Sanjay’s Sulk

When the nominees for a popular Bollywood awards function were announced recently, Ram-Leela director Sanjay Leela Bhansali was reportedly miffed that he wasn’t co-nominated along with Omung Kumar in the Best Director category for Mary Kom.

Bhansali, who produced the film and also took a Creative Director credit for the movie, was expecting to share the nomination… much to the surprise of the event organisers and the awards committee. “If he expected to be co-nominated, he should’ve shared the co-directing credit with Omung on the film,” one source explained. “Next thing you know, the Chief Assistant Director will say he’s upset that he wasn’t co-nominated!”

The bizarreness of Bhansali’s outrage aside, Bollywood walas are saying that this incident has revealed the ‘sheer pettiness’ of the filmmaker. One insider elaborates: “Most producers who’re also directors—Karan Johar, Aditya Chopra, Farhan Akhtar, Prakash Jha—mentor first-time directors and hand-hold them when they’re making a movie for their banner anyway. Do you ever hear of them demanding to be co-nominated for one of their protégé’s awards?” What this incident also appears to have shed light on, is the deep crack in the relationship between Bhansali and Omung Kumar, who had designed the sets for some of his mentor’s films, including Black and Saawariya.

A unit insider reveals that early on during the production of Mary Kom, it became apparent to Bhansali that Omung was not ready to direct a film. Story goes that leading lady Priyanka Chopra reached out to Bhansali when she saw that Omung was “struggling on set”, and at one point during production, Bhansali and Priyanka “pretty much took over”. The rift was caused right then, and has not narrowed since.

A Case of Butterflies

Vicky Donor star Ayushmann Khurrana isn’t what anyone would describe as a shy person, or uninhibited even. Yet the former veejay-turned actor reveals that he was more than a little starstruck when he had to shoot with Mithun Chakraborty, who plays his mentor in Hawaizaada. “Growing up, I used to dance to Disco Dancer at home and at birthday parties. I used to be invited to parties just so I’d dance for everyone,” he recollects. “That film, and Mithunda particularly, had a big impact on me as a kid. So of course I was a little nervous when I knew I had to work with him. It was a good thing he wears an almost unrecognisable wig in Hawaizaada; it made me a lot less self-conscious.”

While promoting the film recently, Ayushmann says he appeared on the reality TV show Dance India Dance where his idol (and co-star) serves as a judge. “Of course I was called upon to perform to Disco Dancer, but what made it all the more unnerving was that Mithunda was going to be watching. I think he realised that I was nervous, so he decided to sing the lines for me while I danced to them. Surprisingly, I didn’t muck up my steps. And he seemed to enjoy it too,” Ayushmann remembers.

Maiden Voyage in Troubled Waters

It appears that the intended directorial debut of a leading Bollywood costume designer may be in trouble. For one, there are murmurs that there is infighting among his producers, who can’t seem to get along. An Australia-based funder who is committed to bankroll the project may be developing cold feet given the cost of the movie and the rapidly diminishing star value of the leads attached.

Word is that the diminutive clothesmith has already made up his mind to replace his buff leading man, a prominent Telugu star who sadly is no big draw among Hindi-speaking audiences. Reportedly the director-in-the-making has also asked his leading lady to take a sizeable pay- cut to relax the budget of the film. Not an entirely unfair request, some would say, given that her last three films were embarrassing box-office turkeys.

Only problem is that the gentleman himself doesn’t intend to slash his own directing fee—a sum that most Bollywood insiders are saying is way too generous for a first-timer in any case. The actress has also reportedly got wind of the fact that he’s paying himself handsomely for the movie, and as a result she hasn’t given in to his request to reduce her own fee.

Moreover, if the film does go into production in April as planned, there’s a strong likelihood the makers may need to find a reasonable location to shoot, as their original choice of destination— London—is proving too expensive.

About The Author

Rajeev Masand

•