'I am thankful to Paresh Rawal'

Boman Irani has turned in one brilliant performance after another. And his characters have been quite peculiar as well. From his earlier films like Darna Mana Hai, Munnabhai series and Main Hoon Na to this Friday's release, Fruit n Nut, Boman seems to know how to entertain.

Sitting in front of him for this interview, I found Boman to be quite the gentleman to talk to as well. In his friendly manner, Boman shared his nutty experiences on the sets of Fruit n Nut with Nithya Ramani.

The film incidentally, is Kunal Vijaykar's directorial debut, and also stars Cyrus Broacha, Dia Mirza and Mahesh Manjrekar.

What is Fruit n Nut about?

It is impossible to describe the film and even more impossible to act in it! The film is about four characters, whose stories run parallel.

I play an old man, who thinks he's the Maharaja of Bombay, and wants his land back. He is whimsical and doesn't know what he is saying. It was very confusing to act like a terrorist. He calls for two terrorists to knock off Cyrus (Broacha).

We have made a film that we enjoyed and want people to enjoy it too.


Image: A scene from Fruit n Nut

'Acid Factory is going to be one crazy ride'

The action man of Bollywood, Sanjay Gupta is back with another action flick.

The writer-director known for his dark thrillers and his friendship with Sanjay Dutt [whom he formed a production house White Feather Films with] returns as producer of Acid Factory, a stylish action flick directed by Suparn Verma and starring six cool hunks -- Danny Denzongpa, Dino Morea, Aftab Shivdasani, Manoj Bajpai, Irrfan Khan, Fardeen Khan -- and a sexy Dia Mirza.

So what to expect from this stylish flick? Nithya Ramani finds out.

Why Acid Factory?

Acid Factory started because of Hansal Mehta [director]. He introduced me to mad man Suparn Verma. I heard the script and our journey began from there. The cast of the film were also people I have worked with in the past. The best part was all of them came on board primarily on the merit of the script. Nobody agreed to do the film because of their relationship with me or the banner.

What do you think of Suparn Verma?

Many people ask me what do I look for when I sign on directors. Do I look at their past or their body of work.

For me the most important aspect is the passion the man has to make his movie. In Suparn's case it overflows. My job most of the time is to retain it. He is always ready to take off. That is a big boon for a producer.

Sanjay Gupta hasn't ghost directed 'Acid Factory': Suparn Verma

Suparn Verma, the director of 'Acid Factory', is upset with rumours that his forthcoming action thriller has been ghost directed by producer Sanjay Gupta.

"Saying that Sanjay Gupta has actually directed 'Acid Factory' seems to me on the same lines as Karan (Johar) or Adi (Aditya Chopra) being accused of the same for their home productions. I guess there is always a suspicion like this whenever a big filmmaker decides to hand over the ropes to a relative newcomer. It's my turn now," Verma told us.

The filmmaker had made his debut as a director with Fardeen Khan-Koena Mitra-starrer 'Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena' (2005).

"I have a question for all those rumour mongers out there. Tell me, why would a producer hire a director, pay him good money (and that too on time) and then eventually direct the entire film himself?

"If I was in the producer's place, I would rather buy a house if I had some extra cash than throw it around to a newer director without expecting any output," he said.

Verma maintains that Gupta allowed him complete control over the film.

"Sanjay Gupta is someone who would put money on you only if he feels you are worth it. In fact he was quite categorical in stating that he didn't want me to follow his style of filmmaking. He told me that he would be happy only if I refrained from thinking how Sanjay would feel about a particular shot. This incident happened seven days before the shoot and he has maintained his stance right through the scripting, shooting and post- production," he said.

Verma, who has earlier scripted films like 'Zameen', 'Qayamat' and 'Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai?' amongst others, doesn't have any complaints about the making of the film.

"Sanjay is a man of his words. I always had all the resources in place. No one would have allowed me Rs.21 crore to make a film if he wouldn't have believed in me. I have my own visual and narrative style and this is why it is quite demeaning when people point fingers at you.

"Sanjay has multiple films at different stages of production. He would have to be god if he were to be directing all these films simultaneously at different locations," Verma said.

An action thriller, 'Acid Factory' features Fardeen Khan, Dia Mirza, Irrfan Khan, Manoj Bajpai, Dino Morea, Aftab Shivdasani and Danny Denzongpa and is set to release Friday.

'Everyone thinks I am too sweet to play a bitch'

Dia Mirza is keeping her fingers crossed for her film Acid Factory slated for October 9. During her breezy visit in Kolkata, she tells India Blooms correspondent Sreya Basu that Bollywood is not easy to handle.

We heard you have literally put your heart into Acid Factory...

In fact, why only heart? I put my heart, head, eyes, muscles... everything. In short, I put my entire being into Acid Factory. This film is really important for me.

Why? Just for the sake of box office?

Yes. But not only box office. For the first time, I have tried to break away from my image of an all-virtuous Bollywood heroine and experimented with greyer shades.

I play a hero in 'Acid Factory': Dia Mirza

Bollywood beauty Dia Mirza, who has shed her delicate doll image for the upcoming film 'Acid Factory', insists that she is one of the heroes in the movie and not a heroine.

"My character is called Max, who is a daredevil. She is no less than a man, as you can understand from the name itself. You can say I play a hero in the movie, not a heroine," Mirza says.

The 27-year-old actress, who had to perform a number of stunts and action sequences in the film, says that the character of Max is like an alter-ego of herself, but is not a tomboy.

The former Miss Asia Pacific says that her look was revamped in the film to suit her character.

"My look in the film is quite opposite to that of my real life. It has been stylised by Shantanu and Nikhil, who had to keep it feminine as well as very structured and strong. There aren't many changes because it is a single day's story, so I wear a full-bodied black suit for the most part," says Mirza.

The actress, who believes that strength lies in the will and not in physical capability, had to go through rigorous training to gather strength to be able to do the action scenes in 'Acid Factory'.

"I had to undergo 5-6 months of functional training which strengthens your core, then I trained in action for three weeks," said Mirza, who made her mark in Bollywood with her debut film 'Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein' in 2001.

Mirza is the only actress in 'Acid Factory' which has stars like Aftab Shivdasani, Dino Morea, Irrfan Khan, Danny Dengzongpa and Manoj Bajpai playing major roles.

"Manoj ji called me Deepak on the sets because I am like a boy in the film," said Mirza.

When asked whether she felt overshadowed by the presence of so many macho men in the film, the actress shot back, "How can a woman ever be overshadowed by men?"

Talking about her co-stars, Mirza had something to say about each one of them.

"Fardeen is very well-brought up, he is a gentleman. He was very protective on the sets and also taught me the technique and execution of some action moves," said Mirza.

Marriage? I’m already settled: Dia

She looks resplendent in green, blending in as if in perfect harmony with the lush lawns of the poolside at this city five-star hotel.

And even as she flashes those pearly whites, the sultry afternoon weather doesn’t seem so sapping any more. Professional to the core, she opts for the photocall even as the make-up is still fresh on her face before settling down for a tête-à-tête in the cool confines of the restaurant.

That for you ladies and gentlemen is Dia Mirza, who touched down in the city to scorch the ramp as showstopper for a fashion event.
Even as she sips her tea, Dia, rattles off saying that she has been to the city so many times that she has lost count. Proud of her Bengali connect through her mom and mamima, the actor says, “Whenever my mom and I want to have a secret conversation, we do so in Bengali only to find out each time that there is a Bengali present near us.”

Keen to put her Bengali connect to good use, Dia speaks out, “I’ve always very candidly confessed that I’d love to do an aesthetic Bengali venture. However, the closest, I’ve come to working with directors from Bengal are Pradeep Sarkar and Shoojit Sircar.” Are directors listening?

Dia Mirza:The Butterfly Effect

Half a dozen movies in the making and a plethora of off-beat roles, Dia Mirza is all set to give her filmy career a push in the right direction. And for those who thought she was just a pretty face, the sensual, stunning actress is determined to prove her prowess.

Something as small as the flutter of a butterfly's wing can ultimately cause a typhoon halfway around the world. Chaos Theory.

Dia Mirza could have been a butterfly -- she's out with six new films that are creating quite a flutter, there's a skip in her stride as she flits from point to point in our conversation, and there is an effortlessness to her body language as she holds onto a lime green Roberto Cavalli dress. But before you can build up the pretty picture in your head, she stops to tell you that she's not looking forward to the butterfly stage in her life.

"It's nicer to be a caterpillar. The butterfly's life-span is only a day and I'm in no hurry to get there," she says, breaking out into peals of laughter. Intelligent. Easy. Honest. Who else confirms in full public view that they'd rather stay a caterpillar all their life? But such is the charm of Dia. She doesn't realise that no matter how much she resists, she's breaking out in vibrant colours, her forthcoming films guaranteed to bring back variety into starved multiplexes.

There's Kaun Bola with Arshad Warsi, where she plays a hot-shot fashion editor, and Acid Factory, an action thriller where she stars alongside six male co-stars. Kisaan, based on farmer suicides, and Johnny Mastana with Renzil D'Silva are her other offerings while Alibaug, a romantic drama that's "very close to her heart" is based on her all-time favourite book, Tuesdays with Morrie. And then, there's Fruit and Nut, a madhouse comedy where she's paired with Cyrus Broacha and Boman Irani.

The movies boast of a clear and audible shift in her acting agenda. They're off-beat, different, and they clearly outline the death of the damsel in distress, a role that Dia repeatedly played in the last few years. Right from her debut with Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein to a cluster of average films like Tumsa Nahin Dekha and Deewanapan to popular ones like Parineeta and more recently, Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd,