Rubbishing involvement of son Sooraj Pancholi in Sushant Singh Rajput's death case, Zarina Wahab welcomes CBI involvement
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; August 21, 2020)

Veteran actor Zarina Wahab is evidently perturbed to find her son being dragged into the controversy surrounding Sushant Singh Rajput's death. Amid reports of the late actor having drawn parallels between the fate of Pancholi's former girlfriend Jiah Khan, and Disha Salian, both of whom apparently committed suicide, the Hero actor found himself dodging accusations of abetting suicide.

"I know who is doing this but Sooraj's name is unnecessarily being dragged. I hope Sushant gets justice, and the CBI enquiry starts, so that innocent people are not targeted. Sooraj has nothing to do with this case. It's not right to push him to the corner. He is innocent, and the truth will come out," says Wahab, in the midst of promotions of her latest short film, Kashmiriyat.

The recently released offering revolves around a mother-son relationship in the midst of the 1990 Kashmiri Pandit exodus, with life in Kashmir being the crux of the story. "The script was impactful, and I couldn't turn it down. It is based on a real incident. It's a beautifully made short film with a message. As an actor, it has been liberating to be part of a project with such an interesting message."

Meanwhile, the actor will also be seen in Dimple Bhaag Gayi, which was to kick off in Lucknow in March. "I play Nawazuddin's [Siddiqui] mother in the light-hearted comedy. Let's see when we are able to resume shooting."

The stunning life of the prima donna of Bollywood choreography in her own words as told to Patcy N/Rediff.com
MID-DAY (July 4, 2020)

I was born in 1948. My father was a rich, educated man in Pakistan. When they left, they lost everything. I come from an orthodox family but I turned out to be a freak! I used to see my shadow and dance. My mother thought I was a retard and took me to a doctor who told her 'she just wants to dance, so let her dance.'

The doctor suggested that she put me in the film industry since my family needed money. I had to take care of everyone in the house.

In my first film, I did not get to dance. I played the young Shama in the film Nazrana. I had to sit in a moon and sing. I started getting more offers and became very popular as a child artist, but soon reached an age where I would not get more roles.

At 10, I joined a dancing troupe and danced for one-and-a-half years. [Choreographer] Sohanlal saw me dancing and made me his assistant. I was just 13. I choreographed my first song Nigahein milane ko jee chahta hai from Dil Hi Toh Hai when I was 14. It was picturised on Nutan. P L Santoshi [filmmaker Raj Kumar Santoshi's father] taught me how to join movements and make them dance steps.

At 14, I had a relationship with Sohanlal, who was 43 then. I had two children with him, Raju Khan, who is a choreographer, and Cuckoo Khan, who died of liver complications. Since Lal was not ready to give my kids his name, I married a Pathan and had one child by him.

In between, I went to Kolhapur and became a Marathi dance director. Sadhna gave me a break. She took me as her own choreographer; I was the choreographer for the first film that she directed, Geeta Mera Naam starring Sunil Dutt and Feroz Khan. I have also assisted P L Raj in Inteqam because Sadhna was the heroine. After that, I started getting movies. I did big movies like Dost and I did the song Jat yamla pagla deewana in Pratigya.

In 1977, I left the film industry. I went to Dubai. I was 29. I stayed there for three years. I was looking after my brother and sisters and also my husband's first wife's son. I placed them all in good jobs and then returned. None of them were in the film industry because when my father was dying, he made me promise that I would not let my brother and sisters join the industry.

In 1980, when I came back. Zarina Wahab had heard about me, so, she called me for her film Jazbaat. It was Raj Babbar's first film. I told Zarina, I will do the song for free, but if Rajshri Production likes it, they have to pay me the price I quote.

They liked the song — it was Ho goriya re — and I started getting work. I had been in the industry for a long time, but I was not famous. Subhash Ghai called me twice for songs for Vidhaata, but I had other commitments. Finally, I choreographed Pyaar ka imtihaan for him, on Sarika. He gave me my first big film Hero, where I did all the songs and everybody came to know that I can choreograph songs. There was this notion in the industry that a woman cannot be a master. Tezaab changed my career completely and there was no looking back. I became so popular that actresses started fighting over me.

Now, the time has come when they don't want me. I have very sharp movements in my dancing which actresses nowadays find it hard to do. I feel actresses now don't like to work with me; they have never said it. I started getting less work.

Madhuri Dixit is one actress who gets all the moves right, she moves right, she smiles at the right time.

Dance choreographers nowadays don't have the power to tell the actors to give the right kind of expression that is required during the dance, but I see to it that my actors dance well and with expression. All actors need to rehearse at least two days before the shoot.

If a song is extraordinary, then I myself dance as soon as the song plays, and whatever I do, my assistants follow. Within 20 to 25 minutes, a song is choreographed. But if the song is dull, and we have to pep up the dance movements, then it takes me from three hours to one day.

I composed Ek do teen in 25 minutes but Madhuri rehearsed for 17 days because she was not famous at that time; it was that song that made her famous.

Govinda is the best dancer, according to me. He can carry off anything, from serious to comic dance steps. Sanjay Dutt does know dancing.

Why Did It Take Kareena Kapoor 22 Hours To Do The Mujra In Dil Mera Muft Ka In Agent Vinod?
Because she did not come for rehearsals. I taught her all the steps on the sets. She had no time, as she was on some outdoor shoot. On the sets, any song takes time. Actually, it's not 22 hours... You can't count like that. We shot for six days. The nazakat (softness) and adahs gone completely out of the industry; this generation has not seen it.

Chhoti-badi baatein about Basu Chatterjee, champion of middle class cinema who passed away on Thursday
Khalid Mohamed (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 5, 2020)

Bustling into his airy study room, on the first storey of Violet Villa, Santacruz, he nonchalantly pulled out a file titled “The Window.”

“That’s my last script,” Basu Chatterjee, often attired in a grey safari suit, darted his boyish grin. “You make it. I’m tired of flogging it around to producers.”

The story revolved around a Muslim girl in love with a police officer who proposes marriage. It turns out to be a ruse to arrest her brother, a suspected terrorist, at the wedding. Heartbroken, the girl never opens her home’s window again.

“But Basu da, who’ll finance a film with Muslim characters?” I asked.

He countered, “Just get one or two big stars. I’m not charging you a rupee anyway. Now, what’ll you have —scotch and soda or with water?”

Scotch evenings with the puckish writer-director, who was surmised to be 90-93 and passed away on Thursday of age-related ailments, were enlivened with conversations about his early days in Ajmer and his move to Mumbai, where he became a cartoonist-cum-illustrator with the Blitz tabloid.

Backbone of the cineaste club, Film Forum, and a constant presence at its pokey office overlooking the Dadar railway station over-bridge, he was working on the script of Sara Akash (1969), and could no longer edit the Forum’s quarterly magazine Close-Up. He asked a college friend, Abbas, and me, to take over. We didn’t know the ‘e’ of editing. “Neither do I,” he had chortled. In return, we could attend the film society screenings for free.

After the uncompromised Sara Akash and the slice-of-life Piya Ka Ghar, he became a champion of the middle-class ethos with the sleeper success Rajnigandha (1974).

In 1975-’76, Chitchor and Chhoti Si Baat once again sided with Simple Simon over cool man-about-town.

Intermittently, Basu da took on more than he could chew, resulting in the disappointing Us Paar, Tumhare Liye and Do Ladke Dono Kadke. Yet, the writer-director bounced back with Khatta Meetha, Baton Baton Mein, Swami, Apne Paraye and Shaukeen.

He did work with the top heroes — Rajesh Khanna (Chakravyuha), Amitabh Bachchan (Manzil), Dharmendra (Dillagi), Jeetendra (Priyatama) and Anil Kapoor (Chameli Ki Shaadi) — but sought to avoid the star system, preferring intimate to showy cinema.

The film Jeena Yahan (1979), featuring Shabana Azmi and Shekhar Kapur, remained closest to his heart. “It was quite easily my best,” he would say about the barely-remembered reflection on a young couple’s adjustment to daily commutes and housing issues. Not Ek Ruka Hua Faisla? “Naah,” he’d say. “You know that was taken from 12 Angry Men.”

Not the sort to whine, he was okay with his light-hearted Prateeksha (Jimmy Sheirgill-Dia Mirza) being dumped on Sahara TV channel. From what I could glean, he at least hoped to travel to Kolkata where he’d be received with open arms, thanks to the success of his two Bengali films (Hochheta Ki, Trishanku).

When he retired (not out of choice), he’d spend time surfing the net and emailing. Worried about his huge collection of cinema books, he’d wonder, “What’ll happen to them? You take them.” “Basu da, stop it, you’re going nowhere”, I’d retort.

By the time I gathered a team to work on a documentary on Basu da, some three years ago, he had started to fade. He walked by taking support of the wall, would recognise his wife and TV filmmaker-daughter Rupali Guha, but drew a blank on seeing me. Alzheimer’s was setting in.

During the first and only shoot, he tried to be amiable, but answered only with “Yes” or “No”. Questions about his firebrand TV series Rajni or the sleuthing Byomkesh Bakshi made him restless. Maybe, he didn’t wish to delve into the past or he had erased them subconsciously.

Once, he told me he had started writing his biography in Hindi but quit midway because “it meant writing lies on every page, I would have cheated myself”. And if he had done that, he wouldn’t have been able to open his study room’s window again.
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Amol Palekar: He never attempted a typical masala movie, yet top heroes worked with him

Basu da was a simple person. It reflected in all his films and his humour. He was a man of few words. When we met for a narration of Rajnigandha, he started off saying, “Ek ladka hota hai, maan lo tum ho, ek ladki hoti hai, Vidya Sinha…” Then, he stopped, handing me the story, screenplay and dialogue. “It’s better if you read this.” Looking back, I’m amazed by his inability to narrate a simple story. However, he could do it on screen beautifully, without the cliched melodrama.

It took us almost two years to release Rajnigandha because no one wanted to distribute it. They would ask “Hero kaun hai?”, and wonder how a new boy with a Marathi name could be the hero? Then, they would learn that the heroine was a debutante, too, and that the film had no villain. Quickly losing interest, they’d ask Basu da, “Toh phir film kyun bana rahe ho?” Later, these memories made him laugh but at the time, I could see the trouble he was going through and marveled that he stuck to his vision.

He never attempted a typical masala movie, yet all the top heroes, from Dharmendra and Hema Malini to Amitabh (Bachchan), Vinod Mehra and Moushumi (Chatterjee), worked with him. Basu da was probably the first major link between parallel and commercial cinema, thanks to the subtle humour that lit up his films and the strength of his characters. Hailing from the film society movement, he was aware of world cinema, took its strength and carved his own niche. I’m privileged to have had such a long association with him.

—As told to Hiren Kotwani
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Zarina Wahab: He could crack a joke with a straight face

This year has been very bad so far and Basu da’s demise is very upsetting because I was really close to him and his family. His daughter was our neighbour till she moved away. Around two years ago, Amol Palekar, Deepti Naval, Vidya Sinha, Bindya Goswami and I all met at Basu da’s place. He was fine then, a really sweet man. After that, I passed by his house a couple of times and today, wonder why I didn’t drop by.

I played the main lead in his film, Chitchor, for the first time. Once, during the shoot, I was sitting around with Master Raju (the child artiste then) and a few others. Raju was showing us how a mute man would ask for water. Basu da watched for 10 minutes, then, incorporated it in the sequence where we go to Amol’s house.

After Chitchor, I did Hua Savera, which never released. He told me that he couldn’t pay me but would get the producer to give me a car. Back then, you could get a car for Rs 25,000-Rs 30,000. He was one of the best directors I worked with, a genuinely wonderful person who could crack a joke with a straight face.

— As told to Hiren Kotwani

Bollywood remembers the legendary filmmaker, who passed away in Mumbai yesterday
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; June 5, 2020)

The film industry woke up to the news of filmmaker Basu Chatterjee’s demise yesterday morning. The 93-year-old director, known for his unique take on cinema, passed away due to age-related ailments. The last rites were conducted at a crematorium in Santacruz at 2 pm. Basu da, as his colleagues loved to address him, was a gifted director and writer, who helmed films like Chhoti Si Baat (1976), Rajnigandha (1974), Chitchor (1976), Khatta Meetha (1978), Baton Baton Mein (1979), Shaukeen (1982), and Chameli Ki Shaadi (1986) among others, along with shows like Rajani and Byomkesh Bakshi. People from the film industry, including Amitabh Bachchan and Anil Kapoor, posted heartfelt messages on social media remembering the veteran filmmaker.

Talking about his beloved Basu da, actor Amol Palekar told BT, “I acted in six of his films, and I did guest appearances in two. One of the biggest contributions that he made was that he was the perfect bridge between commercial and parallel cinema. I had met him at his home five years ago. Sandhya (Gokhale, Palekar’s wife and actress) and my heroines Bindiya Goswami, Zarina Wahab and Vidya Sinha, and I had gone to his house. He was so happy to meet us. Knowing that he wouldn’t want to talk about his health, I would speak to his wife. The last time he was in the hospital, it was before the pandemic hit us. I heard he died in his sleep, quietly, something that goes with his personality.”

Rajit Kapur, who played Byomkesh Bakshi in the show by Chatterjee, said, “Basu da was not the pondering, dekhte hain sort of a person. I met him for the first time after my colleagues suggested my name for Byomkesh Bakshi. They had shown him some of my work. After a 10-minute chat, I was on board. He gave me the script for 33 episodes, with dialogues, which I don’t see happening even now. He was a fast worker and a taskmaster. Shifts would begin and end on time, and we had to go prepared. He was an uncomplicated person.”

Filmmaker-actor Rakesh Roshan shares, “In those days, he lived close to my home in Santacruz. We would meet often and I never missed a chance to tell him how much I wanted to work with him. We eventually did three films — Priyatama (1977), Khatta Meetha (1978) and Hamari Bahu Alka (1982). He was a great storyteller, had an amazing sense of humour and a beautiful smile. Working with him was like a picnic. Sadly, he has parted with us, leaving a void that can never be filled.”

Sooraj Pancholi explains why his musical is delayed, dismisses rumours of a new romance, insists he wants to remain single and focus on work
Hiren Kotwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 31, 2019)

It’s been four years since you made your debut with Hero. Why did it take you so long to return with your second film, Satellite Shankar?
Even before Hero’s release and later, I got many offers but nothing I really wanted to do. So, I waited. Meanwhile, my personal problems grew bigger and compounded the delay.

What’s the status on the Stanley D’Costa musical, Time To Dance, which was to be your second release and would flag off Isabelle Kaif’s career?
That’s for T-Series to answer; we have just seven days of shoot left. When I got back from Time to Dance, I gave my dates to Murad (Khetani) sir and Ashwin (Varde) sir for Satellite Shankar which was not with T-Series at that point. I sport long hair in the musical and had to cut it short for this film. Since I couldn’t grow out my hair and cut it again twice, that seven days’ shoot is now scheduled for December.

Buzz is, the film is almost 70 per cent complete, but Salman Khan didn’t like the rushes and the project has been scrapped.
Not 70 per cent, it’s 95 per cent complete. And he wanted just two songs to be reshot which is about three days of work each. I can only do my job as an actor, everything else is the producer’s call.

In retrospect, do you think starting out with the remake of an iconic film like Hero was a mistake?
At that point, I wasn’t in the position to take my own call because despite my film background, I didn’t know much about the industry. I had professionals taking decisions on the film and I had big shoes to fill as Hero was a big film in its time. I feel blessed to be a part of the film. From here on, it’s for me to prove myself.

The army has been getting youngsters to enlist through recruitment drives and advertisements. Do you think Satellite Shankar will inspire more people to join the forces?
It’s an inspiring story and showcases a soldier’s love for the country and vice versa. I hope more people join the army. Some time ago, I read that 2000 Kashmiris turned up for the recruitment drive in the Valley.

Your film releases on the same day as Ayushmann Khurrana’s Bala. Does that make you anxious?
Competition is healthy. I’m not Shah Rukh, Aamir or Salman Khan or even Akshay Kumar to get my preferred release date though I hope to be in an enviable position in future. If not Bala, it could have been a bigger Hollywood release. Of course, Ayushmann is a big star and Bala is looking good.

What’s next?
A sports biopic to be shot in Haryana which will begin after I wrap up Time To Dance and cut my hair. It’s the story of an unsung hero who won India a couple of gold medals in boxing, but only a few people know about him. No, no names.

Is Salman Khan still micro-managing your career?
He is my mentor and I respect him. His only advice is that I should do a film only if it feels right. I want to make him happy and proud with my work. My family is happy with me anyway.

Your sister was to make her debut some years ago…
She says now that the industry is not for her. She is in the restaurant business.

And what’s your mom, Zarina Wahab, doing?
Her last film was PM Narendra Modi. She enjoys working and could be doing a role in Salman sir’s Radhe. There were talks about her playing my mother in Satellite Shankar, but things didn’t work out.

What about working with your dad, Aditya Pancholi?
We shared screen space in Hero, I don’t know if it will happen again. That chapter is done. I want to work with mom because she is the more emotional actor.

What’s happening on his legal battle with Kangana Ranaut?
I don’t want to discuss that. It’s been very tough for the family, especially my mother and sister.

You were recently spotted with a pretty foreigner. Is there a romance brewing?
I have some friends but just because one of them is white, people assumed there’s a romance. I want to be single and invest all my energy into my career right now.

The actor gets emotional while talking about his co-star of films like Rajnigandha and Chhoti Si Baat, Vidya Sinha, who passed away in Mumbai yesterday
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; August 16, 2019)

Actress Vidya Sinha, who was last seen as Bebe in the TV show Kulfi Kumar Bajewala, passed away on Thursday morning in Mumbai. She was recently admitted to a suburban hospital in a critical condition due to aggravated heart and lung disorders.

The 72-year-old actress made a mark in Bollywood in the 1970s and 80s with films like Chhoti Si Baat, Rajnigandha and Pati Patni Aur Woh. Talking to BT, Amol Palekar, who now lives in Pune, said, “It’s terribly heartbreaking to know that my friend Vidya is no more. I was in touch with her daughter until the night before she passed away. I wanted to come over to Mumbai and meet her, but I couldn’t because I’ve had an injury. I didn’t know that I wouldn’t get to meet my friend for that one last time. She went through so much in the last few years of her life. It was a beautiful life wasted. I feel extremely sad; she’s left a void. We had remained friends even after I quit acting. What started off as a professional equation, while working on Basu Chatterjee’s Rajnigandha, turned into a friendship of a lifetime. We always stayed in touch. Each time that she was in Pune or when I was visiting Mumbai, it was a ritual that we had to catch up. Over the years, Vidya had developed a lot of health issues, but this time, whatever happened, was sudden. In fact, I had even spoken to Zarina Wahab. She and I would often exchange notes with each other about Vidya.”

Recalling the first time he met Vidya Sinha, Palekar says, “I met her at Basu da’s Worli residence before we started shooting Rajnigandha. Dinesh Thakur and I were theatre actors, and Basu da suggested that the three of us rehearse our lines together, something that was a rare practice then and is a must-do now. I met Vidya there. It was an attempt to make her feel comfortable in our company because she didn’t have an acting background. I gradually got to know her and it sparked off a friendship that became an inseparable part of our lives.”

She was like a mother to me off screen, too: Mohit Malik

Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; August 16, 2019)

Actor Mohit Malik, who played Vidya Sinha’s son in the show Kulfi Kumar Bajewala, sounded quite shaken, shocked and at a loss for words when we spoke to him. He said, “She played my mother in the show and off screen, too, she was a mother figure to me. She was a constant support and always looked after me on the set. In fact, I used to tell my mother back home in Delhi that I have found someone like her on the set. Vidya ji had not been shooting with us for the last one month and when I visited her in the hospital a few days back, I was hoping that she would get better and come back to work. She also told me that she was missing work and was waiting to get back. I pray that her soul rests in peace. I can’t believe that she is gone. This has happened too soon.”

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; June 29, 2019)

Legal hassles don’t seem to leave Aditya Pancholi’s side. On Thursday, June 27, the Mumbai Police lodged a rape case against him on a complaint filed by a well-known actress. Reportedly, the complaint has been filed against the actor in the matter that purportedly took place many years ago, when he had allegedly sexually assaulted the actress.

The FIR has been lodged at the Versova Police Station under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and a probe has been launched. Reports state that the police has registered the case vide CR no 198/2019 under sections 376, 328, 384, 341, 342, 323 and 506 of the IPC. In her complaint, the actress told the police that Aditya had sexually assaulted her several times between 2004 and 2009. She also alleged that he beat her up and kept her confined in the house. Until last afternoon, Aditya had not been questioned by the police.

When we reached out to the actor, he told us, “This is a false case. The charges of drugging, raping and extorting money are all wrong. This move is premeditated; I knew this was coming. I had recorded a conversation with her lawyer Rizwan Siddiquee, in which he had threatened my wife (Zarina Wahab) and me of creating legal hassles for us if we didn’t withdraw our defamation cases against his client.”

Aditya adds, “The conversation was recorded by me during a meeting held on January 6 this year. The other voices in the video are of my wife Zarina and me. We submitted the evidence to the court earlier this year with a report verifying that the material has not been doctored. I’m not surprised that they have filed a case with these charges against me. What this actress doesn’t realise is that her sister and she will have to prove every word that they have spoken against my wife and me. We don’t live in a jungle; the law is above everything and everyone.”

When asked how his family has reacted to the news of the fresh charges against him, Aditya says, “My family knows the facts. This move is premeditated. We have evidence for what we’re talking.”

We reached to the complainant’s lawyer, but there was no response till the time of going to press.

The actress and her sister have been issued summons by the Andheri Metropolitan Court, in connection with the criminal defamation cases filed by actors Aditya Pancholi and his wife Zarina Wahab
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; June 27, 2019)

Call it a strange coincidence, but Kangana Ranaut and her sister Rangoli Chandel have been summoned to court on July 26, the day the actress’ next, Mental Hai Kya, releases. They have been issued summons by the Andheri Metropolitan Court in the criminal defamation cases filed by Aditya Pancholi and his wife Zarina Wahab in 2017.

Four cases were filed after Kangana allegedly defamed the actor couple on national TV, while Rangoli took to social media to make allegations against him. Summons have been issued in connection with each case — Aditya Pancholi vs Kangana Ranaut, Aditya Pancholi vs Rangoli Chandel, Zarina Wahab vs Kangana Ranaut and Zarina Wahab vs Rangoli Chandel.

Aditya, who is being represented by advocate Shreya Srivastava, told BT, “We filed the case in 2017, when Kangana appeared on two TV shows and said a lot of things against my wife and me, which we felt were extremely defamatory. It’s taken two years for the matter to get this far, but I trust our judiciary to serve justice. The court has finally issued summons against both the sisters. Kangana had said a lot of stuff, which she will now have to prove, and failing which, she will face the consequences. I understand that matters like these take their own time to conclude, but I won’t lose hope.”

Aditya’s lawyer Shreya said that Kangana and Rangoli have to be present for the hearing on July 26. She added, “We had filed these cases two years ago. The judge had issued orders to investigate the matter, and the police did not find any FIRs or NCs against Aditya, as claimed by Kangana on television. If the sisters don’t turn up, they will have to apply for bail on the same day. They’ve been charged for a bailable offence.”

We reached out to Kangana and Rangoli’s team, but they didn’t respond to our queries till we went to press.

Day after mid-day reported that police are investigating him following a complaint of 'assault and exploitation', Aditya Pancholi shares what he claims are threats against him
Faizan Khan (MID-DAY; May 16, 2019)

Days after investigations were opened into an A-list actor's complaint against actor Aditya Pancholi, accusing him of sexually exploiting her 13 years ago, he has shared a video with mid-day in which the actor's lawyer is supposedly seen discussing the case with Pancholi and his wife Zarina Wahab. Pancholi, who had earlier claimed he was threatened with a rape case by the lawyer, has submitted the video to the police as well.

Pancholi shared a five minute 50-second recording of the 18-minute conversation he and his wife Zarina Wahab had with the actor's lawyer on January 6. The lawyer, who knows Pancholi socially, had asked to meet him. During their meeting, the defamation cases Pancholi has filed against the actor were discussed, which is when the case the actor's sister ended up filing against Pancholi came up.

Pancholi claims he was threatened by the lawyer. He has shared the videos with the Versova police along with a written complaint on May 11 against the actor and her sister. He stated in the complaint, "After I filed a case against [the actor and her sister] before the honourable metropolitan magistrate's 44th court in Andheri, they were summoned but they failed to appear. They are using various pressure tactics so that I withdraw all four cases I've filed two years ago. Now, a false, fabricated afterthought has been filed which is a tissue of lies [sic] after 14 years."

Referring to the tape he shared with mid-day, Pancholi said, "This is the truth. These kind of allegations are being made against me with mala fide intentions to malign my image for personal gain. Now, the truth is out there. Let the law take its course. I'm sure I'll get justice."

"When the meeting concluded, he clearly hinted that I should withdrew all of my criminal defamation cases against his client or else there will be a rape case against me, but I didn't listen to him. Thus, as the lawyer mentioned in the video, the actor's sister filed the complaint against me in March," he added.

To prove the authenticity of the video, Pancholi has also shared a certificate from a private agency which has verified the video. Speaking about the development, a police officer said, "We are looking into all the aspects." mid-day reached out to the actor's sister, but she remained unavailable for comment. Their lawyer, meanwhile, refused to comment.

'This Is Bigger Than #MeToo'

Lawyer: So, there was Aditya bhai's pressure. She [the actor] was upset because she felt she had been wronged. On top of that, she said he is troubling me and putting pressure on me. If he continues to bait the law like this, I will also do the same, she said, adding, I will also file a case against him, whatever case it may be.

Wahab: Which case?

Lawyer: I told him about it — a rape case. Yes, a rape case, meaning Aditya bhai raped her. That theirs was a forced relationship, which falls under the definition of rape...She claims it was forced, she was pressured and assaulted and how incidents have been reported in the media as well. Anyway, I don't want to get into that.

Pancholi: No, who is saying all of this to you? The actor or her sister?

Lawyer: Whatever case will be filed will be through the sister... They are going in a different direction. This is another kind of #MeToo altogether. It would be bigger than that; than Alok Nath's case.

Pancholi: So they want to make this bigger than that?

Lawyer: This will automatically turn into a big deal, I'm telling you. [Referring to Aditya] He is a very good man and I know him personally, but because he's very open and vocal about whatever he does, this will backfire and I don't want that.

Last month, Kangana Ranaut’s sister Rangoli Chandel sent an email complaint to the cops alleging that Aditya Pancholi had assaulted and exploited the actress a decade ago. Now, Aditya has filed a counter complaint
Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; May 16, 2019)

The long-standing feud between Kangana Ranaut and Aditya Pancholi is getting murkier by the day. The Versova police has opened an investigation against Aditya after receiving a complaint on e-mail from Kangana’s sister Rangoli Chandel on April 9, which reportedly alleges that the actress was subjected to assault and exploitation by Aditya a decade ago. In turn, Aditya has filed a counter complaint claiming that Kangana's lawyer had threatened to file a rape case against him. When BT contacted the Versova police station, they confirmed that they were in receipt of the complaints.

When we reached out to Aditya, he said, “My wife (Zarina Wahab) and I filed a defamation case against Kangana and her sister Rangoli in September 2017, after she gave interviews alleging that I did this and that to her (abuse).” The actor went on to add that Kangana's lawyer Rizwan Siddiquee pressurised him to withdraw the defamation case and he has a recording of their conversation. Aditya said, “I recorded his conversation and submitted it to the court on April 10. The case was on and I told the honourable judge in my statement that this lawyer had threatened to file a rape case against me in January. I got the pen drive (with the videos of his conversation) verified under the Indian Evidence Act. I have a certificate which proves that the videos are not doctored. I have submitted the evidence with the certificate at the Versova police station, and given an application to investigate the videos that I have submitted.” While Bombay Times has a copy of the application submitted by Aditya to the cops, we haven't been able to verify his claims. We also reached out to Kangana, her sister Rangoli and their lawyer, but they did not respond till the time of going to press.

Producer Sandeep Ssingh shares the looks of Zarina Wahab and Barkha Bisht as Narendra Modi's mother and wife respectively, in his biopic
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; February 16, 2019)

Days after news of Barkha Bisht joining the cast of Omung Kumar's upcoming biopic on Narendra Modi hit headlines, mid-day got its hands on the actor's look in the film, which sees her play the role of the protagonist's wife, Jashodaben. In addition, we've also procured the look of veteran actor Zarina Wahab, who slips into the role of Modi's mother, Heeraben.

Producer Sandip Ssingh tells mid-day, "The two characters are crucial. I am glad that Zarina ji agreed to be part of it since no one could have done a better job."

Terming the opportunity to play Heeranben as an honour, Wahab says, "This is going to be among the most special roles I have played. I hope the audience likes it." Bisht, on her part, adds, "I am grateful for getting a chance to be part of such an amazing film."

Reza Noorani (BOMBAY TIMES; July 18, 2018)

A veteran in films and television, actress Rita Bhaduri passed away on Tuesday morning. Last seen on the TV show, Nimki Mukhiya, as the heroine’s grandmother, she is remembered by her co-actors as a positive force on the set and someone who inspired them to work hard. Bhumika Gurung, who plays the protagonist on the show Nimki Mukhiya, recalls, “Since she played a grandmother on the set, all of us started calling her daadi in real life, too. She was like family to us. I recall she would constantly fuss over about my sleeping habits.”

Bhaduri was on a dialysis since a while, yet she reported on the set until her last moment. “We all knew that she was unwell, but she never let it reflect in her performance. When I last spoke to her, I told her that I wanted to visit her, but she insisted that I focus on my shoot. She said, ‘I will meet you on the set and we will shoot together’,” she adds.

Veteran actor Arun Bali, who worked with Rita for seven years on the show, Kumkum, recalls her as someone who was a joy to work with. He says, “Rita ji was a person of the highest calibre. She was such an innocent human being. We worked together and she was such a terrific performer.” Bali also recalls that Rita had hit a rough patch in her life and was helped by CINTAA (Cine & TV Artists Association), however, as soon as she bounced back, she refused to take any further help from the body. In tears, he recalls, “She never accepted any unnecessary obligations from anyone. The world has lost a terrific human being today.”

Actor Sooraj Thapar, who worked with her on Ekk Nayi Pehchaan, says, “She was a one-take artiste. She was very strong and even at her age, she was driven to perform. Besides being a great co-actor, I remember the tasty meals she would cook for all of us and bring it on set. And not just one dabba; she would cook an entire pot-full of food and share it with everyone. It is indeed a sad day for the movie and TV industry.”
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Actors Jitendra Trehan, Neelu Kohli, Shishir Sharma with a friend, Satish Shah, Abhay Bhargav and Jaya Bhattacharya at the funeral, which was held at 12 pm in Andheri

January 11, 1951—July 17, 2018

Rita Bhaduri’s friends recount stories of her talent, kindness and rare professionalism in the wake of her demise at age 67 in Mumbai
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 18, 2018) 

Veteran actress Rita Bhaduri, who suffered from prolonged renal illnesses, passed away at 67 on Tuesday in Mumbai. “Her health started deteriorating two weeks ago and she succumbed to cardiac arrest,” her niece, Mini, told Mirror.

Anil Kapoor, who worked with the late actress in films like Beta, Ghar Ho Toh Aisa and Virasat, decribed her as “one of the finest talents to come out of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII)”. Shabana Azmi, the actress’s 1973 FTII batchmate, who kept in touch with her through their WhatsApp Group chats, informed that Rita had injured her spine during a shoot a month ago and subsequently contracted an infection for which she had to undergo surgery.

“She was in excruciating pain as she couldn’t be administered strong painkillers due to ongoing dialysis,” said Shabana, adding that their friends called her Tanuja because of her effervescence. “There was something cute and impish about her. She was a good student and had the prettiest face in the class. She was extremely photogenic, but I felt that she didn’t take her talent seriously. As a student, she was happy to be one of the yaars, chewing Paan Bahar and not caring about appearances. Her mother Chandrima Bhaduri, a veteran actress, was ambitious for her but Rita was content with what she had,” she added.

Zarina Wahab, another FTII batchmate and her co-star in the Rajshri film Saawan Ko Aane Do, couldn’t make it to the funeral, which took place at noon on Tuesday, due to work commitments, but promised to attend the chautha. “I had met her last a year ago,” she informed. Meanwhile Poonam Dhillon, who acted with her in the daily soap Ekk Nayi Pehchaan in 2013, recalled how once, Rita wasn’t feeling well but no one knew about it till she fainted. “Later, she admited she didn’t tell anyone as she didn’t want to disrupt the shoot.”

Anant Mahadevan, who worked with the late actress in the 1992 film Kamsin and many TV shows, remembered her as affable and lively yet a thorough professional. “We were frequent co-stars during the golden years of Indian television, our first interaction during a press preview of Phoolan in which she played the lead,” he reminisced.

One of Rita’s more recent colleagues, Juhi Parmar of the 2012 TV show Kumkum — Ek Pyara Sa Bandhan, has fond memories of her Rita maa. “She was such a zindadil, strong woman who brought food for me to take home for months when I didn’t have a cook. Spending time with her at her Lonavla home was one of my best New Year’s Eve memories for me,” she stated.

Rita’s daughter from the show Sunday Ke Sunday, Sadiya Siddiqui, recalls her as a voracious reader. “Her niece and I learnt kathak from the same guru, so I’m close to her family and was very possessive of her,” Sadiya smiled, while Kabir Sadanand, who’d first met Rita while auditioning for the show Thoda Hai Thode Ki Zarurat Hai, described their first meeting as his best day in the industry. “Despite years of theatre experience, I was scared. I reported at work at 7 am with an empty-stomach. She cooked eggs and offered them to me. When I politely refused, she said she was nervous on her first day too and I should toughen up,” he flashbacked.

Sanjay Kapoor shared screen space with Rita in his debut film, Raja, and swore by her screen presence. “The scene where her character has an outburst and she yells at her husband, ‘Kaat Mahindra Pratap kaat’... still gives me goosebumps,” he asserted while Indra Kumar, who directed her in Beta and Raja, remembered her as a “remarkable actor and a great human being”. Her Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa co-star Suchitra Krishnamoorthy described her “as a fine actor and a kind soul”.

Deven Bhojani, who directed her in the hit show Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai, was all praise for her portrayal of Ila bua. “She was fluent in various languages, disciplined and a zero tantrum actress.” Aatish Kapadia, the show’s writer and co-director, informed that she’d played the lead in the first serial he wrote, the 1987 Gujarati show Aagan Tuk. “When we offered her Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai, she came on board without enquiring about the role,” he marvelled while J D Majethia admitted that her character didn’t become as popular as the others but for her work was important. “She was the superstar of several Gujarati hits yet one of the easiest people to work with and a top choices in her age group for all production houses,” he stated. Aatish and Rita reunited for another show. “She’d hang around after packup to chat with me,” he smiled at the memory.

Rubina Dilaik was heart-broken she couldn’t meet the lady who’d feed the Chhoti Bahu unit dhoklas every month one last time. “We were planning to but couldn’t due to our schedule,”she rued.

Gulshan Grover, who studied alongside Anil Kapoor at Roshan Taneja’s acting school, recounted a lesser known facet from his senior. “She touched my heart with one of her improvisations in class, playing a Gujarati girl who would stop at a Malabari shop every day for bread and eggs. Salim Ghouse played the Malabari man and their romance was beautiful and tender, so unlike the usual hero-heroine love story,” he sighed.

Zama Habib, producer of Rita’s last show, Nimki Mukhiya, informed that she had not been shooting since the last 20 days due to the health issues. “She requested that we replace her but I refused to comply. I didn’t know she would never come back,” the maker signed off emotionally.


Reeta Bhaduri’s alma mater FTII paid tribute with a screening of the student film Safar, in which she featured with Tom Alter. “Students, staff and teachers stood in silence in her memory... It was the last film for both. Rita Bhaduri acted in over 70 films and around 30 TV serials,” it shared on Twitter