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I persisted Vishal Bhardwaj for Sapna Didi biopic, reveals Deepika

Fresh from the humongous success of her recent release, Padmaavat, Bollywood's reigning queen Deepika Padukone is now gearing up for her next film, which is tentatively titled as Sapna Didi.

To be helmed by celebrated filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, the film is based on the life and times of Ashraf Khan, famously known as Sapna Didi.


“Sapna Didi had planned Dawood’s execution during a cricket match in Sharjah to avenge her husband’s death. Unfortunately for her, he got wind of her plans and killed her days before she could get to him. The film is expected to go on the floors by the year-end,” a source had once revealed to a leading daily.

Deepika plays the role of the mafia queen in the movie. Talking about the film, Deepika recently revealed that she had to pursue Vishal Bhardwaj to make the film.

“Of all the scripts I have heard in the last two years, I’ve been stuck on this one. He (Vishal Bhardwaj) brought this to me first, got me excited and then when I was ready to do it, he had moved on to something else. But, I persisted. It’s the one occasion where I pursued the director to make the film,” she said.

Aside from Deepika Padukone, the forthcoming biopic also has National Award winning actor Irrfan Khan. Deepika and Irrfan have previously worked together in Piku. Directed by Shoojit Sircar, the film was well received by the audience.

On working with Irrfan again, Deepika said, “He’s witty, smart and intelligent. I’m glad I’ll be bouncing my ideas off someone who’s a master at what he does. For an actor, that’s going to be challenging but also exciting.”

The film is expected to mount the shooting floors in February.

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Top India survey reveals Bollywood divide: A-listers thrive as crew members face 60 per cent pay cuts

Character artists, assistant directors, makeup artists and technical crews are among those hit hardest, with many relying on daily shoots and project-based income

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Top India survey reveals Bollywood divide: A-listers thrive as crew members face 60 per cent pay cuts

Highlights

  • Entertainment workers report 50-60 per cent pay cuts compared to earlier years.
  • Behind-the-scenes staff most affected by industry slowdown.
  • Many workers leave Mumbai or take side jobs to cover expenses.
India's entertainment industry is facing growing money problems as workers across Bollywood and television production report major pay cuts and less work.
A survey by Top India, involving more than 1,000 people linked to the entertainment sector, shows many workers are either getting limited work or seeing their salaries drop sharply.

Many people in the survey said payments for available projects have fallen by nearly 50 to 60 percent compared to previous years. The money troubles come as the world deals with tensions and economic uncertainty.

Recent moves for energy savings and tighter spending across sectors have added pressure, with clear effects now showing in Bollywood and television production.

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