Latest news with #Gupt
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Rajiv Rai opens up on fall out with once best friend Sanjay Dutt: ‘He needed rehab, I spoke to his father Sunil Dutt, if I had not taken that drastic step…'
who is known for making movies like 'Yudh', 'Mohra', 'Gupt', has recently opened up on his friendship with and how they had a fall out. For those not in the know, Rai's film 'Yudh' was supposed to star Sanjay first. It eventually was made with and . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Rai revealed in a recent interview that he had even shot with Sanjay and Raj Kiran. But he then changed the cast and reshot the film. He said during a chat with Siddharth Kannan, ''Yudh' had Sanjay Dutt, I had shot 14 reels with him. He was my best friend and I still have the biggest regards for him. They were the best days of my life. My father was friends with Dutt Sahab. There were issues due to which I had to reshoot the film and then I had to shoot with Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff.' He added, 'Sanju was not well, he needed a rehab in Florida. Raj Kiran was going through health issues and ended up putting on weight, but he was acting so well. I was concerned about Sanjay Dutt, he needed a rehab, I spoke to his father to get him out of it. I'm not sure how he took it but I think I changed his life. If I had not taken this drastic step, he would not have changed his life.' When asked bluntly if he removed Sanjay from the film, he said, 'Nikaal diya is an ugly word. Main kaun hota hu nikaalne wala? I spoke to him every day and asked him that please take care of your health and can I carry on with the film with your kind permission. Dutt sahab got the first cheque of his life from my father Gulshan Rai. We go a long way. When Nargis ji was ill, I was with Sanjay in New York. That film made on Sanju's life, I know what happened. We've been close family friends. Unfortunately, things didn't work out well between me and Sanju. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He may love me for it, hate me for it. But I had to do it. But, I always wanted to work with him. In 'Tridev', I thought of giving him Naseer's role. I tried approaching him but I got this feeling that Sanjay and his father were not happy with me after what I did with him in 'Yudh'.' He added further about how close he was to him. 'I have no bad word to speak about boy because he is my best friend. In your young days when you make best friends, you don't get it again. And I've not managed to make a friend out of an actor. He was the only actor who was my friend. For me it was on my heart and soul. Mereko torture hua.' Rai also revealed that he thought Sunil Dutt and Sanjay Dutt were upset with him for changing the cast of 'Yudh'. He said, 'I think he was upset. I used to tell him ke yeh karoge toh jhatka lagega usko. Main wrong bhi ho sakta hu. I would be hurt if I was in Sanjay Dutt's place and my father would be hurt. Woh kuch bole hi nahi. That's the greatness of that man. Dutt sahab ghar aate the, aakhri waqt tak hum baat karte the. Par kaam nahi kar sakte. Aap ek baar kisi ke saath aadhi picture banaao aur phir change kardo. How do you reach out to that actor again?' When asked if he will ever work with Sanjay again, he said, 'I met him in the plane, he said, we'll work, how are you' and he spoke well I would love to work with him but he's surrounded by so many directors. Today he's a bigger man than I am. I'm nobody to go to him now. At that time, he was nobody. Today he's a big man. So, I'm shy to approach him and I don't think I have the right role to approach him. Today a lot of actors do work for money also at this age so you see him in many movies even in a smaller role and that's fine. ' The director further admitted that he thinks Sanjay is a good actor. He said, 'There's a burning fire that what if we worked together. Though, when he meets me, he's friendly to me. I was at the crossroads in my career when I was losing my patience. He is a sincere actor and really was serious about doing the film. But sometimes you go through that phase in your life where you are at that age. His mother passed away. He could be emotionally disturbed. I don't know why he did what he did. He gave me no trouble. He's a gentleman. He's one of the best personalities we have in Bollywood, his walk, his style, his eyes. That's why Munnabhai and all these films happened. It was not by fluke. It happened because he's a good actor.'
Hindustan Times
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Gupt director Rajiv Rai explains why Ahaan Panday deserves ₹100 crore fees for Saiyaara
Ahaan Panday's debut performance in Saiyaara has taken the industry by storm, earning praise not just from audiences but also from critics. In a recent interview with Bollywood Hungama, filmmaker Rajiv Rai, known for cult classics like Mohra and Gupt, recently said that Ahaan's work in the film was worth ₹100 crore, even if he didn't receive it. Rajiv Rai opened up about what Ahaan Panday deserves as fees for Saiyaara. Rajiv spoke about how some actors demand ₹100 crore as fees, inflating a film's budget to over ₹300 crore, yet fail to deliver at the box office. He said, 'I would blame the producers because they are willing to pay. An actor can even quote ₹1,000 crore. It's a basic demand and supply. Since there's more money in the market now, everyone's chasing glamour over substance. They think audiences will show up just because a certain actor is in the film. But glamour doesn't sell alone. They don't even bother to look closely at the script.' Rajiv Rai says Ahaan Panday deserves ₹ 100 crore as fees for Saiyaara The filmmaker elaborated that while lakhs of fans may gather outside a star's home, those same people may not buy tickets to watch their films unless the content connects with them. He further explained how he calculates an actor's worth: 'Whatever I pay them, they must recover for me on Day 1. If I want to be generous, I'll give them three days. If I've paid ₹100 crore to an actor, then the film must make that back within three days of release. That's when they truly deserve that money. Ahaan deserves it, but I don't think he got anything. So, when someone comes to me and asks for ₹10 crore, I simply say: I'll give you my first day's collection.' Saiyaara collected ₹21.5 crore in India and crossed the ₹100 crore mark worldwide within just three days. In 11 days, the film has collected ₹256 crore in India and ₹373 crore globally. Its emotional narrative, the powerful performances of its lead actors, and the soulful music struck a chord with the audience. The film has emerged as one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of 2025. About Rajiv Rai Rajiv made his directorial debut in Bollywood with Yudh, starring Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff. He went on to make films like Tridev (starring Sunny Deol), Vishwatma, Mohra, Gupt and more. After his 2004 film Asambhav, he took a break from direction. However, he is now all set to make his comeback with Zora, which is slated to release in cinemas on 8 August.
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
‘Ahaan Panday would fully deserve Rs 100 crore,' says ‘Gupt' director Rajiv Rai as he opens up on fees of stars, says actors should charge money based on their box office returns
The rising cost of entourage of stars and the exorbitant fees of actors has been a topic of discussion for a while now, especially because the industry has been suffering since Covid. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Now film-maker , known for making Kajol, starrer 'Gupt', 'Tridev', 'Mohra' has weighed in on the matter. Rai didn't mince words in a recent interview with Bollywood Hungama, where he took aim at the growing trend of exorbitant actor salaries in Bollywood, a system he believes is propped up by corporate producers chasing glamour instead of substance. He said, "Money has become too important here now. Nobody cares about the script." 'I would blame the producers because they are willing to pay. An actor can even quote Rs 1,000 crore. It's basic demand and supply. Since there's more money in the market now, everyone's chasing glamour over substance,' Rai remarked, pointing to a shift in industry priorities. He criticised major studios for putting blind faith in star power, often at the cost of strong storytelling. 'They think audiences will show up just because a certain actor is in the film. But glamour doesn't sell alone. They don't even bother to look closely at the script,' he added. He highlighted the disconnect between stardom and actual ticket sales and said, 'There might be lakhs of fans gathered outside a star's home, but these same people won't buy tickets to see their film. They're not loyal. They won't open their wallet unless the content connects.' According to Rai, the only fair way to determine an actor's worth is to tie it directly to performance at the box office. 'Here's how I calculate an actor's fee: whatever I pay them, they must recover for me on Day 1. If I want to be generous, I'll give them three days. If I've paid Rs 100 crore to an actor, then the film must make that back within three days of release. That's when they truly deserve the money.' Thus, he quipped that a newcomer would fully deserve Rs 100 crore, if he could bring that kind of return on opening. 'So, when someone comes to me and asks for ₹10 crore, I simply say: I'll give you my first day's collection,' he said.
Economic Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Amitabh Bachchan doubted Kajol's role in Gupt. Here's how the '90s director responded
Gupt director's response About Rajiv Rai? Gupt: The Hidden Truth, released in 1997, was a genre-defining moment in Hindi cinema. Directed by Rajiv Rai and backed by the banner of Trimurti Films, the movie was based on Louis Thomas's 1967 French novel Good Children Don't Kill and brought together a powerhouse cast including Bobby Deol, Manisha Koirala, and Kajol in lead roles. The film's slick direction, unexpected plot twists, and Viju Shah's unforgettable soundtrack made it one of Bollywood's most loved thrillers. The movie also marks Kajol becoming the first actress in the history of the Filmfare Awards to win in the Negative role category. However, Amitabh Bachchan was not quite convinced of her a recent interview with journalist Ravi Buleiy, Gupt director opened up about a lesser-known behind-the-scenes moment involving none other than Big B himself. After watching an early cut of the iconic 1997 thriller, Amitabh Bachchan gave Rajiv a call—not to praise the film, but to question its boldest twist: making Kajol the recalled that Amitabh Bachchan called him the next day and, instead of praising the movie, he questioned if he was convinced by what he had done. He was referring to the director's decision to portray Kajol as the killer. Rajiv added that the actor further asked, "You seem so sure—how can you be this confident?"Rajiv said it felt like a gentle but pointed nudge from a senior he deeply respected. While Amitabh Bachchan didn't scold him directly, he did challenge his creative decision, essentially questioning whether the audience would accept such a bold twist in a film of that off guard, Rai didn't have an immediate answer. 'I folded my hands and told him—sir, please give me two days. Let the audience respond. That will be my answer.' And as history shows, Gupt became a cult classic, and Kajol's unexpected villain turn shocked and thrilled viewers across the country. The gamble paid Rai is a renowned director, screenwriter, and editor best known for his stylish action thrillers in the late '80s and '90s. He's the son of veteran producer Gulshan Rai and has directed several films under his father's banner, Trimurti Films. Some of his most popular works include Tridev, Vishwatma, Mohra, Gupt , Pyaar Ishq and Asambhav, to name a few.
India.com
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
This film, which was released in 1997, was questioned by Amitabh Bachchan, on budget of Rs 9 crore, earned 33 crores, movie is..., lead actors were...
There was a suspense thriller from the 90s that changed the game for mystery films in Bollywood. With its gripping storyline, unexpected twists, and intense performances, it became one of the most iconic whodunits in Indian cinema. But behind its massive success was a surprising moment involving a Bollywood megastar who questioned the faith behind the film's making. Which film is this? Here we are talking about Gupt, released in 1997, directed by Rajiv Rai. The film starred Bobby Deol, Manisha Koirala, and Kajol, and turned out to be a box office blockbuster. Made on a modest budget of Rs 9 crore, the film collected around Rs 33 crore, a huge figure for that time. But before its release, veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan asked director Rajiv Rai, 'How can you trust a suspense film to work at the box office?' He was referring to the fact that Indian audiences had rarely embraced the suspense genre as wholeheartedly in the past. What reply did Rajiv Rai give to clarify Amitabh Bachchan's doubt? Rajiv Rai, however, remained confident in his storytelling and star cast. His faith paid off as Gupt received immense praise for its unpredictable climax, especially Kajol's villainous turn, which shocked the audience. The film became a trendsetter and was even appreciated for its music, composed by Viju Shah, with songs like 'Mushkil Bada Yeh Pyaar Hai', Duniya Haseenon Ka Mela' and 'Gupt Gupt' topping the charts. When Amitabh Bachchan refused to work with Rajiv Rai Rajiv Rai said in one of his candid conversations that he met director Anees Bazmee and he prepared a script for Amitabh Bachchan, but when he narrated the script to him, he was not interested in it. He said, 'I don't want to do any film in the phase I am going through. He was not going through a good phase at that time,' he recalled and further said, 'He was confused, and in this confusion he refused, he was not confused, but his circumstances were like this.' Although Rajiv was confident that Amitabh would say yes, Amitabh refused, and at that time my heart my shattered.
