She makes her first strategic announcement of the first director on board her new production house, Ameesha Patel Productions with partner Kunal Goomer.
David Dhawan is the first one to be signed on. Why him?
David Dhawan's moved with the changing times and knows audience choices. His films are absolutely paisa vasool. He was the first director we approached and he just said yes. David's the captain of our ship and we are happy to be his sailors. I have full confidence in him and this dates back to the year 2002 when he cast me in Yeh Hai Jalwa opposite Salman Khan. We share a great bond, he's a friend too. And no, we haven't approached Imtiaz Ali, Kunal Kohli or Dharmesh Darshan as reported. Soon, we will also announce the second director with us.
There's a strong positive buzz about your brand...
I am so excited about this entrepreneurial venture. It was my friend and partner of the company, Kunal Goomer, who convinced me to take this plunge. I am an investment banker by qualification. Today, I'd want to reply to all those who asked me why I never went number crunching instead of acting. Now, with this production house, I am pursuing both my passions — acting and investments.
With your production work in full steam, will acting take a backseat?
From Gadar to Lazy Lamhe..., I've taken up challenging roles and have delivered them well. Just the way senior actors make a decision to invest in their own production banners and reap benefits by acting in their self-produced films, I too think the same way. For an actress of my age, this could be an unconventional move but I am ready for it. And hopefully, I will inspire many
others.
In a male-dominated industry, where do you stand?
I have friends who guide me. And the plans have been thought over and well chalked out. Kunal and I are making some huge decisions and this production house is of a colossal magnitude. The first film will be of ` 30 crore budget. And God-willing, the hype and the buzz we have generated will all be so worth it.
