'It is not a foolish love story!'
Sharmila Taliculam
It is a seductive bandwagon. One that will never quite go out of style.
The charm of the director's chair is quite undeniable. Look at the recent spurt of aspirants. Farah Khan. Meghna Gulzar. Vishal Bharadwaj. Farhan Akhtar. To name a few.
The latest? None other than the Sawaal Dus Crore Ka host, Anupam Kher.
Which might not be that much of a surprise since the actor has been producing films and direction is usually just the next step.
"I have been wanting to direct a film for my company. But that was not working out immediately. When Vashu Bhagnani and Rahul Nanda asked me to read a script, I liked it immediately and accepted their offer to direct it since my film would take at least a year to take shape," reveals Kher.
Bhagnani has recently produced the Abhishek Bachchan-Kirti Reddy starrer Tera Jadoo Chal Gayaa, besides winners like Coolie No 1 and Hero No 1.
The script of the untitled film is by popular publicist Rahul Nanda, who happens to be the son of Gulshan Nanda, writer for films like Aradhana.
Kher's film is about an Indian in New York, he discloses. Another NRI film? Probably, since it also talks about three brothers, their family values, their togetherness and their optimism.
"I hate slotting films. Mine is not a love story or an action film. I don't think I am capable of making action films!
"I played villain in many films, but I have now stopped. I don't think children like seeing me as a villain. So I don't want to make an action film."
The cast of the film is undecided. Kher prefers to trust his producer to decide the starcast, get their dates as well as complete the film in six months. But he does reveal, "Today, newcomers are well accepted. But we would still like to choose actors with some experience, not total newcomers.
"It will be the usual Hindi film. One that I hope to make with the sensibility I have gathered after16 years in the industry, and my education at the National School of Drama. I might have just about given 40 per cent of me in acting. But I hope to devote my all to directing."
Apart from hosting the Sawaal Dus Crore Ka show, he has been involved in his production company, which recently produced the award-winning film Bariwali (at Cannes), besides keeping handicapped children company.
"I have not given up acting," he says, "just doing fewer films. I am very excited about directing films now -- this is a subject I am very interested in. It's not some foolish love story."
The film will go on the floors only early next year, says Kher."There are some changes and details to be fine-tuned in the script. That requires a lot of work. Hopefully, I should start my own film by the end of next year, after I finish directing this film for Vashu Bhagnani."
