Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 10, 2017)

After playing Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s wife in the Manto biopic, Rasika Dugal will be seen in Gaurav Bakshi’s next, tentatively titled Reincarnation. It is being produced by Imtiaz Ali’s ex-wife Preety, and also features Sanjay Mishra and Akshay Oberoi in pivotal roles. “It’s the story of a man who believes he is the reincarnation of Mahatma Gandhi. My character is very aware of her sexuality and, as a friend described, ‘casually brave’. What interested me about the script was that it didn’t fit into any genre,” says the actress who wrapped up the film last month on the outskirts of Mumbai.

She is quick to add that it is a dramatic departure from her role of Safia Manto and though shooting for low budget films can be physically exhausting, Rasika says the joy of making a good film helps you tide over all hardships. “Sanjay Mishra also kept us entertained with his stories and antics,” she laughs.

She informs that Preety, along with her business partners, Vinay Mishra and Pallavi Rohatgi, are from her hometown Jamshedpur. “I met them a few years ago through common friends and we were looking for an opportunity to work together. Preety, Vinay and I had many Jamshedpur stories to share during the shoot. We jabbered about school, common friends and favourite places to eat till other unit members started to complain that they had Jamshedpur coming out of their ears,” she signs off on a merry note.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 2, 2016)

After his critically acclaimed turn in Laal Rang, Akshay Oberoi has wrapped up his next, titled The Virgins. The film, which re-unites him with his Laal Rang leading lady, Pia Bajpai, and also features Divyendu Sharma in a prominent role, was shot in a small Dahanu village and addresses the issue of premarital sex.

Set for a mid-June release tentatively, The Virgins is directed by Sandeep A Varma, and produced by Jab We Met filmmaker Imtiaz Ali's wife, Preety Ali, and Vinay Mishra, under the banner Humara Movies.

"Virginity has always been a hot topic of discussion in small towns as well as big cities but ours is a tongue-and-cheek approach to it that will leave the viewers in splits and convey a message at the same time," says Mishra.

The director cites a recent Mirror headline (Caste panchayat puts girl through 'virginity' test, June 1), to point out that it's not a new phenomenon.

Akshay who plays the boyfriend to whom the bride-to-be has lost her virginity nods in agreement, adding that there was "nothing awkward" about filming the project. "The makers had seen my earlier work and liked it. Of course they thought I was fit for the part. It wasn't awkward because I think today's youth is more open to discussing virginity and sex. A film like this defines coming-of-age cinema."

A short film compilation brings together eight ace-directors to guide their hand-picked assistants and technicians through the making of their debut films
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 9, 2016)


Eight prolific filmmakers - Shyam Benegal, Rajkumar Hirani, Mira Nair, Imtiaz Ali, Zoya Akhtar, Nagesh Kukunoor, Homi Adajania and Sriram Raghavan - are coming together to mentor nine short films ranging from 12 to 15 minutes, which will be put together as a two-hour feature. The common theme is 'Shor' (Noise).

The project kicked off in 2014, when Vinay Mishra brought together four directors, including Imtiaz Ali, Anand Gandhi, Vikramaditya Motwane and Vikas Bahl, to guide budding writers and directors at an event called Shuruaat Ka Interval. The four films that emerged were incorporated as one and released theatrically in five cities. It was also successfully aired on Netflix, Hotstar and I-Tunes.

"This year, we have taken the experiment one notch up with a more focussed compilation of films. Each of the eight directors has nominated one of their assistants to direct a film in a bid to not only launch a new director but also promote a team member's work. The exception was Raju sir (Rajkumar Hirani) who insisted that he wanted one of his assistant directors as well as his executive producer who has worked with him for years, to make their directorial debuts with this film," says the Founder-CEO of Humara Movies.

This time there are not just assistant directors but editors, cinematographers, executive producers and other technicians making their directorial debut. "The process will result in some great shorts," he promises.

All the eight debutants are being provided monetary support, the required infrastructure and creative guidance by two more production houses who have come on board. They are presently in the process of locking their scripts. The films will roll in March.

"We will be compiling the films and looking at a June release. The mentors, along with a panel of judges, will also nominate the best short film so there's another prize for the taking," Vinay smiles.
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The senior-most mentor, Shyam Benegal, has nominated Pratik, the son of the late associate, Rajen Kothari, who was the DoP of films like Samar, Welcome To Sajjanpur and Zubeida. "I have known Pratik for a while now. He's a bundle of talent and assisted me with my mini-series Samvidhaan: The Making of the Constitution of India as well as the film I made for the Government of India, Jang-E-Azadi. He will be working with me on my next project as well," the 81-year-old-filmmaker told Mirror.

He insists that all the handpicked debutants will be expected to show results and might get a earful if they fall short. But he's confident the journey will be beautiful outside the academic setup.

"I definitely think that this compilation of short films will help add fresh faces and value to our cinema. I would like to be a part of the mentorship programme every year," he asserts.

Imtiaz Ali talks about life after divorce and explains his role as a mentor
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 17, 2014)

The Jab We Met director was busy with pre-production work but looked relaxed when Mirror caught up with him. Excerpts from a conversation:

You look like a different person after splitting from your wife Preety?
Yes, I am. I had become very formal in my approach to everybody. Marriage is so artificial; it comes with so many dos and don'ts that not only make you claustrophobic but also mediocre. It reduces you to a ch***a version of yourself, you play roles to meet someone else's expectations. Today, I say things as they are. I'm not hypocritical. I am as open-minded as when I was in school and college.

Would you say you are happier now?
(After a pause) I'd say I'm angrier and sadder as well. It's a mixed bag of emotions.

Do you hate the institution?
Actually, the men who stay married hate the institution of marriage more (smiles).

Will you marry again?
I don't know. Who can predict the future? Right now, I'm focussed on my next film, Tamasha. Ranbir (Kapoor) and I had been talking about it for ages. It takes off in July.

What is Tamasha about?
It's a personal story which will be played out in an effervescent manner.

Is it your signature theme again--boy and girl unsure about whether they are friends or lovers?
Not exactly, but yeah, it'll definitely have something in common with my earlier films.

Which film is closest to your heart?
Highway.

Not Rockstar? Ranbir was flawless...
Yes, Ranbir was terrific, but Rockstar was a defective film. There were many jumps in the story and things which no longer make sense to me. And I faced so much criticism for casting Nargis Fakhri.

Do you regret the decision?
No, the film may not have worked for her, but working with another heroine who knew Hindi better would have fostered mediocrity. The challenge to work with Nargis raised the film's intensity.

Highway did wonders for Alia. How did you zero down on her?
Ranbir used to tell me that Alia is very talented and I should meet her. I had met her when she was five years old. And I still thought of her as a kid. Then, one day, I bumped into her at a screening. One look and I knew I had to make Highway with her.

Recently, you collaborated with Vinay Mishra to mentor directors on short films...
Vinay is a school friend and I like being associated with short films. Today, with technology taking giant strides, wouldn't you like to watch interesting content on your phone? Vikramaditya Motwane, Vikas Bahl, Anand Gandhi and I are on board. I've mentored young talents like Krishna Hooda, Atanu Mukherjee, Ankit Yadav, Shikher Kalyan, Amrit Raj Gupta, Ankit Tripathi, Palash Vaswani, Premendra Sawant, Rukhsana Tabassum, Shikher Kalyan and Priyank Vyas. I gave them some suggestions but I have yet to see the final scripts.

And did you mentor your brother Arif Ali who is making his directorial debut with Lekar Hum Deewana Dil?
I was involved with the story when it was being written. But later, when I got busy with Highway, Arif handled things on his own. He was the one who messaged (A R) Rahman sir who instantly replied with a 'yes'.

It's being said that Rahman has become repetitive and should focus on Indian films rather than Hollywood...
I disagree; every composition of his brings a smile to people's faces. When he puts a composition like Jai Ho on the world map, India gains from it.