Ajay Devgn has taken on a new avatar. Having acted in socially relevant films like Zakham and The Legend Of Bhagat Singh and directed a film on Alzeihmers (U Me Aur Hum) Devgn has now become the messiah of globally acceptable meaningful movies. His production Parched set in Rajasthan is being shot by no less than Russel Carpenter. It is being made as two separate films in English and Hindi. The English version would be sent by Devgn to various festivals across the world.
Russell Carpenter was the cinematographer of James Cameron's Titanic. Interestingly the film is co-produced by a very accomplished Indian cinematographer Aseem Bajaj who has shot Devgn's Golmaal films.
Aseem's wife Leena Yadav (who directed Ben Kingsley and Amitabh Bachchan in Teen Patti) directsParched.
"But such realistic cinema should be able to reach a wide audience. Gulaab Gang was so brilliantly marketed. But one of my best films Dekh Indian Circus remains unreleased," says actress Tannishtha.
The actress who has done many distinguished award-winning films in India and abroad says it's frustrating to work in films that don't get properly released. "You give your whole and soul to a film and then you discover hardly anyone has seen the film. That could be damned infuriating. I am happy a star of Ajay Devgn's stature is producing Parched. He'll make sure it gets properly released."
Incidentally, Parched is Tannishtha's fourth film to be shot in Jaisalmer. "All the local drivers and coordinators here know me as regular now. I guess I was born in Jaisalmer in my last life."
On a more serious note Tannistha promises Jaisalmer like never before in Parched. "The way Russell Carpenter is shooting it has to be seen to be believed. This is going to be the Titanic of the deserts."