Lord Ganesha songs in Hindi films have a history of being shot on a grand scale, complete with dance, colour, dhol-taasha and the works. The filming of these elaborate songs requires a lot of prep and detailed planning. And often these devotional and high-energy tracks lead to the film’s climax, elevating the drama and its visual impact on screen. We delve into the making of some of these beautifully shot Ganpati songs in cinema.

Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra and Sanjay Dutt starrer Agneepath was the remake of Amitabh Bachchan's 1990 release.

Deva Shree Ganesha from Agneepath went on to become one of the most popular Ganesh Chaturthi songs 

Talking about one of the most popular Ganpati songs, Deva Shree Ganesha from Agneepath, choreographer Chinni Prakash says, "Agneepath was Karan Malhotra's debut directorial. An entire chawl set was erected on an open ground in Mumbai's Versova for the film. We began the shoot with a Ganesh pooja of the huge idol. We shot the song over five days on a grand scale, with Hrithik playing the dhol, performing aarti and lots of dancers around. People were screaming, dancing and all of us had goosebumps. We had trials over four days to decide how the kumkum would fall over the idol. We toppled a tank filled with kumkum with six cameras rolling to capture that moment, and everyone including Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra stayed back to watch the shoot."

Don's (2006) visarjan song Mourya Re remains a favourite with Ganpati pandals. Aradhana Seth, production designer of the film Don, recalls, “Most songs take five days to shoot on a big budget film, Mourya Re took six days, if we count the real-life visarjan day. This particular shoot day was filmed much in advance as we decided to capture the real-life Ganesh visarjan. We sent out five camera crews across Mumbai to film it, viewed the footage and then decided on the idol that director Farhan Akhtar and I wanted to recreate. We also merged a couple of shots of the real crowd and the visarjan into the song. We created an 18-foot idol to match the one from the footage, tracking down an artisan who could do it. Pulling off a song as grand as this using live locations requires detailed planning and collaboration with the choreographer (Rajeev Surti) along with the director. The chawl gateway was not tall enough to take the Ganesh idol out on the truck, so there was lots of loading and unloading while moving to Juhu beach for the visarjan sequence. The shoot of the Ganpati song for SRK’s Don took place at a chawl. Multiple props were created and sourced, like an ektara, 90-100 instruments like dhols and cymbals, flags, coloured powder, flowers and pinatas.”

Sadda Dil Vi Tu, the song from ABCD: Anybody Can Dance has the leads, Lauren Gottlieb, Dharmesh Yelande and others participating in a dance competition.

Director and choreographer Remo D’souza who is a great believer of Ganpati says, “Since the time I first became a director, I ensure I have a Ganpati song in every film, and ABCD: Any Body Can Dance had two such songs in it. I've been a huge believer of Ganpati Bappa since childhood and after I got married, we started bringing Bappa home every year. In ABCD, the first song was with the typical dhol taasha, but music director Sachin-Jigar and I got rapper Hard Kaur to sing the second song Sadda Dil Vi Tu, which leads towards the climax, because it was a dance-based film and we wanted to try something different. There’s a portion in ABCD where the dancers wear Ganesha masks and form 7 tiers to create Ganpati with their bodies — every time the dancers tried, they fell and got injured. My wife Lizelle suggested they don’t consume non-veg on the day of the shoot and eventually, we wrapped up in two days."

Shivaji Satam played father to Sanjay Dutt in Mahesh Manjrekar’s crime drama Vaastav: The Reality. The aarti from the film, Shendur Lal Chadhayo, is popular with Ganesh pandals even two decades after the film’s release.

Shivaji Satam who played father to Sanjay Dutt in Mahesh Manjrekar’s crime drama says, “The utsav of 11 days is celebrated in a grand way in chawls and director Mahesh Manjrekar wanted the celebrations to be a part of the film. We shot the aarti sequence Shendur Lal Chadhayo at Parleshwar Ganesh mandir in one day. Although it may look like a simple, non-glamorous song compared to others, it required a lot of work, filming mid-shots, insets of Sanjay’s entry scene and so on. Reema Lagoo and I did not need glycerin while shooting the aarti, as our eyes were filled with tears for real."

Madhureeta Mukherjee (TIMES LIFE; May 19, 2019)

When it comes to talent, grace and good looks, she stands tall. Really tall. Yes, in the past, she’s been given titles like ‘the reluctant star’, ‘mystery woman’, et al. But the only thing Tabu was really reluctant to do was follow the herd. And she would agree that this little bit of mystery is what has not let the sheen of stardom wear off. Alright, you wouldn’t probably call her the most competitive actor in showbiz, but she’s quick to explain, “Nahin hoke bhi, theek thaak hi ho gaya. Competitive hoti toh shaayad nahin kar pati.” That’s Tabu — funny, fiercely intelligent, picky about her choices in life and ready to break taboos. While she calls the twisted character in AndhaDhun her favourite role, as she “was on a trip playing Simi”, her recent release De De Pyaar De was clearly not your run-of-themill romantic fare either. In a chat with BT, the free-spirited actress reveals a lot about her journey, roles, friendships, relationships and all that, yet, she continues to hold on to some of those mysteries close to her heart. Read on…

On one side, you have comedies like Golmaal Again, De De Pyaar De in your filmography, and on the other, you have films like Astitva, Maachis, Chandni Bar, Maqbool and Haider to your credit. You seem to be an actress who has never liked being trapped in one zone. In your late twenties, you played a mom in Astitva, and did films that most actresses your age would not typically choose...
Well, everybody wants to look good and all of that, and there is nothing wrong with it. For me, it was always important to see what the scope to perform is. How am I pushing myself beyond the boundaries? Is there something for me to chew on? Every actor wants a platform where he/she can display their abilities. Astitva was that platform for me, and it was the most cathartic experience of my career. At that point, it was a fantastic role for a woman. I didn’t look at the character from the point of view of…is she a mom or a wife. I asked myself, ‘What does the character do for me?’ Mahesh Manjrekar (director) had come to be with Vaastav, and I had told him that I don’t have much to do in it. So, when he came to me with Astitva, he said, “Okay, now you can’t say you have nothing to do!”

Most actors fear that they will be offered similar roles, hence, they often don’t want to take chances with parts that are unusual. In your case, I am assuming it didn’t happen? Or even if you were offered those roles, you didn’t accept them?
I am fortunate that every kind of role came my way and I didn’t get typecast. My choice of roles worked in my favour, things could have gone the other way, too. I must applaud every writer and director who thought of me while making their film, as they didn’t typecast me. A lot of people typecast you in their head, and then everyone steers in the same direction. Look, my beginning was also different. When I did my first film (Prem, 1995), I wasn’t interested in doing this at all. Over time, it grew on me, and eventually, I found my groove, and I also found a home in the industry. I started feeling comfortable with the thought that the kind of work that I want to do is possible here. Earlier, I did not understand why the industry was making everyone do what the other person was doing. I never understood why people were not left alone to do their own thing. In my mind, I knew that I wanted to be here, but I didn’t want to do what everyone was doing. It’s also my temperament; I don’t like to be in one zone for too long.

Your film that released this Friday is about a 50-year-old man’s relationship with a 26-year-old girl. It is uncommon in our cinema, but obviously, not as rare in real life. Society is changing and becoming more accepting of relationships that don’t fit into the mould, would you agree with that?
Yes, I think so, in many ways. Having said that, I don’t think that romance between an older man and a younger girl is out of the norm. It’s been happening for years. It also depends on how the director is telling the story and how credible you make the characters. Today, I don’t think that anything is off-limits as far as content is concerned. The audience is consuming different kinds of content, at the same time, there will always be conventional stuff that will work. Also, there will be unconventional stories that might not work. In terms of man-woman relationships, we are now exploring different territories in cinema. Society changes much before cinema does. The people, who are making these films, are also part of the same society. I don’t think that we can still blatantly show what is happening in society. We have to censor it, cut it and tell the story.

The perception about you, off screen, has been that you are quite different from the rest of the people in showbiz. At one point, earlier in your career, you were given titles like ‘ice-maiden’, ‘recluse’ and more, but you seem to be a far stretch from that… at least now…
Well, I have become more open and outgoing than I used to be. Yes, I was called ice-maiden, reluctant star and things like that by the media, which were never true. It had become a topic for interviews. I was never a recluse, but it had become fashionable to ask me this question. Imagine, I was shooting every day, sitting in front of people and giving interviews, how could I be a recluse? There has been a huge change in my personality, at least in the last 10 years, but my essence hasn’t changed.

Today, being an actress has many more facets, like being a social media star, a fashionista and a diva on the red carpet. How are you coping with that new face of stardom? Has that also been a part of the change that you are talking about?
A little bit. If it is need-based (as in, if I must do it or I am told to do it), I will not fall into that trap. I have been on Instagram for a long time because I like posting pictures, and at the same time, I don’t have to say anything. Of course, there is a big change in the way we do movie promotions, and there is constant presence of the media and cameras everywhere in our life. It is too much for someone like me. Some people enjoy it and that’s great. They like being connected with the world all the time. I can’t engage with the world constantly, but I like to share pictures and some thoughts with people on social media.

So, you do think that being on social media is important?
Personally, I don’t think it is important at all. Finally, if your films work, then other things will work around it. You can tweet and post as much as you want on social media, but I don’t think it will make a difference if your film does not work. Kaam important hota hai, nothing else.

There was one point in your career (around 1996) when you had eight releases (including Bollywood and Telugu movies). Sometime after that, your stream of releases reduced, did you consciously slow down?
I didn’t cut down on work consciously, but I was certainly conscious about what I didn’t want to do. Look, a film where director bhi accha hai, role bhi accha hai, producer bhi accha hai, aisa project toh hamesha nahin aane wala hai. But whenever it came my way, I said yes to it, even if it came to me after one or two years, or after I refused 20 films. Of course, I was always ready to jump into anything good that came my way. My point is that, I need to have one solid reason to do the film and I should be clear about it, whether it is…yeh main paise ke liye kar rahi hoon, yeh main kar rahi hoon kyunki mujhe iss director ke saath kaam karna hai, ya yeh film sirf role ke liye kar rahi hoon. It must tick one of these boxes, only then I can engage with a film.

In your long career in the movies, would you say that you were competitive or fiercely ambitious?
Nahin hoke bhi, theek thaak hi ho gaya. Competitive hoti toh shaayad nahin kar pati (laughs!). I am ambitious about the quality of work that I do and how that can take me to a more evolved space. How I am doing as far as competition is concerned or in the number game… I have never diverted my energy towards such things. I don’t think you can focus on acting, as well as your position in the industry at the same time. Aapki positioning toh kaam se banti hai, right? The rest will follow. Besides, what’s the point in looking at the competition around you, tell me? Can you do anything about it? Whatever exists around you, will continue to do so. And this is the way the industry works, there are so many people vying for the same role, same director and same project. What you can do is put all your energy in the work that is given to you. We all have to co-exist.

You don’t seem to be much of a party animal, but you do have your close set of friends in the industry. Who are the people whose advice you seek on personal matters and career choices?
Most of the friends that I have been through my work, because I have been working since the time I was 16. I have a fantastic set of friends, but I also think that I have chosen wisely (laughs!). I can’t imagine my life without them. However, I don’t discuss my work with them at all. It’s not like I don’t want to share it with them, but I am just not in the habit of doing that. Sab cheezein maine khud ki hai, every decision, every mistake and every accomplishment… I have done it myself. I didn’t ask anyone for advice, or help. It is just the way we have been brought up, we don’t ask each other, we don’t interfere in each other’s lives and we are all extremely independent.

‘Sab cheezein maine khud ki hain’… does that also explain why, once in an interview, you had said that your journey has been a lonely one?
Doing things on my own has been completely my choice, I am not playing the victim here. What I meant was that my journey has been alone, or a solitary one. I think an actor’s journey is always a lone one, because only you can get inside your character. In front of the camera, no one can become ‘me’ and do my part. Directors, writers, producers… they all have their teams, but in front of the camera, actor akela hi hota hai. That’s what I meant when I said my journey is a solitary one.

Do you feel the need to find a partner?
Need se toh kuch nahin karna hai. I am not resistant to anything, but it has to fit into my idea of things. I won’t go looking for it, nahin toh abhi tak ho chuka hota. (laughs!) While talking about me to someone else, my close friend pointed out, “Her life and her journey have been unpredictable, so with her only something unpredictable will happen”. She is absolutely right!

Actor’s next is set against the backdrop of the Mumbai underworld and is directed by Mahesh Manjrekar
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 17, 2019)

Mirror had earlier reported (December 24, 2018) that Mahesh Manjrekar’s next directorial is set against the backdrop of the Mumbai underworld and is an ode to the Hollywood classic The Godfather. Titled Power, with Vidyut Jammwal and Shruti Haasan in the lead, the film kicked off in May last year and wrapped up in December.

“It is a massy action film, the journey of one man, Devi Das Thakur, played by Vidyut, who goes on to become a powerful don, taking over the mantle from his father,” informs producer Vijay Galani.

Mahesh plays Vidyut’s father in the gangster-drama. He also has a brother. The film also rides on a strong ensemble cast, many of the actors drawn from the Marathi film industry.

Quiz him on the similarities with The Godfather and Galani points to the initial reels but is quick to add that it doesn’t take long for the story to move into the action zone. “We have eight baddies and around eight hardcore action scenes,” he shares. The action, designed by Ravi Verma, a stunt choreographer from the south who has worked in films like R... Rajkumar, Jai Ho, Raees and more recently, Satyameva Jayate, is a blend of hand-to-hand combats, kicks, chases and several gun fights.

Power is Mahesh’s dream project. He has worked on the script for almost a decade and it marks his return to the Vaastav space. “The 1999 Sanjay Dutt don-drama has become a cult film. But that was more like a drama while this is an action film with elements of drama,” argues Galani.

While interacting with Mirror earlier (January 31), Vidyut had described the film, which is slated for a July release this year, as a “combination of larger-than-life action and my brand of action”.

The actor is currently on a break, as he tours the North-East. 

John Abraham and Aisha Sharma starrer Satyameva Jayate's emerging success at the box-office has made the makers to contemplate a sequel
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 25, 2018)

John Abraham's cop drama, Satyameva Jayate, has set the cash registers ringing - despite locking horns with Akshay Kumar's Gold, the Independence Day release has raked in over Rs 75 crore to date. Encouraged by the positive response to the vigilante action film that also features Manoj Bajpayee, producers Bhushan Kumar and Nikkhil Advani, we hear, are contemplating a sequel already. Abraham, who played Virendra Kumar Singh - a man with an unorthodox style of seeking justice - will headline the second part too.

Considering his character was killed in the climax of the film, director Milap Zaveri and the producers are scouting for a script that can be a natural progression of the first outing while incorporating Abraham seamlessly in the proceedings.

A trade source revealed, "John will definitely feature in the sequel to Satyameva Jayate. After all, he was one of the pillars of the film. The makers may take a cue from Vaastav (1999), where Sanjay Dutt's character Raghu was killed by his mother, but the actor was then seen as Raghu's son in the sequel Hathyar (2002). Right now, the discussions are at a nascent stage. They have bounced the idea of a sequel off John, who has shown interest. The team is keeping it under wraps as they want to find the right script first. They will make an announcement when the time is right." The source added that it is yet undecided whether Bajpayee, who was seen as a morally upright officer in the drama, will find a place in the second instalment.

When mid-day reached out to Kumar, he confirmed, "We will plan a sequel for sure. We are currently looking at scripts." Though he admitted that reuniting with Zaveri is on the cards, Advani refused to divulge details about a possible sequel. "I am making four films with Milap, but the only thing I want to do right now is sending him for a long holiday as he has worked hard on the movie," he said.

Mohnish Behl (MID-DAY; May 19, 2017)

Not many know that she was only a few years older than most of the actors she played mother to. As far as I’m concerned, my camaraderie with Reemaji was crackling. I first met her first during the shoot of Maine Pyaar Kiya in 1987. Everyone knows her as a phenomenal actor, a beautiful woman. But no matter what you say about her, it wont suffice to describe the person that she was.

What really struck me about her was her kindness, sensitivity and non judgmental attitude. When you walked into a set and saw her, she radiated such great warmth. I don’t know a soul who didn’t like her. She had a different aura and charm. I hadn’t met her in years unfortunately, because I haven’t done much cinema; whatever little I have done wasn’t with her. That’s a regret I will always live with.

I am certain people will feel the void more when a director like Sooraj Barjatya puts together a film about families and they find her missing from a space that she rightfully commanded.

Reemaji used to live in a building bang opposite mine. On several occasions, I would wake up to find my wife, Aarti, waving out to Reemaji from our balcony. They conversed through gestures.

I wouldn’t comment on her acting prowess. That would be chhoti mooh badi baat, but I loved her in Vaastav. Her repertoire is filled with exemplary works. She is an actor of immense calibre. But there are things in a person which often go beyond their professional capabilities. I would miss her as a friend. She always wore the smile of an understanding, older friend. There was no forewarning of her demise and it has come as a rude shock.

As told to Mohar Basu


Actor Mohnish Behl (left) played her favourite son in Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999)