Fenil and Bollywood

The actress talks about the debacle of her first film Notebook and how she moved on to her next, Helmet, also starring Aparshakti Khurana

Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; February 4, 2021)

She had a dream debut in Bollywood with Salman Khan launching her in his production, Notebook (2019). However, the film didn’t do wonders at the box office, though Pranutan Bahl caught the eye of filmmakers as Salman’s protégée. In a chat with Bombay Times, the actress, daughter of Mohnish Bahl, said that though she was hoping for the best, hailing from a family of actors, she was prepared for the roller coaster ride that comes with the territory.

“Of course, it hurts as you want your film to do well, you want more people to watch it and see your work. I just wish that a larger audience had seen it. However, I come from a film family and this is something that we are prepared for. I have always been told that you have to give your best shot and uske aage you can’t do anything, but just leave it to the audience. Personally, I feel Notebook was a fantastic experience and I got to work with a director like Nitin Kakkar,” she says.

During the phase when she was low, Pranutan turned to her friends who were not from the film industry. “I have studied law, and so, I have a lot of lawyer friends from my college days. They helped me uplift my mood,” she shares.

Talking about how studying law helped shape her as a person, she says, “I studied law and I also interned and worked in the field for five years. I was really good at it and had an amazing experience. But I had made up my mind that I didn’t want to pursue a career in that field. Studying law has shaped me so much as a person and changed my thought process. When I receive a contract from a producer, I read it on my own. I don’t need any help in understanding it and I know what my interests are and ask for changes accordingly.”

Pranutan, who features opposite Aparshakti Khurana in her next film, Helmet, wrapped up the shoot of the movie in September 2020. Talking about her co-star, the actress adds, “He is much senior to me as he’s acted in so many movies. He comes from a theatre background, so I was a little nervous initially. But we got along really well. He used to give me tips and suggestions during my scenes. He called me ‘Pra’ while I called him ‘Langar service’, as he used to get so much food on the sets and feed people. Since we both are Punjabis, we used to listen to that music a lot. While shooting in Banaras, we would blast Punjabi music on our set (laughs!)”

Curator Jahan Bakshi, who scours the globe for local reincarnations of movie posters, has found gems like Awara in German and Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman in manga style

Mohua Das (THE TIMES OF INDIA; February 4, 2021)

It seems, time travel to an alternate universe may in fact be possible. Only that the time machine isn’t a spinning wheel that disappears in a puff of smoke but comes in the shape of Indian film posters where a Govinda potboiler Dost Garibon Ka inhabits the world of Russian avant-garde, Raj Kapoor’s Jagte Raho finds expression in East German reductive art and Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman is a Japanese manga artist’s muse.

When Jahan Bakshi, a movie art curator in Mumbai, stumbled upon old Czech and British quad posters for Satyajit Ray films with neo-futurist fonts and colourful surrealism, he knew he was onto something special. His curiosity led him down a rabbit hole — of familiar yet outlandish — doppelgangers of Indian movie visuals from across the globe that revealed a fascinating yet undocumented history of how different countries reimagined Indian films.

“Looking for foreign posters of Indian films started as research for an article but soon became an obsession. It was a revelation to see what Indian films look like when seen through a foreign prism,” says Bakshi who has unearthed around 150-odd foreign origin Indian posters and acquired around 50 physical copies from places spanning Russia, Latvia, Bulgaria and East Europe to France, Germany, the UK, US, Japan, China, Thailand and Egypt. “They’re unique both aesthetically and conceptually... like watching an act of translation via a poster image. It was also eyeopening to see just how much Indian cinema had travelled globally in the past.”

If movie posters were the only way to lure audiences into the theatre before trailers came into vogue, marketing Indian films in other countries involved an ingenious sleight of an artist’s hand to adapt them to local aesthetics and culture. Compelling examples from the last seven decades include painterly posters such as Bimal Roy’s 1953 film Do Bigha Zamin where Italian artist Ercole Brini reimagines the canvas of a broken wooden fence and silhouette of a farmer family in watercolours. Hungarian post war artist Herpai Zoltan’s reinterpretation of Shyam Benegal’s Ankur, a 1974 film about the country’s caste system features a hand painted red rose infested with worms instead of a pensive Shabana Azmi.

Recast, often dramatically, to resonate in the local market, these foreign posters blend local language, sexual allure, religion, violence and intellectualism. If some are reminiscent of the myths and legends of that land — for instance, the Russian poster for 1990 action thriller Khoon Bhari Maang borders on a folktale with the magnified head of an alligator occupying centrestage against an intense pink background and the Hungarian reincarnation of Benegal’s Nishant has little dragons wrapped around Azmi’s face — many are visual time capsules indicative of the prevailing politics and censorship in the country.

“The socialist theme of films like Awara and Do Bigha Zamin resonated with audiences in the Soviet Union and across the Eastern Bloc countries. After Mithun Chakraborty became a breakout star in Russia with Disco Dancer, a lot of masala potboilers from the 80s and 90s were released in Russia and visuals of their posters are a sight to behold — symbolic, esoteric and very avantgarde,” says Bakshi.

More recently, Chinese posters for Andhadhun — a massive success collecting over $35 million at the box office in China — took on a darker shade with black and white overtones and a braille piano in the foreground as opposed to the popping colours and quirky vibe of the Indian version.

“Interesting patterns emerge from posters of other countries, too. The US posters tend to be text heavy with emphasis on captions and pull-quotes. Posters from Europe and Central Asia are surprisingly flamboyant, eccentric and at times exoticize Indian-ness. Japanese posters are bizarrely unpredictable varying from subtle to whimsical, gonzo to pulpy,” observes Bakshi who scours popular poster sites like New York’s Posteritati Gallery to obscure ones in Germany, Czech Republic and Japan in his rescue mission though the pandemic did delay some of his packages.

But he is fortunate to have found an ally — the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The 30-year-old who had started ‘Posterphilia’ — a hobby project of posting his favourite movie posters on social media two years ago — drew the attention of Anne Coco, the head of graphic arts collections at the Oscars library, last September. “She approached me, asking if I could help build their collection of Indian film posters which was quite scant,” recounts Bakshi, who over the past few months of sourcing Indian film posters for the Academy, pitched the idea of “also” exploring their foreign counterparts.

“Since then I’ve helped them acquire a bunch of Ray, Raj Kapoor and V Shantaram posters of foreign origin and hope we can build it up further,” he says with his fingers crossed. “Old movie posters are cultural artefacts and I want to reclaim this aspect of Indian film history,” he signs off.

Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; February 4, 2021)

When it comes to birthdays, Bollywood celebs are used to being flooded with wishes from all over the world. And Urmila Matondkar, who celebrates her birthday today, is no different. But there is one person whose message she always looks forward to on this day — Amitabh Bachchan!

Elaborating on it, she says, “Mr Bachchan not only wishes me on my birthday every year, but is, in fact, always the first person to do so. Whether I am in India or abroad, he never fails to send across a warm message on the day. Hats off to him, it’s amazing to receive this love and respect from someone who is a legend himself.”

She shares, “Last year, I got pulled up by him. He asked me, ‘Oh your number is the same? Because you didn’t reply to my message’. It took me by surprise as who would not reply to Mr Bachchan? (laughs!) So, you see, once in a while he pulls a fast one on you.”

Talking about her plans for the day, the actress reveals, “My parents have always ensured that my elder brother and I did some charity work on our birthdays. And I plan to continue that. We have never cut cakes or hosted lavish parties. When I became an actress, being the private person that I am, I would shy away from cutting cakes on sets.” She also plans to visit an orphanage and an old age home today.

Urmila is also looking forward to hosting her first live interaction on social media. She says, “I have never done these live interactions before, so I am looking forward to it. I am one actor who’s quite slow on social media. It’s my husband (Mohsin Akhtar Mir) who pushed me to get active on social media to interact with my fans and well-wishers.”

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Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 4, 2021)

Birthdays, for Urmila Matondkar, are never about turning a year older. In fact, she takes it in her stride. “Sometimes, people troll me by calling me ‘aunty’. I want to tell them with folded hands, if you’re trying to make me feel bad about it, I’m not. Each one of those years, as long as it’s adding a lot to your life, bringing more in terms of life itself, it’s glorious!” says the actor, who turns 47 today.

Matondkar adds that one learns to appreciate things more as the years go by. “Those who’re probably not adding to their lives in terms of qualitative good might be feeling sad (laughs), but no comment or judgment on them. I’m busy making the most of what life has put in front of me,” she says.

Her plans for the day include a distribution drive for the underprivileged, and for the first time, a Facebook and Instagram live session for her fans. “I’m excited for other people’s birthdays, and busy making plans for them. Since childhood, social work has been engraved into me and my older brother. Our parents used to tell us to donate the money we got to institutions. There are many across Maharashtra, like Baba Amte’s Anandvan. They’d say these people need it more than us,” she recalls.

And after getting into films, birthdays were never the same. “There was no time! I’ve worked through Diwalis, New Years, everything. Today, it’s very exciting to see people reacting to my birthday with my songs being played, fans showing so much love. Even this interview, I’m doing for those fans (laughs), to whom I’m eternally grateful!” she gushes.

Having released Unscripted that revolves around his journey in movies, filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra turns attention to hit comic caper; hopes to have script ready by the year-end

Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; February 4, 2021)

We have all been witness to Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 44-year career as he gave Hindi film industry gems in Parinda (1989), 1942: A Love Story (1994) and 3 Idiots (2009), among others. For those who wondered about the behind-the-scenes magic that led to the creation of these movies, the filmmaker has released Unscripted, a book that features anecdotes from his life and career.

“We never intended to write it [so soon],” begins Chopra about the book that has been designed as conversations between long-time collaborator Abhijat Joshi and him. “These are chats that Abhijat and I had over five years back. We had thought of turning it into a book some day. When Nasreen Munni Kabir [TV producer] came for the subtitles of Shikara [2020], she was fascinated with it and helped us put the book together.”

In the book, Chopra has reflected on how he steered clear of commercial film tropes to develop stories that he believed in and emerged one of the most successful producers in Bollywood. “The idea behind [the endeavour] is to inspire young filmmakers. I want them to understand that they don’t have to sell their souls to be successful here.”

On the work front, reports suggest that the third instalment of his hit franchise, Munna Bhai, is off the table. Quiz him on it, and he asserts that the comedy is in the works. “We have not made the third Munna Bhai because I am not happy with the script yet. Abhijat and Raju [Rajkumar Hirani] are working on the script. Hopefully, we’ll have a script by the year-end. I never said I won’t make the film. I said I won’t ever make a substandard Munna Bhai.”

'Don't Be Donkeys': Vidhu Vinod Chopra To Those Criticising Shikara, His Film On Kashmiri Pandits

100% OCCUPANCY ALLOWED IN CINEMAS; BUT ALL IS NOT YET WELL!

In December 2020, this writer had spoken to trade experts and asked them that till when they believe the 50% occupancy rule would remain. A similar answer was given by all – that is, from April 2021 onwards. Of course, they were just guessing but they, like most people, were sure about one thing – the government won’t lift the cap very soon. Their statement made sense because the government has been very cautious in opening up non-essential sectors. The theatres that were shut in mid-March were allowed to reopen only in October. In places like Maharashtra, it was allowed from November. Hence, no one expected that the government would allow more occupancy in cinemas before March. Also, the belief was that even if they did, they’ll increase the occupancy rule from 50% to 75% at best.

However, on Saturday, the union government surprised one and all. A notification was issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting which made it clear that 100% occupancy will be allowed in cinemas from February 1! Naturally, the industry and trade were overjoyed. After all, it was not expected that the government would take such a business-friendly decision immediately and secondly, this would mean that the big films would finally be released. Because of the 50% occupancy rule, many filmmakers shied away from releasing their big films. Despite that the Tamil film Master did blockbuster business with such a rule, Bollywood filmmakers didn’t feel confident and decided to wait till normalcy. Thankfully, the normalcy has kicked in sooner than later.

Meanwhile, trade is abuzz with reports that the much awaited film Sooryavanshi, starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif, and directed by Rohit Shetty, is all set to release, mostly on April 2 (Good Friday). As per inside reports, Rohit and Reliance Entertainment has already begun discussions with multiplexes over revenue sharing terms and other such issues. An announcement of the release date is expected within 10 days. If Sooryavanshi releases, one can expect a few films in cinemas, starring notable names in March or April as well.

Sadly, there’s still one hurdle in the path. Though the union government has allowed full occupancy in theatres, it’s upto the state governments whether or not they want to abide by the new rule. Since BJP is in power at the Centre, it is expected that all BJP-ruled states would adhere to the new directive. But there are many states ruled by non-BJP governments or coalitions. Out of these, Maharashtra especially is crucial as it consists of lucrative markets like Mumbai and it’s satellite cities and Pune. A major chunk of business comes from these two places. And it’s ruled by a non-BJP government! Only when the state government of Maharashtra and also that of other main markets like Delhi, Telangana (consists of the lucrative market of Hyderabad), Karnataka (consists of the lucrative market of Bengaluru), etc accept the 100% occupancy rule will we see big films releasing in cinemas. As of February 3, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are the only states which have accepted the directive. The other states, especially BJP-ruled, are expected to follow suit in a week. But whether or not Maharashtra also joins the bandwagon remains to be seen.

However, this time, it seems Maharashtra will also accept. The fact that Rohit Shetty is already preparing for Sooryavanshi’s release means he has at least an informal assurance from Maharashtra government that they are going to allow 100% occupancy in cinemas. It’s just a matter of time that Maharashtra makes it public and that Sooryavanshi’s release date is unveiled.

Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 11, 2021)

Not one to mince words, Javed Akhtar has been vocal about many issues, including the vilification of the entertainment industry. “It paid a price for being high profile. Film industry se logon ka strange relation hai; they love, hate, admire, envy. What happened was an unjustified and extreme attack. Chalo, yeh bhi hona tha. Today, the industry is back on its feet. Things keep moving on,” says the veteran writer-poet.

With many great talents making the industry what it is, Akhtar finds the allegation of nepotism absurd, as “you can give a chance to your kid but you can’t make them a star”. “Sure, a star kid gets a break more easily but that won’t mean anything if they don’t have talent. It is the audiences who decide who to love, make a star,” he says.

As the chairman of Indian Performing Rights Society (IPRS), Akhtar worked towards helping musicians and technicians in financial crisis, last year.

And while most of 2020 was spent in lockdown, he reveals this year will be hectic for him. “I am working on three scripts and, for the first time in my life, writing a short film. I also intend to do some work on OTT… and later, a celebration of 100 years of (lyricist) Sahir Ludhianvi is being planned,” he shares.

The veteran writer also plans to get the Coronavirus vaccine soon. “It isn’t enough to think rationally but one should act rationally. Don’t be rash. Read and enquire about the vaccine that’s most trustworthy and has got good results and go for it,” he concludes.

Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior Movie Review - Ajay Devgn's Film Is A Treat For The Eye, If Not For The Mind

Box Office India Trade Network

The year gone by was a disaster for films and actors with hardly any actors finding appreciation but the one that did was Ajay Devgn for TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR and it turned out to be a one horse race for best actor. The applause that Ajay Devgn got in cinemas of Maharashtra has not been seen in a long time. It could be due to the local flavour of the film but you still have to perform well to get the response.

The film saw the type of runs in smaller cinemas of places like Nashik, Sangli, Latur, Chandrapur and many more that have not seen for a long time. The collections in these places were similar to BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION but the runs were longer as initial business was less. Although performances in parts of the industry and media are judged by awards but the correct way is always public response and Ajay Devgn got a response for TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR that has not been seen for some time.

It was a one horse race in 2020 because of the pandemic but even if the year was normal, then still Ajay Devgn would have had a good chance of coming out on top. There may have been some films which could have challenged the numbers but it would have been tough. The only other actors to get some eyeballs in 2020 were Tiger Shroff, Akshay Kumar and Varun Dhawan be it in theatres, OTT or television but it was mid level appreciation and probably mainly from fans. Sushant Rajput also got eyeballs with DIL BECHARA which released post his death on Disney+ Hotstar but the situation was totally different a few months later on television when the film got dreadfull ratings.

Ajay Devgn gave the biggest HIT of the year with TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR and the last time this happened was in 1991 with his first release PHOOL AUR KAANTE which was the biggest HIT of 1991. The difference being that TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR was the biggest HIT and the biggest GROSSER of 2020 while PHOOL AUR KAANTE was the biggest HIT but the second biggest grosser in 1991. PHOOL AUR KAANTE was second to the Subhash Ghai magnum opus SAUDAGAR but PHOOL AUR KAANTE had far lower costs than SAUDAGAR making it a bigger HIT.

The situation was similar to 2019 when KABIR SINGH was the biggest HIT while WAR was the biggest grosser. TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR recorded the highest footfalls ever for an Ajay Devgn film and was his third film to cross 2 crore footfalls after PHOOL AUR KAANTE and ISHQ. The film also had the second highest footfalls in the the last two years after KABIR SINGH. The biggest BLOCKBUSTER of your career and huge applause for a performance from the audience which stands out made it Ajay Devgns year.

Coincidentally, TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR and PHOOL AUR KAANTE both clashed with female orientated films which starred the top actresses of the respective times. PHOOL AUR KAANTE clashed with LAMHE featuring Sridevi and TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR clashed with CHHAPAAK featuring. Deepika Padukone. Both LAMHE and CHHAPAAK were huge FLOPS and totally rejected by the public.

BOLLYWOOD LETS VALENTINE’S DAY WEEK TO GO WASTE

Over the years, the Valentine’s Day has become as important as any other festive holiday. Interestingly, offices, banks and educational institutes are all open on February 14. Yet, the footfalls in theatres have seen an upswing on this day. Last year, February 14 fell on Friday luckily. Love Aaj Kal released on this day and it collected a huge Rs. 11.75 crore. In 2019, Gully Boy released on a Thursday to take advantage of this day and it was a good decision. The film opened very well, at Rs. 19.26 crore. In 2018, Pad Man released in the Valentine’s week while in 2017, it was Jolly LLB2. Both films starred Akshay Kumar and were not exactly ideal Valentine’s Day films. Yet, the collections for Pad Man grew by around 20% while that of Jolly LLB 2 jumped by 25%. That’s the power of this day.

After the lockdown was imposed, very few films have been releasing in cinemas. There have been weeks where no Hindi film has released. And sadly, this week, too, would be one of those. However, till now, at least some film has released on festivals, though most of them were non-exciting. Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari released on Diwali and was the best of lot. Chrismtas saw the release of Shakeela, Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi came on New Year’s Day while Madam Chief Minister hit screens in Republic Day week. Hence, it was expected that some film would make it in the Valentine’s week.

Surprisingly, two films are scheduled to release next week and both seem ideal Valentine’s Day entertainers. One is the Hollywood film Tom & Jerry. However, it’s made by Warner Bros. It’s Indian office is releasing it a week before it’s international release, which is two weeks away from now, on February 26. To convince the Los Angeles team to prepone the film’s India release by 2 weeks would be too much.

However, the other release is a Hindi flick, a romcom that too, called Tuesdays And Fridays. It is produced by T-Series and Sanjay Leela Bhansali and stars Poonam Dhillon’s son Anmol Thakeria and Jhataleka Malhotra, the first runner-up in Femina Miss India 2014. This film looks forgettable but it at least is a love story. In fact, this film had some chance of earning something if it had released this week rather than the next.

With no other option, multiplexes will be playing past romantic hits from Bollywood like Bajirao Mastani, Dil To Pagal Hai, Gully Boy, Jab We Met, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, etc and from Hollywood like A Star Is Born, La La Land, etc. Will it lead to even 5-10% occupancy remains to be seen.

Naina Arora (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 12, 2021)

“Music is all that I have to offer to the world,” says, singer Jubin Nautiyal. And rightly so, as the singer is using Valentine’s Day, February 14, a special day of love, for a special purpose this year. The Tumhe Kitne Chahne Lage Hum (2019) singer is doing a rooftop concert to raise funds for the families affected by the glacier burst in Uttarakhand.

Nautiyal, who belongs to Uttarakhand, says being from the region, he understands the difficulties, and is devastated with the tragedy. “I could not imagine myself not using this opportunity to raise help for the people in Uttarakhand. We announced this rooftop concert to try and raise funds, awareness and reach out to more and more people. Boond boond se sagar ban jata hain. Even if people just start donating ₹1, and lots of people do it, it will be of great help,” he says.

The singer wrote on Twitter, that he’s inspired by the clarion call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “His intention of working on an independent India, is one of his strong motives for India. Main isse bahut sehmat bhi hoon kyunki I am a self-dependent man. I never got into something that was easy,” he says.

At a time when physical concerts aren’t happening, Nautiyal, who has previously done a garden, and a rooftop concert amid Coronavirus, lauds the power of social media that is bringing people together virtually. “Sabki duniya khul gayi hai. Lekin entertainment walo ki duniya abhi tak khuli nahin hai. Agar shows iss waqt nahin bhi ho sakte toh hum virtually toh connect kar hi sakte hai. I will always be thankful to social media for creating this community for me,” he says.

Unflinching in her honesty, actor Richa Chadha says that if one is telling the truth, then there is no reason to be afraid to speak up, and adds that her intention is not to hurt or insult anyone

Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 12, 2021)

She has always spoken her mind about different issues, not refraining from being frank. In an industry where being diplomatic seems to be the mantra for many, actor Richa Chadha prefers calling a spade a spade.

Has this ever backfired, or got in the way of her professional prospects? She says, “I don’t think there’s been any impact professionally. Personally, I do feel what happens sometimes is I am held to higher standards than others; that’s the flip side. People expect me to be that, and at times are like, ‘We didn’t expect this from you, we wanted better from you’. There is the burden of those expectations.”

Being a public figure, though, Chadha adds, has got nothing to do with it. “It’s about what they think is woke,” she says. However, there has been plenty of advice given to her to not be so vocal. She reveals, “It happens all the time. I feel what happens is, most people, they are so guarded in their own private lives, ki kuch bol diya toh kuch ho jaayega. I simply feel that if I am telling the truth, I should not be afraid. I don’t mean bad, or intend to hurt or insult anybody.”

Clearly, the actor likes to take decisions without any pressure, which also reflects in her film choices, which have ranged from a quirky comedy such as Fukrey (2013) to a poignant drama such as Masaan (2015). Recently, the 34-year-old headlined the film Madam Chief Minister.

Do tags like ‘female led’ or ‘female-centric’ bother her when it comes to films? Chadha says, “I don’t think about these labels anymore. People will use them till they need to use them. Till female-centric films are more common, and are made every now and then, I think these things will continue, I don’t really feel too much about it.”

Currently, the actor is shooting for her next project, and is “excited” to be back at work. “I am outdoors, shooting in Uttarakhand. We are all in a safe place, have been living in one hotel, working together and going on set. Everyone is taking precautions (for Coronavirus), and no one is venturing out. A bubble is automatically created,” she says.

National Award-winning director Aparna Sen reunites with actor-daughter Konkona for The Rapist, which explores the aftermath of sexual crime

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; February 12, 2021)

Every time the two women have joined forces, they have arguably made Indian cinema all the richer. If Aparna Sen lends wisdom and sensitivity to her stories, actor-daughter Konkona Sen Sharma breathes life into them with her skilful performances. Almost eight years after the Bengali gem, Goynar Baksho (2013), the director-actor duo are reuniting for The Rapist, a human drama that will reflect the trauma of a violent sexual crime.

Sources from the production team reveal that the story revolves around three protagonists whose lives are interwoven because of the incident. The film explores how crime affects not only the survivors but also the perpetrators.

Sen, who has written the script, says that through the narrative, she hopes to delve into the psychology of her three protagonists. “Stripping off the layers and facades to get to the real person underneath is a challenge. What is also fascinating is getting the two worlds within the country together — the India that lives in urban slums with age-old beliefs, and educated urban India with its ‘progressive’ value systems. This film will raise certain questions that have been tormenting me for a long time,” says the National Award-winning filmmaker. With the pre-production underway, Sen hopes to take the project on floors next month.

The movie, also featuring Arjun Rampal and Tanmay Dhanania, marks Applause Entertainment’s foray into films. After tackling an uncomfortable truth head-on with Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors, producer Sameer Nair — who is partnering with Quest Films — is ready to back another powerful story. “It deals with the complex themes of sexual violence and restorative justice, which we hope will ignite a conversation. We are elated to collaborate with Aparna Sen to tell the story with the sensitivity it deserves,” he says.

Gehana Vasisth at Quilla court in Fort on Wednesday. Pics/Suresh Karkera

Tanvir Hashmi used his contacts to trick aspiring actress into shooting x-rated videos; he was also in touch with alleged big fish Umesh Kamat

Faizan Khan (MID-DAY; February 11, 2021)

The city Crime Branch arrested a C-grade film director from Surat on Wednesday as it widened the probe into a porn racket involving actress Gehana Vasisth. Its property cell has found that 15-20 small production houses have been providing sexually explicit contents to alleged big fish Umesh Kamat, the MD of VIAAN Industries, who is already under arrest.

The police picked 40-year-old Tanvir Hashmi, alias Tan, who has so far directed 8 films and was using his contacts to trick aspiring actresses into shooting x-rated videos. The Killa court remanded him in police custody till February 15.

“He was also having his own production and shooting pornographic videos which were then sent to UK-based Kernin Limited through Umesh Kamat,” a Crime Branch officer said. The videos shot by Hashmi have been uploaded on apps like Eight Shot, Nuefliks, and a few porn portals. Kamat also worked as a consultant for Kernin.

Sources said groups in Mumbai and Gujarat shot sleazy videos before handing them over to Kamat. The cops exposed the racket with the arrest of Rowa Khan and four others who had used foreign IP addresses to upload sex videos on HotHit app. They then arrested Gehana Vasist on the charge of using her production house for the racket and getting the raunchy visuals uploaded on escapenow.tv.

The police said Vasisth also used to send the sexually explicit videos to Kamat to relay them to Kernin Limited for commercial use.

“It is a huge racket where aspiring actresses were forced to shoot pornographic videos on the pretext of providing them roles in web series and OTT-based films. We are exploring all angles and those behind this will surely face the law,” Milind Bharambe, joint commissioner of Crime Branch, told mid-day.

Meanwhile, the police have got the custody of Vasisth till February 15. Rowa Khan and the four others arrested on February 5 are already in jail for 14 days.

Collaborating with Prabhas for the first time, Shruti Haasan discusses wrapping up the Hyderabad schedule of actioner Salaar

Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; February 12, 2021)

On Shruti Haasan’s birthday last month, the makers of Salaar revealed that she has been roped in as the leading lady of the Prabhas-starrer. Having recently wrapped up the first schedule in Hyderabad, the actor has joined the ever-growing list of Prabhas’s admirers. “I have been working in Telugu cinema for so many years, but never had the opportunity of working with Prabhas. He is the warmest co-star I have had. People often say that so-and-so is down-to-earth; it’s a loosely used term. But in his case, it is absolutely true. When I was working with him, there was a positive energy on the set,” says Haasan.

The Prashanth Neel-directed film, touted as a “pan-India project”, will be released in Hindi as well. True to the director’s style, the movie will be a high-octane action thriller that sees the South superstar play a violent character.

Ask Haasan if she will be matching Prabhas, punch for punch, and she says, “I don’t have action scenes in Salaar. I think women don’t get the chance to explore action often. I have been fortunate to try my hand at it in Luck [2009], and more recently in Krack. I love doing stunts, but they cannot be forced into the narrative.”

Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; February 12, 2021)

Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt’s Brahmastra was to hit the marquee last December, but the pandemic put the brakes on the shoot. Now, it is heard that Ayan Mukerji, who has been patiently shaping his fantasy drama for over three years, is ready to resume his place behind the camera for the last stint. The production design team is apparently hard at work, building a set for the patchwork shoot.

“Ayan had almost completed filming the superhero drama, in keeping with the December 4 release date. While he utilised the lockdown to speed up the VFX work and editing, a small portion remains to be shot. The production design team has a week to build the set in the Kandivali studio before Ayan begins shooting on February 18. He has chalked out a week-long stint with the leads, post which it will be a wrap for the project,” says a source.

The Karan Johar-backed ambitious film also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Dimple Kapadia, Nagarjuna and Mouni Roy.

mid-day reached out to the film’s spokesperson, who remained unavailable for comment.

Riya Sharma (BOMBAY TIMES; February 13, 2021)

Last year was a learning experience for all of us, thanks to the pandemic. And like most of us, Guru Randhawa did feel a bit jittery in the beginning. “When the lockdown was announced, I thought paison ka nuksaan ho gaya. I also kept thinking about the exposure that we could have got in 2020 (but which finally didn’t happen due to Coronavirus). And about all the things which were pre-planned, in terms of shoots and tours. But at the same time, I realised that it was the same situation with everybody. And slowly, I came to terms with the circumstances,” he tells us.

‘EARLIER, I WAS ALWAYS TRAVELLING; I NEVER HAD THE TIME TO WORK ON MY BODY’

One good thing about staying at home was that Guru got the much-needed time to work on his physique. He says that he started working out the day the lockdown was announced. Impressed with how his physique has shaped up, the Suit Suit singer shares, “We are doing a video shoot in March, and I will be flaunting my abs in that video.”

Was this always the plan then, to have a chiseled body that he can flaunt? Not really, the singer says. “I never had the time. I was travelling every day. And I love making money, who doesn’t? I go on stage, paseena nikalta hoon, paise kamata hoon. I sell my art and I think jab tak logon ka pyaar hai, sab theek hai. So I didn’t want to give that time (from his work schedule) to work out,” replies Guru. But in the pandemic, when showbiz came to a standstill, the singer got that chance to focus on his fitness and he managed to acquire a fit bod.

‘I AM READY FOR BOLLYWOOD AS WELL AS HOLLYWOOD!’

Besides singing, Guru has also tried his hand at acting in his music videos. Ask him if he has been offered any roles in films so far and the singer shares, “People are saying that I have acted really well in my recent music video.” In a lighter vein, Guru adds, “I am ready for Bollywood as well as Hollywood! One day, I want to be in the same poster as Leonardo (DiCaprio) sir. I want to do a war film with him.”

‘I CAN’T PERFORM IN FRONT OF MY PARENTS’

While many artistes love to perform in front of their families, Guru shares that he has never performed in front of his parents. “I do everything for them but I have never taken them to any of my shows, I can’t perform in front of them. I can’t present myself as an artiste in front of them,” he says.

‘I BELIEVE IN THE NUMBERS GAME’

Talking about today’s music and the music industry, Guru says, “There are all kinds of music that are being created currently. Everybody is trying to break boundaries, everybody is trying hard but at the end of the day, artistes need to be happy. Artistes need to be satisfied with their work.”

So does he believe in the numbers game, does he give importance to the social media likes on music videos? “Who does not believe in numbers? The person who claims that they don’t, woh sabse zyada crave kar raha hota hai (to be number one). Everybody wants to be there (at the top), but they don’t want to appreciate someone who is already in that position. You need to realise that many people have followers, then why is only one person’s videos getting so many likes on social media? Ek hadd tak advertisement hoti hai, ek limit tak push kiya ja sakta hai. But getting almost 1 billion views on my songs, yeh sab mazak thodi hai? I love the fact that my videos are getting liked by so many people. I’ll make sure I have the numbers forever,” says the High Rated Gabru singer.

‘I DON’T WANT TO MARRY RIGHT NOW’

Refusing to divulge much about his relationship status, Guru says, “It is very beautiful. But I don’t want to get married right now. Shaadi jab bhagwan chahega toh ho jayegi.”

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; February 13, 2021)

How many of us have found comfort in Parineeti Chopra’s soothing rendition of Maana Ke Hum Yaar Nahin when nursing a broken heart? Even as fans continue to shower love on the Meri Pyaari Bindu (2017) track, the actor has gone behind the mic for her upcoming release, The Girl on the Train.

“I love singing, and croon at every opportunity I get,” says Chopra, who has rendered the unplugged version of Matlabi Yariyan for the Ribhu Dasgupta-directed psychological thriller. “I had heard the song in London one-and-a-half years ago when we were shooting it. That is when Ribhu and I discussed that we would do a version in my voice.” The track has been composed by Vipin Patwa with lyrics penned by Kumaar.

She believes the number will be a perfect addition to her discography after Teri Mitti (Kesari, 2019). “As an actor, I am privileged to get a chance to go behind the mic and have the world hear my song. I am glad that people have given so much love to my previous songs. I hope the third time’s lucky for me as well,” she says.

Shweta Tripathi Sharma finds joy in living life via characters that she plays and with rise of OTTs, she feels we have to be responsible for what we put out

Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 13, 2021)

With four shows last year, actor Shweta Tripathi Sharma was on a roll. Her demure character in Raat Akeli Hai, curious one in Cargo, fiery in Mirzapur season 2 and protective in The Gone Game Season 1, got her much love from the audience. With four projects lined up for 2021, the actor is clear about her career choices — passion over money. Excerpts from an interview:

With the kind of projects you have done and love that you’ve received, what do you think of your career progression?

I’m not a part of any race. I’m here for the joy of acting, which makes me happiest. Ten years ago, when I started my career, my yardstick to take up a project was, does it excite me? And even today, it’s the same. For me, the team, the experience, matter the most. Be it Masaan (2015) or Haramkhor (2017), there were ek se badkar ek log, who’re driven by passion. More than the budget of the film, the people are important.

While starting off as an actor, what were your struggles?

I shot Haraamkhor first but Masaan released before that. Even today, my struggles are the same. There are times when one feels frustrated that why am I not working? Being on the set is my happy place. I want to do projects which have a story worth telling. I don’t want to be driven by labels that money, commercial cinema or appeal is more important but I’m driven by passion. Releasing a film in 5000 screen is bigger, but that’s not my driving force.

With every project, your brand has scaled up, does it help or hinder your choices?

Usually, once I finish a project, I move on. But with Mirzapur season 2, for the first time, I had a lot of expectations. Pankaj Tripathi (actor) had told me that, ek actor ka kaam set pe khatam ho jata hai. We experience emotions and live life via different characters. That is my joy and what I want to practice. With every project, I want the characters to be unlike what I’d played before. Soon, I realised I need to research, meet more people and know more stories. This year, my agenda is to be more of a student. I’m focusing on my health, learning ballet and contemporary dance as I want to learn and grow.

With most web shows getting many seasons, how do you work around playing the same characters repeatedly?

When we took on web series, we didn’t realise that there would be seasons. Pehle yeh samajh nahin thi. Now, there is a better understanding about series and one has to ensure quality as a series is long term investment, in terms of emotion, availability and money.

Your views on the rise of OTT?

Audience today is spoilt for choice but also what is important is that we’ve freedom of speech and expression. So, we’ve to be responsible for what we put out. We’ve to take ownership of our content. Most content few years ago was about violence and sex. Today, it’s much more than that. I’m playing a “happy” character in one of my upcoming shows and I’m glad as I’ve played too many dramatic ones and wanted a break.

Makers of Aditya-starrer Om rope in international action director Khamphakdee to design set-piece for climax set in prison

Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; February 13, 2021)

Aditya Roy Kapur, who has been giving shape to OM: The Battle Within since December, is set to film the climax. Well aware that preceding action sequences are merely the build-up to the climax, producer Ahmed Khan and director Kapil Verma have designed an elaborate set-piece for the final minutes of the movie. A huge set of a prison has been constructed at Film City in Goregaon for the ongoing seven-day schedule.

“The set is spread over a kilometre, as envisioned by Kapil. The producer-director duo don’t want to leave any stone unturned in making the sequence memorable and have roped in an international stunt director to design it,” reveals a source.

Khan, who has given Bollywood high-octane action thrillers in the second and third instalments of Baaghi, says he wanted to up the ante with his upcoming offering. “We have brought action director Kecha Khamphakdee from Thailand on board to design the stunts. He has previously worked with me on my directorial ventures. Action director Parvez Shaikh is supervising the stunts,” says the producer, adding that Kapur’s intense training in martial arts and assault weaponry paid off during the shoot.

It is heard that leading lady Sanjana Sanghi will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Kapur, taking on the baddies. Khan, who is backing the venture with Zee Studios, confirms, “Sanjana will be seen performing stunts.” With some songs remaining to be shot, the makers are planning to release the thriller in the second half of the year.

Sharmila Ganesan (THE TIMES OF INDIA; February 13, 2021)

These days, every time a famous deadpan Hindi comedian unleashes another dry punchline on his TV screen back home in Rajasthan, Gulshan must fight the impulse to clap and hoot too loudly. Trained by the applause cues of TV shows in Mumbai’s Film City for four whole months before the Coronavirus lockdown, cheering is muscle memory for Gulshan, a 25-year-old Bollywood hopeful who had been working as a paid TV audience member since December 2019 to afford both his Rs 4,000-per-month paying guest rent in Borivli and his “struggle”.

“My mother knows about my acting dreams but not about this,” says Gulshan, referring to the job that required sitting all day, controlling your bladder through prolonged shoots and screaming hoarse at opportune moments in the hope that the capricious cameras glimpse your aspiring-model face. At Rs 300-odd-plus-meals-aday, this daily grind hardly felt like showbiz but it assured enough sustenance and “inspirational” star-gazing to make him hunger for the old normal after he fled home to Rajasthan penniless following lockdown. “Clapping with family around feels weird,” says Gulshan, now eager to book a return ticket to professional invisibility in Mumbai next month.

It seems the cautiously-reopening floors of TV shows are their own applause cue for these faceless extras of reality TV, whose livelihood comes from feigning high spirits and who found themselves temporarily replaced by non-hungry cardboard cutouts and video standees onscreen. Desperate, these fleetingly-acknowledged audiences on the fringes of the entertainment industry have been doing odd jobs through Unlock, all the while texting audience co-ordinators and crowd suppliers for work.

Among the floating 150 to 200 faces that appear in each show are middle-aged housewives and retirees too but chiefly college students who pay their fees this way. “Some do it for time pass or pocket money but a majority of them are underprivileged people who depend on it for survival,” says Nitu Kothari, an audience coordinator who has been avoiding several calls and text messages with the same question: “Didi, kuch kaam hai?”

While TV embraces all age groups in its seats, it follows its own hierarchy--seating the “fair and good-looking types” in the front, reserving the “aunties and uncles” for serious talk shows. After the pandemic stole their seats, some returned to their hometowns and turned salesmen while some others have been coasting along on what model coordinator Tarif K calls their “balance”. Zoheb—another model coordinator who himself started out as a prolific applauder for Rs 125 per day 16 years ago—has been undertaking catering and driving jobs to live up to his earlier standard of Rs 30,000 a month.

Fighting even deeper facelessness in Kalwa is 23-year-old background artiste Shubham Tiwari, the breadwinner of his three-member home and a full-time fan of choreographer Ganesh Acharya. The lockdown intensified Shubham’s camouflage further when he donned gloves over his former clapping hands and spritzed local offices with disinfectants clad in a PPE kit. Today, Shubham works as an errand boy in a local guest house, treasures a selfie with Acharya from a pre-Covid shoot and, unable to afford dance classes, practices the dance moves of reality shows in private.

Besides the dal, chicken, roti, papad and omelette staples, Shubham misses the glittery, air-conditioned, buzzy TV ambience that paid his electricity and water bills. Even though he never got to sit in the prized front row and screamed several times to seduce the camera in vain, that one time he appeared behind a dance contestant in a rickshaw driver’s garb was its own high. “I had to borrow Rs 20,000-Rs 30,000 from my uncle to survive six months of lockdown,” says Shubham, adding that he will go back to clapping for a living in a heartbeat. But won’t that train-less commute from Kalwa to Goregaon cost him almost Rs 400 more each way? “I’ll ask them for conveyance,” Shubham says, cueing neither for applause nor for laughter.

Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 13, 2021)

Festive season has always translated into the release of big-budget movies in Bollywood. And after waiting for almost a year owing to the pandemic, it seems that actors and makers want to make the best of everything.

The year 2021 has some festivals already booked at the box office — John Abraham and Salman Khan have chosen Eid for Satyameva Jayate 2 (SMJ2) and Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai, while Akshay Kumar will come out with Raksha Bandhan on Diwali. He has also booked Republic Day 2022 for Bachchan Pandey.

Is blocking festivals so much in advance a wise decision? Reliance Entertainment CEO Shibasish Sarkar sees no harm in this. He explains, “Since the last two-three months, shoots have been on, and top stars have all been working. So, producers will start looking for dates. Once the floodgates are opened, everyone will try to look for a release.”

FESTIVE BONANZA

Aamir Khan has lined up Laal Singh Chaddha for Christmas 2021. Ajay Devgn’s Maidaan and RRR recently created headlines, with the former’s producer Boney Kapoor miffed with the latter’s director S S Rajamouli for announcing the same Dussehra release date.

Milap Milan Zaveri, director of SMJ2, says, “Our film is the perfect recipe for a festive occasion. This Eid, audiences who have been starved of entertainment will rush to cinemas.”

Echoing similar sentiments is the producer of SMJ2, Bhushan Kumar. “Eid will be a perfect date to celebrate the massy cinema we plan to give our audience,” he says.

NO SENSE in early film announcements?

Exhibitor Akshaye Rathi feels early announcements beyond a point don’t make sense. He reasons, “This year, Diwali is set to see five releases. I’m more than willing to bet my right arm that all five won’t release come what may, irrespective of how conducive a scenario it is.”

He feels that makers should focus on completing the films first. “Rather than cutting a sorry figure by announcing a release date and then moving away from it, they should complete the film,” Rathi says.

Experts, however, don’t negate how festive releases make a difference to revenue altogether. Trade analyst Joginder Tuteja says, “Since there’s a certain backlog, it’s all the more important to block a festival date. If one superstar doesn’t block a date, someone else will.”

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