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The #MeToo fallout in Bollywood

October 22, 2018 16:24 IST

Will Nana Patekar's role be deleted from Housefull 4?
Will Subhash Kapoor lose the Jolly LLB franchise?
Is Anu Malik's career in limbo?
Subhash K Jha mulls over these questions.

IMAGE: Nana Patekar in Kaala.

In what could be a replay of what transpired after Kevin Spacey was accused of sexual offences, Nana Patekar could find his role removed from the underproduction comedy franchise Housefull 4.

When Tanushree Dutta's revelations placed Nana at the centre of the controversy, he was shooting Housefull 4.

After the outraged protests, Patekar may find his role written out of the film.

Says a source close to Housefull 4, "In Hollywood, they scrapped Kevin Spacey's role from All The Money In The World and replaced him with Christopher Plummer overnight. Some such surgical operation is a possibility in this case. Instead of replacing Nana, they may cut his role from the film."

While Sajid Nadiadwala, who co-produces Housefull 4 and Super 30, refrained from comment, a source discounted all possibilities of scrapping Super 30, the film Vikas Bahl directs -- as well as Housefull 4 entirely.

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Subhash Kapoor to lose Jolly LLB franchise?

Photograph: Pradeep Bandekar

Director Subhash Kapoor, accused of sexual misconduct, lost the bio-pic he was meant to direct for Aamir Khan and Bhushan Kumar, Mogul, based on the late music baron Gulshan Kumar's life.

Kapoor may lose the Jolly LLB franchise as well.

"Fox Star, who produced the Jolly LLB series, have zero tolerance for sexual offences," says a source.

"Akshay Kumar, who plays the lead, has made it clear that he won't work with anyone linked to sexual offences. Housefull 4 Director Sajid Khan has been accused of sexual misconduct and had to be fired on Akshay's say-so. Subhash Kapoor will have to go too."

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Anu Malik dropped from Indian Idol

Photograph: Pradeep Bandekar.

Anu Malik has been removed as a judge on Sony Entertainment Television's Indian Idol.

Malik has been a judge on the show right from its inception.

Sources at Sony say the composer was "absolutely sure" of his position on Indian Idol.

'There is no Indian Idol without Anu Malik,' he is said to have told some colleagues.

With Anu out of Indian Idol, he has nothing to fall back on to keep his career going.

His songs were recently used in Sui Dhaaga, but will big banners, or even small banners, still come to him with offers?

Subhash K Jha