Kuku Kohli's only obsession

Kshama Rao

If it wasn't for him, the Hindi film industry would never have heard of Ajay Devgan.

If it wasn't for him, music directors Nadeem and Shravan would be twiddling their thumbs after the Gulshan Kumar murder case.

Meet Kuku Kohli, the producer-director who gave Devgan his first break in the romantic-action flick Phool Aur Kaante and who believed in the music director duo Nadeem-Shravan despite the Gulshan Kumar controversy. He claims that only after he went to London and signed Nadeem for the music that other directors followed.

Kohli's latest film Yeh Dil Aashiqana hits the marquee this month. The film, like Phool Aur Kaante, stars newcomer Jividha and the one-film old Karan Nath (film star secretary Rakesh Nath's son who made his debut in Paagalpan).

A love story, there were talks that the film is set against the recent happenings at Afghanistan. "No, it's not entirely true," says Kohli, "It is a love story but unlike the usual rich-poor or religion differences, in my film, the obstacles are created because of a hijack. So there are no routine problems like in earlier love stories but those that are created by terrorists. In that sense, it is interesting."

"I haven't tried to paint anyone black. It's just fiction," he says but admits that the Indian Airlines Flight IC-814 hijack in December 1999 did inspire him at the scripting stage.

On his choice of casting fresh faces, Kohli explains, "Love stories have always worked with new faces. We've seen many successful examples in the past, where two new faces have been introduced with a love story. Besides, it is always better to star newcomers as there are no expectations from them by the public. They don't come with any image."

Nadeem-Shravan, he says, have always given him good, melodious music. "Music is a big aspect of filmmaking. Right from the 1930s and 1940s, only films with good music have worked. A love story demands melodious music. I was the first filmmaker to have signed Nadeem after the controversy. The other directors followed. I was impressed by Nadeem-Shravan's work."

Ask him if Karan's debut debacle will affect his film and Kohli shrugs. "Actually, this film was supposed to be his debut. But it was delayed. I took ill and the film suffered. Karan's debut failure might affect me but not much. I'm hoping for a miracle," says the director of films like Suhag, Haqeeqat and Zulmi.

The film shot in Hyderabad and Europe and will release on January 18. After this film, Kohli plans to start work immediately on his next film Asar - The Impact starring Dilip Kumar, Ajay Devgan and Priyanka Chopra. "I think I will change the title of the film -- it doesn’t have the desired impact. It will have a lot of drama," he says.

For now, though, Yeh Dil Aashiqana is Kuku Kohli's only obsession.

India News Feature Service

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