KETAN DESAI

The producer-director caps a five year sabbatical, staging a comeback with the Sanjay-Salman starrer, Yeh Hai Jalwa...
The wait's finally over


You are back in action after a long lay-off. What have you been up to in the intervening period?

I've been looking for scripts, waiting for things to happen. I directed Anmol in 1993 after Manji expired. But that did not do well at the box-office. After that I turned producer with Deewana Mastana in 1994. The film was released in 1997 and turned out to be a big hit. However, 1998 saw the film industry undergoing a slump. Apart from Dil To Pagal Hai the industry did not have any block-buster which could pull it out of the recession. So, I've been waiting and watching. Now that I've got hold of a good story, I'm launching the film Yeh Hai Jalwa at the beginning of the year.

Salman Khan has had a very good run in 1998. Even Sanjay Dutt who was down last year has emerged a winner with Daag - The Fire. You seem to have a winning combo...

You're right, I do. But the challenge now is to make them do something different and take them beyond what they have done till now. Long ago Salman had told me he was willing to work for the MKD banner provided I'd direct the film. That was sweet of him. It shows his confidence in me. The same can be said for Sanjay. He had said the moment I became an independent director, he'd work with me.

So what's the film all about?

Without quite revealing the plot, I can tell you it's a thriller-entertainer with action as a backdrop. Let me also assure you that like other MKD films, this one will also be clean. However, audience tastes have changed. What was considered taboo yesterday is not so anymore. Even the costumes have changed. Keeping up with the times, the film will have glamour and sensuality, not vulgarity.

Who will star opposite the macho stars?

The heroines have not yet been finalised.

When do you plan to complete the film?

I hope to shoot the entire film in a year's time, and complete the post-production in three months after that. So you know when to expect the movie!

You haven't had success as a director yet. What have you learnt from Anmol's failure?

wana Mastana I learnt what to do, and what not to, how to alter things and most importantly, be cost-effective.

Lastly, how did you hit upon the title Yeh Hai Jalwa?

At all our team meetings, we'd keep promising each other kuch karenge, jalwa dikhayenge. Salman, too, would say koi jalwa dikhana hai. So that's how the title Yeh Hai Jalwa was born.