Shweta rendered an apology, starting off by saying, “It has come to my notice that a certain statement of mine referring to a colleague’s previous role has been taken out of context and has been misconstrued.”
“When put in context, one will understand that the statement in reference to ‘Bhagwan’ was in context with Sourabh Raj Jain’s popular role of a deity. People associate character names to actors and hence, I used that as an example during my conversation with the media,” she added.
After that, what happened? Recently, we caught up with Manish Harishankar who revealed that he would soon be releasing the show on an OTT platform, shortly.
Read on for what we asked him and what he replied:
Is ‘Showsttopper’ complete?
I have two seasons in mind. I have almost completed the first season, just a five-day shoot remains.
Will the actors change in the second season?
No.
How did it all begin?
I got all the actors on board and had my first press conference in Bhopal. Shweta’s statement led to some chaos. I had erected a set in Bhopal. The shoot met with a lot of protests. A few senior officials from Bhopal helped me to ease the situation and gave me a green signal that I can start the shoot. But by then, my cast had returned to Mumbai. So, they had to come back to Bhopal. I didn’t return to Mumbai.
Despite the fact that the show’s central point revolves around bras, it can still be seen with young children at home. There is no vulgarity in the show.
The bra-fitter is played by Sourabh Raaj Jain. I had three-four names in mind but went with Sourabh.
How did you do the casting?
For the bra-fitter, I wanted someone who did not have a wrong gaze. He should have such a look that the girls in the scene feel comfortable while shooting with him. Plus, I wanted someone who is sensitive in nature.
Shweta Tiwari?
That was my first choice for the character of Malini. When she heard her role, Shweta said ‘this is just me’.
After that, you cast Zeenat Aman…
No, after Shweta, Digangana Suryavanshi got cast. Digangana has a very sensitive story in her portrayal.
Zeenat came in next. I narrated it to her on the phone. Those were the days of COVID. She had many questions on Day 1. And, she was a tad nervous, maybe because she was returning after a long time. But once the cameras rolled on her scenes, she soon got comfortable. She told me that after a long time, she felt that someone was directing her in Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand style, by including the viewpoint of the actor. That was a big compliment!
Zeenat is a very bold, progressive woman who does not believe in the do’s and don’ts imposed by the society. She believes that life is meant to be lived. And that’s exactly her persona.
Shefali Jariwalla is also there in the show?
Yes, and she is a super actress. I asked her after her big emotional scene why she has restricted herself to only dancing roles.
Salman Khan recently said that the OTT platform needs to be censored, though not in these exact words…
I agree with Salman Khan. Certain shows have used gaalis and scenes for titillation. I don’t mind my show going through Censors, but I would like to see that the Censor panel for OTT stuff has an array of filmmakers whose sensibilities should not be questioned.
Okay, come to the point. What’s your show about?
My show stems from the time when I learnt that bras can be customised. I started reading a lot about that and realised that several women wear bras of the wrong sizes. Plus, the bras need to be customised because wearing bras of wrong sizes leads to infections and diseases.
And let me tell you that my show is not meant for titillation. Yes it is very bold- but it is very bold in thought.
We also need to clean our thoughts; we should not wonder if a bra strap is showing sometimes and this show also deals with several women-oriented issues, like body shaming for one. It is set against the fashion world and even redefines beauty.
OTT platforms have expressed an interest in ‘Showsttopper’. It shall be released shortly.
Parting shot: Isn’t a customised bra an expensive affair? I mean, that only the rich and elite can go for it…
Maybe you are right, but my sheer reason to advocate is that it becomes a norm. And when there is more awareness the price will even out. Plus, I am also advocating the need to buy the correct size bra. I am not saying that the correct bra size is not available in all cases. Bodies of some or many women tend to undergo frequent changes, which is where customisation of bra can really help.
