UPDATE: SOLVED BLIND ITEM – SEE BELOW

There are not that many versatile actresses in Bollywood, who are still very much relevant as actresses on the big screen today. The blind item below is by Rajeev Masand and he talks about this versatile actress who rejected a role in an upcoming film. It is a very interesting role, as seen by the trailer which released last week. But the actress had a problem or two, she didn’t want to play mother to a grown-adult son and the other is, she wanted her favourite co-star to be in this film. Now when this blind item was released, the first thought was that it is the other versatile actress, especially since art-house films are mentioned; she is the only one that came to mind, but it cannot be her because the other details don’t match.

There is no other choice for the guesses, except this actress. She has played the mother to another actor before, but that was more of a stepmother type of role and also because it was her favourite director’s film. Not that many details about the actor, though. Know that it is stated in the blind item that the original script was the mother and her daughter-in-law get pregnant at the same time. In the trailer, that is not the case so they most likely changed the script. Also, the actress playing the girlfriend of the son is young so they probably didn’t think that a pregnancy would suit her. It would have been quite epic, though!

By the way, it’s a great trailer. Do check it out. In the meantime, check out the blind item below by Rajeev Masand. The actress will be seen in an upcoming film opposite the actor, who was supposed to play her son in the film featured in this blind item. Quite a turn of events, but a nice one at that!

 

 

Bollywood Blind Item

 

Casting Snags

One of Bollywood’s most versatile female actors, best known for her award-winning turns in thought- provoking art-house films of early 2000s, reportedly turned down this central role in a new film as she didn’t want to play mother to a grown actor. The original script was about the awkwardness in a family when a woman in her 50s becomes pregnant around the time that her daughter-in-law is pregnant too.

Written as a lighthearted but powerful drama, the project hit a snag when this talented star refused to do the film unless the makers were able to cast a specific male actor in the role of her husband. She wanted her co-star of two beloved indies, an actor who had succeeded in crossing over into more mainstream films now, to take the part opposite her. But the makers failed to interest the actor of her choice (who had probably realised the film belonged to the ‘mother’ and ‘son’) and she went on to pass the offer.

 

OSOP Guesses

Female Actor: Tabu

Film: Badhaai Ho

Actor: Irrfan Khan

 

 

Director Amit Sharma says he had first approached Tabu and Irrfan Khan to play the role of an elderly couple who are expecting a baby in Badhaai Ho but the duo felt they would not look convincing for the role. In the film, the 64-year-old Neena Gupta, and Gajraj Rao play the elderly couple who find out they would be turning parents for the third time, much to the discomfort of their children and society.

“We approached Tabu ma’am in the beginning as we thought she would be nice in the role. But she’s the one who suggested Neena ma’am name and said ‘You need someone slightly more older, so that when people see her getting pregnant, there’s this disbelief’,” Amit said.

“There is an age difference between the two and I liked Tabu’s suggestion. Neena ma’am is perfect for the role,” he added.

The director said when he spoke to Irrfan, regarding the project, there was a similar suggestion.

“When we thought of Irrfan and Tabu, we thought that they would be the best husband and wife. But both of them said though they’re relatable and have worked as pairs on screen but if we have a father who isn’t as fit and the mother slightly older, it’ll be more relatable,” he said.