Anees Bazmee’s writing was appreciated by all and the spark in him was noticed by producers #LalitKapoor and #ShabnamKapoor who bestowed responsibility of directing Hulchul starring #AjayDevgn and #Kajol. Though the film did not do well commercially, Anees Bazmee’s work was appreciated by many including the insiders in the film industry. Then came Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha, starring once again Ajay Devgn and Kajol which became a runaway hit and it received four Filmfare awards nomination. This was the beginning of Anees Bazmee’s long innings in the Hindi film industry. Anees Bazmee then made about a dozen films, most of them being super hits which include Deewangee, No Entry, Singh Is King, Welcome, Ready, Mubarakan etc.  He is gearing up for his latest directorial Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 which is a horror-comedy.

It’s a franchise movie and as the Bhool Bhulaiyaa, which was a remake of Malayalam movie Manichitrathazhu, dealt with psychological thriller comedy, Anees Bazmee did not want to tread the Psychological path. “I was very sure from the beginning that I will not make this sequel same as the first instalment. In fact I was very sure of what to do and importantly what not to. So psychological aspect was a no-no as Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is an entirely new story. Though we have retained a few aspects from the original hindi version like, Manjulika, Haveli, Rajasthani flavour, song Aami Je Tomar and title track ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ which is picturised completely differently. The entire cast is new and it’s a new film which has only borrowed the title. I want to stress a point that it’s not a remake or a copy. The first part received huge love from the audience and I expect that it repeats with our film too,” said Anees Bazmee. About the pressure of the franchise film he said, “Of course, there is some. Because first part was a huge success. (Laughs) Sometimes I feel that the they made a successful film just to give me stress while making the second part.”

Earlier version had #AkshayKumar and #VidyaBalan in the lead and when asked why the same actors are not in the sequel. “First and foremost, it’s not a sequel. It’s a completely new story. I wish the story allowed the actors from the first version could be incorporated but there was no scope for that which I definitely regret. Akshay Kumar is a huge star and I share a great rapport with him. I have worked with him in Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Singh Is Kingg, Welcome, Welcome Back, Thank You etc and definitely would like to work with him again. But since this was an entirely new script and maybe Akshay being busy with different projects, new set of actors became part of this.” Mr Bazmee is handling horror genre for the first time and really excited to know the viewer’s reactions once it’s released. His filmography boasts of quite a few comedy films, so he is confident of the comedy part of the movie and says that he has worked hard to spook the audience in an entertains way.

Talking about his hit film No Entry’s sequel, Anees ji said, “Yes. I am working on it. See, every film has it’s own fate. So when it’s going to happen, will happen. I am a workaholic and wants to make films. I do not believe in over-planning because sometimes it backfires. I like to go with the flow as I believe in ‘Har picture ka ek waqt hota hai’. Sometimes a mediocre film do stupendous business and a good film gets rejected. That’s why I say that each film has it’s own fate. I can put in hard work while making a film but have no control on it’s box office collections. ‘Hard work pe bharosa rakhna chahiye’. I want to forget ‘Pagalpanti’ I did in my life a few years back, but again that’s destiny. You come to know whether your film is a hit or flop by the reception you get in the film parties.”

“I love to entertain people, make them laugh, want them to forget their problems for a while. I endorse #ManmohanDesai brand of cinema as against ‘so-called’ intellectual movies. But I have always received love within the industry and from viewers and am grateful for that. As a child I used to go to theatres with my mom. She being illiterate (education-wise) used to give non-corrupt views on films. I have learnt from that too. Frankly speaking creating comedy is a difficult job. Audiences from Ludhiana to london should be pleased with the movie. I believe that through my films maximum number of people should be happy. I want to cater to the common audience as well as elite and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 will satisfy everyone,I am sure and hoping.”

Remembering Welcome Anees Bazmee said, “Every film has it’s ‘Kundali’. I have done a lot of films with Akshay Kumar. After watching Pyar To Hona Hi Tha he expressed his desire to make a film with me. We did work on a few successful films. I was making Welcome which was purely a romantic film initially with only Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. But we kept on improving the script and Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor and Feroze Khan came on board and it became one of the best comedy films of the decade. In fact Nana Patekar was sceptical to do ‘mad-comedy’ but I assured him that after this role/film the children who are scared of you will come and sit in your lap. Again he is a fantastic actor and did justice to the role of Uday Shetty. There are two patterns in script writing. One is set pattern and another one flexibly going with the flow. I follow the latter pattern.”

In bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 Tabu plays an important character and that too a comic one. Talking about his equation with #Tabu, Anees ji said, “Tabu is a fantastic actor most of the directors would love to work with. Her understanding of the craft is great and she understands director’s perspective too easily. In fact we know each other for a long time and used to express our desire to work together. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 has given that opportunity and I am glad I cast Tabu in this film. She was excited the moment she heard the script and she has taken her role a few notches higher and that is because she’s a brilliant actor who is aware of ‘what not to do’. Only #RajpalYadav is repeated from the cast of first instalment of BB. He is a dear friend and his comic timing is impeccable. Though small, his role from the original is still remembered.”

Anees Bazmee wants the local governments throughout India to support film industry in shoots. He expects cooperation from the local police too. “While shooting on a London street for one of my films, I noticed that a couple of policemen were standing at a distance. I enquired whether the permission to shoot is taken and the answer was negative. The police personnel approach us and in my mind I was preparing for pack-up before the start of the shoot. But they were so sweet and despite being aware about non-permission they assured saying, ‘If you require our help, we are standing round the corner.’ That’s the difference”, expressed Anees Bazmee. When asked whether he is satisfied with the cast, he said, “Of course. #Kiara has improved a lot as a performer. I realised this immediately after a couple of shots. She used to come well prepared for the shoot and was extremely cooperative even if the dialogues were changed on the spot. #KartikAaryan is a bundle of enthusiasm and was involved in the film right from the beginning. He used to visit my office often and we used to brainstorm a few things, of course for the betterment of the project. He is a hard working lad and has an extremely bright future.”

The post Anees Bazmee : I want to entertain audiences from Ludhiana to london! first appeared on Latest News, Breaking News, National News, World News, India News, Bollywood News, Business News, Politics News, Sports News, Entertainment News - CineBuster.

Producer Hitesh Patel’s debut production Neighbours’ trailer and music were launched in the presence of cast and crew of the film. Neighbours deals in cosmos and galaxy and also tells a romantic story. This science fiction romantic film, which tells a mysterious story of a young woman, is produced under the banner Mithuwala productions and is being directed by debutant director Vinay Shrirang Gholap. Vinay Gholap is credited for screenplay and dialogues which shares responsibility with Hrishikesh Koli.

The cast of ‘Neighbours’ includes Krutika Gaikwad, Chetan Chitnis, Siddharth Bodke, Prasad Javade, Shailesh Datar, Aditi Yewle and Neha Bam. Ashutosh Apte is the cameraman while music is scored by Nishad. Mahesh Kangne has penned lyrics which are voiced by Ritika Nishad, Nakash Aziz, Armaan Malik, Devashree Manohar, Krishna Bongane and Avadhoot Gupte. The film’s executive producer is Rahul Bhosale.

‘Neighbours’ a presentation of “kalpana Rolling Pictures Production” is slated for a release on 20th March ‘20.

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I don’t know how Kangana can sleep well by taking the first credit in direction when she does not deserve it,” he said.

When he was asked about how much of his portions Kangana cut from the film, he said, “Difficult to say. But I think Kangana has done 20-25 per cent of the first half. I didn’t shoot a song and I didn’t shoot her entry scene. In the second half, she has even re-shot some scenes which I had done in a different way. But it’s okay now. The film is looking brilliant. I am happy that she didn’t spoil it much.”

Krish said that he was told that Zee Studios, the production house behind the film, hadn’t liked his cut.

“Kangana even told me that Zee Studios hadn’t liked what I had made. It was looking like a Bhojpuri film. I laughed. People know my previous work. We argued but she wanted her own way. I just couldn’t understand,” he said.

Krish also claimed that Kangana wanted Sonu Sood’s character to be killed off in the first half itself which led to big arguments between the actress and him.

“She (Kangana) said Sonu is not required in the second half. But I put my foot down. Big arguments followed. Kamal Jain (one of the film’s producers) took Kangana’s side,”

Director Krish has expressed his anger at her claims that she directed 70% of the film. Kangana’s sister Rangoli rushed to her defence and blasted Krish in a series of tweets, saying that Kangana had begged him to take credit for the film and that Krish had “done everything to ruin Manikarnika.” Rangoli also said that Kangana was in Germany and was very disturbed with “the conspiracy theories” surrounding her. She shared screenshots from Kangana’s personal chats with writer Vijayendra Prasad and Krish.

Krish responded to the hate tweets. He said, “Kangana is lying. Clearly, if you look at the messages she sent to Vijayendra and still stored them, seems that there was a plan in her mind to take over and present these later in her defence. So, that it doesn’t look like an after-thought.”

He added that he was just sick and tired of the whole episode. “Kangana and I are both not going away from this industry so soon. I will direct many more films in future and so will she. People will know who stands where. I am sick and tired, of Kangana and the whole controversy.”

In his earlier interview, Krish had claimed that he finished editing the entire film in June and everyone even finished dubbing for their parts, with the exception of Kangana, who was shooting for Mental Hai Kya in London at the time.

“She returned, saw the film and said that she liked it. She however added that she had few small concerns. After few days, she said that iska jyaada hai, uska jyaada hai, this girl is overpowering, that girl is overpowering. Then she came up with yeh change karna hai, woh change karna hai. She also said that Kamal Jain (producer) hadn’t liked the film,” Krish revealed.

Krish slammed Kangana for her rude behaviour said that she tried to convince him that Zee Studios did not like what he had made at all and that “it was looking like a Bhojpuri film”. “I laughed. People know my previous work. We argued but she wanted her own way. I just couldn’t understand,” he said, adding, “She is rude all the time.”

Krish said that his identity was changed in the credits of Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi. “The first poster which bore the date, had my name. Then came the teaser, which had my name but not as Krish which I am known as in the industry including in the credit titles of my previous films. I was given a new name – Radha Krishna Jagarlamudi – which I never use,” he said.

In fact, when he tried getting this rectified, Kangana told him off. “When I spoke to them about the distortion of my name in the teaser, Kangana told me ‘You didn’t support me in the Sonu Sood episode. Aapko abhi zaroorat hai toh aaye ho.’ She told me I have anger management issues (laughs), but it was she who was shouting at me. And now after seeing the film, I see my name again distorted and now in a separate slide!” he revealed.

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Ketan continues. “Actually I wanted to join films right from the time I was just 4. My dad supported me when I told him that I did not want to be a doctor or an engineer. Though my mom did not like the idea, my dad supported me and told my mom that if I become a doctor I will only kill my patients by prescribing the wrong medicines and if I become an engineer, the building I make will crash.

“My dad used to admonish me for not seeing any film on the day it was released unlike the fathers of my friends who used to punish them if they bunked the classes and went to see a film. My father sued to encourage me to sit along with him in his script sessions. His struggles became my advantages. Dad used to operate from home as he was very family oriented and at the age of 15, I joined him as his eighth assistant.

“My dad’s funda was very clear, He told me that if I opted for graduation, I will only end up losing four years of mine but if I join him I’d gain four more years as a director and I jumped at the opportunity to assist him in films like Amar Akbar Anthony, Chacha Bhatija, Parvarish and Dharam Veer. Dad told me that I was like his 24/7 Coffee Shop. I was working with him as an unpaid apprentice who was getting paid only my conveyance and observed him at editing, shooting, dubbing and recordings of music as well as background music recordings and maintaining the continuity in films, as there were no monitors to keep track of the costumes”.

“Dad said that I had to work my way from the bottom to reach the top and made sure that my ego was broken by asking that I serve tea to everyone in the unit and also get junior artistes to the picturisation of the songs. Dad promoted me as a producer with films like Mard and Coolie and then gave me Alla Raakha as a producer-director, following it up with Toofan and Anmol. Today it is lot easier as technology has improved. After I directed Anmol, dad passed away after announcing his decision to launch two films under our banner-one with me as the director and one with David Dhawan.

Ketan adds, “It is very heartening to note that many directors were following in his footsteps like David Dhawan, Anees Baazmi, Farah Khan, Sajid Khan, Rohit Shetty etc. David used to consider dad as his role model and hero worshipped him though they did not work together in any film. It was sweet on David’s part to agree to direct Deewana Mastana for our banner even after the death of my father though if he wanted he could have wriggled out as he was right at the top of the game.”

Ketan confesses that dad was like a huge tree and hence it was very difficult for him to get away from his shadow and comparisons were always there between both the father and the son though a director’s interpretation of a scene is very different from another director’s. Ketan cites the example of yet another brilliant director –Dabboo Kapoor, who was also always compared with his director –father Raj Kapoor. Ketan still remembers his dad always telling him that if he was not comfortable making films in Manji’s style, he should not try to make a film in his style and just follow his heart and do what he wanted to make. He said if I were to copy him, I should believe in what he does because only he could get away with blue murder especially because he believed in whatever he did, whether it was the blood transfusion in Amar Akbar Anthony or the statue of the horse running with the female horse in the middle of the road in Mard.

Rajji was a mega star when he agreed to work with Manji in his debut film Chhalia, which was the original version of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawaria. Rajji obliged my uncle Subhashji when he requested him to act in my debut film. When Rajji asked me if I was confident enough to direct a film at 24, my dad shot back and told him that even Rajji was confident of making his first film when he was only 24. My uncle told Rajji to shoot with my dad for a week and if he did not like what was shot, he was ready to replace him with another star but would retain his younger brother because he was confident about his prowess. Dad began the shooting of Chhalia with the song Dum Dum Bigha Bigha.

When Rajji asked him to engage his favorite choreographer Satyanarayan, dad refused and said he would do the choreography himself. When Rajji asked my dad whey he was making the steps similar to Rajji’s, dad shot back that since he was the leading man of the film, his steps also had to be like his. When Rajji suggested that he should ask his favorites Shankar Jaikishen to compose the music for the film, my dad said he would ask Kalyanji and Anandji to compose the music and Rajji was flabbergasted at the guts and confidence of my dad. The film turned out to be a super duper hit and the song even a greater chart buster and my dad was born as a hit director”.

Though we know that Manji had a great chemistry as a director with Amitabh Bachchan as an actor, Ketan shocks me by telling me that when Amitabh was working with Manji in Parvarish, he was at a loss to know Manji’s style of filmmaking and even contemplated on whether he should leave the film after compensating the producer. It was Jaya Bachchan who told Amitabh that in any case he was acting with directors who had different styles of their own like Yash Chopra, Prakash Mehra, Hrishikesh Mukerjee, he should work in at least one film to know what Manmohanji’s style of working was. Amitabh told her that he may not believe in the scene but surrendered to Manji by believing in his style.

Ketan admits that his marriage to Shammi Kapoor’s daughter Kanchan was arranged by his uncle Subhash Desai who was very close to Raj Kapoorji. “My uncle used to call Rajji as Raj Lal. Dad had directed Shammiji in Badtameez and Naseeb and both were very friendly though dad was a teetotaler till his last breath and Shammiji used to enjoy his drinks. Shammiji used to treat me more like a son than a son in law. Believe it or not, I was married off to Kanchan when I was just 21 1/2

Ketan confesses that it was he and his wife Kanchan who went to Nandaji with Manji’s proposal to marry her since he was besotted with her. “I was ready to do anything for my dad in the world. Dad was a romantic heart but very shy to express his love for Nandaji. In life you need a companion and it is not just about sex and woman. Every relationship has its own space as well as limitations. I felt dad needed a companion as he was very lonely. I told Nandaji that she would get along very well with me and my kids and asked her to marry my father. Nandaji was very dignified and graceful. The engagement of Manji and Nandaji was a very private affair with only family members from both the sides present and Manji lived for two more years after the engagement.

Ketan rules out any foul play in Manji’s death. “Dad didn’t fall down from the terrace by accident. He took away his life because the excruciating pain on his back was almost killing him 24/7 and he wanted a respite from that. He used to tell me that I can understand his pain but cannot go through it. I should not be saying this but the fact is that woh insaan choot gaya because he would have suffered if he had lived for a longer period.

Ketan has quietly completed the Marathi film Fifty Fifty directed by Rajesh Deshpande (who has also directed the Ghudgoos with Ashok Saraf, Sonalee Kulkarni and Subodh Bhave). He is planning to release his film this year. Ketan is also hearing a few scripts in both Marathi as well as Hindi as he is keen on reviving his banner MKD Films shortly.

The post Ketan Desai : “I took up dad’s proposal to Nandaji, because he was very shy” first appeared on Latest News, Breaking News, National News, World News, India News, Bollywood News, Business News, Politics News, Sports News, Entertainment News - CineBuster.

What exactly is your film Daas Dev about?
My film Daas Dev is actually a reversal of Devdas. Around four years ago, it was Pritish Nandy who suggested that I make Devdas for him when all of a sudden, I thought about it but saw a strange similarity between Devdas and Hamlet. I have always felt that Devdas was an addict of not only alcohol but also power in a political dynasty and the reason for the split between Devdas and Paro is purely political.

In what way is your Chandramukhi in Daas Dev different from Chandramukhi in Bimal Roy’s or Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas?
My Chandramukhi is the woman every politician knows very well but pretends not to know. My Chandramukhi has the same attraction for Daas Dev. My Paro did not go to the kothi but confronted Dev. If Dev is God like and Daas means slave, Daas Dev is the journey of Daas to Dev. It is about the person who liberated Paro. He is a victor not a loser. From a loser he becomes a victor.

Is Daas Dev is a satire or a political thriller?
Daas Dev is more of a political thriller than a satire. It drives home the message that love is impossible to happen if you think only of power all the time.

You did not take to politics by following in the footsteps of your grandfather!
My grandfather was one of the three or four people who were instrumental in our late Prime Minister Smt Indra Gandhi splitting the Congress. When he came to Mumbai, he never used to call Mrs Gandhi. I was a production assistant with Vinod Chopra from the film Saza-E-Maut starring Nasseruddin Shah and Radha Saluja. I have dedicated my film to my grandfather.

How tough was the casting for Daas Dev been?
I cast Rahul Bhatt because I liked him in Ungli. I cast Saurabh though there was no character like him in the original Devdas. I felt Anurag Kashyap had to be exploited as an actor and hence cast him as the father of Devdas. It is a very purposeful part but is talked about but not present physically. I cast Aditi as she is very sensual.

How do you think Daas Dev will fare at the box office?
Though every filmmaker wants his film to break the 100 cr or 200 cr benchmark, I will be more than happy if my film does a business of 50 to 60 cr at the box office. My film is more like a Badlapur, Fukray, Queen or Newton.I made Daas Dev on a big scale like an epic. It would have ideally cost a commercial filmmaker at least 50 to 60 cr to make it but we have made it on a budget of 13 cr and hence, I feel that even if Daas Dev ploughs back at least 30 to 40cr it would end up as a huge hit at the box office.

How big is the change in filmmaking now compared to what it was 30 years ago?
Today it is one of the interesting phases where I see many interesting partnerships being forged in cinema. I see an independent filmmaker like Anand L. Rai emerging as a good filmmaker. If he has backed a Shubh Mangal Saavdhaan, with a newcomer like Ayushmaan Khurana, he has also made a Zero with Shah Rukh Khan.

Which are the other filmmakers that you admire a lot?
There are several good filmmakers who I admire a lot like Rajkumar Hirani, Anurag Kashyap, Vishal Bharadwaj, Navdeep Singh, Vikram Motwani, Nikhil Advani, Kabir Khan, Imtiaz Ali and Anubhav Sinha.

Do you think filmmakers no longer rely on stars and concentrate more on content these days?
Today a lot of filmmakers are making their films solely relying on their content. Look at Richa. She was not a star when she starred in Fukray and Fukray 2 but after the success of those films, Richa Chadha is today hailed as a star on her own merit. Isn’t Aditi Rao Hydari who I had launched with my film Yeh Saali Zindagi a star with Mani Ratnam opting to cast her in not just one but two films in Tamil? Today a lot of stars are also good actors. If an actor succeeds with his or her film, he or she automatically becomes a star. Saif Ali Khan is a star but as an actor, was splendid in Vishal Bharadwaj’s Omkara. Aamir Khan is a star today but just look at his range as an actor with films like 3 Idiots and Dangal.

What do you think about web series?
I am 100% confident that web series is the future and they will co-exist with feature films. Also, don’t forget that feature films will also come on the web tomorrow and theatres alone will no longer be the solo outlets to showcase your films. Though in the beginning, you may feel that the web series will displace cinema, it will co-exist with cinema in future. Mark my words.

Go on!
I was a creative mentor and mentored the script for a web series made by Amazon with Irrfan Khan. I am also planning to direct a historical web series shortly. I find the scenario as far as web series exciting. Those who are stuck in nostalgia and continue to crib about the past and refuse to move ahead will be automatically left behind.

Which are the five best films of yours as a filmmaker till date?
My journey as a filmmaker is yet not over. I have made around 13 films in a career span of 30 years till date and can easily make at least twenty more films as I have a lot of stories in my head waiting to be made as films. I am of the opinion that though there are many who make fantasies, someone should tell stories of our time too. I’d say that Dharavi, Yeh Woh Manzil To Nahin, Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin and Khoya Khoya Chand are my five best films.

Are you allergic to casting stars in your films!
In my case, I, fortunately, have the trust of a lot of stars like Anil Kapoor, Kay Kay Menon, Chitrangada, Irrfan, Pankaj Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Madhurii Dixit and Deepti Naval, who besides being good actors are also good stars.

What next?
I am in talks with Pritish Nandy to make a sequel to Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi. I am also writing a black comedy now, besides Mehrunnisa, which I wanted to make with Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor asap.

The post Sudhir Mishra “If an actor’s film succeeds, he becomes a star” first appeared on Latest News, Breaking News, National News, World News, India News, Bollywood News, Business News, Politics News, Sports News, Entertainment News - CineBuster.

What exactly does your film S Durga, formerly titled Sexy Durga before the Censors asked you to change the title, set out to tell?
S Durga is my third film as a director. It basically deals with women’s issues on a larger level. It is about a patriarchal issue in society. S Durga is about fear of darkness. In short it is the representation of women in India.

What is sexy about Durga in your film?
There is nothing sexy about Durga in the film. In my film, Durga is a young woman in her late 20’s who is seen eloping with her boy friend in the middle of the night. It is about what happens in their journey when they set out to catch a train at the railway station

In how many days did you shoot your film S Durga? How much did the film cost you?
S Durga stars Rajshri Deshpande who had earlier acted in Hindi films like Angry Indian Goddesses and Mumbai Central. It took me 20 to 25 days to shoot my film S Durga. I made it on a shoe string budget of around just 20 lakhs. I’d say that S Durga is only a concept. My film has already been premiered at Rotterdam Film Festival and does not have any coherent story as such.

Who are the directors who have inspired you?
Though I am greatly inspired by Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Aravindan, I do not follow their styles of filmmaking. In any case, unlike me, Adoor Sir is a staunch follower of the script

Your film S Durga was recalled by the I&B Ministry after the jury recommended that it b e shown as part of the Indian Panorama.
Yes. It is sad that after the jury recommended my film for screening at the Indian Panorama in Goa this year, it was rejected by the government petitioned against the screening by the government in the Kerala High Court and won the case as the Kerala High Court heard the matter and overruled the objections raised by the Ministry and has ordered the government to show the film with its Censor certificate at the festival.

What is your reaction to the High court verdict?
I would call it a win for cinema as such and all those who champion the cause of artistic freedom. A lot of people have put in their hard work and time for the film and the court’s directive reinstates our belief in democracy and the judiciary.

You do not make any film with stars. Why?
I do not want to make any film with stars because I feel that if I were running behind the stars, I would not be able to make a structural film. I always try to make free flowing films without any structure as such, as a film maker. Though there are some stars like Murali Gopi, the son of the late actor Bharat Gopi who is ready to work with me, most of the stars would not believe me because I have a free flowing style and my films do not have a story or the script.

Oraalppokkam was your first film.
Oraalppokkam which was my first film was made by me in 25 lakhs totally with online crowd funding and was shot from Kerala to Kedarnath. It was a road movie starring Prakash Bare and Meena Kandasamy

You quit your job as a lawyer to take up making films as your vocation. Was the transition tough?
Yes. I quit my job as a lawyer and started concentrating on writing scripts and organizing funds to make short films from 2001 till 2012. In 2013, I made my debut with Oraalppokkam when Neev Arts a cultural organization and an art gallery came forward to back me. Oraalppokkam had dialogues more in Hindi and English than Malayalam though it was Malayalam film.

How tough is it for independent filmmakers here to survive today?
Though I do not at all think that movie making is a tough job if you have the desire and the inclination and one can even make a film in just 2, 3 or 5 lakhs of rupees, independent filmmakers have to struggle to reach out to people.

Hasn’t the advent of Netflix made it easier for makers to reach across the world in one go?
Though now with digitalization we can afford to cut costs, I am of the opinion that Netflix is a personal viewing. The reaction of the crowds in a theater is very crucial for a filmmaker because online platforms are limited like reading a book

Why do you not set out to drive home any message through your films, whether it was Oraalppokkam, Ozhivudivasathe Kali or for that matter your third and the latest film S Durga?
I do not believe in limiting my films with a message as I believe a lot in spontaneity and organic nature of working. It is one of the reasons that I do not like to have rehearsals for any scene. I feel if I have rehearsals, it will be not be organic and the scenes will lack energy

There was a 17 minute long scene in Ozhivudivasathe Kali. Did you plan to shoot it without any cut?
Yes. If there is a cut, you will feel that there is some kind of cheating involved. I want people to feel and believe that something is happening in front of their eyes live as I feel that in reality there is no cut at all. Ozhivudivasathe Kali took 14 days to complete. It had 70 lengthy shots including a 15 minute scene shot in a single day where we improvised a lot. Shaji and Aruna Mathew who had produced Oraalppokkam had also produced Ozhivudivasathe Kali.

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Today , Rohit Shetty is not just an ace action director but also the go to man if you need someone with a charismatic action oriented persona to host a show. Of course it does help that Rohit is more than six feet tall and his broad shoulders, bulging biceps and good looks can give any top action star a run for his money. Precisely it is the main reason why Colors chose him as the host for their new season of Khatron Ke Khiladi featuring 12 new daredevils.

As I waited for Rohit Shetty to arrive and brief the press, I could not help but wonder at his rise and rise in the Hindi film industry. Son of the late famous stuntman cum actor M.B.Shetty, popularly known as Fighter Shetty, life was not exactly a bed of roses for Rohit after his father passed away while he was still a school going kid. His mother toiled to raise him and his three sisters. Once he passed his SSC, Rohit as a 15-year-old took it upon himself to earn money to support his family and since then there has been no looking back.

As his monstrous chauffeur- driven Range Rover rolled into the studio, my mind raced back to the times when he had to travel for about one and a half hour to reach his school in Santa Cruz all the way from Dahisar. From walking on his feet to reach his school and work place in his earlier days to now cruising in a SUV, life has indeed rewarded Rohit for his 27 years of hard work, sweat and blood. And it is his ‘never take things for granted’ philosophy that has held him in good stead all this while.

“I never take things for granted in my life,” says Rohit while wiping the sweat off his forehead. He is suffering from high fever and had to take an injection to be battle ready before meeting the press. “I could have called this meet off. I was having 104 degree temperature. So I visited my doctor, took an injection, felt a little better and here I am.”

While not taking things for granted did help, it was a lot more than that which helped him stay afloat and become successful in this cut throat world of Hindi showbiz. And Rohit believes having a positive attitude makes survival easy in tinsel town. “It is not difficult to survive in Bollywood. It is just hard work. I never feel negative about life. That is why I have been able to survive here. I don’t complain. You are in a business where you will be facing failure. You will have your highs and lows throughout your career. It is not going to change. It is part and parcel of this industry. This is a product making business. You are dealing with the audiences. Sometimes the audience will like your product but do not forget that sometimes they will be angry on you because they love you. So they have the right to be angry on you and to be disappointed,” reasons Rohit.

Fortunately, Rohit has not faced any huge disappointment career wise save for his debut film Zameen which flopped. Since then it has been a pretty smooth ride something that he plans to extend with his next action film starring Ranveer Singh whom he effusively praises. “Ranveer is a superstar. He is a complete actor. If you see his energy, it is not restricted. He is not thinking if I am performing this way or that way what this person or that person will be thinking. That is the quality of a superstar. It helps you connect with the masses instantly.”

For the moment, Rohit is gung ho about promoting Khatron Ke Khiladi and his new daredevils whom he has motivated and mentored. “All of them have performed really well. Every time you do the show there is a different challenge change of its own. These 12 people are not trained in stunts. You have to make them perform. In films you have cables, you can cut, you have safety and also you have the green screen. Here there is nothing. You have to motivate them.”

The show will give viewers a glimpse of the contestants sweating it out in the scenic locales of exotic Spain this time around. While like always we do see stunts with eerie reptiles, this time a majestic lion and a ferocious bear add on to the exciting adrenaline inducing spell binding drama. Rohit rates each of the 12 contestants as strong in terms of physical and mental fitness. While one will see celebs from TV and films this time, there is also wrestler Geeta Phogat as one of the contestants on the reality show. Rohit calls her a tough yet simple girl. The glam quotient of the show is provided by Shibani Dandekar, Monika Dogra, Lopamudra Raut and Hina Khan while Ravi Dubey, Karan Wahi etc are the pranksters. Ask Rohit who is the winner among the twelve dare devils-Manveer Gurjar, Ritvik Dhanjani,Nia Sharma, Karan Wahi, Shibani Dandekar, Monica Dogra, Lopamudra Raut, Shantanu Maheshwari, Shiny Doshi, Geeta Phogat, Hina Khan and Ravi Dubey and he guffaws with his own inimitable style, “Give me 10 to 15 lakhs and I will disclose the name.”

Nepotism may be the new buzz word in the industry but thankfully our discussion doesn’t veer towards the national word of Bollywood all thanks to Rohit’s desire to launch newcomers in the coming years through his production house. “I will launch newcomers. I own a production company now. So we can take that risk. It all depends on the script. I don’t believe in praising my work while others are in a loss and crying and me saying this is my passion. Nobody should be at a loss. I don’t believe in that. Everybody should earn and be happy.”

And will he ever launch himself as an actor? “Dhanda accha chal raha hai mera yaar and why do you want me to try acting?” asks Rohit before signing off with a smile.

The post Rohit Shetty “I have been able to survive here because i never feel negative about life” first appeared on Latest News, Breaking News, National News, World News, India News, Bollywood News, Business News, Politics News, Sports News, Entertainment News - CineBuster.