Digging out a Raaz after a decade

It did not hit the Rs 200-crore mark or reach the Rs 100-crore club; it even failed to cross the half-century mark, yet Raaz, with a business of Rs 37 crore, was the second highest earner of 2002. Vikram Bhatt's spirited effort even flagged off a franchise with two more hits, Raaz: The Mystery Continues (2009) and Raaz 3 (2012).

Eleven years later, director Vikram Bhatt, who is gearing up for the release of another Horror Story on September 13, Friday the 13th, recalls filming the climax of Raaz. "It's what makes the film memorable," he asserts.
Many have compared Bipasha Basu's do-or-die struggle to save husband Dino Morea, to Savitri's epic fight to bring Satyavan back from the dead. Admits Bhatt, "We did not start out thinking that way. Dino's character Aditya was no Satyavan. In fact, for a while his wife Sanjana (Basu) is in two minds about whether to save him or leave him to his dead lover. But then, as Sanjana tells the ghost, she took him away once and she won't let her do that again."

While the ending endeared itself to many, it did not go down well with the progressive lot, who argued that it was foolish of the wife to risk her life for someone who had betrayed her as well as another woman.

But Bhatt insists that given a chance, he would opt for the same climax. "You can only forgive someone who doesn't deserve your mercy," he reasons.

"Even in the 1987 American psychological thriller Fatal Attraction, the wife Annie Archer fights another woman, Glenn Close, for her husband knowing he has cheated on her. She even shoots the woman to protect her family."

Raaz was shot in Mumbai and Ooty, with some of the songs picturised in Switzerland. "Lisa Ray was to play Sanjana. But after she dropped out Bipasha stepped in. She was also busy with Abbas-Mustan's (2001) so we had to juggle the dates," he reminisces. "We shot the climax of Raaz in Mumbai over 12 days."

Exactly a decade later, Bhatt and Basu reunited for Raaz 3. And the two are now shooting for Creature which he promises will take the horror genre into alien territory.

Audience watches a film in totality, critics in parts

Ajay Devgn accuses film analysts of losing touch with the viewers with their highfalutin dissections.

The jury is still out on the fate of Ajay Devgn's latest offering Satyagraha but the actor looks far from perturbed as he enters his Juhu office. A cigarette break is on top of his mind and after a quick smoke, Ajay sat down with Mirror for a candid conversation.

The Prakash Jha film detailing the fictionalised life of an Anna Hazare like figure opened to a split verdict from the critics but the actor says that he is rather indifferent to the opinion of that lot. His Himmatwala was savaged by the critics and the latest one was met by accusations of sticking to the Jha formula, a mix of contemporary politics, romance and intrigue.
The question about this observation is met with a smile before the actor denies allegations of Satyagraha being formulaic.

"Bilkul nahi (Not at all)...Me and Prakash collaborate once in some threefour years. His stories are different and engaging and he has learnt that very well," he says.

The actor accuses the critics and analysts of losing touch with the audience with their minute disection.

"You ask people within the industry, they will say things like the first half was good, the second half wasn't. The audience always watches the film in totality. Critics are trying to sound intelligent by saying first half, second half. Kyu beech mei samosa aa gaya?" said the actor.

Jha is one of Ajay's favourite collaborators, other names in the list being Sajid Khan and Rohit Shetty.

But did Himmatwala's failure affect his relationship with Sajid?

"Sometimes things go right, sometimes they go wrong. You do 10 films, out of that one doesn't work so you move ahead and learn from your mistakes. Yes, Sajid and I did have a chat about Himmatwala to figure what went wrong, and we have our own take on it, but it stays between us," explained Ajay.

And what about the rumours about cracks in his camaraderie with Rohit, thanks to his super hit collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan, Chennai Express?

"When Rohit started Chennai Express, I was the first one to know and told him to go ahead and make it. I am making Singham 2 with him and he is like family to me. And, honestly, Rohit and I don't even bother about all this gossip," said the actor.

But there is one collaborator Ajay Devgn can always count on: wife Kajol. When asked about rumours of her making a comeback in his next home production, Ajay said, "Yes, it is true. We have planned something very nice."

Nandita is guilty of adultery, not I

Tired of being portrayed as a home wrecker, Om Puri's first wife Seema Kapoor speaks out for the first time.

She has written quite a few TV shows and among them were Neena Gupta's Pal Chhin. She has also directed a few episodes of Rishtey. A few years back, she directed Haat, The Weekly Bazaar and the film won much critical acclaim. But, she is in news as 'Om Puri's first wife'. The usually reticent Seema Kapoor has been facing the rough end of the stick ever since Om Puri's marriage with Nandita hit the rocks.

When we ask for an interview, she hesitates, but eventually relents. Over hot cups of tea, she unfolds her side of the story: "The press has tried to corner me for a chat ever since Om and I ended our marriage. I never spoke up. But perhaps it is time now. Nandita has been harassing me for the longest time."

Excerpts from the chat that followed:
How did Om come into your life?

Om knew my elder brother Ranjeet (writer of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, Khakee, Lajja) since his NSD (National School of Drama) days in the early 70s and eventually became a family friend. One fine day, we realised that we were in love. We were very serious about our relationship and after dating for almost a decade, we finally tied the knot in 1990. But my marital bliss was short-lived. Nandita stormed into Om's life when our marriage was just about a year old. She had met him in Kolkata for an interview, and the next thing I knew was that she was staying with him in his hotel room. Initially, I thought it was a fling. But I was wrong. It did not fizzle out. I had lost my father three months before my marriage. My mother used to feel very lonely. And I would visit her in Jhalawar (Rajasthan) quite often. In my absence, Nandita used to drop in and stay with Om. I found her letters and I even found her undergarments in Om's cupboard. At one point, I was so disturbed that I went away to stay with my mother. I was pregnant and I didn't want all this to have an effect on my child. But, I was so traumatised that I eventually lost the baby.

Was it a miscarriage?

No. I was five months pregnant and the baby died inside my womb. Sometime later, Om sent me the divorce papers at Jhalawar. My brothers, Ranjeet and Annu, were furious. But I told them to 'let it pass'. If I have no place in Om's heart, what's the point in having a place in his house?

Did he keep in touch with you after he married Nandita?

He was in touch with my brothers and we occasionally met in a group. Three years ago, when my mother died, he came to the condolence meet and apologised to me at the gathering. And he wasn't feigning. He was honestly sorry...I could see it in his eyes.

Om told us that once he's out of his present marriage, he would like to stay with you...

That makes me feel good. But I wouldn't like to stay with him.

Why? What's wrong in starting afresh?

What afresh! Ab toh life khatam ho gayi hai.

Do you think Om deserves what is happening to him now?

Certainly not. Whatever happened between him and me does not call for retribution. We need to live life in a civilised manner.
Did you ever encounter aggression from him in your married life?

Om is not an aggressive person. He cannot raise his hand on anybody. We had many fights, but it never resulted in physical violence.

Nandita blames you for Om beating her up on August 22. She says you called and instigated Om...

At his age? At 64? Do you think he is a puppet in my hands?

Nandita has been lambasting you in the media for quite some time now. Why do you think she is doing this?

I wish I knew. But she definitely needs to meditate. There's too much of dirt and negativity inside her. She uses the choicest of Hindi expletives. I was terribly embarrassed when she stormed into my building and started abusing. Have you read Om's biography written by her? It is a semi-porn book, which failed to take off. Om is not a hero. Who is interested in the bedroom life of a character artiste? Om had asked his friend Aparajita to pen the book, but Nandita went hysterical and snatched the project from her.

She says Om has bought you property and given you a hefty loan...

She needs to prove that. Honestly, she is talking rubbish.

Nandita has alleged that Om helped you get your film script passed from NFDC when he was the chairman there.

People at NFDC are laughing at her and that is why they have not taken any action against her for levelling such baseless allegations.

She accuses Om and you of adultery.

She and Om were in an adulterous relationship. They were having an affair when I was still married to Om. She is the home-breaker, not me. When I lost my baby, she was on a pre-marriage honeymoon with Om in Nepal.

Have you abstained from getting into another relationship after the marriage broke?

For such things to happen, you need to trust a person to a certain extent. Many people were interested in me, but after being betrayed by my husband, I had lost all my faith in relationships.

Have you ever replied to Nandita's allegations?

Not so far. But now I am going to take legal action against her for defaming me. Enough is enough. She even wrote something very derogatory about me in Om's biography.

Stunning at 67: Cher proves she can indeed Turn Back Time

 And she's never been shy about her use of cosmetic surgery either, once confessing: "Yes, I have had a facelift, but who hasn't?"

Cher, whose Closer to the Truth album is her first for 12 years, added: "Everyone says I am terrified of getting old but the truth is that in my job becoming old and becoming extinct are one and the same."

Well, looks like Cher's no danger of that just yet.Wearing a skimpy cream negligee to reveal a flawless complexion, it is hard to believe Cher is 67.

But then again the pop diva - who has gone platinum blonde to promote her new album - has always had the ability to Turn Back Time.

Gag order on Ram Charan

Another South star is all set to make his Bollywood debut with Zanjeer. But Mirror has learnt that his heavy accent has barred the actor from voicing his dialogues for the film.
Apparently, Ram Charan Teja attempted several rounds of dubbing. Although he is proficient in Hindi, it is his heavy southern accent that got in the way. The makers then called actor and dubbing artist Rajesh Khattar for a voice test. However, later they decided not to go with a known face and voice, and zeroed in on a little-known voiceover artist.

When Mirror tried to contact Khattar, he sent us a text message saying: "Yes, I did go for a voice test. But I am not the voice of Ram in the film."

Director Apoorva Lakhia confirmed that Teja's voice was dubbed in the Hindi version. Zanjeer is all set to release on September 6.

Deepika, Katrina or Sonam for Bhandarkar's next?

 

Madhur Bhandarkar is in a dilemma, three of Bollywood's leading ladies are in contention to topline his upcoming project Marr Jaanwaa. As things stand today, the toss up is between Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor.
"The film has been designed as a musical entertainer and its treatment will be very different from the dark zone that Madhur's films traditionally explore. In fact it would be more on the lines of a Basu Chatterjee or a Hrishikesh Mukherjee film," said a source close to the filmmaker. "Deepika has already shown her range as an actress in her last few outings while Sonam's Raanjhanaa too grabbed eyeballs.

Just like that film, even Marr Jaanwaa is based in the Northern belt so that makes her a strong contender. Another name being considered is Katrina," the source continues.

Bhandarkar is also in the process of finalising two male leads for the film which will go on floors next year.

B-town’s blast from the past

On August 30, we brought you news that Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha have been approached to share screen space in Anees Bazmee's upcoming film Welcome Back. Bazmee's phone has been ringing off the hook ever since. Like we said, who wouldn't welcome them back (together)!
And the superstar pairing is just the tip of the latest casting trend, reuniting former lovers in reel life. And like everything in Bollywood, the box office collections are at the crux of this phenomenon too.

Leading distributor Devendra Shah says that such pairings have set cash registers ringing in the past, making it a popular trick. "There is a lot of curiosity when you cast exes opposite each other.

Everyone wants to see how former lovers fare in each other's presence. This shoots up the collection, which in turn boosts the market value of the actors in question. It is a win-win situation," said the distributor adding that such pairings fuel gossip, aiding the publicity machinery of the films too.

Kabir Khan who cast Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif in the superhit Ek Tha Tiger despite their several off-screen skirmishes, says that most actors don't let personal troubles enter the sets.

"More than anything else, today's set of actors have become very mature. There is no awkwardness, there is no animosity. They don't let their personal baggage come in the way of their professional life," said the filmmaker. And the young lot of actors are indeed at the forefront of this trend. And they are not shy of talking about it too. Not so long ago, Ranbir had spoken about his equation with ex-girlfriend Deepika saying, "Deepika and I come with a lot of baggage, but we can't let it affect our work."

Another example of a pair with a personal history is Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra who are working together in Milan Talkies. Recently in an interview to this paper, Kareena Kapoor who was linked to Hrithik Roshan during the days of Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon had said that she has long wanted to reunite with him onscreen.
Karan Malhotra who has brought them together (quite a casting coup, one must say) for his upcoming Shuddhi tells Mirror, "I am starting the film next year but let me tell you that ever since we announced Kareena's name as the leading lady opposite Hrithik, there has been a lot of buzz around the film. Today, actors are not looking over their shoulders. Whether it's Kareena-Hrithik or Deepika-Ranbir, it is clear that they have decided to keep their emotions aside and concentrate to bring out the best on celluloid."
Trade expert Taran Adarsh says that the trend is a new one as exlovers rarely collaborated after a break-up earlier, with famous examples including Madhubala and Dilip Kumar, Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit.

"Earlier, former couples chose not to work with each other. And even if they did, the producers were wary of casting them because they felt that they would throw too many tantrums on the sets," said Adarsh.

Shah says, "Once you have convinced ex-lovers to work with each other, the market price of your film is enhanced. Who wouldn't like to milk such a situation?" Adarsh endorsed the opinion saying, "The promotions of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani focused on the two actors being ex-lovers."

It's vacation time for Gattu

 Talking about the trip, a source said, "Gattu cuts himself off from everything when he is writing the script. So before the madness begins, he wants to spend some time with Pragya."

The vacation is a wellearned break for the filmmaker as Fitoor starring Sushant Singh Rajput and Katrina Kaif, had run into rough weather after producer Ekta Kapoor backed out of the project. After running from pillar to post UTV Motion Pictures finally came to Gattu's rescue. Abhishek Kapoor's Fitoor, a modern take on the Dickens classic Great Expectations has finally found a producer and the director is celebrating with a romantic sojourn in Greece.

Gattu and girlfriend Pragya Yadav are on a15 day long trip to Greece as the filmmaker wants to spend some time with his lady love before kickstarting his ambitious project.

Tug-o-scarf

Satyagraha's sartorial landscape shows costume acumen and unexplainable excess in equal measure. It's a battle between the actors's vanity and the characters' requirements. It must be a challenge being costume designer Priyanka Mundada. Just when the actors melt into their characters you spot tell-tale symbols like Ajay Devgn's wedding and engagement rings and religious bracelets which divorce him from Manav Raghvendra. If Amitabh Bachchan can shed his sapphire and emerald talismans and Kareena her planetsized solitaires, why not him?

Nowhere else is the struggle between the character and actor's vanity more prominently observable than in Sumitra (played by Amrita Rao) — the hair is too pretty for sorrow. It's cutely pinned up at her husband's funeral, it's perfectly brushed and ironed as she does the rounds of the Commissioner's officer; there's too much attention to kajal for a bereaved widow. She walks around in platformed wedges (granted she's often in the frame with the Amitabh Bachchan) and her saris have the strict but tantalising drape of a front desk executive in a five-star hotel.

Another such incongruence is in the series of opening scenes featuring Indraneil Sengupta (who plays Akhilesh). His smartness and naive idealism reflects well in his pastel coloured polo tees, but in a case of over-emphasis he goes through three of them through the day.
This expansion and contraction of wardrobes corrodes the setting's authenticity. Ajay stays in costume at the start — he remains in the blue shirt and white blazer from the time he hears of Akhilesh's death till he departs from Ambikapur. The white shirt he wears to the rally is (slightly less than convincing, but still) stained as he sells his company and returns to Ambikapur. From there on, it spirals unconvincingly. He switches to kurtas and Nehru jackets and amasses a surprising wide repertoire in a short while.

It's the same complaint the observant viewer could raise with the number of shawls Gandhian school teacher Dwaraka Anand (Amitabh Bachchan) has; the number of kurta-shawl combinations Arjun (Arjun Rampal) has; and the number of clothes Yasmin Ahmed (Kareena Kapoor) packs for her stay in Ambikapur. The script only allows Manoj Bajpai's character such excess.

Yasmin may wear too much make-up for a patrakaar, but it's a concession made to TV journalists who face the camera. The make-up fades as the movie progresses and she moves from being an impartial observer to a member of the Jan Satyagraha Party. In contrast, Amrita is without make-up only in the scene where the Jan Satyagraha Party addresses the media. Yasmin's fondess for stoles (almost every character is burdened by the projection of this fetish), solid-coloured tops and silver jewellery are in keeping with her profession, but a small detail could have strapped the look together — an omnipresent scrunchie on the wrist or the butterfly claw on the strap of a bag which the field reporter never leaves home without. She wears on her wrist a clamour of mixed materials bracelets — a look created by Madonna in her debut album and revived by stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania for Deepika Padukone's character in Cocktail.

Arjun's belligerence is symbolised by the always-rolled up sleeves of his kurtas and loyalty to the sneakers that keep him on the aggressive. A more subtle presence is of Sangram Singh, who is always by Balram's side, but does not have dialogues or a defined role until the 'accident' conspiracy is exposed. Till then, he stands slight behind Manoj Bajpai, always in a shiny shirt, combed sliver of a mooch and a harvest of gold chains around his neck. You know he's important, but not how much until the end.

The one and only character whose costume never gives away the actor is Balram Singh played by Manoj Bajpai. His pomade-coiffed hair is always as greasy as his persona; the kurta and Nehru-jacket fresh and unflappable like his smile.

Ranveer gets new chaddi buddies on Ram Leela set

Crew members of Bhansali's film had a special gift for the actor on the last day of the shoot - floral underwear. Here's why.

Finally, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Ram Leela is complete.

Yes. I am done with Ram Leela. The film was shot for 197 days with about eight days of patchwork still remaining. I have shot for 140 days--enough time to finish three films (laughs).

Tell us about your last day on the sets.

We shot at Film City for 12 hours and after that we had a wrap-up party. Priyanka Chopra was also present. Her special song-and-dance number winded up too. We cut a nice, big cake and after that, I gave a small speech and struggled to hold my tears back. When you shoot a film for such a long time, it becomes a part of you. You don't want it to end. Working with Bhansali has given me many fond memories. His art and craft transports me to a different plane.

What happened after your speech?

Initially it was quite emotional. But then I got my groove back and it wasn't long before we were all shaking a leg. I even coaxed Bhansali to join us. He has never danced in his life! We made him dance to Ramji ki chaal—the song that introduces me in the film.

Go on...

And the unit gifted me chaddis.

Chaddis?

Well, kind of chaddis. I have a scene in the film where I wear one of those. You may call them floral boxers, if you prefer a fancy name!
Are you in Priyanka's song as well?

Yes. But I didn't get the chance to dance properly. I wanted to, but they stopped me saying: 'Bahut naach liya aapne iss picture mein'. So yeah, I am in the song, but my character (unlike me) is not in the mental state to break into a dance at that point in the film.

Did you miss Aishwarya Rai, who was supposed to do the song earlier?

Not really. I wasn't in Mumbai when the speculation about her doing a song in Ram Leela started doing the rounds. When I came back, I was told that Priyanka was doing it.

What do you think of Bhansali? Now that the shoot is over, perhaps you can be a bit candid...

He is one of the most creative directors in Bollywood. It's a bit of an exaggeration to call him 'temperamental'.