Shahid refused remuneration for Paathshaala because of its subject on students and study pressures and also because it was the production debut of Shaira Khan, his buddy choreographer Ahmed Khan's wife. His co-actor Nana Patekar, too, has followed suit.
Shahid Kapoor refused remuneration for Paathshaala because of its topical subjectu00a0-- students and study pressures and also because it was the production debut of Shaira Khan, his buddy choreographer Ahmed Khan's wife. His co-actor Nana Patekar, too, has followed suit.
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Nana Patekar and Shahid Kapoor in Paathshaala |
Patekar instructed the production teams to give the cheques to charity organisations of his choice in Mumbai and Pune.
Says Shaira, "Initially, he told us that we should make five cheques to cover his fee for the project. But when it was time to actually hand them over to him, he took us by surprise. He told us to issue the cheques in the names of the charitable organisations."
Patekar, who essays the principal in the movie, did not charge because he felt even though it was a commercial venture, its storyline touched a chord. As a result, he decided to reach out to the less fortunate sections of society through a donation.
Adds Shaira, "There is so much hearsay about Nana Patekar and the kind of person he is. But any such thoughts banished from my first meeting with him itself. For me, he is a sweetheart. He is great fun to work with. Shooting with him made us realise that Nana is a grossly misunderstood man. He will always remain an absolute delight for us."
Directed by Milind Ukey, a former associate director of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Paathshaala's cast includes Ayesha Takia and child stars Swini Khara (Cheeni Kum) and Avika Gor (Balika Vadhu). "Milind directed the animation film Hanuman and it was after watching his award-winning Marathi film Devaki, that we decided to have him on board as director. As Paathshaala deals with a sensitive issue, we needed someone with those sensibilities to direct the film."
Producing a musical or a dance-based film would have come easy for Shaira and her hubby Ahmed Khan, but they steered clear from the subject. "I love kids and always wanted my first project to centre around them," says Shaira. The couple has two sons -- Azaan and Subhaan. "Ahmed wrote the story over one and a half years ago about what goes on in the child's mind. And the current educational scenario and the pressures echoes what is portrayed in the film." The film is slated to release in April.
