20 Years of Page 3 EXCLUSIVE: “5-6 actresses turned down the film; most of the actors in the film didn’t understand what I was making; my editor asked, ‘Yeh film mein story bhi hai ya sirf party chal rahi hai?’” – Madhur Bhandarkar 20 : Bollywood News

“We have to be in the system to change the system” – This dialogue uttered by Vinayak Mane (Atul Kulkarni) to Madhavi Sharma (Konkona Sen Sharma) in Page 3 (2005) is simple and yet quite hard-hitting and relevant even today for journalists, 20 years later. Directed by Madhur Bhandarkar, this film was in real terms what we call a ‘sleeper hit’. It was released without much expectation and many were not even aware of the Page 3 culture. Yet, the film grew with each passing day, shocking the industry and trade. As Page 3 completed 20 years on January 21, Madhur Bhandarkar spoke exclusively with Bollywood Hungama about the film, his memories and a lot more.

20 Years of Page 3 EXCLUSIVE: “5-6 actresses turned down the film; most of the actors in the film didn’t understand what I was making; my editor asked, ‘Yeh film mein story bhi hai ya sirf party chal rahi hai?’” – Madhur Bhandarkar

At the very beginning of the film, you have thanked Shatrughan Sinha. Why was that?

Before Page 3, I directed Aan (2004), which starred him. I wanted to honour him as he encouraged me to make Page 3. He was one of the few ones to do so. For the same reason, I also thanked Raj Babbar.

Suniel Shetty was also in Aan. Is this how you got him to do a cameo in Page 3?

Suniel Shetty happened to be in Taj President where I was shooting a party scene. He learned that I was filming and he came to meet me. This is when I got the idea of having his cameo. It made sense since he’s a celebrity and hence, we could show that people take photos with him and his autograph. If you notice, he has appeared in casuals and not in party clothes as his cameo was a sudden decision. He was sweet enough to play himself. So, it’s not like I planned the cameo or that he came specifically to shoot the scene.

As per the IMDB trivia, Kareena Kapoor was the original choice and not Konkona Sen Sharma..

I don’t want to name any one actor but the fact is that 5-6 actresses turned down the film. Some had issues with the fees, some had date problems and some had issues with the script. I made Chandni Bar (2001) and Satta (2003) which were hard-hitting flicks. With Page 3, they didn’t think the role was meaty enough as the protagonist was a rookie journalist who covered parties. They were of the opinion that she was not doing substantial. They came with the reference of Tabu and Raveena Tandon in Chandni Bar and Satta respectively. They were far stronger characters and they wanted something of that sort from Page 3. Also, they wanted to know who’d play their love interest. Also, many people didn’t understand what the concept of Page 3 was all about! And on top of it, they felt that the protagonist was one-dimensional and didn’t have an arc. What happens is that certain films are in the director’s mind. Hence, I don’t blame actors as they have a very myopic view. Very few actors understand the true essence of the script. And I was not ready to change the script. I wanted to make it my way. Honestly, 50% of the film was improvised and we thought of scenes and dialogues on the sets. My characters were defined but, on the set, we used to be like ‘Tu aise bol de, tu aise kar de’.

How did Konkona Sen Sharma come on board?

I am a very restless filmmaker. I want to make the film now as I’d lose interest after 4-6 months. Hence, I told my producer Bobby Pushkarna to make films with newcomers. I had seen Konkona in Mr & Mrs Iyer (2002). It was released in limited theatres. I had seen it on the big screen and I loved it. I called director Aparna Sen and praised her work. She told me, ‘If you can tell my daughter the same thing, she’ll be very happy’. Konkona then came on the line. She was pleasantly surprised to hear my voice. She said she was a fan of my work and expressed the desire to work with me.

A year after this conversation, I told Bobby that we should consider her. He asked me her name and I said, ‘Her name is Konkona Sen Sharma’. He replied, ‘Itna bada naam hai’! He didn’t know about Aparna Sen but I told him to watch Mr & Mrs Iyer. I assured her that she looks like a journalist and a girl next door and that we can make the film in a stipulated budget with her. Bobby liked her performance though he had doubts as no one in Bollywood knew Konkona.

Nevertheless, I called Konkona and told her that I had a role for her. She got excited and came down to Mumbai. We met and told her that I was making a film named Page 3. Her instant reaction was, ‘What is Page 3?’! I explained the concept, her character and the subject. 15-20 minutes later, she told me, ‘I am not understanding it’. But then she said, ‘I know you are a good filmmaker. I have seen Satta and Chandni Bar. I know you’ll make a good film. I’ll work based on your conviction’. She suggested that I should keep guiding her.

How did you finalize the rest of the actors?

This is also the time when Boman Irani’s Munna Bhai MBBS (2003) had just been released. I called and appreciated his work in that film. I then offered him the role and made it clear that I don’t have a big budget. In fact, I told this to every actor, ‘I don’t have a big budget’ (laughs)! Boman replied, ‘I know you are a good filmmaker’ and agreed to do the film.

Atul Kulkarni, meanwhile, had worked on Satta and Chandni Bar with me. When I offered him the part, he replied, ‘Tujhe toh mana kar hi nahin sakta main’. Upendra Limaye has become big today after Animal (2023). But I was the one to give him a break in Chandni Bar. He was gung-ho when I asked him to play the cop in Page 3. He said, ‘Madhur, tere liye toh anytime’.

I then called up Bikram Saluja, Suhasini Mulay ji, Soni Razdan ji, Darshan Jariwala, Kunickaa Sadanand, Kurush Deboo, etc. Basically, I assembled all my friends and told them that paisa nahin hai, chhoti film hai. Thankfully, they signed the film.

How was the experience of shooting the parties?

Well, it was like a party every night! Since we didn’t have a budget, we used to get access to five-star hotels to shoot the party scenes only after 10 pm. The hotel management reasoned, ‘Din mein corporate events chalte hai. Toh aapko access 10 ke baad milega’. Hence, all the party scenes used to be shot between 10 pm and 6 am. The actors used to be exhausted. When Konkona was in the foreground and was talking to Tara Sharma, we needed to show Soni ji, Kunickaa, etc. in the background. These actors used to be asleep in the van and we’ll wake them up at 2 am. They would then put up the make-up, do touch-ups, wear jewellery, etc. and give the shot. At times, they had no dialogues but they had to be there. At times, they are just going left to right or right to left. Hence, it was a challenging task.

Some people joked ‘Teri picture ka naam Page 3 hai ya Pastry hai?’! I am being very honest but most of the actors also didn’t understand what was I making! They were wondering ‘Yeh humko har jagah party karwa raha hai’! We used to send the footage to the editor every day. He would scan the footage and tell my producer, ‘Yeh film mein story bhi hai ya sirf party chal rahi hai?’ (laughs). He got the National Award, by the way! Nevertheless, I knew how strong my subject was and how it would unfold.

One of the highlights of the film is Manoj Joshi as the driver and how he and other drivers gossip about their masters…

I had the scene in my mind but I shot it much later, after completing the principal shoot. Then one day of patch work was remaining. This is when I decided to shoot.

Let me tell you how I got the idea. Once, I was at the Centaur Hotel, Juhu. I tried calling my driver but there was a network issue. So, I came walking towards my car. This is when I saw 8-9 drivers chit-chatting. I liked the visual of all these drivers, clad in white uniforms, discussing something as if ki panchayat chal rahi ho! We left and on the way, I asked the driver, ‘Kya baat cheet kar rahe the tum log?’. My driver was so enthusiastic that he told me that one driver was talking about his boss, an actor, who was having an affair with an actress. I asked him ‘Tune mere baare mein kya baat ki?’ (laughs)! He replied, ‘Aapke baare mein baat nahin ki’ though I didn’t trust him!

Hence, I wanted a driver’s point of view, like what are they thinking when we are partying inside. After all, the driver is someone from whom you cannot hide anything. You might think that you can talk in English and he won’t understand but he does. At times, the drivers analyze your body language and understand where you want to go next!

How did you sign Manoj Joshi for the role?

I called him as I had worked with him in Chandni Bar and Satta. I told him, like I told others, that I don’t have a budget! I explained to him that he plays like the head of the driver. We shot his scenes in Film City by parking 4-5 cars. The rest of the actors were real drivers. I shot the scenes together and then spread them throughout the film. After watching the film, many people told me that they have stopped talking in front of the drivers (laughs)!

Another scene that stands out is the funeral scene. It’s a bit funny but also very heart-breaking…

It is inspired by a real-life chautha that I attended of a Bollywood celebrity. I don’t want to mention whose chautha it was. But I was shocked to see the mighty people of Bollywood discussing ‘Did you see my movie?’, ‘What is your plan for tonight?’, ‘Are you partying tomorrow?’ while the bhajan was being sung on the stage. Hence, I decided to have a funeral scene in Page 3.

Page 3 is about homosexuality, paedophile, etc. and yet it got a U/A certificate and not an ‘A’ certificate…

The Censor people were shocked to see the film but they loved it. Also, they knew I had made Chandni Bar and Satta and were aware of where I was coming from. Hence, they appreciated it and said that they wanted this film to be seen by everybody. They just mute or maybe delete 2-3 abusive words. That’s it.

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Madhur Bhandarkar’s next to expose the untold scandals of the Wives Of Bollywood: “It’s like Page 3 on steroids”

More Pages: Page 3 Box Office Collection

Tags : 20 Years of Page 3, Atul Kulkarni, Bollywood, Bollywood Features, Down The Memory Lane, Exclusive, Features, Flashback, Konkona Sen Sharma, Madhur Bhandarkar, Manoj Joshi, Page 3, Throwback, Trending

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#2024Recap: Bollywood’s 27 BIGGEST and SHOCKING Controversies of 2024 – Salman Khan’s firing incident, Allu Arjun’s arrest, Arshad Warsi’s Joker comment, Singham Again vs Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2024 : Bollywood News

Like every year, 2024, too, was riddled with some big controversies involving our film stars and film fraternity members. Bollywood Hungama, in this special report, brings to you the major controversies that made the maximum news this year.

#2024Recap: Bollywood’s 27 BIGGEST and SHOCKING Controversies of 2024 – Salman Khan’s firing incident, Allu Arjun’s arrest, Arshad Warsi’s Joker comment, Singham Again vs Bhool Bhulaiyaa

1. Baba Siddique’s death; Salman firing incident

Lawrence Bishnoi gave a hard time to Salman Khan. His gang members opened fire outside his house in April. His security was heightened when politician Baba Siddique, who had close connections with Salman and other industry members, was assassinated in October.

2. Allu Arjun’s arrest

A week after the release of Pushpa 2, superstar Allu Arjun was arrested over the stampede incident on December 4 at Sandhya Theatre, Hyderabad. The actor had to spend a night in jail. The issue still persists and has assumed a political colour.

3. Arshad Warsi’s ‘Joker’ comment

Arshad Warsi was slammed when he stated in an interview that Prabhas looked like a joker in Kalki 2898 AD. South actors like Nani and Sudheer Babu criticized Arshad for his choice of words. Nani, however, took back his words.

4. Alia Bhatt in trouble due to Ranbir Kapoor

After claims that Alia Bhatt doesn’t know who the President of India is, netizens were angry 10 years later with her after it came to light that she didn’t know who Kishore Kumar was. The piece of information came out when Ranbir Kapoor spoke about it at IFFI, Goa

5. Jigra vs Savi

Divya Khosla Kumar shocked one and all by putting up a story showing an empty theatre. She claimed that it was clicked by her during a show of Jigra, to show that the audience hadn’t turned up to see it. She also accused the makers for stealing the idea of the film from her thriller, Savi.

6. Siddharth Anand’s plane comment draws ire

Siddharth Anand was criticized after he claimed that his film Fighter underperformed as 90% of Indians have not flown in planes. In October, he clarified that his comment was taken out of context.

7. Show sharing feud

2024 saw several clashes and yet again, distributors fought like cats and dogs over show sharing. The biggest show-sharing feud was between Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 on Diwali. Baby John was released 3 weeks after Pushpa 2 and yet, it had to face an uphill task in getting screens.

8. Singham Again’s copyright woes

Days before the release of Singham Again, the film was slapped with a copyright strike by T-Series for using a brief theme in their title song. T-Series reasoned that the rights rest with them and hence, it can’t be used without permission.

9. Laapataa Ladies vs All We Imagine As Light Oscar row

A section of the film industry and fans were aghast when Laapataa Ladies was sent as India’s official entry to the Oscars instead of All We Imagine As Light. They felt that though the former is a well-made film, the latter has a stronger chance to score. They were proved when earlier this month, Laapataa Ladies was out of the Oscar race

10. Nayanthara vs Dhanush

In November, Nayanthara uploaded a shocking post where she accused Dhanush of sending a legal notice demanding Rs. 10 crores for using footage from their film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan (2015) for her Netflix documentary, Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairytale. The issue is now in court with the Madras High Court allowing Dhanush’s company, Wunderbar Films, to file a lawsuit against Nayanthara and the team of the documentary.

11. Black market of the tickets of Coldplay, Diljit Dosanjh’s concerts

Earlier, selling tickets in black involved reaching the venue and being approached by a shady man who’ll offer you tickets at a steeper price than the original rate. In 2024, this activity has moved online. Netizens experienced it when the tickets to Coldplay’s Mumbai concert in January 2025 were sold in no time. But many tickets were available on resale websites. The uproar was so huge that even the police got involved. A similar scenario happened for the concert of Diljit Dosanjh. The performer even addressed it at one of his shows.

12. Kidnapping gang targets Bollywood

Sunil Pal was kidnapped by a gang in UP after he was called under the pretext of attending a show. Soon, it came to light that even Mushtaq Khan was similarly abducted. In no time, Shakti Kapoor, Suraj Thapar etc. spoke that even they got similar invitations but declined and were thus from getting scammed.

13. Stree 2’s credit war

The publicists of Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao came under the scanner when both tried to claim that it was their client who was responsible for the super success of Stree 2. Aparshakti Khurana, who featured in the film, added fuel to the fire with his statements.

14. Poonam Pandey’s death hoax

Poonam Pandey was criticized by all quarters when she spread the news through her PR team that she is no more.

15. Bhagnanis vs Ali Abbas Zafar

Vashu and Jackky Bhagnani slapped a case against Ali Abbas Zafar for misappropriation of funds while making the film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. The producer duo also faced heat when many claimed that they have not been paid not just for Bade Miyan Chote Miyan but also their earlier films like Ganapath and Mission Raniganj.

16. Kangana Ranaut’s slapgate, Emergency controversy

Kangana Ranaut was slapped by a CISF official at Chandigarh airport. Later, her comments during the promotions of Emergency led to political turmoil. 5 days before its original release date of September 6, the film was postponed due to Censor issues, which reportedly arose after her statements. The film will now be released in cinemas on January 17, 2025.

17. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan-Abhishek Bachchan’s separation speculations

Fans were disheartened when it was reported that all was not well between the two. There were also speculations about Abhishek’s alleged relationship with his Dasvi (2022) co-star Nimrat Kaur. The rumours ended after both were recently seen together at a party.

18. A R Rahman and Mohini Dey’s link up rumours

A R Rahman announced separation from his wife after being married for 29 years. The musician was trolled as he used a hashtag in his post, which many felt reduced the severity of the situation. He was also linked to fellow musician Mohini Dey, who also announced her separation plans at the same time. Mohini, however, hit back at rumour mongers.

19. Raveena Tandon confronted by a mob

Raveena Tandon faced a horrible experience when a group of people, including three women, alleged they were brushed by her vehicle. A video surfaced of this incident in which people can be seen claiming that the actress was drunk. Raveena denied the accusations.

20. Sharmin Segal’s severe backlash

The much-awaited show Heeramandi finally premiered on Netflix but it was slammed because of the performance of Sharmin Segal. Many felt that her performance was weak and it was not done to give such an important role to her. Her behaviour during the promotions also added to the trolling.

21. Rupali Ganguly’s defamation suit on stepdaughter

The TV show ‘Anupamaa’ remained in the news for the wrong reasons after many actors quit due to unpleasant experiences. Rupali Ganguly, the lead actress in the show, was accused by her stepdaughter Esha Verma of ill-treatment. Rupali responded by slapping a Rs. 50 crore defamation suit. Esha called the move by Rupali by stating that it was “disturbing, cruel, and displayed (her) true character”.

22. Vikrant Massey’s ‘retirement’ post

On December 2, Vikrant Massey shared a post which made everyone believe that he was retiring as an actor. It spread like wildfire and more than 24 hours later, he clarified that he was taking a sabbatical. Many believed that Vikrant should have chosen his words carefully in his post to avoid misunderstanding.

23. Rishab Shetty’s anti-Bollywood comment

Rishab Shetty slammed Bollywood claiming that it shows India in a negative light. Many netizens shared a clip from his film Kantara where he’s seen pinching his co-star Sapthami Gowda on her waist. They claimed that this scene, which bordered on female harassment, was passed off as a comic moment and hence, they felt that it proved his hypocrisy.

24. Maharaj controversy

The Netflix film Maharaj was all set to release on Netflix on June 14 but its premiere was stayed by the Gujarat High Court for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. The film was passed after a week after the Court viewed the film and didn’t find anything objectionable. It was a rare film that dropped directly online without the makers even releasing its trailer due to the controversy.

25. Vicky Vidya Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video’s Stree 2 moment causes legal woes

A horror-comedy scene in Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video had to be deleted from the fourth day of its release as it seemed too similar to Stree 2. Director Raaj Shaandilyaa also issued an apology for using ‘infringing content’ from Stree 2 in his film.

26. IC 814 controversy

A section of the viewers raised objections over the code names used by the hijackers in the show IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. The criticism was that these code names might give an impression that the terrorists belong to a certain community, which was not the case in reality. A few netizens did point out that the code names, mentioned in the web series, were actually used by the hijackers and even the Ministry of External Affairs’ website states the same. Yet, the controversy continued to grow and hence, Netflix had to insert a disclaimer.

27. Hema Committee Report

The report of the Justice Hema Committee, which was formed in 2017, was made public on August 19 and led to a huge brouhaha as it stated that ‘a culture of sexual harassment pervades the Malayalam film industry’. It led to a spate of resignations from different film associations. Mohanlal quit the post of the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) as a moral responsibility.

Also Read: #2024Recap: STREEs of Indian Cinema who earned the moolah, record viewership and global accolades for India

More Pages: Pushpa 2 – The Rule Box Office Collection , Pushpa 2 – The Rule Movie Review

Tags : #2024Recap, 2024 Recap, A. R. Rahman, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Allu Arjun, Arshad Warsi, Baba Siddique, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, Bollywood, Bollywood Features, Coldplay, Controversies, Dhanush, Diljit Dosanjh, Emergency, Heeramandi, Jigra, Kangana Ranaut, Laapataa Ladies, Maharaj, Mohanlal, Mohini Dey, Nayanthara, Netflix, Oscars, Poonam Pandey, Pushpa 2, Pushpa 2 – The Rule, Ranbir Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Recap, Rishab Shetty, Rupali Ganguly, Salman Khan, Savi, SHOCKING, Siddharth Anand, Singham, Singham Again, Stree 2, Trending, Vikrant Massey

BOLLYWOOD NEWS – LIVE UPDATES

Catch us for latest Bollywood News, New Bollywood Movies update, Box office collection, New Movies Release , Bollywood News Hindi, Entertainment News, Bollywood Live News Today & Upcoming Movies 2024 and stay updated with latest hindi movies only on Bollywood Hungama.

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