★ Sohail Khan's "JAIHO" next starring Salman Khan !

★ Suddenly, grey does matter !

Sohail, at Salman’s insistence, has sounded out Tabu and Naseer for his remake of Murugadoss’s Stalin...

Vickey Lalwani | January 04, 2013




Could Salman’s next, Radhe, give his image the kind of makeover he so seems to desire? The Sohail Khan directorial, which is a remake of southern hit, AR Murugadoss’s Stalin (2006), will see Sallu play a good samaritan - a far cry from the roles he has been essaying to the hilt of late.

And to give the film a certain gravitas, the actor has reportedly sounded out both Tabu and Naseeruddin Shah to share screenpsace with him. When contacted, Sohail said, "(The actors) have not confirmed yet."

A source close to the film told Mirror, "Before leaving for Dubai on Wednesday, Sohail spoke to Tabu and Naseer for two important roles in the film.”

Elaborating on Sohail’s unusual choice, the source said, “Ït was at Salman's insistence that Tabu and Naseer were contacted. Salman felt that the supremely talented duocould give the film a touch of class. Also, the film sees him as a a military officer who sets out to reform society and as suh, needs cerebral actors.”

Initial reports suggest Tabu will play Salman’s sister in the film, while it is not clear what Naseer will be portraying.

Incidentally, Radhe will be the first film with Salman and Naseer in it. As for Tabu, this will be Salman’s fourth film co-starring the actress. The first three being Hum Saath Saath Hain, Biwi No 1 and Jeet.

Mumbai Mirror

Kanchan Thakur | Jan 13, 2013



‘Bigg Boss 6’ winner Urvashi Dholakia couldn’t help but thank her stars. After successfully bagging the title of the reality show, she has now become one of the Salman Khan’s favorite. Generous Salman has offered her a role in his upcoming film.

A source reveals,”Yesterday night after the finale was aired, all the contestants including Salman Khan were chilling at his bungalow in the night. That’s when the actor went over to Urvashi and offered her a role where she would be playing his elder sister to which Urvashi happily agreed.”

The film will be directed by his brother Sohail Khan and it’s a remake of a south Indian film.

Way to go Urvashi.

daily bhaskar

Jan 14, 2013



MUMBAI: Sohail Khan who is busy with the pre-production of his film starring Salman Khan confirms Tabu’s presence in the cast and that ‘Radhe’ may not be the film’s final title.

Says Sohail,“That is just the working title. The media is coming up with all sorts of inventive titles for my film. As of now, the only components we’ve finalized are Bhai (Salman) and Tabu who is my favourite.”

One has it from a source very close to the film that Salman and his brother Sohail Khan are not too sure that the title works.

“It worked as his name in Satish Kaushik’s ‘Tere Naam’. But when way back then Satish suggested the film be called ‘Radhe Moha’n after Salman’s character everyone had summarily rejected the title as sounding too mythological. Salman loves the name ‘Radhe’ for his character. And the hero’s name Stalin from the Telugu original would probably be changed to ‘Radhe’ to humour Salman. But that’s it. The film won’t be titled ‘Radhe’,” informs the source.
Interestingly the parrot on ‘Bigg Boss 6′ is also named Radhe on Salman’s insistence.

As of now the film’s title has been put on hold. “But it would be a one-word title. Salman favours one-worded titles like ‘Bodyguard’, ‘Dabangg’, ‘Kick’ and ‘Radhe’. In fact he wanted ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ to be called ‘Tiger’. But that title was already taken.

Business of Cinema

Mumbai, Jan 23 (PTI) Noted actor Naseeruddin Shah today denied being part of Salman Khan starrer tentatively titled 'Radhe'.

"Even I have heard about it. I don't know anything about it. I haven't been approached yet. I don't know what the role or project is and it depends if I want to do it or not.

It depends on what kind of project it is," Shah told reporters here.

PTI News

TNN | Jan 24, 2013




Actor turned Producer-Director Arbaaz Khanwho is currently basking in the glory of hisrecent success Dabangg-2 will soon don the hat of a reality show judge.

According to some reliable sources Arbaaz might soon replace brother Sohail Khan as the new judge on Sony TV's comedy show Comedy Circus.

Sources inform that the reason behind this sudden change is brother Sohail Khan'supcoming film Radhe which is expected to go on floors from next month (February 2013). Salman Khan-starrer Radhe will be directed by Sohail Khan and this project will leave him with no time in hand. So the makers of the show came up with the idea of approaching Arbaaz Khan. And if things fall into place, Arbaaz will be seen accompanying Archana Puran Singh as the new judge on Comedy Circus.

We tried contacting, Vipul D Shah and Sanjeev Seth but they remained unavailable for comments.

TOI

Sohail denies finalizing Karishma Kotak for his film !

February 07, 2013



Ever since Sohail Khan announced his next directorial venture starring Salman Khan, there were murmurs on who would be the leading lady opposite Salman? While many names popped up, the latest was that of model Karishma Kotak who has done a TVC with Salman.

However, Sohail has completely denied this rumour and has clarified that the leading lady of his film is yet to be finalized.

bollywood hungama

Subhash K. Jha, Feb 19, 2013




The curiosity over who will play Salman Khan’s romantic interest in his brother Sohail Khan’s film gets hotter by the day. We now have news coming in that the project has been pushed to March 2013 to enable Sohail a wider elbowroom to select the female lead in his film.

Even as rumours of Bigg Boss contestant Karishma Kotak being in the film died down, comes the news that Daisy Shah, a professional dancer, is being considered. And now we hear Priyanka Chopra too is being considered for the same part.

When contacted Sohail Khan admitted, “We are considering lots of actresses. There are some established names too. Daisy Shah too has been short-listed from a very long list that we had. We’re doing the final screen-test of all the short-listed actresses next week.”

Hopefully the ongoing speculation would then end.

bollywood hungama

Stuti Agarwal, TNN | Feb 22, 2013



Bigg Boss 6 has worked wonders for Santosh Shukla. Firstly he is a part of Sohail Khan's Mental, which will release in Id and star Salman Khan.

He will be seen in the main negative role. He also has hard core action sequences for which he is undergoing training at present. He will be seen bashing up the Dabanng star He needs to keep his hair and beard long for the look. Buzz is that Santosh might have a scene where he will be raping Tabu.

The unit has a 15-day shooting schedule in Dubai, which will begin in the end of this month. Post the schedule, the unit will move to Goa. Buzz is that the film might star Priyanka Chopra or southern star Daisy Shah. Reportedly, Tabu is also a part of the film and giving the Oscars a miss for the Dubai shoot.

When we contacted Santosh, he said, "Yes I am a part of Mental, but cannot reveal anything more." As reported earlier, the host of Bigg Boss, Salman Khan, had offered Santosh a role after he was eliminated from the show.

TOI

February 25, 2013



The talks over Salman's next feature film have been going on for a while now. However, seems like Sohail Khan has finally locked on the shooting schedule of the film.

Reportedly titled Mental, Salman's next which stars him along with the southern hottie Daisy is all set to take off on February 27 in Dubai. Besides Daisy, the film will also mark the debut of Sabarresh (son of action director Vijayan), who will be playing the villain in the film.

Buzz is that the film will be shot all over Dubai for one whole week.

bollywood hungama

★ Blood and anger: On sets with 'Mental' Salman Khan in Dubai !
The actor shoots a fight sequence in Dubai Wonderland Theme and Water Park…

Ajanta Paul | March 06, 2013

DAY: Five

COUNTRY: Dubai

LOCATION: Wonderland Theme and Water Park

MOVIE: ’Mental’ (Working title)

For the past five days there has been constant news of Bollywood star Salman Khan shooting for ‘Mental’ in Dubai.

So Emirates 24|7 decided to hunt him down.

As we walked past the main entrance of the Dubai Wonderland, the theme and water park seemed unusually quiet. A giant carousel stood in the middle of the park but deserted. A hustle from within the Family entertainment centre caught our attention.

Walking through the door, we saw the hero nursing his wounds. Yes, we finally spotted Salman Khan on location during the shoot of ‘Mental’ in Wonderland.



After an early morning call time and all day shoot, it was no fun for Salman, even though he was in an amusement park.

The crew was surrounded with gaming machines, rides, pool boards, cars and flying jets.

The setting was perfect for a fun-filled afternoon but that was not part of the script.

Dressed in denim and casual t-shirt, Salman’s face was bruised and painted with blood. One of the crew members informed us they were in the middle of a fight sequence.

The hero is embroiled in a fight with his detractors. And since Salman is no ‘Dabangg’ in this movie a little cut to bare his human side.



In-between takes, Salman took a breather accompanied by Tabu, while Daisy Shah lingered around.

Both the ladies seemed distressed as the hero took a punch or two.

According to reports, Tabu has been roped in to play Salman’s elder sister in this remake of a Telugu film ‘Stalin’.



When it was time for others to give their take, Salman nibbled from a platter and had fun watching others go through the grind.

As younger brother Sohail explained the fine points of the scene and provided his inputs, the camaraderie and comfort level between the siblings was visible to all and sundry present there. Amidst all the work, the Khan brothers had their close moments.

Once Salman’s shoot was over, he took off his make-up and voila, no bruises and no blood.


Producer/Director Sohail Khan. (Kamran)

Talking to Emirates 24|7, the producer and director of the movie, Sohail Khan said, “We are doing a fight scene here in Wonderland, as we had a requirement for an amusement park. It’s a beautiful place, quite and very comfortable shooting here. It’s almost like shooting in a studio atmosphere”.



It is accepted that crowd management can become a hassle when a film crew is working with a superstar like Salman Khan, but Wonderland ensured that the shooting went on uninterrupted.



The entire crew of 120 members has been flown from India for 12 days worth of shoot in Dubai.

Emirates 24|7 first brought you details of Mental’s shoot, which took place at the Saif Belhasa Driving Institute. Along with Salman Khan, the sequence in the driving institute had Ashmit Patel and Yash Tonk.

The shoot continued in Wonderland even as the writer bowed out.

Emirates 24/7

tabloid! hangs out with Salman Khan and Sohail as they shoot for Mental in Dubai….

Manjusha Radhakrishnan | March 7, 2013



Watching Bollywood superstar Salman Khan at work is an intriguing exercise. It is the fifth day of Khan’s film shoot at Dubai’s Wonderland Theme And Waterpark and there’s controlled chaos all around as dozens of technicians scurry to get their action sequence ready. In their midst is a seemingly relaxed Khan, chatting casually to his co-star Tabu at a table nearby.

Barring the fake blood oozing from his temple, there’s an aura of invincibility around him. He’s so laid-back that you wonder if Bollywood’s most bankable star (his films earn billions at the box-office and his public appearances are known to trigger mass hysteria) has ever been introduced to an emotion called nervousness.

In stark contrast is Sohail Khan, his brother and director of the film, titled Mental. Sohail is flat on the floor with his tense face plastered to the green floor of the amusement park, egging the villain of the film to replicate his moves while instructing him to look battered. He gets up in a flash and hurries back to check the monitor.

He knows that he has a lot riding on this one. It’s not every day that you get to direct a superstar such as Salman.

“Salman bhai [brother] is a big star. With a big star like him come big expectations. You can’t do ordinary work with him. I have to do justice to his stardom,” said Sohail in an interview with tabloid!.

Looking around us, the unused carousels and the gaming arcade with machines named “Funny Fish” don’t scream extraordinary. But Sohail, who also directed his successful brother in Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya, is quick to put things into perspective.

“Wonderland is just wonderful for us. Today we are shooting an action sequence where Salman bhai takes his nephew to an amusement park and a few goons who spell trouble come by,” said Sohail. The scene we witnessed was Salman getting rid of those troublemakers with ease (would he have it any other way?) and his co-stars Tabu and Daisy looking shocked in demure, lady-like fashion.

“Basically, I have to work harder on him. I have this golden opportunity and I can’t let it go,” said Sohail. More than anyone else, he realises that his brother has a certain image to maintain. All of Salman’s recent blockbusters show him as an indestructible hero who can knock out dozens of burly men in a flash. Should the fight gets particularly intense, his shirt magically tears, revealing a sculpted chest.

“He’s one of the few actors that are like clay. You can mould him according to your dimension or requirement of the scene. He can do action, comedy, drama. Working with him I genuinely believe that he has become an audience’s actor … he’s here to please his fans.” Nobody could have said explained the Salman phenomenon better. He’s revered by billions but his performances fail to impress critics. A leader of the non-acting star pack, Salman’s films often ride on his star power and attitude. They entertain effortlessly but they are never grave in their subject matter. Perhaps that’s why Sohail is deliberately vague when asked about the story behind Mental.

“It’s a righteous film. It’s a straight film and all good things are being said in the film,” said Sohail, adding that the title Mental is a working one and is open to change. He zeroed in on Wonderland as one of the key locations after spotting it from his hotel room.

He may be tight-lipped about his film but when it comes to Dubai, he can’t praise it enough.

“It’s wonderful to be here. Our first day, first shot of Mental happened in Dubai. Everybody has been so helpful. The Dubai Studio City officials, Saif and Sara Belhasa have been sweet enough to arrange it all. We have a comfort level of a studio here,” said Khan. He rejected the idea of shooting in Mumbai since such shots can only be done at night.

“We wanted to shoot a action sequence that happened during the day. In Mumbai, we would have got time only during nights after mall hours,” he explained.

Plus unlike their native India, there are no fans gathering around, interrupting the shoot.

“We understand that they are fans and friends. But when they gather during our shoot time, we don’t have time to dedicate to them. This works for us wonderfully.”

gulf news

Developer of the project in Dubailand says talks are on with the Bollywood superstar...

Parag Deulgaonkar | March 11, 2013



Bollywood superstar Salman Khan is not only looking at buying an apartment, but he is planning to invest in a tourism project in Dubai.

“We are in talks with Salman, but he hasn’t taken any decision yet,” the developer, who asked not to be named, told Emirates24|7.

“He [Salman] was here last weekend but was quite busy,” the developer added, who is building a mega tourism project.

The project was announced last year and will be built in Dubailand.

During a press conference of their stage show, ‘Ahlan Bollywood’, in December, Salman and Sohail couldn’t stop gushing about how much their family loved Dubai.

“To put it bluntly, if I wasn’t living in Mumbai for work, then I would surely be living in Dubai,” Salman sai.

The actor is not the first Bollywood star to have lend his name to a real estate project.

In 2008, Shah Rukh Khan launched “Shah Rukh Khan Boulevard”, a Dh8 billion project on Dana Island off Ras Al Khaimah coast.

“Shah Rukh Khan Boulevard is my tribute to the love and affection shown by the people of the UAE to Indian cinema,” he said during the launch of the project in October 2008.

“My vision for the project is to make life a celebration. I have lent my name to the project and I intend to share and transfer my passion for design and living spaces into this world class community that residents will be proud of,” he had said.

The project has been put on hold.

In the same year, Deepika Padukone was named the brand ambassador for the now defunct Aspire Real Estate.

Emirates 24/7

Producer/director Sohail Khan maintains that status quo as of now...

Ajanta Paul | March 11, 2013



Back in 1960s and 70s Helen, Bindu or Aruna Irani would get more space on film posters than the heroine's. And a dance number by Helen was like an insurance policy for the film's success.

Cut to present day; the scenario hasn't changed much. Even the hit-man of Bollywood a.k.a Salman Khan needs a "Munni Badnaam" or "Fevicol Se" to add spice in his 'Dabangg'.

Today Hindi films are unimaginable without the double entendre, hip-swiveling chartbusters. And why not, filmmakers have realised the X-factor to lure audiences.

Since 2009 every movie starring Salman Khan had an item number. But his next movie might not replicate the same.

As Salman wrapped up his first schedule of 'Mental' (working title) in Dubai, we get this news right from the horse's mouth that the movie will not have Bollywood's quintessential element - an item number.

Talking exclusively to Emirates 24|7 producer/director and Salman's brother Sohail Khan said, "There will be no item song in this movie, it's a sensible film."

Well, does this mean all Salman Khan movie from 2009 to 2012 were insensible?

In 'Wanted' (2009) Mahek Chahal gyrated to "Le Le Maza Le" and Salman joined her on the dance floor. In the same year good friend Preity Zinta danced to "Happening" in 'Main Aurr Mrs Khanna".

Next year 'Dabangg' broke several box-office records and part of the credit goes to Malaika Arora Khan for making the entire nation dance in the tune of "Munni Badnaam Hui".

Zarine Khan showed a different character altogether in 'Ready' (2011) when she performed on "Character Dheela Hai" along with Salman.

Katrina Kaif was not to be left behind as Salman's item girl as she swirled on 'Aaya re aaya Bodyguard' in 2011.

Salman reveled in 2012 with two more blockbusters. Both the movies had the top heroines of Bollywood dancing with the 'hit-man'. Katrina Kaif was hotness personified in "Mashallah" from 'Ek Tha Tiger'. And the newly married Kareena Kapoor showed why she holds the crown in Bollywood with "Fevicol Se" from 'Dabangg 2'.

So after a series of item numbers and dancing with some of the most beautiful women in the industry, Salman takes a break from item songs.

Or even better, Salman might take the center stage himself minus the fragmented images of heaving ladies, swiveling navels, swinging hips of the ladies around.

After all, in every item number Salman was the common factor performing unabashedly his robotic movements (fans don't mind any sort of movement by Salman).

Certainly, Bollywood is not over with uninhibited skin shows in sleazy item numbers but that's the status quo Sohail Khan maintains as of now.

He might have also taken cognisance of the out-cry against item songs post the brutal gang rape in Delhi.

The gang rape in December 2012 triggered off a national debate in India over the portrayal of women in popular cinema and TV. Direct questions were raised on item numbers for its crass lyrics and voyeuristic camera angles.

Only time will tell if Sohail can resist the temptation of including an item song in his 'sensible film' or a last minute request from the promoters will see a change of heart.

Emirates 24/7

Esha Razdan | Mar 12, 2013

After wrapping up few scenes of his upcoming film ‘Mental’ in Dubai, Salman Khan flew to Los Angeles last night. As per the reliable sources close to Khans, the superstar will explore the city and zero on for some location for his next.

“Post the completion of ‘Kick’ and ‘Mental’, Salman will begin the shoot of his third film in the year. Thus, sparing some time out of the busy schedule of ‘Mental’, he and his few closed ones have flown to LA to decide on the location,” the sources reveal.

Interestingly, Salman board a flight for LA soon after a private dinner with some UAE officials at Burj Khalifa, the sources add.

As far the film for which the location is being explored, is concerned, it is yet to be titled and so far being named Production No. 1.

Meanwhile, sources also reveal about Salman’s medical follow up at the city although after a surgery to nurse his nerve condition that has been responsible for an intolerable pain in his jaw and cheeks, he has been on a speedy recovery.

daily bhaskar

Mar 12, 2013



There is no doubt that a Salman Khan film garners huge attention and hype right from the time it's announced. The trade buzz is that Salman Khan's next releaseMental which is directed by Sohail Khan too has been making waves big time.

Even though shooting of the film just started recently in Dubai, the buzz is that Sohail Khan is quoting an astronomical price of Rs. 130 crore for all India theatrical rights of Mental. It's believed that Sohail has already been getting offers upto Rs. 90 crore for the same but given Salman's current dream-run, he is in no mood to compromise.

If one looks at the all India nett B.O. collections of Salman's last 5 films (Dabangg 2- appx Rs 150 crore, Ek Tha Tiger- appx. Rs 198 crore, Bodyguard- appx Rs 151 crore, Ready- appx Rs 125 crore and Dabangg- appx Rs 145 crore), it can be seen that he is indeed a huge draw ensuring high B.O. collections. Whether this prompts someone to give in to Sohail's demands of Rs. 130 crore for Mental remains to be seen?

bollywood hungama

Sunday, Mar 17, 2013



Model-turned-actress Sana Khan, who was one of the contestants in the sixth season of reality TV show ‘Bigg Boss’, is excited to share screen space with Salman Khan in ‘Mental’.

Sana, who has acted in films down south and did special appearances in Hindi movies like ‘Dana Dhan Goal’, ‘Bombay to Goa’ and ‘Halla Bol’, shot to fame last year with ‘Bigg Boss’.

“I am very happy and super excited to work with Salman in ‘Mental’. To work with a superstar like Salman is like a dream. I feel blessed and lucky,” Sana told PTI.

The model-actress had developed a good rapport with Salman, who hosted the reality TV show, and it is said that he recommended her for the film, to be directed by his actor-brother Sohail Khan.

“It is a good platform for me to do a film with Salman. It is a good break,” Sana said.

The chirpy actress declined to divulge details about her role in the film. “I can’t talk about my role. All I can say is it is not a cameo… it is a proper full-fledged role. People will be surprised when they see me in the film.”

Sana will start shooting for ‘Mental’ from this month-end. It is also reported that south actress Daisy Shah will be part of the film.

Deccan Chronicle

fParvathy S Nayar, TNN | Mar 18, 2013



It's a dream come true for Sana Khan as she starts shooting for her Bollywood debut, Mental, with none other than Salman Khan by this month-end.

The model-turned-actress, who catapulted to fame post her participation in 'Bigg Boss 6'which was hosted by Salman, tells us, "To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time in the six seasons of the show that any of its participants is getting a Bollywood offer as big as this!"

And she's nonetheless excited to be one of the two heroines in the film which will be directed by Sohail Khan. "Salman is known to launch fresh faces in the industry and most of them have made it big. Being on the screen with Salman itself is a privilege. Like most of you who watched me on the reality show might already know by now, I'm too fragile-hearted and don't take disappointments easily. So although I knew Salman would honour his word to launch me in Bollywood, I was trying not to be too excited before things started shaping up," she confesses.

Sana is leaving no stone unturned to make the most of her big launch. "Unfortunately, I might not be able to let you into the details of my role as I'm not allowed to speak about it. I'm trying everything possible to look my best onscreen. After all, a debut as grand as this comes by just once," she chirps.

Rest at TOI

March 20, 2013



Besides Salman Khan, newcomer Daisy Shah and Tabu, Sohail Khan’s Mental also features Ashmit Patel, Yash Tonk and Santosh Shukla.

Salman, Ashmit and Yash play 3 friends with Ashmit essaying the role of a doctor in the film. Santosh Shukla (who was last seen in Bigg Boss 6) meanwhile is the main negative lead in the film.

The unit recently completed a major schedule in Dubai.

bollywood hungama

Sunayana Suresh, TNN | Mar 30, 2013



While Daisy Shah became an actress by chance,Sana Khan always had celluloid dreams. Both the girls are the lead heroines of Salman Khan's upcoming film Mental. Both the girls have begun their acting careers in the south and vouch that they couldn't have thought of a better film to catapult them to the big league in Bollywood. Excerpts from interviews with both these girls...

DAISY SHAH:

How did you get into showbiz?
I've always been a dancer, so I began dancing during my college days for festivals. Soon, I was offered a chance to be a part of dance troupes and I performed for many stage events. It was during this process that I happened to meet Ganesh Acharya and became his assistant. During this time, I began getting a few modelling offers, which I decided to try out. And somewhere along the way, Kannada choreographer-director A Harsha approached me for a film. I said to myself, so what if it is Kannada, I must try it. Unfortunately, I couldn't be a part of that film due to date issues, but I ended up making my debut in Kannada films anyway with Bhadra, when producer N Kumar approached me. I have since had three releases and I'm currently working on my fourth film in Kannada, which is a 3D thriller.

How did you manage to land the lead role in Mental?
While I may not have acted in Bollywood, I have still been around in the industry for the past few years, doing my thing. I'm sure people have noticed me and my work. I'm bound by contract to not reveal the finer details.

Are you a Salman Khan fan?
Yes, I am a big Salman Khan fan and I'm very happy that I've got a debut like this. I'm sure that this is a dream launchpad that every girl will want and I couldn't have asked for more.

SANA KHAN:

You've always wanted to be in showbiz. How did you land your first break as a heroine?
When I was a student in Mumbai, I had landed a lot of modelling offers. It was through these offers that people noticed me and I landed a few special dance numbers. My first acting break, which was opposite Tamil star Simbu, was when the makers happened to see some of my work. Ever since, I have taken on different roles and films in the south.

Do you think your stint in the south has helped you bag the film opposite Salman?
I wouldn't give it all the credit. The 14 weeks that I spent on Bigg Boss have really helped me. Ironically, what landed me that offer to be on the reality show was a controversial advertisement film that I'd done for an innerwear brand. If I hadn't appeared on that show, I may still have landed a few Bollywood projects, but a break like this is something that has happened only because of the popularity of the show and my presence on it.

Salman had promised you a break on the show. And you are a part of Mental.
It still is a feeling that is hard to overcome. I'm happy that I am a part of this film. While I'm not allowed to talk about my role as such, but what I can say is that I'm not going to let this opportunity go waste.

Rest at TOI

Subhash K. Jha, Mar 30, 2013



Salman Khan's latest heroine Daisy Shah shot some dramatic scenes with the superstar in Dubai for his home production Mental. And now, the unit will move to Mumbai, Kolhapur, Lhasa and Goa for the rest of the shooting.

Ashmit Patel and Yash Tonk play the other important roles as Salman's friends in Mental.

A source from the location in Dubai says, "Daisy is one of the coolest heroines Salman has worked with. The thing is, she didn't try to play up to him for the role. Nor did she go out of the way to suck up to him while shooting. Salman hates it when heroines play up to him just to get on the screen with him. Recently one top heroine, whom he had fallen out with, went all out to woo Salman, dropping in to his home to meet his sisters. Salman hates all these games. He hates it when heroines snuggle up to his family to get close to him. He likes women who don't play up to him for roles. Daisy was a chorus dancer for Ganesh Acharya. She just couldn't care less about stardom. That's the spirit Salman subscribes to."

Daisy, we hear, was "one of the guys" in the Dubai stint. "She is ultra-cool. Not least awed by the prospect of being promoted from chorus dancer to Salman Khan's leading lady."

We hear Salman and Sohail have big plans to promote Daisy. Says the source, "She'll be the 'Next Big Thing' after Katrina among Salman's co-stars."

In the meanwhile, we hear Tabu who plays Salman's sister, has a strong part in the film.

bollywood hungama

Sapna Oswal, TNN | Apr 6, 2013



Tight security, large crowds, cheers and hoots - that was the scene at the Sanjay Ghodawat Institute on Friday. The reason was none other than actor Salman Khan. Salman is shooting at the school of the institute for his brother Sohail Khan's film Mental. He was accompanied by actress Genelia D'souza.

Salman, who himself was surprised by the large crowd gathered there, remarked, "Yeh sab crowd yaha ka hi hain ki bahar se aaye hain? Yaha 3500 students hain. Teen din ka shoot hain... kaise din katenge pata nahin! I am very excited." He then wowed his young fans as he said in Marathi, "Chala ata bhetuya parat!"

Genelia too spoke to everyone in Marathi and asked her fans how they were doing. Well, it's going to be three days of only Sallu talk now that he's here in the city.

TOI

Bring shooting to a halt over inadequate representation vis-a-vis their Bollywood counterparts...

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

There is no end in sight to the impasse between action artistes from Mumbai and those from Chennai and Hyderabad over what the southern fighters perceive as inadequate representation and pay visà-vis their Bollywood counterparts.

Trouble had erupted between the two sides over the weekend when the 30-strong south-based group discovered there were only three southern fighters for every seven from Mumbai, not to mention they were being paid 50 per cent less than their local peers. The disgruntled artistes had dug in their heels and brought the Lavasa shoot of Salman Khan’s Mental to a grinding halt. Two senior officials of FEFSI (Film Employees’ Federation of SouthIndia), Shiva and Vijayan, had been flown into Mumbai to help resolve the dispute.

However, talks between the FEFSI officials and FWICE (Federation of Western India Cine Employees), the organisation representing the Mumbai fighters, have come to nought. Despite intervention by Salman and Sohail Khan to try and make Shiva and Vijayan (President of FEFSI) understand their point of view, the duo have returned to Chennai in a huff, taking back with them the entire south group of action artistes. Salman and Sohail have been left high and dry, with less than the required number of fighters to shoot the action sequence.

A source from the film unit said: “The entire action sequence has come to a standstill over this imbroglio. Our worst fears are coming true. If we don’t get competent fighters from Mumbai to fill in the vacancies, we may have to revisit Lavasa at a later date to shoot the action scenes.”

A senior FWICE official, on condition of anonymity, said: “Salman and Sohail will either have to appoint some fighters from Mumbai, who can join them immediately. Or they will have to wind up the schedule without much of the action, which will be contrary to the original plan. Again, it’s not going to be easy getting the kind of fighters they want from Mumbai at such short notice.”

Interestingly, Salman and Vijayan have been friends for the longest time. Vijayan was Chief Fight Master in many of Salman’s recent successes including Wanted, Dabangg and Bodyguard. It was only after Bodyguard that Vijayan went on to become the FEFSI President. Vijayan’s agitation for the southern fighters marks a big fallout between Salman and him.

Mumbai Mirror

Subhash K. Jha, Apr 17, 2013



If a report on Monday is to be believed the shooting of Sohail Khan’s Mental in Lavasa in Pune was disrupted over a scuffle that broke out between stunt-men from South India and Mumbai.

However, sources from the location say that no such incident happened and that in fact no fights on or off screen occurred at all over the weekend.

Says a source from the location in Lavasa, “Salman Bhai and Sohail Bhai did not shoot any action sequences. So the question of disgruntled South Indian stunt-men clashing with their Mumbai counterparts didn’t arise. We have no clue where this false story came from.”

Apparently, Salman and Sohail are extremely peeved with the negative reporting on the shooting of their film.

Says the source, “There were reports about a delay and postponement of the release. Now there is a baseless report on a fight between fighters. Please spare us. We just want to make our film quietly.”

Actor Ashmit Patel who plays a major role in Mental says, “There was no fight at all. We are shooting dialogue scenes, no action scenes.”

Bollywood Hungama

Sharanya CR, TNN | Apr 28, 2013



Actress Daisy Shah has become hot property in the south these days. After making her debut with Bhadra, the dancer-turned-actor is much in demand after she was signed up for theBollywood film Mental, opposite Salman Khan. Daisy, who is shooting for Aakramana opposite Raghu Mukherjee in Mysore and was having fun in the heritage city, spoke to us about her Hindi film, Salman, and more.

“It is so peaceful and quiet here. Though we haven’t gone out to explore the city much, I am planning to take a short break to tour the city before I head to Mumbai,” says Daisy.

The actress, we hear, has already completed the first schedule of Mental, a film that also starsSana Khan as one of the female leads. Daisy says, “I have no scenes with Sana. She has an important role too, but I am not going to be comparing it with mine.” She is, however, more forthcoming about her hero. “Salman never forgets his promises and gave me a second chance in Mental (Daisy was approached to play second lead in Bodyguard). He is the giving type. If a person deserves a chance, he will definitely give them that. I am glad that Sohail (Khan) and Salman thought that I would fit the role perfectly. The role is made for me and I am not going to prove them wrong.”

But working with Salman also brings along rumours of linkups too. Apparently, the Dabangg actor has been taking romantic walks with Daisy. “Speculation and rumour is nothing new in the industry. Reports might suggest so many things, but the reality is best known only to us,” she says. Working with Salman has its ups as well. Daisy is apparently flooded with offers in the south. “I’m getting offers from big stars in Kannada cinema. But I can’t predict the entertainment industry,” she says.

The actress, who began her acting career in the south, admits, though, that working here has been far from a bed of roses. Daisy is upset with the makers of her debut Tamil film Mounamana Neram. “I am upset, as they don’t keep Mumbai heroines in the loop about the movie’s progress. They just want us to act and leave, which is not professional. For instance, I have no clue about the release of my Tamil movie. They are least interested in passing on any information about the film. I’d be glad if they included us through all stages of the film,” says Daisy. While reports suggest that Aakramana will be her last Kannada film, Daisy says, “I’m not quitting Sandalwood. I’ve been getting offers, but I cannot travel often to the south now because of Mental. I want to concentrate on my Bollywood debut.

TOI

April 27, 2013



If the unit of Sohail Khan’s Mental is to be believed, it seems Salman Khan is enjoying every bit of his stay at Lavasa near Pune, where shooting of the film Mental is underway. We’re told there’s a great buzz on the sets and everyone’s having a ball. And – get this – that’s why they’re shooting so quickly.

Once the shoot ends, Khan will play cricket with the entire Mental team. Unit ho toh aisi, isn’t it?

BOI