Rangeela has just hit the screens once again, 30 years after its release, in a restored version. In a candid conversation with us, Urmila Matondkar looks back at the film that has become a cult classic. “Rangeela represents, in the biggest and best ways, a flight of fantasy that takes you to an alternate reality — a world that is glamorous, beautiful, yet so very real. Characters like Mili (Urmila) and Munna (Aamir Khan) are so real, you feel you could literally see them walking down the street. It’s also a story of an underdog making it big. That’s why it remains timeless and iconic,” says Urmila.

The film’s release marked a turning point in Urmila’s career. “Rangeela changed things overnight for me — becoming a star and receiving tremendous public adulation. I always say the film showcases the navarasas that are at the core of Indian performing arts. It’s a huge gamut of emotions that people and the audience witness through the characters. The beauty of the film is that it was shot on a pretty minimalistic budget, with no foreign locales, just Mumbai and a bit of Goa. It encapsulates the beauty of life itself magnificently. Playing the character came easily to me because it resonated with me.”

The actress says that besides its impact on pop culture, the movie also influenced the remuneration offered to actresses. “After the release of the film, not just mine, overall actresses’ remuneration shifted majorly. But I cannot compare — I don’t know what Aamir was paid, but both Aamir (Khan) and Jackie (Shroff) were huge stars when I did the movie. I was a huge fan of them myself.”

It also brought along opportunities that helped Urmila step into characters that weren’t stereotypical. She further adds, “What I am extremely proud of is that I didn’t use that stardom to throw my weight around or to hike my price unnecessarily. I used it to seek films that were waiting to be made. I took risks with different kinds of characters and became part of movies like Pinjar, Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya and Judaai. Rangeela gave me the chance to do those kinds of projects.”

Despite the film’s impact, she has watched it far less than people might imagine. “I really haven’t seen Rangeela as many times as people might think. I am not megalomaniacal (laughs), and I don’t get happy seeing myself on screen. The name of the movie – Rangeela – brings a smile to my face, and I hope it has the same effect on others who remember it after so many years.”

The dance sequences in Rangeela were among the talking points of the film. Urmila remembers, “Choreography in Rangeela was path-breaking, with the great Saroj Khan doing Tanha Tanha and Hai Rama, and then Ahmed Khan, a newcomer, doing brilliant work as well. In fact, Saroj Khan told me I should get credit as a choreographer as there were quite a few sequences where there wasn’t any choreographer really. There is a white saree sequence in the song Pyaar Ye Jaane Kaisa Hai, and other such pieces with no choreographer, where I was asked to do whatever comes to my mind.”

After spending 13 weeks in the Bigg Boss house, actress–lawyer Kunickaa Sadanand has stepped out with renewed confidence. In a candid conversation, she reflects on her experience and addresses claims of bias. Excerpts...

Lasting 13 weeks felt like an achievement. No one from my age group has managed to stay that long and remain relevant in the game. Before entering, I assumed the show was scripted, but it isn’t — you react instinctively. I didn’t go there to scream or fight; I went to be myself. I’ve come back stronger. This is Kunickaa 2.0.

If Salman Khan truly favoured me, I would have been in the top five. Audience votes are what matter. We’ve done four movies together, and after 18–19 years, meeting him again was lovely.

Makers won’t visualise me only in glamorous vamp roles anymore. They can now see integrity and strength in me. I can take on women-centric roles, legal dramas, and even stories rooted in smaller towns. I’m also a practicing lawyer, though I take very few cases — only the ones close to my heart, such as domestic-violence matters.

The whole game revolves around social media now. It should be about personality, but it has become about popularity, which is unfortunate. Contestants are judged by the number of followers backing them outside. The audience should judge a person for who they are, but social media influence has become the biggest deciding factor, overshadowing real personality and authenticity.

Dharmendra with his aunt Preetam Kaur in Dangon village

Mumbai: The first confirmation of actor Dharmendra's death Monday came when his daughter Esha Deol followed by wife Hema Malini reached Pawan Hans crematorium in Juhu to prepare for the final rites. The family did not issue a formal statement about his demise.

Shortly afterwards, the star's remains were brought to the cremation ground by ambulance. An attendant seated beside the driver held the earthen pot used for the ritual.

A large contingent of fans began gathering outside the crematorium. Among celebrities, Juhu residents Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan were the first to arrive followed by Aamir Khan, Anil Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Shabana Azmi. Yesteryear stars Saira Banu and Biswajit also showed up to pay respects.

Saira Banu later recalled, “Dilip saab valued and loved him like his own blood and Dharam ji was inspired to get into movies inspired by Dilip saab. He would come over and they’d share each other’s lives and issues till 2 am.”

Sunny Deol as the eldest son performed the Mukhagni ceremony. The Deol clan dissolved in tears, especially younger son Bobby and grandson Karan.

Sadly, Dharam ji's fans and even his colleagues from the film industry did not receive information of his death in time and began arriving at Pawan Hans only to find that the funeral was completed way before. Celebrities like Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh too came in the afternoon.

Fans expressed a wish to see their favourite ‘He-Man’ up close one last time. An old acquaintance displayed a picture of himself with the star that dated back decades. He sought to know if the gates of the cremation ground would be opened to allow a final darshan.

Another lady escorted by her young daughter said, "We knew the end was near given his deteriorating condition and ventilator support over the past weeks. Still his passing has caused deep sorrow. The younger generation knows Amitabh Bachchan as the only superstar. But Dharmendra preceded him."

The final farewell was marked by simplicity. The ambulance bearing Dharmendra's remains was not bedecked with flowers nor was an opportunity granted to people to see him one last time at a formal wake. The Deols eschewed this ritual.

Onlookers speculated that the family was keen to avoid media frenzy and large crowds given the false alarm over the star's death that erupted a few days ago.

Among those who mourned him were Shatrughan Sinha, who expressed his grief saying, “Heart broken, pained & deeply saddened by the passing away of our dearest family friend, our elder brother, people's hero.”

-------------------------------

Dangon/Sahnewal/Ludhiana: Here, every house has its own story of Dharmendra. Every family feels he is theirs. He is their 'apna Dharam'.

From the time news broke that Bollywood's original strongman was critically ill, Dangon village - Dharmendra's ancestral place, around an hour's drive from Ludhiana - had been praying for his health. Nothing prepares you to take such news, said Dharmendra's nephew, Buta Singh.

Buta, 35, told TOI, "My grandmother (Dharmendra's aunt) was already tense after his condition deteriorated earlier this month and now she is in deep shock. All of us are anguished. But we are proud he made our little village and Punjab proud."

The actor's aunt, Preetam Kaur, 90, said, "I was already in so much pain after my son Shingara Singh died during Covid in 2021. Now Dharam is gone too." She recalled the times she went to Mumbai and he treated her like royalty. "You know, he gave me everything needed for my son Manjit's marriage." She said Dharmendra was fond of Shingara and the two would often chat on video calls.

Manjit said his brother Gurjit lived with Dharmendra's family in Mumbai for two years. He recalled that when Dharmendra last visited the village in 2014, he took the village soil and touched it to his forehead. "We were hoping to celebrate his birthday on Dec 8, but now we are preparing for a remembrance meeting," said Amritpal Singh, former sarpanch of Dangon.

The house in Sahnewal where Dharmendra once lived on rent is a landmark in these parts. It has changed hands since but the owner has kept a picture of the way it was when he bought it, and named it "Dharminder House".

Manjeet Kaur said it was in a poor condition when they bought it around three years ago. "Sunny Deol was born in this house. Yes, we do feel proud that we live in the same building that was once Dharmendra ji's," said Manjeet.

"We always wished he would come to the house and meet us. Unfortunately that never was to be," she said, adding that they have pictures of the old house and Sunny's room framed.

TOI met a former neighbour, 86-year-old Girdhari Lal, who said the actor's younger brother Ajit Singh Deol was his classmate in school. "Dharmendra's father Kewal Krishan ji was my teacher as he taught both in govt primary and high school in Sahnewal," said Lal.

He recalled that before becoming a star, Dharmendra would go to a salon in Chaura Bazar in Ludhiana and spend hours there as he was quite fashion savvy. "He was always very friendly. A man with a big heart. Even after he made it big in Bollywood, he hosted me whenever I went to Mumbai for training. He treated me and everyone who knew him in his early days just as friends do," said Lal, who retired as a branch manager with LIC.

In Sahnewal, it seems there's no dearth of people whose life Dharmendra had touched. TOI was leaving 'Dharminder House' when a stranger approached and said, "You want to know about Dharmendra? Take it from me, he was a giant among men." Asked for his name, he said: "I don't matter. We are Dharmendra's people. I asked him once how he made it big, and he smiled and said, 'fate'."

-------------------------------

Ludhiana: As Bollywood star Dharmendra spent many years of his early life in Sahnewal near Ludhiana, the area residents where his family lived are in a state of shock over the death of the Bollywood star. Dharmendra's father Kewal Krishan Deol was a teacher in a govt school at Sahnewal for many years.

Talking to TOI, 86-year-old Girdhari Lal, a retired senior branch manager from LIC who lives in Mohalla Khatriyan yards away from the house where Dharmendra's family lived on rent, said he was shocked beyond words and was unable to express his pain. He added that he was very tense for many days after he came to know about Dharmendra's ill health, and today his worst fears came true as they had lost him.

Girdhari Lal shared that Dharmendra's younger brother Ajit Singh Deol (Jeet) was his class fellow and they studied together till high school. He added that Dharmendra's father was his teacher as he taught both in govt primary and high school in Sahnewal.

Lal recalled that before becoming a star, Dharmendra would go to a saloon in Chaura Bazar in Ludhiana and would sit there for hours as he was quite fashion savvy. He added that after Dharmendra became a star, twice he (Girdhari Lal) went to Mumbai for training where Dharmendra hosted him and treated him very well.

Chipping in, Manju Sharma, wife of Girdhari Lal, said Dharmendra's mother Satwant Kaur was a great lady and the family was nice. She added that they did pray for his recovery, but unfortunately, Dharmendra passed away.

Girdhari Lal said that Master Kewal Krishan worked as a teacher in Lalton as well before he went to Phagwara, where the family lived for around 10 years. He added that Master Kewal Krishan's brother-in-law's son Varinder was also a movie star and Dharmendra's brother Ajit also worked in "Khote Sikke" movie, but couldn't make it big in movies and joined the railways.

Meanwhile, the house where the family lived in Sahnewal is renovated now. Manjeet Kaur, who along with her son and his family owns the house, said the house was damaged so they had to get it renovated after they bought it around three years ago. She added that Sunny Deol was born in one of the room's of the house, and they feel proud of the fact that Dharmendra once lived there.

"He did come here once around 10-12 years ago. He should have lived long and we wished he should have come here and met us," she said. She added that they had got a picture of the damaged house and the room where Bobby Deol was born framed.

Sandeep Kumar, an area resident, said during his last visit to Sahnewal, the actor had visited many parts of the area. He added that people in Sahnewal loved him a lot and were shocked by his demise.

Meanwhile, residents of Nasrali village near Khanna, where Dharmendra was born, are also saddened by the death of the Bollywood star. A resident, Master Jaswant Singh, said Dharmendra's father taught in the village for two years. He added that they did an ‘Ardas' for Dharmendra's well-being at a religious place in the village after he became ill, but are upset with his demise.

Master Jaswant Singh said that the condition of the house where the family lived is in bad shape. The villagers said that they pray for peace to the departed soul and courage to his family and fans to bear such an irreparable loss.

Clinton Cerejo and Bianca Gomes

What started with a song turned into a full-fledged score for the movie. While Clinton Cerejo and Bianca Gomes, who form the band Shor Police, weren’t sure they had the time to go beyond composing the songs for Baramulla, the outpouring of love over the last 15 days has validated their decision. In a chat with mid-day, the duo talks about creating the soundscape of the Netflix horror film. Excerpts from the interview.

Gomes: Initially, we were called on board to only compose one song. After we saw the film, we were asked to do the score. Since it was a tight timeline, we were apprehensive. But the film was so beautifully shot that we were happy to adjust our schedules and meet the deadline.

Cerejo: Aditya was one of the most open directors we came across. He had a temp [temporary] score, but he was eager to hear what we have. That’s rare because often directors get so used to the temp score that they find it difficult to disconnect from it. [For them] nothing you do will match up to that score, because they’ve lived with it for so long. 

Gomes: He wanted the music to sound new. In horror films, you have the same kind of music and the audience is led in a certain way. So, it’s easy to go down that same path. But Aditya wanted the music to be a reflection of the landscape. We’ve used instruments like the rabab.

Cerejo: When you think of movies, you think of the songs associated with them. Nobody used to talk about a film’s background score. As a result, even if composers got to do the background score, they’d feel it’s not worth spending their time. Composers like Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and A R [Rahman] do both.  In Bollywood, when you say that someone is a film composer, you’re most likely referring to the one who has composed the songs. In Hollywood, film composers are those who do the background score. Here, the score has been largely ignored not just by the public, but also by the industry. [People] don’t want to be score composers because they don’t get the respect they deserve. 

The issue is also the [concept] of multiple composers in a film. You wouldn’t get 12 cinematographers to shoot your film. So, why do you get 12 composers? 

Gomes: Oh, a lot! 

Cerejo: One of us will walk out of the studio, mostly me (laughs).

Gomes: Musicians in a band are always having creative differences. So you can imagine how many differences there will be when two people are in charge of writing a song. But when you team up with someone, you have to make room for their opinions. I give Clinton credit for that because it takes a lot of openness from someone, who is more experienced, to say, ‘We are a team.’ If you can’t leave your ego at the door, you’ll have a problem.

Ritwik explains exactly what he wants during the shooting of his final film Jukti, Tokko aar Goppo. Pic courtesy Shamya Dasgupta

I didn't pay heed to what Ritwik da used to say then, but I do now. He’d say, ‘What are these films you act in—no one will remember them.’ And I used to argue with him: ‘I can’t be irresponsible like you are.’ He wouldn’t reply, just laugh in that way so typical of him. That only made me angrier. But the man I found so irresponsible, so unconcerned about everything then, I now understand was so right. Isn’t it true that an artist’s main responsibility is towards their art? Ritwik da isn’t around anymore. If he had been, I would have owned up to my mistake.

Sometime before Komal Gandhar was made, Sailen da, from Ritwik da’s production team, came to my home one day. He asked me to go meet Ritwik da at his Bhowanipore home. I did, I went and met Ritwik Kumar Ghatak. He read out the screenplay of Komal Gandhar. It was decided that I would act in the film. Some days later, Ritwik da informed me that the producer had asked for someone else to play the leading role. He asked me to try one of the other roles, but I didn’t agree to that. Maybe that was a wrong decision too.

Ritwik da’s habit was to keep changing his script as he went along with the filming. During the shooting of Subarnarekha, I watched two female actors playing significant roles. But, in the film itself, one of those actors had only one shot. That’s why I wonder—what if I had done that role in Komal Gandhar, and would Ritwik da have kept all of it in the final film?

The Ritwik da behind the camera and the Ritwik da outside the film sets were totally in conflict with each other. Seeing him drink and hurl abuses at everyone, you didn’t get to see the fire that was always burning inside him. I have seen so many directors lose their cool when working with the junior actors. Ritwik da would tell them, ‘Ma, it won’t work if you do it like that’ or ‘Baba, you sit here like this, rest your back’. He was always calm and cool-headed then. He knew how to make people work.

In Subarnarekha, my character was supposed to lip-sync to a song. He used to keep asking me to memorize the song. The tape recorder the song used to play on was a weak machine. But that’s what played during the shooting. Despite using such an anti-cinema technique and method, he managed to get the lip-sync right. I don’t think anyone else could have done it. In one scene in Subarnarekha, the sister watches her brother appearing. At the time of shooting, we realized that the lens required to take the shot the way Ritwik da wanted was not available. He placed a lens from his spectacles in front of the camera lens to get it right. Can you imagine that?

I am eternally grateful that I got a chance to work with both Manik da [Satyajit Ray] and Ritwik da. But the two were so different from one another—if one was restrained, the other was the complete opposite. The actors in Manik da’s films got the script well in advance, but Ritwik da preferred to keep the script hidden away. He wanted the actors to be spontaneous, act without preparation. The two of them had a lot of respect for each other, but when they met, they would argue about everything.

Manik da had been invited to attend the premiere of Subarnarekha. I think it was screened at Basusree. At the end, the two of them came face to face, cups of tea in hand. Ritwik da started, ‘In which film was Madhu better—yours or mine?’ Manik da replied, ‘In mine.’ Ritwik da didn’t agree. And they started arguing. Now I understand that they were just discussing and debating each other’s work. I was irrelevant. Manik da never spoke ill of anyone. And behind his back, Ritwik da would say, ‘Don’t watch films by anyone other than that giraffe. The rest are all buffoons.’

Although I ended up not working with Ritwik da again, our relationship didn’t change. The taxi metre would start from eight annas (half a rupee) in those days. Once, Ritwik da suddenly turned up at my house in a baby taxi. He got off and told me, ‘Madhu, pay him.’ I saw that the fare had come to four hundred rupees! This didn’t happen just once, it was fairly routine.

I went to Bangladesh not long ago. A gentleman came and introduced himself, but I couldn’t place him. Then he said that he had come to my place with Ritwik da—and I remembered. Ritwik da knew that I wouldn’t give him money for his alcohol, so he would try various tricks. Once he told me, ‘Give me twenty rupees, otherwise I won’t be able to get my ration.’ I didn’t flinch. So he said, ‘Okay, fine, they will all remain hungry.’

I thought maybe he wasn’t lying, and I should give him the money, but then I remembered that Lokkhidi (Surama Ghatak) had asked me not to give him any money. I had to go out for a shoot, but I realized that I was feeling uneasy about refusing money to someone like Ritwik da. So I went to Lokkhidi on my way to the shooting location and gave her the money. I told her, ‘Whether you need it or not, keep this. I can’t keep my calm and work if you don’t take it.’

At the same time, I have seen this same Ritwik da put his hand into the pocket of his kurta, pull out a fistful of coins, and give it to a technician who needed the money. Truly, it was so difficult to understand this man. His talent went unrecognized in his lifetime. This pained Ritwik da no end. It is my good fortune that I got a chance to work with him, spend time with him.

*This article first appeared in a special edition of the Bengali daily Aajkal on February 25, 2001.

Excerpted with permission from Unmechanical: Ritwik Ghatak In 50 Fragments, published by Westland Books

I was disappointed, but not because I expected someone to rescue me. I think I proved that we’re all capable of speaking for ourselves. But having said that, we are a team. My encounter went on for 10-12 minutes. As human beings we have a certain threshold, a limit to how much we can take. In the eighth or ninth minute, the victim mindset did kick in: why is nobody speaking in my support? Am I saying something wrong? It makes you question things. If the director and actor had taken a firm stand, it wouldn’t have escalated the way it did. I did speak to them later and they regretted not speaking up. I’m not someone who carries a grudge. But I think it’s a lesson. Sometimes, it’s better not to expect anything from anybody.

We’ve grown up hearing such comments and it has become normalized in society. In our homes, in our workplaces... Just because we are in this industry does not give anybody the right to comment on anything and everything. This must change because it affects the recipient’s mental health, self-esteem, and self-identity. I wanted to create awareness that this can’t go on casually.

It’s not just in this industry. In school, I was shamed because I wore a ponytail. Teachers casually said things like, “Oh, you’re trying to seduce the boys.” It leaves you feeling terrible because you’re not doing anything wrong. At 13 or 14, you just want to dress up and look good, but they put these ideas in your head. If you’re always scared of being judged, where is the space to be yourself? Once I entered the industry, I was body-shamed by directors and producers. If a director says you need to look a certain way for a role, that’s fair, and as actors we work hard. But something like your face shape can’t be changed. I have a round face. Asking me to lose the roundness is impossible. It takes a lot of courage to be in this industry where you’re always judged for how you look or what you’re wearing. My reaction that day was a build-up of facing this for many years.

It is definitely tiring. Everywhere you go, you’re commented on, made fun of, judged. In my case, the question was asked on such a public forum with so many cameras, and still he felt entitled enough to put me down. That’s why I said, ‘This is not okay.’ But having to retaliate to each and everything would take up so much of my time – time that I should spend focusing on my work.

Yes, I think so. (Singer and voice artist) Chinmayi Sripada, who’s my friend, is an example. She has been blacklisted from the industry only because she spoke up about #MeToo. Another example: after the case in Kerala involving the AMMA Association, the actress was kicked out, but the perpetrator stayed, at least at that time. (Actor) Parvathy Thiruvothu is another example. She speaks openly about issues, and I’ve heard that some filmmakers have labelled her “problematic”.

If you come in with the attitude of, “Oh, she’s too problematic,” or “She’s a drama queen,” or “She’s too feminist”, then I feel like I’ve done myself a favour. These are people I wouldn’t want to work with anyway.

Whether in South or the rest of India, there isn’t a conventional standard set for men. Of course, there’s the six-pack and the very fit look. But even then, many successful and older actors look just the way they are, and no one questions them. Having said that, my colleague Pradeep Ranganathan, during promotions for his movie ‘Dude’, was told he doesn’t conventionally look like a hero. So, I wouldn’t say only women go through this, but women face it far more. This, however, is not about man-woman. People should stop judging others for their appearances. We are public personalities, but we are not public property.

Oh, they call it light-hearted. In my case, they even said maybe I didn’t understand the question because I’m from Kerala, but I was brought up in Chennai and I speak fluent Tamil. When you don’t have valid points, you say things like, ‘You didn’t understand because you’re not from here.’ This is gaslighting. At one point, the vlogger even said, “The question was not to you, why are you reacting? Just calm down.” It was so patronizing. In fact, I even asked him, ‘Would you ask the hero this question? You’re asking the hero about my weight and you’re angry that I am responding.’

You haven’t asked me anything about my work, my preparation, my character, the challenges, nothing. You only asked about my weight, and that too to someone else, while I am sitting right there.’ He then said something like, “We can’t ask you (questions) about Donald Trump and Narendra Modi and politics, right? We can only ask you these kinds of things.” And I was like, what do you mean? I might know more than you. They assume women don’t read current affairs, that we’re just arm candy meant to look pretty.

TERE ISHK MEIN has seen a superb weekend as it collected 48.50 crore nett and recorded and 18 crore nett Sunday which was around 15% up from Saturday. The Saturday may not have seen much growth but Sunday had a good trajectory as the Sunday growth is generally around 10% now.

The issue on Saturday was limited growth in the bigger multiplexes and Saturday is all about these places. However, Sunday is about the mass centres and the film went up well again as the all the mass circuits like CP, CI, Rajasthan, Bihar and Gujarat showed strong gains with some of the these places even going up more than 30%.

Overall, the film has seen excellent results over the weekend and the film is a success and it just needs decent holds over the weekdays to emerge a RARE hit for 2025. There is a Tamil version of the film also which has collected 66 lakhs nett on day one, 64 lakhs nett on day two and around 70 lakhs nett on day three for a total of 2 crore nett which takes the all versions total to 50.50 crore nett.

The collections of TERE ISHK MEIN (Hindi) are as follows.

Friday - 14,75,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 15,75,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 18,00,00,000 apprx

Actor-politician Jaya Bachchan recently revealed during a panel discussion that she does not want her granddaughter, entrepreneur Navya Naveli Nanda, to marry.

When asked whether she would be comfortable seeing Navya, 28, give up her career after marriage like she did, the 77-year-old responded, “I don’t want Navya to get married.”

Pressed about whether she considers marriage an outdated institution, she said, “Yes, absolutely. But I’m a grandmother now and Navya turns 28 in a few days. I’m too old to advise young girls on how to raise children.”

She added that times have changed and that children today “are so smart, they will outsmart you”.

Reflecting on her own five-decade marriage to actor Amitabh Bachchan, she described the idea of marriage with a familiar saying: “Woh Dilli ka ladoo; khao toh mushkil, na khao toh mushkil. Just enjoy life.”

Navya is the daughter of businessman Nikhil Nanda and author Shweta Bachchan-Nanda, and the niece of actor Abhishek Bachchan. She graduated from Fordham University in New York in 2020 and is currently pursuing the blended MBA programme at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A). She is also the host of a podcast in which her mother and grandmother regularly appear as guests.

Worsening pollution levels in metropolitan cities such as Delhi and Mumbai have increasingly become a major talking point in recent times. Punjab-born Richa Chadha, who was brought up in Delhi and is currently a resident of Mumbai, is deeply affected by the worsening air quality index in the capital. The actor shares, “There is no development on a dead planet, and there is no economy without ecology.”

Richa, who often travels to Delhi for personal and professional commitments, says, “I am from Delhi, and I have seen my beloved city go from being a place where winters were the best season just about 12 years ago — when we would sit on the terrace, eat gajak and moongphali, and really have a good time — to what it is today.”

Calling the state of the environment “shocking and sad”, the 38-year-old adds, “I am afraid that a lot of India is going through the same thing, and Mumbai too had an AQI between 200 and 300 recently, which is not safe. Anything above 50 or 100 is considered unsafe. So what is the price we are paying for this development? Who are we building these mega complexes for when ordinary people can’t breathe? What is the point of such development?”

The actor, who has been appointed Goodwill Champion for the All Living Things Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF), believes cinema also has an important role to play in raising awareness.

“A lot of the issues we are currently facing, be it displacement, villages being submerged because a dam is being built, or crops failing due to rising temperatures caused by global warming, are aspects we see reflected in cinema. Sometimes we fail to recognise that these are connected to the climate catastrophe, the climate emergency we are living in. When we tell a story through cinema, it shines a light on the real issues,” says Richa.

Imagining the world of Apne (2007) without Dharmendra is hard not only for the legend’s fans, but also for producer Deepak Mukut and director Anil Sharma. In fact, after the veteran actor’s demise on November 24, Sharma, in a media interaction, said that Apne 2 would be shelved. However, the latest update is that the sequel — starring Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, and Karan Deol — is being rewritten since the script originally had Dharmendra in a pivotal role.

Talking to mid-day, Mukut reveals that he had narrated the script to Dharmendra only a few months ago. The veteran actor was gung-ho about reuniting with his sons on the silver screen, and more importantly, about sharing screen space with his grandson Karan.

He shares, “Dharam ji was very excited about the sequel. It was one of his wishes to make Apne 2 with his children. We are reworking the script now, which will be told from the point of view of Sunny and Bobby’s characters. There will be some changes as Dharam ji is no more, and we’ll miss him dearly. We are working on incorporating Dharam ji’s character in some way.”

The second instalment will be the producer’s “shraddhanjali” to the late actor. “If I cannot make a movie with Dharam ji, I can pay my respects to him through it. Apne 2 will be made and it will be a tribute to Dharam ji,” emphasizes Mukut.

A family drama, Apne told the story of Dharmendra’s Baldev Singh Choudhary, who hoped to regain his lost glory as a boxer through his sons. The next edition will take the original story forward. “It is a continuation of the original, and Karan will be introduced as Angad’s [Sunny’s character] son,” reveals the producer. One wonders why Sharma announced shelving the sequel when work on it is ongoing.

Ask Mukut, and he says, “I don’t know why Anil said it. When I asked him, he flatly denied having said that the sequel is shelved.”

-------------------------------------

Dharmendra and Sunny Deol appeared together in ‘Sultanat’ (1986) and ‘Kshatriya’ (1993). The veteran actor had a cameo in ‘Sunny’ (1984), but didn’t share screen space with his son.

-------------------------------------

‘Apne’ was the first film that saw Dharmendra share screen space with his sons Sunny and Bobby Deol. The trio then appeared in the ‘Yamla Pagla Deewana’ franchise, which had three instalments.