Film Fare

July 2018 `60 

ALIA-RANBIR 

RED HOT 

ROMANCE! 

JOHN 

ABRAHAM 

returns with 

a bang 

Priyanka dating 

Nick Jonas 

EXPLOSIVE! 

SALMAN & 

JACQUELINE 

in the mood for love

July 2018 `60 

ALIA-RANBIR 

RED HOT 

ROMANCE! 

JOHN 

ABRAHAM 

returns with 

a bang 

Volume 67 # July 2018 / ISSN NUMBER 0971-7277 

27 COVER 

STORY 

Salman Khan and Jacqueline 

Fernandez speak on success, 

survival and showbiz 

Priyanka dating 

Nick Jonas 

EXPLOSIVE! 

SALMAN & 

JACQUELINE 

in the mood for love 

PHOTOGRAPHS: SURESH NATARAJAN 

STYLING: ASHLEY REBELLO 

SALMAN KHAN: HAIR: HAKIM AALIM 

MAKE-UP: SUDESH NAAG 

JACQUELINE FERNANDEZ: 

HAIR AND MAKE-UP: SHAAN 

Salman’s suit: Ashley Rebello 

Jacqueline’s jumpsuit: Sonakshi Raj 

Editor’s Choice 

The ed praises 

04 Salman Khan 

The ed wishes more 

88 women-centric films 

be made 

Masala Fix 

Ranbir-Alia the newest 

08 lovebirds in B-town, 

Priyanka Chopra and 

Nick Jonas paint the 

town red, Salman 

Khan to launch 

Shera’s son and other 

grist from the 

rumour mills 

8 

11

54 

70 

58 

 

Top: Aditi Gupta 

Skirt: Purple Paisley 

p 

14 

16 

eview 

4Sneak peek of 

Soorma 

6Sky is the limit for 

Malavika Mohanan 

fashion 

b eauty 

Style 

19 

quotient of the 

stars decoded 

exclusive 

46 

46 

6Priyanka Chopra’s 

heart is in the right 

place 

50 

0John Abraham is 

happy after the 

success of Parmanu 

4Neha Dhupia speaks 

on marriage and more 

6Meghna Gulzar is 

on cloud nine 

after Raazi 

54 

66 

50 

70 

74 

Malobika Banerjee on 

her debut in B-town 

Priya Dutt on her 

movie memories 

your say 

82 

86 

Readers send in their 

reviews 

Shatrughan Sinha’s 

wacky witticisms 

86

Letter from the Editor 

Bhai rocks! 

Salman Khan is a true maverick. Only someone like 

him could call up Bobby Deol and ask him to be part of 

his action extravaganza, the only condition being that 

Bobby should look good in a shirtless scene. The result 

is that Bobby, who had been lying low for years, worked 

his ass off in the gym, got in a helluva shape, which 

belies his 50 years and suddenly is in the news again. 

For all the right reasons this time. That’s called the 

power of Bhai alright. 

There are examples galore of how many newcomers 

he has helped, how many fortunes he has helped build, 

how many careers he has rejuvenated. And these are 

well-documented, genuine stories. Not some whispers 

in the dark. You are assured of a fast track to success 

if Bhai takes an interest in you. His name is enough to 

open every door. Have people taken advantage of that? 

Yes. Does he care? No. Because he knows that he only 

has to make his displeasure public and that person’s 

career will start nosediving. That doors will slowly shut 

on that person. 

Bhai truly has a large heart. And he hasn’t forgotten 

his own humble beginnings. He remembers the time 

when he was a nobody. When strangers came to his aid 

and set him right. In his own way, he’s trying to repay 

all those people, whose identity only he knows, by 

helping others. He isn’t immune to mistakes. All those 

cases against him are but proof of that. But it’s these 

frailties, which make him human. He’s no all- virtuous 

angel but a man, who’s known to falter often. But such 

is his resilience that he has overcome every obstacle to 

rise bigger and better than the rest. 

One thing that has eluded him is a stable 

relationship. He has been linked with many but truly 

hasn’t found the woman of his dreams. Of late, it seems, 

he has kind of made his peace with that ideal and let 

go of that dream. And that kind of has added to his 

allure, to his star charisma. His fans have only increased 

because of that. Tags like ‘eternal bachelor’, don’t really 

matter to him. He’s immune to all that and more. 

He’s perhaps our last superstar in the true sense of 

the word. The Moby Dick that will forever remain a 

myth, not needing anyone’s endorsement, happy in his 

own company... 

For more on tinseltown’s news and updates 

find me on Twitter @jiteshpillaai

Chief Executive Officer Deepak Lamba 

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Design Director Sujitha Pai 

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Chief Financial Officer S.Subramaniam 

Head-Human Resources Meghna Puthawala 

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a bird’s-eye view of show town’s happenings 

SONG WARRIOR 

It seems the singing bug has bit Salman Khan in a major, 

major way. We couldnt help but admire his dedication as he 

belted out the songs of Race 3 at the launch of the number 

Allah duhai hai. Also seen are Daisy Shah, Bobby Deol, Iulia 

Vantur and Jacqueline Fernandez. 

Alia-Ranbir an item pg 22 

Priyanka Chopra and Nick 

Jonas dating pg 26 

Salman to launch Shera’s 

son pg 28 

PHOTOGRAPHS: YOGEN SHAH

MASALA FIX 

After Anushka Sharma and Sonam Kapoor tied the knot, 

it’s now Deepika Padukone’s and Ranveer Singh’s turn to 

do the same.The talk’s been in the air about their wedding 

for long now. Now, it seems both the families have finally 

decided a date. If our sources are right, it will be a year-end 

wedding. November 19 is supposed to be the date.And 

both the Bhavnanis and Padukones have started preparing 

with much gusto. Deepika’s mother, Ujjala Padukone and 

sister, Anisha Padukone, have started shopping for her 

trousseau.The families wish to keep the wedding a private 

affair with only close friends and family. 

GUESS 

WHO? 

This Bollywood star 

son seems to be 

going through troubled 

times. He has been 

depressed for some 

time now. He stays 

locked up in his 

room for days and 

doesn’t come out or 

interact with anyone. 

The guy, who’s in his 

40s, has had his 

share of failure both 

in films as well as in 

his relationships. And 

with a career going 

nowhere, he’s not able 

to handle things well. 

We wish he comes out 

of it soon and kicks 

some ass. 

& 

Rumours & More 

RANVEER-DEEPIKA 

TO TIE THE KNOT 

IN NOVEMBER? 

Meanwhile… 

Both Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone have 

cleared their diary for the year end. After wrapping 

up Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy and Rohit Shetty’s 

Simbbaa, Ranveer will start work on Kabir Khan’s 

‘83 only in 2019. Deepika too has set aside her 

dates for the year end. 

KARAN JOHAR 

FLEW OFF TO 

NEW YORK TO 

BRING IN HIS 

46 th BIRTHDAY 

WITH FRIENDS 

SHWETA 

BACHCHAN 

NANDA, KAAJAL 

ANAND AND 

MANISH 

MALHOTRA. 

ALIA-RANBIR 

AREANITEM 

Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor 

seeing each other is the stuff 

romantic dreams are made of. 

The industry has been abuzz with 

excitement ever since Ranbir and 

Alia started shooting for Ayan 

Mukerji’s Brahmastra. And the 

excitement reached a frenzy 

when they made an appearance 

together at Sonam Kapoor’s 

wedding. It was clear as daylight 

that the two were an item. And 

boy did it warm the cockles of 

our collective romantic hearts. 

So, imagine our joy when Ranbir 

recently admitted to seeing his 

co-star and also added that it was 

anew feeling and he wants to 

give it time. Alia on the other hand 

posted 

pictures of the bracelet 

Ranbir’s sister, Ridhima Kapoor 

Shahani, gifted her. Clearly, the 

Kapoor khandaan has accepted 

ia into their fold.

AUNT IT CUTE: Kangana Ranaut recently met 

nephew Prithviraj and the duo enjoyed a great 

bonding. Kangana had eyes only for him and 

insisted on holding him. The chubby bundle of joy 

too couldn’t get enough of his aunt - much to the 

joy of mother Rangoli. 

JACKIE LAUNCHES 

EATERY IN BANDRA 

This girl is after our heart.Afte 

notchi up major commercial 

films a hits to cqueli 

Ferna z now made 

anoth 

true. W 

her dreams come 

ere the first to 

inform you long ago you that 

Jacqu line plans to set up a 

Thai r ant in Bandra. 

And fi ally, she has done it. 

Along with friend ali 

Sang ni Jacqueline ha 

launc ed a restaurant, Pali 

Thai, the plush suburb 

of Ba a in Mumbai.The 

actre so excited about 

her n w venture, she h 

look into every small 

deta of the eatery, righ 

from the interiors and cutlery 

to th or and furniture. 

Incid ntally, Jacqueline also 

own restaurant in h 

hom town, Colombo in Sri 

Lan a. More power to you, girl. 

AJAY DEVGN 

CHEERS FOR 

ARJUN 

We all know that Arjun 

Kapoor has been signed by 

director Rajkumar Gupta 

for his upcoming film, India’s 

Most Wanted. But what you 

all don’t know is that it was 

Ajay Devgn, who suggested 

ay, who has work 

jkumar Gupta i 

ought Arjun woul 

perfect for the dire 

m. And Rajkum 

on the acto 

must say, is alre 

e. 

with 

id, 

be 

or’s next 

promptly 

Arjun, 

dy on 

tigious 

a roll now with pr 

projects lik sh 

rikar Panipat 

bakar Ba rji’s 

ndeep Aur Pi ky Faraar. 

one is anot r feather 

in his cap.And wi h a senior 

actor like Ajay en orsing him, 

already on 

e young actor is 

moon. 

WHAT’S GOING ON 

BETWEEN PRIYANKA 

AND NICK JONAS? 

When it comes to creating news, Priyanka Chopra is 

never far behind. In fact, everything she does stokes 

our imagination like nothing else can. Whether it’s her 

appearances at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s 

royal wedding or her field visit to Bangladesh to meet 

the Rohingya Muslims living in refugee camps, she 

makes headlines. And now we see pictures of her 

and Nick Jonas splashed all over. The one where 

she’s cosying up to him on a yacht on Memorial Day 

broke the internet. Naturally, the grapevine is abuzz 

with talks about the two seeing each other. The two 

reportedly met through a common friend. And hit it 

off instantly. Our suspicion was aroused when the 

two attended the Met gala together and then the 

Beauty And The Beast live concert. The couple has 

been sighted having dinner in Los Angeles and at 

Toca Madera in West Hollywood. Priyanka recently 

commented on Jones’ Instagram pics further fuelling 

rumours.All we will say is we’re happy for her. 

TER THE UCCESS OF VEERE DI WEDDING, 

EA KAP R IS ALREADY PLANNING HER 

XT EN RE. BUT THIS TIME SHE WILL 

ODUCE HER FILM WITH BOYFRIEND KARAN 

OOLANI, HO WILL ALSO DIRECT THE FILM

PILLION PRINCE: Trust Akshay Kumar to make riding pillion into a style statement. We spotted 

the macho star shooting at a far-flung Mumbai studio and couldn’t help noticing 

how cool he 

looked even when sitting side-saddle on a bike. Must say the kurta too was looking fab on him. 

HARSHVARDHAN 

WANTS TO DO 

A COMEDY 

Bhavesh Joshi Superhero may 

not have done well at the 

box-office but that hasn’t 

dimmed Harshvardhan 

Kapoor’s enthusiasm. 

The actor was praised 

for his efforts in the 

superhero film.And that 

means a lot to him. Now 

the actor reportedly wants 

to do a comedy. He wants to 

take a break from the serious 

roles he played in Mirzya and 

Bhavesh Joshi. Reasonable. 

We wish the young actor 

all the best in his future 

endeavours. 

SALMAN SET 

TO LAUNCH 

SHERA’S 

SON, TIGER 

Salman Khan is a known to 

launch newcomers from time to 

time. The actor doesn’t hesitate 

from supporting youngsters if he 

sees a spark in them. There are 

examples galore of his generosity. 

Now we hear he has set his eyes on 

his bodyguard Shera’s son Tiger. He 

plans to launch the kid. Tiger, we’re 

told, is undergoing rigorous training 

and acting workshops. And Shera 

can’t stop beaming. 

SALMAN 

MIFFED 

WITH RISHI 

The talk is that Salman 

Khan is miffed with Rishi 

Kapoor. The reason being 

the senior actor reportedly 

misbehaved with his sister 

in law, Sohail’s Khan’s 

wife Seema Khan, at 

Sonam Kapoor’s sangeet 

ceremony. To make 

matters worse, when 

Sohail sent a message to 

the actor the next day 

about his alleged 

misconduct he 

feigned ignorance. 

This it seems 

upset the 

Khans more. 

But wife Neetu 

Kapoor came 

to the rescue and 

apologised profusely 

to Seema. 

NITESH TIWARI HAS STARTED PLANNING HIS NEXT FILM. 

THE FILM WILL BE PRODUCED BY SAJID NADIADWALA AND 

FOX STAR STUDIOS. IT WILL APPARENTLY STAR SUSHANT 

SINGH RAJPUT. NOW THAT’S EXCITING CONSIDERING WHAT 

A STUPENDOUS HIT TIWARI’S DANGAL WAS

MASALA FIX 

ANUSHKA SHARMA 

SUES PRERNA ARORA 

KAREE 

IN KAR 

JOHAR’ 

NEXT 

Looks like producer 

Prerna Arora’s 

woes are never 

ending.After she 

ran into trouble 

with payments on 

Abhishek Kapoor’s 

Kedarnath and 

John Abhraham’s 

Parmanu: The Story 

Of Pokhran, she now 

has goofed up with 

Anushka Sharma 

too. She reportedly 

hasn’t paid the actor 

her last installment 

for Pari. And Anushka 

has filed a case 

against her. 

The trade circles are 

abuzz with the news 

that Kareena 

Kapoor will be 

starring in Karan 

Johar’s next opposite 

Akshay Kumar. When 

questioned, the actress 

refused to verify the news 

saying it was up to her producers to announce 

the film. Our sources tell us that bothKareena 

and Akshay are on board.The movie is 

about a couple trying to have a child. 

Post the birth of son Taimur Ali Khan, 

Kareena has become selectiveof the 

projects she signs. 

Meanwhile… 

We hear that 

Rajkummar Rao is in 

talks with Dharma Productions for the 

same movie 

starring Kareena Kapoor 

Khan and 

Akshay Kumar. Bhumi 

Pednekar has been roped in to pair 

opposite Rajkummar. 

KNOCKED UP: Ranbir Kapoor recently got injured while playing 

football. But that still didn’t stop him from carrying on with the 

shooting of his forthcoming film Brahmastra. We love him for 

being such a hardworking lad and wish him quick recovery. 

ANT 

OVE TO 

ALA 

Sushant Singh Rajput sure is taking 

the pathless travelled. His choice 

of movies has been non-conformist. 

His interest in philosophy and 

metaphysics isn’t 

mainstream 

either.The actor, it seems, also 

believes in living a different kind 

of lifestyle.We’re told, he has 

decided to move to Lonavala, far 

away from the madding crowd. He 

wants to see the moon and the 

stars, something that you don’t get 

to see so well in the city. He wants 

to live a peaceful life. He’ll travel to 

the city only when 

he’s required for 

work. Much like Salman Khan, who 

prefers to spend his free days at his 

Panvelfarmhouse. 

SIDDHARTH ROYKAPUR PLANS TO 

START TWO PROJECTS 

THIS YEAR. 

WE HEAR HE’S IN TALKS WITH TIGER 

SHROFF AND SUSHANT SINGH RAJPUT

movies on the block, set-talk, 

talent-buzz, hotties to watch out for 

WILL 

TO WIN 

PARTH DUTTA 

X FACTOR: SELF-CONFIDENCE 

Based in New Delhi, Parth 

Dutta, wanted to become a 

cricketer. With an all-consuming 

will to make a name for 

himself, Parth pursued sports 

till he got smitten by glamour. 

He started out by doing ads 

and went on to shoot 72 

fitness videos as a trainer. 

Parth, who has a mesmerising 

physique, modelled for 

some of the biggest brands 

and e-commerce sites in 

the country. His long-time 

aspiration is to walk for 

maestro Manish Malhotra 

and have a grand launch 

like Sidharth Mahotra did 

in Student Of The Year.An 

admirer of ‘perfectionist’ Aamir 

Khan and the talented Deepika 

Padukone, Parth also hopes to 

shine in the kingdom of stars. 

Sneak peek Soorma pg 

Sky’s the limit for 

Malavika Mohanan pg

PREVIEW 

SOORMA 

Release Date: 

July, 13 2018 

Banner: 

Sony Pictures Networks 

Productions 

Director: 

Shaad Ali 

Producers: 

Sony Pictures Networks 

Productions, Chitrangda 

Singh, Deepak Singh 

Music: 

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy 

Cast: 

Diljit Dosanjh, Taapsee 

Pannu and Angad Bedi 

Hadippa!: Diljit Dosanjh and Taapsee Pannu 

Rustic rigour: Diljit 

Million dollar smile: Taapsee

PREVIEW 

Unbeatable: Diljit 

Fastest drag-flick: Diljit 

The Plot 

Sandeep Singh (Diljit Dosanjh plays the 

real life hockey player), a penalty corner 

specialist in the Indian hockey team from 

Shahbad, Haryana, was hit in the spine 

by an accidental gunshot while travelling 

on a train. He was to fly to Germany for 

the World Cup in 2006. The injury left him 

paralysed, with doctors giving him a slim 

chance of ever walking again. However, 

not only did Sandeep recover but also 

re-established himself as the fastest dragflick 

in the world, with a speed of 145km/ 

hr. He went on to captain the hockey team 

in January 2009. He represented India at 

the Summer Olympics 2012 in London. 

Soorma, a biopic on Sandeep Singh, is his 

tale of trauma and triumph. 

Penalty point: Diljit

FUTURE STOCK 

On 

your 

mark 

AFTER MAJID MAJIDI’S BEYOND THE CLOUDS, 

THE SKY IS THE LIMIT FOR 

MALAVIKA MOHANAN, WRITES 

ASHWINI DESHMUKH 

Her debut in the 

Hindi industry 

is way beyond 

her dreams. Few 

would be lucky enough to 

work with Iranian auteur 

Majid Majidi. Doe-eyed 

Malavika Mohanan is one 

of them. From working in 

Malayalam and Kannada 

films, to being part of 

Majidi’s recently released, 

Beyond The Clouds, is a 

huge leap. Her sensitive 

act as the underprivileged 

Tara, who ends up 

in jail because of her 

estranged brother (Ishaan 

Khatter), has been widely 

appreciated. 

The film came to her by 

a quirk of fate. Five days 

before the shoot began, 

casting director Honey 

Trehan called Malavika to 

tell her he was casting for 

a Majid Majidi film. But 

he cautioned her saying, 

“Don’t set your hopes 

high, because other stars 

have also done look tests.” 

This is where her father, 

renowned cinematographer 

K U Mohanan of Jab Harry 

Met Sejal, Raees, Don 

and Fukrey fame, helped 

PHOTOGRAPHS: ROHAN SHRESTHA 

I’M JEALOUS OF ISHAAN KHATTER 

BECAUSE HE’S TOO GOOD FOR 

HIS FIRST FILM. EVEN IF IT WAS 

MY CLOSE- UP SHOT AND HE WAS 

NOWHERE IN THE FRAME, HE’D STILL 

STAND THERE AND EMOTE JUST 

AS DEDICATEDLY. IT HELPED ME 

PERFORM BETTER 

With Beyond The Clouds 

co-star Ishaan Khatter

FUTURE STOCK 

her out. “I dragged dad to 

Madh Island, where he 

did a photo-shoot for me. 

We sent it to Honey sir,” 

she informs adding, “After 

that everything happened 

so fast that there was no 

time to register it,” says 

Malavika about her quick 

selection. 

For those who came 

in late, Malavika 

was chosen over 

names like Deepika 

Padukone and Kangana 

Ranaut. And that’s a big 

high for the newcomer. 

Says she, “Much later, 

Majidi sir told me that he 

went to the extent of not 

washing her hair for 10 

days to look grimy and 

real. 

Of course, Malavika 

is in awe of the world 

renowned director. She 

says, “He’s so good 

with the psychology of 

women. For the same 

scene, his instructions to 

Ishaan and me would be 

different. He’s a master. 

He knows how to make 

an actor cry or emote in 

a particular way.” She 

further elaborates, “His 

approach is unique. It’s 

been a surreal experience 

working with Majidi sir.” 

MAJID MAJIDI SIR TOLD ME THAT 

HE SAW TARA (HER CHARACTER IN 

BEYOND THE CLOUDS) IN ME. THAT’S 

WHAT I RESPECT ABOUT HIM. IT’S A 

NORM TO RUN BEHIND STAR NAMES, 

WHICH IS FAIR BECAUSE THAT’S HOW 

THE MONEY COMES IN. BUT HE DIDN’T 

SUCCUMB TO THAT 

saw Tara, my character in 

me. That’s what I respect 

about him. It’s a norm to 

run behind star names, 

which is fair because that’s 

how the money comes in. 

But he didn’t succumb 

to that. He believed that 

I suited the character.” 

Malavika barely had a 

week to prep for her role. 

But the world cinema she 

grew up watching with 

her dad came handy. She 

beams, “My father is a 

lover of world cinema. 

There are DVDs of films by 

Louis Bunuel and Michael 

Haneke at home. I’ve grown 

up watching world cinema 

including Majidi sir’s films. 

I also studied world cinema 

in college.” 

To get the physicality 

of her role of an inmate 

right, she even lost several 

kilos within 15 days. She 

Beyond The Clouds 

Malavika’s mighty 

impressed with her costar, 

Ishan Khatter too. 

“Actually, I’m jealous 

of him because he’s too 

good for his first film,” 

she grins. “Even if it was 

my close- up shot and he 

was nowhere in the frame, 

he’d still stand there and 

emote just as dedicatedly. It 

helped me perform better.” 

Malavika made her 

debut in 2013 with 

Pattam Pole opposite 

Dulquer Salmaan. Directed 

by cinematographer 

Alagappan, the film won 

her notice. Her next 

venture was Nirnayakam 

(2015), a tale of power and 

arrogance. Naanu Mattu 

Varalakshmi (2016), The 

Great Father (2017) and 

the recent Naale (2018) 

have been her other films 

down South. And now 

with Majidi’s Beyond 

The Clouds, her reach 

has only gone wider. She 

confides, “I’ve got the taste 

of the best now. Anything 

after this will be a step 

down.” She’s hopeful of 

doing meaningful work. 

“The industry is at a 

point where good actors 

are appreciated, talent is 

appreciated,” she observes. 

“I can always do glamorous 

films later. I hope Ishaan 

and I can change the trend 

having chosen debuts, 

which are not conventional 

and then go on to do all 

kinds of cinema.” 

Sure, why not?

They are hot, they are cool. 

Meet our trend makers and breakers 

PLEATED 

PLEASURE 

SONAM KAPOOR 

IN GAURAV GUPTA 

WHERE: AT A TRAILER LAUNCH 

THE X FACTOR: SASSY STYLE 

Treating the fashion 

connoisseurs with yet 

another stunning outfit, 

Sonam Kapoor draped 

an Indo-Western saree to 

perfection for the trailer 

launch of her film, Sanju. 

The plum hued plain saree 

was paired with a metallic 

pleated dupatta that looked 

like a flowing cape over her 

sweetheart neckline. Pulled 

back hair and fuss- free 

jewellery, Sonam worked 

every bit of this gorgeous 

ensemble. 

Black magic! pg 

Know your ‘metal’ pg 

Buns & roses pg 

COMPILED BY: ANALITA SETH 

PHOTOGRAPHS: YOGEN SHAH

FILMFARE PROMOTIONS 

LA LA LAND! 

L’OREAL’S INDIAN AMBASSADORS WERE SEEN SPORTING THE SIGNATURE LOOKS CREATED 

USING THE CANNES COLLECTION 2018 AT THIS YEAR’S PRESTIGIOUS BALL 

L’Oreal Paris ruled the red carpet with bright summer shades from 

the Cannes Collection 2018, which includes a range of long wear 

and all-day comfort make-up –Infallible Pro Matte Foundation, 

Infallible Gel Crayon and the latest Infallible Pro Matte Liquid Lip. 

Wearing the stunning shades to the sparkling red carpet were our 

very own global divas Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor 

Ahuja and Deepika Padukone. 

L’ORÉAL PARIS INFALLIBLE 

PRO-MATTE LIQUID LIP 

HIGH IMPACT COLOUR. CREAMY 

MATTE FINISH. ALLDAYCOMFORT. 

Curated by a team of international experts, the 

Infallible Pro Matte Liquid Lip is an all- day comfort, 

creamy matte finish lip colour. Available in 10 shades 

across nudes, pinks, plums and reds-all shades 

have been designed to suit Indian skin tones that 

really stand out in the summer! 

HOW TO: 

Apply starting in 

the cent ofyour 

u 

r 

r i 

th 

ork 

e 

t 

you s, ollolo 

g 

the contou 

rofyour 

mouth. Then glid 

across the 

om 

lip and fill 

AISHWARYA RAI 

BACHCHAN

L’ORÉAL PARIS PRO 

MATTE FOUNDATION 

AIR LIGHT TEXTURE. DEMI- 

MATTE FINISH. THE PRO LOOK. 

A good, comfortable, light and matte foundation in 

the summer is the most important for make-up to 

look stunning. Using the Infallible Pro Matte Liquid 

Foundation, the skin gets an even tone with a demimatte 

finish leaving a golden bronze glow. 

HOW TO: 

Use your f gers or your 

favourite make-up brush 

and blend it seamlessly 

on your skin. 

 

SONAM 

KAPOOR 

AHUJA 

L’ORÉAL PARIS 

INFALLIBLE GEL CRAYON 

INTENSE COLOUR. 24-HOUR 

WEAR. EASY APPLICATION. 

To complete the look, the Infallible Gel Crayon 

eye liner is available in 11 pigmented shades. 

These 24 hour crayons are waterproof and their 

application on the skin is very smooth. With 

never seen before shades like baby pink, khakhi, 

copper, charcoal and shades of blue, creating 

#SummerEscape looks has never been easier. 

HOW TO: 

To open the eye and 

intensify your lash line 

draw your Infallible 

Gel Crayon along your 

top waterline. To do 

this look down into 

a mirror, lift the eye 

lid and draw directly 

into the root of the 

eyelashes. 

DEEPIKA PADUKONE

FASHION & BEAUTY 

Foryoureyesonly... 

Drama on the lids, melodrama in the gaze... 

Pierre 

Hardy 

From edgy like a cat to dreamy like a 

mermaid, this dark make-up trend is 

anything but subtle. Accentuated eye makeup 

is the latest slayer on the block. Wear 

layers of glitter or go for bright colours, 

let your eyes cast a spell! 

PRIYANKA 

CHOPRA 

TIP: Opt for a lighter shade 

of lipstick when going 

for heavy eye make-up 

EYE 

THIS! 

Iconic 

London 

KANGANA 

RANAUT 

SONAM K 

AHUJA 

AISHWARYA RAI 

BACHCHAN 

Maybelline 

Eyeshadow 

DEEPIKA 

PADUKONE 

“Beauty is how you feel inside and it 

reflects in your eyes. It is not something 

physical.” - Sophia Loren

Black magic 

Dark lips have finally made their way 

into the Indian palette 

AMANDA 

SEYFRIED 

SONAM K When it comes to lipsticks, red has 

AHUJA always been the head-turner. But, maybe, 

it’s time to go bolder and darker. Like 

Sonam K Ahuja recently did at Cannes with 

her maroon lip colour. Invoking a gothic image, 

black or dark lipstick is not for the timid. Often 

associated with punk culture, nothing spells 

rebellion like it. Black is the colour of mysteries and 

secrets. It exudes power and intrigue. Whether it is 

a Halloween party or just a party, 

celebrate this edgy, experimental 

look. And remember this quote, 

‘‘When a girl blows a man a 

kiss, she’s sending him a 

piece of her soul.” 

Mary Kay 

lip liner 

MEGAN 

FOX 

GIGI 

HADID 

Lancome 

MAC 

KATY 

PERRY 

LILY 

COLLINS 

MAC 

“Lips are the outward 

sign, the emblem of 

desire, and lipstick is the 

ink in which we graffiti 

that message on our smile, 

our pout.’’- Chloe Thurlow 

GIGI 

HADID

Heavy 

Comme Des 

Garcons 

metal 

Adam 

Lippes 

You can’t get enough 

of the metal texture 

in your wardrobe 

Style and glamour come with 

endless possibilities. While 

we believe light fabrics and 

textures are the flavours of 

fashion, our stylistas have 

something else in mind. From 

sassy silver to gorgeous gold, 

celebrities have been wearing 

all hues metallic in their 

ensembles. The ‘irony’ cannot 

be missed when it comes to 

the power game of fashion. 

JACQUELINE 

FERNANDEZ 

Paco Rabbane 

PROVE 

YOUR 

METAL 

Robert 

Wun 

Saint Laurent 

SONAM K 

AHUJA 

Givenchy 

Sarah Chofakian 

Maryam 

Nassir 

Zadeh 

Tom 

Ford 

Seeme 

‘‘You don’t learn style from watching people on the runway. 

Fashion happens every morning when you wake up.’’ 

- Shalom Harlow

Sundress 

Jimmy 

Choo 

Snob 

MAHIRA 

KHAN 

Candy 

crush! 

Play around with the candy 

colour palette this season 

If you’re a fan of pastels 

and still want to go pop, then 

candy colours are meant for you. 

Fresh on the eyes, pretty on your 

clothes and perfect for the balmy 

days! While pastels are soft, the 

sweetness of candy hues celebrate 

pink, blue, yellow, purple... in a 

peppy new way. 

The Elder 

Statesman 

LIGHT AS 

COTTON 

SONAM K 

AHUJA 

Redone 

“The whole point is 

to live life and 

use all the colours 

in the crayon box.” 

-RuPaul 

AISHWARYA RAI 

BACHCHAN 

Sophia 

Webster 

Converse 

PRIYANKA 

CHOPRA 

ADITI RAO 

HYDARI

KAREENA 

KAPOOR KHAN 

KNOT 

NOW 

Ann Demeulemeester 

Ds 

ared 

DEEPIKA 

PADUKONE 

“It requires a 

certain kind of 

mind to see beauty 

in a bun.” 

-Ray Kroc 

Dsquared 

Red Valentino 

MAHIRA 

KHAN 

KRITI 

SANON 

Valentino 

SONAM K 

AHUJA 

Gucci 

Buns and roses! 

It’s the time not to let your hair down… 

With the mercury rising, long and frizzy hair can be a big problem. To avoid this 

no-no situation, all you have to do is roll up for the season in style. You can keep it 

casual with a messy bun or ornament it with a nice accessory. Add a little nuance 

by braiding your hair first and then tying it up in a neat bun. This trick not only 

makes your knot fancy but adds volume to your updo. 

AISHWARYA RAI 

BACHCHAN

what’s on their mind? 

THE 

PLAYERS 

I’ve learnt that you can’t take 

anything for granted... Even though 

you’re going through trouble, you have 

to be out there promoting your film, 

romancing your heroines...You have to 

make people laugh even though you 

could be going through so much. 

- Salman Khan 

Read their exclusive interview inside... 

You could be amiable, you could 

be nice to work with or you could 

be a real bitch! But people will 

still work with you because you’re 

professional. The No.1 thing is the 

right attitude. It’s not about being 

nice or sweet or fun on the set. 

- Jacqueline Fernandez 

PHOTOGRAPHS: SURESH NATARAJAN

COVER STORY 

SALMAN KHAN AND 

JACQUELINE FERNANDEZ GET 

CANDID ABOUT LIFE IN THE 

LIMELIGHT WITH FILMFARE 

PHOTOGRAPHS: SURESH NATARAJAN 

STYLING: ASHLEY REBELLO 

SALMAN KHAN: 

HAIR: HAKIM AALIM | MAKE-UP: SUDESH NAAG 

Salman’s suit: Ashley Rebello 

JACQUELINE FERNANDEZ: 

HAIR AND MAKE-UP: SHAAN 

Jumpsuit for Jacqueline: Sonakshi Raj

NO MATTER HOW 

MESSED UP 

MAN KHAN’S SUPERSTARDOM LIES IN 

YOU ARE, 

YOU’VE GOT TO 

G JUST HUMAN… ASHWINI DESHMUKH 

TS WITH THE MAN OF THE MASSES 

rk 

quality about it.You meet him and you feel like you’re on a rollercoaster ride.Your heart is thumping wildly, 

you’re screaming on the inside, the earth’s rushing forward to meet you and you’re going back again into the 

clouds… and the rush of it all stays for days.You watch his films not for the setup, not for the story, not for 

the treatment, not for his co-stars but for the pure joy of seeing a phenomenon in action. He stands there, 

mouthing one punch dialogue after another and you clap and cheer. He defeats an entire army singlehandedly 

without getting a scratch on himself and you go nuts. You wouldn’t like it any other way because 

you go to experience madness. And you can’t sit back and analyse him and his success because it’s beyond 

comprehension. It can only be experienced. As Bhai himself says you can only feel him in your heart. He’s a 

recluse when it comes to interviews. But when he does talk, the off-record quotes can keep you in laughs the 

entire year. On record, of late, he has learnt to mind his Ps and Qs. But nothing he says is rehearsed. It’s all 

spur of the moment and straight from the gut. Presenting excerpts from a rollicking talkfest... 

T-shirt: Being Human

AUDIENCES KNOW 

ME AS THE ACTOR 

ON SCREEN. WITH 

MY TV SHOWS THEY 

ALSO GET TO KNOW 

THE PERSON... 

I’M A 

TRANSPARENT 

PERSON. THERE’S 

NO DRAMA, 

THERE’S NO 

MELODRAMA. 

THERE’S NO 

MILKING THE 

TELEVISION 

SPACE 

Jacket: Asa 

Kazingmei 

T-shirt: Zara 

Jeans: Diesel 

RACE 3 PROMOTIONS WERE 

DIFFERENT THIS TIME... 

Actually, this time we 

didn’t do much promotion. 

I thought a huge amount 

of money was being spent 

for no rhyme or reason. 

But the budget was already 

sanctioned. So we donated 

the money to charitable 

trusts. Rameshji (Taurani, 

producer), Remo D’Souza 

(director) and we all are 

happy with this decision. 

The Race 3 team listed 

some 15 to 20 charitable 

trusts, which work for the 

underprivileged. Members 

of the cast visited these 

places, donated money 

and spent time with 

the people there. Such 

things create awareness 

about the organizations 

and trusts, which are 

doing good work. More 

people will now come 

forward to donate to 

them. Henceforth, this 

is something I want to 

do for each of my films. 

There’s an old age home 

in Lonavala, a place in 

Chennai where Revathy 

had taken me. Here, 

women, who have lost 

their mental balance, are 

looked after. Then there’s 

a place in Gujarat and 

another in UP, which cares 

for acid victims. I even 

sent Daisy (Shah) and 

Jacqueline (Fernandez) for 

a tree plantation event. It’s 

a beautiful thing to do. Last 

year we planted more than 

2500 trees. 

WAS IT A PRESSURE LIVING 

UP TO THE RACE FRANCHISE’S 

REPUTATION? 

When I heard the earlier 

script, there were things 

that I didn’t quite like. 

I liked the plot but there 

were some things I didn’t 

want to do. I shared them 

with the writer (Shiraz 

Ahmed). He said you’re 

100 per cent right. So we 

took out those bits and 

made this into a nice ‘U’ 

film that has action, twists 

and turns and beautiful 

songs. The sense of enmity 

lies not in the dialogue 

baazi, it’s there in the feel 

of the film, in the hearts 

of the characters. Each 

one believes he’s right. It’s 

about one family that needs 

to be brought together. 

IT MUST HAVE BEEN FUN 

WORKING WITH FRIENDS LIKE 

ANIL KAPOOR, BOBBY DEOL AND 

JACQUELINE FERNANDEZ, WHO 

CALLS YOU HER MENTOR. 

Daisy, Jacqueline and I 

were supposed to be doing 

Remo’s dance film. I wasn’t 

ready for it as it required 

training in dance. I didn’t 

find the time to train 

during Tiger Zinda Hai. 

Then I had this subject in 

mind. Remo loved it. So 

we made this film in six 

months. Race 3 is a huge 

film with an ensemble cast 

with everyone playing 

important roles. 

YOU’VE ALSO WRITTEN THE SONG 

SELFISH FOR THE FILM, WHILE 

THOSE CLOSE TO YOU VOUCH 

FOR YOUR SELFLESSNESS. 

The songs just happened by 

fluke. The music director 

(Vishal Mishra) asked me 

what kind of lyrics do you 

want. I shared what kind of 

lyrics I wanted. I recorded 

a whole bunch of stuff. He 

kept what he wanted and 

this song was composed. 

The selfless may do good 

deeds all their life. But they 

need to keep something 

for themselves for a rainy 

day, for the future. When 

you’ve done so much for 

others, you need to do 

something for yourself as 

well. But that doesn’t mean 

you need to harm anyone 

or use someone as a pawn. 

The song tells you to keep 

something for yourself also. 

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE 

BRAND SALMAN KHAN, ROCKING 

EVEN AT 50 PLUS? 

I really don’t know… Iska 

kya jawab doon main 

aapko (what answer 

can I give you)! I don’t 

think about these things. 

From grandchildren to 

grandparents, I guess, 

they all connect with me. 

Perhaps, it’s also got to do 

with the films I’ve done. 

I’ve done family films. 

Also, when things are 

written against you over 

and over again, somewhere, 

people begin to feel it’s too 

much. That automatically 

changes opinion in your 

favour. There are a lot of 

factors that have helped 

me grow as a person. My 

immediate family, my 

friends… School mein 

kaafi pita hoon main, 

ghar mein bhi (I’ve been 

spanked a lot in school and 

at home). That also helped. 

Basically, the life that I’ve 

led… be it at home, in 

school, in boarding school, 

the friends that I’ve had… 

all this has added to my 

growth. I always hung out 

with people older than me 

and correct people. I learnt 

a lot from them. 

LIKE? 

Like the first time I faced 

the camera, it was because 

of Kailash Surendranath 

(ad-filmmaker) and his 

wife Aarti. Since then, I’ve 

never lost touch with them. 

When I signed my first ad 

film, I was 16. He was older 

and an extremely sensible 

man. So, listening to him 

him, hanging out with him 

helped me. From my father 

(Salim Khan), I learnt to be 

honest and correct.

COVER STORY 

YOUR SHOWS LIKE BIGG 

BOSS AND DUS KA DUM SEEM 

TO HAVE HELPED YOU FORGE 

THE BOND FURTHER… 

My real connect comes 

from here. Audiences 

know me as the actor on 

screen. With these TV 

shows they also get to 

know the person. Things I 

like, things I don’t like. If 

I don’t like something it’s 

right there on my face and 

so is something I like. I’m a 

transparent person. There’s 

no acting, there’s no drama, 

there’s no melodrama. 

There’s no milking the 

television space. When 

they start milking that 

emotion, I openly say, ‘Ye 

lo, mil gaya inko promo!’ 

politician can say anything 

but you cannot! 

WHAT SACRIFICES DID YOU 

MAKE TO REACH SO FAR? 

I’ve been extremely 

fortunate that I’ve not had 

to sacrifice anything. I’ve 

been working and enjoying 

my work. Usually, you 

cannot mix work and 

pleasure. But out here it’s 

pleasure because I love 

what I do. And I get enough 

time to spend with my 

family and friends. I get 

along well with the people 

I work with. And if I’ve got 

to work with the ones 

I don’t get along with, 

I make sure that I get along 

with them while 

A LOT OF FACTORS HAVE HELPED 

ME GROW AS A PERSON. MY FAMILY, 

MY FRIENDS… SCHOOL MEIN KAAFI 

PITA HOON MAIN, GHAR MEIN BHI. 

THAT ALSO HELPED. BASICALLY, 

THE LIFE THAT I’VE LED HAS ADDED 

TO MY GROWTH 

I express my thoughts 

openly. Some people agree 

with it, some don’t. 

IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF 

LIVING UP TO BRAND SALMAN 

KHAN HUGE? 

You’re responsible for 

uplifting your name, your 

brand. It’s not only for 

yourself it’s also for your 

fans, your parents, for the 

industry, for the country. 

You need to be careful. But 

sometimes you’re so careful 

that even if you want to 

say the right thing, you 

pull back, which is also not 

right. You’re needed to be 

politically correct, which 

I’m not. Also, a journalist 

can write anything, a 

I’m working with them. So 

I’m in a happy space. 

YOU WENT THROUGH SOME 

SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUES 

(TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA) 

IN THE RECENT PAST… 

I’m alright now. Health 

is good. But something 

or the other is bound to 

be there. You’re straining 

yourself doing action, 

dance, workouts… so 

wear and tear is bound to 

happen. You have to go 

through that. 

YOUR LIFE HAS WITNESSED 

BOTH FAME AND INFAMY. 

WHAT LESSONS HAVE THE TWO 

EXTREMES TAUGHT YOU? 

I’ve learnt that you can’t 

take anything for granted. 

To stay on the top, you 

need to fight. To get past 

unfortunate happenings 

you need to fight. Also, 

something which is a 

challenge, not just for me 

but any other actor, is that 

even though you’re going 

through trouble, you have 

to be out there promoting 

your film, romancing your 

heroines. And if you’re 

on TV, you’ve got to be 

laughing and joking. People 

on the other side think, 

issko toh kuchh farak hi 

nahi padta (it makes no 

difference to him). They 

don’t understand it’s our 

job. No matter how down 

you are, how messed up 

you are, that shot has to 

be done right. You have 

to make people laugh on 

the show even though you 

could be going through so 

much. 

GO ON… 

For example, when Arbaaz 

(Khan) was summoned 

(IPL betting case), I had 

to attend the Race 3 press 

conference. You can’t 

show what you’re going 

through. People, who’ve 

taken time out to watch 

you on TV or on social 

media, are there to enjoy. 

You can’t be depressed 

while promoting a film. 

That’s a battle that one 

will always have to fight. 

Personally, you could be 

down and out but you 

can’t ever show it. That can 

also go against you. Like 

some judge or a public 

prosecutor or some people 

will judge you saying, his 

verdict is coming up but 

he’s busy laughing and 

joking. But this is my job. 

I have to do this no matter 

what my parents, my 

family, my friends and I 

are going through. 

A KEY CHANGE IN YOU THROUGH 

THE YEARS? 

Each day you grow. You 

have to live in the moment 

and make the best of it and 

take it to the next level. If 

you waste that moment you 

will go to waste. 

ANY FEARS YOU BATTLE? 

No. Just like everyone else, 

I too would want my loved 

ones to be well. 

ANY REGRETS? 

No. But there’s something 

I remember, which I’ve 

never shared with anyone. 

I was in St Anne’s School 

and I was running with 

this guy. We tried to trip 

each other. I managed to 

trip him. He fell and broke 

his two front teeth. That 

incident has been stuck 

in my head. Even though 

it was a game, I shouldn’t 

have tripped him and he 

shouldn’t have fallen. Two 

years later, Arbaaz and 

I were playing and he 

pulled me from the seesaw, 

I fell straight on my 

face and cracked two teeth. 

I must’ve been around 12 

then. These incidents have 

remained with me. 

AT THIS POINT, WHAT MAKES 

YOU HAPPY? 

The fact that everyone’s 

in a happy space makes 

me happy. My films are 

doing well, the audiences 

are going to the theatres, 

they clap, they appreciate... 

It’s not a waste of their 

time and money. Dus Ka 

Dum has received a great 

feedback. When all’s in a 

good space, your health is 

fine, your loved ones are 

good… it makes me happy. 

YOUR FARMHOUSE IN 

PANVEL SEEMS TO BE YOUR 

FAVOURITE RETREAT... 

Whenever I don’t have

Leather jacket: Armani 

T-shirt: Zara

Sooraj (Barjatya) launched 

me. I believe I should give 

back to the industry. It’s a 

joy to support the younger 

generation. 

WHAT MAKES YOU PLACE 

YOUR FAITH IN THEM? 

They should catch my 

eye! If I don’t see it 

in someone, I’ll never 

encourage him. But if I 

find someone interesting 

then I’d definitely go for it. 

These boys have worked 

hard. Zaheer Abbas (son 

of his childhood friend) 

has been signed with me 

for the last five years, 

even before Jai Ho. He’s 

been training since then. 

Aayush, Sooraj (Pancholi) 

and Zaheer have 

tremendous will power 

and patience. They’re 

spending their energies 

training in things, which 

perhaps when they get 

busy, they will not be able 

to do. Like dance, action, 

horse riding, skating… 

apart from acting. 

WHEN ARBAAZ (KHAN) WAS 

SUMMONED (IPL CASE), I HAD 

TO ATTEND THE RACE 3 PRESS 

CONFERENCE… YOU COULD BE 

DOWN AND OUT BUT YOU CAN 

NEVER SHOW IT... BECAUSE THIS 

IS MY JOB. I HAVE TO DO THIS NO 

MATTER WHAT MY FAMILY, MY 

FRIENDS OR I AM GOING THROUGH 

Suit: Ashley Rebello 

work, I am there. It’s 

peaceful and I can do my 

thing. I work out, swim, 

paint... It’s an open space, 

like a jungle. I play sports 

like volley ball, table 

tennis, cricket and even 

fly kites. I go fishing as 

well. There’s a pond. 

YOU’RE LAUNCHING MANY 

NEWCOMERS – SHERA’S 

SON TIGER, AAYUSH 

SHARMA, ISABELLE KAIF, 

ZAHEER ABBAS… 

SANJAY DUTT’S LIFE HAS 

BEEN MADE INTO A BIOPIC. 

WOULD YOU LIKE A FILM 

BEING MADE ON YOU? 

No. My life is already out 

in the open. Sanju’s life is 

also in the open. But I don’t 

want a film to be made 

on mine. 

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? 

I’ll be doing Bharat and 

Dabangg 3 simultaneously. 

Then there’s Remo’s film, 

which I was supposed to 

do earlier. I’m also doing 

Sher Khan with Sohail 

(Khan). 

WHAT DO YOU FORESEE 

FOR THE BEING HUMAN 

FOUNDATION? 

To live on and on and on. 

We’re doing a lot in terms 

of health and education.

WHY HAS 

MARRIAGE 

BECOME 

SUCH A 

JACQUELINE FERNANDEZ SAYS SHE’S AN 

ANOMALY. ANURADHA CHOUDHARY ENJOYS 

HER QUIRKY TAKE ON LOVE, LIFE AND 

SURVIVING SHOWBIZ 

NECESSITY? 

Her make-up guy is using her face like a canvas. He deftly applies the foundation, then the blush.A stroke 

of eyeliner, a dash of lipstick and voila! The movie star appears. Jacqueline Fernandez is in the throes of 

promoting her movie Race 3. She’s getting ready for yet another TV appearance to amplify the movie. Her 

last few movies Kick, Judwaa 2, Housefull 3… have catapulted her to the top of the Bollywood ecosystem. 

Consequently, she’s on top of every commercial filmmaker’s wish list. She’s clear in her head that a 

commercial actress is what she wants to be. She won’t do a woman-oriented film just because others are 

doing it or because she wants to be recognised as an actress. She wants to play to her strengths and 

mainstream Hindi cinema is just up her alley. Clearly, the outsider has become the insider. She’s learnt 

from her mistakes. She’s learnt not to be intimidated by people. Having the right attitude, she says, is 

the key to a successful career. Patience, she insists, is the mainstay for surviving showbiz. Yes, things 

are finally falling into place for Jacqueline Fernandez. With a support system consisting of 

Salman Khan, Sajid Nadiadwala and Remo D’Souza, things couldn’t be better for 

this Sri Lankan actress. That explains her million-watt smile. Even as 

Race 3 has whipped up a frenzy, she’s gearing up for Kick 3 

again with Salman Khan – the biggest superstar of the 

country… Excerpts… 

Sheer gown: Ashley Rebello

COVER STORY 

WHAT EXCITED YOU ABOUT 

RACE 3? 

I didn’t even think twice 

before signing it. First of 

all, it’s such a huge brand. 

Secondly, Salman Khan is 

in the equation. Third, 

I was also part of Race 2. 

So, it was only natural, I’d 

be part of this one. 

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME 

YOU’RE TEAMING UP WITH 

SALMAN KHAN AFTER KICK. HOW 

WAS IT WORKING WITH HIM? 

I was nervous to work with 

him. I’ve done five-six 

movies between Kick and 

Race 3. I thought I’d have 

built up confidence. But 

it was the same as on the 

set of Kick. It was so scary. 

His energy, his aura is so 

strong on the set. When 

you’re chilling with him, 

like having coffee or a 

discussion, it’s normal. But 

on the set, he’s daunting. 

He tries to make it as 

comfortable as possible. 

HOW HAS HE INFLUENCED YOU? 

In many ways. The one 

thing I love about working 

with him is that you get 

so much support and 

guidance. He has been 

part of the industry for 

almost 30 years. He also 

has the experience of his 

father (Salim Khan). He 

knows how things work 

here. He has been through 

a lot. Salman has no motive 

to advise you wrongly. 

His advice is genuine. He 

wants nothing but your 

wellbeing. His advice has 

been valuable for me. How 

to conduct yourself, what 

the audience likes to see, 

what works, what doesn’t... 

I had learnt so much from 

him in Kick. Now with 

Race 3, I’ve grown more. 

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE 

YOUR PAIRING WITH SALMAN? 

We share a good chemistry. 

We’re compatible. Salman 

has known me, not many 

people know this, from my 

early days in Bollywood. 

I was signed for Aladin 

(2009) when he probably 

saw me somewhere. He 

asked me to meet him for 

London Dreams. After 

that I’d see him on and off 

at parties. In the past, he 

has suggested my name to 

David Dhawan sir, Sajid 

Nadiadwala and now 

Ramesh Taurani for Race 

3. And all this without my 

knowing. 

WHO DO YOU THINK HE PAIRS 

BEST WITH ON SCREEN? 

Aishwarya (Rai Bachchan) 

looked so good with him in 

Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. 

It’s one of my favourite 

films of his. It’s the perfect 

onscreen pairing for me. 

YOU’RE CONSIDERED A 

FRONTRUNNER AMONGST 

ACTRESS IN THE COMMERCIAL 

DOMAIN... 

Hmmm… Frontrunner! 

I’ve been focused on 

this kind of cinema. I’ve 

worked my portfolio that 

way. I’d say that’s my USP, 

my forte. 

MOST ACTRESSES ARE 

EXPLORING WOMEN-CENTRIC 

MOVIES, WHILE YOU SEEM 

CONTENT DOING COMMERCIAL 

MOVIES... 

I want to do what I’m 

happy doing. I don’t want 

to feel forced into doing a 

type of cinema just because 

everyone else’s doing it. My 

idea of good film is full-on 

commercial cinema, where 

the audience is entertained. 

If I come across a film that’s 

different, I’ll do it. But I’m 

not going to get pressurised 

into doing stuff. I’m an 

entertainer. I enjoy what 

I’m doing. 

THE GENERAL IMPRESSION IS 

THAT BEING SWEET-NATURED 

AND PROFESSIONAL HAS TAKEN 

YOU A LONG WAY. 

It’s important to have the 

right attitude. You could 

be amiable, you could 

be nice to work with or 

you could be a real bitch! 

But people will still work 

with you because you’re 

professional. But the 

minute you’re not, they 

will start moving away 

from you. So yeah, the No.1 

thing is the right attitude. 

It’s not about being nice or 

sweet or fun on the set. 

DO YOU WONDER HOW FAR 

YOU’VE TRAVELLED? 

I always wanted to 

accomplish something in 

life. But I never thought 

MY LOVE LIFE IS NON-EXISTENT. IF YOU’RE WORKING TILL 

11 PM EVERY NIGHT, WHERE’S THE TIME FOR A LOVE LIFE? 

I DON’T KNOW WHY YOU NEED SOMEONE TO COMPLETE 

YOURSELF... IT’S SO UNFAIR; YOU’RE YOUR OWN 

PERSON. WHY IS IT ALWAYS ABOUT A MAN? 

Bralet and skirt: 

Asa Kazingmei

I’d come to India. Once 

I was here, I was like ‘let 

me give it a shot’. I didn’t 

have a five or 10-year 

plan. I thought let’s give 

it a shot. I didn’t realise 

how time went by. I’ve just 

been concentrating on each 

day as it comes. I haven’t 

looked far into the future. 

Nor am I looking back in 

the past. 

WHAT HAS CHANGED SINCE 

YOUR FIRST FILM ALADIN? 

(Laughs) Not much. When 

I first came here, I was 

clueless. I didn’t have a 

friend, a family member or 

anyone from the industry 

to discuss things with. I’d 

just show up for shooting 

every day, trying to 

understand the industry 

and the line of work. 

I guess the only thing that 

has changed is probably 

my awareness of how this 

industry functions. But 

there are still many things 

that shock me even today. 

LIKE? 

Like how things work 

here, the intricacies, the 

relationships…. The 

outside world will never 

know about the intricacies 

of this industry. It’s stuff 

that you discover along 

the way. My awareness of 

these things is probably the 

only change in me. But as 

a person, well, nothing has 

changed in me. 

WHAT HAVE BEEN THE 

HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR CAREER? 

Every film, I’ve signed 

has been a blessing. I’m 

grateful for my first hit, 

Murder 2 (2011). Getting 

a film like Kick (2014), 

which jumpstarted my 

career. Working with Sajid 

Nadiadwala in so many 

films (Housefull and Kick 

franchises, Judwa 2). Being

COVER STORY 

repeated by directors like 

Remo D’Souza (A Flying 

Jatt and Race 3) is an 

accomplishment in itself. 

WHAT LESSONS HAVE YOU 

LEARNT HERE? 

That consistency is 

important. Also you need 

to be patient. The more 

patient you are, the further 

you can get. Impatient 

people tend to slip and 

make more mistakes. You 

need to be persistent, have 

the attitude of not giving 

up. Yes, it’s hard when 

you face flops, when you 

face criticism. People tend 

to give up. But people, 

who stick around despite 

everything, are the ones 

who succeed. 

THAT CERTAINLY HOLDS TRUE 

FOR YOU. 

Yeah. We all go through 

tough times. Whenever 

I go through a rough 

patch, I think about Amitji 

(Bachchan) Salman (Khan), 

Shah Rukh (Khan). What 

all these people must have 

gone through. They go 

through so much on a daily 

basis as well. But they 

overcome it. They’re my 

inspirations. Even Priyanka 

Chopra has gone through 

so much. She’s the biggest 

inspiration to so many of 

us. My issues are nothing 

compared to what a lot of 

people have been through. 

IS IT EASY FOR AN OUTSIDER 

TO MAKE IT HERE? 

It’s a struggle for everyone, 

whether you’re from a film 

family or not. At the end of 

the day, your most honest 

critic is the audience. 

Everyone has to face 

them. When I first came 

here, I was so unaware of 

everything. Everyone was 

giving me advice. And each 

one would say something

EARLIER, I FELT 

INTIMIDATED TO 

TAKE A DECISION ON 

MY OWN. 

I USED TO BE SO 

SCARED. WHAT IF I 

UPSET SOMEONE... 

WHEN YOU 

ARE NEW AND 

ALONE, PEOPLE 

SCARE YOU INTO 

BELIEVING THINGS 

THAT ARE SO 

UNTRUE 

Jumpsuit jacket: 

Sonakshi Raj 

completely opposite from 

what the other person 

had said. So you end up 

making a lot of mistakes 

along the way. It may have 

been different had someone 

guided me correctly. That’s 

the only issue that an 

outsider faces. They don’t 

get honest guidance. They 

have to find out things on 

their own, make mistakes, 

mess up… something 

which could have been 

avoided had they a family 

member or someone to 

guide. But whether the 

audience accepts you or 

not doesn’t depend on 

where you come from. 

They don’t care about 

nepotism. If you’re good, 

you’re good. If you’re not, 

you’re not. That’s all that 

matters to them. 

WHAT ARE THE MISTAKES 

YOU MADE? 

At certain times, I felt 

intimidated about taking a 

decision on my own. So 

I was probably intimidated 

into a decision. I used to 

be so scared. What if I’m 

upsetting someone! There 

was always this worry. 

Also, whatever you do is 

being watched. Everything 

makes national news. That 

used to scare me. Like, 

‘Oh my God, what will my 

parents think!’ So based on 

these things, I took wrong 

decisions. I should have 

taken decisions fearlessly 

and on my own accord. 

I wish I didn’t feel so 

intimidated all the time. 

Now that you’ve seen it all, 

it doesn’t matter. You can 

battle it out. But when you 

are new and alone, people 

scare you into believing 

things that are so untrue. 

WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU 

FACE TODAY? 

The only challenge that 

you face is yourself. You 

have to get going every day 

and not allow yourself to 

be demotivated ever. We 

like to make excuses, blame 

circumstances, things or 

people for our failures to 

make ourselves feel better. 

But at the end of the day, 

it’s all about you. You can 

either make something 

work for yourself or you 

can let it slip through 

your fingers. Every film 

that another person gets 

is a film you have lost out 

on. You’ve got to learn 

not to pay much attention 

to that. You’ve just got to 

keep moving on, work on 

yourself and be positive. 

It’s damaging otherwise. 

BUT IT’S INEVITABLE TO GET 

AFFECTED BY FAILURE... 

Yeah. But you can be aware 

of it, accept reality and 

move on. The quicker you 

move on, the better it is. 

Salman also told me that 

you have to maintain an 

attitude of detachment, the 

more detached you’re, the 

better. We get so affected 

by our surroundings, that 

it affects our ego. Then 

it’s a terrible rollercoaster. 

You can avoid it or let 

yourself sink into it. It’s 

the same thing with a film. 

If a film doesn’t do well, 

by Monday you should be 

completely over with it. 

DON’T YOU FEEL INSECURE? 

Yeah, of course I do. 

We’re all insecure. But 

I guess, it’s fine. If you 

feel insecure that means 

you’re questioning things. 

If you’re not, it also means 

that you are over-confident. 

And over-confidence is as 

damaging as insecurity. 

WHAT MAKES YOU INSECURE? 

About the future. I’m 

not someone, who plans 

things. I’ve just been going 

with whatever I’ve got. So 

that insecurity does pop 

up. It’s good. If I never felt 

insecure then I’d never take 

things into my hands. 

IT’S SAID THE INDUSTRY 

CORRUPTS YOU. AGREE? 

No. It just makes you wary 

of people, of loyalties. Even 

fans change loyalties. One 

day they love you. The 

next day they’re off you. 

I came in this industry 

extremely naïve. But you 

start questioning. Maybe, 

this person is not what 

I thought he was. Maybe, 

this person’s loyalty can 

change. You need to protect 

yourself always. That’s 

what the industry teaches 

you. It’s not about being 

corrupt. It’s just about 

growing up at the end of 

the day and facing realities. 

WILL THE #METOO MOVEMENT 

GATHER MOMENTUM 

CONSIDERING NO ONE SEEMS 

TO BE TALKING ABOUT SEXUAL 

HARASSMENT HERE? 

I’ve never witnessed the 

casting couch. Luckily, I’ve 

never been in a situation 

like that. I’m sure there 

have been girls who’ve 

faced it. It must be a terrible 

experience, absolutely 

demotivating. But people 

have started speaking out. 

Kangana (Ranaut) has been 

vocal. She’s a big actress. 

Unfortunately, there’s a 

stigma attached to it. And 

people are scared to have 

that stigma attached to 

them. 

HOW DO YOU HANDLE 

UNWANTED ATTENTION? 

You can’t handle it. You’ve 

got to come to terms with 

it because it’s not going to 

go away. So you’ve just got 

to accept it and deal with it 

when the time arises.

stressed with work? I feel 

stressed when my parents 

visit me. I have to manage 

work and also spend time 

with them. 

WOULD YOU DATE AN ACTOR? 

No! Most probably not. I’m 

good friends with actors. 

I love them. I can relate 

to them. I empathise with 

them. But I’d not be able to 

date an actor. 

WE HAVEN’T HEARD ANYTHING 

ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE. OR 

ARE YOU GOOD AT KEEPING 

SECRETS? 

(Laughs) It’s because it’s 

non-existent. I find it funny 

when people find it hard to 

believe it. If you’re working 

till 11 pm every night, 

where’s the time for a love 

life? You don’t really go out 

much. You don’t meet so 

many people. You socialise 

but that’s work-oriented. 

Work has been my priority. 

Genuinely, I don’t want 

distraction. Once in a 

while my parents visit me 

and that makes me feel 

fine. Otherwise, my work 

gives me satisfaction. I 

don’t believe a relationship 

can give me that much of 

satisfaction. 

AN OUTSIDER 

DOESN’T GET 

HONEST GUIDANCE. 

THEY HAVE TO 

FIND OUT THINGS 

ON THEIR OWN, 

MAKE MISTAKES, 

MESS UP... BUT 

IF YOU’RE GOOD, 

YOU’RE GOOD. 

IF YOU’RE NOT, 

YOU’RE NOT. 

THAT’S ALL THAT 

MATTERS TO THE 

AUDIENCE 

Pant suit, diamond bra top 

and leather belt: Ashley Rebello 

Jewellery: Omo Jewellery 

BUT YOU COULD BALANCE THE 

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL. 

I don’t know if that exists. 

At the pace that l’m go 

ing and the kind of space 

I need, I don’t believe 

I’ll be able to handle a 

relationship. Unless there 

comes a time when I want 

to slow down. Why would 

I want to have someone 

around me when I’m 

ANY REASONS FOR THAT? 

There’s just too much 

going on in an actor’s life. 

It’s preoccupying and 

you have to be someone 

who can take a lot. I don’t 

want that stress in my life. 

Actors need supportive 

people around them. As 

for me, I’m independent 

and do my own thing. So, 

I need someone who can 

complement that. 

SO, WHAT KIND OF A GUY WOULD 

YOU LIKE? 

I don’t know why you 

need someone to complete 

yourself. People ask things 

like when are you getting 

married? Why aren’t you 

dating someone? But I ask, 

why has marriage become 

such a necessity? It’s so 

unfair; you’re your own 

person. Why is it always 

about a man? A man must 

come into your life; you 

should be dating someone, 

you need to be married…! 

Honestly, if it happens it 

happens. If it doesn’t, it 

doesn’t. People shouldn’t 

make an issue out of it. 

I don’t see how it would 

make a difference to my 

life. I believe there’s too 

much pressure on girls. 

They feel terrible about it 

when they shouldn’t. 

LASTLY, WHAT’S YOUR USP? 

(Chuckles) I’m different. 

I’m an anomaly.

INTERVIEW 

PHOTOGRAPHS: ROHAN SHRESTHA

GLOBAL 

STRADDLING CONTINENTS WITH CONFIDENCE... PRIYANKA CHOPRA 

IS INDIA’S PRIDE BELIEVES FILMFARE 

The world is 

her oyster. 

In a week, 

she can do 

a round-up of the 

globe and still burst 

with energy. After 

a hectic shoot in 

Ireland for Quantico, 

a fashionable 

outing at the Met 

gala, attending 

Meghan Markle 

and Prince Harry’s 

wedding, a quick 

trip to Bangladesh 

as UNICEF Goodwill 

Ambassador.. 

Priyanka Chopra 

is back in New 

York City to fulfill 

her professional 

commitments. 

Back home, she 

set her fans in frenz 

with the news of 

her doing Bharat 

opposite Salman 

Khan. That rumour 

of her dating 

American pop sing 

Nick Jonas broke t 

ternet would be an 

derstatement. 

en her talen 

as a performer 

d warmth as 

rson, Priyanka’s 

pularity canno 

confined 

a country or 

continent. “Dest y 

obviously has 

some plan 

me. That’s 

wh main yahan 

hanch ga 

er take on 

her broadening 

rizons. 

e’s awaiting 

e release of her 

next Hollywood 

outing d Like 

efilm has 

en appreciated 

Sundance Fi 

ival.She informs 

that she isn’t 

aying the lead in 

th her Hol wo 

s - Kid Like 

Ja e t 

mant m 

msworth and 

aying supporti 

rts. Rebel Wil 

Adam DeV 

the leads in 

t It Roman 

msworth is a 

ant star. But 

okay doing it,” 

iles. Tell her 

Indian star 

n’t think li 

d she says s 

do. She gets w 

itabh Ba 

are 

g 

n 

e 

’s 

he 

that 

me 

y 

chan 

e Grea 

ts y 2013 . “He 

ke 

e 

ur 

’t even 

ney for it. 

said, ‘I love 

CASTING 

CAN’T EVE 

HARMA O 

PRODUCTI 

AKE ADV 

art and that’s why I 

wanna do it’. That’s 

great. It’s people like 

him, who’ve given 

us the opportunity 

to kick the door 

open,” she insists. 

She believes that 

because Aishwarya 

Rai Bachchan, Anil 

Kapoor, Irrfan, Om 

Puri and Anupam 

Kher were willing to 

do supporting roles 

in Hollywood, it got 

the next generation 

of entrants a better 

chance. 

She’s broken 

the stereotypes 

in the American 

media, who love 

her frankspeak. 

IRECTORS, WHO PROBABLY 

GET ENTRY INTO YASH RAJ, 

NADIADWALA KIND OF 

N HOUSES, DROP NAMES AND 

TAGE OF STRUGGLING ACTORS

INTERVIEW 

She believes 

you’re expected 

to be candid on 

a talk show. She 

grins, “Like in 

the Chicken Wing 

Contest with Jimmy 

Falon, it was about 

don’t challenge 

an Indian and that 

too a Punjabi to eat 

chicken! I don’t take 

myself seriously and 

at the same time 

I do.” She reveals 

she was cast for 

Baywatch over a 

Skype interview 

and that she wasn't 

screen tested for the 

role. The role was 

originally written 

for a male villain. 

“For the director to 

switch it around is 

something. That’s 

breaking the glass 

ceiling for me,” 

she points out. 

Then talking about 

Aziz Ansari's show 

Master of None, 

she says, “In one 

episode, Aziz’s 

character asks why 

Indian actors can’t 

just play a normal 

American character. 

I believe I was the 

answer to that.” She 

reasons no part is 

small or big as long 

as the actors are 

not put in a box. 

“Like Brad Pitt in 

Fight Club or like 

Jennifer Lawrence 

in American Hustle 

– she won a freakin’ 

Academy award for 

it. In Kaminey, I had 

just eight scenes. It’s 

the impact of the 

part that counts,” 

she explains. 

In India, her 

company Purple 

Pebble Pictures has 

I CAME ACROSS A GIRL IN A SLUM IN 

MUMBAI, WHO AT 13 STARTED IMPARTING 

SEX-EDUCATION BECAUSE SHE HERSELF 

WAS INFECTED WITH HIV... AND HER 

FATHER SUPPORTED HER

INTERVIEW 

been producing 

interesting regional 

cinema. After 

producing the 

National Awardwinning 

Marathi 

film, Ventilator and 

Kay Re Rascala, 

it has bankrolled 

Firebrand to 

be directed by 

Arunaraje Patil. She 

has also produced 

films in Bhojpuri 

(Bam Bam Bol Raha 

Hai Kashi), Punjabi 

(Sarvann) and 

Sikkimese (Pahuna). 

“I’d like to give 

“I was told actresses 

do such femaleoriented 

roles 

towards the end of 

their careers. I just 

liked the role,” she 

reasons. 

The talk 

veers to the 

#MeToo 

campaign 

that’s sweeping 

across America. She 

states that it’s not just 

women, who face 

sexual harassment 

but men as well. 

She has heard some 

has come across 

misogyny in the 

industry. She 

points out it exists 

across society but 

gets talked about 

more when it 

comes to the film 

industry. “People 

don’t want to know 

what happens in 

a corporate or a 

government office 

or a school. But 

if an actress or a 

director turns around 

and speaks, it gets 

interesting,” she 

grimaces. “Every 

she grew up in an 

environment where 

charity was a way 

of life. Her mother, 

Dr Madhu Chopra, 

a gynaecologist, 

made sure she had 

free beds for those, 

who couldn’t afford 

a doctor during 

childbirth. Her 

moment of epiphany 

came when once 

she returned home 

to find her maid’s 

daughter reading a 

book in her library. 

Upon enquiry, 

the child said she 

UNICEF approached 

her as their Indian 

ambassador. “That 

changed my life at 

so many levels,” 

she claims. She 

visited slums in 

Mumbai, visited 

Kolhapur, Jaipur and 

discovered amazing 

stories. She met a 

16-year-old, who 

had to pull out of 

school to look after 

her ailing parents. 

The girl saved money 

and bought a sewing 

machine. And began 

tailoring clothes to 

EVERY WOMAN AROUND THE WORLD, NOT JUST IN INDIA, IN SOME FORM OR THE OTHER, HAS DEALT WITH 

HARASSMENT. TODAY AMERICA IS COMING OUT WITH IT AND IT’S CLEANSING 

Quantico 

With team A Kid Like Jake 

Baywatch 

opportunities to 

new directors and 

make films within 

a sensible budget. 

Creatively, my mind 

is exploding with 

things I want to do.” 

She adds, “Because 

I am new, I can 

take chances. Like 

I did with Aitraaz 

in the beginning 

of my career.” She 

played a vamp in 

an era where it was 

considered hara-kiri 

for heroines. Madhu 

Bhandarkar’s 

Fashion too 

happened quite 

early in her career. 

harrowing stories 

from male actor and 

model friends in 

India. “The murky 

part happens with 

the gatekeepers at 

the entry point. 

Casting directors, 

who probably can’t 

even get entry into 

Yash Raj, Dharma or 

Nadiadwala kind of 

production houses, 

drop names and 

take advantage of 

struggling actors,” 

she reveals. She 

adds that though 

she personally 

hasn’t experienced 

harassment, she 

woman around 

the world, not just 

in India, in some 

form or the other, 

has dealt with 

harassment. Today 

America is coming 

out with it and it's 

cleansing. Slowly, 

other countries will 

follow,” she opines. 

She says that society 

as a whole needs to 

appreciate women 

who are speaking 

out, instead of 

questioning their 

motives. 

Priyanka has 

been involved in 

charity and mentions 

wanted to study but 

her parents only had 

enough money to 

educate her brothers. 

That encounter 

made her start her 

foundation, which is 

self-funded now. She 

has reached across to 

around 80 children 

through it. “I realised 

being a public 

person, people will 

hear me out. So I 

started associating 

myself with 

Thalassemia, cancer, 

AIDS, education of 

children, especially 

girls, in India. 

A decade ago, 

make ends meet. 

“She attended school 

at night. Today, she’s 

an entrepreneur at 

21.” She continues, 

“Then I came across 

a girl in a slum in 

Mumbai, who at 13 

started imparting 

sex-education 

because she was 

infected with HIV. 

People said woh 

pagal ho gayee hai, 

ladki bigad gayee 

hai. But her father 

stood by her because 

he had seen a lot of 

people die. Things 

like that change your 

life…” They do.

CTION 

REACTI 

HOW PARMANU: THE STORY OF POKHRAN BECAME A STORY OF SUCCESS 

AND VALIDATION... JOHN ABRAHAM REVEALS IT ALL TO RAGHUVENDRA SINGH 

Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran 

I’VE NEVER 

CHEATED 

ANYONE OF 

EVEN A 

RUPEE. NO 

ONE CAN 

QUESTION 

JOHN 

ABRAHAM’S 

CREDIBILITY 

OR HONESTY. 

IF YOU HAVE 

THE RIGHT 

ETHICS, 

PEOPLE WILL 

TRUST YOU 

Parmanu: 

The Story 

Of Pokhran 

has received 

rave reviews 

and actor-producer 

John Abraham’s 

relief is palpable. 

The pale ghost of 

apprehension is no 

longer haunting his 

brow. His eyes are 

smiling again. “We 

showed this film to 

an air force couple. 

After watching the 

film, they said, ‘Son, 

this is the best film 

on India. It should 

be included in the 

curriculum of every 

school and college’,” 

shares a proud 

John. Based on the 

nuclear bomb test 

explosions done in 

1998 in Pokhran, 

Rajasthan, the film 

has been directed by 

Abhishek Sharma. 

It was the second 

time such tests were 

done there, the first 

being in 1972. The 

film is based on the 

fictionalised version 

of the events leading 

up to the tests and 

features Diana Penty 

and Boman Irani 

alongside John. 

Parmanu hogged 

sufficient headlines 

even before its 

release given the 

production delays 

and the legal 

hassles it endured. 

John had a fallout 

with co-producer 

Prernaa Arora, who 

spearheads KriArj 

Entertainment 

Pvt Ltd. It 

made headlines 

when John’s JA 

Entertainment broke 

contract with KriArj 

Entertainment for 

Parmanu. John 

had reportedly 

filed criminal cases 

against Prernaa and 

her company for 

‘cheating, breach of 

trust, defamation’ 

and offences 

committed under 

the Information 

Technology Act. The 

Bombay High Court 

reportedly ruled 

in favour of John’s 

banner, ceasing the 

film’s association 

with KriArj 

Entertainment. An 

overwhelmed John 

says the only advice 

he can give anyone 

is to choose their 

partner wisely. “Do 

a back check on 

where the money 

is coming from or 

not coming from. 

I’m thankful to the 

Honourable Mumbai 

High Court and the 

Honourable judge 

for actually putting 

down an order 

that validated and 

vindicated me and 

said exactly what I 

was trying to say all 

these months,” he 

proclaims. 

But yes, it was 

a lonely battle for 

John. Those having 

similar problems 

with Prernaa stayed 

away from joining 

hands with him. 

“They waited to 

see what happens 

with John Abraham. 

The day the judge 

passed a positive 

order for me, 15 

other parties came 

up to file cases. The 

judge asked them, 

‘Where were all you 

guys before?” he 

says. “I don’t expect 

anyone to help me. 

They have got their 

own problems in 

life. Hair problems, 

face problems, film 

problems... they 

have a thousand 

problems. Everyone 

is busy with their 

own lives,” says he a 

tad sarcastically. 

But a couple of 

industry folks like 

Karan Johar, Aditya 

Chopra and Nana 

Patekar stood by 

him and John values 

that tremendously. 

“I got calls from 

everywhere. Even

N 

PHOTOGRAPHS: PRASAD NAIK

THE HIGHER 

THE RISK, THE 

GREATER THE 

PROFIT. PROFIT 

DOESN’T MEAN 

COMMERCIAL 

GAINS. PROFIT 

MEANS 

CREDIBILITY. 

I LIKE TO TELL 

DIFFERENT 

STORIES. 

I LIKE TO 

WORK WITH 

DIFFERENT 

DIRECTORS 

AND ACTORS 

With Manoj Bajpayee in Satyamev Jayate 

Arjun Rampal called 

me, someone who 

had never called 

me in life. But 

people who were in 

a similar situation 

like mine should 

have come forward 

and filed cases, 

which they didn’t 

at that point of 

time. Now you will 

hear many more 

such cases coming 

up,” says John. He 

handled the whole 

matter with dignity, 

choosing not to 

speak about it till 

the court released 

its judgement. “The 

order is in now in 

the public domain 

and anyone can 

read it. I’ve never 

cheated anyone of 

even a rupee. No 

one can question 

John Abraham’s 

credibility or 

honesty. If you 

have the right 

ethics, people will 

trust you. That’s 

important,” he 

maintains. 

A 

s a 

producer, 

John has 

a nose for 

picking 

up the correct 

script. He’s always 

on the lookout for 

non-formula films 

and projects that 

aren’t easy to pull 

off. Films like Vicky 

Donor, a funny tale 

of a sperm donor 

and Madras Café, 

an insurgency-based 

thriller centered on 

the assassination of 

late Prime Minister 

Rajiv Gandhi, 

proved his ability 

to tread the path 

less taken. “It’s 

said the higher the 

risk, the greater the 

profit. Profit doesn’t 

mean commercial 

gains. Profit means 

credibility. If I don’t 

attempt something 

different, there won’t 

be any credibility 

attached to what 

I create. I like to tell 

different stories. 

I like to work with 

different directors 

and actors. I enjoy 

that space,” he 

smiles. 

When director 

Abhishek Sharma 

narrated the idea 

of Parmanu to 

him, he couldn’t 

believe a film hadn’t 

been made on the 

subject yet. The 

team of Neerja, 

Saiwyn Quadras and 

Sanyukta Chawla 

Shaikh, wrote the 

screenplay. Parmanu 

went on the floors in

June and he managed 

to release the film in 

11 months despite 

all the hurdles. The 

most challenging 

part was that they 

had only 10 days to 

market it. “People 

didn’t know that 

parmanu means 

atom. It takes time 

to educate people. 

I was not making 

a documentary 

film. It’s a fastpaced 

thriller,” he 

says. “We fooled 

Americans under 

their noses to make 

the test happen. 

Honestly, the hero of 

the film is Jai Jawan 

and Jai Vigyan! 

We owe it all to 

them.” He recalls 

a heart-warming 

incident, which 

occurred while he 

was prepping for 

Parmanu. “I met a 

65-year-old man, 

whose house had 

developed cracks 

after the nuclear 

test in Pokhran. He 

didn’t resent that. 

Instead he said, 

“Deewar toh toot gayi 

par Hindustan toh 

ban gaya na!’ I got 

goosebumps hearing 

that.” 

John was proud 

to wear the 

Indian army 

uniform. It 

created a 

moment of epiphany 

for him and left him 

in sheer respect for 

the armed forces. 

He realised he was 

just a reel-life hero. 

That the real heroes 

are those putting 

their lives on line 

everyday guarding 

our borders. 

John collaborated 

with Abhishek 

Sharma for the first 

time and is all praise 

for the director, 

who in the past 

directed the avantgarde 

film Tere Bin 

Laden. “Abhishek’s 

knowledgeable, 

politically aware 

and knows his 

work. He’s an NSD 

graduate. He held 

workshops and 

got some fantastic 

stuff out of us,” 

says the actor. John 

is similarly gushy 

I DON’T 

EXPECT 

ANYONE TO 

HELP ME. 

THEY’VE GOT 

THEIR OWN 

PROBLEMS IN 

LIFE. HAIR 

PROBLEMS, 

FACE 

PROBLEMS, 

FILM 

PROBLEMS... 

about his co-star 

Diana Penty. “When 

she read the script, 

she said that I don’t 

care about my role, 

I want to be part 

of this story. She 

had no complaints 

even when we shot 

in 45 degrees in 

Rajasthan.” 

Post Parmanu, 

John isn’t resting 

on his laurels 

and has already 

signed three films, 

Nikhil Advani’s 

Batla House, Milap 

Jhaveri’s Satyamev 

Jayate and Robby 

Grewal’s RAW. 

Says John, “I like 

doing one film in 

two years. Here, I’m 

doing three films. 

So, it scares me. 

But these are such 

good scripts that I 

couldn’t say no.” 

All three are action 

films. However, 

John insists comedy 

is his favourite 

genre. He’s a huge 

fan of filmmakers 

like David Dhawan, 

Anees Bazmee 

and Sajid Khan. 

But he needs to be 

convinced about 

the story in order to 

either act or produce 

a film in the genre. 

“Comedy is all 

about writing. It’s 

the most difficult 

thing to make people 

laugh. I would 

love to do Garam 

Masala 2 (the first 

one was directed 

by Priyadarshan). 

Akshay (Kumar) and 

I have discussed it 

before. We’re looking 

forward to doing 

something like that.” 

His eyes light 

up when he talks 

about his Desi 

Boyz filmmaker 

Rohit Dhawan. 

“Rohit is a talented 

filmmaker. I’m close 

to his brother Varun 

(Dhawan), dad 

David (Dhawan) and 

mom Laali. They’re 

family.” He loved 

watching Abhishek 

Sharma’s Tere Bin 

Laden as well and 

would love to do a 

comedy with him. 

“The youngsters 

are good. But I still 

believe old school 

filmmakers like 

Anees Bazmee 

(Welcome and 

Welcome Back) 

are outstanding,” 

he declares. We 

welcome that idea!

INTERVIEW 

Hitched 

Neha! 

NEHA DHUPIA HAS MARRIED BEST FRIEND ANGAD BEDI AND THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING 

OF THE BEST PHASE OF HER LIFE, WRITES ASHWINI DESHMUKH 

On a warm summer morning, when Neha Dhupia announced that she had tied the knot with ‘best friend’ 

and actor Angad Bedi, the internet went through a meltdown. The bride in baby pink was all things 

euphoric and dreamy. Marriage sure is a beautiful breakthrough in Neha’s life. Years ago, she burst on 

to the glam scene as a beauty pageant winner much like some of her peers. But unlike them, she went on 

to carve a career, which relied more on her sass and spunk both as an actor and host. Hers has been an 

organic evolution. From being body-shamed for not adhering to Bollywood’s anorexic template, she’s come 

into her feisty own. Over to Neha, who believes being sexy lies in the mind and not in the matter… 

PHOTOGRAPHS: VIJIT GUPTA | HAIR & MAKE-UP: ELTON FERNANDEZ | STYLING: ANISHA JAIN | LOCATION: JW MARRIOTT, SAHAR 

YOUR MARRIAGE WAS 

A WELL-KEPT SECRET. WHY? 

(Laughs) When I checked 

my phone after putting 

up the Instagram post 

announcing my marriage, 

I had around 600 messages 

that read, ‘What the f**k!’ 

instead of congratulations. 

Yes, it was a surprise to a 

lot of people. But Angad 

(Bedi) was clear from the 

beginning. He said, ‘You’re 

not someone with whom I 

want to be in a boyfriendgirlfriend 

relationship. So, 

either we turn this into 

marriage or we continue 

being just friends’. I don’t 

believe it was hush-hush 

or secret as much as it 

was private. Both of us are 

private people. I hope we 

can maintain that. It’s going 

to be hard. But I’m going to 

try and protect my personal 

life as much as I can. By 

that I don’t mean dissing 

completely what’s in the 

public eye. We just wish 

to control the amount of 

information we want to let 

out about our private lives. 

WHAT ARE YOUR 

EXPECTATIONS FROM THIS 

JOURNEY? 

I’ve no expectations. Angad 

and I’ve been friends for 

long and have shared an 

amazing friendship. I hope 

the second half of my life is 

as good as the first half. I’m 

looking forward to sharing 

my good-bad moments, my 

ups and my downs with 

him. It feels comforting to 

have him in my life. It’s 

great to come back to the 

man I love. It’s nice to see 

him open the door when 

I come back. 

WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE 

ANGAD AS A LIFE PARTNER? 

I’ve always been paranoid 

about committing. I’ve been 

a commitment phobic. But 

when Angad suggested 

marriage, it didn’t seem 

With husband Angad Bedi 

I’VE BEEN COMMITMENT PHOBIC. BUT WHEN ANGAD (BEDI) SUGGESTED 

MARRIAGE, IT SEEMED LIKE A NATURAL PROGRESSION… HE’S BEEN 

SUCH A GOOD FRIEND… IT’S GREAT TO COME BACK TO THE MAN I LOVE. 

IT’S NICE TO SEE HIM OPEN THE DOOR WHEN I COME HOME

THERE’S NO NEED FOR 

COSMETIC SURGERY… 

WHY HURT YOURSELF? 

I WORKED WITH VIDYA BALAN, 

I’M WORKING WITH KAJOL. 

BOTH THESE WOMEN HAVEN’T 

GONE THROUGH ANY OF THIS 

AND THEY LOOK BEAUTIFUL… 

YOU EITHER FOCUS ON YOUR 

JOB OR ON THE BOOB JOB! 

Dress: Source Bandra 

Jacket: Appapop

INTERVIEW 

wrong. It didn’t give me 

butterflies in my stomach. 

It seemed like a natural 

progression. I thought it 

was time. It didn’t make 

me fear what if this doesn’t 

work out. I don’t have 

those doubts regarding 

him. He’s been such a good 

friend. I’ve always been 

comfortable around him. 

Now, we’re not friends as 

much as we’re husband 

and wife. I know it comes 

with the territory. Apart 

from all the amazing 

qualities I can go on and on 

about, there’s a huge sense 

of comfort and love that we 

feel for each other. 

WILL MARRIAGE CHANGE 

ANYTHING FOR YOU? 

(Laughs) Yes, less wardrobe 

space for sure. But apart 

from that, nothing I guess. 

Both of us are chilled out. 

We have our little issues 

that couples have like 

who’s gonna wake up first 

before a flight, sharing 

bathroom space and stuff 

like that. But apart from 

that nothing much has 

changed. I’m just happy 

that I go back home to 

Angad. 

ARE MARRIED ACTRESSES 

LOOKED AT DIFFERENTLY? 

I don’t believe so. Time 

has changed. Actresses, 

on top of their game, 

are married. Marriage 

shouldn’t change anything. 

Anushka (Sharma) and 

Kareena (Kapoor Khan) 

have redefined perceptions. 

They’re successful and 

they have wonderful 

personal lives. 

WHAT’S THE BEST THING 

ABOUT BEING MARRIED? 

(Smiles) That you’re 

married! It feels fantastic. 

It wasn’t such a big deal 

that I was making it out 

Pant suit and skirt: Zara 

Neck piece: Shaze 

Shoes: Christiam Louboutin 

MY ADVICE TO PEOPLE WHO BODY SHAME IS #GO F**K YOURSELF. 

I’M SPEAKING FOR AN ENTIRE SECTION OF WOMEN WHO’RE FIT, WHO 

LIVE THEIR LIVES AND WHO EAT WELL. FOR WOMEN, WHO GIVE UP 

CHOCOLATES AND STARVE THEMSELVES, # GO F**K YOURSELF 

to be all these 37 years. I 

recommend it to everyone. 

Try it at least once! 

AS A PROFESSIONAL, WHAT 

KEEPS YOU GOING? 

I’ve huge professional 

insecurity - whether I’ll get 

my next job or not. That’s 

what keeps the fire in my 

belly going. The insecurity 

stems from the fact that 

I’m not from the industry. 

I’ve been in the city for 

17 years. Here, you’re not 

expected to be around 

for more than three-four 

years. But the one thing 

that kept me going was 

the insecurity of losing it 

all. I come from a middleclass 

family. My father 

was in the navy. We’ve 

been brought up with this 

value system that you’ve 

got to survive no matter 

what. The fear of losing 

everything, the fear of 

being irrelevant… 

all these goad me to do 

better. I respect the work 

I get, no matter how big 

or small it is.

HOW DID THINGS WORK 

WITHOUT A SUGAR DADDY? 

There’s nothing wrong 

in being on your own. If 

I could do it anyone else 

can. I realised that I’m not 

the most talented, I’m not 

the best dancer, I’m not the 

most good-looking but as a 

package, I’m okay. 

YOU’VE CARVED A NICHE BY 

DOING TV SHOWS AND OTHER 

WEB SHOWS… 

It’s such a great place to 

be when you don’t have 

to bank on your looks. 

Whether I’m doing a TV 

show like Roadies, the 

podcast show #No Filter 

Neha, or whether films like 

Gown: Appapop 

Cape: Ridhi Mehra 

Tumhari Sulu or Eela… 

none of these jobs are 

related to the way I look. 

It’s such a secure feeling 

to be in a business where 

I’m not banking on my 

looks. I’m not defined by 

the width of my midriff; 

I’m not defined by the 

perfection of my eyeliner. 

I’m a woman, who has a 

mind. It’s taken long for 

people to realise that but 

I’m glad that people have 

finally come around. 

I’ve built on my other 

strengths. Your looks are 

the weakest thing to bank 

upon. Because it’s not 

going to be there forever. 

Every time I get a job call, 

I wonder if I’ll get this call 

even when I don’t look a 

certain way? The answer to 

most of it is yes. Being on a 

talk show, or an adventure 

show or doing the parts 

that I do in films, doesn’t 

have anything to do with 

a little dress or a bikini. 

I’m not objectifying that 

category. I’m just talking 

about my own life. 

THE INDUSTRY HAS ALWAYS 

BEEN MALE-DOMINATED... 

Of course! But more than 

being male-dominated 

this industry is success 

dominated. I’ve been on 

film sets with successful 

men and women. 

Sometimes their jokes are 

not even funny and people 

laugh, even before the joke 

is over. You know they’re 

faking it because that actor 

is successful. But when 

I say something much 

funnier, they don’t laugh 

because the other person is 

more successful. But yes, 

I too have laughed along 

wrong with it. I’ve been a 

victim of body shaming. 

I remember wearing 

this lehenga choli as a 

showstopper. I believed 

I was looking damn good. 

The next day, a leading 

publication carried a big 

article on me. My father, 

on seeing my photo. went 

on to read it. But it said I 

was not of the perfect size. 

It went on to describe 15 

horrible things about me. 

No one deserves to wake 

up to such stuff. No one 

has the right to decide 

what looking great is, what 

normal is. My advice to 

people who body shame 

is #GoF**kYourself. I’m 

speaking for a section of 

women who’re fit, who 

live their lives and who 

eat well. And for women, 

who give up chocolates 

or starve themselves, 

# GoF**kYourself. 

WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON 

COSMETIC SURGERIES? 

There’s no need for it. 

I’M NOT DEFINED BY THE WIDTH OF MY MIDRIFF; I’M NOT DEFINED BY THE PERFECTION OF MY 

EYELINER. I’M A WOMAN, WHO HAS A MIND… I’VE BUILT ON MY STRENGTHS.YOUR LOOKS ARE 

THE WEAKEST THING TO BANK UPON. BECAUSE IT’S NOT GOING TO BE THERE FOREVER 

with others just because the 

person, who cracked the 

joke is successful. I feel so 

stupid about it! 

YOU’VE BEEN THROUGH 

BODY SHAMING TOO... 

Yes, I have. Even now I 

sense it. But people need to 

understand that the new 

F word is not ‘f**k’, it’s 

‘fat’. People who troll, 

aren’t the right body 

size either. Women kill 

themselves trying to 

look a certain way. They 

don’t have a life left. 

Internationally, you have 

women showing off their 

tyres, their curves and their 

celluloid, there’s nothing 

Some of the most beautiful 

women are the ones, who 

haven’t gone through 

it. But if you’re doing it 

because it makes you feel 

secure, do it. But why hurt 

yourself? I’m not the type 

to do anything like that. 

The most I do is threading 

my eyebrows. Recently, 

I worked with Vidya 

Balan (Tumhari Sulu), I’m 

working with Kajol (Eela). 

Both these women haven’t 

gone through any of this 

and they look beautiful. 

And these are women, 

who focus on their jobs. 

(Laughs) You either focus 

on your job or you focus on 

the boob job!

PHOTOPLAY 

ONE PERFECT 

DAY OF SUNSHINE 

MAKES UP FOR MANY 

A RAINY DAY

SEASON 

OF LOVE 

WE CAPTURE THE PRETTY POOJA HEGDE IN A LANGUID 

MOOD AS SHE LEISURELY POSES FOR THE CAMERA 

PHOTOGRAPHS: COLSTON JULIAN 

STYLIST: ALLIA AL RUFAI | MAKE-UP & HAIR: FLORIAN 

LOCATION : WATERSTONES HOTEL 

Bralette: Purple Paisley | Pants: Nishka Lulla | Jewellery: Mirakin

A SMILE CAN TURN 

THOSE SEASON 

BLUES AWAY 

Bralette: Deme 

Dungrees: SR store 

Jewellery: Mirakin

JULY IS SUMMER 

MELTING DOWN 

Dress: H&M | Jewellery: Mirakin

COUCH AND 

CONVERSATIONS... 

THE PERFECT WAY 

TO SPEND A SULTRY 

AFTERNOON 

Top & shorts: SR store 

Jewellery: Mirakin

LIFE IS BEST VIEWED 

THROUGH A WINDOW 

Bralette: Little Things | Jacket: Two Point Two 

Shorts: SR Store | Jewellery: Mirakin

AN OASIS 

IN THE CITY 

Filmfare shot the beautiful Pooja Hegde at the exquisite 

Waterstones Hotel and the results are breath-taking! 

Pooja Hegde 

Filmfare shot 

the gorgeous 

Pooja 

Hegde at 

the beautiful 

Waterstones Hotel, 

tucked away in 

a quiet corner 

of Andheri East. 

Waterstones Hotel 

of Mars Enterprises, 

promoted by 

Mr Sanjay Narang, 

proved to be a quiet 

paradise. It combined 

the care and detail 

of a boutique hotel 

and the comforts and 

luxury of a 5-star 

property. It provided 

us with a perfect 

getaway even while 

at work. 

The hotel boasts 

of amazing facilities 

and lush grounds. 

The property has 

WATERSTONES HOTEL 

COMBINES THE CARE OF 

A BOUTIQUE HOTEL AND THE 

LUXURY OF A 5-STAR PROPERTY 

been tastefully 

designed to surprise 

and delight guests. 

Inspired from 

various elements of 

nature, each of the 

hotel’s floors, has 

been individually 

designed to evoke 

a distinct feel and 

environment – from 

the cool minimalism 

of the glacier level, to 

the rustic warmth of 

the mountain level, 

to the bright energy 

of the fire level. 

Keeping in mind 

the varied interests 

of the guests, the 

rooms have been 

uniquely designed 

to separate the 

sleeping area from 

a cozy sitting area. 

This also has a 

trendy workstation 

for the business 

traveller. The 

modern bathroom, 

the closet space and 

all the amenities 

are carefully chosen 

to make your stay 

comfortable and 

complete. The food 

served was a delight 

for the taste buds. 

The hotel houses 

one of Mumbai’s 

most well-known 

Oriental restaurant, 

All Stir Fry. It is 

the first Oriental 

street kitchen style 

restaurant that 

introduced the 

concept of all-youcan-eat 

Wok buffet 

to Mumbai. 

The hotel 

offers a total of 

eight meeting and 

banquet rooms that 

can accommodate 

from 10 to 250 

guests. With stateof-the-art 

facilities 

and necessary 

business amenities, 

Waterstones turned 

out to be an ideal 

choice for our 

photo- shoot with 

the lovely Pooja 

Hegde.

INTERVIEW

gulz r 

MEGHNA GULZAR IS ENJOYING TH 

FIRST 100-CRORE HIT OF HE 

CAREER. ANALITA SETH MEETS TH 

HEART AND ART BEHIND RAA 

Meghna Gulzar’s penchant for complex emotions and 

nuanced narratives was noticed way back in Filhaal in 

2002. Talvar, in 2015, was her moment of epiphany when 

she gently changed perception about the 2008 Noida 

double murder case. Yet again, she stepped on the firing 

line with Raazi, based on Harinder Sikka’s book Calling 

Sehmat. The story of a Kashmiri Muslim woman, who 

married a Pakistani army officer to spy for her country, 

may have earned patriotic patronage and 100 crores plus 

at the box-office. But Meghna’s triumph lies beyond that. 

It lies in her ability to dwell on the vulnerability in valour, 

the human ravage of war and those stories of heroism that 

do not make way into history books. Above all, her triumph 

lies in commemorating Sehmat, a heartbroken woman, who 

died years before her final rites... 

Zindagi 

hai 

HOW DO YOU FEEL 

ABOUT THE AMAZING 

RECEPTION RAAZI 

HAS RECEIVED? 

When people you look up 

to as filmmakers, praise 

your work, it’s precious. 

Like Rajkumar Hirani sir 

did. I was moved because 

I look up to him. It’s 

heartening when you read 

tweets about people giving 

a standing ovation to the 

film. Pakistanis, who have 

seen the film, well... their 

scepticism seems to have 

faded. This is the response 

you wish for a film like 

this, particularly in the 

times we live in. There’s 

gratitude and relief. 

WAS IT DIFFICULT TO 

ADAPT SUCH A POLITICALLY 

SENSITIVE STORY? 

When you’re aware of what 

could foster divisiveness, 

you avoid it while writing 

or directing it. Also, your 

own sensibility is not the 

kind to rake up controversy 

rather just to tell a story. 

WHAT WAS THE ONE MOMENT 

IN HARINDER SIKKA’S NOVEL 

SEHMAT CALLING THAT 

URGED YOU TO MAKE RAAZI? 

I didn’t read the book and 

IF THERE 

WAS AN 

EXPRESSION 

FROM ALIA 

(BHATT), 

WHICH I HAD 

NOT OKAYED... 

EVEN BEFORE 

I COULD ASK 

HER TO DO IT 

DIFFERENTLY, 

SHE’D PICK IT 

UP... SHE’S SO 

QUICK ON THE 

UPTAKE 

With Alia Bhatt 

then decide to make a film 

on it. The story was shared 

by two different producers, 

who approached me with 

the same book. I got to 

know the story before 

I read the book. So, there’s 

no one moment. But the 

last thing Sehmat (Alia 

Bhatt) tells her mother 

(Soni Razdan), the way that 

has been expressed and 

executed is different from 

that in the book. Then Iqbal 

(Vicky Kaushal) giving 

Sehmat his mother’s payal

is the beginning of their 

relationship and the other 

the end. Alia, sportingly, 

came and read. We filmed 

that. Vicky came for the 

test in a Pathan suit. As he 

walked in, I knew the test 

was just a formality. But 

we did it for the sake of 

the producers. The way he 

read those lines, Alia was 

also blown away. It didn’t 

require convincing that 

he’s Iqbal. 

is not in the book. When 

you devise other tools to 

reach the end, it feels good. 

That’s special to me. 

REPORTEDLY, ALIA SAID 

THAT SEHMAT’S CHARACTER 

IS A LOT LIKE YOU IN REAL 

LIFE. AGREE? 

I don’t believe I’m capable 

of such supreme sacrifice 

or selflessness. Raazi 

is a logistic heavy film, 

a period film shot on 

outdoor locations. You 

have to find solutions 

without losing your 

handle. You’ve got to 

overcome obstacles 

quickly and think on your 

feet. Perhaps, Alia must 

have compared me with 

Sehmat in the way I dealt 

with situations. Beyond 

that, I’m nowhere near this 

special lady. 

HOW CONSUMING WAS 

IT TO TRANSLATE SEHMAT, 

A REAL LIFE CHARACTER IN 

A BOOK, TO A FILM? 

I stay close to the writing 

process. You visualise 

many things in your mind. 

And when your actors ask 

you a question, you come 

up with the best possible 

adjectives and explain 

what you want. The actor 

then takes it from there 

and runs with it. The final 

interpretation is that of the 

actor. This happens when 

the director and actor are 

in complete sync. If there 

was an expression, which 

I had not okayed... even 

before I could ask Alia to 

do it differently, she would 

pick it. Our relationship 

evolved through the 

film. There was an 

understanding, which 

made this possible. It 

was with all the actors, 

not just Alia. Vicky 

Kaushal had so little to say 

through dialogue but he 

conveyed so much through 

his silences. 

BRINGING IN A FRESH PAIR 

LIKE ALIA AND VICKY, WAS 

THERE ANY HESITATION? 

I approach my casting 

keeping in mind the 

Raazi 

I APPROACH 

MY CASTING 

KEEPING IN 

MIND THE 

PHYSICALITY 

OF THE 

ACTORS. 

SO, VICKY 

(KAUSHAL) 

SCORED 

FIRST ON 

THAT COUNT. 

I NEEDED A 

SENSITIVITY 

IN SPITE OF 

HIM BEING AN 

ARMY MAN 

physicality of the actors. 

So, Vicky scored first on 

that count. I needed an 

evolved performance and 

a sensitivity in spite of 

him being an army man. 

He does things he’s meant 

to do for his country but 

gently. I asked Karan Johar 

to give Vicky a call and set 

up a meeting for us. I made 

him do two scenes. One 

HOW DID ALIA TRAIN TO 

GET THE DIALECT RIGHT? 

Alia needed to speak 

differently because we 

were showing the 1970s. 

I gave Alia a list of films to 

watch. I asked her to work 

on her diction and the 

speed at which she needed 

to talk. She watched half 

of one film and there was 

60 per cent improvement 

in our next reading. That’s 

how quick she is on the 

uptake. Pakistani plays 

also helped us understand 

their leheja (tonality), their 

walk, what their homes 

look like... 

WHAT CAME AS AN 

UNFORESEEN CHALLENGE 

DURING SHOOTING? 

Our pre production was 

rock solid. The only thing 

that we weren’t prepared 

for was the Baba Ram 

Rahim’s arrest and the 

four-day curfew in Punjab. 

We didn’t know whether 

it would last four days or 

15 days. That uncertainity 

was frightening. We had 

tickets booked for 120 

people to fly to Srinagar. 

That couldn’t change. So 

no matter what we lost, we 

had to fly to Srinagar on 

that particular day. When 

the curfew was finally 

lifted, making up for those 

four days was a Herculean 

task. The unit gave up

DAD (GULZAR) WOULD 

BOUNCE OFF A LINE AND I’D 

MAKE HIM REWRITE IT. SO YEAH, 

I EXPLOITED HIM BEING HIS 

DAUGHTER... BUT HE WAS ABLE 

TO TRANSLATE THE PURPOSE OF 

THE SONGS SO POETICALLY 

Talvar 

their break days. We shot 

non-stop for 20 days 

to cover up for the lost 

time. That was the only 

harrowing part of the film. 

WHICH PART OF THE FILM 

WAS TOUGH SHOOTING ? 

The climax! We shot it 

in two days and it took 

the wind out of us. The 

sequence is such that you 

need at least three-four 

days to shoot it. The first 

day, all we shot were the 

agents talking to each 

other in the car and getting 

out to take their positions. 

Everything else was done 

on the second day. Even I 

don’t know how we did it. 

A CHERISHED MOMENT 

DURING THE SHOOT... 

Off set, everyday was fun. 

Particularly on outdoors, 

it was warm and happy. 

We were a happy unit, 

overworked and tired. But 

still extremely happy. 

HOW’S YOUR EQUATION WITH 

YOUR FATHER (GULZAR) 

WHEN IT COMES TO WORK? 

He’d bounce off a line 

or a song and I’d make 

him rewrite it. So, yeah, 

I exploited him being 

his daughter. But yes, it 

was so organic he being 

a filmmaker and a writer 

himself. He was able to 

translate the purpose of 

the songs so poetically. It 

was amazing. 

With Shankar- 

Ehsaan- 

Loy, it was 

my first 

collaboration. 

It’s difficult to 

tell if the tune 

came first or the 

lyrics. It’s all hazy 

because Shankar 

would hum two lines 

and then dad would write 

two lines. Or dad would 

write four lines and 

Shankar would compose 

accordingly. It was a 

fabulous jugalbandi. 

DID YOU SHOOT A SCENE 

DIFFERENTLY FROM THE WAY 

IT’S USUALLY SHOT? 

In the song Dilbaro, the 

walk from the door of the 

house to the door of the 

car is only that much. 

Sehmat walks, stops, 

turns and hugs her people 

before she gets into the 

car. She doesn’t stop every 

three steps and then turn 

around. That’s stupid. 

Then the scene where 

they drive to Pakistan. 

You see three-four shots 

of changing landscapes 

before they arrive. 

(Laughs) Some sweet 

friends joke that if it was 

any other director, the car 

would have stopped midjourney, 

Sehmat and Iqbal 

would have sung a few 

lines in the mountains, 

With father Gulzar 

got back in the car and 

gone ahead... 

DO YOU CONSIDER 

MAKING A BOLLYWOOD 

MASALA MOVIE? 

I hope, I’m already making 

Bollywood masala movies. 

The thing is that when 

I start off trying to make 

one, I eventually turn them 

into ‘my’ kind of films. 

Because at some point, my 

sensibilities kick in. 

I work on instinct. I can’t 

depart from that. I can’t 

suppress that. It would be 

unnatural and would show 

badly in my work. That is 

something I don’t want. 

WHICH WAS THE 

LAST MASALA MOVIE 

YOU ENJOYED? 

Padmaavat! Also, when 

you’re in post production 

and editing, you’re seeing 

something for 8-10 hours 

a day, then you can’t 

watch another film for 

relaxation. So when 

Star Wars: The Last Jedi 

released, I wanted to see 

it because my assistant is 

a huge Star Wars fan and 

my son (Samay) has also 

turned into one. I enjoyed 

watching the film. Also, 

when we were on a family 

vacation in Kashmir, we 

caught up on all the other 

episodes as well. When 

you are making a film, 

you go into a cocoon and 

remain unconnected with 

the world outside. There’s 

a backlog of films I haven’t 

watched. There are a 

whole lot of films that 

I want to see. I’m looking 

forward to watching 

Sanju, Manto, Thugs of 

Hindostan and Zero. 

YOU WERE SUPPOSED 

TO BE MAKING A FILM ON 

NEELESH MISRA’S BOOK 

ABOUT THE INDIAN AIRLINES 

FLIGHT 814 HIJACK... 

The project belongs to 

Vishal Bhardwaj sir. A 

couple of years ago, we 

were in conversation and 

it was sweet of him to say 

the after Talvar, I should 

be making that film. But 

somehow, he got busy 

with Rangoon and I got 

busy with Raazi. I don’t 

know where the project 

is right now. Vishal sir 

has to decide. Currently, 

I’ve signed on with Ronnie 

Screwvala for a film on 

the life of Field Marshal 

Sam Manekshaw. I’m 

both extremely scared 

and excited.

FEATURE

Pretty 

girl 

MALOBIKA BANERJEE (MJ) MAKES HER B-TOWN 

DEBUT WITH A T-SERIES VIDEO. RAGHUVENDRA 

SINGH CHATS WITH THE PRETTY GIRL 

PHOTOGRAPHS: 

SARRVESH KUMAR 

STYLIST: KRISHNA MUKHI 

HAIR & MAKE-UP: 

RECINDA MARTIS 

GOWN: Lecoanet Hemant 

Afew years back 

at an award 

function, 

filmmaker 

Subhash Ghai 

met a Bengali beauty and 

told her, “You’re a star. You 

have that spark in you. 

Come to Bollywood!” That 

pretty girl was Malobika 

Banerjee (MJ), who’s now 

ready to start her innings 

in Hindi cinema. She 

blushes as she recalls the 

legendary filmmaker’s 

compliment. But she 

doesn’t read beyond that. 

“I’m a practical girl. People 

mentioned that Subhashji 

has launched girls, whose 

names began with the 

letter M (Madhuri Dixit, 

Manisha Koirala. Mahima 

Chaudhary) and that my 

name also began with M,” 

she says. “Surely, he said 

come to Mumbai. But he 

didn’t say he’d be giving 

me a film. But when I did 

a music video, I thought of 

giving Hindi films a try,” 

she states. 

Malobika recently 

featured in Zee Music 

Company’s single Dilbar 

sung by Shahid Mallya, 

which marked her debut in 

Bollywood. She will also 

be making an appearance 

in popular singer Kanika 

Kapoor’s music video 

Pretty Girl, produced by 

T-series. The video has 

been directed by Shabeena 

Khan. Malobika believes 

she was destined to be part 

of Bollywood. “I’ve done 

six-seven films in Bengali,” 

says the actor, who was 

seen in films like Kokhono 

Biday Bolo Na (2010), Sada 

Canvas (2014), Kathmundu 

and Professional (both in 

2015), Mister Bhaduri and 

Chorabali (both in 2016) 

and Tope (2017). The offer 

from Zee Music was the 

next step forward for her. 

“Every day, thousands of 

girls come to Mumbai to try 

their luck. But how many 

of them get a chance to 

feature in a T-Series music 

video, which has Kanika 

Kapoor as singer?” she 

asks adding with a smile, 

EVERY DAY, THOUSANDS OF GIRLS COME TO MUMBAI 

TO TRY THEIR LUCK. BUT HOW MANY OF THEM 

GET A CHANCE TO FEATURE IN A MUSIC VIDEO 

(PRETTY GIRL), WITH KANIKA KAPOOR AS SINGER?

FEATURE 

“I believe there’s something 

good for me.” 

Deepika Padukone 

is Malobika’s role 

model. “I respect 

her. She’s a 

trend-setter. She keeps her 

personal life apart and 

I too am like that. She’s 

been working for 15 

years and yet retains 

a freshness,” she says. 

“Having said that, I don’t 

want to be Deepika, 

I want to be Malobika. 

I want to create my own 

identity,” she asserts. 

Born and brought up in 

Kolkata, Malobika never 

wanted to be an actor. In 

fact, her younger sister was 

interested in showbiz. One 

day she asked Malobika 

to accompany her for the 

Miss Kolkata competition. 

“On her insistence, I 

also participated in the 

competition. Somehow, 

I cracked it and won the 

Miss Kolkata title,” she 

smiles at the memory. 

Malobika’s life changed 

overnight when she was 

offered a role opposite 

the superstar of Bengali 

cinema, Prosenjit 

Chatterjee. Malobika 

beams, “They wanted an 

innocent girl. I gave the 

audition and I was finalised 

for Mr Funtoosh (2008),” 

she shares. Her real struggle 

started after the first film. 

WHEN YOU 

BECOME A 

CELEBRITY, YOU 

CAN’T LEAD A 

NORMAL LIFE. 

YOU HAVE TO 

LIVE UP TO THE 

EXPECTATIONS 

OF PEOPLE 

Dress: Purple Paisley

Jacket: 

Divya Sheth 

Dress: Madison 

on Peddar 

Malobika 

Banerjee 

(MJ) In the 

music video 

Pretty Girl 

(Bottom) 

With 

director 

Shabeena 

Khan 

I DON’T WORK FOR MONEY. I’M NOT DESPERATE. I’D RATHER 

SIT AT HOME. BUT I WON’T ENTERTAIN WRONG PEOPLE. 

I HAVE MY LLB DEGREE. I CAN PRACTISE LAW 

AND LIVE A RESPECTFUL LIFE 

The sudden shift into the 

limelight and the showbiz 

pressures pushed Malobika 

into depression. “When 

you become a celebrity, you 

can’t lead a normal life. 

You have to live up to the 

expectations of people,” 

she says softly. 

To get out of the 

negative zone, 

Malobika pursued 

her studies and 

even acquired a degree in 

law. Thankfully, things 

turned better and several 

offbeat films came her way. 

Her last film, Tope (2017), 

was with Buddhadeb 

Dasgupta. She has also 

done two Oriya films – 

Mate Bohu Kari Nei Ja and 

Dele Dhara Katha Sare. 

Now, Malobika is all 

geared up for Hindi films. 

Apart from hitting the gym, 

she has begun attending 

acting workshops. “I 

love competition. I’m 

ready to face it. I received 

several offers for serials 

in Mumbai and Kolkata. 

But I refused them. I can’t 

play the same character 

every day. I find it boring,” 

says she. She admits to the 

existence of the casting 

couch even in the Bangla 

industry. “I don’t work for 

money. I’m not desperate. 

I’d rather sit at home but 

I won’t entertain wrong 

people. I have my LLB 

degree. I can practise law 

and live a respectful life,” 

she declares. 

Malobika admires the 

work of filmmakers like 

Meghna Gulzar, Sanjay 

Leela Bhansali and Karan 

Johar. “I like contentbased 

films. I’d love to do 

films like Raazi, Parmanu: 

The Story Of Pokhran, 

Bareilly Ki Barfi and 

Badrinath Ki Dulhania. 

I’d like to work in Karan 

Johar’s films because he 

promotes his products 

well. I want to work with 

Yash Raj Films as well.” 

Well, to live big, one must 

dream big too!

CREDIT: TIMES CONTENT 

GUEST COLUMN

MOVIE 

MEMORIES 

Politician Priya Dutt’s movie memoirs owe much to the luminous presence of her 

actor parents – the late Nargis and Sunil Dutt, writes Farhana Farook 

She’s well-acquainted with the intricacies of cinema and well-versed with the intrigue of politics. Few would have 

a ringside view of such hi-profile worlds. Daughter of film personalities and renowned politicians, the late Sunil 

and Nargis Dutt, Priya Dutt, is conversant with the melody of the movies as well as the mayhem of power play. 

That she chose politics has got much to do with her desire to make a difference, despite the usual misgivings and 

challenges associated with the line of work. “You do feel disillusioned. But you can’t give up,” maintains she with a 

hard-earned flair. You could also attribute this to the extreme highs and lows that their home, 58 Pali Hill, has been 

privy to and the forbearance with which the family has survived it all. That explains why the Julia Robert’s starrer 

Wonder (2017), the braveheart story of a boy surmounting challenges, is Priya’s new favourite. Here, she recalls her 

memories of the movies, which carry large imprints of her celebrated parents and brother Sanjay Dutt... 

CHILDHOOD TALES 

As a child, I was not 

aware of the stardom 

of my parents (the 

late Sunil and Nargis 

Dutt). For me my 

mother was just that 

- a mother! I don’t 

remember seeing 

too many of her 

films. Though I did 

watch my father’s 

movies. I remember 

watching the film, 

where he plays a 

dacoit (Mujhe Jeeno 

Do, 1963) and dies. 

I began howling. 

They had to calm me 

down and lead me 

out of the theatre. 

During Karva 

Chauth, mom and 

her friends would 

watch movies at 

our Ajanta Arts 

preview theatre, in 

the precincts of our 

bungalow in Bandra. 

That was their way 

of passing time. 

I watched Chori 

Chori (1956) then. It 

was good fun. I liked 

Andaz (1949) too, 

where mom played 

a modern girl. But 

the truth was I never 

liked watching 

my parents on 

screen. Especially, 

my dad. I couldn’t 

bear seeing him 

romance anyone. 

Having said that, 

I loved my mother in 

Raat Aur Din (1967), 

which had her play 

a split-personality. 

It took 10 years to 

 

Mother 

India 

WHENEVER I WATCH MOTHER INDIA, IT LEAVES 

ME TEARY-EYED. IT HAS CROSSED BARRIERS OF TIME. 

MOM (NARGIS) WAS NOT EVEN 30 WHEN SHE 

GAVE SUCH A MATURE PERFORMANCE

GUEST COLUMN 

complete. All three 

of us – Bhaiyya 

(Sanjay Dutt), 

Namrata and 

I were born during it. 

During the song Dil 

ki gihra khol do, she 

was carrying me and 

she had to wear a 

corset to appear slim. 

As a kid, I happened 

to be thin. I’d blame 

her for that. I’d say, 

“You pressed me 

inside! Hence, I’m 

so skinny.” 

I’d accompany her 

to Gaiety and Galaxy 

theatres in Bandra. 

I remember watching 

Sholay (1975) there. 

The Mausiji scene 

with Dharmendraji 

was fun. And so was 

the Yeh dosti hum 

nahin chodenge 

number. We friends 

would ride a bicycle 

around Pali Hill, 

singing this song. 

Gabbar Singh (Amjad 

Khan) was terrifying 

for me as a child. He 

left an impact. 

MOM’ S TALES 

Mom never regretted 

quitting films. She’d 

Munna Bhai M.B.B.S 

Love Story 

IATTENDED A TRIAL SHOW OF LOVE 

STORY AND FLIPPED FOR BUNTY 

(KUMAR GAURAV) IMMEDIATELY. 

I COULDN’T STOP GUSHING OVER 

HIS SMILE. BUT MY SISTER, 

NAMRATA, BELIEVED HE WAS NO 

PATCH ON BHAIYYA (SANJAY DUTT)! 

say, “I reached my 

peak. I’ve given so 

much to my work. 

I want to enjoy the 

other things of life. 

Family is what 

I want. It’s not a 

sacrifice.” When she 

became a MP and 

had to travel, I’d 

cry saying how can 

you leave me and 

go. So she’d take 

me along. Also, she 

was not taken in by 

her stardom. She 

was simple. She’d 

get dressed within 

five minutes. Just a 

lipstick and she’d 

be done. She loved 

white sarees with 

borders or pastelhued 

sarees. When 

she’d watch her old 

films, she’d laugh 

at herself because 

she couldn’t 

dance. She’d 

visit our school 

as a normal 

parent. She 

had no qualms 

eating paani 

puri from the 

roadside stall. 

Mom passed away 

when I was 13 (May 

3, 1981). Till then, 

I knew her just as a 

mother. Not as a star. 

After her demise, 

I realised her stature. 

Then I happened to 

do TV production in 

the US. Back home, 

Films Division 

wanted me to make 

a biography on 

her. I was more 

than happy. In 

the process of 

talking to her peers 

and colleagues, 

I understood 

many facets of her 

personality. It was 

therapeutic for 

me. I even began 

appreciating her 

cinema. Whenever 

I watch Mother India 

(1957), it leaves me 

teary-eyed. It has 

crossed barriers 

of time. Even 

today, filmmakers 

are inspired by 

it. Mom was not 

even 30 when she 

gave such a mature 

performance. 

MY TOP 

SONGS 

AJEEB DASTAN 

HAI YEH 

Dil Apna Aur Preet 

Parai (1960) 

TU JAHAN JAHAN 

CHALEGA 

Mera Saya (1966) 

DIL KI GIRAAH 

KHOL DO 

Raat Aur Din (1967) 

PAL PAL DIL 

KE PAAS 

Blackmail (1973) 

KYA YAHI 

PYAAR HAI 

Rocky (1981) 

Rocky 

Khatta Meetha 

PAPA KEHTE THE... 

Our equation 

with our father 

also changed after 

mom passed away. 

Earlier, he was 

a disciplinarian. 

Our dining room 

conversation was 

never about films. 

But after mom’s 

death, he changed 

completely. He 

shared many 

memories of her. 

Like he said, “People 

say I fell in love 

after I saved her 

from the fire on the 

set of Mother India.

Awara 

Reshma Aur Shera 

Nargis and 

Feroz Khan 

on the set of 

Raat Aur Din 

RAATAUR DIN TOOK 10YEARSTO COMPLETE.ALLTHREE OF 

US,BHAIYYA,NAMRATA AND I, WERE BORN DURING IT.IN 

THE SONG DIL KI GIHRA KHOL DO,MOM WAS CARRYING 

ME.SHE HADTOWEARA CORSETTOAPPEAR SLIM 

But I’d have saved 

anyone else as well. 

I fell in love with 

the woman she 

was.” Mom was 

a caring person. 

She had gone out 

of her way to look 

after his sister, who 

was suffering from 

tuberculosis. Mom 

arranged for the 

medical facilities 

without dad even 

knowing about it. 

Coming to dad’s 

films like Mujhe 

Jeene Do, Reshma 

Aur Shera (1971), 

Yeh Rastey Hain 

Pyar Ke (1963), 

Milan (1967)... 

I appreciated the 

message in them. 

I enjoyed the 

comedy Padosan 

(1968), the potboiler, 

Geeta Mera 

Naam (1974), 

where he played a 

dark character, was 

equally enthralling. 

The film had him 

flaunting side-locks 

and bell-bottoms. 

My brother, Sanjay, 

loved dad in that 

film. Dard Ka Rishta 

(1982) resonated 

with us as we too 

had gone through 

the excruciating 

journey of having 

your kin suffer 

from cancer. 

TEEN TIME 

My sister Namrata 

was a great fan of 

Rishi Kapoor and 

would make it a 

point to watch his 

films at our Ajanta 

Arts theatre. Dad 

didn’t like our 

sneaking in for 

previews. “Don’t 

you dare, it’s not 

right. You’re not 

invited!” he’d 

sternly say. But 

projector Dada 

would let us in. 

He’d place high 

stools for us to 

sit on and watch 

the film from the 

projector room. 

I remember 

watching Karz 

(1980) like this. 

Amusingly, I was 

a huge fan of Bunty 

(Kumar Gaurav, 

now married to 

sister Namrata 

Dutt). Bhaiyya 

and he began their 

careers together. I 

happened to attend 

a trial show of 

Love Story (1981) 

and flipped for 

him immediately. 

I couldn’t stop 

gushing over his 

smile. But my sister 

thought he was no 

patch on Bhaiyya. 

However, there was 

no convincing me. 

Then my brother 

and Bunty became 

friends. He’d come 

home. I’d watch 

him all starry-eyed. 

I began showing off 

to my school friends 

that I knew him. 

One day they said 

let’s go and meet 

him. I brought them 

along. We stood at 

his gate saying we 

wanted to meet him. 

Thankfully, Bunty 

came on the terrace 

and waved out to 

us. I was nervous

Taare Zameen Par 

A Wednesday 

NO ONE COULD HAVE MADE SANJU AS SENSITIVELY AS RAJKUMAR HIRANI. 

FOR BHAIYYA TOO, THE BIOPIC WOULD BE A SORT OF A CLOSURE, A CATHARSIS. 

I COULD ONLY PICTURE RANBIR KAPOOR AS SANJAY DUTT 

Sanju 

what if he didn’t 

recognise me! And 

then of course, 

through time he 

married Namrata. 

Today, Bunty’s my 

best friend. 

HELLO BROTHER! 

Sanjay is a great actor 

but he has to enjoy 

his role. I tell him, 

“Bhaiyya, I can make 

out whether you’ve 

enjoyed playing 

your character or 

not.” He’s very much 

like my mother. 

There’s no method 

to his acting. It’s all 

spontaneous. Switchon 

and switch-off. No 

one else could have 

done Vaastav (1999) 

the way Bhaiyya did. 

He felt every scene, 

every emotion. When 

you watch him in the 

Munna Bhai series, 

you know he’s 

having a ball. That’s 

also him. I liked him 

in Khalnayak (1993) 

and Agneepath 

(2012). I loved Naam 

(1987), especially the 

relationship shown 

between Bhaiyya and 

Bunty. In real life too, 

it’s the same. Bunty 

has always been 

been the quiet, silent 

support in Bhaiyya’s 

journey. We cried our 

eyes out when we 

watched Naam. 

Like all, I’m 

also excited about 

Rajkumar Hirani’s 

biopic Sanju. 

Whatever, I’ve 

heard of the film is 

fabulous. No one 

could have made it 

as sensitively as Raju. 

The way he directed 

the Munna Bhai 

series – the saddest 

truths were put forth 

in the softest way! 

For Bhaiyya too, the 

biopic would be a 

sort of a closure, a 

catharsis. I could 

only picture Ranbir 

Kapoor in that role. 

MOVIE MEDLEY 

Honestly speaking, 

I’m a fan of 

English movies. 

I can watch films 

like Shawshank 

Redemption (1994), 

Red Dragon (2002), 

The Bourne Identity 

(2002), Marvel 

movies like The 

Avengers (2012), 

Guardians Of The 

Galaxy (2014) and 

others again and 

again. Yet, some 

Hindi films hold 

a special place 

in your heart for 

their simplicity. 

Like Hrishikesh 

Mukherjee’s Anand 

(1971), Chupke 

Chupke (1975), 

Gol Maal (1979)... 

Even Sai Paranjpe’s 

Chashme Buddoor 

(1981), Basu 

Chatterjee’s Khatta 

Meetha (1978) and 

Gulzar’s Parichay 

(1972), which had 

great music as well. 

Today’s there’s a 

revival of that kind 

of cinema – middleclass 

and middle-ofthe-path. 

I enjoyed 

Taare Zameen Par 

(2007) and Chillar 

Party (2011). 

I watched them with 

my sons (Siddharth 

and Sumair). I also 

enjoy watching the 

leave-your-brainbehind 

kind of films. 

Amongst actors, 

we sisters, loved 

Raakhee aunty 

because we had a 

relationship with 

her. Namrata and I 

were her bridesmaids 

when she got 

married to Gulzarji 

(1973). She was so 

beautiful; I just kept 

looking at her. I used 

to call her ‘Kharee’ 

aunty as I couldn’t 

pronounce her name 

Raakhee correctly. 

Even with Waheedaji 

(Rehman), our bond 

went beyond movies. 

Tabu is yet another 

favourite. She was 

brilliant in Cheeni 

Kum (2007). She 

has such a sensitive 

face. We don’t see 

enough of her. 

Manisha Koirala is a 

fine performer too. I 

loved Hrithik Roshan 

in Jodhaa Akbar 

(2008). It’s difficult 

to play historical 

characters. He did 

such a fine job. 

REEL VS REAL 

It’s true that movies 

reflect society. But 

to have violence and 

ugliness thrust upon 

you is not a good 

feeling. I’ve seen 

politics from the 

inside. Yet, I believe 

there’s a positive 

side. But the negative 

sells more. They 

will never show 

a politician doing 

good. It’s always 

easy to abuse. But 

every politician is 

not corrupt. There 

are good people, who 

want to bring about 

change and can 

make a difference. 

Like a film like 

Neeraj Pnadey’s A 

Wednesday (2008) 

resonated with the 

common man. 

The ability to hope 

and believe 

is what I learnt from 

my father. We have 

been through many 

ups and downs but 

he’d never ask why 

me! Rather, he’d 

say, “We’ll come 

out of it!”

eader’s reviews, box-office, celebrity column & more 

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Check out what your favourites are upto on Instagram... 

@priyankachopra Meanwhile...masi and baby... 

@sky.krishna best hugs ever @divya_jyoti 

She’s a global diva, but Priyanka Chopra has all 

the time for her neice and we love it. 

@deepikapadukone when your mother 

tells you to finish everything that’s in your 

plate!!! (& that’s for bullying me in public 

@anishapadukone ) 

Deepika Padukone gets back at sister Anisha 

for posting an embarrassing picture of her 

on social media with this funny selfie. 

@sonamkapoor My 

dapper handsome 

husband for all 

our lifetimes 

#everdayphenomenal 

#flashbackfriday 

They are so 

awwwwdorable! 

Mr. and Mrs. Ahuja 

are here to take 

your breath away 

with this picture. 

@ranveersingh 

@anilskapoor ke do 

Anmol Ratan #baba 

@arjunkapoor #jhakaas 

#whattaplaya 

When the naughtiest boys 

in B-town met the coolest 

guy ever... Ranveer Singh 

and Arjun Kapoor kiss 

Anil Kapoor. 

@anushkasharma 

Come on boys 

Can Anushka Sharma 

and Virat Kohli be any 

cuter? We love their 

playful chemistry. 

Readers send in their feedback pg 

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PHOTOGRAPHER: ERRIKOS ANDRE OU/ DEU CREATIVE MANAGEMENT 

FEATURE 

#FlirtWithYourCity 

THE TIMES OF INDIA CREATES CITY 

MONTAGES FOR MUMBAI, BENGALURU, DELHI, 

KOLKATA AND CHENNAI IN A CAMPAIGN THAT 

PROMOTES ITS METRO SUPPLEMENTS 

The newest campaign from the stables of 

TOI’s metro supplements #FlirtWithYourCity 

aims to rekindle the love you feel for your 

city with words, images, stories and songs 

that celebrate the soul of one city versus 

another. It is time to flirt with your city or 

another city; Delhi Times Versus Bombay 

Times Versus Bangalore Times versus 

Chennai Times versus Calcutta Times. It’s 

a rap battle or shall we say a rap party out 

there with #FlirtWithYourCity films that 

portray their respective city’s nuances 

and showcases many celebrated names 

from their respective cities like Deepika 

Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Vijendra 

Singh, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Rituparna 

Sengupta, Abir Chatterjee, Shruti Haasan, 

R Madhavan, Kiccha Sudeep, Aindrita Ray, 

Danish Sait, Sanjeev Kapoor and many 

others.

When you think 

of a city, you 

think of the city 

cuisines. Joining 

the conversation on 

#FlirtWithTheCity, Katrina Kaif, 

one of the most beautiful female 

actors in India, confesses she is 

a complete foodie and she loves 

experimenting with food in the 

city. Soon to be seen with Aamir 

Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, 

the actor said, “Food gets me 

going. Nothing can cheer me up 

better than a good meal. I love 

street food and any street place 

that offers paya with kadak Pav 

will instantly be a favourite for 

me. I can eat my heart out with 

paya and pav. I also love seafood, 

with prawns and crabs being my 

comfort food.” 

Born and raised in Mumbai, 

John Abraham shares quite an 

affinity with the place. “I love 

Bombay, the culture, the old world 

charm, it is a whole different 

world here. I especially love old 

theatres, my mom’s family is 

from Grant Road and so I used 

enjoy these old-world places. My 

initiation back into Hindi films, 

after a long break, was with Maine 

Pyar Kiya which I saw at Bahara 

Talkies. One really interesting 

thing about Bombay is that it’s a 

combination of New York and Los 

Angeles, it’s the film capital and 

the commercial capital. And I'm 

proud to call it my city!” 

Bollywood’s leading fashionista 

Sonam Kapoor tells us about her 

favourite hangouts in Mumbai. “I 

love hanging out at Juhu, going 

for morning walks and having 

those amazing bhuttas.” 

While the internet drools over 

her and her husband, Anand 

Ahuja's romance, the actress 

said, “Drives are the best in 

Mumbai, you know. Going to 

Natural's ice-cream and right 

opposite you have Amar 

Juice Centre, where you get 

amazing pav bhaji. You sit in 

your car and eat it 

and just chill.” 

“I miss the greenery and the 

calmness of Bengaluru, which 

once was the main reason for 

most of us choosing this city to 

live in. By saying this, every drive 

inside Cubbon Park is reminder 

of my old Bengaluru,” says Kiccha 

Sudeep. 

Rituparna Sengupta loves the 

decked up look of Kolkata during 

Pooja. “Festivals excite me and 

there is no better time to visit 

Kolkata then during Pooja. I’m 

an avid reader and there is no 

better place for book lovers than 

Kolkata’s famous College Street,” 

says the actor. 

The foot-tapping music for 

the campaign is created by 

Dhruv Ghanekar (Wah Wah 

Studio) and juxtaposes the soul 

and quirks of each city. The 

campaign aims to spice up the 

romance of the readers with their 

respective cities by urging them 

to experience the buzz points of 

the cities -- from waterholes to 

hunger zones, for party points 

and artists and activists and 

everything that makes your city, 

your city. 

The songs have crossed 10 

million views within 3 days. 

WATCH THE FIVE VIDEOS 

AT ONE GO BY USING THE 

FOLLOWING LINK: 

https://bit.ly/2kNHJa1

Raazi Avengers Infinity War 

CALLING ALIA 

The audience is raazi to give Alia Bhatt’s espionage drama a standing ovation. 

Read on know about other films in the past month as well 

st 

1 

Prize 

RIVETING RAAZI 

Based on the novel, Calling 

Sehmat, Raazi, directed by 

Meghna Gulzar, is based on 

true incidents. The novel’s author, Harinder 

S Sikka, a retired army officer, came across a 

young armyman. He revealed how his mother, 

a Kashmiri Muslim, had married a Pakistani 

army officer to provide India with classified 

information around the 1971 war. Harindar 

Sikka eventually met the officer’s mother in 

Malerkotla, Punjab. 

As a co-writer (with Bhavani Iyer) and 

director, Meghna Gulzar creates an ensemble 

of characters that play with the audience’s 

minds. Sehmat, played to perfection by 

Alia Bhatt, is inner conscience personified. 

The character of Iqbal Syed, ably played by 

Vicky Kaushal is a reflection of the same. The 

character of Sehmat’s father Hidayat Khan, 

essayed by Rajit Kapoor stands for patriotism, 

which is juxtaposed with the character 

of Brigadier Syed played by the brilliant 

Shishir Sharma. Sehmat’s trainer, Khalid 

Mir, amazingly played by Jaideep Ahlawat, 

embodies duty. It finds its reflection in 

Mehboob Syed’s character played by Ashwath 

Bhatt. Sehmat’s nemesis, Abdul (Aarif 

Zakaria) is the only character that doesn’t 

have his mirror image. Abdul represents 

hatred and extremism, common on both sides. 

The song, Ae watan, composed by Shankar- 

Ehsan-Loy and written by Gulzar, is apt for 

any nation. Just like Raazi would be relevant 

for any country. 

Prakash Gowda, Ahmedabad 

TWIVIEWS 

Fans and readers tweet their 

mini reviews to @filmfare 

@karDesai1 Watched 

#Parmanu and it made 

me feel so proud to 

be an Indian! Well 

done to the entire 

team for making such 

a great movie! @ 

TheJohnAbraham you 

were just amazing 

throughout! 

@shweta961 #Parmanu 

A movie that beautifully 

reminds us one of the 

biggest achievements of 

INDIA!! 

@shreyassrao I love 

LOVE #VeereDiWeeding 

@ReallySwara is LIT! 

@sonamakapoor fell 

for you, all over again! 

@ShikhaTalsania 

should be my bff and 

#KareenaKapoorKhan 

stop looking so gorgeous 

@cog_bi, The reason 

for #VeereDiWedding 

success is woman-power. 

I observed that 80 

per cent of audience 

were women of all 

ages @sonamakapoor 

congratulations 

@IamVicky_26 A 

beautiful & well directed 

film. @SrBachchan & 

@chintskap portrayed 

their roles beautifully. A 

NO JINGOISM 

Raazi is an espionage thriller cum family 

drama based on a novel titled Calling Sehmat 

by Harinder S Sikka. The novel is inspired 

from a true life story of an Indian woman spy 

against the backdrop of the Indo-Pak war of 

1971. It’s also among those rare films, which 

does not portray Pakistan or its people in a 

bad light. Even the dose of patriotism is kept 

under check. 

Harpriet Flora, Mumbai 

AVENGERS INFINITY WAR VS 

JAANI DUSHMAN 

Avenger Infinity War is a visual spectacle. 

Though it has an overdose of violence, the 

screenplay is sharp and crisp. But wait! What 

the Marvel cinematic universe has created 

in 2018 and took 10 years to create, Indian 

filmmaker Rajkumar Kohli achieved in 1979 

in his Jaani Dushman. History repeats itself, 

sometimes after 40 years. 

Just like in Avengers, where superheroes 

fight the devil Thanos, in Jaani Dushman 

many heroes fight a ghost cum demon. The 

villain in Avengers is hunting for infinity 

stones. The villain in Jaani Dushman is 

hunting for brides. In Jaani Dushman, the 

heroes save their village from the demon. In 

Avengers, the heroes save the Universe from 

Thanos. Yet there are differences. The ladies 

in Jaani Dushman don’t kick some ass but 

were left to dance, sing and entertain. And 3D 

technology was not invented at that time! 

Sandhir Flora, Mumbai

102 Not Out Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran 

102 NOT OUT 

Lambuji Lambuji, bolo Tinguji... went the 

song as Amitabh Bachchan’s and Rishi 

Kapoor’s camaraderie made you watch 

Coolie over and over again. That was 1983. 

In 2018, the two actors have aged enough 

to play grandpa and his pop in Umesh 

Shukla’s 102 Not Out but the amity remains 

intact. Bachchan plays Dattatray Vakharia, 

a 102-year-old young dude, who aspires to 

beat the world record of 118 years, held by a 

certain Chinese gentleman. “I’m just 16 years 

away!” he excitedly tells his roly poly but 

morose 75-year-old son Babulal (Kapoor). In 

a hilarious twist, you have the father telling 

his son to shift to an old age home as he’s too 

old to stay with him. That sets the tone for 

the numerous conditions Dattatray sets for 

Babulal, which he needs to fulfill to stay back. 

Sumeet Nadkarni, Mahim 

TWIVIEWS 

Fans and readers tweet their 

mini reviews to @filmfare 

father-son relationship 

explained on screen.. 

children often forget 

or ignore their aging 

parents#102NotOut 

@SagarSakhare5 

Amazing performance 

by @SrBachchan 

and @chintskap in 

#102NotOut .You justify 

that old is gold. 

@TheOmkarSethi 

Watched #Raazi again 

for the 9th time & it 

was still engaging... @ 

aliaa08 @meghnagulzar 

@vickykaushal09 

@Jaiahlawat @ 

amrutaOfficial 

PARMANU: THE STORY 

OF POKHRAN 

The story of Pokhran dates back to 1998, 

when the US was keeping a watch on 

India to stop it from becoming a nuclear 

power. But a civil services officer, named 

Aswath Raina, was determined to succeed 

against all odds. Supported by his senior, 

Principal Secretary Shukla, he sets out to 

make his team. Taking cues from the epic 

Mahabharata, he plays the role of Krishna 

to lead the five pandavas and defeat the 

hundred kauravas. India performed not one 

but three nuclear tests in Pokhran by 

dodging the CIA and Pakistani spies. 

Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran is a salute to 

Indian science institutes and administrative 

agencies with Dr A P Abdul Kalam Azad at 

the centre. Watch and feel proud. Jai Hind! 

Sushma Goyal, Punjab 

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In 140 characters… 

PRESENTING THE MOST INTERESTING TWEETS OF THE FORTNIGHT GONE BY 

@arjunk26 

Amazing feeling 

meeting & talking 

football with @ 

Cristiano!!! Heck 

of a player, heck of 

a guy. All the best 

for Kiev & Russia. 

@AMTouristerIN 

#Curio 

#HardToLetGO 

This is a moment of envy for a lot of football 

fans in the country, Arjun Kapoor! 

@BeingSalmanKhan Buss mood Kiya tweet karneka. 

Toh Yeh raha Mera tweet. 

Well, Bhaijaan doesn’t need an occasion to give 

his fans something to be excited about. Random 

tweets for FTW! 

@RanveerOfficial Gettin my cardio done like... 

#throwback #mondaymotivation 

It’s not diet or weight training, this is the 

answer to what has kept Ranveer Singh so fit 

and fine since childhood! 

@sakpataudi From one mother to another 

- Happy Mother’s Day 

This surely 

was the best 

Mother’s Day 

post of the 

month. The 

beautiful 

Inaaya Naumi 

Kemmu with 

the her gorgeous 

grandma, 

Sharmila 

Tagore. 

@iamsrk Like 

all daughters, 

I knew you were always 

meant for flying...and 

now u can also legally 

do what u have been 

doing since u were 

16...!! Love u. 

@iamsrk My sunshine 

turns 5 yrs today but 

he thinks he is 9! 

Please don’t tell him 

otherwise if u meet 

him. Children should 

hear their own music, 

sing their own songs & 

believe in their own lil 

dreams...& yeah, hug 

their papa a lot.. 

Shah Rukh Khan’s wishes for his 

children will melt your hearts.

WOMEN 

ON TOP 

The success of Raazi and Veere Di 

Wedding has shown that womencentric 

films are here to stay. The 

glass ceiling is finally being shattered 

by those wearing stilettos. The 

patriotic Parmanu: The Story Of 

Pokhran passed muster and so did 

Kaala, which survived purely on 

the power of Rajinikanth. The only 

misfire was Bhavesh Joshi Superhero, 

which failed to entice the audience. 

HIT 

HIT 

BOX-OFFICE 

PARMANU: THE STORY 

OF POKHRAN 

DIRECTOR: Abhishek Sharma 

CAST: John Abraham, Diana Penty, Boman Irani 

RELEASE DATE: May 25, 2018 

FIRST WEEK COLLECTION `35.41cr 

RAPID REVIEW: A fictionalisation 

of the Pokhran nuclear 

tests of 2008. 

VIEWER’S VERDICT: “I liked the 

drama contained in it.” 

-- Anand S, 33, chef 

VEERE DI WEDDING 

DIRECTOR: Shashanka Ghosh 

CAST: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor, 

Swara Bhasker, Shikha Talsania 

RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2018 

FIRST WEEK COLLECTION 

RAPID REVIEW: 

Not a chick flick! 

VIEWER’S VERDICT: “It’s a laugh 

riot from the word go.” 

-- Nalinakshi Shetty, 33, 

marketing manager 

`56.96cr 

RAAZI 

DIRECTOR: Meghna Gulzar 

CAST: Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Rajit 

Kapoor, Jaideep Ahlawat 

RELEASE DATE: May 11, 2018 

FIRST WEEK’S 

COLLECTION 

`56.59cr 

HIT 

RAPID REVIEW: A fictionalised account of 

the life of an actual spy 

VIEWER’S VERDICT: “Alia 

Bhatt’s acting made me 

root for Sehmat all the way.” 

-- Prathamesh Deshpande, 

36, manager supply chain 

HIT 

FLOP 

BHAVESH JOSHI 

SUPERHERO 

DIRECTOR: Vikramaditya Motwane 

CAST: Harshvardhan Kapoor, Nishikant Kamat, 

Priyanshu Painyuli, Ashish Verma 



RAPID REVIEW: 

A superhero origin film 

VIEWER’S VERDICT: “The action 

was nice and slick.” 

-- Bharti Suhas, 35, head R&D 

`1.45cr 

KAALA 

DIRECTOR: P.A. Ranjith 

CAST: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, 

Nana Patekar, Easwari Rao and Anjali Patil 



`112.2cr (worldwide all languages) 

RAPID REVIEW: A film about the 

land mafia in Mumbai 

VIEWER’S VERDICT: 

“Rajini’s magic rocks and how.” 

-- Supriya Deshmukh, 34, 

H R manager

ASK ME 

Shatrughan 

Sinha’s 

Rapid 

fire 

Madhubala 

PHOTOGRAPH: MEETESH TANEJA 

When everyone is 

supposed to be wearing a 

mask, how come we can 

only see the mask of a 

clown? 

JP Singh Kaka, Mumbai 

Sadly, that’s how our 

culture and society is. 

What fictional character 

is amazing in the book/ 

show/ movie, but would 

be insufferable if you 

had to deal with them in 

everyday situations? 

Abhishek Sharma, Kolkata 

Chandler from Friends 

in real life would be 

unbearable. I couldn’t bear 

to be in close proximity 

with such a person on a 

day-to-day basis. 

Which memories do you cherish the most - 

your childhood recollections, those at the FTII, 

those formed in Bollywood, your memories as 

a parent or your political journey? 

JP Singh Kaka, Mumbai 

In order of merit, first childhood memories, 

then the ones formed at the FTII, followed 

by Bollywood memories, romantic 

reminiscences, parenthood and then political 

remembrances. 

How come talented 

actresses like Madhubala, 

Meena Kumari and 

Parveen Babi had tragic 

ends? 

Manjeet Singh Ishar, Mohali 

That was their destiny. 

What is the difference 

between tax and fine 

when the amount 

received from both goes 

in the government’s 

pocket? 

Mohini Srivastava, Noida 

One is imposed on 

everyone especially the 

rich and successful. 

The other is imposed 

on everyone without 

exception. 

In Mumbai the Gujaratis 

run businesses, Mysoreans 

run hotels and Punjabis 

play cinema heroes. 

What do the original 

inhabitants do? 

NK Mani, Indore 

Mumbaikars have 

embraced all, who come 

to the city of dreams. They 

make ‘aamchi Mumbai’ 

aamchi for everyone. Their 

hospitality and warmth is 

exemplary. Jai Maharashtra! 

Meena Kumari 

Parveen Babi 

How can one stop 

violence against women? 

Amit Jain, New Delhi 

Education is the best 

way to go about it. But 

desperate times call for 

desperate measures. 

Zero tolerance needs 

to be shown by the law 

against the perpetrators of 

violence against women. 

Can we hope to change 

society for the better

through films? How? 

Laj Khemlani, Pune 

Of course we can ‘hope’ 

to. People idolise 

films and films stars. 

Filmmakers and actors 

have a responsibility 

towards people. In real 

and reel life, we can 

choose to either glorify or 

negate something. Films 

seem to have influenced 

court judgements in the 

past. Do Aankhen Barah 

Haath (1957) urged people 

to rethink how to treat 

hard-core criminals in 

jail. In more recent times, 

films from Pa to PadMan 

have influenced people 

to adopt the better and 

inclusive way of living. 

We have the power to 

change things. It’s up to us 

how we use it. The biggest 

change films can bring 

Social change: PadMan 

about is in the way we see 

our women. Though the 

film industry too needs 

to change their approach 

towards that. 

What is a bigger 

curse, poverty or 

unemployment? 

Jaidev Chulani, Pune 

A curse is a curse is 

a curse. In this case 

both are interrelated. If 

employment’s generated, 

there will be less poverty. 

I leave it to you to guess, 

which is the bigger curse. 

Swachh Bharat is a good 

idea to keep our homes 

and surroundings clean. 

But what about cleaning 

minds of malicious 

thoughts? 

Kavita Chettri, Pune 

Peace, meditation, yoga 

1 st Prize 

Nothing is predictable in politics. I want to 

know whether Shatrughan Sinha can become 

India’s next Prime Minister. 

CK Subramaniam, Navi Mumbai 

My column is called Sawal Jawab aur aapke sawal 

mein hi jawab hai bahut hi lajawab! God bless you! On 

a serious note, anyone, be it you or me, can become the 

PM if he has the numbers on his side, the support of 

his people and the party. The PM’s post, fortunately or 

unfortunately, doesn’t need qualification of any sort. 

2 nd Prize 

In India people still accept or give dowry 

during marriages. Is this practice good? 

How does it affect today’s generation? 

Sulekha Samanta, Mumbai 

This question doesn’t have to be asked at all. It has 

only one answer – no! It has affected every generation, 

sometimes, making people not want to have a girl child. 

While those who have boys, believe they are superior. 

Dowry makes a marriage a mere transaction. The 

beautiful relationship is marred by this evil. Swachhata 

Abhiyan against this evil is a must. 

as well as constructive 

social and political 

commitments always 

work for me. It brings 

about mental equilibrium. 

Who’s the greatest - 

mother, mother Earth, 

motherland or mother 

tongue? 

B Ajit, New Delhi 

On a lighter note, laziness 

is the mother of all bad 

habits. On a serious note, 

a mother is the ultimate 

friend, philosopher, guide 

and teacher. 

Do you love your country 

more than yourself? 

Anand Sood, Mohali 

Yes of course. I love 

my country more than 

‘yourself’. 

(Feature co-ordinated by 

DEVESH SHARMA) 

Please note: The column doesn’t 

reflect Shatrughan Sinha’s political 

or personal views. His answers are 

given in jest and humour. 

Win! 

CASH PRIZES 

1 st prize 

3000 

2 nd prize 

2000 

Send Your 

Question to 

Readers may send in their questions to: 

Email: filmfare.askme@wwm.co.in Fax: 022-22731585 

Mail: Sawaal Jawaab, Filmfare, The Times of India Bldg, 

4th floor, D N Road, Mumbai 400 001, INDIA 

(Please mention your full name, contact number and address) 

YOUR QUESTIONS WILL BE FORWARDED TO: Shatrughan Sinha, who insists his answers do not reflect his political and social views. 

Terms & Conditions Apply 

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The magazine will not be responsible for the product. 

or 

SMS: FI SJ 

 

to 53636

LAST WORD BY JITESH PILLAAI 

WOMEN 

POWER 

Raazi was a 

pinch in the 

solar plexus. 

I kid you not. 

The kind of 

emotional impact it had 

was heart-rending indeed. 

My heart went out to those 

unnamed brave-hearts, 

who put everything on the 

line for the sake of their 

country and seldom get 

rewarded. Most lie buried 

in unmarked graves. Their 

loved ones condemned to 

mourning forever. Raazi 

moved me for other reasons 

as well. It didn’t stoke any 

false jingoistic notes. There 

was no unnecessary Pak 

bashing, no thumping of 

chests. I believe one reason 

it was so because a female 

protagonist was at play 

here. A female spy, no less 

patriotic than her male 

counterparts, even sleeping 

with the enemy to get to 

her objective. 

Yet, Alia was no Black 

Widow. She was shown as 

having empathy towards 

her mate. She went about 

her mission with a steady 

determination and yet 

never lost her femininity. 

In fact, her softness was 

her strength and stopped 

her descent into madness. 

The film was helmed by 

Meghna Gulzar. Bosky 

came into her own in the 

Raazi 

film. She made a classic 

spy thriller, which did 

away with the masculine 

charm of a James Bond film 

and brought a feminine 

grace to the genre. She 

proved that women-centric 

spy films needn’t be mere 

copies of espionage films 

starring macho stars. 

But they could hold the 

viewer’s attention in their 

own unique way. More 

power to that thought, to 

that vision. 

Another women-centric 

film, which is winning 

raves for different reasons 

is Veere Di Wedding. 

Women are shown to 

be having a libido here, 

indulging in one-night 

stands and self-pleasure. 

Veere Di Wedding 

They are shown to be 

both taking the initiative 

in their relationships and 

being commitment phobic. 

They curse a lot, both in 

private and in public. They 

booze, and smoke and 

do drugs. Most modern 

young women can identify 

with the above things. But 

somehow, our filmmakers 

were never so explicit 

about it. Now that it’s out 

there, what’s normal won’t 

be considered exotic. And 

thank God for that! We can 

all go on with our lives. 

The girls, I could see, 

had a gala time being 

themselves. For once 

they weren’t objects of 

male fantasy, succumbing 

to the male gaze, not 

caring about what others 

thought of them, living 

their lives freely. And the 

bonding between them 

was genuine because 

they knew they weren’t 

going to get such a chance 

again. Says a lot about our 

society, doesn’t it? You 

could feel four heroines 

breathing easily, not 

answerable to the whims 

of a male star. They were 

happy to carry the film 

on their shoulders. Kudos 

to veeres Kareena Kapoor 

Khan, Sonam K Ahuja, 

Swara Bhasker, Shikha 

Talsania, Rhea Kapoor and 

Ekta Kapoor. May their 

tribe increase.... 

jitesh.pillaai@wwm.co.in 

Twitter: @jiteshpillaai

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