This week’s story about a singer on a reality show who stumped Salman Khan by talking about Aishwarya Rai didn’t really surprise me.

The story goes that after warbling a well-rendered ‘Hum dil de chuke sanam’ which Salman appreciated and applauded, the singer got so carried away that she told him, “I felt very bad with the way Aishwarya left you heartbroken. Had I been in her shoes, I’d have given up everything and married you!”

The awkward silence that ensued lasted barely a couple of seconds as Salman rescued it by quipping, “Today you’ve given the channel material for their promos!” His quick-thinking humour defused the explosive moment so effectively that there was relieved laughter all around.

“I’m 45, my father is 75. Do you remember my father when he was 45? The only difference between us was that he had four kids by then!” – Salman

Why I am not surprised is because Salman has inherited a funny bone from his celebrated dad, Salim Khan and ever since the actor shed his aggro, he’s been able to chuckle away the most intrusive of questions. Salman today is a much-changed man from the angry, upset actor who made his debut nearly two decades ago.

The 18-year abstinence from the media where each thought the worst of the other got a slow burial after Salman stepped out of his comfort zone and went out into the world with Dus Ka Dum.

Here he met fans, he heard real people and his humour helped him face a volley of curious, personal questions directly from the public (not filtered through the media), most of which centred around when he’d get married. This programme was the starting point for coming across as the warm human he really is and his image bettered on its own.

Last week, I saw him handle the media all evening with ease. Even at the end of the day, he had three girls from various papers around him and he was charming the pants off them for all of them were giggling delightedly.

Done with that round, Salman was still lively and chirped away about the most personal aspects of his life, never once losing his dignity. Honesty and humour are the best ways for a celebrity to handle any question and both come naturally to Salman. Again, both traits come from his dad and Salim had better watch out because Salman can match him today, point for point.

A sample:

Salim’s been grousing against Salman for being too soft a touch and harming himself in the bargain. “If he’s told you all that go ahead and write it,” shrugged Salman. The Salman who’d have growled, stay-out-of-my-personal-life had disappeared. This is a Salman who accepts some of the territory that comes with stardom. “I know my father is peeved with me,” he said, puffing at his cigarette. “So write whatever he’s told you.”

He laughed over his dad’s concerns and remarked, “He thinks I’m still a stupid child. But I’m 45 years old.”

Just what your dad said. Salim Khan said, “Salman is 45 years old. Ab akal nahin aayegi to kab aayegi?”

“I’m 45, my father is 75,” he reparteed in good humour. “When I reach that age I’ll also have the brains he has today. Do you remember my father when he was 45? I do. The only difference was that he had four kids at that age!” he laughed.

With Dabangg getting the highest-ever recall value by viewers this season, Salman has much to laugh about.

You’ll find Salman at his best on the front page of FSJ next week.

WHAT DID KARAN PAY FOR THE RIGHTS OF STEPMOM?

How much does a filmmaker have to shell out if he wants to buy the remake rights of a Hollywood film?

The price can range anywhere between $20,000 and $1,00,000!

So buying the rights of a star-studded, superhit film like Stepmom would have ranged between `40-50 lakh, that’s practically half a crore.

Which actually is a steal when you’re making a film that costs more than `25 crore and you have a ready subject before you (even if you have to script it anew as Dharma Productions did with Stepmom).  “Karan is an ethical man and there was no question of not buying the rights of the film,” pointed out We Are Family director, Siddharth Malhotra.

But in the case of Stepmom, Karan didn’t actually sit across the table and make out a cheque for Sony and the other producers of the film (which includes its director Chris Columbus and lead actors Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon). The Stepmom producers wanted to be a part of the Hindi film after they’d whetted Siddharth’s resume and approved of him helming the project.

And so, much as Karan likes being the owner of all his negatives, Sony is a co-producer with him on We Are Family.

Bharathi. S. Pradhan

Editor, The Film Street Journal

Related posts:

• On Camera – Salman Khan
• Dabangg Vs We Are Family – Collison Averted!
• Salman-Sonakshi

He is looking natty in a shirt and loose tie for Madhur Bhandarkar’s Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji. Just as the tape is switched on, Ajay lights a cigarette, ready to go on record.

A hat-trick of box-office acceptances. Did this success rate strike you?

“I kept realising it but the fact is, I have a release every two months. Three, four have worked but one week after release you start thinking, okay, what about the next one? So you are completely occupied and in that situation you aren’t thinking about your success, you think about the next step.”

Atithi was your first success in 2010. What do you think worked about it when it wasn’t exactly the most brilliant film ever made?

“I think it was its simplicity. There was a nice message which was woven very well with a lot of humour. It was a feel-good film which made you laugh but also touched you somewhere. It fell in the genre of a Hrishida film and was made within a controlled budget.”

When prices had gone through the roof two years ago, even then one never heard of a steady Ajay quoting a crazy, impossible sum. Was that consciously done?

“If you do this profit-sharing for a film that has a budget of `70 crore, you know your money is not going to come in even if it works!”

“In a way, yes. Being a producer, I think I always understood what is real and what is unreal. Every script has its budget and you’ve got to know how much load the script can take. It’s like having an engine in your car, you know what its power is, what load it can take. You use the car accordingly. It’s the same with a script. As a producer you do realise what a lot of people didn’t. Now they all do. I believe in being grounded and I’ve always done what I thought would be right.”

Even today, with three hits under his belt, an Ajay Devgn film hovers between `30 and 40 crore. He doesn’t go dizzy with the zeroes.

“I go by what is practical for a film, `30-35-40 crore is the average. Going to `70-80 crore gives you too much pressure.  You need a script like that. But if you see, most of the `70-80-90 crore budget films have all lost money, in spite of some of them doing well. So what’s the point?”

His own fee has never  shattered any records. Unlike his contemporaries who went berserk before a correction came in, despite a steadily improving box-office standing, Ajay Devgn has never charged an unrealistic `40-50 crore fee at any stage of his career.

“No, I never do that. I am very sensible that way,” he nods. “I just see what is deserving from a project. There is a certain minimum I charge (reportedly, `7 crore) after which you go by the project.”

So what you would take for an Atithi would be different from what you take for a hugely budgeted Raajneeti?

“Yes, that is correct.”

The Maths works well as it did in the case of both films. With print and publicity, the total cost of Atithi fell in the region of `23-24 crore and, “It comfortably recovered that and much more.”

Ajay also sizes up a project before he opts for a share in the profits because, “It varies, project to project. I wouldn’t mind a share if the project is small, so that the project becomes viable and safe and you are sure that your money comes in. Even if it does okay, your money will come in.” He gives a short laugh, “If you do this profit-sharing for a film that has a budget of `70 crore, you know your money is not going to come in even if it works!”

So you might as well take your chunk at the beginning itself? “And be fair about it,” he adds. In other words, again stay realistic and not burden the budget. Which he did for a biggie like Raajneeti which is why producers tend to keep working with Ajay.

Raajneeti was the surprise in the pack since it worked despite its budget.

“I was sure it would be well received,” he muses, “but I think it is overwhelming when you see such collections.”

Are you still miffed with Prakash Jha?

“My next release Aakrosh is an action film which I haven’t done for a long time. Then we go straight into Golmaal 3 and you know what that will be”

“Not really. I did feel my role could’ve been better. I had a talk with Prakashji and we sorted it out.”

Both of you go back too long a way to be miffed for long.

“Exactly. And I knew it was not intentional. But there have been two opinions about Raajneeti. Those who understand cinema come and tell me, what a performance, what a character!  But hardcore fans feel, aur thoda hota!”

Will you be doing Prakash Jha’s next film Aarakshan?

“He has to still narrate the script and then we’ll decide. We have spoken about it but the final decision has to be taken.”

Coming to Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai, what worked with it?

“I think everything about the film worked. The dialogues and performances worked the best according to the reactions I’ve got. Overall, the film worked fantastically. The era worked, the macho-heroism of the 70s blended with today’s sensibilities, all of it worked.”

Not to forget the soft, romantic side of Ajay that also made a great connection in this one. It isn’t a dimension often seen in Ajay but even a full-on romance is something that he wouldn’t shy from – if it is a great script. In all his 18 years he hasn’t done steamy scenes but doesn’t entirely rule it out. “It should be the demand of the script. In all these years, I haven’t heard a script where we needed it. And whatever needs to be done has to be done aesthetically.”

But along with Shah Rukh and Salman Khan, Ajay is a part of the only trio of top actors for whom kissing on screen is not even up for consideration.

Ajay explains, “Somehow I’m not very comfortable with the idea of kissing on screen.”

One of the reasons why the viewer hasn’t felt the fatigue of watching an Ajay film every two months is because all three fell into different genres of cinema and Ajay himself had vastly different work to do in each.

It has registered with him too, as he explains, “That’s what I have been planning to do. Forget the releases, I myself don’t want to do the same thing back-to-back. My next release Aakrosh is an action film which I haven’t done for a long time. Then we go straight into Golmaal 3 and you know what that will be. We’re looking at Jan for Madhur’s film but I also have Toonpur Ka Superhero coming in December. That is an animation film. You shoot against green and you’re talking to no characters while shooting. So every little bit has to be created, every character, every expression, every background detail. Kajol and I have finished shooting for it, the film is ready, but dubbing can happen only after all the animation work is complete. We’ve decided on December 18 for the release of Toonpur Ka Superhero. Yes, you’re going to have three more films of mine this year!”

“You’ve got to know how much load the script can take. It’s like having an engine in your car, you know what its power is, what load it can take. It’s the same with a script”

Planning to direct again?

“I have a script but I need six months to work on it. Maybe end of next year. I have quite a few films lined up. I have Madhur’s in Jan, I’m going to start Rajkumar Santoshi’s film, there’s Priyan’s film (Bullet Train) for which I’m going to London, then Rohit’s film which I’ll produce. I’m also planning to produce another one with Ashwini Dheer, it’s a fabulous script. It’s more a satire than a comedy.

“It’s not difficult to be a producer as well as an actor. I have a team that manages it well for me.”

You must be good at time management.

“Yes, you could say that I’m good with time management. I finish all my work by 6 pm, I need to be home with my daughter after that. I manage that most days. And I do no work at all on Sundays. It’s been that way the last four, five years.”

The excitement of all his films working commercially is topped with the excitement of becoming a father again.

“Of course, I’m very excited,” he puffs on. “I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that everything turns out fine. Nysa is also excited about the baby. She was wary initially but we’ve talked her into it and now she’s also looking forward to it. She’s seven-and-a-half years old and she understands a lot.”

Talking of kids, all the girls in Raajneeti got pregnant after a one-night stand – the mom, Katrina and Sarah Thompson.

“Must be Prakashji’s fantasies!” he grins. Ajay can crack a joke too – and on record.

– Bharathi

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• Baghban Of The B.R. Garden
• Dream Price For Vipul Shah’s ‘London Dreams’
• Raajneeti

Raju’s written a substantial heroine’s role for the first time

When Rajkumar Hirani drove up in his pre-3 Idiots sedan for a TV interview, his host was taken aback that the No 1 director of this country had not arrived in a flashy, high-end four-wheeler.

When Raju and Abhijat Joshi (partners in crime, they co-wrote Lage Raho Munna Bhai and 3 Idiots) had a quick meal at nearby MIG cricket club in Bandra East before going back to swotting over their next script, eyebrow movements wondered how such a successful man could side-step 5-star ambience and opt for his old haunt. It was like old times as the writing partners walked down Bandra-Kurla Complex in the rain, discussing their script, with Raju hiding his recorder and phone from the drizzle.

What has also remained unchanged is that Rajkumar Hirani has a pleasant smiling face (like his movies) and he laughs easily. He has much to laugh about.

Along with the goodies that came with his third hit in a row is the good news that Abhijat Joshi is available for longer spells.

“Vinod is very straight. There’s no hidden agenda, what you see is what you get”

Recognising his work in Hindi films, his college, Otterbein College in Ohio, has agreed to let him work only one semester every year. So for almost seven months a year he’s free to write. “It’s wonderful,” says Raju.

Hmm, Abhijat and Raju have hit it off more than any hero-heroine!

Laughs. “I know, very soon they’ll start saying we’re gay! Baarish mein ghoomte hain. I know I’ve given you your cover story knowingly!”

As it is you’re known to be more partial towards your men than your female characters.

“It’s been true till now but I’ll correct it,” he promises. “Hopefully I’ll be changing that in my next film. We were aware of it while scripting the second film and we wrote many scenes of Sanju and Vidya together. They were great scenes by themselves but when we looked at the script as a whole, we found those very scenes interfering with the flow. It happened so often that we had to accept that Munna Bhai is like a Chaplin film.

In a Chaplin film you only remember him and not any girl. The story is about that tramp. Munna Bhai is about Munna Bhai and his buddy. Any girl who comes in will get trampled and if we go out of our way to make her do things, we’d end up destroying the flavour of the film. The same thing happened with 3 Idiots also, it was a story about those guys. But the script we’re now working on has a very strong girl.”

Sanju says Munna Bhai is definitely on from April 2011.

“Munna Bhai is definitely on and those are the tentative dates we’ve taken,” he confirms. “But we don’t know when we’ll be shooting. When I went to the US, we started working on Munna Bhai and got stuck after a point. So we decided to start working on the other script. My guess is that this year we will have two scripts ready. Yes, it’s the other script which has a strong girl. Munna Bhai won’t let any woman surface!”

At one time everybody wanted Raju to make a film for them. But that clamour has dwindled.

“I know, very soon they’ll start saying that Abhijat and I are gay. Baarish mein ghoomte hain. I know I’ve given you your cover story knowingly!”

Everybody knows he’s not going to leave Vinod Chopra!

Laughs.

“I’m not on contract with anyone. But it takes me two years to write a script. If I get a readymade script from someone, I’d definitely be interested. Otherwise, why should I make my script with anyone else? What can they offer me that I don’t already get from Vinod? And becoming a producer doesn’t fascinate me. Right now I hate signing cheques. Even when my office people put a cheque before me, I can’t stand it. I can’t handle office work!”

It’s incredible how well you get along with Vinod who has such a bad temper and ego!

Laughs.

“Once you personally know Vinod, you realise that he’s very straight. There’s no hidden agenda, what you see is what you get. There’s much more clarity with him than with guys who may not be yelling. I find him very easy to deal with. He’s very quick to address problems and he’s a very good, strong producer. He’s very good with marketing, very good with distribution.”

As a filmmaker, he appreciates Vinod’s guts above everything else.

Explains the 3 Idiots maker, “I liked Kites. I got a message from Hrithik that there was a screening  in New York, so I saw it there. Playing safe is very simple. No dangers, no risk. He tried something different, the girl speaks only Spanish, on top of that Hrithik is speaking in English. If it worked, the man would have become a visionary. They (the Roshans) didn’t spare any efforts. Okay, the experiment failed. But to me that is acceptable. I got a lot of gaalis for saying I liked it! Karan (Johar) was also in New York, we saw it together and he also liked it. He told me that he got abused more than me because he’s on Twitter too!”

“I liked Kites!”

So you’d applaud Eklavya too for the same reasons?

“The first thing people say is, we want to make a hit. When you go into an Eklavya you go in saying, I believe in this story and you’re putting your money where your mouth is. How many people would do that? When you succeed you become a Columbus who discovered America. When you fail, people say, look where he’s landed up. I rather admire people who take chances and say, let’s make something different. I’ve been lucky that we got a Gandhi and we succeeded. I’m blessed and lucky because if it had flopped, I’d have been abused. So some experiments work, some fail. It could happen to me also. Who the hell knows?”

But now you’re the guy with the magic touch!

“I am saddled with some 20 scripts. They are  from people wanting me to read and comment on them,” he says, daunted by the prospect of wading through so much.

Isn’t this better than making a flop where no one wants you?

“Of course!” Laughs. “I’m just explaining how it is, I’m not complaining. I’m completely blessed to be in this situation.”

“Munna Bhai is like a Chaplin film. You only remember Chaplin, not any girl. Any girl who comes in will get trampled!”

PS: Let’s not say that Rajkumar Hirani hasn’t changed. Life has, even if his core hasn’t. There are more hands stretched out for donations, there are 20 unread scripts by his bedside and the “people bombardment” has started.

Also, Rajkumar Hirani has been more often on a plane traversing the globe than on terra firma – the 3 Idiots man sure has been travelling.

He’s also blessed with a wife whose work as a pilot takes her up there among the clouds but her head’s never in it, her feet remain plonk on the ground.

So, is Manjeet still flying as high as you?

“Higher, she’s at 35,000 feet!” he laughs. “Sardarni hai, sab ko ground kar degi!”

Bharathi. S. Pradhan

Editor, The Film Street Journal

Related posts:

• What Next, Raju?
• Hirani: As Simple As His Films
• ‘Lage Raho…’ In Book Form

Date: August 14, 2010     Venue: Sun-n-Sand

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• Ed-Word

When a colleague of mine at Star & Style had muffed up by writing that Ravi Baswani was from NDA (instead of NSD, National School of Drama), the actor had got ready to don a fauji’s uniform and march up to our office!

Three decades later, the condolence meeting was as different as the actor was. Up there on the dais, the framed picture, duly garlanded, of well-loved comic Ravi Baswani with faithful pooch Shishupal told a story by itself. Despite impressive work in films like Chashme Buddoor and Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, Ravi who was never really given his due as an actor by the Mumbai film industry, had set his heart on directing this tiny-budget feature film when his heart gave way, permanently.

He’d gone for a recce to Nainital and had got special permission from the hotel owner that when he’d come there to shoot his film, it would be with his inseparable companion, Shishupal. As a special favour to the actor, the hotel had said, ‘yes’ and ageing Shishupal would have wagged his tail in appreciation. But before he could come back home, Ravi passed away. Unbelievably, within eight days, even before a condolence meeting could be held for the actor, Shishupal also curled up and died. A man’s best friend, indeed.

Naseeruddin Shah who’d been in the midst of an “intensive” shoot when buddy Ravi passed away on July 27, had been too disturbed to give the expected cliché bytes to TV cameras. However, at a meeting put together by close friends on Monday, Naseer fondly recalled the rum times with Ravi and a 40-year friendship, perhaps the only one to be free of “turbulence”. From every speaker came tales of endless cups of tea brewed at the house of a man who kept an open house for writers, actors, directors… anyone who wanted a welcoming meeting place. From Ashutosh Gowariker to a young Vatsal Sheth, they’d all been touched by the grace of Ravi Baswani.  RIP

Once Upon A Time

There Were Celebrations Like This

Does an actor need botox when he hits the big 4-0? Nopes, give him three hits in a row instead and watch him glow.

It was an unbelievably high-on-happiness Ajay Devgn at Ekta Kapoor’s well-hosted party at Krishna, her parents’ mansion in Juhu. After Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge and Raajneeti, the success of Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai was the cherry on top for Ajay who is looking a decade more youthful with a cheery mood to go with it. Ardent party-giver Ekta threw open her gates, declared the bar open and her transition from soap queen to box-office princess was complete.

Emraan Hashmi who has finally climbed from serial-kisser status to bankable actor and put a toe outside the comfort zone of Bhatt territory, was equally ecstatic about his new success. “The moment I read the script, I had no second thoughts about it. I just knew that I had to do this film,” he enthused.

Both Ajay and Emraan came without their respective wives. While a seven-month pregnant Kajol awaited hubby at home to bring in her birthday (and he went home in the wee hours of her birthday), Emraan’s wife was at home looking after baby Ayaan. Emraan is finally comfortable about posing with his son and talking like a dad.

On the other hand, Maanyata (also very pregnant) came without hubby Sanjay Dutt which aroused the chivalrous instincts of Ajay and Suneil Shetty who protectively led her away from the crowd. Chunky Panday and Luv Sinha also buffered Maanya from the general jostle.

Partying with Emraan was uncle Mahesh Bhatt (not really an Ekta regular), slimmer by 20 kilos. The no-booze, no-calories man went home early, leaving nephew to make the most of his latest success.

Ekta’s invite said, let’s do the retro look. Prachi Desai in a tight mini skirt was more today than yesterday while Kangana Ranaut, the only adventurous dresser in town, chose a golden toga  with a Cleopatra band on her forehead. Abbas-Mustan in their white uniform could have been from any era – they look the same whatever the calendar might say.

Boney and Mona Kapoor’s son Arjun Kapoor looked smashing. He’s another who has benefited bigtime from his association with Salman Khan who goaded him to shed weight. Arjun’s all set to be launched as the next actor from the Surinder Kapoor stable. The new Mr India?

Along with Ajay were his staunch allies – a regular like Rohit Shetty (who can’t look beyond Devgn when he directs a film), an occasional like Milan Luthria alias Bunty (the Once Upon A Time glow is evident on him too) and a newfound captain like Madhur Bhandarkar (he has the winning combo of Ajay and Emraan in his film Dil To Bachcha Hai Ji). Madhur’s promise: Mine won’t be a David Dhawan comedy, it will be humour a la Hrishikesh Mukherjee.

This time, brother Tusshar joined the party while parents Jeetendra and Shobha as always, stayed away. Ekta had placed a huge fan inside the gate for the comfort of the cameramen and TV crew. She also came down to give a byte or two.

The photographers got every celebrity who walked in, including Shobha Kapoor, dazzling with emeralds, who had first worked overtime at the office and then gone to her club for her own party with friends, before returning home after midnight. She is also the producer of Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai but, “All I’ve been doing for this film is signing cheques,” she chirped.

And the cameras caught Jeetendra, trim as a collegian, returning home around 1 am. Jeetu unfailingly visits a church on Hill Road, late every Wednesday night.

The gods sure are pleased with this family.

NAIL MAIL

Former actress, now businesswoman, Sheeba owns three nail spas in Mumbai. Guess what she’s called her franchise? Sexy Nails! Sonam Kapoor had got her claws sharpened for her role in Aisha at Sheeba’s spa. And don’t miss those bright blue talons that the owner herself sports!

Here’s another bit of inside dope from Aisha: Did that brief, inconsequential role of the aunt (played by Anooradha Patel) leave an impact on you? Juhi Chawla was sure it wasn’t worth her presence when Anil Kapoor offered it to his heroine of Deewana Mastana, Loafer and Salaam-e-Ishq. She turned it down without a second thought!

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COLLISION AVERTED

Original release date for both films: September 10, 2010

Revised dates

We Are Family: September 3, 2010 (pre-poned by a week)

Dabangg: September 10, 2010 (as originally planned)

Two distinct genres of Hindi cinema.

Two confident, big backers.

Two well-marketed products.

Dabangg, a full-on entertainer with total mass appeal.

We Are Family, the Indian re-write of Stepmom, a tried-and-tested, rich, human drama.

Dabangg has Salman Khan’s incredible muscle behind it. It is his younger brother, Arbaaz Khan’s first formal foray into film production.

We Are Family has the backing of Dharma Productions. It is one more step forward for Karan Johar’s dream of providing an umbrella for a variety of cinema, of owning a bouquet of negatives he can leave behind for Shah Rukh’s children.

Dabangg moves into the heart of small-town India.

We Are Family has Dharma chic with Australia as a backdrop.

Dabangg has first-timer Abhinav Singh Kashyap helming it. He is Anurag Kashyap’s brother.

Siddharth Malhotra, first-time director of We Are Family

We Are Family has been directed by Siddharth Malhotra, son of Cinevistaa’s Prem Kishen. He has trained under Sooraj Barjatya (Vivaah) and Karan Johar, two masters of human emotions.

Dabangg has a casting coup. Salman has been paired opposite the sparkling Sonakshi Sinha, the only daughter of Shatrughan Sinha. And she’s got the following and appeal of a star even before her debut film is out.

We Are Family has the best cast imaginable today. To get Kajol, in a class of her own, and Kareena Kapoor, currently the most interesting star-actress in town, together in the same film is a dream team for any director.

The promos of both films have made viewers sit up and pant for more. The promos, the marketing, the backers and the starcast have turned Dabangg and We Are Family into what the trade calls ‘hot’. When each has a distinct appeal and there are takers in huge numbers for both films, why should they collide on the same release date?

When we were in school, one of the stories all of us heard was about two fast-moving vehicles coming from opposite directions and nearly colliding on a narrow bridge. There isn’t enough room for both to move on side by side. The driver of one car says, “I don’t make way for fools,” and stays put. The driver of the other car says, “But I do,” and reverses, making it a smooth passage for both cars to go forward  without a scratch.

In the case of Dabangg vs We Are Family, there is not even ego-play at work for both camps are friends. Malaika has always been close to Karan-Shah Rukh and this is her husband’s first production. It would benefit neither film to divide audience attention on its release day.

Abhinav Singh Kashyap makes his debut with Dabangg

So, instead of both clashing on September 10, business-savvy Karan Johar took a hard-nosed decision to come in one week earlier. We Are Family will now be released on September 3. On the other hand, marketed as an Eid offer from the Khan family, it made sense for Dabangg to stay with its original release date.

We Are Family is totally ready. There was enough time for Siddharth Malhotra to even go with his family to Vaishnodevi and the Golden Temple in Amritsar for blessings before the release of his first film.

Besides, with no other major releases on September 3, Dharma Productions will get a clear one-week run before Dabangg comes in for its share of viewership.

When Veronica Lodge was once asked to quickly choose between two totally different but fabulous bikinis, she made an instant decision and said, “Both!”

The audience just got both.

Bharathi. S. Pradhan

Editor, The Film Street Journal

Related posts:

• All Set
• We Are Family
• Intimate conversation with Salman Khan – High On Dabangg

It sure won’t be Sanjay Dutt because….read on and find out only in FSJ!

When politician Nilesh Rane (son of heavyweight Narayan Rane) decided to get a foothold in film production, his lieutenants fanned out and brought him a few names.

They’d liked the director’s work in Kaal and Luck, so they also approached Soham Shah.  While the meetings set up with other directors didn’t impress Nilesh Rane, he liked the upfront projections of Soham who had an interesting project to offer him – a multi-crore biggie on Chhatrapati Shivaji. The decision to lavishly film Shivaji on the lines of Hollywood’s 300, had barely been taken when Sanjay Dutt’s name cropped up as a possible name for a major part in the film.

Meanwhile, Soham, who started off as a slick designer of film hoardings and posters, also had to make a film for the actor’s own banner, Sanjay Dutt Productions (SDP).

Who’ll play Shivaji? What’s the connection between Soham and Sanju (who belong to two different generations)? A gym-toned Soham, trademark glow and grin in place, met FSJ over coffee.

There’s been a consistent buzz about Sanjay Dutt and his production house standing by you but there’s also talk of a big-scale film being produced by politician Nilesh Rane on Chhatrapati Shivaji. Where exactly are you today?

The situation with SDP is that Sanjay himself is in the process of organising his production in such a way that once a film starts, he would not want a break in between, which is really wise. I think he is in talks with some overseas financiers and the deal has only to be put down in black and white. So we are on hold only on that level. Otherwise, from the scripting to all other details, we are ready. Also, the SDP office is being readied right now, a big office for SDP is under construction in Santa Cruz. So I’d say that we have about six months more to go. But once Sanjay Dutt gives us a green signal we’ll be all set to roll. The script is locked. We had a writer working on it even while Luck was being made.

You didn’t find a change in Sanjay Dutt when Luck failed?

The only change was that Sanju Sir was nicer to me and even more supportive than before. He told me one line that has been an inspiration for me. He said, ‘Our film industry is a place which will keep knocking you down when you are low. It’s up to you how you get up and get back on your feet.’ He has a way of reading you accurately and he is protective and supportive.

Does that help?

It does. Even if he himself has a low phase where some of his films aren’t doing well, or long before I came into films, when he’d be in and out of jail, every time he came out, he was stronger than ever before. He has the capacity to really fight back. I think our fight is not even 5 per cent of what he has been through. He has a great survival instinct which is the only thing you need out here.

Also, having Sanjay Dutt in your film is always an asset. The best thing is that he moulds himself into any sort of role, whether it is a father’s role, an action role, a comedy role or a negative one. Tomorrow even if he doesn’t like a role in my film, he will still be there as a friend and brother which matters a lot to me.

You say that Sanjay Dutt will always be there in your film but you also say that the casting of Shivaji is a big secret. What is the accurate cast?

We are in the initial stages of scripting. When there is a hero and a grey character, at least in our Indian stories, the grey character is always stronger than the hero. So I definitely have something very strong for Sanjay Dutt in mind. (Ahem, pl refer to the FSJ scoop two weeks ago, ‘Sanjay Dutt To Play Aurangzeb?’) But I must have a professional approach and go to him when the entire narration is ready. The script or the role must have something that he likes or believes in because he is very sharp. I will never take him for granted.

So, will your next be Nilesh Rane’s Shivaji or a film for SDP?

Right now Shivaji is a major priority because it is a very big film both as a production as well as a starcast project. If things fall into place soon, the entire focus and priority will be on Shivaji. Meanwhile, SDP has two other directors with their scripts and production in place. So if Shivaji has something exciting for Sanjay Dutt and if he agrees, then we can go ahead with that film first.

Why did you thank Maanyata Dutt in the credits of Luck?

During Luck, she was really supportive of me because my script for SDP was totally ready, even dates had been allotted. But for some reason, SDP was not ready. I had to request Maanyata to allow me to start Luck using those same dates. She was the one who read the script of Luck and suggested to Sanju Sir that he be a part of it. He was very committed then with Blue and three other films, so getting his dates for Luck was impossible. But she was the one who put in a word and made it happen.

Sanju usually operates with his cronies who sit and drink with him. How do you fit in?

I had approached Sanjay Dutt with a script which I was to make for Dharma Productions. It had been written with Sanjay Dutt in mind and one more hero. He had liked it and said we will make it for SDP. I told him that he has been my lucky mascot even before we’d met. I had designed seven of his films like Kartoos, Chal Mere Bhai, Dus, Safari. So even as a film designer, my career had started with him. His manager, Dharam Oberoi has also always been very supportive. So we hit it off right from the start. But I believe that it is only your work that can take you ahead. I don’t believe that hanging around someone or drinking with them can take you places. It might be a longer struggle without drinking but I don’t mind taking that route.  By the way, I have never touched alcohol in my life. So the question of drinking with anybody doesn’t arise!

Essentially an ace designer, will you continue designing for the films you direct?

With every film, I have felt that this time I should not take on the extra responsibility of designing the posters and should assign it to someone else. But I’ve found that I can handle the multi-tasking and I still enjoy designing, so it doesn’t require great external effort. It comes naturally to me.

So even when you’re making a biggie like Shivaji you’ll make time for designing it?

Especially a biggie like Shivaji, I will definitely design!

Bharathi. S. Pradhan

Editor, The Film Street Journal

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When Aamir Khan mentioned that this time he couldn’t do his customary music release by going to “Shammi Uncle’s house”, he didn’t let out that yahoo, the veteran actor was in Delhi shooting a film.

Aamir did everything else in customary style – he gave a small film like Peepli Live the kind of attention a biggie usually gets by simply standing under the spotlight.

The cerebral actor rightly gauged that he, the producer of the film, was the sole selling point of Peepli Live and not its first-time directors, Anusha Rizvi and Mahmood Farooqui or its cast (all of whom are from the stage).

Therefore, he chose a different venue like Blue Frog, known more for its live musical performances than for a filmland function. He chose a tea-time like 4 pm where the concentration would be on the performers and the music and not on food and drink.And because he was the host (a very good one at that, along with Kiran Rao whose best accessory is a bright smile), the music event drew celebrity names like Rajkumar Hirani, Ashutosh Gowariker, Rakeysh Mehra, all of whom have delivered thumping hits with the actor, and youngsters like Ayan Mukherji. The presence of Rani Mukherjee (in her trademark pant suit, the same type she wore to Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s new store) and costars Sharman Joshi and Atul Kulkarni kept the cameramen busy.

But Aamir Khan kept the celebrities restricted to the audience, charting out a short, one-hour programme which did complete justice to the musicians of Peepli Live. Actor Raghubir Yadav, comfortable on the harmonium and, like most NSD graduates, a competent singer, is also the son of a musician. Raghu (who was lately in the news for not paying up alimony due to his estranged wife) was given the centrestage his talent deserved as he and a rural band rendered a full-throated ‘Mehngayee daayan khaye jat hai’. The same voices, led by Raghu, have sung this in the film too.

That was followed by a saree-clad, flower bedecked traditional looking Nagin, daughter of late Habib Tanwar (a celebrity on the Delhi stage) who sang a number in rustic Ila Arun mould.

And then Indian Ocean took over, every performer getting a chance at the mike. Of course, Aamir Khan ensured that the evening culminated in a fitting climax when he took over the drums and happily accompanied Indian Ocean in the final number.

With aggressive promotion becoming a must for every film, the only way a filmmaker can stand out from the tiresome print-TV-reality show campaigns is to do something refreshingly new. By featuring in the finale, Aamir literally drummed up curiosity for his Peepli Live!

PS: Rhea Kapoor’s Aisha does star Sonam Kapoor (undoubtedly a draw today) and Abhay Deol (also a bankable name). But dad Anil Kapoor is adding, a la Aamir, his star power to Aisha in its promotion by doing the rounds of FM studios. It would make unwise business sense not to make use of a big name at home. Anil as producer is doing just that – adding his value to his daughters’ Aisha.

Bharathi. S. Pradhan

Editor, The Film Street Journal

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The Stylish 2some Of I Hate Luv Storys

29-year-old director, Punit Malhotra: Chachu walked to Siddhi Vinayak, it’s crazy, this walking to temples. It kinda demeans all our hard work.

43-year-old designer, Manish Malhotra: These youngsters, I can’t handle them!

In a tastefully interior-ed apartment on Pali Hill, fully befitting its style-famous owner, lives filmdom’s most-chased designer, Manish Malhotra. The building’s amusingly called Deepika, but of course the actress by that name doesn’t figure in the chat over chaat and chai.

FSJ presents the twosome in the news today, Manish and Punit Malhotra.

Envious, Manish? You’ve been talking about directing a film for six years while nephew Punit has already delivered a hit.

Manish: It’s his journey, my journey is already half-done. In fact I feel I’ve also taken a step forward with this film.

Punit: It’s more his film than mine. I say this in all honesty because I wasn’t even going to make this film. It was he who heard the first half and pushed me to make it. I took the script to Karan (Johar) on my own. But Sonam’s casting came from chachu. He was there for me on the sets every day, and I’m not talking about clothes and styling and the obvious work front. I remember clearly, we had a 12-day schedule in New Zealand and I asked him, are you serious, you are going to be there every single day? And he was there, every single moment for me. I was going through a very low phase in NZ and he sent me a letter firing me. He said, everything’s going well, just pull up your socks. There were a lot of issues which were really getting me down.

Manish: I didn’t fire you, I wrote you a letter.

Believe Manish even walked to Siddhi Vinayak temple before the release?

Punit: Yes, he did.

Manish: Are you mad? How can you go around telling the media all this?

Punit: I think it’s almost crazy that he walked to temples. For what? It kinda demeans our hard work!

Manish: These youngsters, I can’t handle them! (Expansively) When you see someone whom you care for go through anguish, as an elder you have to pull him up. I have gone through all kinds of issues in a zillion films. I had to tell him that these are strides you have to take, this is your journey. But I could understand his frustration. I have gone through so much of frustration dealing with filmmakers who didn’t even know how to speak to you. They used to look at me like, what are you doing in a woman’s world? Or, oh, you’ve come to take a cheque when you’re actually going to make clothes for the heroine’s mother? To enter office after office, getting these looks and some of these producers’ cheques also bouncing, I’ve gone through all that. So what I was doing was telling Punit, these things happen when you make a film, don’t get disturbed by it. I would do it for a friend and this was like my own film. That’s why I wrote to him.

Did it help?

Punit: I don’t know how much of it seeped in. But I knew that next morning I’d get my butt kicked, I had to get out of bed and work.

Manish: You’d have gone to work anyway. You are a very hardworking boy. I’ve worked with every kind of director, big and small, and what I like about Punit as a director is that he is very clear. It’s a family trait, this clarity. I felt so young being on the sets!

What is very nice about all of them, especially Punit, Imran and Sonam, is that they are not wannabe cool.  They were never trying to be yeah man, let’s chill, let’s do a smoke, they were truly trendy young people. I really enjoyed being a part of this film. At the age of 43 to style such a young film is one of the highlights of my career.

Punit, did you discuss the script with Manish before you went on the floor?

FAST FACTS

• Six years after he went public with his dream of directing a musical, Manish Malhotra will start his film for Dharma Productions late this year. “The shooting will go into next year,” explains Manish whose script is underway but has got the nod from Karan Johar.
• What will Punit Malhotra do after IHLS?

“There are no free lunches in this world,” jokes Manish. “It’ll be payback time and he’ll be on my sets by my side this time.”

• Punit’s threat to the city-slick Manish. “My next will be a film called Bhiwandi on a budget of Rs 5 crore.”

Manish: “I sure won’t work on any such film!”

• Punit reportedly got a less than Rs 20 crore budget for I Hate Luv Storys and stuck to the figure Karan allotted him. So, while he had to creatively make IHLS, he also had to keep an eye on all costs. That’s why instead of classic Switzerland, ideal for spoofing a Bollywood romance, he shot in New Zealand. It was Euros vs NZ dollars and NZ won!
• The title I Hate Luv Storys was Karan Johar’s brainchild. “Imran and I didn’t want an English title but we were obviously wrong,” acknowledges Punit.
• Manish has mapped all the reviews, ratings and reactions to IHLS more possessively than its young director. “The whole family is like that,” reports Punit, revelling in the attention. “If you criticise my film in front of my grandmother she’ll probably chop off your head! And I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s doing voodoo on a couple of people who haven’t liked my film!”
• On the day that Manish and Punit did a test shoot with Sonam and Imran, Kareena Kapoor strolled over and approved of the youthful styling. “Inka makeover yehi ho gaya,” she declared.
• On the first day of shooting, Karan Johar said, ‘Manish is the most positive person I know, so I want him to break the nariyal.’ Manish recalls, “I broke it and it broke to such perfection that there were two identical halves. It was such a good sign that everything was going perfectly.”

Punit: “I don’t believe in the nariyal but yeah, everything fell into place perfectly!”

Punit: Very much. He’s heard the narration about 10 times and seen the film about 60 times. I’m only surprised that he’s not fed up of it!

Manish: Punit’s got a great understanding of this medium and the craft. He’s going to grow as a director.  Abhishek Bachchan told Karan after the Miami schedule of Dostana, we’re now in Mumbai, you must call Punit to help out. Then Karan also asked Punit to help Tarun (Mansukhani, the director) with the editing. Which means Karan could see that he had it in him. Punit wanted to be an actor, he has modelled, he’s good looking.

Punit: Great looking!

Manish (unfazed): While he struggled to become an actor, he started writing his script. I remember we were at the Marriott when I told him that the script is very fresh, you must make it. I never thought I’d ever say this in my lifetime because it’s just not in me but I actually told him, I’ll produce it for you.

Punit: Yes, he actually said, we’ll get some money from somewhere and produce it ourselves. It’s a small film, we’ll do it. And that’s how it really turned out. It is not a big budget film, it’s a nice, modest film which has worked in our favour.

Manish: I felt that he was one of those lucky people who could be an actor and had this (directorial) talent also. Maybe nature wanted him to take this path first, so why not take it instead of waiting for a break as an actor?

Were you disappointed that Karan didn’t offer you a film as an actor?

Punit: Karan never made any films with new actors at that point of time and he was very keen to launch brand new directors.  Tarun was always meant to make a film for Dharma but straight after KANK Karan told me, ‘I’ve offered Tarun a film but that doesn’t mean I don’t want you to also make a film for me. I want you to make a film for me.’ In spite of that I took two years off, I was happy doing my own thing, waiting to get a good acting offer. But Karan’s offer kept playing in my head.

Manish:  Even when I told him I’d produce it, I would have first gone only to Karan because Dharma is like my company. Do you know I’ve been a part of Dharma even before Karan entered it? I did Gumraah (Sridevi’s styling) and Duplicate (Juhi Chawla, Sonali Bendre), so I’m senior to even Karan in the company!

Punit: After KANK I took a break from Dharma, I got some ridiculous offers as an actor which I didn’t want to take up. On the one hand, perhaps the biggest producer in the country was giving me a film to direct while on the other hand were these ridiculous acting offers. I kept weighing my pros and cons.  When I joined them again for Dostana, I went as Tarun’s friend because he was having some problem. I went there for barely 10 or 15 days and every second person was telling me, ‘Are you mad? Why aren’t you directing a film?’ Even the DOP who is the same for both Dostana and IHLS said, do a film, we’re with you. Incidentally, the DOP has taken less money for my film than he did for Dostana! When I spoke to Karan about my film, I had my list of crew ready, they were all on board. Karan made the calls to Imran and Sonam. I narrated the script to them (individually) and they were on. When I wrote the script I had Imran in mind but was clueless about the girl.

And chachu Manish pointed him towards Sonam. What did Punit think of her comment that when she met her director, she wondered why he wasn’t an actor?

Punit: Uski moonh mein ghee-shakkar! But she didn’t say any such thing to me.

How much credit would you give Manish for the break you got with Dharma? That you got it because you are Manish’s nephew?

Punit: I wouldn’t want to believe that but …

Manish (interrupting): I’d say he got the break to assist Karan because of me but certainly not the film. He got a film to direct because Punit had assisted Karan on Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Kal Ho Naa Ho, KANK, and Shah Rukh called him to assist with Paheli and Karan called him again for Dostana.

Punit: Karan didn’t get me a script and give me a break as director. I wrote the story, screenplay, dialogue and pitched the entire package to him which he liked. So I wouldn’t say that I got a break to direct a film only because of chachu’s influence. If that were the case, Karan would have launched me as an actor!

Did Manish really go beyond the look and styling?

Punit: For sure.

Manish: I’ve done that for so many films. I’ve done it for Dharmesh’s films, for Karan’s films. I’m not just a costumes person. I have worked so closely with all these directors, discussed their scripts, watched their rushes, heard their songs.

Punit: He’d even watch the rushes of IHLS before I’d show them to Karan.

Manish: I’m the Babita in Punit’s life!

Bharathi. S. Pradhan

Editor, The Film Street Journal

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Akshay Kumar learns the game

Last week, a politely-worded email from Yash Raj Films stated that a lot of misinformation had gone around about their latest film Badmaash Company.

To set the record straight, the email posted two figures: one, the film had cost them around Rs 27 crore and two, its recovery was in the region of Rs 30 crore. It was simple maths, therefore, that Badmaash Company had got back its investment and a little more.

In this straightforward email, Yashraj reiterated that they were happy to have sailed home safe with the film but in no way was it a blockbuster. It’s a stand that the debut-making director of Badmaash Company, Parmeet Sethi also took in the last issue of FSJ where he frankly stated that it had happily brought back its investment but no, they were making no claims about it being an all-time hit.

How very refreshing!

What made it even more pleasant was that the information came officially from Yash Raj, a banner that used to be notoriously reticent about sharing any facts and figures with the media. But then again, this is the banner that has always set trends. Whether it was about having three-film contracts with directors, writers and actors or providing an umbrella for a bouquet of films to be made by a variety of directors, it was Yash Raj that showed the way; the others simply followed.

Hopefully, this new trendsetting email will also be emulated by other filmmakers since the business behind showbiz has caught the fancy of publications and readers.  But this penchant for the facts and figures of the box-office also occasionally throws up distasteful reactions from filmmakers and actors.

Right now Karan Johar is extremely miffed with anybody who has quoted any trade analyst and concluded that his My Name Is Khan is a loser.  While the film did not bring the audience in droves inside India, it did fantastic business overseas. The three or four prominent trade analysts in the business maintain that it could not recover its extremely high cost and Karan is livid with that observation because, according to him, his accounts books tell a different story.

The problem today is that filmmakers are quick to place huge ads making the dizziest of claims. Even renowned flop films have put out impossibly misleading figures in a vain attempt to establish that they have succeeded.  Certain filmmakers have also thrown success parties when their films have actually flopped.

So, do you buy their claims blindly?

Or, do you quote trade analysts?

If a filmmaker charges that trade analysts have their own personal agenda and are not to be quoted, wouldn’t the Yashraj model be far more amicable for everybody around? If filmmakers would only have sensible, unbiased publicity departments who give straightforward official figures, perhaps we can avoid unnecessary, ugly confrontations.

We understand that quoting the income of a film is somewhat like publicly detailing a man’s salary, and if it is downsized, rightly or wrongly, there is room for anger.

On the other hand, The Film Street Journal has no agenda in favour of or against anybody and continuously strives to give indisputable facts as we understand them. A little bending of convention, as Yash Raj recently did, would help FSJ in accessing and publishing official figures. Akshay Kumar did that after Housefull when he was forthcoming about figures. And the same actor who spent all of last year sulking over doomsday figures of his films is back to flashing his gummy smile again.

Bharathi. S. Pradhan

Editor, The Film Street Journal

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