Showing posts with label Zareen Khan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zareen Khan. Show all posts
Inside India’s multi-million dollar micro-drama industry
8:49 AM
A new wave of ultra-short, high-drama web shows is reshaping India's entertainment landscape - drawing big stars, spawning fresh storytellers and creating a booming industry
Jane Borges (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 16, 2025)
It’s the kind of screen drama that uses all its might to grab your attention: a blindfolded young man sits across a gambling table from a bearded elderly gent, who is rolling a set of dice inside a cup. The dice fly as he flings them sideways and upward; the camera freezes them mid-air before they drop in slow motion, landing neatly inside the cup held by the man, who, with a swift swoop, places it face down.
“Is baar kya?” he asks. The camera zooms in on the young man, who removes his blindfold and confidently says, “One.” In the next shot, the man lifts the cup to reveal three perfectly stacked towers of dice, all showing the number one. “Good,” he says, with a smug smile.
The 16-second scene from Gambler: One Table, One Mission, No Mercy sets the tone for the suspense thriller about a casino waiter, Peter, with a razor-sharp mind, determined to unmask his father’s killer. Released earlier this year, the show is already 130 episodes in and has amassed over 63 million views on Pocket TV, making it the platform’s most popular series.
What makes it stand out though is its bite-sized format: each episode runs barely two-and-a-half minutes, even less. By the end of episode one, viewers are introduced to the rest of the cast with equal dramatic flair: from Peter’s steely female boss to a menacing Goan ganglord and a cliffhanger that will compel you to swipe to the next episode.
The show is among a growing pool of micro-dramas—web serials designed in a vertical format to enable mobile-friendly viewing and single-handed scrolling—that have forced the Indian entertainment industry into quick submission.
Several platforms — Kuku TV, Pocket TV, Quick TV, Terribly Tiny TV, and Fatafat — have launched in the last one year, most on a subscription-based model, carving out a neat $9 million share of the global $9 billion micro-drama market (China holds the lion’s share at 83 per cent), according to The Gaming and Interactive Media Opportunity in India report by BITKRAFT Ventures and Redseer Strategy Consultants.
While India’s numbers may currently appear small, the market, the report notes, is now at the same inflection point that China — where micro-drama originated as duanju — hit five to six years ago, and is set to spiral quickly, growing to $125 million next year and hitting $1.1 billion by 2030.
Its rising popularity is evident by the number of well-known faces entering the space: Bollywood actress Zareen Khan, and television stars Jay Soni, Mouli Ganguly, Gaurav Chopra, Karanvir Bohra, Aman Verma have already bagged lead roles in micro-dramas.
“They lend emotional familiarity to the stories, especially among users transitioning from TV to digital-first experiences,” says Manohar Singh Charan, co-founder and chief financial officer, ShareChat and Moj, which launched the micro-drama app Quick TV. From a production standpoint, their involvement has also helped attract established directors and studios to the ecosystem.
Filling the gap
The reason India’s micro-drama marketplace has suddenly become crowded is simple: consumers were already deeply engaged with short-form video formats popularized in China, Korea, and the West. Apps such as DramaBox, ReelShort, ShortMax, NetShort, and FlickReels offered a surplus of binge-worthy content. Micro-dramas like A Familiar Stranger about a Prime Minister’s daughter who swaps faces with a painter to escape an unwanted marriage and The Double Life Of My Billionaire Husband about a woman who marries a disgraced man to help her mother, have become global hits. The format has grown so rapidly that Fox Entertainment and Walt Disney are now investing in it.
It was only a matter of time before Indian players latched on to the concept. The economics of micro-drama production—faster cycles, smaller crews, and more targeted scripts—made it a lucrative opportunity. The average cost of producing a micro-drama ranges between Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 25,000 per minute, translating to roughly Rs 10-15 lakh for an hour-long series. This represents a 70-90 per cent reduction compared to mainstream television or OTT production costs. Even a high-budget production featuring a bigger-star would average Rs. 75,000 per minute, which still amounts to Rs. 45 lakh for the first season of a series.
Mirroring the China model
The beginnings of the Indian micro-drama have been predictable and largely risk-free—most shows are adapted from the Chinese micro-dramas with a few tweaks made to the script. Indianising formats that had worked elsewhere and in India, says Punit Dahima, creative producer at Pocket TV run by PocketFM, make them instantly relatable to audiences. The only difference is Indian dramas are much shorter. Pocket TV began by producing content that was two hours long like their counterparts abroad, but Dahima says they quickly realized that user attention spans were shrinking further.
“Many were dropping at the 60th or 70th minute, and so we crunched it down to 90 minutes,” he adds. This needed a writing overhaul, making the script tighter, more engaging with nail-biting drama.
Anuj Gosalia, founder-CEO of Terribly Tiny Tales, which debuted in the micro-drama space six months ago with Terribly Tiny TV, says that though at present, Chinese and American adaptations are being preferred across the board, “as the format evolves, and bigger players join the fray, we will see more fun stuff”. Only recently TT TV launched Five Six Seven Ate, an original drama about four young women, whose paths collide when they are selected to compete in a major dance competition. The show is currently available for viewing on TT TV’s Instagram and YouTube.
“We want to say young, contemporary things through this format, while knowing fully well that it has to be sharply cut for the attention spans that we are catering to,” says Gosalia, who prefers not to label TTT’s users as metro or urban. “Today, any young person with a smartphone on Instagram or hooked on Reels shares a similar visual grammar. It’s aspirational too—especially the kind of content they watch on Instagram. That’s really the audience we’re talking about: very young, very connected.”
New storytellers in the making
Interestingly, the audience demographic varies from platform to platform. On Quick TV, the typical micro drama viewer is between 18 and 34 years old. “Nearly 70 per cent of our viewers come from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, underscoring the deep penetration of Bharat’s digital entertainment wave,” shares Charan.
The Pocket TV user base has been across age groups from both metros and semi-urban pockets, with some shows, especially thrillers, having more male audiences than female, says Dahima. The BITKRAFT Ventures and Redseer Strategy Consultants study throws more insightful data: Most of the viewership is currently from metro/Tier 1 cities, with the demographic comprising mainly blue-collar workers, students and women. Sixty per cent viewers are male.
Santa Cruz-resident Divish Raina, 28, who started watching Hindi micro-dramas recently, closely following crime comedy Mohalla Mafia and mythological fantasy Dev Ya Manav, says the “crisp pacing and the cliffhangers are the best part”. “I can watch them between tasks, while commuting, or during quick breaks and still feel fully entertained.”
Tess Joss, 38, who lives in Kochi, says the production value of the Indian shows are much better than the Chinese and Western micro-dramas. “These are essentially stress busters. Watching them gives me an excuse to cry or feel emotions that I may not be willing to feel about myself.”
For Sandra Borges, 63, the women-centric themes are what draws her to these shows. “They just pop-up randomly on my feed, and I watch whatever I can. But sometimes, unfortunately, I have to leave these shows mid-day, because I am expected to subscribe to the apps, and I don’t have an online payment option.”
As the consumer base grows and diverges, the demand for original and fresh stories is also expected to increase. Ranjeet Pratap Singh, CEO of Pratilipi, India’s largest digital storytelling platform, hence, believes that “it makes more sense to invest in stories rather than enter distribution and compete with the 50-plus players already in the space”.
Since its launch in 2014, the app has published 14 million pieces of content, which includes novels, series, and short stories. As of today, 9,000-plus chapters and stories get uploaded on the app every single day. Singh admits it’s a goldmine. By December of this year, 60 of Pratilipi’s stories will be produced across platforms. Forty more titles are going to be on this list by March next year, he says.
These platforms have also made writing very democratic. In Alibaug, homemaker Darshana Pradip Waghmare has been quietly scripting her own success story. The 32-year-old began by sharing Marathi stories on the Pratilipi app, which got her a large readership. One thing led to another, and she was invited to develop one of her stories for a Hindi micro-drama, Darr De Dil, for MX Fatafat, part of Amazon MX Player. The plot revolves around a man who has powers of a demon.
“It’s a love cum horror comedy,” she says. The first season comprising 30 episodes got her an advance of Rs 10,000 and a decent royalty share, which is deposited into her account every month. Waghmare says she has been given all the freedom to write her three-minute-long episodic stories. “What makes it equally fun and challenging is ending each story on a hook, so that the viewer craves to know what happens next.” The show is now being developed for multiple seasons.
Start of something new
Meanwhile, actors are also turning to the platform to engage with newer audiences. Zareen Khan, for instance, plays herself in Pocket TV’s Phir Se Restart, making her the first Bollywood actor to experiment with the format. The show follows a man (actor Jay Soni) who is given a second chance at life after wasting his first on drinking, gambling, and physically abusing his family. At the same time, Khan — unhappy with her costume designer — launches a contest, which becomes an opportunity for Soni’s character to both redeem himself and reclaim his life.
“I think this is the most convenient and easy way to stay connected to your fans and audience, because everybody is glued to their phones today,” says Khan. She agreed to the show partly because she couldn’t ride the OTT wave, when it took off in 2020. “My mother was unwell, and I was busy caregiving. So, I missed out on that window,” she says. “I didn’t want to miss out on this one. It is honestly going to be the next big thing.”
Namish Taneja, who plays the lead in Gambler, says he instantly connected with the character. “I realised the popularity of the show after people started asking me if I was the actor from Gambler,” he says, smiling. Because of the nature of the medium, Taneja had to reinvent himself—“be more loud, more dramatic, and at the same time stay authentic”—as he occupies most of the vertical frame, with fewer elements to distract the audience.
Actor-producer Karanvir Bohra, whose Hero No. 1 recorded multi-million views within weeks of its launch and attracted strong repeat engagement, echoes similar sentiments. “It’s fast, punchy, and instantly engaging… You have barely a minute to live a moment… to feel, to emote, to pull the audience into your world,” he says. Bohra and his business partner are also creating micro-dramas for platforms. “The format may be small and vertical, but the possibilities are limitless.”
A different vocabulary
For filmmakers and directors, micro-dramas have also made them rethink how they shoot and why. Director Amit Jha worked on Crime Patrol for close to a decade. When he was given the opportunity to shoot Gambler, it was like starting afresh, unlearning everything he’d studied in film school. The question he had to ask himself is, “How do I excite the audience within a short span of time?”
“The main focus is the emotion of the character, and you have to highlight that,” he says, adding that you can’t ignore the chain effect—you need to keep the momentum going every 30 seconds and leave them wanting more.
What worries Jha is how inundated this market has become, which he thinks could affect the quality of the shows. Everyone is making a micro-drama, bringing budgets down to half and even a third of what platforms were paying at the beginning of the year.
“Now, budgets are going as low as Rs. 5,000 a minute,” he says. Can he make a good bite-sized drama within such a restricted budget? “If I get a good script, a good location, proper resources, and a great cast, yes, perhaps,” he says.
There will be challenges to circumvent in the future. As the BITKRAFT–Redseer study points out, “IP infringement cases for similar storylines, plots, etc; CBFC intervention to regulate the type of content allowed on platforms; and the entry of bigger players offering micro-dramas as a free supplement” will slowly start cropping up.
Nonetheless, this space is fertile, generating interest among traditional filmmakers too. Nikhil Gonsalves, who directed the Konkona Sen Sharma-starrer Mumbai Diaries (2021), sums it up best. “While I would prefer to stay in the horizontal medium because that is what I have grown up on and built my career on, I don’t feel anything is sacrosanct. Each generation will evolve with the way they tell stories,” he says, adding, “I started my career when everything was shot on film, and then came the digital medium, and I became a director because of streaming. So, I feel as long as storytelling doesn’t become about algorithms, any medium is welcome.”
As social media users troll mum-to-be Deepika Padukone, fraternity calls them out
8:59 AM
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 25, 2024)
Her baby bump is fake’ and ‘Pregnant women don’t walk like that, is she even pregnant?’ — these are among the many hard-hearted comments that were posted on social media after actor Deepika Padukone stepped out to vote on May 20. Social media is breeding ground for trolling vis-à-vis celebs. While Sonakshi Sinha quit X in 2020 and wrote on Insta: “I’ve cut the direct source of insult and abuse in my life”, Aamir Khan, too, deleted all his personal social media accounts in 2021 to avoid all the negativity. With buzz around the comments for mum-to-be Padukone, we wonder if social media has gone overboard, again.
Actor Alia Bhatt liked a journalist’s Insta post that was addressed to the trolls: “... you have no right to comment on any aspect of her life”. Actor Aahana S Kumra, who endorsed the post in the comment, was trolled for standing up for herself recently, when a fan kept his hand around her waist while getting clicked with her.
Adah Sharma faced threats for her films The Kerala Story (2023) and Bastar: The Naxal Story. She says, “Once you are a ‘celeb’, your personal life is open to one and all. The whole world becomes your family and is free to give their opinion.”
Actor Divyanka Tripathi Dahiya was trolled when she posted a video of her practising martial arts. The trolls said she should have a baby instead. She says, “When I’m subjected to trolling, I try to ignore them. But at times, I do speak up. I even filed a complaint in cyber cell once. I feel it’s important to raise a voice so they know that the fight is not going to be that easy.”
Producer Pritish Nandy feels celebs are targets: “When you create an army of trolls who work for political purposes, they post nasty things in their free time.”
All about handling the trolls
On being trolled, actor Zareen Khan says, “People frustrated with their realities find social media as a medium of venting out their frustration, and celebs are easy targets. I have stopped reading such comments.”
Talking about Padukone, Kumra says, “It’s her body! Why are people commenting on it? She didn’t want attention when she stepped out to exercise her constitutional right. When I had raised my voice, I was trolled. People said: ‘Yeh kaun hoti hai bolne wali?’ It’s my body! I didn’t want someone touching me.”
Why this Eid is extra special for Zareen Khan
3:02 PM
Sugandha Rawal Tagra (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 11, 2024)
On Eid today, actor Zareen Khan has not one, but multiple reasons to celebrate. The actor, who had been worried about her mother’s ailing health for the past many months, is relieved that the latter is on the road to recovery.
“By the grace of God, my mum is doing much better than she was some time ago,” the 1921 (2018) actor tells us about her mother, who had to be hospitalized multiple times due to her illness. “It has been a very difficult and consuming journey for us to see her in so much pain. And it was even more difficult for her, who had to go through all of that,” Khan adds.
But, the actor is glad her family is past that and would be able to celebrate the festival together, like every year. She shares, “I have been celebrating Eid at home with my mum and sister for the past few years. Before my nana’s (grandfather) demise, he used to be part of the celebrations too as our other family members used to come and visit us for lunch. And that has been the case till now,” Khan tells us, adding that she feels happy and grateful that this year too, her mother would be able to do what she loves doing: Cook for her loved ones.
“Even though she is not completely alright, she is doing much better now. She has been very active during Ramadan, too, trying to cook a few dishes for us. Her favourite thing is to cook. And she will be doing that for us on Eid as well,” the actor wraps up.
I did bold scenes on screen, but I wasn’t selling my body-Zareen Khan
8:40 AM
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; October 26, 2023)
Zareen Khan, during a recent Ask Me Anything session on Reddit, spoke about doing the erotic thriller Hate Story 3 (2015), which was one of her biggest hits. She said she did it only because she needed the money.
The 36-year-old, who didn’t have a “filmy father” in the industry, tells us, “I would’ve been okay if I came from generational wealth, but I had to fend for myself and take care of my family. Thank God, I got the song Character Dheela in Ready (2011) and later a role in Housefull 2 (2012), which got me bits here and there. But [those movies] still didn’t do for me what Hate Story 3 did [in terms of] success and appreciation. I did bold scenes [onscreen], but at least I wasn’t doing something off-screen or selling my body. I wouldn’t have had a peaceful sleep at night if I did that.”
Coming from an “orthodox Muslim background”, Khan did have a lot of reservations about going ahead with Hate Story 3. “I had many thoughts and questions, but at the end of the day, I had to fend for my family. But the kind of things (bold scenes) we are now seeing on screen, what I did in the film was nothing [in comparison]! I got a lot of appreciation for my role, but many people in the industry said, ‘She doesn’t know how to act, so she’s shedding her clothes’,” says Khan, adding, “To all those bigwigs and makers, I want to say, ‘Today, you are making actors and actresses do much more than what I did at that time’. I am very confused how this industry works.”
This is the second time I’ve got dengue and it was terrible-Zareen Khan
7:31 AM
After recovering from the illness, Zareen Khan details her experience bring rushed to the hospital
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 15, 2023)
Zareen Khan recently went through a “terrible” experience as she was diagnosed with dengue and had to be hospitalized for a week. The actor, who has recovered and is back at work, says, “This is the second time I’ve got dengue and it was terrible. I didn’t even suspect it. I had been diagnosed with dengue in 2016, while I was travelling. But this time I was at home and started getting a headache. I thought it was exertion and when it worsened the next day, I was rushed to the hospital, and told that my platelet count was 50,000 (normal platelet count is between 1,50,000 to 4,50,000 per microliter of blood).”
The 36-year-old is glad work didn’t get affected with her hospitalization as she was in-between shoots. “[Work wise] everything was going smoothly, but when you fall ill, things come to a standstill. I couldn’t wait to be back on my feet and to work. While I was discharged from the hospital two weeks ago, my strength and stamina are still not 100 percent, so that’s a bummer,” says the Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele (2021) actor.
The rains are accompanied by several diseases and getting ill can bring about a lot of negative feelings. The Hate Story 3 (2015) actor says, “Lately, so many people have been getting sick, one of my house help got dengue and the other got typhoid. I feel paranoid if I’ve not worked in two days or have taken a break, I’m like, ‘Oh God, what’s happening in my life?’.”
When my mother is not in the best of health, nothing matters to me-Zareen Khan
8:17 AM
Nothing matters to the actor more than her mother, which is why she went missing from action briefly
Sugandha Rawal (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 19, 2022)
With her having been out of the public eye, it was quickly assumed that actor Zareen Khan quit the film industry. But the actor has clarified she just put things on the back burner owing to her mother’s illness, and is now raring to bring the attention back to her career.
“My mother is doing better now. She’s not 100% fine, her health keeps fluctuating every now and then. But I’m happy whenever we have good days with her. These days are better because we’re not running to the hospital every now and then,” shares Khan.
The actor stresses she’s not “materialistic” and that her mother will always come before work. “Nothing of this matters to me if I wouldn’t have my mother. I don’t have anybody else apart from her in my life. When she is not in the best of health, nothing matters to me. That is the reason everything took a back seat including my work and my fitness routine. Now that she is having better days, I’ve again started working and focusing on my fitness regime,” says Khan, who is now back to work and soon be seen playing a double role with power-packed stunts in the Tamil horror-thriller Nagabhairav.
Addressing people’s assumptions while she was away, the 35-year-old asserts that she wasn’t in the frame of mind to fret about such things.
“My focus was not here (work). Everything including social media came to a standstill because I didn’t have the time, mindset or the energy to open it and look at what’s happening around. I was so busy and so mentally drained after going to doctors, getting tests done, running to different hospitals trying to understand what could be done to make my mother feel better.”
Not just shooting, Khan is also making sure to get back to her fitness regime and follow a regular routine. “I’ve started with my workouts, and I’m learning a new dance form, too. Kathak is a very feminine form and having been a tomboy, I couldn’t learn it, so I’m doing that. Also, I’m reading a lot of stuff, doing my homework because we’re in a very different era of cinema and entertainment. We’re not in a guaranteed state of things. So, in that sense, I’m doing my homework and learning things every day,” she ends.
I’ve tried every diet in the book-Zareen Khan
8:26 AM
Over a decade since she made her acting debut, Zareen Khan on her public battle with the bulge, and chasing challenging routines
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; December 7, 2022)
Zareen Khan’s battle with the bulge has been a rather public one. The actor, who made her industry debut with Salman Khan’s Veer admits to have “tried every diet in the book” and resorted to “fasting for two days at a stretch” before adopting healthy habits.
“By the time that I became part of the industry, I had already dropped 50 kilos. In fact, I had to gain weight to look voluptuous for my debut film. And it is rather ironic that while no one told me anything when I was [obese], everybody had an opinion when I gained weight for a role. I got a lot of flak for it,” says Khan, asserting that her journey with both, trolls and fitness, began before her industry debut.
While her genetic predisposition put her at a disadvantage, Khan points out that the hormonal changes that women are subjected to also affect the ability to maintain weight. “Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, things don’t work in our favour. They take our body on a different track altogether. At one point in time, I weighed 100 kilos. I come from a family where people battle chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart-related issues that are a product of [obesity].”
However, she aptly highlights that when it comes to fitness, sometimes, one cannot judge a book by its cover. Individuals who appear slim, she highlights, may also be battling health-related conditions. On her part, Khan counts physical activity among the most crucial factors in her journey. Not a gym rat, she prefers to adopt functional methods — exercises that will actually help her tide over calamities, when they strike.
“I think about the physical requirements that will be needed in the face of calamity. I will need to run, [swim], or jump to navigate obstacles that may arise. It’s like a survivors’ [boot camp]. I don’t believe in heading to the gym and pumping one body part.”
While cardiovascular activities have been a staple, Khan says she experiments with fitness forms like pilates, and weight lifting. Currently, she adheres to functional training and aerial yoga. “If I look at something, and begin to wonder if I can do it, I take it up as a challenge. Even today, while doing yoga, I am often surprised by what I can pull off.” The actor, who wouldn’t even cover “500 metres in a day”, also focuses on being active.
Tackling weight-related issues, she agrees, has hampered professional opportunities. “In this industry, a lot of people speak about body-shaming, and then, the same people are [adamant] about casting actresses who are stick-thin. But, things have changed in the last two years. Instead of perceiving them as eye-candies, women are being given more actor-driven roles. In the past, the makers wanted every woman to look the same. Now, the focus is on the role and not on the looks alone.”
Khan on diet tricks that have helped her
Intermittent fasting may be tough at the onset, but after three days, you no longer feel hungry during the fasting phase. You eventually realise that a lot of times, you eat due to boredom. It helps you understand your relationship with food. I also follow a low-carb diet, and avoid sugar, as much as I can.
How will I get work if people keep recommending or working with their friends in Bollywood?-Zareen Khan
8:08 AM
Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 14, 2022)
Actor Zareen Khan had a big Bollywood debut with Veer (2010), but she feels that despite being around for 12 years, her potential hasn’t been tapped well. When asked why she hasn’t done a lot of work, she reveals, “There are too many factors. The most important thing to be part of this industry is to be very social, attend all the parties and connect with people. At the beginning of my career, I didn’t know how to network.”
Since her family didn’t have any connection with the film industry, Khan didn’t know people in Bollywood when she started out and vice versa. “Since I didn’t put a lot of effort in becoming friends with people from the business, I lacked opportunities. The major trend right now is that everybody is everybody’s friend and they like working with their friends. So, how will I get work if people keep recommending or working with their friends in Bollywood?” she asks.
Khan adds that filmmakers didn’t explore her talent all these years and refused to look at her beyond the roles she’s done: “Since people don’t know me on a one-on-one level, they don’t know my potential. They have judged me on the basis of what they have seen on screen and are not really open to giving me a chance and looking at me as someone beyond a hot eye candy.”
Khan’s last outing, Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele (2019), was a direct-to-digital release and she loved being part of it. “I am glad that it (the film) gave me a chance to do a character-driven role. I didn’t have to focus on looking pretty and hot, and I could actually show what I could bring to the table,” the 34-year-old ends.
I cannot be a monkey on Salman Khan's back and bother him for little things-Zareen Khan
8:18 AM
The actor, in an heartful tête-à-tête, opens up about being dispensable and why the assumptions of Salman Khan being her godfather ‘undermines her struggles’
Vinay MR Mishra (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 19, 2022)
It is almost 12 years for actor Zareen Khan in the Hindi film industry. However, the actor has no qualms about accepting that she is still replaceable. “Actors are insecure,” she admits, “They are dispensable and replaceable. And nobody really cares. I’ve always been content in my own space. So, I have never been in any race. But I do think I am quite replaceable, right now. Unless you are an A-lister, people won’t wait for you.”
Looking back at her journey, Khan realises that people may have mistaken her coy nature for arrogance. “My dad had left us, (so) it was me who had to take the responsibility, to take care of my family, financially. I did not have anybody helping or guiding me. I was intimidated and many took it as arrogance. There have been times when I felt lost in the industry. I wanted to do good work, but I wasn’t allowed to show my acting talent and what I could bring to the table. There were preconceived notions about me, as I was just a pretty face,” Khan says.
The actor started her career in 2010 alongside actor Salman Khan with the film, Veer. Since then, conjectures have been rife that Salman helped her in her career.
She says, “A lot of people still have that assumption. I’m thankful to Salman. He gave me an entrance to the industry. But my struggle started after I became a part of the industry, because back then, I knew nothing.”
She adds that Salman is a friend, but her struggles are her own. “Salman is an amazing person, but he is also a busy man. I cannot be a monkey on his back and bother him for little things. A lot of people to date think that all the work I do is through him and that’s not true. Salman is a friend and just a phone call away, but I’m not pestering him. And that undermines the struggle, the hard work that I’ve done,” the actor ends.
Shivashish Mishra and I are similar people and like each other’s company. Let’s see where it goes-Zareen Khan
7:35 AM
Vinay MR Mishra (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 17, 2021)
For Zareen Khan, 2021 has been a “terrible” year. The actor lost her maternal grandfather and her mother has been “in and out of hospitals”. “There was a time I thought I’d lose her,” says Khan, adding, “I can’t wait for this year to end.”
However, the silver lining to the year for her was when she met businessman Shivashish Mishra, who also appeared on a reality show. Rumours of the two dating have been going around for a while.
“We are trying to get to know each other. We are similar people and like each other’s company. Let’s see where it goes,” says Khan, adding, “I met him in the beginning of the year. Jumping to a conclusion is too early. We like each other; that’s about it.”
So is she dating Mishra? “Dating or not, we are best friends... I’m too old school to understand these terms. We are in a beautiful phase. I’m enjoying it,” she replies.
Prodding her for more clarity, we ask her if there is romance between the two and Khan starts blushing. Point it out to her and she quips, “You are smart enough to understand it.”
Talking about “Shiv”, as she fondly calls Mishra, she says, “He’s a great guy. He has a childlike personality, just like me. There’s no pretence between us, just honesty.”
It's wrong to say that I’ve got all my films because of Salman-Zareen Khan
8:07 AM
Shreya Mukherjee (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 24, 2020)
Over the last five months, there has been a general air of tension and worry around us due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Add to that, the anxiety of many people losing jobs. And actor Zareen Khan feels that this work-related stress is affecting everyone’s mental health.
The actor is worried about her work, too. “Thankfully, I’m with my family in such stressful times. But I’m also worried about my finances. I’ve to start working. My source of income is a place where nothing is certain. You never know when you’ll get work, more so if you are an outsider. Star kids get everything so easily. I feel bad that I’m not given the chance to show whether I’ve the potential or not,” says Khan.
Opening up about the difficulties she had faced during her initial years in Bollywood, Khan says her challenges aren’t over yet. “It has always been tough. When Veer (2010) didn’t do well, people blamed me. I was new and unpolished. I might have made mistakes but no one understood. I became the soft target. Getting work after that was difficult,” she says, adding that she’s thankful to Salman Khan for making her an actor.
“Salman changed my life. But people think he got me all my films till date. That’s wrong. He just helped with my debut, after that I was on my own. I can’t be a burden on him. In fact, when nothing was working out, he trusted me again with the song Character Dheela (Ready; 2011),” adds the 33-year-old.
Khan says all these things affected her mental state. Things were worse when people compared her to actor Katrina Kaif. “It was both frustrating and depressing, but I never gave up. It backfired because Katrina was active at that time and I was just starting. Somehow, people like such comparisons, Preity Zinta was compared with Amrita Singh, Ameesha Patel with Neelam, but in their cases Amrita ji was done with her career and Neelam had also taken a break,” concludes Khan.
Large gatherings are not allowed, so I am expecting just a few close ones to come over for Eid-Zareen Khan
7:52 AM
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; August 1, 2020)
Back in May, during Ramadan Eid, we were all in complete Coronavirus lockdown mode. Actress Zareen Khan says that while Eid (Bakra-Eid) today will also be celebrated at home with family, she is happy that they can add a little more to the celebration in this unlock phase. “I am happy that we are in unlock mode at this time. I know that large gatherings are not allowed, so, I am expecting just a few close ones to come over,” says Zareen, who stays with her sister, mother and maternal grandfather in Mumbai. Recalling some special memories of the festival, she shares, “Every Eid, we visit my mom’s sister, who also stays in Mumbai. She is a fantastic cook and so, the routine is, eat, sleep and repeat (laughs!).”
However, this time around, the actress has decided to give this tradition a miss. “This year, we are spending time at home, as my mom is a little unwell. But, she is going to cook dum biryani and our all-time favourite, sheer khurma. I am looking forward to it.”
Zareen further says that she misses her childhood days, when her cousins and would compete to collect Eidi. “As an adult, you are expected to give Eidi to the younger ones. As kids, we would be happy even if someone gave us Rs. 50 or Rs. 100. But, it’s hard to please kids today, they won’t accept Rs. 100 as Eidi (laughs!),” she shares.
On the work front, Zareen, who will be seen in a Hindi film and a Punjabi movie, is hoping for things to get back to normal. “Over the past few months, work has come to a standstill. I don’t know if and when my projects will start, as everyone has suffered a financial setback. I have to support my family financially, and I have been fortunate enough to get my payments on time. I did chase the team of one particular project to get my dues cleared, but luckily, I managed to get my money,” she says.
This year Ramzan feels easier, just like it was when we were kids-Zareen Khan
8:26 AM
The actress says that for the first time in many years, she has been able to observe roza perfectly, as she is homebound during the lockdown
Jaspreet Nijher (BOMBAY TIMES; May 16, 2020)
Zareen Khan, who celebrated her birthday recently, has been observing roza during Ramzan in the lockdown. She says, “I have always been working during Ramzan and couldn’t observe roza perfectly. This year, it feels easier, just like it was when we were kids. I wake up early for sehri and pray peacefully, which is important because I don’t see any other way to get out of this situation.”
With no domestic help, the actress and her sister have taken over the household chores. “Ghar ka kaam is the best workout if you are actually doing it and not just making videos. My friends tell me that we are the only ones losing weight in the lockdown,” she shares Navigating different stages of the lockdown from “feeling strange, because we are so used to going out for work, to being happy with family”, she says, adding, “Whatever our emotions, we don’t have another option than to stay home to fight the virus.”
While film shoots have been disrupted, Zareen feels “lucky because my films hadn’t started”. She will be seen in a Bollywood film and has also signed her third Punjabi film opposite Binnu Dhillon. As the wait to resume work continues, Zareen says the psychological fear of Coronavirus will take longer to subside. “No one knows when shootings will resume even after the lockdown because people are scared. The economy has taken a massive hit, and the future looks blurry, especially in our field of entertainment where working from home is not possible.”
I am not making a conscious effort to keep busy-Zareen Khan
8:19 AM
Sonil Dedhia (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 14, 2020)
“I am always super excited for my birthday,” says Zareen Khan, who turns 33 today. With the Coronavirus lockdown still in effect, she says that her big day won’t be an “elaborate” affair. As she’s all set to celebrate her birthday in quarantine, she shares, “May is my birthday month but since we are all confided at home, we can’t really do much. With Ramzan going on, I don’t really have any plans. I wont be able to meet any of my friends this year. I stay with my mother and sister so maybe they must have secretly planned something for me. I believe it’s going to be a sweet and simple affair at home.”
Khan says that she always brings in her birthday with her mother. “I make sure she is around me when the clock strikes 12. She has been my constant source of inspiration and I am very connected to her. And even my sister has been a constant part of my special day,” she says, adding how the lockdown has taught her a lot of things. “We have started to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. We would constantly be busy and prioritise our work. My family stays with me but I don’t remember when was the last time I sat with them to have a proper meal or just chat or gossip. But we are eating all the meals together now,” the 1921 (2018) actor says.
She adds, “I am not making a conscious effort to keep busy. I wake up late and do all the household activities, including jhaadu-pocha-bartan. Work is distributed between me, my sister and mom. After Iftari (breaking the Ramzan fast), I watch online videos to learn new things. I have recently started my Youtube channel, so I make videos for that as well,” she says.
Travel is my passion and Bollywood is my profession. The two elements combine on the show-Zareen Khan
7:59 AM
Rueing that she has been restricted to glamorous roles in films, Zareen Khan hopes to change the image with a travel show
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; January 29, 2020)
How often is it that your passion and profession find meeting ground? An avid traveller, Zareen Khan is thrilled that her maiden television show, Bollywood Trails, takes her to different pockets of the country since she explores iconic locales that served as settings for Hindi films. The actor talks about taking on a new role for the AXN venture, and why she is more than just a pretty face.
Edited excerpts from the interview.
Did you have TV offers coming your way before you signed this show?
I got offers to be part of reality shows, Bigg Boss being one of them. But Bigg Boss is not my cup of tea. I am glad to debut on television with something that I enjoy doing. Travel is my passion and Bollywood is my profession. [The two elements] combine on this show, making it the perfect debut vehicle for me on TV. With this show, I got the opportunity to [travel to] some iconic locations that have been used in Bollywood films and heard so many behind-the-scenes stories from directors.
Was television part of your career plan?
I always dreamt of doing a travel show. I remember telling my sister about this during the shoot of 1921, in London, and now, it has come true. Imagine visiting some of the most gorgeous sites, relishing exquisite cuisines and being paid to do that! Another advantage of doing the show is that I will be able to reach a wider audience. People will get to see the real side to me.
Did you play a part in choosing the locations?
Unfortunately, I wasn’t part of the research. The team had already decided the locales they wanted to go to, the directors they wanted to interview and the films they wanted to discuss. One of the reasons they got me on board was because I am an avid traveller. Also, I like driving in difficult terrain.
Were you aware of the hotspots before you shot for the series?
There are so many things I wasn’t aware of. Through the series, I got to see the places in a new light. I know India more because of this [outing].
What is happening on the film front?
My upcoming release, Hum Bhi Akele, Tum Bhi Akele, was recently screened at the Rajasthan Film Festival and received great feedback. I will start shooting for a Punjabi film, and have signed another horror movie. Besides this, I am making my web debut with a woman-oriented [series].
Your movie career hasn’t panned out the way you would’ve liked it to. Why?
People in the industry have a different perception about me — they think I am an eye-candy and not capable of doing performance-oriented roles. I don’t blame them [for thinking so since I have done glamorous roles]. But I can choose only from the offers that come my way. After Hum Bhi Akele, Tum Bhi Akele, I hope people’s perception changes and they realise that I am more than a pretty face. I am making a conscious effort to pick content-driven projects.
It’s satisfying that our film was liked by New York’s LGBTQIA community-Anshuman Jha
8:07 AM
Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; December 2, 2019)
Film and theatre actor Anshuman Jha, who debuted in Bollywood with Dibakar Banerjee’s Love, Sex Aur Dhoka (2010) and went on to do offbeat films like Yeh Hai Bakrapur (2014), Chauranga (2014), Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain (2017) and No Fathers In Kashmir (2019), is thrilled. His new film Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele (HBATBA), directed by Harish Vyas, has bagged the Best Film Audience Choice Award at the HBO South Asian International Film Festival at its World Premiere in New York City. Excerpts from a chat:
You have done several impressive offbeat films, but a role like this must have been a different challenge. Tell us about your part and prep for the film?
HBATBA is India’s first LGBTQIA film after the Supreme Court’s landmark judgement decriminalising homosexuality in 2018. The film revolves around the friendship between a gay man and a lesbian (played by Zareen Khan) as they embark on a road journey. Veer’s role (my character) was offered to many actors before it finally came to me, and I am glad they all rejected it (laughs!). I was never hesitant to play a gay character, but everyone around me told me that it was not a good idea. However, I took it up as a challenge and did a lot of homework. I read up a lot and met people from the community. HBATBA has been an immensely draining yet satisfying experience. We received great appreciation from the LGBTQIA community in New York. And, the best part is, we were voted the winners. That makes me proud. In India, the community has been repressed for long and judged by society. So, my job as a heterosexual man was to portray Veer in the most sensitive manner possible — without playing him in a conventional way (as we have often seen in our cinema) and making a caricature of the character.
You have played a variety of characters in your career so far. Which of them do you identify the most with?
Over the years, I have realised that I identify the most with vulnerable characters - on stage and screen. Luckily, I have been offered unconventional roles. In my next, Midnight Delhi, I play reallife serial killer, Blademan. I think that even a criminal has a human side to him, and I find portraying that vulnerability challenging. I have never networked for roles and have picked the best from what I was offered.
How was it working with Zareen Khan in HBATBA?
There is a good actor in her, and she must do more roles like this. Our equation and chemistry translated well on screen.
Do you think films like HBATBA will change the way LGBTQIA characters are written for our films?
I think that it’s already changing. Shakun Batra did it with Kapoor & Sons (2016), and our film will take it a step further. Harish Vyas has written the two characters (played by Zareen and me) as a celebration of the community. There was a popular line from a Karan Johar film that I grew up on — ‘Pyaar Dosti Hai’. This film is about discovering that love in friendship.
You are also turning director in 2020…
Bikas Mishra, who I worked with in Chauranga, has written the script of Lord Curzon Ki Haveli, and we both felt that it would be best if I directed it as I am very close to it. It’s a black comedy and features Tannishtha Chatterjee and Arjun Mathur. Two more leads are yet to be locked. It will roll out in the UK in early 2020.
Apart from working on your directorial, what else is on the cards in 2020?
On the personal front, 2019 has been a tough year. My mother is battling cancer, and I have shifted her from Delhi to Mumbai. Hopefully, she will be better soon. For now, I want to cherish every moment with her. Professionally, it’s inspiring to see the kind of work actors like Ranveer Singh, Ayushmann Khurrana, Vicky Kaushal and Vikrant Massey are doing. I also admire Anurag Kashyap and Zoya Akhtar’s work, and hopefully, I will get an opportunity to work with them in 2020.
I will kiss a girl if the role demands-Zareen Khan
7:30 AM
Zareen Khan talks about her next project, an Indie film, where she plays a lesbian; adds she hopes to get roles where she is not “just glamorous”
Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 22, 2019)
“I wanted to do a film where I was not a mere pretty face. I didn’t want to be just glamorous and make no impact in the film,” says Zareen Khan, who is excited about her next project, Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele, where she plays a lesbian.
She had a mega launch opposite superstar Salman Khan in Veer (2010), and then, she appeared in the track Character Dheela from Ready (2011) before being cast in Housefull 2 (2012). But it was with Hate Story 3 (2015), that she received appreciation for her bold role.
“There is a perception regarding me and that’s why I have only been getting certain kind of roles. I did them for a while expecting better roles to come along, but that didn’t happen. I wasn’t feeling too satisfied.” Zareen then decided to take a break and wait for a role that excited her. She is thrilled to be a part of an Indie film, which will premier at the South Asian International Film Festival, New York, USA.
“I just needed the opportunity to show people that I can act. This film was one of them. Shooting for an Indie film was fun and challenging. The budget was limited so the shooting experiences were different from the commercial setup I have been part of before. I understood that the way of working would be different and I was ready for it. I was only looking at the role and the story than anything else,” she says, adding working on the film has given her a lot of satisfaction.
Playing the role of a lesbian is considered bold enough but Zareen shares that she didn’t have any intimate scenes in the film. “It is a story about friendship between a gay boy and a lesbian girl. It also focuses on the emotions and turmoil that the LGBTQ community goes through, even today in society, among their peers and their family. They don’t have the freedom that heterosexuals do. This is a story that needs to be told. As for intimate scenes, had there been scenes with another girl, I will kiss a girl if the role demands. But there is nothing of that sort in this film. Going to New York for the festival is going to be exciting and I am looking forward to experiencing my first film festival,” she concludes.
After Hate Story, Salman fans stopped calling me bhabhi. Thank God for that!-Zareen Khan
8:16 AM
Suhas Yellapantula (BOMBAY TIMES; September 22, 2019)
As we are welcomed into Zareen Khan’s vanity van, parked near the sets of her debut Telugu film Chanakya, it’s evident that the actress spends a considerable amount of time in the vehicle. “Don’t mind the mess. Please make yourself comfortable,” she tells us, as we scout for a place to sit amidst piles of costumes, boxes of shoes, hair and beauty tools and tons of make-up. “This place is like my home here. It’s where I come back to unwind after a long day’s shoot. I also come here when I take a break from shoot and it’s where I can be myself — the way I am when I’m at home,” Zareen says, as she settles down for a chat about playing a lesbian in her upcoming Hindi film and dealing with trolls who never tire of comparing her to Katrina Kaif.
The news of you playing a lesbian in your upcoming film Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele has created quite a stir...
It is the story of the friendship between a lesbian girl and a gay boy. When I heard it for the first time, I knew that I had to do this. I try to do films that touch upon social issues or problems that the country or the world is facing. It’s high time people talk about the discrimination that LGBTQIA+ community faces. Homosexuals have always been a part of our society and they should be getting the same treatment as anybody else. They have the same blood, skin and emotions. So why do we look at them differently? The abolition of Section 377 has come as a big boost to the community and hopefully, it’s the first step towards ending discrimination against them.
Yes, there has been some backlash because I signed a film like this. In fact, some people have been trying to teach me my religion! Haters can hate; it just reflects their own narrow mindset. People troll you irrespective of what you say or do, and I can’t be bothered by that or let that affect my decision-making. There is a popular saying that goes, ‘You may be the juiciest peach in the world, but there will still be people who don’t like peaches.’ Whether people like this film or not, I’m doing it for my satisfaction.
Talking of trolls, you were recently body-shamed for stretch marks on your stomach. You even hit back with a fitting response...
It wasn’t my intention to react, but I found it strange that a picture about the beautiful surroundings around me suddenly became about my body! Instead of admiring the beauty, people chose to focus on a very small area of my stomach. These are the same people who look at pictures of celebrities on magazines and say, ‘OMG! These celebs are so fake’. And now, when I’m showing the real me, without any filters or make-up, they troll me. The hypocrisy is damning. Today, there are 10,000 beauty apps that can change the way you look, but I’m proud of my body and like to show myself just the way I am. When I was in my teens, I weighed nearly 100 kilos. I have lost more than 50 kilos since then — that’s like knocking off a whole human being! When you lose so much weight, there will naturally be stretch marks. I’m proud of them; they’re a symbol of my struggle. Celebrities aren’t perfect, we have our flaws and imperfections too and it’s high time people realise that.
It must be tough to deal with all the hate you receive online...
Look, these people are trolling you hiding behind some username; you don’t even know whether they’re real or fake. They have no profile pictures. They are just out there typing some sh*t. How can you take such people seriously? In fact, I have only sympathy for such people. Maybe there’s something terribly wrong with their lives. Most of them are probably frustrated in real life and can’t do much about it. So, they suppress all that anger and then vent it out on social media.
Recently, a clip of yours where you said you’re getting married to Salman Khan went viral... What’s the story there?
(Laughs!) Let me clarify. I was asked in an interview what is the best rumour I’d like to spread about myself, and what better rumour than this? There’s nothing more to it.
Funnily, many have this fixation about you and Salman Khan. Many Salman fans even call you bhabhi...
Well, most of those comments stopped after I did Hate Story (laughs!). Thank God for that!
Thanks to your bold avatar you mean? Tell us about that transition from the nice-girl-next-door to a siren...
People generally have this habit of stereotyping you. When I did Veer, people started saying things like ‘Oh, what a pretty girl or a princess’, etc. But it was not doing anything for me. After that, I danced to the song Character Dheela Hai and acted in Housefull 2, but nothing really changed. Hate Story was not an easy decision to make because I didn’t know whether people would accept me in such a bold role. But it turned out to be one of my biggest films. Public perception changes with every film. That’s the best part of being an actor. The plan is to look different in every film.
And yet, some people still say you look like Katrina Kaif...
Oh, not just Katrina. People have said that I look like Jacqueline (Fernandez), Preity Zinta, Pooja Bhatt... I guess I have a universal face (laughs!). There are of course, some stupid people who say stupid things (like fake Katrina), but I don’t pay attention to them.
I don’t know if the trolls are disturbed or frustrated-Zareen Khan
8:00 AM
Zareen Khan on body-shaming trolls, finding support in Anushka Sharma and staying fit
Hiren Kotwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 4, 2019)
“Many people have double standards. On one hand, they criticize a celeby’s pictures on magazine covers and billboards, saying they are photoshopped. On the other hand, when someone posts a real picture, with all her imperfections, she is trolled,” Zareen Khan sums up the reactions to a picture she shared on the social media in which she is posing at Lake Pichola in Rajasthan, her crop top revealing the stretch marks on her stomach. The actress goes on to add that when she posted it, it wasn’t as an actress but as a person and it wasn’t about her but the beauty of her surroundings. “But many viewed it as a picture I’d posed for, be it for a magazine or a brand.”The actress who was last seen in Vikram Bhatt’s horror film, 1921, points out that there are thousands of apps to edit pictures and make them perfect. “But I didn’t feel the need to use them because I don’t believe in hiding my imperfections. I believe everyone is imperfect in their own way. As a teenager, I weighed over 100 kg and when you lose 50 kilos, your skin tends to get loose and leave stretch marks. I’m proud of what I have achieved. It’s not about becoming picture-perfect for people but for myself. This fitness journey made me the person I am today, a part of the film industry, and I feel blessed. And before I could reply to the trolls, several fans stood by me,” she beams.
One of those who stood up for her was Anushka Sharma and Zareen applauds the actress, saying, “That was very sweet of her since Anushka and I are not even friends. We’ve met each other briefly at social gatherings. It takes a strong woman to recognise another. I’ve come a long way in the journey, but I would still require photoshopping. But I like to be the real me on the social media.”
Zareen isn’t the first actress to be body-shamed. From Malaika Arora to Sara Ali Khan, many have been trolled and shamed for their posts but they continue. “I don’t know if they are disturbed or frustrated looking for solace on the social media. I’d certainly like to see the kind of bodies people posting such comments have. Thank God it’s a small section and you shouldn’t take them seriously,” she says fervently, admitting that this platform that has given them direct access to celebs is both a boon and also a curse. She is however quick to reason that even in real life you meet some unpleasant people and her response to such trolls is with the Rajesh Khanna song from Amar Prem, “Kuch Toh Log Kahenge, Logon Ka Kaam Hai Kehna”.
Flashbacking to her teenage years, she admits she wasn’t a disciplined eater and wouldn’t even walk down to the end of the lane. But over the years, she’s learnt the importance of a balanced diet and doing some physical activity. “If you don’t take care of your body, you will collapse and end up in the hospital. You should do at least 30 minutes of exercise every day to keep fit,” she asserts.
Depending on her schedule, Zareen chooses her regimen. On easy days, she opts for weight-training, strength training, functional training, cardio and when her schedule is hectic, it’s yoga or pilates. “Exercise should be a way of life, not a punishment. My trainers keep changing my regimen, so I don’t get bored,” she points out. And to ensure that she doesn’t gain unwanted kilos while not starving, she’s opted for the Keto diet and intermittent fasting. “Keto is a fad now, but I took my time to research it and have been following it for over two years now. Intermittent fasting works wonders without making you feel you’re starving yourself,” she informs. And what happens when she succumbs to temptation? “I’m human, so the temptation to cheat will be there. But from the time I’ve been on Keto, I don’t have too many cravings.”
Displaced footage row: DOP Faroukh Mistry claims co-producer Anshuman Jha is making him a scapegoat to cover production's negligence
2:20 PM
Accused as an accomplice to the technician who misplaced footage of Zareen Khan's film, cinematographer Faroukh Mistry claims co-producer Anshuman Jha is making him a scapegoat to cover production's negligence
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 19, 2019)
Four days after mid-day carried a report that a bizarre turn of events had hampered the shoot of Zareen Khan's Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele, the case has taken a different turn. Digital Imaging Technician Hardik Joshi has been accused of misplacing four-days' worth of shoot of the Anshuman Jha-backed project. But, Joshi, it had been suggested, had informed cinematographer Faroukh Mistry about the developments.Finding himself in the midst of the evolving controversy, Mistry tells mid-day that the case of the missing hard-drives is linked to the makers' desire to cover their productions delay and negligence. He tells mid-day that the unit had withheld a fair share of information that a cinematographer must have, in a bid to tarnish his image. "The material was lost by Hardik Joshi, a freelance technician who has worked with a number of filmmakers and producers, including Harish Vyas [director] and Anshuman Jha on their last film. Jha and line producer Navey Mittra thought it best to hand over the shoot material to Hardik, who is a junior crew member. He was told to carry the [hard] drives by train over a 36-hour journey from Himachal Pradesh. Mittra insisted that Joshi carry the footage. I was not informed. Mittra and Jha also handed over the rest of the footage to another junior camera crew member, who refused to do so," says Mistry, reiterating that the decision to keep the drives in the hands of junior crew members were being negotiated upon without his knowledge. He states that the production team also knew about the fact that there were no back-ups of the drives that have now gone missing.
"Fourteen days after we got back to Mumbai, Joshi told me he had misplaced four-days worth of footage [in transit]," says Mistry. He points out that the team should not have delayed informing him about the developments. Mistry says, "I hadn't been informed that the drives were being handed out [to the junior crew]. When I got to know of the misplaced footage [14 days later], Joshi was told to inform the production and file a police report. He said he had a meeting with Jha, and a report had been filed. Then he disappeared. If drives go missing for an insured film, the [onus comes] on the producer and the person they hand over the material to. None of this exchange was authorised by me, or even communicated to me. Anshuman and the production unit did not take due diligence to safeguard their footage, like carrying their own material and having a back-up of the footage. I will defend myself through legal measures if need be."
Jha did not respond to mid-day's request for comment.
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