Shashank Khaitan has had a great track record and is one of Bollywood’s most successful filmmakers. At the same time, he has faced tough times too. In the past, he announced Rannbhoomi with Varun Dhawan, but it didn’t work out. He released the announcement promo of the Tiger Shroff-starrer Screw Dheela. Sadly, due to pandemic-related factors, the film was shelved. Another film of Shashank that got shelved was Bedhadak. It was supposed to be the launch vehicle of Shanaya Kapoor and also Lakshya of The Ba***ds Of Bollywood fame. It also starred Gurfateh Pirzada and a few posters of the film were released by the makers. Unfortunately, this film got stalled.
EXCLUSIVE: Shashank Khaitan BREAKS silence on Maheep Kapoor’s “Shanaya’s Bedhadak didn’t start, and she was traumatized” comment: “It’s never easy to tell an actor their debut film isn’t happening”
Bollywood Hungama spoke exclusively with Shashank Khaitan and asked about these shelved projects and how it felt that they couldn’t materialize, though he worked on the script and other aspects?
The filmmaker replied, “You always feel disappointed, but you also know the reasons why they didn’t get made. It’s not like I was thinking that ‘meri filmein hi nahin ban rahi hai’. There were multiple reasons. Also, we were in the middle of a lockdown. There were so many things that were not in our control like budgets, travel plans, etc. I remember we were going to make a film. We had gone abroad to shoot and we got stuck there. Some tested positive for COVID. Those were uncertain times and we didn’t know shooting karni chahiye ya nahin karni chahiye aur kab karni chahiye. Keeping those things in mind, we did a good job.”
In the 2024 Netflix show Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives, Shanaya Kapoor’s mother, Maheep Kapoor, revealed, “Shanaya’s film didn’t start, and she was traumatized.” How tough was it for Shashank to break the news to a newcomer that her film won’t be made?
He said, “Such conversations are always tough. It’s never an easy conversation when you tell an actor ‘Aapki debut film ab nahin ban rahi hai’. The ultimate reality was that we had no other option (but to shelve). If we had an option, we would have definitely explored it. But it’s better to be honest early, so that they could also pursue. Luckily for her, she managed to bag not just 1 but a couple of films.”
Shanaya Kapoor debuted in Aankhon ki Gustaakhiyan (2024) opposite Vikrant Massey. She’ll be seen next in the Valentine’s Day release Tu Yaa Main with Adarsh Gourav. As per reports, she’s also a part of Student Of The Year 3.
Shashank Khaitan continued, “The right time happens at the right time. You just have to keep working hard. We all have faced disappointments in different forms and at different times. You just need to be tough. That’s the way the industry is.”
Among the films that got shelved was an espionage thriller with Varun Dhawan in the lead. It was a highly anticipated film for Varun fans as it would have presented the actor in a new avatar. Moreover, it would have been a new territory for Shashank Khaitan as well, whose films have primarily been in the romantic space.
Any possibility of reviving the espionage thriller? Shashank Khaitan laughed and stated, “Varun aur meri baaton ke hisaab se toh hamari ab tak 50 films ban gayi hoti! There’s no genre we have left in terms of discussion. We are not overthinking. When things fall in place and when the time is right, we’ll go for it. At present, we both have certain commitments. We’ll find a way and an opportunity to come back. Let’s see how it goes.”
More Pages: Bedhadak Box Office Collection
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