From Bachchan to SRK: Superstar Superstitions in Bollywood

Everything about the film business that’s more superstitious than filmy.

555 is believed to be Srk’s lucky number. 

Photo courtesy: Instagram/@iamsrk

Call them superstitions, quirks or monomania, that’s one mega-anxiety shared by the denizens of Bollywood – right from auspicious dates, numerology and propitious publicity hoarding sites to favourable licence number plates for swishy cars and vanity vans.

From the Bachchans, Lata Mangeshkar and Ekta Kapoor to the newbies, a majority resorts to lucky mascots, gems, colours, charms and regular visits to shrines. Most film families consult godmen on subjects ranging from whether or not they should sign a certain film and even on which day (and at what time) to catch an air flight.

But why single out the nation’s most high-profile movie town for this fear factor? Black cats crossing your path, an accidental walk-through under a stationary ladder, the evil eye – to be warded off with amulets, beads and charms – are commonplace bugaboos. All of us, however rational we may like to believe we are, have our fetishes, finicky aberrations and principles of faith.

For instance, when a family-owned production banner’s expensively mounted superhero adventure tanked, the exact date, place and birth time of all its employees across the board, were placed under scrutiny. A trusted pundit was called in to determine which employee was ‘lucky’ or ‘unlucky’. Those who didn’t make the cut, were told politely, “Sorry, we’ll have to let you go.”

Still, no one believes in destiny and luck by chance more intensely than the B-townies do. Defy kismat and even a superstar’s career could go kaput.

Celeb Quirks

Amitabh Bachchan and his rings of luck.

Amitabh Bachchan has stated on record that he doesn’t watch ‘live’ telecasts of cricket matches. There was a time when he did and India would lose the match. Instead, he watches repeat telecasts. Incidentally, Bachchan like Ringo Starr of The Beatles, wears a variety of rings on his fingers to keep diabolical elements at bay. And that includes carping critics. An emerald ring is contended to have upped his market longevity ever since 2000.

Quite curiously, Sonam K Ahuja is convinced that whenever she falls on the sets, that film becomes a super hit. Mithun Chakraborty avoids the first day of his films’ shoot, with the logic that whenever he has been present at the mahurat, the outcome has been a major flop.

Here’s why we’d let Sonam trip :P

On the studio sets, Govinda is known to quake and simmer if a visitor is dressed in red. His meals are brought in tiffins, cooked by the family maharaj. According to an apocryphal story, the actor transports his own cattle on trucks for milk during outdoor shoots. Plus, he won’t budge an inch without consulting his guru.

Ajay Devgn seeks the blessings of a guru, whether he is starting a new project or buying a car. Gulzar, to maintain a sense of tranquility at home, has a sizeable collection of Buddha sculptures.

What’s In a Number?

Numerology rules currently. In keeping with the belief in lucky numbers, Ranbir Kapoor has a penchant for the numeral 8, apparent from the licence plates of his cars. Why 8? It is conjectured that it’s because his mother’s birth date is July 8, 1958.

8 is Ranbir Kapoor’s lucky charm, clearly.

8 is Ranbir Kapoor’s lucky charm, clearly.

8 is Ranbir Kapoor’s lucky charm, clearly.

Shah Rukh Khan has a yen for the digit 555, not only for his own fleet of cars but if he can help it for the ones which he gifts as well. SRK’s cellphone number has the digit 555 too, which couldn’t be a coincidence.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and AR Rahman place their faith in 786, the total value of the letters Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim. The music composer’s cellphone has 786, while Ms Bachchan, before the demonetisation diktat, was reportedly known to collect currency notes carrying the sequence.

Akshay Kumar is a stickler for 9, sparking the buzz that the actor charges a fee per film which adds up to the number. A trade pundit went to the extent of claiming that his current fee per film is Rs 72 crores, which tote to 9! Could it be? What if his film doesn’t enter the Rs 100 crore club? “That’s why,” the pundit beamed. “He co-produces most of his films, doesn’t he?” Neither will the Padman actor write a word on a blank sheet of paper without topping it with an Om sign.

Tweaking Names

Up or downswing, birth-names are prone to tinkering. Sunjay Dutt was told that the ‘u’ in his first name wasn’t working, at the very onset of his career. Hence, it has been Sanjay thereafter. Irfan Khan dropped ‘Khan’ to add an extra ‘r’, and became Irrfan. Ajay Devgan dropped the vowel ‘a’ in his last name to become Ajay Devgn.

The letter Sanjay Dutt decided to drop for fame. 

On the heels of the sudden whopper hit status of Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, Kartik Aryan added an extra ‘a’ to become Kartik Aaryan (it’s another story that his birth name is Kartik Tiwari). Before him Rajkumar Yadav, who kicked of with supporting parts, switched to Rajkummar Rao. And what do you know? His fame tickets Shahid and Newton happened. A single or double ‘mm’ for Rajkummar depends on whoever designs the credit titles.

Ayushman Khurana, pretty straight and simple, went consonant happy with Ayushmann Khurrana. Jimmy Shergill, kin to the legendary artist Amrita Sher-Gil, for a touch of difference added an ‘i’ to become Sheirgill. By the way, before quaffing a drink, he sprinkles some drops around him, quite mysteriously.

Jimmy and his gin.

Of the heroines, Rani Mukerji dropped an ‘h’ from Mukherjee. Of the two Kapoor sisters, Karishma dropped the ‘h’ forever. Kareena changed to Kareina but reverted to the original on being tut-tuted by her father Randhir Kapoor.

Kareena wanted to be named Kareina???

On a somewhat different note, the flamboyant producer-director-and-Hitchcockian-style-cameo-actor Subhash Ghai, after successfully rebooting the career of Madhuri Dixit, developed a penchant for heroines whose names began with the letter ‘M’ – from Manisha Koirala and Mahima Choudhury to his last discovery Mishti (in Kaanchi: The Unbreakable), who as it happened, couldn’t make the grade. Tough.

Kkkkkk…Movie Titles

Ekta Kapoor and Karan Johar have moved on from their fixation for the letter K in their film titles. But Rakesh Roshan hasn’t, if the fourth edition of his Krrish franchise is anything to go by. Coincidence or not, son Hritik Roshan’s project, produced by Roshan senior but directed by Sanjay Gupta, was titled Kaabil.

Kkkk... HrithiK!

On a personal note, the film I wrote based on the life story of my mother, Zubeida, was altered to Zubeidaa. A numerologist had instructed the producer that a title with eight letters would be more felicitous than just seven. Fair enough, why quibble?

Padmaavat and all the bad luck it had. 

For starters, the censor board and protesting fringe groups would not tolerate Padmavati as the title for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus. When it was changed to Padmavat, a numerologist predicted disaster ahead. Ergo an extra ‘a’ was added and the beleaguered film was released as Padmaavat to packed houses.

Lying Low

No contracts, deals or projects are finalised during the season of Navratri, which lasts nine nights and ten days. Once the Ganpati puja and the holy immersion are done with, begins the auspicious time to get on with business. Let’s just say, show business is especially vulnerable to insecurities, responsible for that antique adage, “Fortunes are made and unmade every Friday.” Think twice before premiering a film on Friday 13, or during the fortnight-long Shradh period in September, when prayers are offered for deceased ancestors. Or during the month-long fasting during Ramzan. During these spans, ticket sales dip as they do during the eagerly-anticipated lot of cricket matches.

Release dates are a tough call to take and hope against hope that the moon doesn’t wax or wane over the opening weekend collections at the multiplexes.

Areas of Darkness and Light

A steep valley in Goregaon’s Film City is considered to be jinxed ever since several scenes were shot there in 1993 for the big daddy of all flops Roop Ki Raani Choron Ka Raja.

Is this the lucky Dil tree?

An ancient gnarled tree in Ooty guarantees success ever since Aamir Khan and Madhuri Dixit danced around it for the film Dil (1990). Snag is the convention of dancing around trees has almost gone extinct from the movies.

Most films advertised on a hoarding site offering a wide angle view of Juhu beach have tanked over the decades. The site is now used essentially for consumer products.

Colours Off Screen: Keep Them Basic

Salman Khan waves from his residence.

And finally, going by the law of averages, Salman Khan has shown up at the myriad court cases in Mumbai and Jodhpur, more often than not, wearing blue jeans and either a white or black shirt. And like his father, Salim Khan, dons a blue stone bracelet. Fingers crossed.