Script and all other factors were secondary, this film did not have star appeal to begin with. The runtime didn’t matter because there was no audience,” avers Shroff, adding that Govinda is still a talented actor but should do roles complementing his age.


PADMAAVAT (2018) - 2 hrs 44 mins
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Cast: Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Shahid Kapoor
Synopsis: A period drama revolving around Maharani Padmavati, Raja Ratan Singh and Alauddin Khilji and how she performed jauhar to protect her honour.
Trade speak: Kamal Gianchandani, of the PVR chain of theatres, believes that irrespective of its length, SLB’s storytelling, his ability to extract strong performances and his music is a big draw. “The combo of an exceptionally talented director and characters played by phenomenal actors in a brilliant film is what worked for Padmaavat,” explains the exhibitor.


KAALA (2018) - 2 hrs 42 mins
Director: Pa Ranjith
Cast: Rajinikanth, Nana Patekar
Synopsis: Kaala is about the Nellai/Tirunelveli-based Tamils who live in Mumbai.
Trade speak: Industry veteran Balkrishna Shroff says Rajini’s appeal is limited to the South. Also, since the multiplex audience doesn’t care for action films, numbers were affected. “Kaala was made for a different market. The Hindi dubbed version was only for extra revenue,” he adds.


RACE 3 (2018) - 2 hrs 40 mins
Director: Remo D’souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jaqueline Fernandez
Synopsis: A family of criminals deal with loyalty issues while planning their next heist.
Trade speak: Trade analyst Komal Nahta reasons that a 2-hour film can feel like a 4-hour one if the script is bad. “Makers depended on only Salman’s charisma to pack in the crowds. That’s where Race 3 failed,” he asserts.


THUGS OF HINDOSTAN (2018) - 2 hrs 44 mins
Director: Vijay Krishna Acharya
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif, Fatima Sana Shaikh
Synopsis: An adventure-thriller about a man’s love for his country and another’s lust for power.
Trade speak: Exhibitor Manoj Desai believes that dearth of originality has hit Bollywood with Thugs... being a prime example. “The story ceased to interest post interval. The makers failed to extract anything from Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan, a pity given the actors they are,” he says.

ZERO (2018) - 2 hours and 44 mins
Director: Aanand L Rai
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, Katrina Kaif
Synopsis: Bauua Singh who is vertically challenged aims to broaden his horizons and find purpose in life.
Trade speak: Trade analyst Komal Nahta describes Zero as a “flawed script” so even the holidays didn’t help. “SRK’s string of failures can’t be blamed, it wouldn’t have worked with any actor given the overload of sadness. No film fails because it’s ‘too long’ but because it’s ‘bad’,” he asserts.

The advance of AVENGERS: ENDGAME has topped all the Hindi releases till date in terms of NETT collections and there are still two days left. The film had only AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR and BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION (Hindi) ahead of it at end of business on Tuesday. The advance of TIGER ZINDA HAI was 24 crore nett apprx and THUGS OF HINDOSTAN was 26 crore nett apprx and the latter figure was crossed by AVENGERS: ENDGAME on Tuesday night.

It will beat AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR sometime today and then maybe get to BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION (Hindi). The BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION advance of 37 crore nett figure is Hindi only and AVENGERS: ENDGAME is released in regional languages also like BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION.

If we take South out of the equation then this Hollywood film is the biggest rage outside BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION in recent history and could challenge the circuit figures of all the big Hindi releases. The all India total is on course to be higher than all the Hindi releases due to the huge contribution down South. So it will be the circuit figures that will tell actually that this film is even the biggest in the Hindi markets.

At an all India level including South and all languages it will probably be the biggest ever after BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION and 2.0. If the film was allowed to release outside 2K theaters then it would have had a chance to beat 2.0 also.

There are two days left for the advance and if we take the biggest Hindi films they normally double up in the last two days and if that was to happen here it would be in an insane advance of 50 crore nett. But it wont happen due to a huge number of tickets have been sold already and its best day of advance will be the first day when for Hindi films in the recent past it is the Thursday.

AVENGERS: ENDGAME opened to a phenomenal advance on Saturday with a huge craze for tickets. The advance counters were opened on Saturday with tickets only available at certain places and it was mayhem. The film sold around 5 lakh tickets in a matter of a few hours which is historic.

Last year the biggest Hindi opener THUGS OF HINDOSTAN also opened advance on Saturday and had sold around 2 lakh tickets with more availability and that advance itself was big but this is a different level. The to two advances in history in terms of collections are BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION and AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR and AVENGERS: ENDGAME is sure to beats its predecessor and maybe even BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION (Hindi).

The real comparison is AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR as BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION was a multiplex language release like AVENGERS: ENDGAME. So technically all languages have to be compared. The advance of AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR was around 28 crore nett and AVENGERS: ENDGAME will reach that level with days to spare.

The release of the film will be around 1600 locations and 2600 screens as Hollywood does not allow release on the 2K screens. If they did this film could be going to 7000 plus screens across India. But its never about the screens but is there an audience out there and this film will prove that.

There is an increment in ticket prices from last time which will insure higher opening collections from the last film with the same occupancy but to beat the previous number by 50 or 60% its about the footfalls and getting a bigger audience in the first day.

Records are going to fall from advance to opening day to the weekend and its going to be interesting to see how far our Hindi circuits go as compared to a BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION and THUGS OF HINDOSTAN. It also remains to be seen whether it can actually get circuit records in our markets. The all India number is going to be huge but there is a huge contribution from the South circuits which don't collect much for Hindi films.

As told to Ankita Chaurasia (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 1, 2019)

I was working as an intern with a photographer and would go for every audition hoping I would get lucky. That was the only window open to me at the time and irrespective of the outcome, I was happy I got to ‘act’ and with the feedback I got.

Then, I went to audition for Dangal and the prep began right away. There were several rounds, each testing us for a different skill set, from physical and basic acting rounds to wrestling. It demanded a lot from me, physically and I was delighted when I was shortlisted after several gruelling sessions.

Kripa sir (Shankar Patel Bishnoi), who coaches Indian female wrestlers at the senior national coaching camp, was training us. He was told to train us the way he would someone looking to get into professional wrestling. I wasn’t doing any kind of physical activity before my debut film. No workouts and no watching what I ate, so it was doubly difficult for me. My only focus was to get the wrestling moves required for the film, but that wasn’t possible unless I learned everything there was to know.

I had aches in places I didn’t know existed. I used to be in pain all the time and there were times when I was not just physically but even emotionally unable to face another day of training.

Exhaustion was a constant. I also had to change our diet plan, was put on a very high-calorie diet since I had to put on weight. And then there was the dialect. We were strictly told not to learn but simply practise the lines till they flowed naturally. But the only thing that kept me going was that there was no way out. I had to do all this to be in the film.

Even after being confirmed for the role of Geeta Phogat, I had the nagging fear of being dropped if I failed to pull off a certain scene or even a wrestling move. So, even when I was injured, I kept it to myself and continued to grapple in the ring. It was only when I fractured my rib and couldn’t breathe, that I had to tell them. I had broken my ankle earlier while shooting but no one knew about that. By the time we wrapped up the shoot, I was completely broken.

But I have got a lot in return, not just the experience, but also the friends we made. We are a close-knit unit and still discuss films. Today, all the prep that went into my launch seems worth it.

After that I thought I could take it a bit easy, but then, Thugs of Hindostan came along. The prep was similar to my earlier training, only it was easier though the action sequences looked more difficult. Dangal is a contact sport and we had kept it real in the film so the risk of injury was that much more. It’s safer doing stunts, because you have harnesses and you know you will be taken care of. But when you have to lift someone in the ring, there is no one to help you. You have to do it yourself.

There were two foreign coaches who trained us in sword fighting. The day started with weight training followed by two-three hours of sword fighting. I also had to take some diction sessions.

After the arduous prep for my first two films, it was a breeze shooting for Anurag’s (Basu) next with Rajkummar Rao. We were shooting in Bhopal and every day, we would go on the set, discuss the scene and it was ‘Action’. It was as simple as that.

Even for my horror-comedy with Saif (Ali Khan), Bhoot Police, there won’t be any kind of homework required. I guess, my first two films have given me enough prep for the next ten.

Saroj Khan is in no mood to be ‘retired’; having choreographed the climax mujra for Madhuri Dixit in her upcoming film, she’s hopeful that her work will bring her back on the sets
As told to Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 27, 2019)

There are all kinds of rumours doing the rounds. Some say I’m unwell, others insist I have retired. I’m waiting for Karan Johar’s Kalank to release and dispel such idle talk.

Four years after Gulaab Gang, I’ve choreographed another song for Madhuri (Dixit). All through the film she makes others dance and never dances herself, then, in the climax, when Varun’s (Dhawan) Zafar enters the kotha, she breaks into a mujra. “Tabahi” is a sad, situational song with fast-paced beats. Madhuri and I danced our hearts out and I’m hopeful that after seeing it, people will remember Saroj Khan again. After just reading about it, Kangana Ranaut with whom I had worked in Tanu Weds Manu earlier, called me to do a song, “Rajaji”, in Manikarnika - The Queen of Jhansi.

Bollywood songs have hit an all-time low. None of the songs today are memorable and you can’t differentiate between heroines, who look and dress the same. I have to ask my kids who the actress is. In the ’80s and ’90s, maybe even before that, every heroine was distinctive and no one was afraid of close-ups.

I would love to see traditional Indian dance return to the screen. People are trying to copy western dance, but gymanstics is meant for circus people. Why go into living rooms in the West and show them their own moves when people abroad love and want to learn our todas and taals? It’s stupid, but then music directors today can’t even come up with original tracks, they have to remix yesteryear hits.

Remo D’souza, Ahmed Khan, Ganesh Acharya, my own son Raju Khan have all been my students. In my time, we always encouraged new talent, we were not insecure of them taking our work away from us. Taqdeer roti deti hai.

For a while I had lost interest but now looking at the haalat of dance, I want to do something good for the industry. I can’t judge actresses because I have only seen them in songs choreographed by others. Katrina (Kaif) looks good and there was a chance of collaborating on Thugs Of Hindostan. But as the shoot was coming up, she told the makers she wouldn’t do the song without rehearsals and I was summarily replaced with Prabhudheva.

Such things happen these days. What can one do? I have never gone to anyone’s office asking for work. I can only hope that my work speaks for me. I miss being on the set and would love to choreograph more often.

Fatima Sana Shaikh commends #MeToo, asserts she won’t judge those who share their horror stories and expects not to be judged for not sharing hers; has bounced back from last debacle with two new films
Ankita Chaurasia (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 13, 2019)

Dangal was a blockbuster, Thugs of Hindostan was a disaster of epic proportions and Fatima Sana Shaikh admits she was so disheartened after the latter that she didn’t come out of the room for days and wanted to run away some place else. “We were all disturbed, we had worked on the film for a-year-and-a-half,” she sighs. Any regrets? “Why would I not do a film like Thugs?” she shoots back. “I still don’t consider it a setback to my career.”

The girl who bagged a Commonwealth gold in reel life as wrestler Geeta Phogat in her first film, started her journey as a child artiste. Her parents were avid film buffs and since they lived next door to Kamal Amrohi Studio, her mother who was keen on her children being a part of showbiz, would often land up at shoots and ask around for roles for them. That’s how Fatima landed her first film, Chachi 420, Kamal Haasan’s Indianised Mrs Doubtfire, in which he played his daughter. The actress surprises you by admitting that she didn’t enjoy working as a child. “You are surrounded by adults all the time and the work hours are long,” she flashbacks with a frown.

Four years later in 2001, she appeared in the Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla-starrer, One 2 Ka 4. Tahaan (2008), Bittoo Boss (2012) and Akaash Vani (2009) followed and were quickly forgotten. Since acting was the only thing she knows and her family’s financial condition was precarious, she turned to TV in 2009 to pay the bills, doing shows like Ladies Special and Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo. “But unless you are the lead, you don’t get much izzat on TV. I’m glad that phase of my life is over,” she says with relief, admitting that after Dangal when she did not work for a while, she would get hyper. “I don’t like sitting at home, there’s this nagging fear of things not working out because I have struggled for long,” she admits.

She hints at incidents of sexual harassment, but won’t divulge details, only saying that she commends the #MeToo movement for providing a voice to victims. “I don’t want to expose that side of my life… I’m dealing with it, speaking to people I’m close to. Just like I won’t judge those who want to share their horror stories, I expect not to be judged for not sharing mine,” she says softly, adding emotionally, “Now sexual predators are scared of being shamed in public and shunned by the industry. For so many years we had normalised assault to such an extent that women had come to accept abuse as something that was normal.”

Meanwhile, she’s been trolled time and again and acknowledges that the first time it happened over a beach photoshoot she cried but now doesn’t take such people seriously. “I read all the comments, even the negative ones, and am amazed that people are so invested in me. If I can aggravate them, what can be better than that?” she chuckles.

The 27-year-old actress has already bounced back from the Thugs debacle with two interesting projects. There’s Anurag Basu’s next with Rajkummar Rao, a crime drama. “I’ve wanted to work with Anurag for the longest time and I’m happy to do whatever he wants me to do,” she beams. Unlike her first two films, this one needed no prep and Fatima just had to be herself. “We would meet on set, discuss the character, offer inputs and execute the scene. We shot in Bhopal and I started my days with Dada (Anurag) taking me to this chaiwala for Bhopal ki special chai. I danced on the set and even gatecrashed a baraat,” she rattles off.

The other film is a horror-comedy, Pavan Kriplani’s Bhoot Police, and features another Khan, Saif Ali Khan. “Having worked with Aamir and Saif, Shah Rukh and Salman are now on my wishlist,” Fatima laughs. Remind her that she’s worked with SRK as a child artiste and she quips, “Yes, but I want to work with him as a grown-up too.”

While on co-stars, what’s the equation with her mentor Aamir? “I look up to him and I am fond of him. As a struggling actress, I could only hope to work with someone of his stature. Now, having watched him closely, I understand why he is so good at his work. He comes to the set on time, reads the script 24x7 and keeps rehearsing his lines. It’s their passion that sets actors like Aamir, (Amitabh) Bachchan sir and Raj (Rajkummar Rao) apart. I can only hope that their dedication rubs off on me,” she says.

She may be on her fourth film but Fatima is ambitious about her directors. “Films are a director’s medium and I want to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Rajkumar Hirani,” she reveals. Also, on her wishlist are Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Varun Dhawan and an out-and-out romance film. “I’m lucky that I can choose projects, outsiders don’t have that option. I got Dangal after auditions. Honestly, I would have done any film at that point. The process of getting here has been slow but a fruitful one.” she says.

And is a real-life romance on the cards? Pat comes the answer, “I’m not seeing anyone, I’m comfortable being alone. I watch movies, go to restaurants on my own and don’t miss having someone around because my work is my love. And even when I’m not working, I don’t go out to meet people,” she signs off.

Meena Iyer (DNA; February 19, 2019)

2019 is a hallmark year for several Bollywood actors. Amitabh Bachchan celebrates his 50th and Anil Kapoor commemorates his 40th year in Hindi cinema. It will also be almost three decades since the Khan triumvirate — Aamir, Salman and Shah Rukh — has been entertaining and enthralling us on screen. So, what if the trio didn’t have a particularly impressive 2018?

Experts are already wondering if the old guard is making way for the new. Talk of Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor and Varun Dhawan staking their claim to the Bollywood throne is in the air. However, we think it is a bit early to really spew venom. Of course, 2018 did play out very differently (ohr should we say indifferently) for Aamir, Salman and Shah Rukh. For the first time in 30 years, they failed to make it to the top of the heap. While Aamir’s Thugs Of Hindostan proved to be a calamity, Shah Rukh’s Zero amounted to nought (not literally).

1. SALMAN’S ‘FLOPS’ ARE STILL BIGGER THAN MANY OTHERS’ HITS

Salman’s Race 3 made it to the winning post. However, the Rs 166.15 crore that it earned wasn’t quite as tall as Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) which earned Rs 339 crore and Sultan (2016) that raked in Rs 300.67 crore. So, there was a segment of naysayers that was tut-tutting. There were those who were ready to erase the Khantastic achievement of the three mega-stars, who had at least one blockbuster (or at least one film in the top four) every single year from the start of their careers. But when they hit a rough patch in 2018, there were hush-hush murmurs of a change.


2. SHAH RUKH’S DDLJ CONTINUES TO RUN IN ITS 24TH YEAR

This is a feat no other actor has been able to match. Aditya Chopra’s debut film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in lead roles, which released in October 1995, continues to run at Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir theatre. It holds the record for the longest-running film in the history of Indian cinema.


3. AAMIR’S DANGAL IS THE HIGHEST-GROSSING HINDI FILM

The biopic on Mahavir Singh Phogat, who was single-handedly responsible for making his daughters, Geeta and Babita Phogat, gold medalists in wrestling, crossed Rs 374.53 crore at the BO. The movie, which was produced by Aamir and also had him in the lead role, continues to hold the record for the highest-grossing Hindi film till date.


4. CURRENTLY, TWO KHANS ARE TAKING TIME-OFF

Salman still holds sway. Even as we speak he is readying himself with Ali Abbas Zafar’s Bharat that will release this Eid. He will follow this up with Dabangg 3. Though SRK and Aamir have taken time out, it hardly means that they will not strike back once they land the right script.

Anyway, check out some of the landmark films of the Khans (Box 1). And, then see Box 2 to know who ruled the roost last year. You will notice the change. But, as we said earlier, a change hardly signifies an end.

SOME LANDMARK FILMS OF THE KHANS

1988-2017 [30 years]

More than one movie of theirs featured in the Top 4 at the box office

1988 - Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak

1989 - Maine Pyar Kiya

1993 - Baazigar

1994 - Hum Aapke Hain Koun…!

1995 - Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge; Karan Arjun

1996 - Raja Hindustani

1998 - Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

1999 - Hum Saath-Saath Hain

2000 - Mohabbatein

2001 - Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… Lagaan: Once Upon A Time In India

2002 - Devdas

2005 - No Entry

2006 - Rang De Basanti

2008 - Ghajini; Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

2009 - 3 Idiots; Wanted

2010 - Dabangg

2011 - Bodyguard

2012 - Ek Tha Tiger

2014 - PK

2015 - Bajrangi Bhaijaan

2016 - Sultan, Dangal

2017 - Tiger Zinda Hai

FOUR BIGGEST HITS OF 2018

1) Sanju (2018): Rs 334.57 cr (starring Ranbir Kapoor)

2) Padmaavat (2019): Rs 282.28 cr (starring Ranveer Singh)

3) Simmba (2018): Rs 239.68 cr (starring Ranveer Singh) [Rs 96.75 cr (4 Days; 28 Dec – 31 Dec) + Rs 142.93 cr (added in 2019)]

4) 2.0 (2018, Hindi): Rs 185.89 cr

(The Rajinikanth-starrer did big numbers in Hindi due to the presence of Akshay Kumar, who played the antagonist)

Bollywood’s 2018 report card establishes that content may be king but well-made commercial cinema can still make box-office records
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 31, 2018)

Have safe formula, saleable stars and stale franchises run their course given that Badhaai Ho revolving around the shock pregnancy of a 40-plus mother with sons in their twenties broke into the Rs 100-crore club while Arjun Kapoor and Parineeta Chopra’s time-tested romcom Namaste England failed to deliver? Raazi, a cross-border spy thriller powered by a female protagonist and a heroine, Alia Bhatt, and Stree, a horror-comedy with a nameless ghost at its centre, continued with the century run, but Aamir Khan, clearly out of Deppths in a ‘Pirated’ ship, struggled to keep Thugs Of Hindostan afloat even in China. Salman Khan wooed the box-office but still lost the Race to a blinded Ayushmann Khurrana. SRK’s film on a vertically-challenged hero turned out to be a Zero at the box-office and it was Titu’s Sonu who was the new-age hero.

With the Khans taking a backseat, it’s been about the Kapoor (Ranbir), Kaushal (Vicky), Khurrana (Ayushmann) and a Singh who was king (Ranveer). In fact, this is the first time since 2006 that the year’s top grosser, Sanju, featured a non-Khan and 2018 proved anew that our long-suffering audience is looking for stories with a twist. However, Tiger’s Baaghi and Ranveer Singh’s Simmba which got off to a roaring start, were a reminder that it is too early to write off well-made commercial Hindi cinema.

A spin-off of the Singham franchise with its muse in the 2015 Telugu hit Temper, Simmba coming in the last Friday of the year, repackaged the old hit formula and set it in a time when the #MeToo debate continues to make headlines and a woman’s safety and dignity is a raging concern. When asked to define content, the director of the cop drama, Rohit Shetty, stated, “Content is something that entertains. It needs to hold your attention irrespective of the format. Be it a thriller or a comedy, action, drama or a love story, it must be engaging and can’t be defined by a genre.”

That’s an apt definition for Sriram Raghavan’s neo-noir thriller, AndhaDhun, which broke every norm of mainstream Bollywood, yet its producer Sanjay Routray was convinced from the onset that this was the most commercial of all Sriram’s scripts so far. “I knew instantly that despite its underlying darkness, this was a ‘U’ film and would connect with a lot of people, particularly the youngsters who today are watching the best of creative content across the world on the digital platforms,” he shares.

His ‘hero’ Ayushmann Khurrana who since donating his sperm in his first film, Vicky Donor, has been walking the untrodden path for six years with the belief that “you may not be an A-lister today, but if you consistently churn out good content, at some point you will get up there”, is finally having the last laugh.

Sitting at the top of the heap, this taboo-breaker at the box-office states simply, “Super scripts make superstars.” And believing that content will always rule, he will now be seen as a small-town guy going prematurely bald guy in Dinesh Vijan’s Bala and in and as a Dream Girl in Ekta Kapoor’s quirky comedy.

“As part of my legacy, I take up issues that are real, relatable and socially relevant, and given that at least 30 per cent males above the age of 20 suffer from premature balding, I think lots of men will empathise with Bala. As far as playing a woman goes, it’s not just about draping a sari or experimenting with your voice, you have to think like a woman too, understand her perspective,” the actor avers.

While on the subject of women, it’s been a dream run for Priti Shahani, the producer of this year’s two surprise blockbusters, Badhaai Ho and Raazi. The president of Junglee Pictures agrees with her Badhaai Ho leading man that great stories can get you great numbers at the box-office and attributes the twin successes to amazing writing, casting and the vision of the directors, Meghna Gulzar and Amit Sharma. “I am often asked if we were apprehensive about the niche topics we have chosen so far, from the courtroom drama Talvar to a spy thriller Raazi and a family entertainer Badhaai Ho. As a producer I would say that the audience has given us the confidence to helm a project just on the basis of a strong script,” she asserts.

That brings us to the story tellers. Sanyuktha Chawla Shaikh who after winning awards and accolades for the Neerja biopic, followed up with the hard-hitting Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran, acknowledges that the year has been extremely rewarding for writers given the attention stories are getting from a receptive audience. “And what is even more wonderful is that we no longer need to look for larger-than-life spectacles and heroic pursuits. Slice-of-life films which charmed us back in the day, like Guru Dutt’s Mr & Mrs 55 and Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s cinema, are finding their way back into the screen,” she points out.

Meghna Gulzar who is prepping up for her next, Chhapaak, a true-life story with Deepika Padukone playing acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal and producing the film with her, seconds Sanyukhta that it’s a great time at the movies. “Every film that succeeded this year, coming almost every month, was like a surprise birthday present,” she exults.

So, is Hindi cinema, traditionally a male bastion with projects written for the hero and sold on the actor’s name, finally coming of age? Can we hope to see more women-centric subjects with strong protagonists in the new year? “It’s definitely a turning point but today, it’s the character and not the gender that is the decision maker,” maintains Bhavani Iyer.

Bhavani who co-wrote the Raazi screenplay with Meghna, admits that while filmmakers earlier consciously invested in male characters, today, with gender equality, there will be a lot more expression through women. “But primarily, it’s the story that dictates who will take it forward, and if the protagonist happens to be a woman, so be it,” she reasons.

So, as the curtains come down on the year the buzzword seems to be content. Which brings us to the all-important question: How would one define content in this fast-changing scenario? For Shah Rukh Khan who has been experimenting with films like Fan, Raees and now Zero, everything is content, be it the age-old poor boy-falls-in-love-with-rich-girl formula or small-town-boy-falls-in-love-with-a-ghost kind of Stree. “It could be about showing something familiar and yet new or something new which is still familiar, that’s how storytelling works,” Bollywood’s Badshah had told Mirror just before the release of what was perhaps one of his most ambitious and daring projects. “The audience expects something bigger and better from a star every time, people keep saying, kuch naya dikhao. Well, Zero is a totally new concept and I hope they appreciate the newness and technology because then we can look towards making great Indian cinema. I’m not saying this film is great Indian cinema, but it’s a step towards it.” However, his director, Aanand L Rai, who came with the promise of the Tanu Weds Manu franchise, Nil Battey Sannata and Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, only succeeded in cutting King Khan down to size and packing him off to Mars.

But the fact remains that simultaneous streaming platforms has brought the cinematic world closer, with the boundaries between Hindi films and their regional counterparts blurring as evidenced by the fact that Yash’s dubbed actioner, KGF, drawing more crowds than Zero, even outside its Southern bastion.

Distributor Raj Bansal adds that with digital platforms bringing cinema from across the globe to the audience’s fingertips, even the divide between Bollywood and Hollywood, particularly in the Hindi belts and small towns, is on its way to being bridged, going by the box-office numbers of big budget franchises like MI, Deadpool, The Incredibles, Jurassic World and the Avengers, as also standalone hits like Black Panther, Venom, Aquaman, Ant-Man And The Wasp. “Every movie buff with just a smart phone in his hand is exposed to different kind of content and open to watching the same on the big screen. This is a global phenomenon with Hindi films like PK, Dangal, Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Hindi Medium also doing unheard of business in countries like Japan and China. The language barrier is going down,” he explains.

Sanjay, who has been scoring big with Makdee, Khosla Ka Ghosla, Johnny Gaddaar and now AndhaDhun, believes that good content backed by a reasonable budget can make a box-office hit. “That’s been the USP of all the films that worked this year,” he points out. “New generation actors have realised this and are far more cooperative today when it comes to budgets knowing that it will help a film break even in the first three-four days,” he says.

So, is this the end of the star system and big-scale Bollywood bonanzas? Bansal is unwilling to write off the Khan triumvirate, arguing that Race 3, Thugs of Hindostan and Zero failed to impress because they concentrated more on action, special effects and masala rather than the script. “It is not the star, but the budget and content that failed. Going by numbers, a so-called flop film featuring Salman Khan does a business of Rs 160 crore whereas a small content film termed a hit earns Rs 70-Rs 80 crore. An engaging film with a Salman, SRK or Aamir which is a perfect amalgamation of content and stardom, will still create several box-office records,” he says confidently. Trade analyst Amod Mehra endorses that, pointing out that worldwide, filmmakers are making bigger films with larger-than-life heroes or superheroes, creating cinema that can only be enjoyed in the theatres, on a 70 mm screen. “There will always be takers for a Dabangg, a Singham, a Baaghi and now a Simmba in our country because big-budget Bollywood commercial cinema is where the thrills are, where the seeties are, where the stars are and where the money is,” he signs off.

Zeeshan Ayyub on playing Shah Rukh Khan's confidant in Zero, Aamir Khan's friend in Thugs of Hindostan, Salman Khan's best pal in Tubelight
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; December 25, 2018)

Call it coincidence or the result of being a talented artiste, but Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub has earned the distinction of playing best friend to the three Khans - Shah Rukh, Aamir and Salman. The recent release, Zero, has him essay Shah Rukh's confidant, Guddu Singh. Only a month-and-a-half earlier, Ayyub was Aamir's partner-in-crime, Shanichar, in Thugs Of Hindostan. Not to mention, last year's release Tubelight that saw him share screen space with Salman.

"I have been there, done that," he says of his association with Bollywood's top trio. While many would be intimidated to feature in the same frame as one of the Khans, the National School of Drama graduate has no apprehensions. "How will I act if I'm intimidated? They are also playing roles. When the camera is switched on, it is only character play at work."

The actor has carved a niche for himself in the seven years since his underrated debut in No One Killed Jessica (2011). He attributes it to the increasing power of writers and directors who are no longer obsessed with six-pack abs heroes. "They are looking for real human beings on screen. Earlier, we used to have a colonial hangover about a certain physicality that actors should have, the kind of hair or skin colour they should have. But the demand for such actors is gradually diminishing. Today, even the leading stars want to play characters; they are looking for scripts to showcase their acting," says Ayyub, who will next be seen in Kangana Ranaut's Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi.

Swati Mathur (THE TIMES OF INDIA; December 19, 2018)

New Delhi: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has censured the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for meting out “preferential” treatment to big filmmakers and inordinately delaying certification of films even after they are cleared by the Board’s examining committee.

Even as allegations of favouritism have piled up against the Censor Board, the PAC report, based on its examination of the working of CBFC, admonished it for playing ‘partisan’. It also faulted the ministry of information and broadcasting for its failure to rein in the Board.

In recent months, the sharpest take-down of the CBFC was by its former chief Pahlaj Nihalani, who had alleged that even though he applied for a certificate for his film ‘Rangeela Raja’ first, CBFC allowed Aamir Khan-starrer ‘Thugs Of Hindostan’ to jump the queue.

Proving Nihalani’s allegations right, the PAC, in its report, said, “The committee was dismayed to note that CBFC, in order to help big filmmakers who had applied for certification very close to release date, granted certificates to their films ahead of other applicants even when there was no such urgency expressed.”

The PAC was also unconvinced by the ministry’s response to its recommendations. “The ministry apprised the committee regarding measures taken to correct the certification process. However, no guidelines have been issued for alteration of the order of certification, as desired... committee is of the view that clear instructions... are imperative to rule out any favouritism towards big banners,” it said. The PAC had recommended an internal audit system to ensure certification process works efficiently.

Deepali Singh (DNA; December 22, 2018)

For the past couple of days, Fatima Sana Shaikh was cut off from the rest of the world. No, she wasn’t sitting at home and thinking about the failure of Thugs Of Hindostan (TOH), but living it up in the beautiful locales of Turkey. “It wasn’t a completely planned holiday. I just took off with my brother. It was a lot of fun, we met some lovely people out there,” she tells us.

The vacation has done the actress a lot of good. With her second film, the massively-mounted extravaganza, TOH, failing to create an impact on the box office or on the minds of the audience, it was natural for the youngster to escape the negative reviews. “I wanted to get away from it for some time,” she admits, “Except for posting pictures on social media, I didn’t follow any other news. I am one of those who reads everything and watches everything, and I did do that for one week before heading for my holiday.”

There were a lot of expectations from the Aamir Khan-Amitabh Bachchan starrer, but obviously, something did not go right with it. “Everybody has an opinion and you cannot reject the audience’s reaction. If they have not liked it, there must have been a reason. I can’t be upset with people. Life mein thoda move on kar lena chahiye,” she philosophises. Taking a cue, we asked the Dangal actress about her future plans...

For somebody who received so much love and appreciation for her debut film, Dangal, the failure of TOH must have been devastating. How did you deal with it?
For the first few days, I couldn’t understand what was happening... all the trolling, etc. I was very disturbed and heartbroken, but eventually, I learnt to accept it. When you get into something like this, everyone puts in so much effort. It’s not just the actors and filmmakers but also the technicians. For almost two years, everybody was so involved in it. The audience didn’t take to the film but I will never forget the memories that I shared with these people. I still take it positively because I got this opportunity to work with such legends. I’ve reached here after a lot of struggle and so many auditions, one failure is not going to make me run away from this industry. I’m just going to keep working harder. Every setback is a learning experience.

Did you sit back and analyse what went wrong?
Creatively, when one is so involved, one tends to lose judgement. Of course, I sat and reflected upon myself, but it was more as a person and not so much as an actor. I’ve always been the insecure sort because I’m really competitive and I’ve always felt I’m not good enough. Also, at times, I felt disheartened and it’s not because of other people telling me. I talk to myself in a negative way. TOH didn’t do well but I became stronger. Now, if I feel I wasn’t good enough in it, let’s do something about it. Let’s not sit at home and be sad because that’s not going to achieve anything. I have found that push in myself after TOH.

So, what’s next on the horizon?
I’m doing a movie with Anurag Basu, where I’m paired opposite Rajkummar Rao. We start shooting in January and I’m really excited about it. It’s not a sequel to Life In A Metro, but has a similar layout — of four stories. It’s a different role, a normal one this time! (Laughs)

You had tough, action-oriented roles in both Dangal and Thugs. Would you like to explore other genres, for instance, a love story or a comedy?
Oh, yes, definitely! I’ve always loved the drama genre. I enjoy romantic flicks, especially tragic love stories. I’m a Sanjay Leela Bhansali fan. I love to cry when I’m watching movies. I get involved, I react. I’m the one who screams at the screen and says, ‘Kya kar raha hai!’ I hope I get to try different genres and characters in the coming year.

Both your projects were big-budget with prominent production houses. Would you want to try smaller, content-driven cinema?
I think our audience has started to accept films that are not the usual fare. Stree, for instance. It has been loved by people, so yes, content is extremely important. I feel this year has shown that writing and script are the backbone of the film. If that’s in place, then it will work even if it doesn’t have a big star cast. That provides us youngsters with a lot of opportunities as producers would want to try us out, It’s been a good year for films... except for ours! (Laughs)