Here is the new Open magazine column by Rajeev Masand:
After losing out on at least three major films with big banners recently, and on realising that he has gathered close to no goodwill whatsoever in the ten odd years he has been working as an actor in Bollywood, this young male star is believed to have started making amends. Currently filming two big-budget films with hit directors, the actor had famously rubbed at least three young directors the wrong way after he asked them to “assure” him that their films could generate blockbuster box-office returns if they wanted him to commit himself to their projects.
But it appears that he’s finally got someone giving him the right advice. The actor has reportedly stopped interfering in departments that don’t concern him and is focusing solely on his own performance. According to a source in the know, he has also become less irritating and irritable in his dealings with the media.
According to an actress who has worked with him—and claims to have borne the brunt of his moodiness and unprofessionalism—the actor’s change of heart happened once he realised he could be replaced by rank newcomers in big-banner projects. “He probably thought the producers would hold out for him, or would shelve their films, or perhaps give in to his unreasonable demands. But when nothing of the sort happened, he was forced to wake up and smell the coffee.”
The actor’s own advisors have apparently chided him for his high-handed behaviour with top banners—which are unlikely to consider him for future projects. “What’s more, with newcomers being cast in films he was offered, he has realised he may have strengthened the competition against himself,” the actress explains.