With his second act as an antagonist, actor forays into digital entertainment with an untitled film
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; February 16, 2020)

In his second outing as an antagonist after Saaho, Neil Nitin Mukesh will play a con artiste accused of murder, kidnapping and identity theft, in Zee5's next. Making a debut in web entertainment with the currently untitled project, Mukesh says he gives his nod to projects based on three factors, "the director, [the story of] my character, and the platform."

Mukesh tells mid-day the story "is based on one of the biggest prison breaks in India" and that his character will have multiple personalities. Prawaal Rawal's directorial venture, he says, "challenges me as an actor". "I was excited to be part of a one-hour short film. This was the perfect [film] to debut with on the OTT, before I [took up] a web series," adds Mukesh.

The Johnny Gaddar actor had already expressed his interest in the project when Rawal was only toying with the idea. "Prawaal was making a film on a similar subject earlier and I wanted to be part of that film, but things didn't pan out. I feel it's almost karmic to get a call from him when he was tackling the same subject for the web. My character is multi-dimensional. After doing films like, 7 Khoon Maaf [2011], David [2013] and Wazir [2016], I kept wondering if there ever will be another shade of grey. I wanted something challenging and this is a step further. I will be playing seven shades of grey with one character."

Neil Nitin Mukesh on lessons learnt from Sriram Raghavan, taking on Prabhas, and daughter Nurvi’s first birthday
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 29, 2019)

Neil Nitin Mukesh, who plays the antagonist in Prabhas and Shraddha Kapoor’s upcoming action-packed thriller, Saaho, reveals that he was offered the film a year-and-a-half before it went on the floors. “It was just after (AR) Murugadoss sir’s Tamil film Kaththi. That film was a blockbuster and my entry in the South film industry was noted with a lot of offers coming my way,” reminisces the actor, saying that he had first met Saaho director Sujeeth at an award function. “A few months later, he flew down to Mumbai to narrate this script to me and I was blown away by his vision.”

Around the time, Prabhas was not on board and Neil was the first actor to be officially signed for Saaho. Once Prabhas entered the picture Neil had to gain some weight. “Prabhas sir was the mighty Bahubali in people’s minds after his period epic extravaganza and I had to pile on nine kg to match up to that imposing persona,” he smiles, quick to add that he intends to start losing all of it after the Ganpati festival.

Ask him what it is like to play a bad man and Neil points out that he has never perceived a character as negative or positive but as one who drives the narrative. “I had a one-scene appearance in Wazir but without it the film would have no essence as it was a significant role,” he reasons.

Quiz him on his co-star who is making his Bollywood debut with the film and Neil recalls that when they were shooting in Abu Dhabi, Rukmini was expecting and even though he kept the news to himself, the team sensed it. One day, Prabhas casually asked why Rukmini wasn’t visiting the set. “When I broke the news to him, he came to our room loaded with gifts. No wonder he is the darling of the nation,” Neil smiles.

Recently, Sriram Raghavan, the director of his debut film, Johnny Gaddaar, won a National Award for his last directorial, AndhaDhun (Best Feature Film in Hindi). “I was supposed to celebrate with Sriram, but unfortunately, I couldn’t make it. I love him dearly and owe my existence in this industry to him. He is my only school of filmmaking,” the actor gushes, adding that he was 23 when he was signed by the filmmaker, who made him unlearn everything he had been taught, stripped him of all his inhibitions and put him on the right path. “To date, every time I start a film, I unlearn and learn again,” adds Neil.

Are there any plans to take forward their 2007 neo-noir thriller? “It’s a great franchise idea and I will speak to Sriram about it,” Neil promises, all excited to bring in daughter Nurvi’s first birthday. “Since she was born during the Ganpati festival (September 20) according to the Hindu calendar, we will be celebrating her first birthday on September 9,” the proud father concludes.

Kasmin Fernandes (MID-DAY; July 17, 2016)

M Cream, which will hit Indian theatres after doing the rounds of various film festivals, has an indie slant in more ways than one. Srijan Mahajan and Arsh Sharma of eclectic duo FuzzCulture have co-composed the music for M Cream with fellow indie musician Nikhil Malik. It has a rock song (Woh Parinda) and two English tracks (the rock- jazz Man With A Million Drugs and the guitar-heavy Wayfaring Stranger). “The process of creating the music for M Cream was great and honestly really free. We had some amazing contributions from artists such as Shubha Mudgal, IP Singh, Susmit Bose, Suhail Yusuf Khan and Shantanu Pandit,” says Arsh, who is otherwise a regular performer at music festivals as part of Fuzzculture. The six-track album is one of the many Bollywood soundtracks to feature vocalists and musicians from the indie music space of the subcontinent that loosely includes the rock, folk, electronica and acoustic genres.

A familiar face in the Indian EDM scenario, Delhi-based Nucleya, aka Udayan Sagar, made his Bollywood debut with party song Let’s Nacho from Kapoor & Sons, which was out earlier this year. Composed by Nucleya, the song had Kumaar and Christopher Pradeep as lyricists, and featured Alia Bhatt, Sidharth Malhotra and Fawad Afzal Khan kicking up a storm in a club. It’s a restyling of Nucleya’s original hit Tamil Fever (with Dayal) — that had South Indian elements and dhol — with the addition of rapper Badshah’s verse. “They heard the song and thought it would fit in nicely in a film if reworked,” he says.

Khel Khel Main, arguably the best song of Amitabh Bachchan-Farhan Akhtar-starrer Wazir, came from indie band Advaita and had the voice of The Big B himself. Assamese rocker Joi Barua recreated his original Dusokute for Kalki Koechlin-starrer Margarita With A Straw. Metal band Goddess Gagged frontman Siddharth Basrur has sung Neend Na Mujhko Aaye (Shaandaar) and Meri Zid (Bangistan).

Desi rock ’n’ roll band Faridkot is behind the compositions for last year’s Sharafat Gayi Tel Lene. The soundtrack of the critically acclaimed Masaan was helmed by rock pioneers Indian Ocean, which was one of the first rock bands in the country to delve into film territory with Black Friday back in 2007. The director was norm challenger Anurag Kashyap, of course. Interestingly, Rahul Ram of Indian Ocean considers ‘non- Bollywood, non-traditional’ a better term than ‘indie’ for the music they make.

A younger set of well-travelled directors exposed to traditionally non-Bollywood sounds, a growing base of teens who vouch for indie acts like Raghu Dixit Project and Advaita and music composers willing to experiment with unusual voices has given rise to this trend. With soundtracks featuring multiple composers, the territory is wide open for newer sounds. They are bringing jazz, electronica, folk and world music into the realm, genres that the average filmgoer might not be exposed to. The non-Bollywood musicians bring with them a newer sensibility, instruments you wouldn’t otherwise hear in a Bollywood gaana — like the sax heard prominently in Shamitabh — and vocals styles that make you sit up and listen. “This bodes well for Bollywood music. It’s no longer filmi per se,” says Barua, who is currently composing the entire soundtrack for a film.

While some artistes have a go at film music when the situation arises, others like Pentagram frontman Vishal Dadlani of Kholgade, Saba Azad (one half of the duo Madboy Mink), Nikhil D’Souza, Shefali Alvares and composer Mikey McCleary have become an intrinsic part of the mainstream filmi music scene.

Adds Barua, “Bollywood changed life for me. From being known to a niche segment of rock fans in some parts of the country, my music became something the rickshaw guy was playing on his stereo, something I wouldn’t have imagined.” It happens only in indie-ah.

The director-actor duo had discussed the idea while working on their last collaboration, Wazir
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 18, 2016)

Joginder Tuteja (DNA; April 29, 2016)

The last time Amitabh Bachchan had as many as three releases to his name, it was 2008. The films? Bhoothnath, Sarkar Raj and God Tussi Great Ho. 2016 is expected to be just as remarkable a year for the actor, what with as many as three films of his arriving at regular intervals.

“Wazir has already released in January this year. Now Sujoy Ghosh’s Te3n has been slated for arrival in June while Shoojit Sircar’s Pink releases in September. Each of these films has him in a central role. This is simply fantastic as no other actor from his generation is enjoying such stardom at the moment,” says an observer.

In fact if one counts his cameo in Ki & Ka, then he has as many as four big-screen arrivals this year. “While he has been quite visible on television, other entertainment forums and social mediums, in terms of movies he has been doing a couple of films at maximum every year,” a source adds,

“Last year, it was Piku (which fetched him a National Award for the Best Actor) and Shamitabh. A year before that it was only Bhoothnath Returns. He is very selective about his films.”

However, the last time Big B made a big splash was way back in the 2004-2007 time period when he had an astonishing 30 films to his name, none of which was a special appearance or a guest role. That made it an average of seven to eight films per year, a record that is unlikely to be broken.

“It is clear Bachchan has now upped the ante further when it comes to making films,” the observer adds, “He is already in talks with Ram Gopal Varma for Sarkar 3, which is as huge as it gets. Considering the kind of speed that Ramu works at, it would be interesting to see if they collaborate soon enough and see the film’s release this year itself.”

Now that would make it four in a year for Amitabh Bachchan. As for Anees Bazmee’s Aankhen 2, it is set for a 2017 arrival.

Bring them on!

The top nett grossers of the year till date are as follows. The list includes all Hindi and Hollywood films released this year.
1. The Jungle Book - 124.50 crore apprx (15 days)
2. Airlift - 123.46 crore
3. Fan - 72.50 crore apprx (8 days)
4. Neerja - 71.76 crore
5. Kapoor & Sons - 69.28 crore (35 days)
6. Batman v Superman - 52.09 crore (28 days)
7. Ki & Ka - 50.91 crore (21 days)
8. Wazir - 40.30 crore
9. Jai GangaaJal - 32.56 crore

Note - The films with days in brackets are still running. There are some films like AIRLIFT, NEERJA and JAI GANGAAJAL which were given tax free status in some states which benefited their collections

The end of 2015 saw the DILWALE vs BAJIRAO MASTANI and the problem of shortage of screens came up or better put shortage of collecting screens. The two films together manage to go to around 5700 screens between them but many of the single screens that the films had to go were poor collecting ones.  The clash clearly highlighted the problem with shortage of screens in the Hindi film market.

But then we cut to this week where the problem is the opposite and it seems that there are too many screens. DILWALE is almost out, BAJIRAO MASTANI is now at low occupancy, WAZIR has flopped which has meant that a film like CHALK N DUSTER is playing on 4-5-6 screens at some multiplexes, a multiplex in Delhi even has it on 10 shows daily which is insane.

This is not because its believed the film will give the collections but because there is no choice. CHALK N DUSTER is the sort of film that should really be only screened on select multiplexes on a show or two and then see whether it can find an audience and go from there.

This is a one of the reasons that growth of screens has come down from a few years back, simply because there are far more weeks like this week than the Xmas clash week. The need of the hour for the business to grow is software for the theatres, if the software is good the growth of screens will come which will lead to growth of business but when weak films like CHALK N DUSTER get this sort of screen time because of no choice its hard to see the big growth in screens which will allow two films to release simultaneously and get desired results.

The chess is considered one of the most intelligent games and also mirrors the reality of life. The calculated moves done by players on the chessboard are somewhere a reflection of how similar moves are made by people in real life as well to counter or ‘checkmate’ their opponent. And this is what forms the basic premise of Wazir and the story structured around it makes for an interesting watch. Although it has some blemishes, 2016 makes a good start thanks to Wazir!

The story of the movie: Danish Ali (Farhan Akhtar) and Pandit Omkarnath Dhar (Amitabh Bachchan) have been wronged and the common dilemma and sadness is what brings them together. They become buddies while playing rounds of chess. Circumstances compel them to face their biggest opponent – Yazaad Qureshi (Manav Kaul) and the mysterious Wazir, the latter who wreaks havoc like never before in their lives.



Wazir is just 103 minutes long and like any Vidhu Vinod Chopra film, it doesn’t drag or gets needlessly stretched anywhere. It also strikes a great balance – it moves slowly and yet there are no ‘timepass’ moments. Each scene serves as a purpose. The film begins on a lovely note and soon the tragedy sets in that is very moving. The action sequence in the first 15 minutes is very exciting. Things get better as Panditji enters the narrative. The manner in which Danish and Panditji’s friendship grows (especially after their vodka session) is lovely. The entire murder mystery bit is also worth watching. The interval point is crackling. The second half gets more exciting as the enemies try to ‘checkmate’ the thick friends and it’s interesting to see how they retaliate. The pre-climax however is a bit of a downer. But thankfully, the climax takes the film many notches higher.

On the flipside, Wazir has too many cinematic liberties. The entire Kashmir episode is entertaining but is very unconvincing. In fact, despite the great climax, a few questions remain unanswered and goes bouncer. And that doesn’t go well with a film like Wazir that more or less is in a realistic set up.

Speaking of performances, Farhan Akhtar doesn’t get to flash his wonderful smile often as per the character’s demand. But he gives a great performance and brings out the angst wonderfully, especially in the beginning scenes. At several places, he also underplays and it just proves how Farhan is evolving with each film. Amitabh Bachchan is adorable and gives a great performance. Notice how he brings something new to the table with each act! The mannerisms, the dialogue delivery, the eye contact – it’s drastically different from any of his recent performances. Great work! Aditi Rao Hydari (Ruhana) looks lovely and gives an endearing performance. She never goes overboard and the entire trauma of hers looks very convincing. Manav Kaul is amazing and deserves more screen space. Neil Nitin Mukesh rocks in his small role. John Abraham (SP) is dashing and supercool, like always but he is there for just few minutes. Anjum Sharma (Sartaj) is fine. The actor playing Ruhi shines.



Music is nicely incorporated in the film and doesn’t serve as roadblocks. Shantanu Moitra’s Tere Bin makes the maximum impact thanks to the way it’s filmed. Moitra’s Maula is also lovely while Ankit Tiwari’s Tu Mere Pass is moving. Javed-Aejaz’s action is realistic and exciting. Sanu John Varughese’s cinematography is eye-catching especially in the interval scene. The locales of Kashmir are also nicely shot. Rohit Kulkarni’s background music goes well with the film’s mood. Abhijeet Deshpande and Gazal Dhaliwal’s dialogues are simple but layered and make a lot of sense. Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s story is exciting and more or less original. Abhijat Joshi and Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s screenplay is fine but has a few rough edges. Director Bejoy Nambiar is great with technicalities and uses the light, sound well. His handling of slow motion scenes is superb, as he had proved in Shaitan. However, he is capable of doing much better. He has the talent and here’s hoping Bejoy gets back in the league of Shaitan with his fourth film!

Some of the best scenes:
1. The song Tere Bin and Maula
2. The action scene in the beginning
3. Danish at the graveyard
4. Danish meets Panditji for the first time
5. Danish-Panditji drink late night
6. Panditji tells Ruhana to let go of her anger
7. The intermission point
8. Danish runs to stop Panditji on Delhi roads at night
10. The climax

On the whole, Wazir is a decent thriller. It’s just 103 minutes long and moves at a nice pace and doesn’t stretch even for a moment. The action scenes are great while the climax is surely something to watch out for. However, it’s unconvincing and there are too many cinematic liberties that don’t go well in such kind of a film that is set in a realistic space. Performances are exemplary and the film is surely worth a watch for the performances of Farhan and Amitabh Bachchan!

My rating - *** out of 5!

WILL WAZIR EMERGE AS THE FIRST HIT OF 2016?

The Dilwale-Bajirao Mastani clash has been put behind. Bollywood now looks forward to the new year and the new upcoming releases. The first one to arrive, tomorrow, is Wazir that stars Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar in leading roles. It is produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and is directed by Bejoy Nambiar. The film was started almost 1 ½ years back and completed somewhere last year. It took a while to release as the makers preferred to better the film in the editing room. In fact, Vidhu himself has sat on the edit along with writer Abhijat Joshi. And the end product looks great and exciting.

What’s also exciting is that Bejoy Nambiar has directed it. Although his second film David was bad, his first film Shaitan was superb. Hence, the excitement is there and one hopes that Bejoy Nambiar can recreate the magic of Shaitan with Wazir. The trailers are interesting while the songs are soulful. Amitabh and Farhan look great together and their bond will be something to look forward to. Also how the chess element is used in the film will be also interesting to see.

However, Wazir faces challenges. It looks like a niche film and hence its opening can be good only in metros. It might struggle to perform in some of the regions of the country. Also, the film has to be good to sustain. Or else, it can fall from Day 2 itself. What’s good is that it’s a major Hindi release after 4 weeks. Hence, viewers starving for a Hindi film will surely check it out and that can prove advantageous.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE WAZIR AND WHY? PLEASE LET ME KNOW!

Subhash K Jha (DNA; January 3, 2016)


In spite of its dark tone and violent underbelly Wazir was given a ‘U/A’ with no cuts. Apparently the censor board members quibbled over some scenes which were found to be violent. But finally, everybody agreed that dark undertones of the theme demanded a certain amount of violence.

Director Bejoy Nambiar is overjoyed with relief at how smoothly his new film has sailed through the Censor Board. He had to face a lot of problems with the Board with his last film David which was released in January 2013.

Says Bejoy, “We were hoping there would be no problems. I was worried about a couple scenes and shots. But thankfully we sailed through.”

Bejoy shoots down rumours that he voluntarily cut a love-making sequence between Farhan Akhtar and Aditi Rao Hydari before submitting Wazir to the Board. “This love scene never existed in our film,” says Bejoy.

Anirban Das (MID-DAY; December 24, 2015)

The promotions for Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar-starrer Wazir have begun, but the senior actor has been conspicuous by his absence at the film’s events. Big B, who is shooting in Kolkata for a Sujoy Ghosh production, missed the trailer launch in November and more recently, the unveiling of a song. And if sources are to be believed, he won’t be part of any pre-release marketing activity.

Says a source, “The film hits theatres a fortnight later and Farhan has been attending the promotional events and doing media interactions alone. Bachchan sir has not given any dates for the promotional activities. He is busy with other commitments. When the trailer was rolled out, he was shooting for a TV show and during the song launch early this month, he was in Kolkata shooting for Te3N that also stars Vidya Balan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.”

Sources close to the project, however, claim that the real reason behind Bachchan not participating in the publicity blitzkrieg is that he is unhappy with the way Farhan has been given more prominence in the film and therefore, “did not bother to manage his dates” for the promotional campaign.

Big B remained unavailable for comment. The film’s director, Bejoy Nambiar says that the actor has done his bit to promote the film. “Despite his hectic shoot schedule, Bachchan sir went out of his way to help us in the post-production stage, recorded a new track with Farhan and if the dates had worked out, he would have definitely made himself available for every promotional activity,” he elaborates.

Producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra says, “He was there for the first trailer launch (in June) and just spent a full day (December 13) singing the friendship song for promotions.”

Farhan Akhtar on his physical transformations for films, fuzz- y logic and more
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; December 22, 2015)

Farhan Akhtar is ready to take off on a year-end break for the New Year festivities, but doesn’t want to divulge more details than the fact that he will be accompanied by his near and dear ones. “As they all say, let me say it too… I am off to an undisclosed destination. There is that air of mystery to it,” he smiles.

Before he flies off, there’s lots to wrap up, like a host of interviews before his next film Wazir hits the marquee in the beginning of January 2016. On a Sunday afternoon, hitlist caught up with Farhan at Mehboob Studios in Bandra and couldn’t help but notice his thick beard and a mane that appears to have been left to run its course. Excerpts from the chat:

You are known to drastically experiment with facial fuzz and hair in each of your films…
That’s because when I see myself in the mirror, I want to see the character I am playing, not Farhan Akhtar. To me, this is important as it lends more credence to the character I an essaying. This is my contribution to the role after studying what exactly the person would look in his daily life or given his set up. I know many actors do not like to experiment, but to each his own. I have to appear different in every film and match the needs of the character I am essaying. I am comfortable in this zone.

Being a producer and a director, is it difficult being just an actor in some films?
In such situations, I have to just keep the other two aspects dormant. But, at the same time, acting does not mean that you just land up on the sets, face the camera and then pack up and go home. An actor does a lot of prep work before the film goes on floors. We have workshops and script readings, so an actor can provide a lot of inputs. Filmmaking is a creative process, so there is a lot of to and fro between the actors and the makers.

And is it a given that you will also sing?
No, not at all, I have not sung in all the films that I have acted in. But if there is an opportunity, then why not? In Wazir, an opportunity came my way and I rendered a track.

But don’t you essay the role of an ATS cop in the film?
People may be wondering why an ATS cop is singing in the film, but they (cops) are also human beings and have emotions. It is not that my character is shown breaking into a song suddenly; it suits the situation.

This is also the first time you play a character in uniform...
Yes, finally, even though ATS cops wear plain clothes, they don the uniform too. But halfway through the film, my character gets sacked, so the uniform goes too.

Your film is set to release in January, which is usually considered a jinxed month from the box office’s perspective.
But I am not superstitious. If a film is good, it will do well. The production team takes the call to release a film after great deal of planning and thought, so if they feel January is a good time, it is.

How was it working with Amitabh Bachchan?
It was my first time working with him. I can only say that it was a learning experience which I will cherish forever.

Your next directorial venture?
I don’t want to announce or say anything until there is something tangible. Till then, I prefer to be an actor, producer and singer.

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; December 17, 2015)


You are one of the actors who believes in thoroughly prepping for the role — physically and mentally. Do you think that appearance is 50 per cent of the job done?
I don’t know about half the job done, but yes appearance is a great start for a person watching it. It goes a long way in believing in the character that the actor plays. Whenever you want to buy something, it’s the look that attracts you. So, once you get that right it’s a good place to start. Every time I look into the mirror, I think of that character and not myself. When I start looking like the character, it motivates me to be him. But this kind of prep is only for certain roles in films like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Karthik Calling Karthik and now, Wazir. My characters in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Rock On!! were closer to home.

What kind of preparation did you do for Wazir?
I haven’t played a law enforcement officer before. It was a new world for me. There is a history to the world this character occupies. He has a certain body language, a decorum. He lives by the rule, so to speak. Fortunately, I know many people within the police force and I have always been fascinated by them — the way they behave socially, with family, and in office they are completely different people. But wherever they are, their eyes are very focussed. Yet, there’s always something clicking behind. I spoke to a lot of people about their hours of work and family life and imbibed all that.

What appealed to you about the film?
I have known Bejoy (Nambiar, director) for a while and we always discussed about working together. It finally happened with Wazir. Plus there was Amitabh Bachchan who I was fortunate to have directed 10 years ago, and was getting an opportunity to act with him. The energy and enthusiasm with which he does each scene is inspiring. Usually, when we do the same thing day in and day out, fatigue sets in, but it doesn’t seem to have come even into his neighbourhood! As for the film, it has a thriller element, which is apparent from the trailer. But there is also an emotional thread that runs through between my character and Aditi Rao Hydari’s, who plays my wife. Then there’s friendship between Bachchan’s character and mine. Very rarely does a script come along which balances the pace required for a whodunit with the kind of thairav you need for an emotional story. And this story written by Abhijat Joshi and Vidhu Vinod Chopra does it.

You have finished one schedule of Rock On 2. Why did you choose to shoot in Shillong?
Rock On 2 is about a local problem that needed to be dealt with. We needed hills and farm for the setting, which in all honesty could have been any region of India. As a filmmaker, I want to try and bring different cultures into the mainstream. We have seen other states being featured in films, but the North-East is not visited, unless somebody wants to shoot a song. While watching and reading news I saw there has been a slight discriminatory attitude towards North-East students and girls. They are harrassed and asked to go back home, but India is their home. They can go anywhere they want like we do. Which is why I wanted to bring them into the mainstream. In fact, an amazing local rock band Summersalt has also performed and is featured in the film.

You seem to be enjoying acting over directing. When do you plan to direct a film?
I am just putting those pieces together. Earlier, I had decided that after Rock On 2, I will take a call. Now that Rock On2 shoot is coming to an end, I am a little anxious that I don’t have anything to do after that. Within the next month I will have a plan of what I will do in 2016-17.

Your last directorial was Don 2...
Yes. That was in 2011. That seems to be my track record — directing a film once in four years. Directing gives me a lot of satisfaction as it’s about putting a film together. But I am enjoying the kind of work I am getting as an actor. I am hungry for more as a performer — working with different directors and co-actors. As for directing a film, I already have a script ready. In fact there are a couple of things I have written and I have enough enthusiasm to direct them.

Reportedly you want to do a period film...
Yes. One of the scripts is a period film. But I would rather not say anything now.

Heard you have been approached for Battle For Bittora?
(Smiles) Even I read about it, that’s all I can say.

You’ve said that you want a sequel of Zindagi Na Milegi to be made...
Actually, I said that in context of a question that was put to me. Somebody asked me which of my films I would like to make a sequel to. Since Don 2 has been made and I am now shooting Rock On 2, I said Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. I am sure everyone associated with the film would be very excited if Reema (Kagti) and Zoya (Akhtar) put together as good, if not a better script, as the first. It’s a fun film to do. The characters have potential to go ahead. It is about friendship and love, which can be taken forward and intepreted the way they want to.

Your first film — Dil Chahta Hai — was also about friendship. Don’t you want to make a sequel to it?
Not really. What I wanted to say in that story about three friends I have said it. I never felt the need to do a sequel. Films like Dil Dhadakne Do, Rock On and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara take me emotionally back to the same world of friendship and people being there for each other. They fill the void and I don’t miss it that much. If I didn’t have these films, I would have seriously thought about a sequel to Dil Chahta Hai.

There have been a lot of speculations about Don 3 too...
I don’t have a script for Don3 and we should just keep it at that.

Apart from Don is there any other old film that you would like to revisit?
No. Don was really the one I was very excited about, because of the kind of story it was. There was a cool factor even in the original 1978 film and I thought that would translate very well in today’s times. It was not just about that film, it was my love for that time. For me, it was the best film to take and remake as a tribute to that time.

Lastly, your thoughts on Raees and Sultan clash.
I think we should stop being surprised by these things (clashes).

MID-DAY (December 11, 2015)

There was a lot of ‘will he, won’t he’ buzz over Farhan Akhtar singing in his upcoming release, Wazir. While recent reports suggest that the actor has indeed lent his voice to a special song, we have found out that his co-star Amitabh Bachchan has also sung along with him.

The promotional track, which will feature in the end credits, is titled Atrangi Yaari. Says a source close to the film, “It was producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s idea to make them sing together. That particular track is the crux of the film; it is on unusual friendships, which is, basically, the theme of Wazir.”

Farhan and Big B have discussed the song at length and are excited about the duet. “Off screen too, the two share a warm bond. They catch up with each other on Twitter at odd hours. These days, Farhan addresses Sr Bachchan by his character’s name in the film, Panditji,” adds the source.

The song has been penned by Gurpreet Saini and Deepak Ramola with Rochak Kohli as the composer.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Abhijat Joshi on their passion for filmmaking and the norms they refuse to follow
Harshada Rege (DNA; December 11, 2015)


Though Wazir is an adaptation of your earlier English film script 64 Squares, explain the process of adapting it?
Vidhu Vinod Chopra: Well, it took us four years to write it first….
Abhijat Joshi: Actually, it took 35 years because he got the idea around 1980. When I met him for the first time around 1994 he told me about this idea of two chess players and this lovely thriller. Then in 2000, we started writing it. It was supposed to be his first Hollywood film. Between 2000 and 2004 we wrote it in English and most of my education in cinema happened during that process. He was mentoring me. Dustin Hoffman was to play the protagonist. Unfortunately, the producer suddenly passed away.
VVC: Bobby Newmyer was the producer.
AJ: Then he saw a film by Bejoy he really liked.
VVC: Not the whole film though. Just one small portion. I liked the black-and-white portion of David very much. I called him (Bejoy), and I have an almirah full of scripts, so I opened it and asked him ‘Which one?’ (laughs) He picked this one. Then we worked for two more years on it.

It seems like a gripping thriller, what was the inspiration behind it?
VVC: It’s a film about friendship. It’s not really a sanjeeda film or an action thriller. It’s about two friends. It’s a very unusual friendship between somebody like Vishwanathan Anand and say somebody like Rakesh Maria. Farhan plays his first ever action part and he has done a great job, but the film is really about friendship.

Can a writer ever be happy with the script he has?
AJ: That’s not possible. You always feel that something could be done differently.
VVC: Just today, he was saying that we could change this one shot. So I saw it and said ‘No, no’. You can never be fully happy, but when it’s over — like when this movie releases on January 8, we are flying to Paris for the premiere of Broken Horses — we are going to cut the umbilical cord. If you like it great, if you don’t it’s still yours, we have done our job.
AJ: As a writer, you feel a sense of pride when you see it. It may not absolutely be the perfect thing you have done, but you know that you’ve gone beyond your own capacity in some ways.

How important is it for a writer to be present on the sets when the movie that he has written is being shot?
Both: We didn’t go on the set for this one at all.
AJ: I think it depends on the director. He (Chopra) prefers the writer to be present on the set.
VVC: Yes, when I made Broken Horses, Abhijat was present for the shoot.
AJ: But sometimes the director feels that I am happy with the script and this is how I am going to shoot it and I want to focus on that. If a director prefers that then it’s perfectly fine.
VVC: The other thing is if you take someone like Bejoy for example and if I am on the set then Amitabh would’ve probably looked at me and then everybody would’ve looked at me for approval. I don’t want that. When Munnabhai MBBS was being made by Rajkumar Hirani, I was on the set on the first day of the shoot. Sanjay Dutt looked at me after the shot and asked ‘Theek hai?’ He did that twice, I told Raju that before he does that the third time I am leaving the set. After that I never went on the set ever again.

How easy or difficult is it to hand something that you have written to another person to direct?
VVC: It’s easy and difficult. If a director delivers — like Bejoy has — then it’s very easy. But if he’s not delivering then it is extremely difficult. The thing with Bejoy is that he really grew up in the last two-three years that he has been with me. He is not the same person who had started out. He has delivered better than I expected so it has been easy. I write a film and hand it over, and then I never go on the set. I let the director be the king on set. He deserves that. Bejoy made his film and brought it to me. Then I saw the edit and felt this is not the way it should be and then because I was so involved I sat on it myself. That’s why I have editing credit in the film. It’s truly like a collaborative force. You don’t know where the writer ends and the director begins and where director ends and the editor begins. It’s like a mixture of colours. It’s one collaborative force that makes the force.

How do you feel about fine-tuning a scene while shooting it?
VVC: I am totally for it. We believe there’s nothing sacrosanct about what we have written. We believe it’s a process. Some of the best lines in Wazir are improvised. The joke about Russian vodka and Russian girls between Amitabh and Farhan is one such instance.
AJ: As hard as you prepare, if something comes along that fits beautifully you incorporate it.
VVC: You can’t be strict. If I ask you to just ask me the questions that you have come with and nothing else that comes to your mind then it would be like an exam. Similarly, we are okay with improvising, the only thing is, we don’t compromise. When we make a film like Wazir that takes us six years to write so be it…

Go on…
VVC: Everybody insisted that we release it on December 25 because it’s a good day. But I am not ready! I will be ready on January 8. It’s a very good film, if you like the film you will come and watch it. Why will you see a bad film on the 25th and not see a good film on 8th? And do you see a film because it is being promoted on a television show where everybody is laughing or are you going to see it because it’s a good film? Why would you want to go make a fool of yourself? If the film is bad you’ll get to know not by the second day, but the second show. Wazir is a damn good film. Even if you say you won’t get the opening like other films would get on the first day, you’ll get more the second day. LOC had released with Munnabhai MBBS. But my week three collection was better than their week two. I am just saying that if you make a good film… toh rukhti nahi hai achhi film. In this office we don’t do movies for Eid, Diwali or Christmas, we do movies for movies!

Abhijat, how is writing with Vinod different from writing with Rajkumar Hirani?
AJ: The process is the same. First of all we strive to develop a unique idea, and not settle for something that is mediocre or done before or is formulae. That’s our first commitment. Then you have to make that unique idea work. What is it that you are trying to say? There has to be a theme. Like in 3 Idiots it was kaabil bano kamyabi aapke pichhe aayegi. In PK, it was that there are two Gods — one that created us, the other that we created. We define that so we get a sense of what the film will be about. Then we start creating characters. Then we slowly approach the writing process. I do that with both of them. There are certain set of principles like every scene has to have either laughter, emotion or drama. If it’s not there then we don’t keep it in the film. In our films you will not find a scene where a car comes, stops, somebody gets out or somebody making conversation. That’s dead footage. We try to keep everything meaningful and respect the time that the audience is spending in an auditorium. With Vinod, he’s my teacher so the equation is different. With Raju, is he is more like my brother, but of course there’s mutual respect.

Abhijat, any plans to turn director?
AJ: No. Having seen these people direct, I quickly realised that my strengths are different. A lot of writers go towards direction because they feel that they are not getting their due. But in this company, writers have been given fantastic treatment. They have been rewarded, recognised, so that human need is satisfied.

Your production house is a few decades old. Is it a conscious decision to do few films unlike other banners that have multiple projects on the floor?
VVC: We can’t do that. We want to make good films. When I die, if there are DVDs of say five or seven of my films, I want to look at them and say, ‘You know what, we did very well’.

Your one film rakes in more money than a bunch of movies made by other banners in a year. You clearly believe in quality over quantity…
VVC: Wohi toh main keh raha hoon. Kaabil bano, kamyabi kadam choomegi aapke. Chase excellence, success will follow. That’s true in our life. Tell me in how many offices will they invite you to watch 15 minutes of the film three-four weeks before the release? Nobody will do it because they are not sure of what they are doing at all. Some distributors are seeing the whole film today. They were just seeing the first half, but I said poori dekh lo. Kya problem hai? That is rare.

A lot of production houses are remaking old films. Any favourites that you want to remake?
VVC: Everything I have made should be remade. (Laughs loudly)
AJ: But not by him.
VVC: Frankly, I am not into the business of cinema. I cannot say ke chalo yeh film hit ho gayi thi toh isko fir se banake aur paise kamalo. Raju, Abhijat, me...all of us are not pushed by this ‘Oh my God, we have to make so much money’ feeling. The difference is that when you are not intellectually strong your strength comes from your bank balance. But when you are strong deep down, you don’t need that. When you look at great figures like say Mahatma Gandhi or Swami Vivekananda...did they have a lot of money? No, but they had some kind of strength and that what we strive for. That we should become like those great people where the strength is within us. So what will money do? Nothing. I just had a fantastic anda toast before you came in. Uske upar kya kha loonga? I can’t melt gold or it’s not like I can have a few diamonds for breakfast. It’s nonsense. We don’t chase money.

Also you only make films for your production house. Any directors who have impressed you that you’d like to offer a film to?
VVC: I don’t think like that. I see very few movies. For me, more than the work, I have to like that person and he has to like me. He may be a great director, but if doesn’t like me and I don’t like him then why do it? But I am sure I will find somebody that I like. I am making a film that my sister is directing. She has just finished writing it. I would love to make that with her because I love her. She has gone to a film school and has worked on Ferrari Ki Sawari, 3 Idiots, etc. She’ll do a great film. It’s like that. I have to like that person, otherwise you spend four years with an idiot then what’s the use? Picture hit bhi ho jaye toh fayda kya? You have wasted four years with a person you don’t even like.

Finally, Ram Lakhan which starred Anil and Jackie is being remade. If you had to remake Parinda today who would cast in place of these two actors?
VVC: Varun Dhawan and Hrithik Roshan. In fact, tell them if they want to do it I would be ready to direct them. Hrithik is a damn good actor. He would be great in Jackie’s part and Varun would suit the role that Anil played.

Gaurav Dubey (MID-DAY; December 6, 2015)

Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akthar starrer 'Wazir' is all set to hit theatres next month and if the latest is to be believed, a character in the film is inspired by politician Farooq Abdullah.

Says a source, "A character named Yazaad Qureshi (played by Manav Kaul) is loosely based on the well-known politician. However, the makers of the film are trying to keep things under wraps to avoid controversies. A few glimpses of the trailer show Kaul dressed similar to Abdullah. Apparently, his body language and mannerisms are also inspired by the veteran political leader."

The source adds, "The trailer showcases certain sequences that are shot in Kashmir. Interestingly, producer of the film, Vidhu Vinod Chopra is a Kashmiri Pandit and Amitabh Bachchan essays the role of a Kashmiri Pandit."

The film features Farhan Akhtar playing an Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) cop.

The film's spokesperson remained unavailable for comment.

Farhan Akhtar on upcoming releases Rock On 2 and Wazir
Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; October 12, 2015)

The teaser of the upcoming Farhan Akhtar-Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Wazir hit digital platforms months back, but there has been no noise about the film since. While the film has been pushed ahead a bit, Farhan comes clean on the release of the film. Not just that, he also makes interesting revelations about Rock On 2. Read on...

Wazir has been pushed for a while. What’s the status?
The release date which has been fixed is December 4. It has been that for some time and hopefully, it will remain that.

You are playing a cop for the first time in Wazir. Did you maintain a body prototype for the film? Did you train for it?
I had to become a little bulkier for Wazir because most policemen I have seen, especially at a certain rank, tend to have a certain body type. Of course, there are exceptions but I was very lean before the film started. So that looked a little funny to me because you have to kind of fill up the uniform. Also because of the kind of training they go through, somehow you can feel the toughness when you look at them. Their forearms are usually big, they have strong legs — that kind of training was done. So there is a different look in the film for sure.

Another change in look for Rock On 2 again?
Yes, as you can see. (Points to his body and the beard) This is work in progress. For Rock On 2, I am not beefing up at all. I have lost a lot of weight since Wazir which you will notice on screen. These things stand out a lot more on screen than when you see a person in real.

Will Rock On 2 begin from where Rock On!! ended?
Well, the characters are the same. On some level of course, what’s happened in the past cannot be denied. But the story is not like that’s where they ended and this is where they start. It’s about these characters and their lives.

What’s the schedule like?
We are shooting continuously till there’s a break for Diwali because the crew needs to spend time with their families. Then there’s a break again during Christmas and New Year’s.

Shraddha Kapoor told us that both of you jammed together. How has it been?
Awesome! She has a great voice. I had never heard her sing before. Now I have heard this track she’s sung in another film. When you are not in the studio, you don’t know how much the person is singing and how much is post-produced. I got to hear her sing live and we were all just sitting together — Shankar Mahadevan, Loy Mendonca, director Shujaat Saudagar, her and myself. My father has done the lyrics and we were just getting familiar with the song. It’s nice to hear the song.

There are reports that Sunidhi Chauhan, Vishal Shekhar and Shankar Mahadevan will be doing cameos in Rock On 2. Is that true?
Reports? (Laughs) Yaar, kuchh toh chhod do film ke liye.

Plan on directing a film soon?
Right now, there are two things on my mind. One is Rock On 2 to be filmed correctly and then, to release Wazir. Beyond that, I have not committed to anything post Rock On 2 — be it as an actor or as a director. So I want to just finish shooting the film and then I’ll decide what’s next.

Getting the two busy actors of Wazir to jointly promote the film is a bit tough, admits director Bejoy Nambiar
Subhash K Jha (DNA; August 14, 2015)


The film is ready and all set for a release. But its principal actors cannot seem to co-ordinate their dates to promote the film. Says a source, “Both Mr Bachchan and Akhtar are extremely busy artistes. They aren’t just shooting films but also attending numerous activities and events. To get them individually to promote a film is hard enough. But to get them on the same platform is a matter of complicated logistics which the team is trying to work out.”

Producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra is keen that the two actors promote the film together. “Big B and Farhan are the film’s backbone. They are the face and the soul of the film. All promotions would have to centre around them jointly,” says the source.

Says Bejoy Nambiar, “We are looking at collaborative promotional events with Mr Bachchan and Farhan. I have a dream cast and we’d like to make optimum use of their presence in our film. Getting them together on the same platform is a bit of problem. We’re working on it.”

Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; June 26, 2015)

Ever since it was announced that Salman Khan's Sultan will release in Eid 2016 and will clash with Shah Rukh Khan's Raaes, the online space is abuzz with several theories on this great Khan face-off. While date clashes are common in Bollywood, the mother of them all is expected to happen next Eid.

We all know that there are dates which the superstars covet. Superstars are more attracted to Republic Day, Eid, Diwali, Independence Day and Christmas weekends than even to their leading ladies.

A Bollywood trade observer says, “The nature of the film business is so fickle that even the biggest star doubts his own ability to get that massive initial. Frankly, it is no longer about the quality of the film alone. The release date plays such a crucial role in getting those magical box office numbers that actors have started booking their Eid and Diwali dates way in advance.“

Initially, Christmas was booked for Aamir, Ramzan Eid for Salman and Diwali for Shah Rukh Khan. But after that, it was a free-for-all. Other big players like Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn jumped into the fray. Suddenly, everyone was poaching on everyone else's big dates.

Besides the Salman-SRK clash, some other big box office confrontations are around the corner. It should start this October 2, when Akshay Kumar's Singh Is Bliing clashes with Farhan Akhtar's Wazir. Followed up by a big one on December 18 - when SRK's Dilwale is meant to clash with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Bajirao Mastani. Ajay Devgn has advanced his Shivaay to Diwali 2016 when it is likely to clash with Karan Johar's Shhuddhi.

It has always been observed that there is room for two big releases on every big festival holiday weekend. However, one knows that this is not always considered “safe“. So let's see who bows out and who stays. Quite obviously, the one who stays is supreme. 

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; June 3, 2015)


Understandably, before shooting, he had to get trained on how to use and hold a gun correctly and get the body language right. The makers of the film hired a professional to train him, as his character had to look most comfortable with the firearm.

The actor picked up the nuances quickly. His look in the film created a huge stir among his fans and the teaser trailer of the film featuring him and Amitabh Bachchan in the same frame is much awaited. Says producer Vinod Chopra, “When I saw Farhan holding the gun on the big screen I felt he is the most natural actor to be doing action films. I was shocked when Bejoy (Nambiar) told me that Wazir is Farhan’s first action film."