While his comic timing in a string of Hindi films won him popularity, Riteish Deshmukh’s advent into Marathi films brought forth a side of him that the audience had never seen. Recently, the actor, who was seen as the host of the Marathi Bigg Boss, wrapped up the latest instalment of Housefull. In a conversation, Riteish talks about his journey in the Hindi and Marathi industries and how he defines success as an actor, director and producer:

Riteish took over from Mahesh Manjrekar as the host of the recently concluded Bigg Boss Marathi Season 5. Ask him about the popularity of this season, and he replies, “I believe that instead of being weighed down by the success, one should be responsible towards the work that you’ve taken on and do it with utmost sincerity. I realized early in my life that the outcome of your efforts is not in your hands; it can succeed or fail. You have to give it your 100 per cent dedication regardless of the result.”

The actor was also shooting for the fifth installment of Housefull alongside hosting the reality show. Talking about returning to a quintessential comic caper, he shares, “Although Kakuda was a horror comedy, it wasn’t the typical madcap one. So, I am just happy to get back to comedies, which are coming back-to-back with Housefull 5, Dhamaal 4 and Masti 4. In between, I will also be directing the Hindi and Marathi bilingual Raja Shivaji, a film based on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.”

Reflecting on his early days, he recalls that his primary goal as a debutant in Tujhe Meri Kasam (2003) was simply to win the audience’s acceptance. He says, “When I debuted in 2003, all I wanted was for the audience to accept me. When comedies like Masti (2004) and Kyaa Kool Hai Hum (2005) worked, people started offering me only comedies.”

Ask him if he had to put in a lot of effort to break away from the genre, and he says, “No, I don’t think it was a deliberate attempt. It was just one of those opportunities that came my way. Ekta Kapoor and Mohit Suri were brave enough to offer me Ek Villain at that point, and I am very happy with the way it worked out.”

He adds, “I tried to do serious films like Naach (2004) and Rann (2010), but those didn’t work. I even did Aladdin, which didn’t click either. So, I was back to the comedy franchises. Breaking away from the comedy genre took time and films like Lai Bhaari (2014), Ek Villain (2014), Ved (2022), Visfot (2024) and Raid 2 (yet to release) helped me explore other aspects of my craft.”

Riteish has seen huge success in the Marathi film industry. Does he ever compare his journey in regional cinema with his work in Hindi films?

He says, “Becoming an actor was never my plan — I’m an accidental actor. In fact, I always thought my first film would also be my last. Everyone defines success differently. For me, success is something personal. When I reflect on my journey, as someone who grew up on movies, I feel immense gratitude for the opportunities I’ve had. I’ve worked with legends like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Mithun Chakraborty, Rishi Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, and Salman Khan. These are the icons I admired onscreen. Sharing the screen with them is my definition of success. So, it doesn’t matter whether I’ve achieved great heights in Marathi cinema or performed reasonably well in Hindi. Those aren’t the metrics I measure myself against.”

Krystle Dsouza made her acting debut with the daily soap Kahe Naa Kahe at 16. She confesses she was a bad actress when she began her career but has come a long way since then. Krystle, recently appreciated for her work in the digital release Visfot, says, “I’ve waited very long for this. Films are mostly male-driven, so when you get a meaty part, you want to do your best.”

Talking about her transition from television to movies, Krystle shares, “It takes a lot to transition from TV to films. There is also a misconception that television actors aren’t good enough. I had to wait for a very long time for things to move and there was a lot of pressure, including from my parents. Everyone kept saying, ‘It’s okay, if it is not happening, move back to TV.’ But I knew I could do it.”

Krystle is a great space professionally, and even on the personal front. While she says she doesn't wish her personal life to be on display, she also understands that being a public figure, her personal life intrigues many. "Even I would want to know who is Salman Khan dating," she quips.

Talking about her personal life for the first time, she elaborates, "But I don't hide anything, I just do not label it. If I am with somebody, you will know it. Even if I am getting papped, I will walk with the person. I won't ask them to wait for 10 minutes. I will walk in with the person, I'll walk out with the person. I give that person that respect because I feel like it's disrespectful to your partner when you have to tell them, 'Listen, now there's going to be media. So you come later or I'll walk in'. So what am I to you? I'm your girlfriend to you in your house and then publicly, you don't want to acknowledge this relationship. When you're upset, I'm there. when you're happy I'm there for you, when it's a family function, or a family holiday, I'm there for you. And when you have to make a public appearance, you don't want to be seen with me? One ends up feeling so bad about themselves. I don't want to make anybody feel like that - We should not be seen together. I would never do that to anyone. I would never disrespect my partner. At the end of the day, if that person is there for you, you don't want to belittle them in moments of your glory. Just because you're having your two minutes of glory, they are going to feel bad for like 20-25 minutes, maybe for a week. And no one's going to express that."

Ask her about rumours linking her to restaurateur Gulaam Gouse Deewani, who often features in pictures on her Instagram, and she opens up for the first time. "Anybody who has two senses, brain cells can figure it out," she quips. For the first time, she talks about "Gouse".

"I don’t think I would like to label any relationship until I have a ring on my finger. And not the one that I bought for myself (laughs). I've gone through enough relationships to know that nothing is permanent. Things can change and why announce something till it's not happened? For me marriage is permanent. I'm still old school. For me, this person means a lot. Ghouse, Gulaam has been with me, in my lowest times, he's picked me up. He's made me feel like I am somebody today. If I have the confidence to go on screen and perform it's him behind that. He pushes me to become better. There are events I don't even want to attend. He will say no, 'You have to go, you have to be seen'. Finding a partner for an actress who is that supportive is very difficult," she concludes.

The year 2024 marked Fardeen Khan’s comeback to the movies. In a conversation with us, the actor talks about how he struggled to make a re-entry into showbiz after a hiatus of 14 years, his moments of self-doubt, and how his father, Feroz Khan’s death deeply affected him. Read on...

Fardeen, who spent most of his time away from the limelight living in London with his family, says that making his way back to the industry was a struggle.

Fardeen says, “A lot went into these last three years… just sitting at home, believing in yourself and keeping that hope. It’s been a struggle, especially because I wasn’t coming back after a couple of years, but 14 years and that too, after turning 50. I had a lot of questions like, will filmmakers be able to slot me in a role? Do people even want to see me? Today, the content is very different from what it was in the 2000s. The protagonists have changed. Different parts of our country are being represented so beautifully now. The times are very different. So, I came back with the mentality of literally starting off a new career.” The actor was recently seen in the web show Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar and films Khel Khel Mein and Visfot.

While he’s happy to face the camera again, when asked what led him to step away from the industry at an important juncture of his career, he says, “It was a conscious decision. We had challenges having children at that time, so we moved to London. There, we had an incredible doctor, and soon after, my daughter was born (through IVF) in 2013, followed by my son in 2017. After my daughter was born, I intended to take a two-year break to enjoy parenthood. I enjoyed being a father so much that it ended up being a break that lasted more than a decade. I wish I hadn’t taken such a long break from work. The only brownie point is that I have two beautiful children with whom I could spend so much time.”

The other reason he stayed away from the limelight was his father’s (Feroz Khan) demise in 2009 due to lung cancer, after which he faced a health scare himself. It’s a phase of his life that he doesn’t want to recall. “Let me just say that I had a surgery that also affected me. Also, my father’s illness was very serious, as his prognosis was not good from the beginning. Those two years were very tough. I needed time for closure. Dad’s death affected me deeply,” he shares.

Fardeen, who would shuttle between Mumbai and London, was heavily trolled for his weight gain in 2016. Those comments shook him. “I was like… why are they after me? However, that version was the heaviest version of me. I realised that there was an audience that wanted to see me. I saw some love in all that criticism. Then, when I decided that I needed to make a comeback, I started losing weight.”

Fardeen’s kids, Diani and Azarius, he says, are loving this fitter version of him. “They called my belly, Tungu (laughs). So now they are like, ‘Daddy, your Tungu’s gone!’ I don’t think there is any greater form of self-love than to look after your health. Now, I enjoy playing sports with my kids. My son is just about starting out and he’s showing interest in football. I’m introducing him to Jiu-Jitsu.”

While the actor lives here now and is totally focusing on his career, his kids continue to live in London. There were reports of his separation from his wife, Natasha. While he doesn’t want to talk about his personal life, he does open up about missing spending time with his children.

He says, “It’s not easy. I don’t want to get into why they’re away, but yes, it’s not easy. I miss them terribly. I see them every four to six weeks and we talk over video calls daily. But I definitely miss being a part of their daily life, watching them grow up, be a part of their decision-making process and help them find their own identity. My kids paint and I have put up their artwork on the walls of my house in Mumbai. I miss their hugs, cuddles and kisses. I keep working to keep my mind distracted. And whenever they come down to Mumbai, I clear my entire schedule and be with them 24/7.”

In Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found, author Suketu Mehta described Bombay as “the city of dreams where nothing is as it seems”. Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta feels it’s an apt description of the city that plays a prime role in his next, Visfot. Mumbai’s contrasts—wealth and poverty, tradition and modernity, ambition and despair—became the perfect backdrop for the filmmaker’s desi adaptation of the Venezuelan film Rock, Paper, Scissors (2012).

“Mumbai is not just a backdrop; it’s the heartbeat of the stories I want to tell. It’s a city of dreams, but also of harsh realities. In Visfot, we continue my love affair with Mumbai, using the city’s gritty locales to the film’s themes of conflict and redemption,” shares Gupta.

The Riteish Deshmukh and Fardeen Khan-starrer plays out over a day, as two men from opposite backgrounds find their fates intertwined. It’s an unusual casting decision, considering Deshmukh is usually seen in comedies and Khan has returned to movies after a 14-year hiatus.

Gupta says, “I am the biggest Feroz Khan fan, and Fardeen has his father’s screen presence. I was delighted to work with him on this. When people watch the film, they will ask, ‘Why was this guy not around for a decade?’ He and Riteish bring a brilliant on-screen face-off.”

The producer found the right director in Kookie Gulati, who previously helmed The Big Bull (2021). “I was mighty impressed by The Big Bull and knew I wanted to work with him. Kookie has elevated the material with his incisive direction. I never needed to visit his set, he ran the show gloriously.”

Visfot is slated to première on Jio Cinema this week. Does it bother him that the action thriller is OTT-bound instead of getting a theatrical release?

“The film was made for OTT from the word go. We cannot undermine the power of OTT. During the lockdown, we saw how the viewing patterns changed.”

But it is a stressful market to release films in, when a movie’s success or failure is unpredictable. How does it affect independent producers? “It makes us feel alone. To be empowered to tell a story in its truest sense, you need immense logistical support. That becomes much harder in a shaky market. But this is also the time where passionate storytelling will take precedence.”

Does talent alone assure you a successful run in showbiz? Priya Bapat rues that it doesn’t, although it ideally should. The actor is having a busy summer, with the third season of City Of Dreams having dropped on Disney+ Hotstar last month. Next up is Jio Cinema’s con drama Rafuchakkar. While she has become a frequent face in OTT offerings now, Bapat notes that talent is not the only factor determining an actor’s inclusion in a project.

“I feel disappointed because eventually what lasts is talent. If you can’t work on your craft, how long will you stretch yourself? Five projects, maybe? People should have faith in the actor. Everything else is immaterial — be it which region you belong to, or what your first language is,” she states.

The actor, whose filmography includes a mix of Marathi and Hindi offerings, observes that the Hindi entertainment industry is quick to label artistes.

“I was labelled a Marathi actor for the longest time till Nagesh Kukunoor saw merit in my work, Sameer Nair [producer] backed him, and City Of Dreams happened to me. I want people to see my worth as an actor. Language is not even a barrier anymore; it’s merely a tool for expression.”

Shedding the label was challenging, but Bapat had faith in her craft. That filmmaker Sanjay Gupta cast her in Visfot after watching the second season of City of Dreams further boosted her confidence. “He was blown away by my performance. Then came Rafuchakkar in which I play a lawyer from Delhi. I hired a coach and worked on my diction. I have been working since 2003; I did a role in Munna Bhai MBBS. But it has taken 20 years to shed the Marathi-actor label and be cast in meaty roles.”

Sanjay Gupta’s romance with crime dramas continues. This time around, though, he has traded Mumbai’s grimy setting for the beaches of Goa. The yet-untitled film, starring Harshvardhan Rane and Meezaan Jafri, revolves around two brothers, who are also football players. After narrating several gangster stories, Gupta is relieved to move towards a modest setting.

“After Mumbai Saga [2021], I felt I was done with set-pieces. I came across this wonderful script, which is about two brothers and football,” says Gupta, who has co-written the drama.

The movie’s setting isn’t the only factor that sets it apart from the filmmaker’s previous offerings. Having collaborated with stars in the past, it was rejuvenating to work with relatively newer faces. “I wanted to first cast the actors with the right physicality and screen presence. I am quite old-fashioned [in my belief] that a hero [must] look like a hero. I felt these two boys have the potential to break through. I cast them because they were football players as well as good actors,” he says of Rane and Jafri.

Currently in post-production, the crime drama is among the five projects conceptualized by Gupta’s production house in 2021, for direct-to-OTT release. “We have no illusion of taking these movies to theatres and making big numbers. I was clear that it would take minimum two years for [Bollywood to recover after the pandemic].”

Besides the upcoming project, Fardeen Khan and Riteish Deshmukh’s Visfot is ready to stream next year. The remaining three are also thrillers set against different backdrops. Gupta adds, “One is a story of a day in Chandni Chowk, while the other is a comedy thriller. I will direct the third, which is a black comedy.”

Director Kookie Gulati is not quite done with thrillers yet. After the R Madhavan starrer Dhokha Round D Corner, the director’s next is Visfot, which stars Riteish Deshmukh and sees Fardeen Khan return to the screen after 12 years. The movie — an official adaptation of the 2012 Venezuelan film, Rock, Paper, Scissors — sees Deshmukh as a pilot who races against time after his son is mistakenly kidnapped by Khan’s gangster character.

Gulati is particularly impressed by Deshmukh, who has brought vulnerability to his character that is caught between his love for his son, and a simmering anger at his wife’s infidelity. “Visfot will bust the myth that Riteish can only do comedy or rom-coms. It will [showcase] his scope as an actor,” he says. 

After producer Sanjay Gupta bagged the remake rights, Deshmukh was among the first artistes to be associated with the project. “Riteish came on board before me. His is an emotional part, and the title [encapsulates] his emotional outburst. We didn’t have rehearsals as I wanted his emotions to be natural. I wanted it to look raw and real. I would rate it among Riteish’s top three performances. Fardeen had a different approach to his character and underwent rigorous training.”

Rock, Paper, Scissors was Venezuela’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 85th Academy Awards. The director has reimagined the movie for the Indian audience. “Emotions are the high points of that movie, but we have [heightened] it because Indians are more emotional. To me, Visfot is an ode to Ram Gopal Varma’s Satya, in which we see Mumbai’s underbelly.”

“How can I forget my first day of Visfot shoot,” exclaims Fardeen Khan. It was momentous for him — the actor, last seen in Dulha Mil Gaya (2010), was facing the camera after a 12-year hiatus. In these years, Khan had moved to London, become father to two children and piled on excess kilos that made him almost unrecognizable. Amid all these sweeping changes, what remained constant was his love for acting. In 2021, he decided that it was time to be Bollywood-bound again. Those extra kilos were quickly shed, and the actor — once again looking as dashing as he did in the aughts — returned to Mumbai.

“When I returned, I reached out to industry people to let them know that I am keen to work again. I met Sanjay [Gupta, Visfot producer] too. He liked the way I look; he said there is maturity and manliness in my demeanour now. He asked me to read the script of Visfot. I was a bit taken aback as it seemed a godsend,” he says, with his impish smile. 

Visfot, also starring Riteish Deshmukh, is the remake of the Venezuelan movie, Rock, Paper, Scissors (2012). As the Kookie Gulati-helmed crime drama rolled late last year, Khan admits it took a while to get back on the saddle. “Initially, I was nervous, but it wasn’t a disabling nervousness. I spent three weeks doing script-reading sessions, perfecting the lingo and had many discussions with Kookie. I play a Dongri boy who emigrates overseas, but has to return to the country. His life then turns topsy-turvy overnight.”

Does he think filmmaking has changed in the past 12 years? “Things have changed a lot in terms of technology. The most profound change is that the audience’s standard of quality has risen with the [advent of] streaming platforms.”

A chat would be incomplete without understanding what made him take the long hiatus. “Natasha and I were trying to have a family. Since we had a bad experience with doctors here, we decided to consult doctors in London in 2011. That’s when we moved. IVF has its own demands, and I wanted to be there for my wife. I admire Natasha for everything that she has gone through. In 2013, we had our first child [Diani]. When I saw my daughter for the first time, my heart melted. We had our son [Azarius] in 2018. I was caught up in parenthood, and time just flew. I was fortunate that I could take that time off and witness their [growing-up] years.”

Visfot may be centred on leading men Fardeen Khan and Riteish Deshmukh, but director Kookie Gulati knew that the women characters were key to driving the narrative. As soon as writers Hussain and Abbas Dalal developed the story set in the bustling streets of Dongri, the director was certain about casting Seema Biswas and Sheeba Chadha in the supporting roles. 

Gulati believed only the senior actors could bring the fierceness that the parts required. “Sheeba ji and Seema ji are the kind of actors who are able to turn any story around. I love them as performers. So when we were casting, I had them in mind for specific characters. They play quintessential women from Dongri, so they have a menacing gait. Their presence conveys more than the dialogues. We needed actors who can bring that aura on screen,” he explains. 

 The thriller, backed by Sanjay Gupta and Bhushan Kumar, also features Krystle D’Souza and Priya Bapat. Gulati, who helmed The Big Bull last year, says it was a conscious decision to rope in strong women actors in the ensemble cast. “The men might be doing the action in the film, but these ladies pack a punch every time they are on screen.”

After an 11-year-long hiatus, Fardeen Khan is all set to step on the big screen once again. In fact, the actor recently wrapped up work on his comeback venture, Visfot, co-starring Riteish Deshmukh. In an exclusive chat with BT, the actor spoke about facing the camera after a long break and the journey ahead. Excerpts:

It’s a whole new landscape in terms of the content and the way the system works now. There’s a much higher standard of creativity. Streaming has brought in a different kind of audience, and that has changed the way content is being created, and protagonists are being designed. The lines between OTT and theatrical content are blurred. Of course, the budgets, timelines and challenges differ, but unlike TV, streaming content has the same standard as a slick movie. I have consumed a lot of content over the years on streaming platforms, but to now see it functioning from the inside is great. What hasn’t changed is the human dynamism and the foundation of how we tell stories, how it continues to play on emotions and create an experience. The pandemic just turbocharged the change in the movie business that was waiting to happen.

Even though I was meeting fewer people due to the pandemic, I met Sanjay Gupta, Mudassar Aziz, Sajid Nadiadwala and many of my colleagues and friends with whom I had worked previously. I let them know that I am back, transformed, eager and committed to getting back to cinema. A lot of people thought I was not living here at all. Everyone I met was warm and welcoming, no upfront promises to work together, but a reassurance that we would team up for sure soon. This industry is where I belong, and I was always going to come back to work in some form. You need the courage to make a fresh start. It’s daunting and I feel like an intern again.

I was extremely nervous! (laughs!) I hadn’t slept a few nights before the first day of the shoot. We had workshops and readings. I was nervous about facing the camera again from the day I signed up for it. The film had its own kind of journey before going on floors. We changed locations from London to Goa and eventually to Mumbai, looking at the pandemic situation. I’m playing a character from a certain kind of background that I have never done before.

I wasn’t sure I would fit into that. I had apprehensions, but we got the look right, and that was the beginning. There were jitters; I wondered if I still knew how to act after 11 years of not doing it. The workshops helped me a lot to get a grip on the character, and it all started coming back. Knowing Kookie Gulati (director), Riteish (Deshmukh) and Sanjay went a long way in settling back in. They are my friends who had my back and they made me feel very welcome. I was fortunate to have the luxury of being treated rather gently for the first couple of days. A fortnight or so in, and the kid gloves were off! (laughs!) Then all of them were like, ‘He’s okay! Let’s get on with it!’ No more gentle treatment from there! I had a great time shooting at an outdoor place like Dongri. I have driven through it but never shot there. Shooting at one of their shopping streets was quite an experience. That day, I also realised that common people have not forgotten me, although it has been long since they saw me in a movie.

As an industry, we are now subscribing to a new standard of professionalism and creativity. Bollywood, in general, was operating with a lot of mediocrity. A percentage of the crowd did some amazing work, comparable to international cinema, but largely, we were still trapped in mediocrity, and that includes me, too. There is no room for that anymore. Everyone has upped their game today. You have to be on-point. Time is the most precious entity now and no one’s forgiven for wasting it. In this case, as Sanjay was involved with Visfot, I felt a sense of comfort as both of us are from the old school of Bollywood and we are together grappling with the new stuff. So much has changed; there are so many new faces and talent. The learning curve is huge, but I am enjoying the process. It felt like I was back in school.

Not yet. My daughter and I have not even seen a movie together. We have watched cartoons and other stuff. I think we will watch Heyy Babyy first. I have shown my children some of my film songs. My daughter (Diani) is older, and she is trying to wrap her head around the idea that there is something called acting for a livelihood. They have lived for the most of their life in the UK and one year in Dubai now. They have not been exposed to this side of what I do. Had the scenes allowed me, I would have loved to show her around one of my sets of Visfot. Even one of the last schedules had a lot of cussing and some extreme stuff, which is not meant for kids. But I hope to take her on a set soon. My son (Azarius) is amused to see the songs featuring me. The mere concept of seeing daddy act is new for him. Since they live in a different country and are not in the cinema ecosystem, it takes them time to understand all of this.

Riteish Deshmukh is all set to direct his maiden Marathi venture. He had made his debut in Marathi films as an actor with Lai Bhaari, which was directed by Nishikant Kamat. He later went on to produce Faster Fene.

While the title of his directorial is under wraps, he has started shooting for it. The movie will be produced by Riteish and also features him as one of the central characters. The prep for the film had been on for the last few months. In fact, he was juggling it while he shot for Sanjay Gupta’s Visfot with Fardeen Khan in Mumbai.

Talking about Riteish’s Marathi film, a source says, “The shooting has just begun. As a producer, director and actor on the project, he has multiple things to look into. Hopefully, it will be shot in a single schedule and released next year. It’s a very special story and something that prompted him to venture into direction.”

Fardeen Khan, who returns to the big screen after 11 years with Visfot, will be seen in the film opposite Krystle D’souza, a known face on television and in the OTT space. The actress, who recently made her Bollywood debut with the Amitabh Bachchan and Emraan Hashmi-starrer Chehre, plays a middle-class working woman in the film that will be shot in Mumbai.

The movie, an official adaptation of the Venezuelan film Rock, Paper and Scissors (2012), is directed by Kookie Gulati. It also stars Riteish Deshmukh and Priya Bapat in pivotal roles.

Krystle, who is expected to start shooting for the film soon, says, “It is such a delight to be a part of this film. We have a cracker of a script. When I heard the story, I immediately knew that I wanted to do it. I have a great character at hand that’s so well fleshed out. We have a wonderful team and I can’t wait to start work on it. I’ve always loved Riteish on screen and how he approaches a character. Fardeen is wonderful, who we’ve all missed at the movies. I know working on this film will be a fun ride.”

The story of the film oscillates between the Dongri area of Mumbai and the high-rises in the city, and puts Riteish and Fardeen on opposite sides of the fence.

Two years ago, Sanjay Gupta’s agents in Los Angeles sent him the link of the Venezuelan film, Rock, Paper, Scissors (2012), which was the country’s official entry for the Oscars that year. The remake rights were up for grabs. After watching the drama, Gupta knew that it was the perfect recipe for a slick Bollywood thriller. That’s how he started his journey for Visfot, the Fardeen Khan and Riteish Deshmukh starrer that goes on floors today. “During the first lockdown, we commissioned writers Hussain and Abbas Dalal to [adapt] the film,” begins Gupta.

The film will mark Khan’s return to Bollywood after 11 years. While Deshmukh was his first choice for one of the leads, Khan’s casting happened by chance. “When we were still looking to cast the other lead, I met Fardeen and was taken by his transformation. He is so hungry to get back to the saddle, and has worked hard to lose oodles of weight. Riteish watched the film first, post which he read the script. He felt the script was better.”

The filmmaker has handed the directorial baton to Kookie Gulati, who helmed The Big Bull earlier this year. “The Big Bull made me marvel at his skill of handling the subject in two hours. I reached out to congratulate him, and sent him Visfot’s script.” 

Gulati is thrilled to bring his interpretation to the remake. “It’s a story of how things can go crazy over a day. It will be fun filming on the streets of the city,” he says.

The movie will be shot in Bandra, Andheri, Girgaum and Dongri. Bhushan Kumar, who is backing the project with Gupta, says, “Kookie has a sense of emotions, and can ground the story while creating a big-screen extravaganza.”

A few months ago, Fardeen Khan was spotted in Mumbai looking dapper after considerable weight loss. The actor was said to be in talks with various filmmakers to make his Bollywood come back. Now it’s confirmed that Fardeen has signed the movie Visfot, which is backed by Sanjay Gupta, and will mark his to films. The actor was last seen on the big screen in the 2010-film Dulha Mil Gaya.

Visfot, which will be shot in Mumbai, will also feature Riteish Deshmukh and will play on the city’s stark contrasts between the chawls of Dongri and the high-rises. Fardeen and Riteish will be pitted against each other in this drama, which is the official remake of the Venezuelan film, Rock, Paper, Scissors (2012) that was selected as the Venezuelan entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 85th Academy Awards.

Sanjay confirmed the development and said, “Yes, Fardeen is making his Bollywood comeback with this film. If all goes as planned, we will roll it out by the end of the month. Fardeen and Riteish have read the script and are really excited about it. While we have some paperwork going on, we’re quite geared up for this one.”

Fardeen and Riteish had earlier shared screen space in the comic caper Heyy Babyy (2007), which also had Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan headlining the cast. While the two will reunite with Sanjay’s film after 14 years, this time around, they will be seen in a completely different avatar. Sanjay adds, “You will see Fardeen and Riteish in the kind of characters they have never played before. I’m looking forward to teaming up with them.”