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Tejaswini rocks

He's one of the most active producers in filmdom, but it took him a long time to notice the talent right under his nose -- sister-in-law Tejaswini Kolhapure.

Thus, Tutu Sharma is finally ready with a film that will launch wife Padmini's younger sister. And never to do things by halves, Tutu is in fact making a movie that has quite a few other firsts as well.

Paanch, thus, has Tejaswini making her debut, in the lead. And writer Anurag Kashyap, whose credits include Water, Satya, Shool and Kaun, debuting as director.

The movie revolves around a rock group whose music doesn't really sell. "We've recorded real rock songs, similar to the ones you have abroad," says Tutu Sharma. "Vishal Bharadwaj and Kay Kay (the television star making his celluloid appearance) have done this, and it has turned out very well. Even the picturisation of the songs is different -- I am going to shoot one of these concert numbers at Horniman Circle, with the Asiatic Library as the backdrop.

"We are painting the steps of the library, with the group on it and a huge crowd in front of them, going crazy. Tejaswini is the only female in the group. She plays the guitar and fronts the vocals," he says.

"The story line is about how they get involved in a small crime, simply to make some easy money, and how this then leads to bigger things. Their frustration at not succeeding is the driving force that pushes them into crime," the producer explains.

Anurag Kashyap does the story, screenplay and dialogues, besides directing. "I've known Anurag for a long time," says Tutu Sharma. "Since before Satya, in fact -- he was working on a script for me then. I like his approach, and I am always looking for different films to make. Like Rockford for example. He came to me with this script, and the passion with which he narrated it to me told me he would do a good job as director."

And Tejaswini? "She has done a fantastic job," enthuses Tutu.

There is a childlike fervour in the producer, vis a vis this film, that is very evident to all who come in contact with him. Take the instance of Vijay Maurya, who plays one of the four male members of the rock band. While Tutu was watching the rushes of the film one day, he realised that the lad had done a very good job. So he asked the upcoming actor what his dream was.

Vijay hedged, then finally admitted that he wanted to own a car. Tutu promptly handed over the keys to his own brand new car to the actor.

Next morning, Vijay diffidently rang his producer up, asking if he could return the car. Tutu wanted to know why. Turned out, that the lad thought may be his producer had, when giving him the car, had one drink too many, and the morning had brought sobriety with it.

"I told him that he wasn't dreaming," says Tutu, slightly embarrassed when you ask him about the incident. "I feel good that I was able to do this, I didn't feel bad about showing my emotions. And Padmini, my wife, supports me in all this."

The film is complete except for the concert portions. "We can't shoot those just now because of the rains," the producer points out. "We hope to shoot those by end-August, and our target is a post-Diwali release." And the hope, perhaps, that the Diwali fireworks will then carry on into the movie houses...