Zareen Khan On Aksar 2 Shoot: "Producers Wanted A Bra Scene Or Kiss In Almost Every Sequence"

Actor Zareen Khan has once again spoken about the controversy surrounding her 2017 film Aksar 2, claiming she felt misled about the nature of the project and was eventually not invited to the screening of her own movie. 

What's Happening

• The actress revisited the episode in a recent conversation with Pooja Bhatt on the Mammoth Media Asia podcast.
• Zareen made her Bollywood debut opposite Salman Khan in Veer (2010) and later appeared in commercially successful films such as Housefull 2 and Hate Story 3. 
• Following the success of Hate Story 3, she was cast in Aksar 2, a sequel to the 2006 film Aksar, directed by Anant Mahadevan.

'People Looked Down On Me After Hate Story 3'

During the podcast, Zareen reflected on how she was perceived in the industry after doing Hate Story 3. She said many people judged her for appearing in a film with bold scenes.

She said, "After I did Hate Story, a lot of people looked down on me, especially from the industry. They would say, 'Because she cannot act, she decided to strip.'"

The actor said she initially agreed to do Aksar 2 after a narration by director Anant Mahadevan, who she claims described the film very differently.

'I Was Given A Completely Different Brief'

Zareen said Mahadevan assured her that the film would not rely on the kind of bold content associated with Hate Story 3. However, she claims the situation on set was different from what had been described during the narration.

"He narrated the script in very polished English and said, 'We are not making a Hate Story. We are making a genre noir,' or something along those lines. I thought, okay," she said, adding, "But once I reached the set, every other scene ended with a kiss or suddenly required me to be in a bra or something similar."

She clarified that she did not object to doing bold scenes in principle but felt the film's brief had changed after she signed on.

She said, "I told him, 'I don't have a problem doing such scenes, but you gave me a completely different brief. Now, just because you saw that film work, you want to add these things.' Later I realised the director was spineless. He would tell one version of the story to the producers and another to me and my costume designer Shahid Aamir."

'I Completed The Film Because People's Money Was At Stake'

Zareen said disagreements between the team intensified during the shoot, with multiple parties clashing over the film's direction and content.

"There was so much animosity. The producers suddenly wanted me to do a bra scene, kiss, or something provocative in almost every sequence just because I had done one such film earlier. That's not fair," she said.

Despite the tension, the actor decided to complete the project, saying she did not want the producers to suffer financial losses.

"I am not someone who throws tantrums. I know people's money is at stake, so I always try to talk things out and find a middle ground. But by the time the film was finished, things had become so bad that I wasn't even invited to the screening of my own film," she said.

She also claimed that reports in the media portrayed her as unprofessional during the dispute.

"There were articles saying I was difficult to work with. I still have messages from the director where he complains about the producers to me-but what's done is done," she added.

According to Zareen, disagreements eventually extended beyond her issues with the director. She said there were also tensions between Mahadevan and the producers, with disputes over payments and creative decisions further dividing the team.

What Anant Mahadevan Said About The Allegations

Director Anant Mahadevan had earlier addressed the controversy in an interview with DNA India, where he rejected claims that the film involved confusion or unplanned scenes.

He said, "Nobody is more prepared than me in the industry. People come to me for low-budget films with clarity and planning. I found it amusing to read allegations of confusion, extra shots, etc. I rehearse like a play. Every shot was explained during rehearsals."

He also defended the film's use of romantic scenes, saying they were not unusual for mainstream cinema.

"Zareen may not have been used to that kind of filming. As for the smooches, I have repeatedly said that a few kisses do not make a film erotic. These days every other film has smooches - even a Karan Johar movie has them. There was nothing vulgar in my film. In fact, we have shot longer kisses, but we didn't want an 'A' certificate because we wanted women to see the film and so edited them."

Mahadevan further claimed that Zareen was happy during the making of the film and had participated fully in the shoot and dubbing process.

"Even the movie is driven by Zareen's character. She has been through the entire shoot and dubbing sessions and she was quite thrilled with the results. If there was anything to this effect, it would have come out then. She even happily confessed in her interviews that she excitedly looked forward to the female-oriented film! I don't know if she has been instigated, but whatever she says doesn't hold water."