Indira Entertainment takes off with four diverse films

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Dr. Ajay Murdia, based in Udaipur and the founder of 150 IVF clinics around the country (“My clinics are responsible for the births of over 150,000 babies!” he smiled), Mahesh Bhatt and Vikram Bhatt have got together and announced four films under their new banner, Indira Entertainment. The banner is named after Indira Murdia, whose belief in her husband led him to scale heights. This marks his debut in a new and completely diverse field.

The four films all straddle different genres. This is Mahesh Bhatt’s (he corrected me when I addressed him as “Bhatt-saab” by stating that there was another Bhatt on the podium and he should be called “Bhatt-saab senior”!)’s debut as a production partner, because so far he has officially been only a writer-director. Trivia hunters would love to know that he had done a cameo in the 1991 Manoj Kumar film, Deshwasi. And of course he has been an executive producer for Plus Films in the 1990s.

Vikram Bhatt said that he was finally getting a chance to do something other than horror, which he had been doing now for years for films and TV. He was happy to be reuniting with Adah Sharma (whom he had launched in 1920, 16 years ago), Esha Deol (after Ankahee) and composer Anu Malik. Anu is doing Tu Meri Poori Kahani, a musical love story, after working with Vikram in several films including Awara Pagal Deewana. Vikram would also be directing Anupam Kher for the first time in Tumko Meri Kasam, after watching him for years, including in Anupam’s films with Mahesh Bhatt.

Bhatt (Sr.!) himself, in a reply to my question, revealed that in the six songs finalized, Anu would be giving the kind of music people had been now missing in Hindi cinema for years. He added that the two Bhatts had been unanimous in their choice of the composer.

About the composer, Anupam Kher added, “A diamond remains a diamond at all times! Anu is one, even if he has not done much work of late!” Anu had also scored Om Jai Jagadish that marked Anupam’s directorial debut.

Emotionally, but with dollops of humor, Kher and Bhatt (Sr.) spoke about each other and of how the latter had launched Kher in Saaransh 40 years ago and that is why he was on to his 544^th film (Tumko Meri Kasam) now. He quipped that his mother had told Bhatt that Anupam was her son and that is why he had performed so well in his film!

Also present were Ishwak Singh, who plays the young Dr. Ajay in Tumko Meri Kasam, which is a biopic of Dr. Ajay Murdia himself, Mahakshay Chakraborty, who had got his first hit in Haunted 3D directed by Vikram Bhatt, and the lead pair of one of the forthcoming films, his younger brother, Namashi Chakraborty and Khushi Dubey. Also present was Naushad Memon, the late Geeta Dutt and Guru Dutt’s son-in-law and Mehmood’s nephew.

Here are details of the four films, whose posters were launched on that day. Vikram Bhatt directs all except Tu Meri Poori Kahani, which, however, is written by Mahesh Bhatt.

Rann: A story set in the 1600s when one man refused to pay a specific tax that Aurangzeb had inflicted on his kingdom.

Viraat: One man, Viraat, fought the British Raj to save a temple that they wanted to demolish as it was in the path of a railway track being constructed. Namashi plays the title-role.

Tu Meri Poori Kahani is about how fame and power can come in the way of love. Directed by Suhrita Das, who has assisted Mahesh Bhatt, this film has music by Anu Malik.

Finally, Tumko Meri Kasam is about how one woman’s belief in her man can inspire him to lofty heights. In this biopic, Anupam Kher plays Dr. Ajay and Adah Sharma is cast opposite Ishwak Singh as the young Indira and Ajay. Esha Deol plays a lawyer.