Bhumi Satish Pednekkar has come on board the cast of The Pride Of Bharat - Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The actress will portray Belawadi Mallamma, the warrior queen of Karnataka, in the historical drama headlined by Rishab Shetty, who essays the role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Bhumi says, “I’m honoured to be part of a film on the life and legacy of the great Maratha warrior-king, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It’s a privilege for me to play Karnataka’s brave warrior queen, Belawadi Mallamma, and bring her to life on screen. I am a huge Kantara fan, and Rishab Shetty’s stunning performance blew me away. So, the moment Sandeep narrated the film, the actor in me instantly said yes. This is unlike anything I’ve done before, and I’m grateful to the makers for seeing me in a completely new light.”

Directed and produced by Sandeep Singh, The Pride Of Bharat - Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is a two-part saga. The film also stars Arjun Rampal and Vivek Oberoi and is set to go on floors later this year.

As reported by us earlier, following Pritam’s decision to take a break from mainstream music, the makers roped in Amit Trivedi to compose the music for the historical drama.

A source had shared with us, “The team believes Amit Trivedi’s ability to blend powerful orchestration with deeply rooted Indian melodies makes him an ideal fit for the film’s vision. The music has to capture Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s courage, vision, legacy and the emotional heartbeat of the story. The makers were looking for a composer who could balance scale with emotion, and they are confident Amit’s music will elevate the film’s narrative while staying true to its historical essence.”

Actor Vivek Oberoi, who has seen both highs and lows in his two-decade career, is currently in what he calls a “great phase,” with several major projects in hand. He will soon be seen in Mastii 4, plays Vibhishan in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, and has also joined Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s upcoming film Spirit.

“They say the universe works on vibrations and how you feel,” Vivek shares, adding, “When you’re at ease with yourself, not desperate or stressed about your career, things fall into place. I’m relaxed, listening to a lot of scripts, and lucky to choose projects purely out of passion, not compulsion.”

Calling Ramayana “India’s answer to Hollywood epics,” Vivek reveals that he has donated his fee from the film to a cause close to his heart. “I told Namit that I don’t want a penny for this. I want to donate it to a cause I believe in: helping kids with cancer,” he says.

As for Mastiii 4, the actor describes it as a nostalgic reunion. “It’s been 21 years since the first film, and the chemistry with Riteish Deshmukh, Aftab Shivdasani, and Milap Milan Zaveri, who’s directing this one, is still amazing,” he smiles.

Actor Vivek Oberoi has responded to his cousin, actor Akshay Oberoi’s recent remarks that their families were “never close” and that Vivek never helped him in his career. In an earlier interview, Akshay (40) had expressed regret that “there was no real relationship” between their families. Vivek and Akshay’s fathers, actor Suresh Oberoi and Krishnan Oberoi, are brothers.

Probed about the statement, Vivek tells us, “I asked Akshay what the interview was about, and he told me, ‘No, it’s been misinterpreted’. But best that he speaks for himself.”

The 49-year-old adds that he “loves Akshay” and their family interactions have always been warm: “We are always there at each other’s birthdays, Diwali or parents’ anniversaries. We have some great memories of growing up together.”

The actor, who is organising a Mega Blood Donation Drive on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday (September 17) this year, stresses that both he and Akshay carved their careers independently. “Every bit of success and acclaim he has is well deserved, because he is the only one responsible for it. It shouldn’t be because of whose nephew or cousin you are; it should be based on pure merit. Akshay has achieved everything on his own merit and I am very proud of it,” he signs off.

Earlier this month, Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi, and Aftab Shivdasani kicked off the shoot of Masti 4 in the UK. Now, there is an addition to the cast of the sex comedy’s latest instalment — Tusshar Kapoor. “It honestly feels like a college reunion, only wilder,” laughs Kapoor, who joined the unit two weeks ago.

The actor is no stranger to bold comedies, having featured in the Kyaa Kool Hain Hum franchise, in which he shared screen space with Deshmukh and Shivdasani. That’s probably why Kapoor is confident about their on-screen chemistry in the Milap Zaveri-directed venture.

“I have worked with all three actors separately before. So, there was no reason to be concerned about the chemistry between us. They welcomed me with open arms when I reached the outdoor venue. I’m sure the camaraderie and fun off screen will reflect on screen. Masti is a successful brand in the comedy genre, and I readily accepted Masti 4 after hearing a brief narration of the story and my role.”

But as a man approaching 50 and a parent today, how does Kapoor strike a balance between bold comedies and boundaries? It’s all in the writing, he says.

He elaborates, “Masti 4 is an adult but family comedy, and has been written keeping the sensibilities of the wider audience in mind. My job as an actor is to [play the role] with sincerity. Regarding the boldness of it, my director is more concerned than me about the limits of the Masti universe.”

Kajal Aggarwal, Anil Kapoor, Adinath Kothare, Vikrant Massey, Vivek Oberoi, Mohit Raina feature in the film. Pics/AFP, Instagram 

The curtain has officially risen on Ramayana. On July 3, Nitesh Tiwari unveiled the teaser of the two-part magnum opus, and it confirmed that the Indian audience’s optimism was well-placed. The three-minute teaser may have offered shielded glimpses of Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama and Yash as Ravana, but it signalled that the filmmaker was bringing a world grand in vision, rich in imagery, and most importantly, honest in its retelling of the epic.

While it’s known that Sai Pallavi, Sunny Deol, and Ravie Dubey play Sita, Hanuman, and Lakshman respectively, mid-day has learnt that Tiwari has put together a cast of over 25 actors across India for his ambitious project. It is heard that megastar Amitabh Bachchan will voice the character of Jatayu, the divine vulture that not only unsuccessfully fought Ravana, but also aided Lord Rama and Lakshman before breathing its last. While Kunal Kapoor will play Lord Indra, Indira Krishnan portrays Ram’s mother Kaushalya.

A source reveals, “Nitesh has carefully curated the cast, based on visual resemblance, the actors’ ability to transform into their respective characters, and the gravitas they bring. The cast includes Anil Kapoor, Kajal Aggarwal, Vikrant Massey, Vivek Oberoi, Mohit Raina, and Adinath Kothare. Actors across mediums have been chosen as the makers wanted to get whoever was best for the role.”

Industrialist Sunjay Kapur, 53, who was also actor Karisma Kapoor’s ex-husband, died in the UK on Thursday night. He reportedly suffered a heart attack while playing polo after swallowing a bee during the game.

Following the news, Karisma’s family and friends rallied around her, including sister Kareena Kapoor Khan and brother-in-law Saif Ali Khan. Actor Vivek Anand Oberoi wrote on X: “It’s truly heartbreaking to hear about the untimely passing of Sunjay Kapur. Such a profound loss for everyone who knew him.”

Reality TV star Shalini Passi told HT: “The news of Sunjay’s death is sad and shocking. It makes us realize the frivolity of our life and everything that we take so seriously.”

Just hours before his death, Sunjay wrote about the plane crash on X: “Terrible news of the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad. My thoughts and prayers are with all the families affected. May they find strength in this difficult hour (sic).”

After his death, a post he shared on X on June 9 went viral (see inset on top). Sunjay and Karisma got married in 2003, and got divorced in 2016. They had two kids together — daughter Samaira Kapoor, 20, and son Kiaan, 14.

While Sunjay was co-parenting Samaira and Kiaan with Karisma, he was also father to Azarias, his seven-year-old son with wife Priya Sachdev. He hired a parenting coach to navigate his blended family and to adhere to the responsibilities of fatherhood in a better manner.

As per Forbes, Sunjay’s net worth at the time of his death was $1.2 billion (Rs. 10,300 crore). As of a few months ago, his publicly listed company was valued at Rs. 40,000 crore. They manufacture automobile parts for seven out of the top 10 car companies in the world.

Kanu Chauhan is excited to be the first director-producer to bring the tale of a Gujarati warrior, who fought to save the Somnath Temple from intruders in the 14th century, to the big screen. “The film is based on a real-life story that happened back then in Gujarat. It’s a story that’s close to my heart, and one that the team researched on for a couple of years before it went into production,” he says of Kesari Veer, which tells the stories of the unsung warriors who sacrificed their lives to protect the Somnath Temple from Mughal invaders.

Featuring Sooraj Pancholi, Suniel Shetty, and Vivek Oberoi, the patriotic offering, a source says, stars Pancholi as a 16-year-old newly married chieftain, Veer Hamirji Gohil, who sacrifices his life while defending the temple against the invasion of Zafar Khan, a general of the Delhi Sultanate ruler, Alauddin Khilji. Hamirji joins forces with the ruler of Dron, Raja Vegdaji Bhil (played by Shetty), as they take on the Mughal emperor together over a 10-day battle, says the source.

“Suniel had to brush up on his horse-riding skills and learned weaponry, like self-made spears, slings, axes, bows and arrows, knives, and swords, belonging to that time. He also learned archery, as the Bhils were skilled in that, as well as guerilla warfare. He has a unique look in the movie and sports a pagdi, angarkha, and dhoti, and carries a moustache,” says the source.

Because Shetty takes charge of a role that is crucial to the narrative, Chauhan says they had to design a look that was “aligned with the era that the film is set in.” “We have a lot of action sequences that have been designed by south action director Kevin Kumar. The costumes have been created by Chandrakant Sonawane.” 

Chauhan, who has co-directed the film with Prince Dhiman, says he has left no stone unturned to revive the ambience of the era.

“We have constructed lavish sets and grand palaces. There is a lot of VFX involved. We have spent more than R60 crore on the movie and shot it over a continuous 120-day schedule from November 23 in Mumbai and Gujarat. Post-production work is currently underway, and we plan to release the motion poster by this month. The names of each character will subsequently be shared,” he says, adding that the team plans to release the multilingual movie by mid-2025.

Vivek Oberoi made his onscreen debut in 2002 with Ram Gopal Varma’s Hindi film, Company. Since then, he has worked on many projects, including ones in all four South Indian film industries, and with some of the biggest names. This includes essaying the role of the antagonist to Ajith in Vivegam (2017). In a chat with us, he shares about his desire to work with Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, being anti-exploitation, and more.

Every actor in my generation has a dream to work with Rajini sir and Kamal sir. My journey will not be complete till I do a film with them. Also, I love working in Tamil cinema because the talent here is brilliant. It was fantastic working in Vivegam. The film’s team felt like a family, and Ajith anna is amazing to work with. What a gentleman he is! He gave me so much love and treated me like a younger brother.

Chennai has a beautiful and big heart. My mom is from here, and I used to come visit my grandmother. I have spent a lot of hot summers in the city, and I remember all of us cousins used to get together, eat lots of crispy dosa, and then drive to Coonoor to enjoy the cool weather. I have beautiful memories here. When the tsunami happened, many people supported me when I was trying to do Project Hope in Devanampattinam, Cuddalore. I still meet with many volunteers and students from then.

I’ve done a film in every single South Indian language and it was my dream to do that. That gave me a kick. The people in the South Indian film industries are extremely committed. The same can be said about the fans, as they love so deeply. If you look at the fan following of Rahman sir and Anirudh, it’s huge and not normal.

I loved playing Vikrant Dhawan in Inside Edge. Its makers are like family to me. I started my OTT journey with them in 2016, when people didn’t know what OTT was. It was so new in India at the time. If they reach out to me for season 4, I’ll do it in a heartbeat. But that’s a creative decision that they have to take.

Any kind of exploitation, whether it is sexual, financial, or emotional, is absolutely wrong. I’m anti-exploitation. You have to be fair and honest in life and have integrity. When you have stardom, the least you can do is facilitate harmony and live without exploiting people who are poorer or weaker than you. Exploitation is cancer to society and any industry. Every one of us should work together to remove exploitation.

In 2017, Vivek Anand Oberoi was among the early birds in Indian OTT entertainment as he shot for Inside Edge, which has had three successful seasons since. Naturally, the actor was armed with experience when he stepped into Indian Police Force. We start by asking what brings him back to OTT. 

“When Jeff Bezos was here [for an Amazon Prime Video event in 2020], I remember he asked me how I took the leap of faith at that time. I was sure even then that OTT was here to stay,” he smiles.

The Amazon Prime Video cop series, starring Sidharth Malhotra and Shilpa Shetty Kundra, sees filmmaker Rohit Shetty foray into digital entertainment with what he knows best—action. For Oberoi, Indian Police Force is an extension of his two-decade friendship with the director.

“Rohit and I started our careers together. He was clear—when he can justify the love he has for me in a role, he will call. The character of Vikram Bakshi is special because he wrote this with me in mind. I love Rohit as a filmmaker, but more than that, he is one of the good guys. Every time I’ve supported a social cause for the cops, he has shown up. What’s beautiful about my character is that he is the Rohit Shetty of his world. His team is his family, he is patriotic and will take a bullet for his people. There is maturity, nobility and duty in the character. He is the mentor I didn’t have.”

It’s not easy to make your mark in an ensemble drama. Did he worry about not standing out in the Malhotra and Shilpa-starrer? 

“If that’s where any actor starts, they are insecure. After 21 years of countless trolls and obituaries, I’m still here. I have more work than I can take on. This year, I am shooting Masti 4, a murder mystery with Nithya Menen, an action film with Tiger Shroff and another series. I cut out the noise and nonsense.”

After the 2020 lockdown, the actor shifted base to Dubai and shuttles between Mumbai, London and the UAE. But his heart remains in Mumbai.

Oberoi says, “I am in Mumbai for shoots all the time. But the more I stay away from the city, the more I realize this place will always be home. I sleep the best here. My frustration goes away when I hear the bells at ISKCON.”

Subrata Roy, who passed away on November 14 at the age of 75 after a prolonged illness, played a key role in the careers of several film fraternity folks. Ever since his foray into showbiz in the early 2000s with Sahara One Motion Pictures, he not only backed several movies that set the trend with the advent of the multiplexes but also bailed out several actors and filmmakers from their financial crises. Apart from film production and distribution, Roy expanded his media conglomerate with news and general entertainment channels, too.

That’s not all. His studio gave a new lease to the careers of actors like Sridevi and Karisma Kapoor with television serials like Malini Iyer and Karishma: The Miracles of Destiny on the group’s general entertainment channel, Sahara One. Moreover, several B-Town celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai were on the board of directors of Sahara entities. Not surprising then, that whenever any Sahara event was scheduled in Lucknow, where the group headquarters were located, most of Bollywood would fly down to show their allegiance to and solidarity with Roy. 

At the same time, it’s also not surprising that when Roy and his Sahara Group got caught in financial issues in 2011, several film industry folk began keeping their distance from the ‘controversial’ businessman.

However, few continued to associate with Sahara Shri, as he was called. One of them is Vivek Oberoi, who forged a bond with the businessman-industrialist before he began working with the latter’s studio. Beyond the equation they shared, the actor remembers two unforgettable instances. One is when the actor got injured during the shoot of Yuva on the Howrah bridge in Kolkata.

“Even Mani Ratnam sir had a heart issue and had to be hospitalized. Ajay Devgn and Abhishek Bachchan were taking care of me. Sahara Shri called me, spoke to my father and took over—he organized the beat doctor and orthopedic for me at Hinduja Hospital. When I was to be flown down to Mumbai, he got the front row seats of an Air Sahara flight removed so I could be accommodated with the stretcher,” recalled Oberoi. 

The actor was even more touched to see the business magnate had flown down to Mumbai to be by his side. He added, “After the surgery, while I was in and out of consciousness, Dada sat there by my side. It was great a gesture from Dada, a billionaire industrialist who had tons of things to do in his corporate empire.”

The other instance was when the actor was getting married to Priyanka Alva in 2010. Businessmen, industrialists, politicians and VIPs were invited to the wedding, besides his friends and colleagues from the industry. “Even though he was a VIP himself, he asked if there was something he could do. Dada was there on stage like a family member, receiving guests, ensuring they were looked after, asking if anyone needed anything. That is what set him apart as a person; his honesty and integrity also continued in his relationships,” reminisced Oberoi. 

Mumbai: Filmmaker Sanjay Saha, producer of Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer film Haddi, has been arrested for allegedly duping actor Vivek Oberoi and his company of Rs 1.55 crore between 2022 and 2023. The MIDC police on Sunday arrested Saha, a resident of Veera Desai Road in Andheri, on charges of cheating, forgery, breach of trust and misappropriation of funds.

Police produced Saha before the local court which remanded him to 7 days’ police custody. Police are now look- ing for his wife Radhika Nanda and mother Nandita Saha.

Oberoi has alleged that the accused made the actor invest money in an event and film production firm promising lucrative profits. However, later, the accused used the money for wrongful gains.

The complaint was filed by Oberoi’s manager Deven Bafna, who alleged that in 2017, Oberoi and his wife Priyanka formed an LLP company — Oberoi Mega Entertainment — which sold organic products. Soon, Oberoi was introduced to Saha, who claimed he was part of the film industry and convinced Oberoi to invest in event management.

Together, Oberoi and Saha formed ‘Anandita Entertainment’ in which Saha’s wife Radhika Nanda and his mother Nandita Saha became partners. Police said in 2021, the firm took the responsibility of marketing Nawazuddin’s upcoming film Haddi. As Oberoi was busy with his work, the day-to-day affairs of the firm were looked after by Saha and his wife Radhika.

Oberoi later found out that he had transferred a huge sum of money from Anandita Entertainment without citing any valid reasons. In 2022, when an Anandita Entertainment employee met Oberoi, he informed him that Saha was misappropriating funds.

Oberoi learnt that huge sums were allegedly transferred by Saha for his personal expense, such as Rs 5 lakh for buying Tata AIG life insurance, Rs 10 lakh for Radhika’s salary and buying ornaments. In all, Anandita Entertainment siphoned Rs 58 lakh. Police said the accused also cheated Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

“Saha and Radhika cheated Oberoi of Rs 1.55 crore. We are now looking for two more accused. Saha has already been arrested by the Oshiwara and cyber police in two seperate cheating cases,” said Datta Nalawade, deputy commissioner of police (zone 9).

“This is just the tip of the iceberg as Saha has duped many others,” said Oberoi’s advocates Amar Thakur and Prerak Choudhary.

Vivek Oberoi has been allegedly cheated of over Rs. 1.50 crore by a trio who talked him into investing in a couple of projects with good returns, police officials said. The three persons, who were his business associates, tricked him into investing money in an event management and film production firm with the promise of good return, but instead misappropriated the money.

The actor’s financial advisor, Deven Bafna, a chartered accountant, lodged a complaint against the three ‘cheats’ – who allegedly have similar previous accusations against them – with the MIDC police station in Mumbai.

“A cheating and forgery case has been registered. The case is still under investigation and at a primary stage. We have sent the notice to the accused and are waiting for their response. Due to the heavy rains in the city, the investigation has been slow. Once the investigation is done, we will get a clearer picture,” an official from the MIDC police said.

- With inputs from Vinay MR Mishra

With a filmography that spans two decades and films like Saathiya (2002), Kaal (2005), Shootout At Lokhandwala (2007), the Masti series and more under his belt, actor Vivek Oberoi’s journey in the Hindi film industry has been quite long. He started his acting journey with director Ram Gopal Varma’s Company (2002) and after being a part of nearly 50 projects, the actor says he is now more picky about the projects he takes on.

Sharing his philosophy, Oberoi says, “When you don’t have to do something for any other reason, but the joy and passion of it, then the success or failure of a project doesn’t matter. After spending two decades in the industry, I feel empowered enough to be able to stand behind something I love and believe in.”

Expounding on his decisions to do things differently, the 46-year-old talks about his choice to do streaming shows. “When nobody was doing OTT, I did Inside Edge. I got phenomenal success from it with the awards and an Emmy nomination. It was a very fulfilling feeling [for me],” he says.

Another decision that the actor, who is fluent in Tamil, firmly stands behind is doing films down South. “I decided I wanted to do a film in each South Indian languages. I knew that films in other languages wouldn’t offer the same kind of fee that I get for Hindi films. So, I took a pay cut and worked harder in a language that’s not natural to me,” says Oberoi, who has worked in the Tamil film Vivegam (2017), Telugu film Vinaya Vidheya Rama (2019) and in two Malayalam films — Lucifer (2019) and Kaduva (2022).

On April 1, 2003, actor Vivek Oberoi did the infamous press conference, wherein he uncovered some harsh realities of the Hindi film industry. And now, 20 years later, the conversation around lobbying and bullying in Bollywood has resurfaced, this time courtesy actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who, in a recent interview, said that she was “being pushed into a corner in the industry (Bollywood)” and had “beef with people”.

Recalling how hard it was for him back in the day, Oberoi says, “I went through a lot of stuff that was unnecessary. There were a lot of lobbies and repressive stories — kind of what Priyanka has been alluding to. That’s been a hallmark of our industry. It’s the dark side of Bollywood. And I have been at the receiving end of it.”

The 46-year-old goes on to recall the time when he was out of work despite delivering good performances. “I know how frustrating it could be. It makes one feel exhausted and tired. I remember I’d think, ‘I have just delivered an award-winning, successful performance in Shootout At Lokhandwala (2007) and I’ve been sitting at home for 14 months, not getting any work.’ When I went through that, I thought, I should do something more empowering,” he says, explaining why his focus shifted from acting to “philanthropy and business”.

He adds, “Priyanka’s statement is so inspirational. She went out (of Bollywood) and explored something different. She got out of a rut and something magical happened for her, personally and professionally.”

The Dharavi Bank (2022) actor admits that bullying “can kill young talents at a budding stage”. Calling the industry “a very insecure place”, Oberoi adds, “Whether it’s the #MeToo movement, casting couch or bullying and lobbying — these things take the joy out of creativity. I’m glad they are being spoken about now. There is more decentralization of power.”

From Chandu in Company (2002) to Maya Dolas in Shootout At Lokhandwala (2007), we’ve often seen Vivek Oberoi as an on-screen gangster. Now, life has come a full circle for him as he dons the khaki uniform in two back-to-back projects. While he plays an honest police officer in Dharavi Bank, the actor joins Rohit Shetty’s cop universe with Indian Police Force, also starring Sidharth Malhotra and Shilpa Shetty. Oberoi heaps praise on Rohit in their first collaboration.

“Rohit is a rare blend of a master who still works like it’s his first film. He is the first to arrive on set and last to leave. I believe he will set a new benchmark in [Indian] OTT with the show,” says the actor, who has benefited from the OTT boom in India.

After a dream debut with Company and a few hits, Oberoi had a bumpy career as he saw consecutive failures and dearth of opportunities. Things finally looked up in 2017 when he led the popular web series, Inside Edge. Since then, he has been a frequent face in digital offerings. As he completes 20 years in the industry, he is glad that he didn’t quit in the face of adversity.

“When I fought my battles, many advised me to give up and walk away. But I believed in myself, God, my family, friends and fans. That kept me strong. Else, I would have broken too, like many other talents that we have lost due to the politics in our industry.”

In his recent post on social media, Vivek Oberoi shared pictures of having a good time with his son Vivaan as they attended a FIFA World Cup match in Qatar. Talking about their trip, minus wife Priyanka and daughter Ameyaa, who are “not into football”, Vivek told us, “My son is a huge fan of Cristiano Ronaldo and was sad that this world cup might be his last. So, I decided to take a small break from work and take him to see the Portugal versus Korea match.”

It was the first time that the actor was watching a world cup match live in a stadium. Sharing his experience, Vivek said, “The stadium was charged with energy. The game was evenly matched and exciting, but Korea scored a last minute goal, literally in the 90th minute and won. We had great seats right in front of the goal post and the atmosphere was electrifying!”

More than anything else, it was what his son told him after the match that left him emotional and made the trip worthwhile. He said, “Post the match, Vivaan hugged me and said that he would never forget this incredible experience. He told me, ‘Thank you for being the best dad ever.’ These are the moments that parents live for (smiles).”

The game also made Vivek nostalgic about the time he spent playing football in his younger days. He shared, “I was in my school’s football team and played a bunch of interschool competitive matches, too. I have some amazing memories of playing football in the Mumbai rains and coming home drenched in muck. Back then, the city didn’t have too many proper football grounds, so we practiced on Juhu beach sometimes and I loved every moment of it.”

Like his actor father, Vivaan also enjoys playing the game and Vivek hopes that watching the FIFA World Cup live has inspired him to love football even more. He said, “Vivaan is a part of his school’s football team. It’s lovely to hear his ‘war stories’ after a match. Even though he’s only nine, the intensity with which he plays is remarkable. The joy when his team wins and the sadness when his team loses...he shares it all with me.”

And what happens when the father-son duo get into action? “Playing football with Vivaan is the most fun cardio ever (laughs). We started playing together when he was only four and sometimes he takes me by surprise, because he’s become so good with all the practice at school. He’s definitely got the cooler moves than me, whether it’s playing or the goal celebrations,” added the proud father.

As he signed off, Vivek opened up about his favourite players and the team he’s rooting for this world cup. He said, “Well, I have no other choice than to support Portugal — my beta is super emotional since it’s probably Ronaldo’s last world cup and he wants him to score loads of goals and lift the cup. I am his best buddy right now, hence, I cannot cheer for anyone else, but Portugal! It’s so funny to watch him take sides in the GOAT fan battles between Lionel Messi and Ronaldo. My beta is growing up!”

Producer Gaurang Doshi and actor Vivek Oberoi have filed an FIR against Sanjay Saha-Radhika Nanda for conning them in the name of an OTT project. While Saha is in custody, the police is yet to nab Nanda. But, a lot is left to be unravelled, says Doshi.

Ever since the scam was unearthed, the producer admits many similar complaints have surfaced: “It took us a year to realise something is fishy. It was stupid of us.”

Recalling how it all began, he says, “Vivek introduced me to them, but didn’t realise he’s becoming a victim, too. We selected eight writers, signed an agreement. I even transferred over Rs. 1 crore, Vivek lost around Rs. 2-3 crore.”

It was only when they got a call from a disgruntled employee that they sensed something fishy. “She told us they are taking money and not doing anything,” adds Doshi, stating that the duo minted money in the name of stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, etc. “When we dug deep, we realised it is a big scam. There were 39 petitions against them,” he says, hoping that justice will be served.

Mumbai: The city cyber police probing the OTT scam on Sunday arrested the alleged key player of the gang that cheated several Bollywood personalities of lakhs by promising them to upload their movies on OTT platforms and taking large sums from them by showing them fake letters of service providers. Actor Vivek Oberoi and producer Gaurang Doshi were among those cheated by the gang, said police.

“We got a tipoff that Sanjay Saha was to visit his Andheri (W) home. We laid a trap and arrested him,” said an officer. “He was produced before the holiday court which remanded him to police custody. ”

Last week, the cyber crime cell of the north region had arrested Rajat Kumar Mourya (29) from his residence in Jogeshwari. He allegedly spilled the beans on Saha, AnupSingh, Akash, Akshat Suluja and Radhika.

Police said after Mourya’s arrest, four more victims have approached them with similar complaints. They are in the process of filing fresh FIRs.

Mourya was arrested based on a complaint by film producer Maan Singh, who wanted to release two movies on an OTT platform to cater to the increased demand amid the pandemic. Singh said he met Mourya through a common friend and he introduced him to Saha. Police said Mourya showed Singh various certificates purportedly from OTT platforms for past releases that he had facilitated. Singh decided to give him the contract for his movies. In January 2021, Mourya took Rs 2.50 lakh as token amount and sent Singh a WhatsApp message in which there was a letter of intent from Panorama Studios mentioning its willingness to buy one of Singh’s movies for Rs 4 crore. Two days later, Mourya sent a letter of intent from another company saying the OTT platform had agreed to buy two other movies, for which Singh needed to pay Rs 1.50 lakh. Singh paid through netbanking.

“Saha promised Singh that he would release his movies on OTT platforms and on the pretext of paying the officials, took Rs 48 lakh from him. Saha, in connivance with his aides, also issued fake certificates of OTT agreements for releasing Singh’s movies,” said the officer. Singh told TOIthat had his cameraman not suspected foul play and alerted him, he would have lost more money.

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Mumbai: Actor, screenwriter and producer Akshat Raj Saluja has been arrested by Mumbai cyber police for his alleged involvement in the OTT scam which came to light after film producer Maan Singh filed a complaint stating that he was duped of Rs 48 lakh by a group of conmen who promised to upload his movies on OTT platforms and took Rs 48 lakh by showing him fake letters of service providers.

Saluja, the screenwriter for film ‘Rashtra Kavach Om’, web series ‘Shiksha Mandal’ and ‘Yaargii’ and the producer of Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer ‘Dream Girl’, is the third accused to be arrested in the case. Cyber police had earlier arrested Jogeshwari resident Rajat Kumar Mourya and Andheri resident Sanjay Saha. They are now looking for a woman identified only as Radhika.

Police claimed that Saluja was one of the beneficiaries and had received Rs 7.50 lakh of Rs 48 lakh extracted from Singh. Saluja was booked for cheating, forgery, and breach of trust under the Indian Penal Code as well as under the Information Technology Act. On Thursday, Saluja was produced before the Borivli court, which remanded him to police custody.

In his complaint, Singh said he wanted to release two movies — MD and Alpaviram —on an OTT platform to cater to the increased demand amid the pandemic. Singh said Mourya showed him certificates purportedly from OTT platforms for past releases that he had facilitated. Singh decided to give him the contract for his movies. In January 2021, Mourya took Rs 2.50 lakh as token amount and sent Singh a WhatsApp message with a fake letter of intent from Panorama Studios mentioning its willingness to buy one of Singh’s movies for Rs 4 crore.

“On the basis of this forged letter of intent, Mourya, Saha, Radhika and Saluja extracted Rs 48 lakh from Singh,” said a police officer.

Police said actor Vivek Oberoi and filmmaker Gaurang Doshi too have been cheated by this gang.

Actor Vivek Anand Oberoi is glad that the importance of a surname has started to diminish in the Hindi film industry, giving more prominence to talent. He hopes that more artistes get work on the basis of their abilities. “I would love to see the industry grow more in meritocracy. Now, it is not about what your last name is, but what your talents are. If that grows further, it’d be amazing. I think OTT has been very influential in that movement, making it all about talent. For instance, (filmmaker) Hansal Mehta’s (web) show (Scam 1992) turned out to be so big, with (actor) Pratik Gandhi shining bright,” he says.

The Inside Edge actor adds, “Now, seeing more meritocracy is my dream. I remember so many people wrote me off at one point in my career, saying, ‘You have gone against very powerful lobbies and there’s no way you can come out of this’.”

But he agrees that there are some people out there who value talent more than anything else: “At the low point of my career, some good people decided to recognise my talent and said, ‘We want to work with you’.”

Opening up about standing against powerful lobbies, the 45-year-old adds, “It went from ridicule to respect. When a bully pushes a kid to a corner, all the other kids clap or laugh. But, in the end, what matters is to fall and stand up again.”

He is proud that he learnt so much from that phase: “It was a tough one, but it made me who I am today. It drew me to work, helped me make an impact like going out there and rebuilding villages and helping cancer survivors, instead of driving me towards whatever we normally do in the glamour industry,” Oberoi ends.