Bored of playing female characters: Ali Asgar

Agencies
February 2, 2019

Mumbai, Feb 2: Ali Asgar is synonymous for playing female characters on several comedy shows but the actor is now "bored" of them and says he is "mentally out of it." 

Though he has been doing comedy shows like "FIR" and "Jeannie Aur Juju", Ali gained prominence for featuring in a female drag as Dadi in "Comedy Nights with Kapil" and followed it up with "The Kapil Sharma Show".

Such was the success of the character, that it's shadow hasn't left the actor.

"I am now bored of playing female characters because I have nothing new to offer to it. Unless it's written well. Now drag is taken for granted. That just because a man is doing a female character, it's funny. It is not! There's no novelty," Ali told PTI.

The actor says the newness of his character, the energetic Punjabi Dadi in "Comedy Nights with Kapil", worked big time but the steam soon ran off when his female characters started to lose novelty.

"I need some character sketch. Like what is the purpose, nuances, back story of the character? You can't say 'sir you are experienced, you'll pull it off'... It doesn't work like that." 

Ali has rejected a lot of comedy offers because the characters offered to him were not only caricaturish, but also repetitive.
"If someone needed a female character in a drag, the channel or production would only approach me. My argument was: why me in a drag? But they used to say audience wants only me in a drag because I do it the best.

"Trust me, for seven months I had to sit at home because I was getting the same offer before I got 'Jeannie Aur Juju'. This was the time I was doing 'Comedy Circus', award shows, among others," he added.

Ali says the "writing on TV is so weak" that he often struggles to add nuances to his characters as there is nothing new to do.

"I'm mentally out of playing female characters, unless the material is strong. You at least give me 50 percent character sketch and then I'll bring my own 50 percent nuances to it," he adds.

Ali is often asked why he plays female characters and he says he does not want to take up a daily soap just to escape from it.

The actor is awaiting the release of his upcoming horror, "Amavas". The film, directed by Bhushan Patel, also features Nargis Fakhri and Sachiin Joshi, and will hit the theatres on February 8.

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News Network
June 19,2020

Mumbai, Jun 19: The Mumbai Police, probing the   case of alleged suicide of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, has sent a letter to Yash Raj Films, seeking details of the contracts it had signed with him, an official said on Friday.

Rajput, 34, known for films like Kai Po Che!, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, Chhichhore, was found hanging in his Bandra apartment on Sunday, sending shockwaves in the film industry and elsewhere.

"Police are investigating various angles, including that of professional rivalry, in the case," the official said. So far, Bandra police have recorded the statements of over 13 people, including Rajput's family members and close friends like actor Rhea Chakraborty and casting director Mukesh Chhabra.

 "Keeping in view the professional angle, police have started calling some prominent production houses for inquiry. As part of that, police on Thursday sent a letter to Yash Raj Films, seeking details of all the contracts it had signed with the deceased actor," a senior police officer said.

"We have also asked for the copies of the contracts that Yash Raj Films had signed with the actor," he added.

In the next few days, police may also call those people, who had played a role in signing of contracts between the actor and the production houses for their projects, the officer said.

 Rajput had worked in two Yash Raj Films movies - Shuddh Desi Romance (2013) directed by Maneesh Sharma and in director Dibakar Banerjee directed Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! (2015).

His third film with the banner was supposed to be Paani, directed by Shekhar Kapur. However, YRF had reportedly backed out of the project later.

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Agencies
July 29,2020

Patna, Jul 29: BJP MLA Neeraj Kumar Singh Bablu, cousin of Sushant Singh Rajput, on Tuesday said that a huge amount of money has been transferred into the account of actress Rhea Chakraborty from the actor's account.

"An FIR has been filed against actress Rhea Chakraborty by the father of Sushant Singh as a huge amount of money has been transferred into her account and they both have joint accounts for some companies through which cheating has been done from her side," Bablu said.

"This is the issue of probe and police will go there and investigate the matter after that everything will be revealed," he added.

He also said that Karan Johar should also be called in for questioning by the Mumbai Police in connection with Sushant Singh Rajput's death case.

The statement was given in the backdrop of several top film personalities being questioned in connection with the case.

On July 28, an FIR has been registered against actor Rhea Chakraborty under various sections including abetment of suicide on the complaint of Sushant Singh Rajput's father Krishna Kishor Singh, the police said on Tuesday.

It said that a four-member team has been sent to Mumbai following registration of FIR.
"A four-member team has been sent to Mumbai. The team will collect case diary and other important documents from Mumbai Police," Sanjay Singh, Inspector General, Patna Central Zone said.

In the complaint made to Rajeev Nagar police station in-charge, KK Singh alleged that Rhea Chakraborty and her relatives "committed fraud" and "pressurised the actor for financial gains".

Sushant's father alleged that Chakraborty "got in touch with the actor with a motive to establish herself in the film industry using his contacts and she and her relatives started interfering in his affairs".

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News Network
January 30,2020

Mumbai, Jan 30: A day after a woman filed a complaint against Ganesh Acharya alleging that he had forced her to watch pornography, actor Tanushree Dutta said Bollywood should boycott the choreographer.

A 33-year-old woman, an assistant choreographer, has written to the National Commission for Women (NCW) alleging that Acharya used to make her watch porn videos whenever she visited his office in suburban Andheri.

She also alleged that Acharya and two women assaulted her during a function of the Indian Film and Television Choreographers Association (IFTCA) held in suburban Andheri on Sunday. A complaint has been filed in this regard with Amboli police.

"It's time Bollywood and the other Indian film industries boycott choreographer Ganesh Acharya completely. Hiding behind the male superstars who work with this despicable man, he has been abusing his power and position to harass, bully and take advantage of vulnerable young newcomers to the industry," Dutta said in a statement here.

Dutta had alleged that her co-star Nana Patekar harassed and misbehaved with her while shooting for a song for their 2008 film "Horn Ok Pleasss", and Acharya, who was the choreographer, introduced new steps which were "intimate".

Recalling the trauma she faced, Tanushree said even though Acharya was party to all the harassment she faced on the 'Horn ok Pleasss" set, he went on to spoil her name and reputation.

"Nobody had any regard for me and how much I had suffered psychologically and financially because of the turmoil I went though due to these people. I left the industry because I was so scared and hurt over the atrocious treatment meted out to me on 'Horn ok Pleasss' set.

"I had worked very sincerely to get to where I got in life and so went in shock for many years, over the whole episode on that set almost 12 years ago, that led to an attack on my car. They didn't just break my car, they broke my spirit that day," Dutta said, in reference to the attack on her car in 2008.

She expressed her displeasure over how "leading men" and "heroes" of Bollywood continued working with Acharya, whose most recent work includes "Simmba", "Zero", "Sanju" among others.

"Even after all the information of fraud, non payment of dues, sexual harassment of dancers, bullying and intimidation and even physical abuse of dancers is coming out about Ganesh Acharya in the media, if the actors, directors and producers still work with him, it would mean that they themselves are engaging in such acts also.

"It's a warning to the film industry to stay the hell away from Ganesh Acharya otherwise your own reputation will be joined to his character. I'm sure many more girls and boys will come out about his misbehaviour and shady business, opening floodgates in the future," she added.

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