Bollywood Standard Time

These stars are misfits in an industry that believes in surfacing at least three hours behind schedule. Govinda’s erratic timing is legend. It has sparked off wild stories like how he once strolled in a whole schedule late, while a fuming Bachchan waited in full costume, book in hand. Raveena Tandon, however, doesn’t mind. ‘‘Chi Chi is my best friend,’’ she says of co-star Govinda who has made her wait. ‘‘Once my producer has paid for my 9-6 shift, it’s not my problem. I can sleep, read or watch movies on DVD with my make-up on.’’

But Bachchan’s looming presence has often made stars sharpen up. During Kaante, producer Sanjay Dutt (who turns up at least two hours late for any shoot) would get up at 3 am to harass the rest for a 7 am schedule. And Hrithik doesn’t make the exception for just his father Rakesh Roshan’s films. ‘‘One line I can’t cross with my father is being late. He’s always advised me to be punctual,’’ he says.

Funnily, these actors stick to their regime despite the fact that most of their leading ladies saunter in late—then spend hours over make-up and hair. One insider points out that once a heroine hits 30, she takes longer in the make-up room, because ‘‘she has more to conceal’’.

‘‘I’ve heard of a heroine who made the whole unit wait for hours while she did her make-up. Maybe, she looked fantastic in the song, but to me it’s not worth it,’’ says

Urmila Matondkar. ‘‘When I did Narasimha, I once turned up at Kamalistan Studio for the climax before even the sweepers did. Now I find out if someone is coming late and land up accordingly.’’

That works with actors like Aishwarya Rai, Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgan too, who keep flexible time—not abnormally late, but rarely on time.

Even Shetty has experienced the freak instance when he was the latecomer. ‘‘It was for my own production Khel with Sunny Deol, in my backyard. We were shooting at 7 pm on my building terrace and I was returning from a charity function two hours late. I was in a bad state—called my director, Sunny Deol, my wife. But Sunny just laughed it off.’’

Director Vikram Bhatt swears to never having a problem with Bipasha Basu while shooting Raaz, Footpath and now Aitbaar, but his stamp is for Amisha Patel. ‘‘I don’t work with people who waste the producer’s or my time,’’ he says, ‘‘But Amisha is ready with make-up at 9 am for the shift. Most heroines just land up at that time.’’

Cinematographer Kiran Deohans too was warned that Kajol, who he dubs ‘firebird’, would be bang on time for Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. ‘‘Both Karan Johar and Mickey Contractor warned me that if she had to wait for early morning sequences, she would get worked up. Kareena was more laid-back in comparison,’’ Deohans says. Co-stars also point out that Preity Zinta clocks in at the appointed hour.

But Bollywood’s punctual people have learnt not to sweat it out while waiting. Shetty gets rid of his backlog of work through the mobile office in his van. Rampal rehearses lines in the two-three hours he has to kill, chats with unit members or makes his phone calls. Bachchan, Kajol and Matondkar immerse themselves in a book.

And if nothing else, the stars can turn on their DVD players and lose themselves in the make-believe world of movies.