Former journalist Rajeev Masand, known for hosting the famous roundtable interviews with actors and actresses, has revealed the challenges he faced in securing stars for his interviews. In an interview with journalist Anupama Chopra on her All About Movies podcast, Masand shared his experiences during his initial roundtable sessions, which included actors like Aamir Khan, Irrfan Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Ranbir Kapoor. Masand mentioned that Aamir changed his dates very late in the process, Irrfan was displeased about being pulled from the set, and he had to make urgent phone calls to ensure Nawaz’s participation as he was shooting out of town.
Chopra praised Masand and acknowledged the difficulty in bringing A-list male stars together at one table. Masand agreed and recounted Shah Rukh Khan’s response when he was invited, saying, “Call me on the actresses roundtable. I’ll come and sit with the girls. I’m not sitting and praising other guys…” Masand highlighted the ego factor among actors and explained that, unlike the West where studios dictate promotional strategies, in India, the stars hold the power. This partly explains why Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro can appear on roundtables organized by The Hollywood Reporter alongside younger actors.
Masand further revealed that there was a time when some actors declined to participate because another actor had been invited. He shared, “There was a time when a big actor, a big star, said, ‘I’m not going to come if this other actor’s on it.’ And that other actor totally deserved to be there, but he was a younger, newer actor. I don’t know if the actor was asking for this or the publicist, who tends to get involved and can be pushy and bossy. It got really awkward, and I decided not to uninvite someone who deserved to be there. So, if you don’t want to come, I can’t force you.”
Masand expressed that it was a difficult situation, and until the day before the show, there was no confirmation from the actor. However, everything eventually worked out well.
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