Guru Randhawa, Saba, Irrfan and Sukhbir post a song shoot
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; March 31, 2017)

Cultural ties between India and Pakistan, which had strained last September, now seem to be limping back to normalcy. Or so it seems, post elections in Uttar Pradesh and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls here.

Irrfan is filming three promotional tracks for his next project, Hindi Medium, with Pakistani actress Saba Qamar in Tbilisi, Georgia. A unit hand says, “Saba and singer Atif Aslam flew down from Pakistan while Sukhbir came from Dubai. Fellow composers Guru Randhawa and Arjun arrived from the US. All of them were quite ecstatic about the shoot.”


Saba Qamar with Ahmed Khan and Atif Aslam on the set in Georgia

One of the songs is a fresh spin on Guru and Arjun’s popular number, Suit Suit, which will feature Irrfan and Saba along with them. The actors also shot for a romantic number, Hoor, sung by Atif and composed by Sachin-Jigar, apart from Sukhbir’s chartbuster, Tare Gin Gin. The shoot began on March 24 and wrapped up yesterday.

Another unit hand says, “We finished the shoot in no time. Everyone in Tblisi was quite overwhelmed to have film faces in their midst. The media and the crowd stood for hours to catch a glimpse of Irrfan.”

Producer Dinesh Vijan considers his latest film album special. Says Vijan, “I wanted to collaborate with a diverse variety of musicians for an original soundtrack, so this is a tick off that bucket list. I can promise you that this will be a memorable album.” Co-producer Bhushan Kumar says, “These are super-hit cult songs and we are confident that the audience will love their recreated versions in the film."
----------------------------

Soumya Vajpayee Tiwari (MID-DAY; March 31, 2017)

While actors from across the border became the centre of attention following the Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association's ban of Pakistani artistes and technicians in Bollywood, the disappointment of the other artistes affected by the move, including Pak singers, rarely got an audience.

Following the September 2016 Uri attacks, which prompted the ban, prominent Pak singers were out of work on this side of the border. But art has managed to break boundaries.

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan had lent his voice to a song titled 'Rog Jaane' for Akshara Haasan's upcoming film, 'Laali Ki Shaadi Mein Laddoo Deewana'. While the makers wanted to drop the love track, which was recorded before the Uri attacks, to avoid controversy, the film's music composer, Vipin Patwa, says he managed to convince them to retain it.

Speaking exclusively to mid-day, Vipin says, "I thought replacing his voice would be disrespectful. I managed to convince the makers to retain his version. [There would be room for controversy] if we had recorded the number post September."

When contacted, the film's producer, T P Aggarwal, admits they wanted to "play safe". "We didn't want to offend anyone. The song is amazing, right from the composition, to the lyrics, and then there is the brilliance of Rahat saab's voice."

'Rog Jaane' is picturised on Akshara and Vivaan Shah in Kashmir.

Randeep Hooda who has rapped a song for his upcoming film says that he has now shed the fear of singing; admits that he made a fool of himself over love many times in the past
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 16, 2016)

Randeep Hooda is a rapstar now having rapped for "Kharch Karod" from his upcoming film, Laal Rang.

He admits many encouraged him to sing since he has a good voice. But he was reluctant. "I knew I wasn't a good singer. The first time I rendered a Kishore Kumar number in perfect pitch and tune on the urging of my friend Amit Sial I was so overwhelmed, I cried," he reminisces.

The actor admits that it was a talent he'd envied in others as singing is a good party trick. In fact, he's done many songless films and was told that without music he couldn't be a part of good commercial cinema and reach the masses. He didn't believe this but for Jism 2 he was persuaded to render the cello portions in Ali Azmat's "Maula" song.

For Laal Rang, Salman Khan was supposed to croon another song but was too busy. So the music director, Vipin Patwa, urged Randeep to join Haryanvi rapper Fazilpuria, popular for the Kapoor & Sons charttopper "Ladki Beautiful", for a remixed version of Vikas Kumar's popular folk song. "It's a gangster track, I was told that since I have swag I gotta rap," he laughs, adding that someone joked that now he could make a career as a rapper.

Randeep learnt the words by rote and wrapped up his portion in half an hour. "Let's see the response, after that if somebody asks me to sing again maybe I won't be so reluctant. I've lost that fear now," he asserts.

However, Randeep is 'bloody' mad after learning that since you can't buy blood from a blood bank, many opt to replace it from a rickshawallah or a labourer for as little as Rs 500 and a packet of glucose biscuits because they are leery of donating it themselves believing it'll make them weak. "I know two people who eat biryani once a month by donating blood, another to buy booze and a fourth to get food for her kids," he rues.

The 39-yearold actor admits that since he had never needed anyone else's blood for himself or a loved one, he was in the dark about this heinous crime till Laal Rang, about the blood mafia, inspired by a 2002 incident, opened his eyes. "My character, Shankar, gets into the racket for love," he informs, admitting that he's made a fool of himself over love many times.

"I drove miles on my bike to catch a glimpse of her. I left the country after a break-up to retain my sanity. And once even gave up on my career, but now I keep love at arm's length and am consumed by my work," he smiles.

Like his lovable screen avatar, he too earned the adage Randeep 'Don' Hooda when he passed out of the Delhi Public School, RK Puram, in gratitude for all the services he'd rendered, from helping fellow hostelites sneak out after light off to getting papers done for those struggling to catch up. "Shankar, the most flamboyant character I've played, is modelled partly on Sanjay Puniya, my bestie who was my manager for a long time, and partly on me from my school and college days. I was a dabbang mast maula till life's responsibilities made me grimmer," he confides.

He insists that if the film were set anywhere but Haryana it would be dark too but the Haryanvi attitude, bromance and romance, typical of the land and the humour makes it an engaging entertainer. "I've been misunderstood in the past and have tried to curb my humour till I realised that I was not being myself," he says.

Haryana has often been portrayed in a negative light in Hindi cinema, infamous for its khaps, female infanticide and patricides. Randeep believes it's a progressive state which has given us 80 per cent of our sports champions. "Today two big films on wrestling are being shot there. This film is my way of making my people proud," he says.

The actor speaks in a Haryanvi accent, won't that alienate viewers like it did in Abhishek Chaubey's Ishqiya? "That accent wasn't authentic, the one Kangana (Ranaut) uses as Datto in Tanu Weds Manu Returns was and no one had any trouble understanding her. Datto was an endearing character who personified the strong, honest and blunt Haryanvi who is also thoda gullible. Hard exterior, soft inside," he smiles.

Meanwhile, Randeep's tweet about renaming Gurgaon as Gurugram has ruffled some feathers. He argues that it is impossible to explain in 160 words that Gurgaon is home to many MNCs and the most internationally exposed place in North India. "It didn't make sense to play around with the name when in colloquial Haryanvi there's no word like gram. In thaite khadi boli we say gaon or gaam, so I suggested we call it Gurugaon. I understand that we should respect our 6000-year history but we should also respect Gurgoan's identity for the last 100 years," he asserts.

Given his popularity and pride in his home state hasn't he been approached to stand for elections yet? The retort is instant, "I'm all for the state but am completely apolitical. It's enough to champion Haryana through my movies and songs. I am happy being a rapstar," he signs off.