The Annoying Perfectionist

The Annoying Perfectionist • Furiously Defensive • Where Real Gossip Resides

There has been incessant chatter among film folk about the alleged falling out between Hrithik Roshan and his Bang Bang! director Siddharth Anand. The filmmaker was apparently nowhere in sight when Hrithik and the studio producing the film, Fox Star India, unveiled the film’s first teaser to press and tradewalas recently. Turns out Siddharth was away in the US that week—pretty bad timing to take a holiday, some would say!

The rumours may have started when Hrithik openly revealed that he was personally involved in overseeing and approving the edit of the teaser till late in the night. Or when word leaked from the set that he had commissioned script rewrites midway during the film’s making. But those who know Hrithik closely have said this should not be construed in a manner that suggests the actor has no faith in Siddharth… although, let’s face it, the director’s CV does comprise such turkeys asTara Rum Pum Pum and Anjaana Anjaani, and such far-from-original films as Salaam Namaste and Bachna Ae Haseeno. Hrithik’s camp points out that it is no secret that the star is ‘deeply invested’ in his every film’s production, and especially in promotions. He famously sat on the edit of Krrish 3, which was directed and produced by his father Rakesh Roshan, and personally cut trailers for that film. The staff at Dharma Productions will tell you he was a regular visitor at their office when Agneepath was being edited there.

To be fair, when I was invited for a preview of the Bang Bang! teaser a few weeks ago, Hrithik did make it a point to say he was pleased as punch with what his director had done with the film. “Siddharth’s made a very good film,” Hrithik announced, without a hint of sarcasm or irony. The only snide remark at the occasion came from me, I will confess. “Well then that’ll be his first!” I quickly responded.

Furiously Defensive

Kareena Kapoor Khan (that’s how she likes to be addressed now) made an honest confession to me earlier this week. “I haven’t seen Humshakals,” she said. She reveals that she was particularly turned off when she saw the film’s trailers. “It was just the wrong film for Saif, and I told him so.” The actress insists she doesn’t understand all the fuss over Saif Ali Khan ’s recent admission that the film was a bad decision on his part. “He’s accepting that he made a mistake. You’d think people would appreciate that,” she says rolling her eyes and shrugging her shoulders.

The actress is excited about having signed her next project, a Kabir Khan vehicle opposite Salman Khan. “Saif has just completed Phantom with Kabir, and he has only the best things to say of his experience.” The Salman starrer, titled Bajrangi Bhaijaan, won’t go on the floors anytime soon, but Kareena reveals she’s in no hurry to pack more projects into her schedule. “I don’t have to prove anything to anyone anymore,” she says firmly. “They make a big deal about the fact that I turned down half a dozen big films in the last six months, but I won’t do anything I don’t feel a hundred per cent sure about anymore.” On Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani, which she was reportedly in the running for, she says, “It wasn’t meant to happen”, just like Ram-Leela and Devdas weren’t meant to happen earlier. “We’re both very strong personalities. And I’m sure we will work together on a film that both of us can agree on. But right now, we’re doing our own thing,” she says with characteristic diplomacy. Insiders however reveal that she’s unlikely to forgive Bhansali for offering her the older female part in Bajirao after he’d made it clear that Deepika Padukone would be his Mastani.

Where Real Gossip Resides

In the good ol’ days of film magazine journalism, you could always rely on an actress’ hairdresser and make-up man to dish out the real dirt on her, before ‘press-release journalism’ became the way. The Hindi film heroine’s staff is still possibly the most reliable source for information related to the diva. And one top actress’ team has reportedly been high-fiving one another lately over having figured out her dirty little secret. The boyfriend she’s been dangling around is very likely just a cover for the married actor she’s been having a fling with over the last several months.

The reason few people caught on until now is that the male actor himself has been involved in a controversy that was the focus of all attention; allowing both him and his part-time squeeze to fly below the radar with their own shenanigans.

About The Author

Rajeev Masand

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