We were clear about exploring regional at the very inception: Ashish Chowdhry

Ashish Chowdhry has joined hands with close family friend and entrepreneur Deepa Pardasany to start a new venture, Hindustan Talkies. The production house will start off with regional cinema by co-producing Marathi movie ‘Mauli’ starring Riteish Deshmukh along with Jio Studios and Mumbai Film Company. On what got them to take up production, Ashish says, “Having studied film-making at the New York Film Academy at the age of 21, it seems I was pretty sure back then that it was on the cards. And there’s no better time than now, looking at the growing campus of films and entertainment. And finding and equally passionate person in Deepa has been a cherry on the cake.” Deepa believes that it is an interesting time for cinema these days what with all new avenues opening up. She says, “I have always wanted to do something creative. And when the opportunity presented itself, Mauli seemed the right choice.”

Excerpts:

How did you decide on the name Hindustan Talkies?

Deepa: Ashish and I both loved the name Hindustan Talkies and couldn’t believe when we got it.

Ashish: Well, one that we’re covering all the regional cinema over India. And secondly, I love the magnanimity in the name.

Mauli is directed by Aditya Sarpotdar and stars Riteish Deshmukh and Saiyami Kher

What prompted you to have Mauli has your debut production venture?

Ashish: Hindi movies will happen. But, we were clear about exploring regional at the very inception of Hindustan Talkies. And that coincided with that extraordinary script I heard from this extraordinary man, Riteish Deshmukh. There were no second thoughts thereafter.

Deepa: Since, I am new to production it seemed appropriate to first co-produce and learn the ropes before doing a solo project. Also, Mumbai Film Company is a reputed company to work with.

The regional industry has grown leaps and bounds over the years, what did you notice in terms of production value in it?

Ashish: Regional cinema has come a long way. As a producer, I feel there we’d have more levy to make strong content driven cinema. For starters, Hindi films shouldn’t be ruled out.

What’s the plan of action for Hindustan Talkies post Mauli

Ashish: The plan is to move ahead with utmost sincerity towards making good cinema. To explore more regions. And to do it with elan. And yes, another Marathi film will be announced soon.

Deepa: Well, we hope to continue doing Marathi and other regional cinema. Also web is an interesting avenue we want to explore.

First Published: Dec 08, 2018 16:57 IST