31 Years of Vishwatma EXCLUSIVE: Rajiv Rai SLAMS rumours that Madhuri Dixit and Ayesha Jhulka were offered Divya Bharti’s role: “These are rumours. If they were offered, why wouldn’t they do it?”

On January 24, 1992, Rajiv Rai released his magnum opus, Vishwatma, in cinemas. The film had an ensemble star cast, featuring Sunny Deol, Naseeruddin Shah, Chunky Panday, Divya Bharti, Sonam, Amrish Puri, Jyotsna Singh and Gulshan Grover. The film is remembered today for its action and massy scenes and of course the cult song ‘Saat Samandar Paar’. On Vishwatma’s 31st anniversary, Rajiv Rai exclusively spoke to Bollywood Hungama about the film, his experience of shooting it in Kenya and a lot more.

In Vishwatma (1992), Mohra (1994) and Gupt (1997), the image of the Ambe Ma idol from Shree Mangal Mandir, Nairobi, Kenya is shown in the beginning. Vishwatma was also shot in Kenya. Could you tell us about this connection?
That’s a good question! My co-producer Ajay Shah was associated with that temple in some way. I used to visit it regularly. In fact, I even got married in the same temple! Though my marriage broke up, I must say that the temple is very auspicious and it made me feel like I was in India. It didn’t give you a feeling that it was located in some foreign country. Hence, I showed its glimpse in the beginning out of respect for Ambe Ma and my co-producer. There was no real calculation behind it. It was just one of those things that came from my heart and I did it in those films that Ajay Shah co-produced with me.

How did you decide to shoot Vishwatma in Kenya? This was probably the first Bollywood film which was shot in the African country…
I went to Kenya for Sharad Patel’s daughter’s wedding; he’s a profound filmmaker – he made Rise And Fall Of Idi Amin (1981) – and a very dear family friend. Their son Raju Patel was also a very close friend of mine who made several Hollywood movies including Bachelor Party (1984) starring Tom Hanks. Unfortunately, Raju Patel passed away at a young age due to cancer complications. The wedding was my first visit to Kenya and when I returned to Mumbai, I decided to shoot there. Fortunately, I also had other family friends who owned hotels and we shot in their properties. The group is called Sarova Group of Hotels and it still exists in Kenya and the United Kingdom. That’s when I also met my co-producer, Ajay Shah, who was also politically connected in the country and a very nice gentleman. Sharad Patel, meanwhile, helped me with the technical equipment etc. I hired his lights, generators and cameras. Due to these connections, I was motivated to shoot in Kenya. Back in those days, it was very difficult to shoot in foreign lands because the government would not provide foreign exchange money. So, we had to really plan this film very well and ensure our paperwork was legally in order so that we were able to import the film back to India without complications. Of course, this took a lot of time and energy but it was all worth it in the end.

Despite these issues, it was convenient to shoot in Kenya. I loved the locations and the people of the country. Somebody may have shot a film before me in Kenya. I am not sure. But definitely, nobody has gone and shot a whole film there. As mentioned before, I had many connections and I am indebted to all of them. They were very helpful. It was heartening to see how Indians outside the country help fellow Indians. Vishwatma set a big example of it. My mesmerizing experience opened doors for other Indians to shoot abroad. Later, filmmakers began shooting anywhere and everywhere where they could get hold of subsidies. The United Kingdom today is a very apt example. But the poor and third-world African countries could not afford to give subsidies. So, you needed to go there, find your connections and get your discounts!

Was Bubbles Disco, where the iconic ‘Saat Samandar Paar’ was shot, also found through connections?
Yes. Every location that you see in the film was made accessible thanks to my co-producers and friends there. Ketan Somaia owned Bubbles Discotheque and the casino there. So that was made available to us. Back in those days, it was difficult to make a grand Bollywood film abroad if you didn’t have personal connections.

‘Saat Samandar Paar’ was also used in Sajid Nadiadwala’s Kick (2014) as a tribute to Divya Bharti…
Yes. Unfortunately, and laughingly, nobody took permission from me. But it’s okay as they are all friends of mine and I didn’t mind. But today, I am trying to make it clear that you cannot use a song of mine in another film without my permission.

As per the trivia on IMDb, Madhuri Dixit and Ayesha Jhulka were offered Divya Bharti’s role. Is that true?
These are rumours. If they were offered, why wouldn’t they do it? IMDb should call me, read out every trivia written about me and my film, and I’ll correct the misinformation! I have hardly been rejected by anyone in my career. So, if anyone writes that somebody rejected my film, it’s all bullshit. Maybe two or three times, it had happened where actors didn’t have dates. 90% of the time, however, people wanted to work with me. So, why would one say ‘No’ to me? Today, it’s very different. I am not in the limelight and not very well-known anymore. So the big stars might refuse me and the younger generation of actors might not remember me!

In fact, a lot of young generation actors don’t know who I am. They ask me, ‘Who are you?’. I mean, it’s okay for me. I don’t have an ego and I don’t care. People don’t want to work with older filmmakers or directors. And that’s why most of the films which are coming out are pretty sad and bad as we are not working with experienced people in Bollywood. The younger directors don’t have the training ground in making good films. At times, the directors go haywire and become self-indulgent. That doesn’t help and hence, many of them take the support of the OTT platforms to release their films. We didn’t have OTT platforms in our days. We had to make the films work and make the audiences sit in their seats!

Yes, and you did. In fact, while seeing the film again, I realized that Sunny Deol actually was hanging from the moving aeroplane in the climax…
Yes. There were no special effects or cables in Vishwatma. The films in the 80s and 90s were real. Even in my upcoming film, Zora, everything is real. There are no special effects except for the gunshots where we had to put some effects and that’s about it. When you show fake action, people can guess it’s not real and it’s really not working out that well.

You gave commercial roles to Naseeruddin Shah. Was it difficult to make him dance in songs?
There’s nothing difficult when it comes to Naseeruddin Shah. You just need to do things very quickly with him. You cannot test a good actor’s patience. Good actors like him don’t require retakes because their first takes are the very best. I had to keep that in mind while I was working with Naseeruddin Shah and doing his fight or dance sequences. But I didn’t have any problems. He adapted to everything that was required to be done in all my films. He’s a very focused and hardworking actor and I would say one of the best actors in India, then and now.

Rarely does he essay such roles and with you, he did it thrice…
I had seen all of his films. I am an ardent art film watcher. Back in those days, I used to look up to the movies made by Shyam Benegal, Satyajit Ray etc. There was a fabulous parallel cinema movement at that time from where I learnt a lot. I admired it more than the commercial cinema (laughs)! Technically, they were progressive. They were so good with sound and photography. They never left the sync sound at that time. They took a lot of effort into the all technical aspects of the film. Even though the films were a little slow-paced, the casting would be fabulous and the storytelling had a different texture to it. So, the art cinema was a training ground for me. I realize I am saying this for the first time in an interview!

So, I had seen all the works of Naseeruddin Shah and I thought it’ll be a good change to take this actor and put him in a different avatar, thereby getting a different audience to watch him. The commercial audience was not watching art and parallel cinema back in those days. I am glad I did so and it paid off really well. And then everybody started taking actors from art cinema.

Did you visit cinema halls to check audience reaction?
I rarely went to the theatres to hear the hooting or the claps to pat myself on the back. Also, I would have seen my film a hundred times and it would be boring for me to see it again. Whether they were burning the cinema down or screaming with joy, whatever the reactions may have been to my various films, I didn’t check. Those days, there used to be adverse reactions, like seatein tod di or audiences throwing money on the screen. Once I get the commercial results and know what has happened with the film, I move on. However, I did see every other Hindi film with the audiences and got their reactions. I do that even today. If you want to see me, you can do so at a multiplex, where I’ll be watching the first day first show of the latest release!

Also Read: Sunny Deol starring 2001 blockbuster, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha to re-release on August 11

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Pathaan: Shah Rukh Khan – Salman Khan’s post-credit scene was Aditya and Uday Chopra’s idea, says writer Shridhar Raghavan

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan returned to the big screen in a lead role with Pathaan and the film has simply demolished the box office. It has crossed Rs. 700 crores worldwide in simply 9 days and is smashing records. The film stars Deepika Padukone and John Abraham alongside Ashutosh Rana and Dimple Kapadia. As the film industry celebrates the megastar’s return and the success of the film, people can’t help but talk about the meta moments. Salman Khan makes a cameo in the movie and it totally turns into a screaming contest in theatres when the two superstars, fondly known as Karan – Arjun of Indian cinema, come together for an action-packed sequence. Interestingly, there’s also a post-credit scene with them which definitely creates a fun moment.

Interestingly, the post-credit scene wasn’t written in the script but was added by Aditya Chopra. It was meant to be added somewhere in the train sequence scene. But when Uday Chopra saw the edit, he recommended it be added after the film. “The last scene when Shah Rukh and Salman are talking, when I saw the film even, I was taken aback because I hadn’t written it! It wasn’t there in my script draft. That Adi sir did. When he had thought of it, it was added somewhere else in the, right after the train sequence. But I think when they were discussing the edit, Uday (Chopra) came up with the idea that this might work in the end! So it was that collaborative,” Shridhar Raghavan explained to Indian Express.

Talking about the torture sequence in the train and the idea of the back story of every team member of the Pathaan’s squad, he added, “In the trailer there’s a torture sequence that Shah Rukh goes through—maybe they’ll release it later on YouTube—and in the film there were many scenes which we wrote on paper but never shot. Every character in the JOCR squad has a huge back story, which we wrote. We then thought we don’t require it in this particular film, but it was important for us because someday when we’ll do something else with these characters, it’ll also help the actors because they’d know these characters inside out. It was great fun.”

Helmed by Siddharth Anand, Pathaan is the highest grossing film of YRF’s Spy Universe! With this insane result of this film, all films of YRF’s Spy Universe – Ek Tha Tiger, Tiger Zinda Hai, War & Pathaan are blockbusters!

Meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan has two more releases this year – Atlee Kumar’s Jawan releasing in June 2023 followed by Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki in December 2023.

ALSO READ: Sanjay Dutt reviews Pathaan; says Shah Rukh Khan – John Abraham – Deepika Padukone starrer gives ‘reason to celebrate, bringing audiences back to the theatres’

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Photos: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt and others snapped outside Karan Johar’s residence in Bandra

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Sidharth Malhotra – Kiara Advani Wedding: Suryagarh Palace’s suites and havelis cost up to whopping Rs. 1.1 lakh per night

After years of speculations around their relationship and the couple maintaining that they are more than close friends, actors Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani are set to tie the knot in February 2023. The Shershaah pair is reportedly getting married at Suryagarh Palace in Jaisalmer and the prep is on in full swing.

Reports reveal that the massive property has suites and havelis which cost up to a whopping Rs. 1, 10,500 per night. The rates of the least expensive room start out at Rs. 20,000 per night. A paparazzo uploaded the update of the wedding on Instagram and Suryagarh’s official Instagram handle commented “see you soon” with a red heart emoji. This confirmed that the wedding is taking place in Jaisalmer. The venue is also described as the ‘gateway to the Thar desert’. The wedding functions will commence on February 4, 2023.

In an earlier report of Bollywood Hungama, a source had given us a sneak peek into the nuptials saying, “Unlike the proverbial big fat Bollywood wedding that everyone is expecting, Sidharth and Kiara have opted for a quiet family affair with both sides of their families in attendance.”

On Koffee With Karan last year, Kiara had revealed that she and Sidharth met for the first time after the wrap-up party of the 2018 Netflix short film, Lust Stories. She starred in Karan Johar’s short film Lust Stories. Recalling the time, she said, “Sid and I know each other from before we were cast in Shershaah.”

Karan Johar revealed, “Yes, much before”, to which Kiara said, “Yes at the wrap party of Lust Stories which we crashed.” Karan further added, “We crashed a friend’s house and the cast of Lust Stories as we had and Sid also came to the party and that’s where you and Sid met for the first time.”

In another episode of KWK last year, Karan asked Sidharth about his Shershaah co-star and girlfriend Kiara Advani and whether he has plans to marry her. Sidharth dodged the question and said, “I am manifesting a happier and brighter future.” When asked, “With Kiara?” Sidharth smiled as he answered, “If it was her, it would be great.”

On the work front, Kiara Advani was last seen in Govinda Naam Mera. She will next star in Satyaprem Ki Katha alongside Kartik Aaryan and RC15 with South superstar Ram Charan. Meanwhile, Sidharth Malhotra was most recently seen in Mission Majnu. He has the Rohit Shetty cop series Indian Police Force as well as Yodha with Raashii Khanna and Disha Patani slated for release.

ALSO READ: Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani lock their wedding date and venue; report

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Disha Patani ditches her swimsuit in favour of a stunning white Anarkali gown by Shantanu & Nikhil

Since her debut in MS Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016) seven years ago, Disha Patani’s name has grown to be associated with both fitness and fashion. She enjoys sharing highlights from her most recent workouts with the 56 million people who follow her on Instagram, but she also enjoys dressing up. Disha Patani, an actor-turned-model, is known for wearing bold, body-hugging statements. When it comes to dressing up for special occasions, the fitness fanatic and fashion connoisseur doesn’t miss a chance to fancy up. The Ek Villian Returns actor tends to wear lehengas most of the time. If you have a looming wedding invitation, use the opportunity to go all out, choose an embellished attire, and dazzle all night long. Take note of Disha Patani’s flawless wedding attire.

Disha Patani is the best in the business in so many different fields. Style is undoubtedly one of them. But one would still assume that her strong suit was her summer wardrobe of co-ord sets and bikinis. It turns out that it isn’t at all merely that. She still does miracles when it comes to appearing stunning in ethnic attire, as seen by her most recent post. She looks stunning in her white Anarkali dress by Shantanu and Nikhil. Her ivory georgette anarkali dress has a square neckline, thin straps, and a tone-on-tone embroidered bodice. Her floor-length, solid-white skirt has a free-flowing design and is in this colour. A basic ivory-coloured drape is affixed to the lehenga’s bodice.

Disha chose a basic hairstyle with big waves. The Loafer actress donned ornate jhumkas, letting her clothing do the talking. For her beauty look, she went with a dewy base, glossy pink lips, winged eyeliner, and beach waves. Whether you’re a bridesmaid or a bride, invest in an easy-to-style Anarkali gown like Disha Patani’s.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Disha will star in the forthcoming film, Yodha, co-starring Sidharth Malhotra. She will also join Nag Ashwin’s film Project K starring Prabhas, Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan.

SUMMARY OF LOOK DETAILS:

ACTRESS: Disha Patani

OUTFIT: Shantanu & Nikhi

STYLIST: Aastha Sharma

 

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Also Read: Disha Patani sparkles like a glitter goddess in the glitzy gown by Yousef Al Jasmi worth Rs.2.85 Lakh

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Vishal Bhardwaj shoots Ishaan Khatter and Wamiqa Gabbi starrer Fursat on an iPhone

Critically acclaimed filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj’s new movie, a 30-minute short film titled Fursat which has just dropped on Apple.com and its YouTube page. The highlight is that Apple roped in the filmmaker to shoot the entire film on iPhone 14 Pro, which is their latest flagship mobile. The film stars Ishaan Khatter and Wamiqa Gabbi.

Vishal Bhardwaj seems upbeat about moving with the times and shooting on an iPhone, he said, “A traditional film camera comes with 10 people, 3 attendants and 10 boxes of lenses… you can’t move around. You can’t be quick. iPhone liberated me in that sense. I’ve never had this kind of scale in my films ever before. And this can tell you about the scale iPhone can achieve.” Ishaan Khatter told Bollywood Hungama, “Vishal sir was enjoying himself; he was like a child on the sets with an iPhone. We all had fun on the sets of this film, which had an iPhone camera.”

Shot entirely on iPhone 14 Pro, Fursat is a Bollywood-style musical celebrating the power of love. Helmed by award-winning Bollywood director, Vishal Bhardwaj, and supported by a cast and crew of celebrated Bollywood personalities—the film has all the ingredients of popular cinema, including songs and choreographed dances, which are integral to Bollywood, packaged together on a scale never seen before for a non-commercial film. The film shows scenes shot in a desert, underwater, on a train, and in various different locations like a hospital and dance stage.

Speaking about shooing the action scenes in the iPhone 14 Pro without a gimbal, Bhardwaj said, “Action mode was the biggest surprise for me. In Fursat, we’ve covered a lot of things in Action mode. If you see the raw footage, the visual is so jarring and destabilised. On Action mode, it’s so smooth. You have to see it to believe it.” The director of Photography of Fursat, Swapnil Sonawane said, “I think Action mode is the most amazing update. For it to be held in your hand and run with all your might looking at the actor, one can get extremely steady shots, without external gimbal. “

Fursat has dropped today on apple.com and it’s YouTube page.

Also Read: Vishal Bhardwaj remembers Irrfan Khan; says, “A part of me has died with him”

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Siddharth Anand reacts to Pathaan being called ‘pale imitation of Hollywood’: ‘Our directors have the ability to mount films’

With Rs. 667 crores collections globally, Pathaan is soaring high beating box office records for a Hindi film. Starring Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, the film is only its 9th running day in theatres and has smashed the collections. As Siddharth Anand is rejoicing in the success of his second blockbuster, the director is also answering questions on varied topics. The film is also called a ‘pale imitation of Hollywood’.

Speaking to Gulf News, Siddharth Anand reasoned, “That’s inevitable when you make a film that’s beyond the conventions of Bollywood films. You’re instantly compared to Hollywood, which obviously has better infrastructure, better technology, and huger budgets. It will always seem like we’re trying to imitate that, but our limitations are much more. We also have ambitions, our directors have the ability to mount films, but we’re limited by reach because our films are made in one language, which is Hindi. Our revenues are directly proportional to the budgets we can afford.”

“I have to admit, I haven’t watched more than two MCU films. I’m not a fan of that genre. I’ve seen a couple of them. My son is a huge fan, and he’s an encyclopedia. He briefs me and keeps me up to date. I have to run my scripts and my sequences past him, and he’ll say, ‘No, dad, this is in that film. No, you can’t do this, this has already been done.’ I’m like, ‘What the hell do I do?’ So, I take ideas from him on how to manoeuvre things around. I think I should get on the bandwagon and start watching those films, so that there’s no overlap,” the director admitted on not watching even Marvel movies.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Siddharth Anand will next helm Fighter starring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone. It will mark in his second project with the stars after War and Pathaan, respectively. The film is set for Republic Day 2024 release.

ALSO READ: Pathaan: Siddharth Anand says Shah Rukh Khan has been ‘soft target’ in recent years; breaks silence on boycott calls: ‘Audiences came out in large numbers and supported it’

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