Hindustan Times (Patna) - Hindustan Times (Patna) - Live
CELEBS’ NEW JOB TITLE: PRODUCERS
Many Bollywood actors and directors will produce movies this year
2017 will see a new crop of producers — all stars in their own right — in Bollywood. Author Twinkle Khanna, who had a six-year-long acting career in the 90s, has announced her film, Pad Man, which will be produced under her new banner, and will star her husband, Akshay Kumar. Director Zoya Akhtar, who has made films under her brother, Farhan Akhtar’s banner, too, turns to production with Ranveer Singh-Alia Bhatt starrer Gully Boy.
A number of actors, too, will don the producer’s hat this year. Katrina Kaif is reportedly planning to turn producer, and launch her younger sister, Isabel Kaif. Ranbir Kapoor’s debut production, Jagga Jasoos is likely to hit theatres this year. Emraan Hashmi also turns producer with Tony D’Souza’s directorial Captain Nawab. “When you hear some of the scripts, you want to own them. Besides being an actor, I can also submit my inputs as a creative producer. I’d like to produce movies and stories that I find interesting,” says Hashmi.
After her foray into Punjabi and Marathi cinema, Priyanka Chopra turns to Hindi films with Little Joe Kaha Ho? (in Konkani and Hindi) and Almaseer. “We are a small production house and we’re taking things slowly. We want to make good quality films —regional, Hindi, English, etc — that have new stories to tell,” says Priyanka, whose mother, Dr Madhu Chopra takes care of the production work in India as the actor is busy in the West.
Experts feel that it’s not necessary for all actors to turn producers but if a “good business model can be followed and sustained over a period of time”, it can work out well. “It (production) also gives a lot of freedom but as they say, with freedom comes responsibility too. So, if an actor is turning producer, it should be an asset to a film and not become a liability,” says exhibitor- distributor Akshaye Rathi.
Ranbir, too, is thinking along the same lines. “I wanted to have a 50-50 partnership with the director of the film I was producing. I don’t want to solely produce the film because the director should also feel like it is his film too. This way we can do things our way without any pressure…we know that we can make it the way we want to,” says the actor.