Honey Irani turns director

Bharati Dubey

It's all in the family.

Last year saw debutant director Farhan Akhtar with his acclaimed Dil Chahta Hai.

Now, the direction bug has bitten Farhan's writer mother Honey Irani, too. The child star-turned-writer now takes to direction with her new film, an emotional subject.

Honey has signed Amitabh Bachchan and Anil Kapoor to play the main lead. Gracy Singh, too, is likely to feature in the film.

Anil Kapoor, excited at working with Amitabh Bachchan, said, "Honey and I go back to my Lamhe days. I am really looking forward to working with her."

Honey's ex-husband, Javed Akhtar, is also part of her creative team, as lyricist. The music will be composed by the sprightly trio of Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonca. The same team gave the peppy music of Dil Chahta Hai that won them the R D Burman Award at the recently held Filmfare Awards function

Javed said, "Honey is a very hardworking person. She has loved writing since childhood. I am glad that she is confident about directing a film." Evidently, Honey was to direct the Jackie Shroff-Akshaye Khanna starrer Laawaris which she had written. "I was not confident then. Now I am quite confident that is why I taken it up."

Honey Irani started her career as a bubby child star in films like Chiraag Kahan Roshni Kahan, Bombay Ka Chor and Seeta Aur Geeta.

Her screenwriting skills came into the spotlight with Yash Chopra's mature love story, Lamhe. Soon, she became an important contributor for the Yash Chopra banner. Witness Darr, Aaina.

More than three Filmfare Awards and numerous accolades later, she is considered one of the most gifted screenplay writers of the decade. Her recent successful works include Kya Kehna and Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai.

The yet-to-be-titled film of Honey Irani's film will be produced by Dinesh Gandhi.