Disha Patani recently said she doesn’t like seeing herself on screen and closes her eyes but that isn’t the case with the audience who are still. Bearing with her despite her being the queen of all flops. Disha’s movie Ek Villain Returns will hit the screen shortly but there isn’t much buzz about the film at the box office in spite of a lot of publicity. The 29-year old, who made debut in 2015 in a Telugu film was noticed for her role in biopic MS Dhoni: The Untold Story. Ek Villain Returns will be her 16th release in her seven-year Bollywood career. But barring biopic MS Dhoni and Baaghi 2 which had her boyfriend Tiger Shroff as the hero she only has flops to her credit.  People within the industry say her claim to fame is being Tiger’s girlfriend and a favourite of Salman Khan with whom she has acted in two Bharat and Radhe and both bombed. So how do actresses like her get work? The simple answer is: there is a dearth of heroines in Bollywood; you can count the heroines on your fingertips. There are Sara Ali Khan, Tara Sutaria, Shraddha Kapoor, Kiara Advani, and Kriti Sanon. Besides what works in Disha’s favour is her looks and huge social media following. On Twitter alone she has 7.4 mn followers.

Taapsee Pannu is 52 films old in Bollywood but this 35-year old actress hasn’t really got a role in mainstream film. In a recent media interaction, she even confessed when asked why doesn’t have films with big heroes — she did two with Big B —  to which Taapsee said that she does not get those kinds of films but carefully added that she now has one with Shah Rukh Khan. Taapsee is considered to be one of the actresses who can headline a film and do a decent job. She started with an out-and-out comedy Chashme Baddoor with David Dhawan and then with Judwaa 2 where she looked out of place. When offers from Bollywood dried up she acted in quite a few south films and made a mark. Impressed by her performance, filmmakers in the south started to write roles for her. Ditto: filmmakers in Mumbai. Anubhav Sinha, Anurag Kashyap, Neeraj Pandey gave her characters that made her stand out.  Baby, Naam Shabana, Thappad, and Haseen Dilruba were shouldered by her. In Shaabash Mithu, a biopic she plays the Indian captain Mithali Raaj.   A strong headed girl she got into trouble for her social media posts on some prickly social political issues. Looks like this model from Delhi has certainly created a space and identity in Bollywood and nobody can wish her away.

Is Salman Khan playing Bollywood Sugar-Daddy? So, it seems and, has been for some time now. Few are vocal or, even make it an issue preferring to instead, quietly drop out of projects. His growing interference came to fore once again when his favourite Bigg Boss contestant Shehnaaz Gill was signed up for Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali. Sources say Salman took issue with producer Sajid Nadiadwala, his best friend, over the star cast including co-stars Arshad Warsi and Shreyas Talpade. Salman apparently pitched Zaheer Iqbal and Aayush SHarma for the respective roles instead. Probably, one of the reasons Sajid walked out of the Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali project. It appears that economic viability does not bother Salman. Those who have known him closely say he always got involved with star casting and pushed his personal preferences for films he signed up for. Even in the past, he did the same to co-star with Raveena Tandon and Karisma Kapoor. In recent times Daisy Shah and Jacqueline Fernandez were his choice of co-stars. He was also the one who pushed Katrina Kaif for Bharat after Priyanka Chopra opted out. Sometime back a well-known and favourite director of the actor preferred to shelve his film rather than giving into the actor’s whims and fancy over who he should sign up or not.

The untimely death of Sushant Singh Rajput kicked up national outrage over nepotism and debate on the outsider vs insider discrimination in Bollywood.  Zoya Akhtar’s latest project The Archies adds more grist to the mill. This film, directed by an established insider Zoya, will launch Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter Suhana Khan, Sridevi’s daughter Khushi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson Agatsya Nanda. Interestingly, the parents of all these star kids have respective home productions but, are being launched by Zoya Akhtar, the unconventional producer known for his content driven cinema.  It is an unconventional launch for the youngsters. While Zoya cannot escape nepotism allegations as she chose the Bollywood insiders to star in the film. One would have thought SRK and Big B would avoid playing it up on social media out of fear of being trolled but, both just went ahead and tweeted emotional posts. Guari Khan wrote: `Suhana you did it’ and Amitabh Bachchan said, “Rise of the Son’’. The nepotism debate was immediately sparked off online as netizens passed judgement on the actors as white kids minus a Suhana Khan. Whether it was talent or nepotism that launched these star kids will be settled soon enough. Yes, these star kids will have to prove to the world that they carry the genes of their superstar parents.

One more movie has bombed at the box office. Ranveer Singh starrer Jayeshbhai Jordaar. It is the fourth actor driven film that has evoked poor audience response. Earlier, it was Bachchhan Pandey, Jersey, and Heropanti2. Only exception in recent times was Gangubai Kathiawadi; it had versatile actress Alia Bhatt and star director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Bollywood stars and directors need to understand that a new class of audience is emerging post-Covid pandemic. These people not only seem to smell the film in advance but have also developed a palate for OTT content and South Cinemas. Akshay Kumar must have had maximum releases in the last two years but has a poor success rate. Salman Khan’s attempt to save Antim by visiting theatres did not save the film and even Tiger Shroff who has strong youth connect had the first flop (Heropanti2) to his credit. The South Indian cinemas are thriving on star power supported by a very strong content. But in Bollywood content seems to be given short shrift. The message that is coming out loud and clear is signing up top class stars is no insurance any more. The days of star power are over. Time Bollywood wakes up and smells the coffee lest the south based stars dubbing in Hindi will emerge as the real alternative.

After Akshay Kumar (Bachchan Pandey), Bollywood star Shahid Kapur (Jersey) too disappointed fans. Then Tiger Shroff’s latest movie Heropanti2 bombed at the box office. Surprisingly, audiences preferred to go to theatres to watch the dubbed version of Kannada movie KGF 2 and not Heropanti2. This was strange! Has something gone wrong for Bollywood that audiences refuse to even enter cinema halls? Marathi films like Sher Shivraj and Chandramukhi drew better crowds than Tiger’s movie. Trade pundits are at pains explaining that the true villain is poor content. Be that as it may, Tiger Shroff needs to reinvent himself.  Sculpted body, martial fights and dance cannot propel his career much further. The 32-year-old action hero — son of Jackie and Ayesha Shroff — impressed everybody in his first movie Heropanti in 2014.  This was followed by hits like Baaghi and War. In War his talent came to the fore against Hrithik Roshan. Well-wishers feel Tiger, with a huge fan following, should pick and choose his scripts and directors; stop working with directors who aren’t really film makers. He has a couple of interesting projects in the pipeline like Ganapath, an action film directed by Vikas Bahl and the remake of Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan with Akshay Kumar.  Both movies will decide Tiger’s future. Will the Tiger roar or whimper? Only time will tell.

Two distinct trends emerged from Bollywood. It has run out of original story ideas resorting to remakes of popular south Indian movies increasingly, to maintain the Hindi film industry churn. Secondly, it is a bad copycat. Two remakes Laxmmi Bomb and Bachchan Pandey, starring Akshay Kumar failed the box office collections. Latest to join the flop list is Jersey, featuring Shahid Kapur and Mrunal Thakur. Producer-director Ram Gopal Varma tweeted: “The DISASTROUS fate of the film JERSEY in Hindi signals the DEATH of REMAKES for the simple reason it has been proved multiple times, that dubbed films like #Pushpa #RRR #KGF2 are doing far better than originals, if the content is good.”  It’s very likely that no south (Indian) film with good content will sell its remake rights. Kannada superstar Kiccha Sudeep rubbed it in saying Bollywood was struggling, with even its dubbed versions in Tamil and Telugu failing at the box office. Southern stars have stormed the film industry and assumed Pan India (actor) identities. One of the reasons for Bollywood taking a hit on the stories front is because most good writers have shifted to OTT platforms. It’s about time the Bollywood fraternity came together and scripted a strategy to regain eroding industry hold. Will Bollywood get its next ACIONS right?

Ever since he signed his first movie Refugee in 2000, there has been no respite for 46-year-old Abhishek Bachchan. He is constantly compared with his larger-than-life father Amitabh Bachchan. Is this comparison even justified? Abhishek has acted in 73 films in his 22 years career, even made a mark in films like Sarkar, Dhoom, Yuva and Guru. He carved a space for himself, worked with big banners and famous directors, yet that big moment has eluded him – the role to catapult him into the big league. There were a lot of expectations from The Big Bull where he played scamster Harshad Mehta but, he lost out to the web series Scam 1992 played by Pratik Gandhi over timing of the release. He got praise for his role as an uneducated politician in Dasvi though it was not a box office hit.  Bob Biswas also failed to propel him. So, what worked against Junior Bachchan? A respected source says “Abhishek, unlike his father, does not give a 100% for every movie. In some movies he goes the whole hog while in others it seems like he is disinterested.” If he wants to step into the Big B’s shoes he has to put 150% into all the roles he plays – big or small. Only then will his Oscar moment arrive!

Shahid Kapoor, at a recent press conference, expressed envy towards Mrunal Thakur, one of few actresses who were busy shooting during the Covid lockdown. The Jersey heroine is again one of few TV actors who transitioned seamlessly to the big screen. Her first movie Love Sonia was an international film. The 29-year-old actress, who made her television debut in 2012, worked in eight TV serials and was called insane for quitting the highly popular Kumkum Bhagya. She has since emerged among the top leading ladies of Bollywood with films like Toofan, Super 30 and Dhamaka. Mrunal is not singularly successful though and TV stars like Sakshi Tanwar, Vidya Balan, Prachi Desai and Yami Gautam also migrated to the Big screen as did Shah Rukh Khan. So, what makes Mrunal different? Industry watchers say it was her timing of entering the film world when the industry was undergoing a churn and stories took precedence over stars.  She was launched through a Marathi movie in 2014 and entered Bollywood in 2018 managing to emote and impress the audience even with her small roles. She almost made it to Bahubali and would have been part of Aamir Khan’s Dangal if her TV show had not come in the way. One thing is for sure, nothing’s gonna stop this Marathi mulgi going the dhak dhak girl way.

He is literally the tallest Khan compared to Salman and Aamir. Fifty-six-year-old SRK, who entered Bollywood in 1992, initially essaying negative roles in movies like Darr, Baazigar could convince producers that he was the next romantic hero, a space occupied by superstar Rajesh Khanna.  Convinced, producers signed him on for box-office hits like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), Dil To Pagal Hai, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Mohabatein. DLDJ run of 1000 weeks established SRK as the king of romance, set off a female fan frenzy like Khanna did and, thronging crowds like Big B’s at his bungalow Mannat who fervently hope for a glimpse of him. Charming, witty and intelligent, SRK knows how to emote with the audience both locally and globally, on-and-off screen. “His brand loyalty remains strong despite the fact there were no SRK releases in the last two years. He connects well with people across all age groups,” says Karan Taurani of Elara Capital.  One of the many reasons SRK outshines the other two Khans is that he was an outsider. Salman Khan is more a Bhai for commoners while Aamir Khan only connects with audiences during films releases but, the King of hearts connects with audiences across age groups throughout the year. He also smartly set up his own enterprise, Red Chillies Entertainment and owns a big stake in IPL team, Kolkata Knight Riders.

Those who questioned Alia Bhatt’s calibre to play Gangubai Kathiawadi have been forced to eat their own words and, Kangana Ranaut tops the list. The actress had said she didn’t expect the movie mafia’s film to do well. While Kangana taking pot-shots against top actors, to increase her social media influencer reach is plain to see, even those within Bollywood were unsure if the woman-centric film would do well at the box office and, with Alia in the lead role. In fact, only a handful of women-centric films have managed to get good numbers at the box office. Gangubai Kathiawadi has surprised everybody. Trade experts say that film is getting a good draw and business could have been 20% more had cinemas opened to 100% capacity. While there is no comparison between Alia and Deepika Padukone has been made, although the self-proclaimed Queen of Bollywood thinks so, there is little doubt that Alia has arrived which may be giving heebie-jeebies to the established likes of Deepika. Twenty-nine-year-old Alia, who debuted as a child artiste, got her first big break in Karan Johar’s Student Of The Year. Avid cinema goers were impressed by her performance in Raazi, Gully Boy and, Highway just to name a few.  

Big budget movie 83 on Kapil Dev led India winning the 1983 World Cup cost Rs 270 crore to make but did not do well. The biopic on MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, made with a budget of Rs 106 crore, did much better. 83 did not connect with today’s audience while Dhoni did. Trade pundits say the subject of 83 was overexposed; an old chapter in the history of India’s cricket and whatever was shown in the film was available on YouTube. Dhoni’s biopic, in that sense, was an untold story so had a huge audience connect. Also what worked in the biopic’s favour is Dhoni’s huge fan following coupled with his participation in the film promotion. Dhoni’s movie had romance, portrayed the journey of a small-town boy becoming captain of the Indian cricket team. It was aspirational. 83 was only about cricket which perhaps put off today’s generation despite Ranveer Singh. People who went to see 83 were in the 40-plus bracket, who are fewer in numbers. Also, it was not a family outing as their children were not keen to see 83.  It was also impacted by the Omicron wave. Clearly, Sushant Singh film had a bigger draw than a Ranveer Singh film. Incidentally, not all biopics do well. The one on Mohammad Azharuddin played by Emraan Hashmi bombed.

Thirty-five-year-old Richa Chadha’s latest web series The Great Indian Murder directed Tigmanshu Dhulia has received mixed reviews. But there is no denying that Richa has arrived in Bollywood. Hailing from an academically-oriented family, Richa entered Bollywood in 2008 with a small role in the comedy Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!  In the last 13 years she acted in over 27 films and shot to fame for work in the Fukrey series, her supporting role in Gangs of Wasseypur also won her many awards. Unlike other Bollywood stars, this St Stephen College alumni is headstrong and speaks her mind on raging social issues.  She is one of few actresses who protested the attack on JNU students. In the recent Karnataka hijab row Richa, who enjoys over 5 lakh followers tweeted: “Raise your sons better! A bunch of ugly, cowards attacking a lone woman in a pack and feeling proud of it? WHAT LOSERS! Shameful. They’ll be jobless, more frustrated and penniless in a few years. What poor upbringing! No sympathy, no redemption for them (sic).” Little wonder she has signed up for films with strong social issues, subjects or characters who are change agents. Recently, she and her fiancé Ali Fazal set up their own production house, Push Button Production.

From contemplating a degree in nuclear physics to wielding a megaphone is Rahul Rawail’s initial confession. In his book, Raj Kapoor: The Master at Work  Rawail reveals about his visit to the big top with his school buddy Rishi Kapoor to ogle at Russian circus artistes who were participating in the shoot of Mera Naam Joker directed by the Showman Raj Kapoor.  His family’s Bollywood connection (Father H S Rawail was a famous film maker) lands him an internship for the filming which melds into a coveted assistant’s job with RK. His sojourn with RK begins with the studio’s biggest flop and gets cemented with its hugest hit Bobby worth a lifetime of experience. He gives a ringside view into the making of these blockbusters and this is the most valuable part of the book where he shares intimate nuggets and anecdotes. There are stories about the Showman himself and other larger than life characters like Premnath whose bizarre antics are gleefully related. The legendary gourmet tastes of RK and his love of good food and drink are peppered throughout the book. Ultimately Rawail would go on to direct his own film for RK called Biwi O Biwi before embarking on his solo career which included blockbusters like Love Story, Betaab, Arjun to name a few. Rawail remains an important bridge between the movie moguls of the sixties and the present day.

Malaika Arora’s Bollywood career started in 1998 with run-away hit item song Chaiya Chaiya making her a star. She stayed rooted as an item girl without the urge to evolve as an actor perhaps, by design. The 47 years young model, fitness freak single mom carved a distinct place in Bollywood with more memorable item numbers including Gur Naalo Ishq Mitha, Maahi Ve and, Munni Badnaam Hui. This Mumbai-born middle-class lass started modeling as a teenager that made her film industry smart. She typically took in her stride and moved on, after her 19-year marriage with Salman Khan’s brother, producer Arbaaz Khan soured. She walked away with her son and started afresh, even dropping the Khan surname. She is a brand and needs no morning walks with a pet dog in tow, as other paparazzi crazy stars do. Malaika still bags modeling assignments, is part of dance reality shows and partners with Sarvanga Yoga to post pics of various asanas over Instagram. A Bollywood insider says, “She is a person, unlike most celebrities, comfortable in her body. She wears what she feels like and aces it.” She showed guts by dating a younger man, actor Arjun Kapoor and soon may even tie the knot. Malaika’s is the story of a strong-willed woman who has come of her own, on her own terms.

A proliferation of the newfound Covid virus or the Omicron Effect is rippling through the Bollywood taking in A listers into its embrace. It began with Kareena Kapoor Khan and friends – Amrita Arora and Seema Khan – admitting to their positive status with Covid after attending a party that was high on the celebrities’ quotient. Then came news of the other Kapoors. While Anil Kapoor was negative, daughter Rhea and her husband Karan and cousins Anshula and Arjun Kapoor tested positive. Curiously, none of these celebrities took to social media to apprise their daily contacts and connections about their Covid status, ignoring commonly followed protocol. Why these stars failed to warn people they came in contact with is perplexing. Others like Ekta Kapoor, who also tested positive, immediately posted their Corona status on social media. John Abraham and wife Priya also tested positive, while Pooja Bedi’s daughter Alaya F who was covid positive finally tested negative. Some crew members of the film Geheriyaanhave also tested positive. Despite infections reported rampantly, shooting for films and TV serials continues unabated just as before. However, two big films RRR and Jersey releases have been postponed as cinema halls are being shut in some states or occupancy reduced to 50% levels. Looks like Bollywood has thrown caution to the wind.

When Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan was arrested in the drugs-on-cruise liner case the whole of tinseltown came out in support for him. The same spontaneity was missing when actor Armaan Kohli was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau in August 2021. Bollywood’s silence is peculiar, given its penchant to make stars of controversial actors in the past and, may be due to multiple earlier police cases against Kohli. With Bombay High Court rejecting his bail plea, Armaan’s only option is the Supreme Court now. The 49-year old actor, son of renowned film maker Rajkumar Kohli and actress Nishi, was always a maverick since his foray into Bollywood in 1992 with Virodhi.  Since then, many interesting offers that came his way were turned down by him. For instance, Shah Rukh Khan became his replacement in Deewana and an overnight star. Though 15 films old, success has eluded Kohli so far, despite his filmy family, by his own doing, says an industrywallah. Still, Salman Khan featured him in Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo and even Bigg Boss. At the Bigg Boss house Kohli befriended Tanisha Mukerji and many felt they would settle down. That was not to be. What does the future hold for Armaan considered a very good looking actor before Hrithik Roshan had arrived? Only time will tell!

His surname is Khan yet this 51-year old actor has never been bracketed with the other three Bollywood Khans – SRK, Salman and Aamir. But, today this fourth Khan, Saif Ali Khan, is proving to be the most relevant Khan; he has reinvented himself and adapted to the changing times. He’s the first one to experiment with the OTT platform with Sacred Games. Now, other big stars have followed him. Is there a strategy in what he is doing? Yes. This came to the fore after 2000. Playing character Sameer in Dil Chahta Hai and Langda Tyagi in Omkara won him accolades. Since then he has decided not to insist on playing the lead role but to pick up interesting and challenging roles. Son of actress Sharmila Tagore and cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Saif entered the film industry in 1993 with Parampara, followed by Yeh Dillagi and Main Khiladi Tu Anari. Post that, nobody touched him in the nineties. In fact, industry insiders were derogatorily commenting about his looks. His patience paid off when romantic comedy Hum Tum proved to be a game-changer. Today, Saif is being offered roles that are meaty. But his latest movie Bunty Aur Babli 2 bombed at the box office. But, nobody seems to mind. Saif has arrived and he has created his own space.

Ever since Abhishek Bachchan entered Bollywood in 2000, critics and viewers have been uncharitably comparing him with his iconic father Amitabh Bachchan. The surname did weigh heavily on him. But, he did not lose heart. He soldiered on and was recognized for his talent in movies like Refugee, Yuva, Zameen and Sarkar. Impressed by his performance, acclaimed director Mani Ratnam cast him in Guru to play the character of Dhirubhai Ambani which won him accolades. But the very next film Raavan bombed big time at the box office and apparently Big B was slightly upset with Mani Ratnam. With not many films offers on hand Abhishek looked at an alternative career; he focused on sports which is doing reasonably well. Then came another opportunity with a movie on stock market scamster Harshad Mehta. Abhishek was banking heavily on Big Bull to boost his sagging acting career. But Pratik Gandhi starrer 10-part OTT series Scam 1992 on a similar subject pre-empted his movie which did not do well. Now, once again Abhishek is hoping that the crime thriller Bob Biswas will boost his filmy career. He was certainly missed in Bunty Aur Babli 2 as Saif Ali Khan had replaced him. Reason insiders say is because of his past relationship with Rani Mukherji and both preferred not to work together. Incidentally, his web series Breathe seems to have done well, it is now into Season 2.  

There are any number of behind-the-scenes stories when the great historical epic Mughal-e-Azam was being shot in the late fifties. The film, starring greats like Prithviraj Kapoor, Madhubala, Durga Khote and Dilip Kumar, broke all box office records in 1960 and is considered a milestone in Indian cinema. Well known director K Asif was shooting a scene for the movie somewhere in the deserts of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The scene required hundreds of horses and scores of elephants. Hearing this requirement, a local animal supplier (for films) approached Asif and said he could supply any number of horses and elephants for the shoot. It would cost around Rs 20,000 but he needed an advance of Rs 10,000. The advance money was a big amount in the fifties. But, without batting an eyelid, Asif turned to his production manager and said, “Give him 10,000 rupees.” When the man left, a worried production manager said, “Asif sab, suppose this man is a cheat and he does not come back, your money is gone!” Asif laughed and said, “Arrey…woh dus hazaar rupaiah ley gaya hai, kismat to nahi le gaya!” He told him, don’t worry he will come; and the man did turn dutifully as promised with horses and elephants.

Twenty-three year old Ananya Panday is probably one of the most promising millennial actors who won accolades from the audience right from the first film Student of the Year 2. Ananya who played a lead role in Pati Patni Aur Woh has already won two awards for ‘Best Female Debut’. The actress, daughter of the popular actor, Chunky Panday, has been quite vocal about social issues which is rarely a case with today’s younger actors in Bollywood. Ananya’s initiative – So Positive – seeks to create awareness about social media bullying, prevent negativity and build a positive community. This initiative has touched a chord with Bollywood. Ananya has over 20 million social media followers with almost all top youth brands in her kitty. She is also the first female brand ambassador for Skechers India. Currently, she is in the dock over a drug case and was summoned by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) post the arrest of Aryan Khan and others. But, people who are close to her say that the young actor was not nervous when summoned by the NCB. She not only appeared before NCB officials but post that she went about meeting her professional commitments — shooting for her forthcoming films and promoting brands. Clearly, Ananya knows how to balance the two worlds.

A few years back, when Shah Rukh Khan was targeted by the Shiv Sena for speaking in favor of Pakistan’s inclusion in the IPL, his film My Name Is Khan was almost banned by the Sena in Mumbai. Then, he had to fight his own battle; the film fraternity did not come out in the open to support him for the fear of incurring the wrath of Sena. SRK too never spoke why he was targeted but in one of his interviews he obliquely hinted at the religion factor. Likewise, when Aamir Khan in an interaction with the Indian Express said that his wife had told him that she wanted to leave the country over an ‘intolerant’ issue, he faced a lot of flak. The actor had to do a lot of firefighting via social media till the issue simmered down. Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali was attacked by the conservatives during the making of Padmavat. Bhansali did not speak a word about it; he quietly made changes and released the film. It was Sushant Singh Rajput’s death that brought to fore that Bollywood is not united and that they don’t speak in one voice to fight the injustices done to them. Most of them admit, they fear being singled out by politicians or government agencies and this is why they don’t openly show their solidarity or express their views.

In Bollywood most marriages between co-stars have worked even though ‘other woman’ and ‘doosra aadmi’ in some cases have created rift – which could be seen for a brief period before the status return to ‘happily married.’ It happened with Bollywood’s legendary couple Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu. Their marriage survived and thrived except for the entry of the other woman Asma that fortunately didn’t last long. So was the case with Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh. Rishi’s link to another star almost derailed the marriage. Same can be said of Big B-Jaya — and here the other woman was Rekha. In the case of Randhir Kapoor-Babita and Rajesh Khanna-Dimple Kapadia they separated but were not divorced. But stars like Mithun Chakraborty-Yogita Bali, Shatrughan Sinha-Poonam Sinha did not allow anybody to come into their married lives. Before marriage Akshay Kumar had several affairs but after marriage with Twinkle Khanna, he is said to have turned into an ideal husband. In the last few years, a handful of stars and marriages between the co-stars have gone sour but maintain they are ‘friends’. Some of them are: Hrithik Roshan-Suzanne Khan, Aamir Khan-Kiran Rao, Arbaaz Khan-Malaika Arora and Saif Ali Khan-Amrita Singh. Unlike the olden days when star couples did everything to save their marriages, today’s stars prefer to separate and find new partners. Long Live Bollywood.

BR Chopra’s younger brother Dharam Chopra (elder to Yash Chopra) was learning cinematography. So as to give him a chance to become a full-fledged cameraman (now called director of photography), BR launched Dhool Ka Phool in 1960. Since it was Dharam’s first film as a cameraman, no star readily agreed to sign on for the film. Even Rajendra Kumar, popularly known as Jubilee Kumar, did not respond when approached. Those days Dharam used to stay in a building called Parchhaiyan in Juhu, which was built by lyricist Sahir Ludhiyanvi. One night around 11 pm, Dharam heard somebody shouting out his name. When he looked out, the person was none other than Rajendra Kumar. He shouted “Dharam me kar riyan teri picture! Don’t worry!” And that one yes from Rajendra Kumar changed Dharam’s life forever. Dhool Ka Phool was a runaway hit and thereafter Dharam was on a roll. It was Dharamputra (1961), T Prakash Rao’s College Girl (1962), PL Santoshi’s Dil Hi to Hai (1964), BR Chopra’s Waqt (1965) and many more. For Waqt he bagged Filmfare’s best cinematographer award. Dharam, who was ranked among top five cinematographers in the country, predominantly worked for his brother BR Chopra. He passed away in 2002.

For the past two years, versatile actor Govinda who has given any number of hits in the past has been playing the waiting game to stage a big comeback. But alas! Luck seems to elude this talented actor who in the recent past worked in Rangeela Raja and FryDay. Surprisingly, the actor who is in popular demand for reality shows does not have the same pull today when it comes to the box office. Both the movies failed miserably. Actually, times have changed, cinema has changed and so too has audiences’ tastes. There is a place in Bollywood only for those who can reinvent themselves. Big B smartly staged a comeback via the small screen by hosting KBC. This sense of rejection has made him bitter and philosophical. He feels there is a conspiracy to keep him out. But many industry insiders say there is no merit in this argument. Well, there are plenty of guesses and theories peddled to explain what’s coming in the way for any producer wanting to sign him up. But what has added to his cup of sorrow is the public spat between his family and nephew Krushna Abhishek’s family. Producers feel Govinda who has the potential should rather focus on his career. Recognizing his talent, Salman Khan offered him a film but Govinda turned it down for reasons best known to him.

Kiara Advani, with that girl-next-door look, innocent face and endearing smile, is one of the most sought after Bolllywood actresses. Kiara who made her debut in 2014 has acted in over 14 films that includes Hindi, Telugu and Netflix. She is currently working on four films with top stars like Kartik Aaryan, Vicky Kaushal and Ranveer Singh. This 29-year-old glam doll who has a high visibility on small screen, thanks to her brand endorsements for Colgate, Myntra, among others, is considered a lucky mascot by many producers. Critics hold that what goes in her favour is that she gets her fellow actors perform to the fullest — be it in Kabir Singh or Shershaah which eventually wins audiences too. Her performance as Dimple Cheema, girlfriend of Param Vir Chakra-awardee Captain Vikram Batra (martyred in the Kargil war) in Shershaah won her accolades. Not many know that Kiara has a Bollywood connection. Legendary actor Dada Muni and Saeed Jaffrey are step-great grandfather and great-uncle. Her debut wasn’t great with films like Fugly and Machine although many liked her role as Sakshi Rawat in MS Dhoni: The Untold Story. In most movies till date, Kiara has not bagged lengthy roles nor has had the opportunities to experiment like Alia Bhatt who has been doing it right from her second film. But, for now Kiara has arrived.

While the male actors of Bollywood are reluctant to experiment with their roles, it is the women brigade that has taken the lead in attempting different roles and even shouldering the risk of spearheading them too. Hrithik Roshan who was offered an adaptation of Night Manager reportedly opted out because of his comfort with conventional films versus the web series that requires long working hours. Experimental endeavours like Tubelight and Zero have forced Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan to go back to doing commercial cinema, their strongholds. Whereas Aamir Khan continues to script new hits with experimental creativity as his USP. Other names that feature prominently in the experimental genre are Saif Ali Khan, who today is one of those who play characters rather than conventional heroes in the film; and Shahid Kapoor, who has taken risks with a whole-hearted plunge into the webspace. Still, the most sought-after actors are concerned about the image and worried about losing their audiences if they drifted away from formula films. At the same time more and more actresses are coming forward to experiment; striving to “be the change” in the cinema, just like what Vidya Balan once promised to her fans. Today, a Kangana Ranaut, Taapsee, Deepika Padukone, and Alia don’t really need a hero as they prefer to play the heroes in their respective films

Mughal-e-Azam is considered a masterpiece in Indian cinema. This all-time hit epic historical drama directed by the renowned K Asif starring Prithviraj Kapoor, Madhubala, Durga Khote and Dilip Kumar was released in 1960. The character of Prince Salim played by Dilip Kumar has been immortalized. But not many know this great masterpiece was made in fits and starts. It took 10 years to complete it. And there were several reasons for it. One was director Asif fell in love with Dilip Kumar’s sister Akhtar and this incensed Dilip Kumar who refused to shoot till the matter was finally resolved. Besides, Dilip Kumar and Madhubala had an affair that ended around the making of this film and this took a toll on the shoots as their on-screen chemistry went awry. Finally, the pearls that were used in the shoot would break every time it fell on the floor, and the shooting had to be cancelled. It was then decided to import unbreakable pearls from Belgium and getting those in the sixties took months. It was finally released with all the fanfare at Maratha Mandir. By evening it was declared flop. This news depressed the cast which met at Asif’s house near Opera House after the premiere. Looking at all of them Asif said, “Kyon, Chehre Latak Gaye! Dekhna Ye Film Zabardast Hit Hogi.“ And it did.

Finally, the controversy-hit Rhea Chakraborty will see the release of her film Chehre this month. It was during the making of this film, the idea to act in a film opposite Sushant Singh Rajput (SSR) was mooted. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen with the mysterious death of SSR. Rhea, one of the main accused, faced trial by the media for more than a year. But the young star managed to weather it all and get her life back. Rhea is now confidently socializing, focusing on fitness and talking to producers. She seems to get her PR right as the personal attacks vis a vis SSR coverage have reduced except on Twitter where SSR continues to trend. Although the industry is not spelling it out, but it seems they have accepted her and some announcements may be made soon. Director of Chhere Rumi Jaffery may sign her for his next film. Speaking to a cross-section of people, the general thinking is: Rhea deserves a second chance – just like actor Sanjay Dutt, who spent five years in prison under Arms Act after the TADA Court acquitted him in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blast case. The audience has accepted him, and he continues to be the most sought-after actor in Bollywood. Well, Amitabh Bachchan and Emraan Hashmi-starrer Chehre looks like a ‘thodi si lift kara de’ moment for Rhea, which may open up new possibilities for the budding star.

A few months back, when the 30-year old Kartik Aaryan lost three films in a row there were murmurs in the film trade especially the big production houses that the actor’s career is over and he may not get work as he was ousted from both Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar productions. On the contrary, the opposite has happened. A few well-known production houses who were chasing him have quickly signed him on.  Among them is well known producer Sajid Nadiadwala. Likewise Ekta Kapoor who is supposedly to be a close friend of Karan has taken over the project that was once to be produced by SRK’s Red Chillies Entertainment. Interestingly, Kartik seems to have carved a niche within Bollywood. He has support from award winning filmmakers like Hansal Mehta who is also directing him. Besides, producer-director-writer Anubhav Sinha has been praising Kartik on social media. The proof of the pudding is in eating and it is learnt that the actor’s remuneration too has gone up. This proves that he is a bankable star and his box office track record proves he is a big draw as a solo hero. Kartik who started his journey in Bollywood with multi-starrers It is his track record with Lukka Chhupi and Pati Patni Aur Who that won him the confidence of producers like Sinha, Mehta and Nadiadwala.

Everybody deserves a second chance. In Bollywood, yesteryear’s stars are padding up for a second innings. Mandakini of Ram Teri Ganga Maili fame, Kalpana Iyer who predominantly played a vamp role, and Farheen Prabhakar, a Madhuri Dixit look alike who married cricketer Manoj Prabhakar, are keen to return to acting, and don’t mind playing their age.  Big B was lucky. Kaun Banega Crorepati launched him into the stratosphere and there was no looking back. But, not everybody is lucky. Superstar Rajesh Khanna tried very hard to make a comeback but alas. Ditto: Popular star Mumtaz. Versatile star Govinda who is making guest appearances on reality shows, is yet to get the big break on the silver screen. Fardeen Khan is also knocking at producers’ doors and may sign up for a web series. For Madhuri Dixit-Nene the return was not a cakewalk. She has now come to terms, and settled down to judging a dance reality show, acting in a web series for Dharma Productions and occasionally cutting an album. Effectively, she is in the limelight. Shilpa Shetty had a high visibility thanks to a reality show Super Dancer, and her Yoga album, but got a break in the big screen after a gap of 11 years. Bhagyashree of Maine Pyar Kiya fame will be seen in Thalavi, a biopic on J Jayalalithaa played by Kangana Ranaut.

Sashadhar Mukerji became a legend in his own lifetime. Popularly known as S Mukherji, his contribution to the Indian film industry remains unparalleled. Mukerji, who initially joined Bombay Talkies and went on to create Filmistan and Filmalaya Studios was known as the man with Midas touch. Everything was a hit – his movies, stars, songs. In fact, people who worked closely with Mukerji say that he had an ear for music. They say he had the knack of picking the right ones when a music director gave him a choice of 10 tunes for a song. Naturally this success created a lot of enemies within the industry, and they would spread rumours about his movie. A similar thing happened in 1954 when he released Nagin, famous for its song Man Dole Mera, Tan Dole Mera sung by Lata Mangeshkar to the accompaniment of Been music.  His rivals said snakes were entering the cinema halls the moment Been music played. This rumour kept the audience away from the theatres for a few days. But, not for long. Not only was the movie a super hit but the Been music became synonymous with snakes and snake charmers. And of course, the movie established Vyjayanthimala’s career as a star.

For star kids getting entry into Bollywood is easy. But, how many make it big – like Hrithik, Aamir, Kajol and Ranbir in past three decades? The cine fans are pinning hopes on a new crop of star kids. Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter Suhana who has performed in plays will soon face the camera; while son Aaryan who has done a voice over for The Lion King is keen to stay behind the camera, for now. Suniel Shetty’s son Ahan who debuts in Tadap may be signed for Aashiqui3. Producer Sajid Nadiadwala’s son Subhan is all set to debut. Shashi Kapoor’s grandson Zahan (Kunal’s son) has just started shooting for Hansal Mehta’s film. Meezan Jaffrey, son of actor Javed Jaffrey, made his debut in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Malal, and is already into his second film Hungama2.. Abhimanyu Dassani, son of Bhagyashree of Maine Pyar Kiya fame, who made his debut in Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, eagerly awaits the release of Nikamma with Shirley Setia as heroine. Sanjay Kapoor’s daughter Shanaya gets a lead role in a Karan Johar film. Salman Khan’s niece Alizeh and nephew Nirvaan are all set to dab the grease paint. Waiting in the wings are Sridevi’s daughter Khushi and Saif Ali Khan’s son Ibrahim. So, who will survive the star race? Only talent will tell!

High on money and muscle power, the underworld started dominating Bollywood. The money was routed through financiers and big stars who often visited Dubai to meet the Don. In the late 90s, early 2000s photographs of top actors, musicians and singers performing at Dawood’s Darbar were published by the media. These photographs exposed the nexus between Bollywood-Underworld. And proof of that was tapped telephonic conversation between Dawood’s right hand man Chhota Shakeel and various film personalities. This nexus pressurised Mumbai police to arrest diamond merchant cum film financier Bharat Shah under MCOCA. Reportedly, Shah was arrested for aiding Chhota Shakeel. Somebody like Rakesh Roshan had a narrow escape on the eve of the release of Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai, his son Hrithik’s first movie. The sharp shooters fired two rounds at him for not paying Rs 5 crore. This incident shook the film world. The Mumbai police came forward to provide them protection. But, things started ebbing with Dawood not keeping well; Abu Salem incarcerated, and Chhota Rajan too cooling his heels in Tihar jail. Insiders say the extortion cases have come down. Though there were sporadic incidents like gangster Ravi Pujari trying to take advantage of the situation. Now, he too has been arrested. Now the underworld has almost stopped extortion but continues with its piracy business. Ironically, the fraternity which complains about the underworld are the same people who glamorize the underworld, making them larger than life.  CONCLUDED

Karim Lala was one of the three dreaded dons of Mumbai till the early 1980s. The other two dons were: Haji Mastan and Vardabhai or Varadarajan Mudaliar. This Pashto speaking Pathan who had moved to Mumbai from Afghanistan in the early 1920s was operating from Mumbai’s Dongri area. He ran two hotels and a travel agency – which was just a façade. As a leader of the Pathan gang his real job was extortion, kidnapping, contract killing and narcotics. Many people instead of going to the police went to Karim Lala’s court to get instant justice. During his peak, Lala frequently invited several film personalities to his parties and Eid celebrations. One of his close friends was a well-known Pathan — Mohammad Yusuf Khan aka Dilip Kumar (who hailed from Peshawar in British India – now in Pakistan). At one such party, cabaret sensation Helen tagged along with Dilip Kumar to meet Lala and casually complained about her manager PN Arora, who had allegedly duped her of large sums of money. All that Karim Lala did was make a phone call. By the time the party was over and Helen reached home, a sweating Arora was standing outside her building with a briefcase full of money. For many producers, it was an Open Sesame moment. They started paying the underworld to put a stop to starry tantrums and ensure stars report to their sets on time. In south India, stars are time-conscious and report on sets with full make up. There are stories galore about top stars keeping the entire crew waiting for hours. Producers’ myopic vision and actors’ indiscipline paved the way for the entry of the underworld into the film world. For the goons not only the money was good but they were more than rubbing shoulders with stars and starlets. Guns and roses were a deadly combination.  READ PART 2

Neither dreaded don Karim Lala nor Vardarajan Mudaliar were glamour struck. For them looking at other women was a taboo – well, that was the image they had arduously cultivated. But, not so for Mastan Mirza aka Haji Mastan, the man from Salem, Tamil Nadu. He was besotted by actresses. So much so that he financed quite a few movies with well-endowed stars. He was particularly infatuated by Madhubala. And in her memory, married an upcoming starlet Sona, a look alike of Madhubala. There are photographs of well-known film makers paying obeisance to Haji Mastan by touching his feet. It was fear and money. Mastan’s diktat ran large. There are stories of how well-known actors and actresses were forced to complete movies.  A top leading actress, on her arrival from London, drove straight from the airport to the set as she was confronted by Mastan’s men. Similarly a thespian actor was physically picked up by the goons from his bungalow taken to Hyderabad and brought back after completion of shooting. Parallely, even as Mastan was going about his filmy business, Dawood Ibrahim’s notoriety was fast rising for contract killing, gold smuggling, extortions, drug trafficking and real estate deals. After fleeing to Dubai he had corporatized illegal activities under the umbrella D Company, paid his henchmen monthly salaries. For D Company, which was spreading its tentacles, the film industry was the low hanging fruit. Of course, like all Dons he and his brothers too sought to have their own harem of heroines and starlets. A case in point is Mandakini of Ram Teri Ganga Maili fame. With the D gang entering the scene, stars started reporting to sets on time. Producers were happy. But, not Dawood. This protection money was small beer for him. He saw huge business opportunities in acquiring distribution rights in India, then he moved to acquiring overseas rights before becoming a producer. Of course, Dawood’s brother Noora penned songs for Hindi films.  TO BE CONTINUED – PART 3 & PART...

The 1957 romance-drama Pyaasa starring Guru Dutt and Waheeda Rehman is widely considered one of the best Indian films. Produced and directed by Guru Dutt, it was a box office hit too. And of course who can forget the melodious songs like Jaane woh kaise log they jinake pyaar ko pyaar milaa or ye mahalo, ye takto, ye taajo ki duniyaa…  Guru Dutt not only perfectly fitted the role of a sensitive poet, he immortalized the character! But Guru played the role not because he wanted to but because he was left with no option. How?  Actually for the main role of the poet, the actor finalized was Dilip Kumar. Guru Dutt briefed him about the story and finalized the deal. But strangely as promised, Dilip Kumar never reported to the set for shooting. The entire crew was kept waiting and a totally exasperated Guru Dutt decided he will put on the make-up and do the role. And what a momentous decision he took. It turned out the best thing that could have ever happened to him, the movie and also the Indian audience. Even today Pyaasa is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. It frequently features on world cinema’s greatest films lists. It was one of the earliest films to have achieved a healthy blend of artistic as well as commercial mainstream traits. One may ask, was it destiny or luck that played the role here!

It was quite a popular song of the 1970s Do Bichaare Bina Sahaare, Dekho Puchh Puchhkar Haare sung on screen by Ashok Kumar and Pran in the 1972 comedy movie Victoria 203. The movie, produced and directed by Brij Sadanah, had Navin Nishchol and Saira Banu in the lead roles. Those days most of the films were shot with the original sound recorded simultaneously at the time of shooting. There was no post-production concept. The shooting of the movie was in full progress at a Mumbai studio with Ashok Kumar (Raja) and Pran (Rana) in full flow…delivering their dialogues. But there was a problem. Every time the camera rolled it would capture the cooing sound of pigeons. The sound recordist said that pigeon cooing noise was interfering with the dialogues. After three takes everybody was exasperated as to how to overcome the pigeon noise issue.  Ashok Kumar said, “Okay, don’t worry, I will manage.” No one understood what he meant by ‘manage’.  When the director said lights, camera, action, Dada Moni effortlessly added a line before his actual dialogue, ”Kya zamana aa gaya hai Rana, aajkal raat me bhi kabootar bolte hain!”  This thinking on the feet or ad-libbing as it is popularly known saved the day and the director Brij could finally say cut and pack up.

It does seem like Salman Khan has set the trend of hybrid releases in India. Even if the net business is Rs 125 crore, Radhe has set a new yardstick for tangible recoveries, proportionate to Box Office (BO) returns. Overseas, the theatre numbers of the film are very encouraging, given the currently restricted footfalls in the cinemas. In the past Zee had released Khali Peeli which didn’t work but a Tamil/ Telugu film released on the same day worked wonders. So, the writing is on the wall, that in the coming months when cinemas will start opening, the hybrid formula of the revenues via Transactional Video on Demand (TVOD) will continue. It has raised the bar, which will only add to the BO number game. There are middle-order films that are now released directly on OTT like Hungama 2 and Bhoot Police and we also hear that some big films that are in the pipeline are looking to keep a TVOD window for their films.

After the death of Himanshu Roy in 1940, one of the pioneers of Indian cinema and husband of Devika Rani, the burden of running Bombay Talkies side fell on his partner Sashadhar Mukherji, who also became a legend in his own lifetime.  The new found responsibility saw Mukherji hiring directors to complete the film under his creative supervision. Last film he produced in Bombay Talkies was Kismat directed by Gyan Mukherjee starring Ashok Kumar, his brother-in-law and Mumtaz Shanti. It was in Kismat that he gave the ‘lost and found formula’ to Bollywood. Kismat’s release was at the backdrop of Quit India movement 1942. The film was ready for release when Mukherji got a novel idea to include a song that captures the country’s political sentiments. Lyricist Kavi Pradeep wrote the song Door Hato Aye Duniya Walo Hindustan Hamara Hai which became popular. At Mumbai’s Roxy Theatre, Opera House where the film was released, the audience gave a standing ovation to the song. People’s patriotism was aroused. The British authorities got jittery and police were asked to investigate everyone connected with the film. The song was so cleverly written that they couldn’t find anything objectionable. Kismat was his swan song at Bombay Talkies, post that Mukherji formed a cooperative and created Filmistan Studio with 11 partners — including Ashok Kumar, Kavi Pradeep, Madan Mohan’s father and othe

Inderjeet Singh Johar, popularly known in Bollywood as IS Johar, was a versatile actor, writer, producer, and director. His talent took him to Hollywood where he acted in movies like Lawrence Of Arabia, Death On The Nile. But, for a man who made it big in Bollywood, he was deeply disturbed by the 1947 Partition as he was born in Talagang in Punjab in British India (which became a part of newly created Pakistan). The rape, murder of lakhs of Hindus shook him very badly. He felt such violence could be done by only those who have lost faith in God. So, he went to his mentor S Mukerji to make a film on a subject that could restore people’s faith in God. Mukerji read Johar’s script and told him, if you want to appeal to the masses then tweak the script; don’t take the problem head on but do it subtly. Heeding to his mentor’s advice, Johar rewrote the script and directed the film. Nastik, produced by S Mukerji (Filmistan) in 1954, is a film set against the backdrop of Partition with its ensuing riots and violence, and using actual footage of refugees. The movie was phenomenally successful at the box office and completed Golden Jubilee. Even today it is known for its “immortal” song Dekh Tere Sansar Ki Haalat Kya Ho Gayi Bhagwan, Kitna Badal Gaya Insaan. Married five times, Johar died in 1984 at the age of 64.

Versatile star Ranveer Singh seems thrilled after signing the Hindi remake of the 2005 hit Tamil movie Anniyan (dubbed version Aparichit). It shows. Immediately on his Instagram handle he wrote: “Proudly announcing my collaboration with the pioneering visionary of Indian cinema, the maverick master craftsman SHANKAR, powered by veteran film producer Dr Jayantilal Gada.” But the movie is already shrouded under controversy with the south producer S Ravichandran claiming that he owns the right to the film and the director Shankar cannot really sell the story of the film to Bollywood. The two producers – Gada and Ravichandran – are locked in a legal battle over the film rights so the chances of the film release date getting postponed cannot be ruled out. Meanwhile, various theories are floating around as to why Shankar and Ranveer came together for this remake. Some say Ranveer fell in love with script and was keen to make inroads in the south and this movie would be a perfect platform. Another theory doing the rounds is that Shankar was keen to sign Ranveer as he has not really worked with Bollywood’s leading stars save for Akshay Kumar and Anil Kapoor. But everybody agrees that Ranveer is the right man to play the lead role in the Bollywood remake  – just like actor Vikram who played the lead role in the original Tamil film.

The untimely death of Sushant Singh Rajput last June kicked off a national debate about nepotism and outsider vs insider in Bollywood. The uncharitable lines one heard was: “Oh! Karan Johar is the son of a successful producer Yash Johar; Aditya Chopra is the son of an eminent director Yash Chopra; Sonakshi is daughter of a super star Shatrugan Sinha; Ranbir comes from the most celebrated Kapoor family so on and so forth. And this is why they made it big!  Actually, all these so-called “insiders” had skills, which was a cut above the rest and proved their mettle to emerge successful in their own rights. Pedigree gave them entry, but it does not guarantee success. Or else how do you explain sons and daughters of successful stars not being able to make a mark. What about Feroz Khan’s son Fardeen; what about Abhishek Bachchan? What about BR Chopra’s son Ravi Chopra? What about the sons of Guru Dutt? What about the sons of Chetan Anand and Dev Anand? In the cricket world one can think of Sunil Gavaskar’s son Rohan and Kumar Mangalam Birla’s son Aryaman.  The list is endless. People forget that in any creative field or even in sports it is the performance that finally speaks. Of course, luck too plays a major role. Rajendra Kumar may not have been considered a great actor but he was popularly known as Jubilee Kumar as all his movies ran for 25 weeks in theatres.

The Shammi Kapoor-Sharmila Tagore starrer Kashmir Ki Kali directed by Shakti Samanta was not only a box office hit but also renowned for its popular songs composed by OP Nayyar and sung by Mohammed Rafi. Remember the famous number, Yeh Chand Sa Roshan Chehra, shot on Dal Lake shikara which became an eternal boat ballet to remember with the song reaching a striking crescendo – Tareef Krun Kya Uski Jisne Tujhe Banaya What’s not known to many is an interesting story behind the song. At the recording studio, as is customary, the hero, Shammi Kapoor, was present. But he did not like the way music director OP Nayyar had composed the song – especially the end part of it. Being a popular star, Shammi Kapoor requested Nayyar if he could quicken the pace of the song at the end to a crescendo and sync the last line Tareef Karun Kya Uski with the music. Nayyar, it seems, turned down Shammi’s suggestion. Seeing a sulking Shammi, Rafi saab asked him what the matter was. Shammi told Rafi saab about his suggestion and how Nayyar saab refused to entertain him. Rafi was convinced; he told Nayyar saab, “Looks like Shammi has something in his mind as to how he will perform on this song. Why not listen to him and compose the ending as per his wish.”  With Rafi also making a request, Nayyar relented. The picturisation is dramatic as you see Shammi serenading Sharmila in the middle of the Dal Lake, as she’s rowing her shikara, full of flowers. The performance has become immortal. What would have happened had Nayyar saab not given in?

Remember childlike, seductive and that infectious smile of Dev Anand with that small gap in his upper left denture that sent women swooning. What became a selling point was actually a bone of contention between Dev Saheb and his director. Well, it’s a ‘painful’ story. Dev Anand got the first break in the movie because of his smile. Baburao Pai, producer of Prabhat Films part of the Pune-based Prabhat Studio (founded by the likes of VG Damle and V Shantaram was), was mesmerized by Dev’s smile and signed him to play a hero’s role. But, when the shooting began director PL Santoshi (father of Rajkumar Santoshi) and the cameraman did not like the gap in Dev’s teeth. It ‘looked odd’, they both felt, in close-up shots. So, it was suggested Dev put cotton buds and fill the gap. After few days of shooting the gum got infected and Dev Saheb could not bear the pain and he complained. Giving to hero’s complaints, the cotton buds were removed and it was status quo ante. The smile took him more than a mile. No wonder he was called the Evergreen Hero till he passed away in 2011 at the age of 88 in London.

Born into an aristocratic family, Himanshu Roy is one of the leading pioneers of the Indian cinema. Bombay Talkies studio, which produced a number of hits and launched several stars, was his brainchild. It was set up in 1934 along with his actress wife Devika Rani. The other partner was Shashdhar Mukherji who roped in his brother-in-law Ashok Kumar Ganguly as a technician. According to a knowledgeable source, Roy in a fit of rage threw the leading hero out of the movie as he suspected him of having an affair with his wife Devika. Now, the whole studio was in a fix as the movie was going on the floor. A desperate hunt began for a new hero and everybody’s eyes fell on Ashok Kumar and he was cast as a hero opposite Devika Rani. Now rose another tricky situation. Since Mukherji was controlling the whole project there was an issue as to how he would address Ashok Kumar who was his wife’s elder brother. His nickname was Moni so Mukherji like a good Bengali added the prefix Dada to Moni and started calling him “Dada Moni”. The rest is history.

Unlike yesteryear’s stars today’s stars are business-like. They put the money where their mouth is. Alia Bhatt who has turned producer for the movie Darlings will charge Rs 15 crore for her lead role. So, besides acting fees, she will make big numbers if the movie does well at the box-office. Ditto: Deepika Padukone who is a joint producer of 83, a sports drama film that focuses on India’s 1983 World Cup win by Kapil Dev. Directed by Kabir Khan, she plays the role of Kapil Dev’s wife Romi. Deepika, who has already signed on with a couple of big banners, is the highest paid star in the industry, commanding a price of Rs 21 crore, according to the industry insiders. Kangana Ranaut, who has four films in the pipeline, reportedly commands around Rs 11-12 crore per film. Besides, there are four stars who fall in the Rs 7-crore bracket. They are: Shraddha Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma.  Shraddha Kapoor has Naagin and Luv Ranjan film. Katrina Kaif who has signed Phone Booth launched her own beauty line. Kareena and Anushka consciously signed less films as they were in the family way but managed to keep their cash registers ringing with series of brand endorsements. And the ‘desi girl’, Priyanka Chopra Jonas today commands around Rs 6 crore.

As you drive from SEEPZ to L&T complex in Mumbai’s Andheri east, you cannot miss on your left a huge film studio complex – Kamalistan — named after Pakeezah fame writer-director-producer Kamaal Amrohi. He was also the husband of Meena Kumari, the tragedy queen of Bollywood. Hailing from eastern UP’s Amroha, he landed in Mumbai to seek his fortune as a writer. As is known nobody entertained him. One day he managed to enter the office of the great film maker of Minerva Movietone fame Sohrab Modi. As he broke into conversation, Modi who was busy reading a script, did not even look at him and said “I am busy, I cannot meet anybody.” Then as he lifted his head he saw this lean thin man in Achkan, a topi with a walking-stick. Seeing his physical appearance, Modi broke into a loud laugh. Quick-thinking Kamaal cashed in on the situation and said, “I am not a person to be seen; I am to be heard.” Modi sat down, heard what he had to narrate. His command over Urdu writing skills landed him a job with Modi and he quickly became a famous writer and director.

Just when Rhea Chakraborty thought the nightmare was behind her and that she could focus on her acting career comes the news that her name figures in the Narcotics Control Bureau chargesheet linked to the Sushant Singh Rajput case. Trouble, they say, never comes alone. Earlier, she found to her dismay that her name was missing from the credit list of the mystery thriller Chehre directed by Rumi Jaffery. Yet, this 28-year-old starlet did not lose hope. She, according to sources, flew to Hyderabad to meet a producer and almost bagged the film.  One does not know if Jaffrey will ever revive the film he had planned with Rhea and Sushant. But some film makers have decided to give her a second chance. However, those who know her say that Rhea is treading cautiously; not signing films till there is clarity in her case. Nikhil Dwivedi has already announced that he is open to working with her. People from Bollywood are asking why she shouldn’t get a second chance when Sanjay Dutt has got more than three chances.  In fact, she recently met Salman Khan’s former talent manager Reshma Shetty who helped Salman resurrect his career after two big court cases. Looks like Rhea is working towards a gameplan!

It appears that no death — be it that of Mahatma Gandhi, John F Kennedy, John Lennon or Lady Diana — has been as hysterically covered that too non-stop for over 100 days by the Indian media as that of Bollywood star Sushant Singh Rajput who died under mysterious circumstance on June 14, 2020. The CBI has been on the job but their findings are yet to be made public. The glimmer of hope came in December 2020 when the CBI, in response to a letter written by the BJP’s Rajya Sabha member Dr Subramanian Swamy to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The CBI is conducting investigation in a thorough and professional manner using latest scientific techniques. During investigation, all aspects are being looked at and no aspect has been ruled out as on date,” Dr Swamy was informed. Meanwhile, the diehard fans of Sushant are keeping the issue alive by posting relentlessly on Twitter: it was trending at #7 with 129,000 tweets on 3 March 2021.

The doyen of the Indian film industry, Sashadhar Mukerji, who initially joined Bombay Talkies and went on to create Filmistan and Filmalaya Studios, was considered the man with the Midas touch. He not only launched several new faces who have become a runaway success stories but his entire family right from his sons (Joy, Deb, and Shomu), grandson (Ayan), grand-daughter (Kajol), relatives (Ashok, Kishore, and Anup Kumar) are part of the film fraternity. It is a huge extended family. Actually, he was the brain behind the concept of formula films. A legend in his own lifetime, Mukherji was approached by Shammi Kapoor constantly for a big break. “Sir, you have made so many stars, when are you going to do something for me?” This persistence by Shammi went on for some time till one day Mukherji said: “Shave off your moustache and see me tomorrow.” Without wasting time, Shammi landed at his office the next day sans moustache and producer Mukherji signed him for Tum Sa Nahi Dekha which was directed by Nasir Hussain. Interestingly, this film became a launch pad for heroine Ameeta, director Hussain and catapulted a struggling Shammi Kapoor into the big league. Shammi told the undersigned: “I had a Hillman car those days. Even before the release of the film, I sold it and went on a holiday to the Far East. I knew when I return, I shall be a star!”