I think this is for the first time Emraan is trying his hand at comedy. He is playing a very different character, & he is not kissing in my film!.
Ashwini Chaudhary, got the National Award (GOLDEN LOTUS) for his very first film Laado, Starring Ashutosh Rana, Sanjay Singh,& Arundhati. But, his compassion for realistic cinema was still waiting to be nurtured further,
Then came Dhoop, Starring Ompuri, Revati, Sanjay Suri, & Gul Panag. Dhoop, was not only the opening film of KARA FILM FESTIVAL in Karachi in 2004 but also was one of the most talked about film of the year cause it traveled to many International Film Festivals across the world.
The thinking director, who started his career as a journalist with INDIAN EXPRESS GROUP in Chandigarh and reviewed films and theatre for two years before venturing into television and later films, Is now cooling his heels after completing a campus comedy titled ‘ Good Boy Bad Boy’ his first commercial film after a series of realistic films.
The film is being produced by Subhash Ghai, stars Emraan Hashmi, Tushaar Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Tanushree Dutta, & Isha Sharwani. The film is scheduled to be released on 11th May 2007. And, that’s not all, by the time the bouquets and suggestions pour in, Ashwini will be busy with his next project . ‘Gurudakshina’, A film based on a real life incident produced by K Sera Sera, starring Sunny Deol.
Taking some time out Ashwini talks about ‘Good Boy Bad Boy’ and ‘Gurudakshina’
IMP. What is Good Boy, Bad Boy all about?
A.C. Basically, Good Boy Bad Boy is about today's generation. It’s not an out-and-out comedy although being a fun on campus flick. The two protagonists are Emraan Hashmi and Tusshar Kapoor. They play two completely different characters. Tusshar is the good boy and Emraan is the bad boy in the film, not in societal terms but just as campus kids. The film deals with today's youth – their dreams, their aspirations and about their conviction. They are all trying to achieve something in life and the film is about how they achieve it. Paresh Rawal is also playing a pivotal role.
IMP. How did the film idea generate?
A.C. Subhashji saw my film Dhoop on DVD & was impressed, so one evening he called me up asking to meet and when I met him, he asked me to do a film for Mukta Arts as he liked my work. So, After discussing a few subjects which I already had in mind, Subhashiji liked this one & that’s how it happened.
IMP. What is Emraan Hasmi's role in a comedy like this?
A.C. I think this is for the first time Emraan is trying his hand at comedy. He is playing a very different character, & he is not kissing in my film!. He plays the role of a young campus boy, a spoilt brat. Not a bad boy in terms of society, you know.
IMP. ‘A Good Boy & A Bad Boy’ What about the girls in the film?
A.C. There is an interesting catch over here, the good girl is with the bad boy, and the bad girl is with the good boy. Isha Sharvani who is paired opposite Emraan, plays a sober, moderate natured good girl. On the other hand, Tanushree is playing a very tom-boyish type of character; a very outgoing modern girl, paired opposite Tusshar Kapoor.
IMP. Fun on campus, which campus did you choose to shoot?
A.C. We have shot in the campus of Sophia College & the film is been entirely shot in Mumbai, as the story is set in Mumbai.
IMP. What next in the pipeline?
A.C. I will start shooting for Gurudakshina in the first week of May, soon after Good Boy Bad Boy is released.
IMP. What is the film Gurudakshina about?
A.C. Gurudakshina is again a campus film, but set in UP. We will be shooting in Allahabad, Lucknow and Banaras. It is a campus film but entirely different from Good Boy Bad Boy. While Good Boy… is a fun film, Gurudakshina is set in a small town and it deals with the kind of violence and politics that exists in these campuses. The film based on a real-life story, It is a hard-hitting, sensible film. The mounting is big, but it is not a candy-floss.
IMP. How did the idea come up?
I came across the news of a professor who gets killed by some college students around eight months back in Ujjain. I just put this idea across to Sanjay Chauhan, who has done the script, liking it immensely.
It is not entirely an action film. Of course, Sunny Deol is there so there is action in the film. He plays a professor in the film so actually, it's not entirely an action film altogether.