NEW DEL H I , T H U RS DAY, O CTO B E R 1 3 , 2 0 1 6 , 14 PA G ES
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ GETTING ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ INTO THE ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// GROOVE \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// WITH \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ KISHORE ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// KUMAR \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// >> P4 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ PHOTO: YOGEN SHAH PHOTO: WASEEM GASHROO/HT
www.hindustantimes.com
www.facebook.com/HTcity
Here’s looking at the dynamics — good and bad — of casting two A-list heroes in a film
SUSHANT SINGH RAJPUT, ACTOR
T
‘I have so much money, I don’t even think about it’ F
ANUSHKA HAS HER PLATE FULL
PHOTO: PRASAD NAIK
F
or over a month, she’s been shooting for Imtiaz Ali’s next with actor Shah Rukh Khan, in Budapest. But not many know that actor Anushka Sharma is juggling multiple projects. “A couple of days back, Anushka wrapped up the shooting for a commercial in Budapest. She made time for it in her free days in between the shooting (of the film),” says an insider. Anushka also dubbed for a portion of Karan Johar’s Diwali release, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (ADHM) there. “She’s in touch with the team so she can participate in the promotions,” adds the insider. Once Anushka wraps up her film shoot in Europe, she will return to Mumbai and plunge into the promotions of ADHM. “With Karan’s film, she concludes a successful year that saw her in Sultan besides wrapping up her second home production,” adds the insider. HTC NOTE TO READERS: We would like to inform our readers that some of the coverage that appears on our pages is paid for by the concerned brands. We would like to emphasise that no sponsored content does or shall appear in any part of HT without it being declared as such to our valued readers
www.youtube.com/user/ht
John Abraham and Varun Dhawan were seen in Dishoom recently
Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh will star in Padmavati
Prashant Singh
rom theatre to TV to films, actor Sushant Singh Rajput has earned fame as well as big bucks. But money doesn’t matter to the 30-year-old, just his skill does. “The equation I share with the camera doesn’t change whether you place a camera in front of me or a live audience. Just the pay cheques differ. But that doesn’t matter to me because I’ve so much money, I don’t even think about it. It’s just lying there. If I get bored, I’ll buy a very expensive bike that I don’t (even) need,” says Sushant, who, however, agrees that it wasn’t always this way. “Of
instagram.com/htcity
PHOTO: PRAMOD THAKUR/HT
THE POWER OF TWO
My money is just lying there. If I get bored, I’ll buy a very expensive bike that I don’t (even) need but that’s about it
Sneha Mahadevan
twitter.com/htcity
course, money was a big differentiator when I was growing up but I made sure it doesn’t stay that way,” adds Sushant, whose last film, the biopic on cricketer MS Dhoni did well at the box-office. He’s happy it helped him reach out to the masses. “I was always confident, and chose all of my six films carefully from the many offers I got. But with this film reaching the masses, if I probably do a (film like) Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! again, more people will watch it. (And) If it doesn’t happen, I can always go back to plays,” says the actor, who dabbled in theatre for five years before foraying into TV. “People
Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan will work together in Thugs of Hindostan
STOP PRESS
wo-hero films have arguably been a winning proposition for years — be it Sholay (1975), Ram Lakhan (1989), Andaz Apna Apna (1994), Karan Arjun (1995), Dostana (2008) or this year’s Dishoom that saw action-packed duo of Varun Dhawan and John Abraham. However, filmmakers and trade experts say they’re quite a challenge to make, even as we wait to see Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor together in
Padmavati, Saif Ali Khan and Shahid in Rangoon, Ajay Devgn and Emraan Hashmi in Baadshaho, and Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan in Thugs of Hindostan. Brand value: “Today, most actors are aware of their brand value and want to build on it, so maybe, twohero films don’t fit into their scheme of things,” says director Anees Bazmee, who had made several multistarrer including No Entry and Welcome series. Insecurity issues: “There’s a lot of insecurity nowadays. Plus, actors feel
PHOTOS: YOGEN SHA H
that eventually, favouritism will come into play which might affect their part (in a film). And every modern-day actor is smart enough to understand that solo hits have the biggest value, and credits and applause get divided with a two-hero film,” says trade analyst Taran Adarsh. Win-win situation: View things with an optimistic eye, and director Sabbir Khan — whose next film stars Tiger Shroff and Nawazuddin Siddiqui — feels actors only yearn for good opportunities. “If you write challenging parts for both the actors and
PHOTOS: YOGEN SHAH
make an honest film, then it’s never a problem. But actors are highly intelligent people and can see if someone is only trying to set up a project,” he says. Bazmee, too, agrees there’s a good side as well to two-hero films. “When the two actors work together for the first time, it helps them understand how the other works. Secondly, they develop a bond of friendship and also, it means a bigger success at box office due to combination of star powers,” he says. Can’t argue with that, right? n
prashant.singh@hindustantimes.com
PHOTOS: SONU MEHTA/HT
FILM FRAT ATTENDS SHILPA’S DAD’S FUNERAL he last rites of actor Shilpa Tperformed Shetty Kundra’s father were on Wednesday by
assume that actors working in films won’t have the time to do theatre. But I make sure that whenever I’m free, I watch a play. In the last week of promotions of Dhoni, Ekjute, my theatre group, was celebrating 35 years so I went there. I’ve learnt everything about acting from there so I’d love to (go back to it),” he says. What about TV that made him a household name? “Why not?” says Sushant, who broke up with his girlfriend of six years, actor Ankita Lokhande, this March. And like always, he won’t divulge details. “What people think of me doesn’t affect me. I don’t watch TV or read newspapers,” he says. n
sneha.mahadevan@hindustantimes.com
(Clockwise from above) Shamita and Shilpa Shetty, Akshay Kumar, and Raj Kundra
son-in-law, businessman Raj Kundra. Actors Abhishek Bachchan and Akshay Kumar, among others, attended the funeral. Surendra Shetty died of a heart attack on Tuesday. Several celebs including actors R Madhavan and Raveena Tandon had visited Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital to offer condolences.
AJAY DEVGN BURNS RAVANA AT LUV KUSH RAMLILA ctor Ajay Devgn and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal joined the Dussehra A celebrations at the city’s famous Luv Kush Ramlila on Tuesday. The 47-year-old actor set ablaze the effigy of Ravana.