Farah dodges questions on Sajid's #MeToo episode, Aamir Khan loves 'Suraiyya' song, Mumbai film fest on #MeToo, and other Bollywood updates

People take pleasure looking in others' personal life: Jackie Shroff

Actor Jackie Shroff, who will be seen playing central character in The Playboy Mr. Sawhney has said that unfortunately people take a lot of pleasure looking in others' personal life.

Jackie Shroff was interacting with media at the special screening of The Playboy Mr. Sawhney along with his co-actors Divya Dutta, Neetu Chandra, Manjari Fadnis, Arjan Bajwa, Samir Kochhar, director Tariq Naved Siddiqui and producer Karan Arora on Wednesday in Mumbai.

Reacting on #MeToo movement where Jackie Shroff's former colleagues Nana Patekar and Sajid Khan are facing the heat, Shroff said, "It's unfortunate at the moment. Both of them were my colleagues. They are fighting it out in public and washing their dirty linen out there. People are watching and enjoying out there".

"Unfortunately, people get a lot of pleasure looking in others' personal life."

When asked to comment on Nana Patekar and Sajid Khan, who have been ousted from Housefull 4 by Fox Star Studios, the producers of the film, Shroff said, "I don't want to fan it. If they take (these men) in their films or don't, it's their call.

If they don't remove them, there might be an agitation. So let it rest."

The Playboy Mr. Sawhney revolves around young guy (Tahir Raj Bhasin) who is facing problems with his girlfriend seeking the advice of his grandfather (Jackie Shroff) in the matters of love and life.

Talking about his association with the short film, Shroff said, "Not only me but a lot of people are making short films. I hope filmmakers keep approaching me to do short films so that I continue working in them."

The Playboy Mr Sawhney stars Jackie Shroff, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Neetu Chandra, Divya Dutta, Arjan Bajwa, Manjari Fadnis, Sudhir Mishra and Pitobash in key roles.

It is a short love story written and directed by Tariq Naved Siddiqui and produced by Karan Arora.

Farah dodges questions after Sajid's #MeToo episode

Filmmaker-choreographer Farah Khan dodged questions from the media days after brother Sajid Khan's name was mentioned in #MeToo allegations although earlier she had tweeted on the episode.

Farah was addressing the media at a book launch along with Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shweta Bachchan Nanda and Maniesh Paul on Wednesday here.

The moment the floor was opened for media question at the launch of author Jaishree Sharad's "Skin Rules", Farah said, "On this note, we shall go" and left in a hurry.

Sajid is facing sexual harassment allegations from actress Saloni Chopra, Rachel White and journalist Karishma Upadhyay.

On 12 October, Farah had tweeted, "This is a heartbreaking time for my family. We have to work through some very difficult issues.

"If my brother has behaved in this manner he has a lot to atone for. I don't in any way endorse this behavior and stand in solidarity with any woman who has been hurt."

"Skin Rules" by one of India's top cosmetic dermatologists Sharad includes a revolutionary six-week plan to healthy, blemish-free skin.

I love 'Suraiyya' song: Aamir Khan

Superstar Aamir Khan, who is gearing up for the release of his Thugs Of Hindostan, says he loves the lyrics of the song Suraiyya from the upcoming film which is picturised on actress Katrina Kaif.

"I love the lyrics of Suraiyya. They are really very representative of both (characters) Firangi (Aamir) and Suraiyya's (Katrina) relationship in the film.

"It is a fun song and there are steps that I would not have been able to do had I been rehearsing for 10 years but somehow, she (Katrina) manages to pull them off!" Aamir said in a statement.

Choreographer-filmmaker-actor Prabhudheva has choreographed Suraiyya in a way which combines old Indian dance forms with intricate contemporary moves.

The song will see Aamir, dressed as a British captain, wooing Katrina in front of some British officers.

Katrina says that there is a lot of heart in the song.

"Most important for me, it's an original song. It's a new concept. When I saw the choreography I thought it was fantastic of course but I also realised that it was very tough," she added.

Katrina, who will be seen sharing screen space with Aamir for the second time after Dhoom 3, said that the song's speed was "extremely fast but yet the movement was very fluid so that combination was very very challenging."

"There is a lot of masti (fun) in the song -- its dance and its comedy --at the same time which makes it super interesting."

The song has been composed by Ajay-Atul while Amitabh Bhattacharya has penned the lyrics. Shreya Ghoshal and Vishal Dadlani have sung the song.

The film has been directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya and is set to release on 8 November.

Celina Jaitly returns to Bollywood

Actress, LGBTQI activist and former beauty queen Celina Jaitly is set to return to Bollywood after seven years with Ram Kamal Mukherjee's Hindi film A Tribute to Rituparno Ghosh: Season's Greetings.

The film is based on a mother-daughter relationship. Celina will be playing the role of the daughter, opposite veteran actor Lillette Dubey who plays the role of her mother.

The film will also star debutant Azhar Khan as male protagonist.

"I am extremely happy to be a part of Ram Kamal's film Season's Greetings, because I have always considered him as a creative person and when he narrated me this story in Dubai, I had goosebumps.

"I knew that this film will be worth my time, as post marriage and motherhood I was looking for a subject that would excite me as a performer. Considering the fact that I have been associated with LGTBQIA movement since past 18 years, and Rituda (Rituparno Ghosh) being an inspiration for all of us, I feel that finally I will be acting in a film that deals with this issue," Celina said in a statement.

Paoli Dam was to play the daughter's role in the film initially, but she isn't being able to be a part of the project due to prior commitments.

"I am feeling really sad that I will not be a part of the film due to my prior commitment which is incidentally clashing with the shooting dates of this film," Paoli said in a statement.

Produced under the banner of Assorted Motion Pictures and SS1 Entertainment, the film will be shot in Kolkata.

The director said, "I know Celina as a friend and have interacted with her at various occasions. She is well read, and values human emotions. I was looking for someone who could relate to this script, and after the narration I could see a teary eyed Celina, who immediately came on board."

Married to hotelier Peter Haag, Celina is a mother of three children Winston, Viraaj and Arthur, and keeps shuffling between Dubai and Mumbai for her work commitments.

"I will be shooting in Kolkata for the first time, and that something which I am really looking forward to," she said.

The film has music by Shailendra Sayanti, while Kumar Sanu's son Jaan makes his Bollywood debut as a singer.

Irrfan Khan might be back in India in November

Actor Irrfan Khan, who is currently undergoing treatment for neuroendocrine tumour in London, might be back in India after Diwali.

There were reports that Irrfan will start working on Hindi Medium 2 as soon he is in India.

His spokesperson on Wednesday released a statement denying such speculations, and sharing an update about his visit to the country.

"The story floating about Irrfan starting Hindi Medium 2 shoot in December are all based on speculations. However there is a possibility of him returning to India after Diwali," Irrfan's spokesperson said.

Back in March, Irrfan had revealed that he has been diagnosed with rare tumour.

"The unexpected makes us grow, which is what the past few days have been about. Learning that I have been diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour as of now has admittedly been difficult, but the love and strength of those around me and that I found within me has brought me to a place of hope," he had expressed.

In June, Irrfan penned a heartfelt letter about how life-changing the disease has been for him, and how it has made him realise "how you are just a cork floating in the ocean with unpredictable currents".

A National Award winner, Irrfan has stood out for his performance in films like Paan Singh Tomar, Talvar, Maqbool, 7 Khoon Maaf, Piku and Hindi Medium.

In the West, he has starred in films like The Namesake, Life of Pi, A Mighty Heart, Slumdog Millionaire, The Amazing Spider-Man and Inferno.

Mumbai film fest to host special programme on #MeToo (Curtain-raiser)

Apart from putting together a "robust programme" for the Jio MAMI 20th Mumbai Film Festival with Star and hosting filmmakers like Lucrecia Martel, Darren Aronofsky and Sean Baker, Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) will show solidarity with the #MeToo movement through a special programme on the global movement which is against sexual harassment and assault.

"The 20th edition this year, has some exceptional talent like Darren Aronofsky and Sean Baker. We have been able to put together a robust programme that has films from almost every genre possible that people would want to watch at MAMI," Smriti Kiran, Creative Director, Jio MAMI 20th Mumbai Film Festival with Star, told leading publication.

"We have over 200 films in the programme being showcased at 10 venues and over 20 screens at the theatres during the festival. There are many movies that will be premiering with us."

Amidst the #MeToo storm, various films have also been dropped from the line-up of the fest, which will conclude on 1 November. Rajat Kapoor's Kadhakh and All India Backchod (AIB)-produced Chintu Ka Birthday are among those discarded. Rajat and members of AIB were accused of sexual harassment.

Among the main offerings, Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota will get its Asia premiere at the festival, which will begin here on Thursday.

Gujarati language short film Rammat-Gammat will have its India premiere at the gala, Steve McQueen's directorial Widows, which will close the festival next month, will have its Asia premiere there.

Actress Rasika Dugal's series Mirzapur and film Hamid are also set to have their world premiere at the festival.

"My part in Hamid as Ishrat is dramatically different from Beena in Mirzapur. I am thrilled that they are both premiering at MAMI," said Rasika.

The festival organisers have created a "special programme where there are going to be two discussions dealing with different aspects about #MeToo and one workshop to explain the law related to it".

"Especially, since a lot of people are unaware of the sexual harassment laws," shared Kiran.

Apart from films dropped, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has stepped down as one of the board members of the festival's organising committee amidst a "shadow of doubt" that he remained silent when a woman complained to him of being sexually harassed by his business partner Vikas Bahl.

Kiran also said that this year, a phenomenal list of people will be hosting masterclasses and conversations with leading personalities like Martel, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos, Aronofsky and Baker.

Like every year, the fest will put the spotlight on Indian regional cinema as well. There will be a Marathi cinema section again.

Kiran added, "There are a bunch of films in regional languages like Punjabi, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, Assamese, Malayalam, Telugu and Gujarati."

What more?

"We will be screening ChaalBaaz, Lamhe and Mom to pay a tribute to Sridevi," said Kiran when asked about tribute to the actress, who died aged 54 in February by accidentally drowning in a bath tub in a Dubai hotel.

‘Balekempa' withdrawn from MAMI film fest after director accused of sexual assault

After a budding screenwriter shared her account of sexual harassment by the acclaimed Kannada film director Ere Gowda, Zoo Entertainment, the producer of his film Balekempa has withdrawn it from Jio MAMI 20th Mumbai Film Festival with Star.

"The producers of Balekempa have withdrawn the film from the festival and have issued an official statement. The film will not screen at Jio MAMI With Star 2018," read a tweet posted on the festival's official Twitter account on Wednesday.

The statement read, "We find the allegation shocking, and are deeply disturbed and saddened. As the producers of Balekempa, directed by Ere Gowda, we feel a need to take decisive action regarding how we wish to take things forward with the film.

"As of now, we are withdrawing the film from all its festival commitments until we have further clarity on the facts."

This comes a day after the organisers of Dharamshala International Film Festival announced that Balekampa will not be screened at the festival.

'Badhaai Ho' not an endorsement of late pregnancy: Director

Intimacy and not pregnancy regarding women beyond a certain age, is what concerned director Amit Sharma enough to make Badhaai Ho, a film about a matriarch in a Delhi middle class family with two grown up sons who suddenly discovers she is pregnant.

The film is being lapped up by the audience.

"I am amazed at the response. I am getting calls from everywhere. A friend called from London while watching Badhaai Ho. He said he felt he was watching it in Lucknow. The response of the audience is so intense and deep, it almost feels as though every Indian has adopted the film," Sharma said.

A debate has opened up on late pregnancy, and Sharma is quick to clarify, "It isn't as if I'm counselling couples to have children after the age of 50. As it is, there is a huge population surplus in our country. Why add to it? What we wanted to say in Badhaai Hohad more to with intimacy among couples beyond the socially permissible age.

"Why do we presume that married couples with grown up children never have sex? Well, the couple in my film did. And never mind if they couldn't use a condom because none was available when they were attracted. The decision to keep the baby was theirs. It isn't meant to be an endorsement of late pregnancy."

It is interesting how Neena Gupta got the role of the impregnated mother.

"We had gone to Tabuji for the role. At that time, we had a different script in mind and we wanted Tabu ma'am and Irrfan Khan sir. When she heard the script, she suggested Neenaji's name for her character. Tabu felt, perhaps rightly, that she looked like a woman who can still have a child.

"Ayushmann Khurrana who was already on board, was a little wary of Neenaji's casting. ‘Woh hot Mummy wali feeling aati hai'. But I am glad we went with Neenaji. A friend in Belgium who saw my film called to say he saw my mother (who passed away prematurely in a car accident) in Neenaji. And he said the grandmother Surekha Sikri was exactly like my grandmother.

"My grandmother was bazooka. Once she started firing, nothing could stop her."

Late pregnancies are nothing unfamiliar to Sharma.

"My great grandmother and grandmother were pregnant at the same time. And my two wonderful co-writers Akshat and Shantanu had seen the same happening in their family. In fact, they had written the story for an ad film in 2012 which never got made."

Every actor in Badhaai Ho seems pre-destined to play his or her character, none more so than the underused Gajraj Rao who plays Neena's husband.

Sharma said, "Ayushmann jokingly suggested he should play both the father and son. It was Ayushmann who suggested Gajraj Rao's name. I knew him from the time we worked together for Pradeep Sarkar. When he heard the script for Badhaai Ho, he advised we get a bigger star to play the role since it was a major part. But I insisted on him. He agreed. ‘Tu sambhaal lena (you handle it)’, he requested.

Rationalising the huge emotional connection that the film has found among the audience, Sharma said, "After my first film Tevar, I wanted to make a film that I felt strongly about. I wanted to make a film about a late pregnancy. I shared the idea with Priti Shahani of Junglee Pictures, and coincidentally her writer was also working on the same idea.

"We decided to merge our projects. And though the writing was done entirely by my co-writers Akshat and Shantanu, we still decided to credit Jyoti Kapoor, the writer selected by Junglee Pictures for their film on late pregnancy."

Sharma is grateful for the success and appreciation that has come the film's way.

"A film turns out well only when blessed by all involved. We worked with good vibes. We regretted the fact that we couldn't shoot in the real apartment in Delhi. But we made sure that the set representing the Kaushiks' residence was authentic. We wanted to be as honest as possible. I think that's what has been appreciated the most."